Textbook Temptress

My friend Ann, bless her heart, is a Bad Influence. And yes, BAD INFLUENCE in caps. When I met her I had no idea how she would lead me down this dark path, and yet, here I find myself. (I should have known what was in store for me. The day I met her she was wearing a trench coat that was loaded down with teacher’s manuals.)

Even though we found Wheelock’s Latin for cheap at the Library Book sale she suggested that we use Cambridge instead.

I took the bait. She’s my pusher on the corner just offering me my first hit for free.

Last night found me bleary-eyed feverishly scribbling a tentative schedule for our victims students in which I could get them through not only Latin, but French next school year. As the hours ticked on and my spiral notebook groaned under the weight of my frantic scribblings I toiled on, absolutely intoxicated by what I knew was coming next…..


The curriculum shopping. I swoon before thee as I tell you that I shopped, I researched and I loaded down my shopping cart on Amazon until it damn near groaned under the weight of it’s travails.



I get nervous around her when she starts talking curriculum. It’s like I’m the alcoholic and she’s telling me about her favourite new wine.

I’m the bank robber wannabe and she’s telling me “put on this ski mask and hold this gun, we’re gonna just pop into the bank real quick”.

When she talks about curriculum (which is frequently! She's a total addict while me,...oh, I could stop at any time.) I try to act all disinterested, aloof. She's all "Biology this,....Logic that" while I am over there trying to appear casual sayin things like,"who, me? Oh, yeah, I never really got into that sorta thing. I mean, if other people wanna do it, that's fine, but.....not really interested."

She is my Textbook Temptress. And I love her.

I love her like a crackhead loves a crackpipe.

I love her like a fat kid loves cake.

She’s better than a Chocodile, but she costs me more money in the long run!

Chicken Pot Pie!

I was recently asked for this recipe, so I thought I'd post it here:

Chicken Pot Pie

1 chicken (you know, a whole one!)

4 carrots

6 small potatoes or 4 medium ones….or 2 large ones….or 1 huge one
use your best judgment on the spud thing

2 cans crème of chicken soup

1 can peas

Salt & pepper to taste

4 pie crusts

Bake chicken in roaster pan with butter and Herbs de Provence on top. (I don’t know where you get Herbs de Provence. I get it from My Friend Sharon’s house because her husband buys herbs in bulk and he is my supplier, so unless you know My Friend Sharon you may have to do some research for this part……or come over to my house and get some. You only need about 2 teaspoons.)

After the bird is MOSTLY cooked take it out of the oven, throw it into a big stockpot and cover with water. Boil until it’s falling apart. Remove the bird and shred the meat. Set aside.

Now, while the bird was boiling I HOPE you were peeling and dicing the carrots and potatoes (putting the potato pieces into cold water so they don’t turn all brown and evil on ya!). Strain the chicken water to make sure any weird stuff is outta there and throw the carrots in. After about a5-6 minutes add the potatoes. (carrots take longer, as you probably know!) When carrots and potatoes are done (fork ‘almost-tender’. ....you don’t want them done all the way as they will continue cooking once inside their cozy little pastry blanket)

Now it’s time to assemble your Chicken Pie. Lay one pie crust into the pie tin. (Yes, I use store-bought pie crusts. You can all just collectively tsktsk right now. Life is short. I buy pie crusts. We move on.) In a BIG BOWL put the chopped chicken and crème of chicken soup and stir. Now…..gently people, GENTLY fold in the drained carrots and potatoes. When they are fully incorporated you can GENTLY stir in the peas. A gentle hand is called for or you will create baby food here. You really don’t want to mash it all together, but gently and lovingly introduce the various ingredients to each other, as in a culinary meet n’ greet. Now, turn this mixture into the pie crusts. (I told you to put ONE pie crust into a pan, but we are making two, no? So, do it TWICE!)

Put the top crust on and pinch together. I tend to just sorta’ fold the top over the bottom as I go around. It makes for a nice Wallace & Grommit type crust, very homey looking, not Martha Stewart at all, but that’s how I roll, you must find your own way, grasshoppa’.

Oh, and for the love of all that is good in a pot pie,……PUT SOME SLITS IN THE TOP or the whole thing will blow up and try to explode in your oven.

…..ask me how I know?

Since this recipe makes two you can save the other one by freezing it or give it to a friend who just had a baby!

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or so. I have a temperamental oven so I never know how long something is going to take. Keep an eye on it. You may need to cover it with foil during the last half.

Enjoy! I made ours yesterday with a blueberry pie. There is nothing quite like seeing my little man shoving my freshly baked blueberry pie into his mouth with great gusto and a huge smile! It warmed the cockles of my heart.....whatever the heck a 'cockle' is,....mine were warm yesterday!