Random Stories and a Recipe

I am teaching my first Chemistry class of the day today. Sam, one of my students, asks me a question which requires me to know my schedule (which I know really well). Sam says something to the fact about me REALLY knowing my schedule. Kate, another student in my class, adds on to Sam's statement with "Of course she knows stuff, she's been around a long time!" Yikes! I received a backhanded compliment!

I have another student, Chloe, who interviewed me a few weeks ago about foods that I like. Now, I like food - all kinds except seafood. Later, she shows up in my room asking if I can come down to the foods room and sample the menu she made for me based upon the interview. The menu was really good! Here is the funny thing...she made Thai-based chicken skewers. What is funny is that just 3 days earlier (for the science department Christmas party) I made the exact same thing! I didn't not talk about this kind of recipe with Chloe during our interview! I love this recipe. Chloe did an excellent job - I was so happy to brag about how yummy her chicken skewers were to her teacher! I made it tonight for the kids. That is what got me thinking about this story. I'd love to share this recipe!

1. Cut 1-2 chicken breasts into 3 - 5 inch long, 1/4 inch thick strips.
2. Make the marinade. Mix together the following ingredients:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup of teriyaki barbecue sauce
1/3 cup of Hot water
1 tsp cilantro
1 tbl of hot mustard (I have some I bought at the oriental grocery store in Sheboygan)
3. Keep 1/4 - 1/3 of the marinade separate for a dipping sauce later. Use the remainder as a marinade. Keep chicken in the marinade for 30 - 60 minutes.
4. Place marinaded chicken on soaked or unsoaked skewers. I only soak them if I cook the chicken on the grill. In winter, I cook the chicken under the broiler and find that I can used dry skewers. I watch it until clear juices run out of the chicken and it looks cooked.

Tonight I served the chicken with fresh pineapple and fresh, parboiled peas (in the pod). I really like the colors on the plate and the variety of flavors that all complimented each other.

Last story for the day...A co-worker comes in to me today to show me how to log onto UW-Oshkosh to check for our grades (we took a class together this summer). She comes to show me because it took her and hour to figure it out and wanted to save me the time and headache. When I finally did get to my grades, I printed out a transcript. I was shocked to see grades to classes I took there in 1985 and 1986 (I was a junior and senior in high school then). I had taken college classes in high school through UW-O. That was a real throw-back for me to see grades in 1985, 1986 and 2007 - a 21 year hiatus!

p.s. I had gotten a B in English (1985), a C in Economics (1986) and an A in Women in Math, Science, Technology and Engineering (2007). With age comes intelligence! Yeah me!