Forrest Graduates

My son graduated yesterday morning and I am so very proud of him.  My daughter, my mother and her husband, my sister, her daughter and one of her sons came.  That gave Forrest three woman to valiantly try to not cry and fail miserably, as well as a 7 person cheering squad!

Several weeks earlier, Forrest was awarded a presidential scholarship to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU).  It fully covers his out-of-state tuition, fees, books, dorm, meal plan and gives him a laptop plus a $500/semester stipend!!!  He is shaking hands with Dr. James Ammons, president of FAMU.

Forrest showed up to my school after practice on Thursday with his honors paraphernalia.  The sash was awarded by the school for students who had a 3.5 cummulative GPA or higher (he has a 4.1 on a 4.0 scale).  The ribbon holds an honors medal that is from the guidance counselor.  The cord signifies him graduating from the honors magnate. When he showed up, I had to take him around to show him off to my coworkers.  "See what I did - I made him myself!!"  I did such a good job, didn't I??




Forrest ready and waiting for his graduation,  about an hour before the ceremony started.

 The gang: Keith, Forrest, Kaite, and Joseph.  Luckily for me, Joseph's mother showed up and made them act like they knew each other!!  My first few shots looked like 4 stiff strangers standing awardly apart from each other.

Forrest's name was at the very top of the program!!!  He had the highest SAT combined scores for his high school - as well as the highest for the public schools in the county.  A boy at a private school was
the only one to score higher.  It was so
cool to see his name like that

- that's my son!!!

 Here's his name in the list for the students with the 3.5 cummulative GPA or higher.

During the ceremony, they recognized the students with the 3.5 and higher cummulative GPAs, by having them stand up.  Since they were also the students sitting on the stage, it made them really easy to spot!  Forrest is on the far left, in front, kinda stooped over.  I guess he was late to stand up.  Boys are in green and girls in white.

 Forrest is walking across the stage to accept his diploma.

 He shook hands with his principal and superintendent first.

 Then he preceeded to walk down the line....

 Shaking hands with the members of the school board.

 The procession out was really cool to watch.  The graduates on the floor walked to the outside of the chairs and walked out the front to the doors in back by the stage.  The kids on the stage walked down, to the middle and out the doors in back, under us.  Forrest is the 3rd boy in the line here.

 Forrest hears us yelling his name, looks up, and smiles.

We went to one of Forrest's favorite restaurants, where he received his gifts from his Aunt Donna and family and his Mammam and Gramps.  In this picture, he is sporting the only thing I could talk him into continuing to wear - the cord signifying he was in the honors maganate.  Jamaican Cuisine restaurant is really good and I recommend it highly if you are ever in Albany, Georgia.  You can visit the facebook page for the address or to see my review at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jamaican-Cuisine-Restaurant/163455813678024

After my family left, I took Forrest to Sam's and bought him a IPhone 4s.  I don't think he's put it down yet, and he's had it 24 hours now.  So, I guess it was a good gift!  I can't believe my baby boy has graduated high school, and will be leaving for college in two months.  At least Tallahassee is only an hour and a half away.  Please pray that my son will miss me and therefore, call and visit often.  (Please do NOT be so cruel as to pray that I will learn to handle the separation - God might answer by moving my son's heart to never call or visit!!)

Cajun Chicken and Rice




Wonderful cookbook - a Christmas gift

 


Cajun Chicken and Rice

 

 I made this recently in my crockpot using a cookbook given to me by either my mother or sister.  They both gave me cookbooks, and I can not for the life of me remember who gave me which.  I finally got around to using it and made their Cajun Chicken and Rice Recipe - it was easy and turned out really good.  Both of my children actually loved it too!

The cookbook is Company's Coming 2-in-1 Cookbook Collection Hot From the Pot.  It includes 2 books by Jean Pare' - Slow Cooker Dinners and Soups.  The slow cooker recipes was what I had asked for on my Christmas list - I was looking for crockpot recipes that actually included fresh vegetables and had recipes to cook all day, and this book fit the bill.  http://www.companyscoming.com/cookbooks/3-in-1-cookbook-collection/hot-from-the-pot/20/HFP/  .  This website also has free recipes.

