Nerves are kicking in

I practiced my interview talk for the lab today. I'm usually at least a decent public speaker (this I'm sure I got from Dad), but I was very nervous. I have new data that I haven't presented before and I'm presenting another lab member's data, so I didn't explain myself well. Ugh. I'll be ready for Tuesday (which is the day of my talk), but I've got a lot of work to do. I still need to read up on the lab's work too. Too much to do, not much time.

This evening is busy too. Volunteering at bookfair from 3-5:30pm. Parent-Teacher conference at 6:15pm. MaryKay party at 7pm. Workout after that. Tomorrow Donovan's off school and I think I won't be coming to work much. Give me a couple minutes to breathe.

I heart my crockpot

Tonight is yet another night that I won't be home until late. There's a career fair on campus for graduate students from 5pm-7pm tonight that I'm going to check out.

So, this morning I started dinner in the crockpot. We cook in the crockpot at least once a week. Today, I browned some lean ground beef and put that along with 2 cans of rotel chili fixins, 1 can diced tomatoes, and 2 cans red kidney beans into the crockpot. Donovan even said it smelled so good he'd try it.

On Monday we did a pork tenderloin seasoned with cajun seasonings, and then shredded it. It was yummy too.

I thought I'd share my most recent crockpot find with you. It's FABULOUS and pretty healthy as well:

Slowcooker Meatloaf with Mushroom-Tomato Sauce

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef (7% or less fat)
¼ cup couscous
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
¾ cup water

Directions:
Place tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, ¼ teaspoon of the salt and pepper in a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker; mix well. Combine the beef, couscous, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme, rosemary and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in large bowl, mix well. For into a 4x11 inch loaf.

Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the meatloaf and cook, turning occasionally until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer meatloaf to slow cooker. Stir water into the skillet, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet, about 1 minute. Pour into slow cooker.

Cover and cook until the meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, 4-5 hours on high or 8-9 hours on low. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into 8 slices. Serve with sauce.

Lost Tooth and other updates

Yesterday Donovan lost his first tooth. It's been loose a couple weeks now, but after church we were on our way to lunch and Donovan yelled "Mom!" and it was out. After he took it out, he wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. It bled a little, which freaked him out. But after it stopped, he was fine. The tooth fairy gave him a dollar, which he promptly announced he would never spend because "It's the first dollar I've earned."

Next Monday I leave for my first on-site interview. This one's in Fort Collins, Colorado. I've got to give a talk, which I'm a little nervous about. Wish me luck! I think this location would probably the best for the family, as it's a similar size and make-up to Columbia. I still need to check into the schools there, but I think Donovan would like it. And I'd love to teach him to ski.

This weekend my mother and step-father are coming to help us start getting the house ready for sale. YIKES!