Indian Taco Night

December 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Yes, it’s been a hundred years since I’ve posted to this blog. Well, more like two. But that still seems like one hundred…

Anyway, the kids have both grown ten feet and we’ve moved 15 more times. Yes, I have a penchant for hyperbole.

Seriously though, CW is a 7th grader in middle school, AW is in 4th grade and I’m teaching 7th grade Language Arts at a middle school in a suburb east of Oklahoma City.

I love my job, I love my family, and I love Indian Tacos.

Yes, that last one does seem to be a bit off-topic.

We are still in the throes of moving and the kitchen is not setup yet, so I’m going to drool over these shots of fry bread as I explain how I made them a few months ago. Or was it years…?

Fry Bread

A friend from church showed me how to make this and she was taught by her husband, who is a real Native American. Not just someone who lives in Oklahoma and has a distant relative who might have been an Indian and they tan really well in the summer as a result. Unlike, say, me.

Her husband is a true card-carrying member of an Native American tribe here in Oklahoma. So I can say that this is an authentic Native American recipe made by true Native Americans. Yes, I am politically correct, even if it annoys you.

That said, you’ll love the recipe.

  1. Pour about three inches of milk into a very large mixing bowl.
  2. Add about 1/2 an inch of vegetable oil on top of it.
  3. Remember measurements must be exact. (Insert tongue in cheek)
  4. Dump in a bunch of self-rising flour and stir it together with a large fork.
  5. Add more flour as needed, until you have a glossy dough consistency. If the dough is thick enough, but not glossy, add a bit more oil.
  6. You can refrigerate or freeze the dough at this point, if needed.
Here is what mine looked like after mixing.

 

Now it’s time to pull out your electric skillet and fill it with about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil. Or you can use a Fry Daddy. You’ll know the oil is hot enough a couple drops of water fizzles on the surface, or a bit of dough begins to float and sizzles immediately.

Now, you need to put dust a clean counter surface with flour so that you can my each fry bread. Grab a golf ball sized hunk of dough from your bowl and flatten it out. Make sure you poke a hole in the middle so that the dough doesn’t puff up with air during cooking. No, the bread does not have to be perfectly round. Or oval. Or anything else. Enjoy your inner mess-maker.

See my fry bread?

Carefully place your little breadlets into the skillet. Please, do not dip your finger in the oil. Just saying…

When you see that the sides are golden brown, flip them over and cook the other side.

Yummmm…. (Yes, that is my husband’s hand. He is helping out with the fry bread flipping.)

This looks so goooood. Why do I torture myself like this?

Even more torture…

While you’re making your fry bread, you’ll need to have some hamburger meat browning. Once it’s ready, drain it and pour it into a pot and mix in some tomato juice, canned tomatoes and black beans. I like to season my chili with chili powder and some red pepper flakes.

Once the chili is done, place your fry bread on a paper plate, pour on a spoonful of chili, or two and top with whatever condiments you choose. I am partial to onions, tomatoes, lettuce, picante sauce, sour cream and cheese.

 

CW sure did like his taco.

So did AW. You can’t see it, but my husband’s plate is empty, too.

Must drool some more…

They’re even better with powdered sugar dusted on top. Personally, I think a dollop of Nutella would make this perfect!

Any questions? Let me know. And enjoy!

 

Filed Under: Foodies · Tagged With: , ,

How To Become An Alternatively Certified Teacher In Oklahoma

June 2, 2011 by 2 Comments

UPDATE December 9, 2012: After the Oklahoma State Department of Education updated their website, many of the links below stopped working. I have updated the links so that they now lead to the information you need. In some cases, the links now go to a non-SDE website. In those cases, I have made note of what site I’m sending you to. (And yes, I ended that in a preposition. Ha!)

Some of us know at an early age that we want to teach. So we prepare throughout college and enter our first classrooms shortly thereafter.

Then, there are those of use who take a less direct path. Like me.

I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was seven. But then I writing sidetracked me and I ended up with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and several years experience as a newspaper reporter.

And that’s not all.

After giving birth to two wonderful children and spending 10 years helping work at home moms like myself start and manage their businesses, I realized I really enjoy teaching.

So I considered my options.

The first option: Go back to school and earn a teaching degree, either a second bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree. Problem? College degrees cost lots of money and I’m still paying for the first one.

The second option: Parlay  my bachelor’s degree and subsequent newspaper experience into a alternative certification. This option provided to be much less expensive, though it required some commitment and a bit of cash.

If you’re interested in becoming an alternatively certified teacher, you’ll need to meet certain qualifications:

  1. You must have earned a bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 2.5 from a college or university accredited by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
  2. You will need to have majored in a field of study that corresponds to an area of Oklahoma certification for a Secondary Certificate, elementary/Secondary Certificate, or a Career and Technology Education Certificate. You can see the list on the Certification Examinations for Oklahoma Educators site itself.
  3. You must have at least two years of work experience related to the subject area of specialization if you have only a bachelor’s degree with no graduate work in a related area.

Does this sound like you? If so, I recommend you start the process by heading to the Oklahoma Alternative Certification FAQ page.

  1. Fill out the Alternative Placement Program application.
  2. In your packet that includes the application, include an official transcript from each college or university you have attended.
  3. Include a current resume indicated your related work experience and the date resume prepared.
  4. Include a $50 check payable to the Oklahoma Alternative Placement Program.

You will receive written notification stating whether or not you’re been accepted into the certification program within about six weeks. Do nothing until then.

Once you’ve received your notification, you can sign up for the Oklahoma General Education Competency Examination (OGET). This is a four-hour text that includes multiple choice and constructed response sections.

After you’ve passed the OGET, you can take the Oklahoma Subject Area Competency Examination(s) related to your field of study and work experience.

Passed the tests? Congrats! But you’re not done yet.

You must now complete an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation background check and a Federal Bureau  of Investigation fingerprint-based criminal history check. You’ll receive a fingerprint card that you can take to your local sheriff’s department for completion or to the State Department of Education offices near the State Capitol. You’ll need to mail in the card, along with the application for the Teacher Competency Review Panel, your current resume (again), a written explanation of why you want to be a teacher and a $100 application fee.

Yes, you read that right.

You’ll need to go before the review panel for an interview. But, as a former painfully shy person, I can tell you it’s not that bad. The panel consists of one person and the interview is short and friendly. At least, that was my experience.

Once you’ve been approved by the review panel, you’ll receive your license. Viola!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Teaching ·
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