I have been trying to master a good broccoli cheese soup and have enjoyed testing out the different varieties! I have used cauliflower and carrots in my last few attempts and I would have, but broccoli is all that was in the fridge. I love packing my soups full of yummy veggies, so next time I might add those to the pot as well! This was by far my best attempt. I always like what the soups taste like but this one was really good! I kept thinking they were not cheesy enough, so the last time I was at Hyvee, I grabbed a can of Campbell’s cheddar soup, and I really think that it made a difference. I was not even in the mood to cook tonight, as I came gone from work exhausted. I am sure glad I decided to cook because it totally hit the spot! I hope you enjoy!
I like my broccoli cooked ALL the way through, so I like to boil it separately first to ensure it gets soft.While the broccoli is steaming, start chopping onions and sauté them with the stick of butter.After the onions are finished sauteing, add the milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.Add the broccoli to the pot to resume cooking. Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes.Add 1 can of Campbell’s cheddar cheese and two handfuls of shredded cheese.After the cheese is melted, feast on this amazing soup!
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients:
3 cups milk
1 can Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup
1 dash nutmeg
1/3 c flour
1 stick butter
1 diced red onion
4 heads broccoli chopped in florets
2 cups shredded Colby Monterey cheese
Instructions:
Start a pot of boiling water. In a separate pot, melt the stick of butter while you dice up the onion. While the butter and onions are sautéing, chop the rinsed broccoli into florets and toss them in the pot of boiling water. Put a lid on the broccoli and give it a good steam for about 15-20 minutes. Add the flour to the onions and stir well. Let it cook up for a minute or so. Add 3 cups of milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the pot of onions and bring to a boil. After the soup starts to boil, transfer the steamed broccoli to the soup mixture and cover. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes on low while stirring occasionally. Add the Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup to the mixture as well as the shredded cheese. After cheese is melted, stir well and enjoy!
I can’t believe its November! The kids were out of school today, and we had Professional Development instead. (Thank you Turner!! School the day after Halloween is exhausting!) I enjoy our Instructional Fairs that my district puts on because they give us a huge lists of courses and we get to attend 3 of them. It is fun to get to be the students for a day, especially since they have so many good presentations to attend. I have taken past courses like Teaching with Love and Logic, Guided Math, Kagan Strategies,etc.
They are always interesting, but I went to a session by MK Mueller today called Feel Good and Stay Positivethat was really good. While debating on what I wanted to sign up for, I came across this listing and was intrigued. Teaching can be a very stressful job, so I figured it could be motivational. I have also had a hard time staying positive about certain things in my life that I cannot change. I must admit, I had no idea how much I was going to get from the lesson. I feel like I walked away with a lot.
Feel Good And Stay Positive was my first session and I was still waking up as I sipped on my pumpkin spice coffee. The entire district attends this fair, so it is fun to see what teachers from other grade levels and schools are there. I was still not sure what exactly the session was going to be like. The lady had my attention as she started playing music before the session got started! I do the same in my classroom in the mornings. It is the absolute best way to start your day.
MK Mueller talked about so many wonderful things in the session and I even registered to see her speak in a few weeks for a workshop on her book 8 to Great. I may have even convinced Alex to go! (I promise you will love it!) She had my attention the entire session. I heard other people talking about it after as well, so I am happy they brought her in. I even got a book for volunteering! I am really excited to read it! I loved listening to her speak and I am eager for more. She talked about the importance of choosing thoughts that make us feel good. She then gave us some homework to start telling someone 3 things that we are grateful for. Once you say one, you cannot say it again. She said that it has changed her life.
This homework assignment has really got my brain turning. I have been really wanting to start my blog going on a more regular basis. Some people like to share one thing they are thankful for each day since November is a month of thanks. I have been wanting to start working on my blog more, so I am going to set a goal to post my 3 things on here. Keep checking back to see how well I am doing keeping track.
