FREE!!

The absolute best thing about being a teacher is the end of May where everything you've been working on is DONE and there is nothing you are responsible for and nothing you have to do for a good 2 or 3 months. I am now in that stage. I turned in my grades, cleaned my classroom and locked the door for the last time (for this school year) yesterday. I still don't quite feel free. I still feel this awful feeling that there are papers to grade and classes to plan and things to worry about. I think it will finally sink in on Monday or Tuesday when I am still at home and watching daytime TV. For now, only my conscious brain knows that I'm free. Everything else will need to catch up.
So I am now trying to figure out what I will do with myself. I want to buy the Giada cookbook and get going with it. We're thinking about buying a puppy now that I have time to train it and can be home more so it doesn't go too crazy. I found these toy poodle puppies that are just ridiculously cute. I would never consider myself a poodle person, but we'll see. I'm also going to Costa Rica with some students in about a week and a half. Oh, and my apartment is a DISASTER since I have completely neglected it in the last few weeks.
I guess I have plenty to do.

No grill

Well, I looked into the Eating Local cookbook a little further and it turns out that about half of the recipes are done on the grill. I have no grill, nor do I have any space for one, so I'm thinking I might need to choose something else. I think I am going to go with the Giada cookbook.
I'm currently holed up with one of the worst sicknesses I've had in a long time. My doctor suspects pneumonia and it isn't treating me very nicely. Needless to say, the cookbook project is going to need to wait. If anyone has any great ideas for Spanish substitute plans, let me know.

Julie and Julia project

I have done some more thinking about what cookbook to use for my Julie and Julia project. Here are a few I am considering:

Giada at Home- California/Italian cooking. Looks like a good level of difficulty
Eating Local - about using local, farmers market, in-season ingredients
Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics- a little more challenging, but a good education
Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Latin Cooking- I am working on my abilities in this area anyway.

Any thoughts? Especially from Jen, who said you might join me. I want to make a decision and get started by the 15th.