The GREAT waste of food in our public schools

I have been substitute teaching in the public schools for a few months and I truly love it.  I have been teaching in the elementary schools and it is both challenging and wonderful.  the kids are so smart and sweet.  Some are a handful, and some are not.  Just like the kids who live in my house.....lol.....

One of the things I have noticed, however, makes me so profoundly sad.  I have eaten lunch in the cafeteria with the kids I teach. From preschool through 5th grade.  The amount of good food and milk I see thrown away every day makes me sick.  We could feed so many hungry people with that food.  So many kids order hot lunch and it sits on their trays totally uneaten.  Not even a bite taken.  I ask why they didn't eat it, and they say things like ,"I wasn't hungry", or "I don't like it". It makes me so sad.

Last week I was subbing and went to the cafeteria to pick up my kids.  A little girl had not even opened her container of milk.  I asked the teacher assistant if she could put it back, or give it to a friend.  I was told it is "illegal" to do that since the parent had paid for the milk.  A 1/2 pint of unopened chocolate milk went into the trash.  I actually plan to look into this with the school system and see if there is something that can be done.

I wonder what happens to all of the food that is cooked and not eaten.  Do they reuse the food in "leftovers", or is it also thrown away and wasted???  The horrible waste disgusts me, especially with so many hungry families in the United States and abroad. 

Random thoughts

I sit here wondering: was it a good idea to quit working full time?  I am tearful, although I don't know why...  We haven't really had to sacrifice much...we bought the kids new clothes last week (with cash), we still donate to church, we gave almost $100 to Aids Access care to help HIV positive and Aids patients, we even go out to eat 1-2 times per month, and my shameful indulgence of Starbucks has only had to be cut back to twice per month.  We have food in our bellies and a freezer and pantry full to boot.  Our children no longer have to go to day care after school and a parent is home for them every day to help with school work, or just to give a hug and a word of encouragement. Our bank account is okay, the bills are paid, and we even paid off a credit card last month...HURRAY!  So why do I sit here stressing, and tearful????  Is it the stress of change, the worry the phone won't ring for a substitute job, or the feeling that somehow I am not "pulling my weight" in my marital relationship???  Random thoughts....

MY online store!!!

I opened an online store to sell the breads I have been baking!  I am very excited but am at a bit of a loss as to how to market myself in "real" world.  I am making business cards and will post it here, but since I think only one person is reading my blog it won't get much "play"....LOL

The link is here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6391606

I really enjoy baking and would love to be able to make some money doing it.  I have given away LOTS of loaves to try to get word of mouth advertising... :-)

The web site is: www.etsy.com

It is a website for all things handmade.  Soaps, baked goods, crafts, models, toys, etc.  I think it is a great idea!!  Check it out!

Doing my part for Democracy.

So I have decided to canvas for the Obama/Biden campaign. i am meeting the group at the North Suffolk library on Saturday at 4 pm, and they have said I can work in my own neighborhood. I am really excited. I am also getting a yard sign and a bumper sticker!! YAY!! I just feel so strongly that this is the most important election in my lifetime so far, and although I have great respect for John McCain's military service to this country, I just feel as though he is NOT the right man for the job. And the idea of President Palin scares me silly!!! So I am going to go out there and take my smile and my positive attitude and try to lovingly encourage people to vote for Senator Obama for president. Send me good zen vibes!

Obama pride video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV0_u3z3AkQ

More time when I quit working full time????NOT!

So, when Karol and I decided I would be able to quit working full time I had these ideas about what a stay at home mom does with her long days with no children. HA! That was soooo not reality!!! LOL Although to be honest I am not totally a stay at home mom, I actually have three part time jobs that keep me very busy. Add to that laundry, cleaning, baking, and blogging and the day is gone just in time for the kids to get home from school so we can start the homework, chores, dinner, boy scouts cycle... As happy as I am to get a call from the school to sub (which I have ben doing every day for the past two weeks), it was so nice NOT to get a call today so I can catch up on all of the things that need to be done. So today is catch up day. :-) All the little things like, charge Jake's Ipod, download music for it, wash the dog, Boy Scout popcorn spreadsheets, washing linens, etc, etc, etc......lol We'll see how much I actually get done. I have high aspirations. May be I should stop blogging and get busy..........

Amish Friendship Bread

So in my quest to find ever and ever more ways to earn money from home I have come up with a plan....Amish Friendship bread. I love baking it (it on requires a day every few days and produces many loaves per batch), and I am experimenting with different flavors all the time. So my idea was to bake and freeze many different flavored loaves and then sell them at Arts and Crafts fairs. Then I met a young lady named Claire who works at a web site where you can buy handmade crafts, artwork and edibles among other things. Everything on there is "Crafty", and she said she would help me create an "online" store to sell my breads. So now I am trying to think of a catchy "name" for my store (breads). I like "Healthy Hearth Breads", I also "Namaste Baker", "Kacey's kitchen",.... I am in the market for ideas.... Any suggestions are welcome!

VOTE!

So I saw this video on a friend's blog, (Down the road less traveled) and thought it was so cool I would add it to mine.  I really don't know if anyone is reading my blog, but someone may stumble across it, and this message is too important not to post.  There is adult language in the video, so make sure the kids are not around.