November 1st
I am grateful for my boyfriend Alex. We have so much fun together. He does so many things for me and I hope he know how much I appreciate everything he does. I am so lucky to have such an amazing partner in crime! I love you babe!I am grateful for Chloe, as she was my first dog that I have had on my own. She has the most wonderful personality. I lover her for that. She has the most energy of any being I have ever encountered. She wants to play all the time. She is crazy!Mia is the laziest dog in the world. I swear she is a cat trapped in a dog’s body! She is a hot mess but that is why we love her! She is a good girl! She is always getting into stuff. This picture is from when we were at grandma’s house. She is so naughty!!
November 2nd
I am grateful for my mom. She has given me so much in my 30 years of life and I don’t know what I would do without her. My mom is one of the most amazing people I know. She is always a good listener and would do anything for me or my brother. We are so lucky to have her as our mom! Love you mama!!I had a rough couple days at work a few weeks ago and the next day when I went to work, I received the most beautiful handmade book from a student I had last year. She wrote this poem at the back of the book and literally brought me to tears. As hard as my profession can be, it is students like her that really make it all worth it. She comes by my room at least once a day and always puts a smile on my face!I am grateful for the beautiful fall weather this time of year! The pups and I always enjoy the crisp fall air when we are on walks this time of year!
November 3rd
I am grateful for my Grandma Bloesser. She is the most amazing woman. She is beautiful on the inside and out! She is always willing to lend a helping hand. I get a lot of my own traits from my grandma. She is always keeping busy and always has a million projects in motion! I am so lucky to have her in my life! I love you grandma! Thank you for all you do!When it comes to grandmas, I hit the cream of the crop! I am so grateful for my Grandma Underhilll. She is a true inspiration. I can always count on her to lift me up when I am down. She has had a hard life and she pushes through with determination. She has such a kind heart. I am also a lot like her as well! I wouldn’t have it any other way! Love you grandma!! Thanks for all you do!MY GREAT GRANDMA CHILSON IS SUCH A GREAT WOMAN. SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY INDEPENDENT. I CAN REMEMBER DRIVING BY HER HOUSE AND SHE WOULD BE OUTSIDE MOWING HER LAWN AT LIKE 80. SHE IS ONE TOUGH COOKIE! THIS IS A PICTURE OF 4 GENERATIONS THAT WE TOOK ON HER 92ND BIRTHDAY!
November 4th
Today I am grateful for the most amazing brother a girl could ask for. I don’t know if I tell him enough how much I am thankful for him in my life. I can remember when we were younger we would fight, as brothers and sisters do…I feel like we got closer when I went to college. My favorite thing about my brother is he always says, “I love you,” even if it is in front of his buddies! It means more than you know brother! I wish that I could see him more than I do, but we cherish those moments that we get! Love you and thanks for being you!Today I got to work and realized as I fumbled through my teacher bag, that I left my keys in my other bag. This was not the best way to start off my day! I was telling another teacher how great my Monday was starting out as I looked for the janitor to unlock my door (Thanks Mr. Hamilton!) Her reply was, “but what are your 3 things?” (She has either read my blog or also attended MK Muller’s session last Friday!) She was so right…I might have lost my keys but at least I have a job to lose my keys for! How true! (Thanks Leah!) I am so grateful that I get the opportunity to wake up everyday and do a job that I love!I am grateful that I don’t need a flashlight to take the pups out in the morning thanks to Daylight Savings Time!
November 5th
I am grateful for my best friend, Laura! She has been my best friend since we were five! She likes to say that I was the bossy one in pigtails riding up to her on my trike. I don’t know who she is talking about…I never wore pigtails 😉 She is such an amazing person and I cannot imagine not having her in my life. We grew up together…we are practically sisters. I only wish we got to see each other more. I can tell you what…when we are together, it is as if it has been no time at all. THOSE are the best friends to have! Thank you Laura for always being there for me!Clarice is Chloe’s best friend. Next to me of course! 😉 You may recognize Clarice, as Rudolph‘s girlriend. Chloe has loved her since the day she got her. She was a gift from Alex’s Uncle Mike and Aunt Janice for Christmas a few years ago. Chloe takes care of this toy like it’s her baby. It is so cute! Thank you Mike and Janice! It is her favorite! Here is my Miss Mia with one of THREE toys that she is even remotely interested in! This is her favorite. She likes to rough Eeyore up every once and awhile. She usually gets all wound up for like 2 minutes and then she is ready to chill. She is so lazy, but that is my Mia!! 🙂 I LOVE this picture of her with her bestie! It makes me smile! Isn’t that what gratefulness is all about! Savor Each Second!
