When it Rains, it Pours

This is an old adage I probably picked up from reading Little House on the Prairie, because it's been part of my vernacular since I can remember.

And this past week, it was totally relevant.

Even literally.



California has been in a drought since I returned from college (what, 8 years?). It's been especially pronounced the past few years, causing the radios to proclaim "Brown is the new green!" Even my students know that watering the lawn and washing your car is frowned upon.

Last winter it rained more than normal (relatively speaking) and that helped. But this year, it's pouring.

Now, being from the south, I need to clarify that rain in California is different than in other places.

In South Carolina we would have summer showers. Every afternoon during the summer it would start to rain for 30-60 minutes. And when I say rain, I mean pour. The sky would go from clear and blue to being covered in grey clouds so thick you would never believe there was blue behind them. It would then proceed to pour to the point where you couldn't see a foot in front of you. Thunder would rumble the entire time, and lightning would flash. When counting the seconds between lightning and thunder one would barely get past 4.

We called those summer showers. Real thunderstorms lasted longer.

In California, one streak of lightning and they've proclaimed its a thunder storm.
Most of the time when Californians say it's pouring, they really mean it's a steady drizzle.
During El Nino years, it can steadily drizzle from October through March, with rare overcast days and no sun. But there's barely any thunder or lightning, and it still rarely pours.

The past two weeks, it's been pouring.

Since we've been in a drought, our ground isn't used to sucking up the rain. So we've also been flooding.

Roads have been closed up and down the state due to flooding, accidents, mudslides, and avalanches. It's a true storm.

And it's so needed.

So that's the literal pouring.

This week has also had figurative pouring.

School started on Monday, after three weeks off.
I got back, and my life was instantly taken up with shirts.

Yup. Shirts.

As the Activities Director and Yearbook Advisor, my job entails a lot more than teaching.

This week was all about shirts.

Leadership shirts came in.
Yearbook shirts were ordered.
School-Wide Fundraiser shirts were designed and decided upon.
Staff shirts/jackets were discussed and in the process of being ordered.
Renaissance Shirts (honor roll) were approved and ordered.

Shirts.

Also, switches. Every class had schedule changes. That all ended up working out fine.

We also had jump houses on Friday for the Renaissance students. I got to plan that. It was less problematic than I assumed it would be. It went very well.

It was also a social pour.
Not having been in town for most of the three weeks of break, we teachers had to catch up with each other.

Tuesday was Trivia Night. Then we did happy hour on Friday. Friday was also the 13th, so a few of us got together for scary movies. Saturday was a game night that started in the afternoon. Sunday we saw a movie in Monterey.

Today is finally a quiet day, to catch up on correspondences and such.


With all the rain and cold weather, it was the perfect opportunity to make Pozole.

It's the easiest recipe ever.

I went to the grocery store and when I was checking out, the cashier noticed my ingredients and said "Mmm, someone's eating good tonight." I responded, "It's the perfect weather for pozole." The bagger responded, "Sure it! I had it for breakfast!"

Pozole Recipe:

So... Pozole.

The hardest thing to procure is the green chile powder. You can sometimes get it at Mexican markets in California, or Walmart, but my Dad went to visit his dad in New Mexico and brought some back for me.

There are just four ingredients:
Green Chile powder
Chicken
Hominy
Bullion

Last time I used my crockpot to make some recipe, I burned brown sugar in the bottom. So I decided to buy these liners.

They don't really fit the crock pot. I'll never understand why something made for something doesn't fit it. But oh well. 

Hominy! Comes in a can. Or you can be old fashioned and make it with lye like in Little House. 

Chicken, Chile, hominy, and bullion. Add some water. Cook until yummy. 

With the bullion, you don't need to add salt. I used three cubes of chicken bullion. Only one can of hominy because that's all the was at the store, but next time I'll add a second. I used two chicken breasts, skinless/boneless, from the grocery store this time. The fresh kind. Sometimes I use frozen breast. Sometimes other things. Chile to taste. I like lots.

My aunt sometimes adds carrots or celery, garlic, or onions. I don't usually. 

Sometimes, since I'm single and always trying to find easy meals, I make it differently. I'll buy a rotisserie chicken from the store and eat some, hot, for dinner. The next day I'll use the majority of the white meat to make a chicken salad, and then throw the rest of it into the crock pot for pozole. Mmmm. Then you have to remember to fish out the bones. 

Enjoy!