Denver.

Having a lovely time in Denver so far. True, our luggage arrived about 10 hours after we did (impressive given the flight is only 2.5 hours) but the weather is gorgeous, the water does lovely things to my hair, and my family here is awesome. 

I wanted to make a pie to say thanks (because none of them are big cooks) but I didn't count on how hard it would be to actually find the lard to make the crust. Two grocery stores didn't carry it, although one disgruntled Safeway employee tried to convince me that butter flavored Crisco is the same thing. 

So I made a pie with the softest (non-butter flavored) vegetable shortening ever, but it actually turned out better than I thought it would. 

Going to a hockey game today, playing tourist tomorrow and Monday, and planning on enjoying some of the beautiful outside weather before going back to my little icy corner of Canada. 

Security.

It has been a long week... Parent teacher interviews are exhausting. 

I am sitting in the airport, waiting to go to Denver to visit family for Spring Break. Have already seen 4 students in the airport who are also heading stateside for the week. 

I didn't get felt up by Security... That always happens to me... Feels like my airport experience is missing something. 

Lacking that element of danger. Although my mother did inadvertently try to take some apples across the border. 

Customs agent: Do you have any fruit? 

Mom: No

Thirty seconds after walking away she says: Should I have told him I have two apples?

We turned around and promptly surrendered our apples. 

Pi Day in Pi Month?

Not only is today Pi Day (3/14) it is also Pi Month! Time to celebrate the inner (and in my case, outer) math nerd. Plus, I love pie.

As March 14 is also Einstein's Birthday, I decided to celebrate by starting a course on Special Relativity with WorldScienceU, the new project of Brian Greene. As I don't have tons of time to devote to it (semester is zipping by, and wedding related things are coming up quick) I am doing the theoretical, not math based course, and opted out of being graded. I've taken both Relativistic and Quantum physics courses in the past, so this is a for-fun refresher!

Iron Man.

Got a paper cut today and didn't notice, until I bled all over my mark sheet, a vectors practice sheet, and a poor student's lab. Rather than witness me bleed on anything else, one of my girls gave me an Iron Man bandage.

It's sad how much this brightened my day. 

#IronThumb

Baklava.

I made baklava for this month's Mediterranean themed food club. Lordy, it was good. Easier than I though it would be. 

I modified a recipe I found online to get this. 

1 pkg phyllo pastry

1/2 C butter, melted

2 C ground nuts (I used walnuts, but want to try pistachios. The recipe also called for chopped, but I found they just fell out)

3 tsp cinnamon

1 C water

1 C sugar

1/2 C honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Liberally butter a 9 x 13 pan. Mix together nuts and cinnamon. 

Cut the phyllo in half so it fits the pan, and store under a damp tea towel until you need it. Place 2 sheets of phyllo in the pan, and brush generously with butter. Repeat 2 more times, and follow with a thin layer of nut mixture. Repeat the two sheets of phyllo, butter, two sheets of phyllo, butter, nuts pattern until you have 6 sheets of phyllo left. Generously butter between each last layer of phyllo, pressing down before you do so. 

Slice into triangles or squares, cutting through all the layers. One pan should make about 30-40 depending on your size. Bake in oven approx 40 minutes. 

While pastry is baking, combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add honey, vanilla, and lemon, and reduce heat, allowing to simmer approximately 20 minutes. 

Remove baklava from oven when tops are golden brown, and immediately spoon syrup over the whole tray. Allow to cool totally before separating. Store in muffin liners, and drizzle with chocolate if desired.