November 6th
Today I am grateful for the students that I get the opportunity to work with everyday. I asked my class to think of 3 things that they are thankful for to write on a turkey feather. It was fun to see what they said!I was up later than usual last night, which of course ended with me snoozing a few too many times this morning! I am grateful for my coffee that helps me get going each day!When I came home from work today, the garage door would not open. For some reason our entire block did not have any electricity. I am so grateful for all the things that electricity does to make our lives easier! I was happy when it finally came back on!
November 7th
I am grateful for my hot glue gun! I have one at home AND work! I am not sure what I would do without it! Whoever invented this bad boy is my hero!I am grateful to the redditor that donated these wonderful Julia Cook books for my classroom. Today during our Star Reader Time, I had 4 kids come up and ask me if they could borrow different ones! They are so beautifully written and my kids love reading them over and over again! Yay for life-skills books!One of my 5th grade students shared a beautiful poem about love today! She pulled me over to where she was at and said, “Ms. Nuckles you should read this poem.” My reply was, “read it to me!” She did and it was very inspiring. I wish I remember what the title was, but I was very happy that she shared, and had the courage to read it out loud!
November 8th
I am so grateful when I get artwork from my students! They work so hard on them. This has my hand in the middle that they wanted to trace so it had all three of our hands on it. It is now hanging proudly behind my desk!We are learning addition with regrouping in math right now. I am thankful for the wonderful poem that has helped my students learn the process. They love standing up and doing the actions for it! Isn’t learning fun?! Put your tens up top And your ones down low, Add them all together… And you’re good to go!Alex and I completed Day 5 of Insanity today. It has been rough and INSANE, but I am proud that we are pushing through!
November 9th
Today this sweet face woke me up with a little growling action…Someone was ready for this mama to get up and going for the day. I am grateful for the sweet things she does every day. I am even more grateful for Alex who offered to take her out so I could stay in bed awhile longer! Thanks babe!Today I have encountered about 6 ladybugs that are trying to get warm as the weather is getting colder. I don’t mind…ladybugs bring good luck right? I am grateful for the smile they brought to my face on this beautiful Saturday!I am grateful for my craft studio that brings me joy as I create things. I love to do things in here when I am happy, sad, mad, etc. I am glad I have a place to go to when I need some me time!
November 10th
I am grateful for one of my besties, JaQue’. We grew up together, went to college together, and now both live in Olathe! We went to a movie on Saturday night and had a great time. Thanks for being a great friend J!I got the opportunity to go to another workshop by MK Mueller. She has a process called 8 to Great that is all about living life positively and to the fullest. She is truly an inspiration. If you ever get a chance to see her, do it!I spent my morning getting my house cleaned. It always feels good to get it done!
November 11th
Today I am grateful for my amazing Grandpa Underhill. He is a WWII Veteran and a very special man! He loves to tell the story about when I was born. Apparently it was smack dab at the beginning of turkey hunting season. He always tells me, “I had to wait for this turkey to be born first!” I get such a kick out of him and he loves my grandma dearly. I love you grandpa!!I am grateful for all of the men and women who have risk their lives for our freedom!This morning I found myself showered with gifts from my students! One sweet girl made me this huge poster with a loom ring! She also had like 4 other pictures that she drew me. It makes my day to know my kiddos think about me over their weekend!
This was my favorite part of her beautiful artwork. There is a flap that you have to lift to see the answer! Guess I am the best teacher ever! 🙂
November 12th
I am grateful that I learned JT will be coming to Kansas City in July! We will definitely be getting tickets to this one!I am grateful that my students informed me today that 2 digit addition with regrouping is SO easy!I am grateful for a much needed bubble bath after our Insanity workout today! Tuesdays are always a crazy day for me!
