Getting to know you....

Today was the first day of classes with students. It was a modified schedule with assemblies for all students and time, at the beginning of the day, for freshman to walk through their schedule. Funniest moment was when a student asked me 15 minutes into class, after having gone through the course info guide, "Is this Spanish?" The rest of the week is a bit modified in terms of lunch block, but we have full classes. Hopefully everything goes just as well as today! Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and thanks to my husband for the beautiful flowers.

Back at the new house, my husband and I (really, he did most of the work), have almost finished unpacking all the boxes from the move. You can walk around in the basement now! And we finally have cable! After waiting weeks for my husband to figure out which company was best I can now watch my shows on tv instead of the computer.

Kitchen Sink Cookies Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal
Oven 350
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Beat with electric mixer butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. In another bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips, oats, and peanuts. Drop dough in rounded 2-tablespoon portions, 3 inches apart, onto buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets. With a lightly floured fork, flatten slightly into 2 1/2-inch rounds about 1/2 inch thick.Bake in oven until cookies are golden and tops feel set when lightly pressed, 12 to 14 minutes (they will feel underdone but will firm up as they cool); if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking. Let stand 5 minutes on sheets, then, with a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool. If hot cookies start to break, slide a thin spatula under them to release; let stand on pan to firm up, 2 to 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.