Yummy recipe and Christmas gift!

Over the holidays my family and I spent a lot of time cooking and baking. One of my favorite things about having time off is that I have time to try tons of new recipes. We made the best sandwich snacker originally shown to us by my sweet cousin Kristi, but tweaked just a little bit. Thanks Kristi!!

Hawaiian Sweet Roll Sammies

Ingredients:
1 package of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (12 pack)
1/2 sweet onion (very finely chopped or minced)
1 stick butter or margarine
3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons of Poppy Seeds
1/2 pound shaved honey ham
12 slices of Swiss cheese (cheddar cheese also works great!)

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a small skillet and add onions.
2. Combine mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and poppy seeds into the mixture.
3. Simmer for several minutes.
4. Slice the Hawaiian rolls in half. Fold a slice of ham and a slice of cheese onto each and close.
5. Place onto an aluminum lined 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
6. Pour onion mixture over the top and let marinate a few hours or until ready to bake.
7. Bake covered with aluminum for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Try them... you will not be disappointed!!

Lots of love!

Already Ready to Get Back??

It's crazy to think that every time we have a school break I am always SO excited to get some time off. It never fails, however, that every time about  five four days in, I'm already thinking about getting back to work! Here are some really exciting ideas that I saw that I can't wait to try in my own classroom!

 This is from The First Grade Jungle, a website that I stumbled upon a few weeks ago! So many cute and amazing ideas!! We have been using AR in our classroom all year. Every time the kids get ready to take a test it's always such a mess! They can't remember their user name and password, they don't have their AR book, and sometimes they can't even remember what website to go to. Hello! :) This is such a smart idea to manage!!

An AR Quiz Line- When they are ready they put their number in line. This is even easier for me to set up in my classroom because by third grade the kids can manage this themselves! YAY! They know that if someone is in front of them they will have to wait until their number comes up. Such a great idea!!!

This is a super idea as well! Each student can have their own card with their AR user name and password for easy reference...just in case! My little addition to this is that I am definitely going to put their reading level on this card to use when checking books out of the library.

In all honesty, I'm excited to get back! The only thing that I am so sad and upset about is the fact that my favorite teaching mate Ms. Mallory will not be back teaching third grade with me :(  She has been promoted to a counselors position at another elementary school in our district. GREAT for her, sad for me! I am so incredibly proud of her... Good luck Ms. Mallory!! We will all miss you!

After Christmas Cool Down!

Now that the Christmas celebrations are coming to an end, I'm finally having some quality time with Jake and our doggies. We had such an amazing time celebrating with both my mom and dad and Jake's family.

My mom came to stay with me last week. We had so much fun baking for our Christmas gathering at my house. I absolutely LOVE hosting Christmas. This is the second time that I've been able to host at my house. It's always very crazy and a lot of work, but so worth every second and every penny!

My brother-in-law absolutely loves Boston Cream Pie. It was my mission to make it for him even though I'd never made it in my life. I was all set to do so when I found this recipe for Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes from Six Sisters Stuff. They were amazing!!

On an exciting note... My dad and little brother are finally moving to DALLAS! Can't be more excited and happy! He will start third grade at HPISD!

Only two days until NYE! We will be celebrating with Jake's brother and wife in Fort Worth. What are your plans??