November 13th
I am grateful for my fellow teachers Leah and Lindsey, who also attended the 8 to Great Workshop on Sunday! We have been emailing our 3 things to each other! I am grateful that I have some teammates that are on this gratitude journey with me!I had quite the emotional day yesterday. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to wake up and have a fresh day to start from scratch!I splurged this morning and grabbed some chocolate frosted Little Debbie Donuts this morning. I had a pretty good day, so I am thinking these helped! I am grateful for that!
November 14th
My uplifting moment today was when I got this card from a student. Words can make you feel good! I am grateful for this card!I am grateful that I got in my skinny pants this am! What a great feeling! Thank you Insanity!!Today was National Diabetes Day. I am grateful for the strength it takes to live in a diabetic life. Alex’s parents are both diabetic. I wore gray today in support for the awareness of this day.
November 15th
Here are two of my friends to be grateful for! One the left is Amber. She is a fellow teacher on my 2nd grade team. We clicked the second we met and have become very good friends. She has the sweetest little family and another one on the way! She does so much for me and I am so thankful to have her as a friend! She watched my dogs while we went to the Dominican and is watching them again this weekend while we go to Hays. Thanks girl! You are the best! I don’t know what I would do without you! On the right is Jenny. She teaches music at our school and she is absolutely fabulous! We took boxing classes together last year. I have really enjoyed getting to know her and I wish we have got to get that wine night in! She also has two little boys that are adorable! Thanks for being a great friend Jenny!
This is a video of my Friday night…She is such a ham! #makesmewantone
I am grateful for some qt with my friend Amber’s daughter Ava. We played with the pups and painted our tootsies! It was a lot of fun until someone got sick 🙁 I got a good dose of motherhood and we made it through until mommy and daddy came home.
November 16th
My friend Chelsey got married today! She looked stunning! I am so grateful for her friendship. I wish I could see her more than I do. Let’s just say we had a great time causing trouble in college! I am so happy that she found such a great man! Congrats Chelsey and Aaron! I wish you many years of happiness!I also got to spend some time catching up with this pretty lady! (PS Emily, we never get to see each other. How is it we didn’t get a picture?! Oh well I got to go back and look at pictures from your reception!) Emily and I were so close in college as well. We met in the dorms and were roommates our sophomore year. I am so grateful for our relationship. We have been through some crazy times. I cherish the time we get to see each other so much! We need to do it more often!Stacy is another girlfriend from Hays that I got the pleasure of hanging with last night. We reminisced about the time we broke the blender, on Cinco de Mayo nonetheless. And guess who got to babysit us that night?? Chelsey! I love my friends!!! She is a hard core Nebraska fan and probably one of the most amazing gals I know! It was so good to see you Stacy and by the way, you are right…”Friends don’t let friends twerk” Glad you could keep it together last night!
November 17th
Here is another friend I didn’t get a picture with yesterday! Taryn is a good friend of mine from Hays. Ah I love my Hays friends! She lives in Hays with her husband, Scott and her two girls Chloe and Kendall. Technically her oldest is named after my sweet Chloe! Taryn even called and asked if it was ok that she named her baby Chloe! When she told me they were expecting their second, I informed her the only option for a name was Mia! They just go together! 😉 lol I love you T! I am so grateful for your friendship! You are one hot mama!!I am thankful for sisters today! Here is Heather and I on her wedding day! Isn’t she beautiful!! I know we don’t see each other often enough. I love you girl and I am so happy for you and Paul! I am so proud of you for pursuing your dream to become a nurse. Love you!Shalie is my other sister to be thankful for! She is the to my left. I love this picture…just us girls! Shalie is an amazing gal! She is a crafty girl like myself and she is a planner too! 🙂 Love ya Shalie!!
November 18th
I am grateful for a fabulous girls night with two amazing gals! Sarah and Mindy that was well needed and I am excited to do it again!I am grateful to have iPads in my classroom! The kids have so many opportunities to utilize this wonderful technology in the classroom!I am grateful for my Cricut that allowed me to cut out 200 leaves for our Thankful for Reading Night coming up this week at school! Students and parents will be writing the names of books they are thankful for and we will build a tree out of them! Thanks Alex for the amazing Christmas gift from last year and for always getting it going when it is being stubborn!
