Sunday, June 26, 2011

Coucous Salad

Last night M & D had some friends over for dinner.  We made grilled chicken with an herb marinade and each of the couples brought a dish to share.  Mrs. P brought this recipe, which was fantastic!

An easy vegetarian and vegan couscous salad recipe with chickpeas and cucumbers in a light lemon Dijon dressing with chopped fresh parsley. Couscous salad is always a good choice to bring to a vegetarian potluck or picnic.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked couscous
6 green onions, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans) pre-cooked or canned
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
dash pepper to taste

Preparation:
Combine the couscous, onions, tomatoes, cucumber chickpeas and parsley in a large bowl.

In a separate small bowl, whisk or blend together the remaining ingredients and pour over the couscous, tossing gently to coat.

Enjoy!!!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

John Cleese reports Threats

Start your week off with the latest news from the continent and beyond:

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's Get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbor" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be all right, mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crickey! I think we'll need to cancel the Barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is canceled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

In the last month

Wow, it's been a long time since I last posted so a few updates are due.
-I made it to the 4th round with DCPS of their central office selection process, taught a 30 minute lesson at a middle school in late May and haven't heard anything since.
-Went to Ithaca NY for my brother's graduation from undergrad at Cornell (a whole other post is due)
-Went to Ireland for 11 days with my bro, parents and grandparents (multiple posts due)
-Found a house in Clarendon with a great girl and we're looking for roommates! Paid the security deposit yesterday and signing the lease tonight
-Had an interview with Holmes MS (FCPS) yesterday that I thought went really well, and I really liked the school.  They'd be a great fit for me if I get offered a position.
-I got a summer job working with the Smithsonian Mysteries in History camp from July 5-8 which will be great fun and a good experience!
-I have 2 more interviews set up for this week, one with Poe Middle School, and another with Twain Middle School
-I'm starting Irish dance classes tomorrow night with the O'Neill-James School!

Phew...there's a lot going on and things are looking up!