I am a teacher, and usually come home too tired to cook - especially around report card time!  It seems like every crockpot recipe or cookbook I had run across used canned vegetables and cooked on low for only 4 or 5 hours.  Personally, if I wanted to eat from cans, I can come home and throw something together quickly.  I wanted to have a crockpot to cook fresh meals that I could put on at 7 am, and come home to eat around 5 or 6.

Cajun Chicken and Rice

Can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained 19 oz/540 ml (I was out of this, so I used black beans)

Sliced red pepper 1 1/2 cups/375 ml  (I didn't have, so I used green)

Frozen kernel corn 1 cup/250 ml

Prepared chicken broth 1 cup/250 ml  (I used water and bouillon)

Cajun seasoning 1 tbsp/15 ml  (I had run out of this too, so I used creole seasoning)

Ground cumin 1 tsp/5 ml  (I had run out of this, so I chopped cumin seed fine)

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped 1 lb/ 454 g  (I used leg/thigh quarters with bone)

Can of diced tomatoes (with juice) 14 oz/398 ml

Long grain white rice 1/2 cup/125 ml (I used jasmine rice)

Sliced zucchini (with peel) 1 cup/250 ml

Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley 2 tbsp/30 ml or 1 1/2 tsp/7 ml dried

Combine first 7 ingredients in 3 1/2 to 4 quart (3.5 to 4L) slow cooker (mine is actually 7 quarts but worked fine).  Cover.  Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours.

Add tomatoes and rice.  Stir gently.  Cover.  Cook on High for 30 to 40 minutes until rice is almost tender.

Add zucchini and cilantro.  Stir gently.  Cover.  Cook on High for 10 to 15 minutes until rice and zucchini are tender.  Serves 4.

1 serving:  416 Calories; 8.2g Total Fat (2.3 g Mono, 2.2 g Poly, 1.9g Sat); 94mg Cholesterol; 54g Carbohydrate; 8g Fiber; 34g Protein; 547 mg Sodium.

I put the 1st 7 ingredients in the crockpot insert the night before and put in the refrigerator.  I took it out in the morning and started cooking.  My son added the rice later, so I came home to the meal already prepared.  It is wonderful having a teenage son who cooks - but the down side is discovering I am out of multiple items I usually keep on hand - hence the number of substitutions I had to make for this recipe.  I had just grocery shopped - which included the chicken, bell pepper, and zucchini.  I could easily have picked up the kidney beans, cajun seasoning, ground cumin, and dried parsley!  I don't fuss too much, I want him to keep cooking!  My mother wonders how I'll fend for myself when my son goes off to college in the fall - I try not to think too hard about my baby boy leaving...



The Avengers in 3-D

I took my daughter to see the Avengers in 3D at the Saturday matinee.  My son did not want to go - I guess it's torture for a teenage boy to sit in a movie theater with his mother and little sister.  This movie was so good - the 2 hours and 22 minutes just flew by!  This is definitely a movie I recommend the extra $3 to see in 3D.  We were on the edge of our seats a good bit, awestruck at other times, and frequently laughing out loud, almost to the point of tears.  Many of the best parts included the hulk, previously not one of my favorites, and in fact my daughter and I have acted out a few things he did.  Today at work, I reminded the lady I went with about one of his parts - and we were laughing loudly again over lunch.  I really love comic book movies anyway, but this has got to be one of the best I've seen.  Of course, I am a little partial since I am Iron Man.

French braid bun

 I saw how to make a bun from a braid on Pinterest recently, so I decided to try it out on my daughter.  I never seem to have time to fix her hair - so usually it just goes in a pony tail.  I french braided her hair Saturday, and used a small butterfly pontail to hold the end.  I twisted the braid around into a bun, using bobby pins to hold it in place as I went.  I tucked the unbraided tail under the bun to hide it.  The little butterfly from the ponytail, was left exposed on the side of her bun.  I was so proud of myself for taking the time to make her feel beautiful.