November 19th
I am starting Math Journals in my room this week. I am grateful that my kiddos seem really excited about them. I let them decorate them with my Grandma Bloesser’s Creative Memories die cuts and some foam cut outs. They thought that was pretty cool!I am grateful for progress! I will take it!
FIT Test 11/4/13
Switch kick 50
Power jack 48
Knee hit 80
Power jumps 35
Globe jumps 10
Suicide jumps 16
Push-up jack 20
Leg pump 25
FIT Test 11/19/13
Switch kick 64
Power jack 55
Knee hit 100
Power jumps 50
Globe jumps 13
Suicide jumps 18
Push-up jack 35
Leg pump 30
I am grateful for a good meal! Alex made these the other night. I was craving them again…so after our Insanity Fit Test, I whipped some up! I love using plain greek yogurt as a sour cream fake out and baked fries! It was delicious!
November 20th
We have been talking about cause and effect this week. One of my sweet little girls came up to my desk in the morning and proudly handed me this. She had created this foldable that shows cause and effects on each chapter in her library book. I love it when they make connections in their reading on their own!I got a Gobble today! There is a circulating poem with a treat from someone anonymous coworker. After you get a gobble, you post a turkey on your door and pass it on o someone else! I thought this one was so cute! And I have already attacked the Kit Kat and I was planning on getting my drink, but I was too busy! Guess I will save it for a rainy day! Thank you!!We found out we are getting a stipend next month!
November 21st
I am grateful for my stepdad! My mom hit the jackpot with this one! Troy is one of the most amazing men in my life! Troyboy…I cannot imagine my life without you and your amazing kids! Thanks for all you do for me and our family! Happy Birthday! Love you!Love getting these random notes on my desk! They are the best way to start a day! This was before we even started class! I love my students! They are so sweet!KC Wolf came to our school today! He talked to the kids about his job and how important reading is for your life. It was a fun assembly!
November 22nd
I am grateful for a wonderful turnout at our first annual Thankful for Reading Night we had on Thursday! There were over 600 people that showed up! Here was my station before we started.I am grateful for all the books that students wrote on leaves to show what books they hold dear to their hearts! We had a lot of Dr. Seuss, Junie B Jones, and many others! The tree looks great!I am grateful for rest! I came home after school and crashed immediately. It was a well needed nap for this worn out teacher!
November 23rd
I am grateful for some time in my studio today! I have been meaning to get in there all week and things have been so crazy! I love to paint! This one is for my side of the bed!I am grateful for a warm roof over my head on these cold days!I am grateful for Alex’s family who is traveling up to our house for Thanksgiving! I am so excited to have everyone here! Alex’s birthday is also on Thanksgiving this year! It will be a fun week!
November 24th
I am grateful for mod podge. It is one of my newest dear friends! It ranks up there with my glue gun!I am grateful for olive oil! Not only do I cook with it, did you know it helps clean stainless steel?! Don’t get to crazy with it, but check it out! It works!I am grateful for a multipurpose drying rack. Ok so it is just Chloe and Mia’s dog kennel, but it works!
November 25th
I am grateful for a warm coat to keep me warm in 30 degree weather while the kids are running around at recess!We wrote poems this am in class! I am grateful for the wonderful poems my second graders came up with! They were so cute!Alex’s parents came up Haigler early to spend the week with us before Thanksgiving. I am grateful that they made it here safely and look forward to spending my break with them!
November 26th
I am grateful for this sweet card from one of my second graders! She wanted to make sure that I knew where she was headed for Thanksgiving and that she would miss me!I am grateful for Hyvee for donating 100 paper bags for our second graders to make Indian vests with! They worked so hard on them and were all talking about how they couldn’t wait to take them home. One of my boys was sure to let me know that real Indians made their vests out of animal skin!I am grateful that I can buy butter and don’t have to churn it like the good ol days! We made butter while reading a story about the pilgrim’s life! We sat in a circle and shook this container with some heavy whipping cream and salt.
November 27th
I am grateful for my amazing boyfriend that put up some new towel racks today!I am grateful for some time in the kitchen with Alex’s mom today! I think we are all set for pie tomorrow!I am grateful for all the work my family had put into all of our holiday feasts growing up! You never know how much money and time it takes to put on a big feast until the torch is handed to you! Thank you!!
