I’m feeling very happy this evening because I have only ONE MORE DAY of school before it’s my SPRING BREAK!!! WOOT WOOT!!! I love my job, but I’m ready for a week away from our preschool monkeys, er um, students. I love them, but I think I’ll love them more after a week off. Truly we have so much fun with picnics on the big playground or picnics in our garden, dancing to new songs, playing with Beanie Babies, playing dress up, crafting so hard, and having special visitors, like Tyler’s pet guinea pig, Mr. Sparkles. I LOVE HIM! (I meant Mr. Sparkles, but I love Tyler, too.)
Hubby and I dithered over vacation destinations and settled on San Diego. I almost booked us to Cabo (cheap this time of year) and found out it’s a hot destination for ASU fraternities and sororities. GOOD GRIEF! I would have been sooooo mad spending our money to be in the middle of a scene from Girls Gone Wild! The last time we were in San Diego, William was in a stroller (now he is 20). So likely 18 years ago. It’s a five-hour drive, and I’m enticed not by the beaches (California beaches are terrible compared to our beloved Puerto Penasco, MX beaches), but by the seafood and breweries! I’m calling our trip a “brewcation.” I’ve mapped out our favorite craft breweries—we’ll visit Stone, Ballast Point, St. Archer, and Coronado Brewing Co. I’ve booked us a whale watching trip one afternoon. I’m skeptical if we’ll really see a whale, but the boat has cocktails and snacks, so I’m all in!
The best thing is we’ll come home mid-week, and I’ll still have four free days before going back to work. I plan to get some stuff done around the house and do some hiking and see friends. On Friday night, William returns home from college for his Spring Break! I miss him sooooo much. (We all do.) We’ll have him for a whole nine days—LIFE IS GOOD!
I’m getting the laundry done so I’ll have all my clothes to choose from to pack for our trip. It’s going to be about ten degrees colder than here, so brrrrrrr that it will be only in the mid-60’s and cloudy every day . . . but don’t you just know most tourists will be wearing sun dresses and flip flops. And I will want to wear sweaters and boots, because 65 and cloudy is COLD. We desert dwellers are an odd lot, this I know for sure. Our new-ish clothes washer sings a beautiful little ditty to announce the load is done. I thinks it’s the greatest thing ever, and I need to know if there is a job called “Appliance Composer,” and if so, how does one get that job? How many man hours did it take to create the 25-second melody? Did several musicians spend weeks dreaming up the perfect tune? Did executives in pin-stripe suits solemnly sit around a conference table while said ditties were presented and chosen? To me, the whole thing is very curious. I have questions.
And now I have to share with you the YUMMIEST recipe. It’s currently in direct competition with broccoli soup for my favorite lunch dish. It’s Creamed Spinach with jalapeno peppers . . . and it’s absolutely heaven on a plate. I found the recipe online and changed several things. For one, the original recipe called for evaporate milk. WHAT??? I substituted regular milk, and it was great. It occurred to me you could skip the oven and do it stove top to save time, but I think baking it gives it a better texture. ALSO, it only made enough for maybe six people. Next time I will double it to have leftovers.
CREAMED SPINACH WITH JALAPENO PEPPERS
2 12-ounce packages frozen leaf spinach
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 cup yellow onion, minced fine
3 cloves garlic, minced fine (I often use the stuff from the jar–don’t judge)
1/3 cup whole milk (or half and half)
1/2 teaspoons each salt, and white pepper
8 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese, cubed
1 jalapeno pepper, minced fine (add another pepper if you like spicier)
1/4 cup bread crumbs (optional)
Cook spinach according to package instructions, saving the spinach water (I use a Pampered Chef microwave steamer).
In a medium pan, melt butter, then add the flour to create the roux. Add onion, cooking for about five minutes. Add spinach and remaining ingredients, stirring over low heat until mixed well.
Place in a greased 9×13 casserole. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
Cheers,
Mary
Cheers, Darling 