Sausage Spinach Loaf

The following has been a VERY popular recipe which my family has enjoyed for many years. It is a great company dish and looks very pretty when sliced. Enjoy!

Sausage Spinach Loaf

350 degrees for 30-35 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, and drained well (I squish it through a paper towel)
1 pound hot Italian sausage, fried, drained, and cooled
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg white, whipped with 2 t. water
Sesame seeds, dill weed, etc.

Roll out the bread dough until it forms a rectangle, not too thin. Place cheese on dough, leaving a one inch border. Spread sausage on top of cheese, then spinach on top of sausage. Roll up carefully and pinch edges together (may need to use a bit of that whipped egg white). Place on cookie sheet. Brush egg white mixture all over rolled loaf and sprinkle sesame seeds, etc. on top. Bake until golden brown. Let stand for five minutes before slicing and serving (I use a good bread knife).

What Time Is It?

My students are sweet, but they aren't always focused on what we, as a class, are doing at present. Friday we talked about how there is a time for everything - a time to listen, a time to clean up, etc.

I came up with a little poem that I'm going to teach the class this coming week. I actually got the idea from a wise man who wrote a different poem many years ago; I'll post his words at the end of this blog. I've called my poem, "What Time is It"?

What Time Is It?

A time to listen
And a time to speak

A time to work
And a time to eat

A time to rest
And a time to play

A time to give thanks
For a wonderful day

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Now for the poem from Ecclesiastes (3:1-8, NASB):

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--

A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.

A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.

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Do you have any classroom management techniques you would like to share?

The Manna Principle

I've been recently challenged when reading through my One Year Bible. The other day I was thinking about how anxious, frustrated, and helpless I can be. I realized that as a Chrisitan I have access to God the Father's provision in the same way Jesus did. God showed me that I did not need to worry about the future - that when each day presents its own troubles, I can call on Him, and He will give me the grace I need for each situation (just as He provided daily manna for the wanderers in Exodus).

If the people of Israel tried to collect more than a day's worth of food (i.e. when they thought they might not get enough), the extra portion of manna would become full of maggots. What a creepy thought! So, I've decided that I want to live by what I'm calling "The Manna Principle." I want to learn to enjoy the privileges of being a child of God through my daily reliance on Him.

Travel Bug

One of things I love to do is travel. Once a person has caught the travel bug, there really isn't a cure. I've added the Currency Converter link to my blogspot for recent immigrants, temporary residents, and those of us who want to compare the US $ with other currency.

I like to joke that one of my travel goals is to visit all of the "I" countries I can. I've got a small start: Iceland, Israel, and the Ivory Coast of Africa. I would really love to experience Ireland, India, and Indonesia. How about you? I love travel stories; if you would have one, please tell me about it under the "comment" section of this blog.

Days of Discovery

I've been working with a teacher at Discovery Elementary in Waite Park, MN. We have a wonderful, eager group of students. I am very blessed to be a part of the action, but also very exhausted! Elementary teachers have to be very strong and resourceful. This is an example of where "persistence" comes in handy.

I know I'm exactly where I should be, and I am determined to make the best use of my days at Discovery. I am looking forward to learning from each student. (They've already tried to teach me the words for "cat" and "dog" in Spanish, Somali, Korean, and Vietnamese!)

Recipe for Borscht

Russian Beet Soup

Meaty beef soup bones
2-3 carrots
2-3 stalks of celery
3-4 potatoes
2 medium onions
Peppercorns
Bay leaf (or leaves)
Garlic salt
Celery salt
½ head cabbage
½ can corn with juice
½ can green beans with juice (or 1-2 cups fresh)
1 large can cut up tomatoes with juice
1-2 cans beets with juice (or 1-2 cups fresh)
4-6 cubes beef bullion
Fresh dill
Sour cream

Boil soup bones in large stock pot with enough water to cover plus one inch.
Scrub, wash, and peel vegetables, putting peelings, peppercorns, and one of the onions (cut up) in water with soup bones. Add bay leaf. Simmer covered for 3-4 hours or until meat falls off bone). Remove meat. Strain liquid through cheesecloth.

Put liquid back in pot, add meat (cut in pieces) and chopped vegetables, salt, and seasonings. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add corn, beans, and beats. Cook another 10-20 minutes. Add dill just before serving. Serve with a small dollop of sour cream. Freezes well (in small containers).

Sunday Mornings

On Sundays my husband Bill and I usually have a lazy breakfast - this morning I made homemade caramel rolls. After breakfast we had a nice time of chatting together and drinking coffee, then we went to church. We attend a little interdenominational Christian church called Harvest. Interdenominational means we accept people from various backgrounds. We believe the "church" is a family of redeemed people, not a building. There are about 75-100 families who make up Harvest. I love the international mix - many times we have visiting students from other countries. When I close my eyes and think of Heaven, I see people from all tongues, tribes, and nations. Can you see why I love my ELL students so much?

When we get home today, I'm going to make a good pot of borscht soup. Borscht is a Russian word for "beet soup." I'll include the recipe for borscht at a later post. Did you know that I love good, old fashioned recipes? I am always open to sharing culture, especially food!

By the way, my husband just looked out the window and told me it's snowing (... just a little).

Why have I finally decided to blog?

Since I am a teacher of English to speakers of other languages, I thought I would like to begin a blog to invite my family and friends to communicate with me. Please feel free to post your comments.

It's a beautiful autumn day here in Minnesota - I'm hoping to get outside and enjoy it a bit. Maybe I'll take a walk, or go for a bike ride, or just sit in a corner of my deck with the sun on my face and read a good book. Until next time, I hope you will persist in this experience called life!