November 28th
First off, I am grateful for Alex today, as it is his birthday! Happy Birthday Babe!grateful for the delicious turkey Alex smoked on the Trager for our Thanksgiving feast!I am grateful for Alex’s mom JoAnn. She is a master in the kitchen and helped show me a lot to get the meal ready. Including 11 pies!
November 29th
I am grateful for pecan pie! I can embarrassingly admit that I had pecan pie for breakfast, as well as for desert after lunch and dinner! Lol I am such a fat kid at heart! Back to the grind on Monday! A big shout out to The Pioneer Woman for your delicious recipe!I am grateful for a great game night with good company! We laughed a lot!I am grateful for left overs! These are some tortilla pinwheels that I made for Thanksgiving. They are hard to stay out of!
November 30th
I am grateful for Alex’s goddaughter Karly. She is such a cutie and it has been fun having a little one around for the week!I am grateful for Nutella pie! JoAnn whipped this up and I had never tried Nutella before. It was delicious!I am grateful for Red Beard! This is one of Alex’s best friends that I knew from Applebee’s in college. He spends a lot of time at our house on weekends that there are Chiefs games. We were playing a game and Jared looked up an said, “Holyshit your beard is long”…It was hilarious and a well needed laugh!
I have been debating on what I wanted to put above our fireplace for awhile now. I knew the exact picture I wanted to put above the fireplace, but I could not decide how to hang it. I could not decide whether I wanted to frame it, or try a DIY canvas wrapped picture. Frames are so outrageous. The one I liked was from Hobby Lobby and it was $59.99. I would NEVER spend that much on a frame, unless it was marked 50% off. Of course $30 seems like a lot to me too, so I really thought a frame from a thrift shop as a Pinterest project would be more fun. It is also easier on the wallet and I love me a good Pinterest project!! I have meant to be hitting up the thrift stores lately, but things have been super crazy, so when I went to find Alex’s Beetlejuice costume for Halloween, I decided to browse the goods and see what I would find. The last few times I have looked for a frame, the have been over $15 and I need a better deal than that. While I was scanning the merchandise…
I found this beauty at Goodwill for $7.99! It was in great condition and fits a 20×28 poster print! Score!All you need to do it wipe the frame down good (I used a Clorox wipe) and gather the following items…acryclic paint, stain, paintbrush, nail file, and an old sock.Paint the frame with the acrylic paint. I did 2 coats.With the nail file, file the edges down to expose the wood.After the acrylic paint dries, use the stain to thoroughly coat the frame.Wipe the stain away. If you wipe too much away, just brush more on and so on.
Alex and I had a costume party that we went to last weekend. Beetlejuice is one of Alex’s all time favorite movies. I would say I have watched it about as many times as we have watched Dumb and Dumber! At first we thought about going as Lloyd and Harry, but the costumes were ridiculously expensive. We decided that it would be fun to dress up like Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz. Originally, I was planning on wearing black and carrying around a camera. I figured that it would be easy to find a suit jacket to duct tape into a Beetlejuice costume. We decided on the wedding scene. I had an old bridesmaid dress hanging in the closet that was red. I just added some tool and made a veil and had an instant red wedding dress! I set off to hit up some thrift shops and hit gold in the first store I went to! I found his suit jacket at Goodwill for $5.99 and the pants for $0.99! The pants were HUGE but I told him they were $0.99 and they were the perfect color so grab a belt! We had a fun night!
Inspirational picture of Beetlejuice and his bride to be!The dress…Tool was around $6 altogether. The gloves were a $3.99 Goodwill purchase!I just pinned and gathered all the way around and sewed it by hand. I ended up doing three rows across then added some around the skirt draping down in strips.Final project 2 hours later!I think we did well!Alex was out of control all night! The best part of the entire thing was Alex acting like Beetlejuice the entire night. It was hilarious! Love you babe!Even Murphy was dressed up for the party!Chloe and Mia were not invited to the party but look at the sweet little hats that arrived for them this week! Thanks Victor & JoAnn!
