Friday, October 14, 2011

There’s No “I” in Team Tuna

I’ve been pondering if I should change the name of my blog to Un-Working Women’s Guide to Dinner. Thoughts? Comments Team Tuna? Or perhaps Bitchy Women’s Guide would be more fitting. Been interviewing and applying for engineering jobs like crazy, but as of yet no takers for my mad skills.

But I am approaching midterms at ASU. The theme of the semester is “group” projects. I hate working in groups. I barely have patience for the little whiny thugs in class, now I’m supposed to complete hand holding projects in 3 of my classes. I’m wildly torn between taking over so I know it will get done, thus reinforcing my place as the most bossy, or watching in amusement while they flail around showing their raging emotional hormones. Somehow I’m evolving into the mom figure, well as the mommy of these dysfunctional groups anyway.


In one class, they have resorted to snarky emails presenting their opposing points of view for mediation. I told the two narcissistic queens that “perhaps if you see a different vision, you would be more suited to developing your own group approach.” Followed by tears and cyber bulling. It’s okay, as teacher’s pet I tattled on them and earned a gold star for leadership skills. You all need to man up and stop being filled with righteous indignation that we’re not using the correct color paper clips. Personally I will not be resorting to time outs, I will institute spankings and being sent to bed without Starbucks. This week is a new little ditty I tried, be warned, major dirty dishes operation.

Chicken Tetrazzini
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ pound mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion diced
1 teaspoon thyme
½ white wine (drink the rest of the bottle with dinner)
1/3 cup flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
12 ounces linguine cooked
¾ cup peas (you can leave out if they remind you of bloated ticks)
¼ fresh parsley chopped
1 cup parmesan cheese
¼ cup Italian Bread Crumbs

Grease 13”x 9” baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Melt 1 tablespoons butter with olive oil in frying pan with medium heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, add chicken to hot pan and cook until just cooked through approximately 4 minutes per side. Transfer to bowl and coarsely shred into bite size pieces. Add butter to same skillet and add mushrooms, onion, garlic and thyme. Once cooked, add wine about two minutes and add to chicken bowel. Add remaining butter to skillet. Whisk in flour for about 2 minutes. Add milk, cream, broth, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat until boil, reduce to simmer, uncovered until sauce thickens whisking often. Add pasta, sauce, peas and parsley to chicken mix and blend well. Transfer to baking dish. Stir cheese and bread crumbs in small bowl and sprinkle on top. Bake uncovered at 450 degrees until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

The zoning professor with major roots needs has also assigned groups to do a mock neighborhood meeting. The biggest challenge? We have to find our own faux neighbors. You all remember what happened during our last Public Service Message. Maybe I’ll lure them in with free cookies and beer. In closing while there is no “I” in Team, if you rearrange the letters it says look AT ME! Because we always know it’s about ME, ME, MEEEEEEEE.

PS Don’t forget to like Mrs. Tuna on Facebook.

36 comments:

The Zadge said...

The raging hormones of late-teenagers combined with the raging hormones of a perimenopausal adult sounds like a cocktail I might want to avoid.

Andrea said...

I remember this one class where we had s-groups, and then t-groups we met with to complain about our s-group cohorts. UGH! I dropped that class on the last day to still be eligible for a full refund.

And now I do not want turkey burgers for dinner with these visions of tetrazzini dancing in my head!

Sounds like you are "working" enough to keep the name!

Plain Jane said...

Tetrazzini...yum!
Don't let the kids get you down...they have to be about 10 years older before they realize the world doesn't revolve around them.

Janie Junebug said...

When I had to do group projects, and I use the word group loosely, I just took over and gave everybody a job. Then I wrote an evaluation at the end of the project, said what each person's job was, and whether it was completed. I always took the largest share of the work and did all writing myself.

Annie (Lady M) x said...

Oooh, that recipe sounds marvellous! But don't go re-naming your blog to un-working woman - you'll get yourself a job and have to change it back!

Blimey, your group sounds challenging. You should just take control and tell them to wind their necks in ;-)

Lisa said...

I love chicken tetrazzini, but I make it the lazy mom way (cream of whatever soup, shhh...) so I'm sure yours is MUCH better! I'll go like you on facebook right now!

Cat and DOG Chat With Caren said...

thank you for the laughs, (as always!) I say the name of your blog stays the same...it will bring positive things!

Lisa said...

I like you at FB :)

Empty Nester said...

I abhor group projects. All of my girls were ok with them except DoodleBug- apparently, she has had many of the same group members as you do. Lucky she's like me instead of her dad which is to say that she's not afraid to tell people off in a rather blunt manner! LOL

KSK said...

Hehehe :) My husband does online schooling.. he just loves the group projects. He's always talking about how he has to take charge or nothing will get done... or it will be wrong or something!
He's also the teacher's pet...
HEY! Is this Jerk Face??? Did you start a blog and not tell me?! Crafty Bastard.
Oh. no... nevermind, he wouldn't share delicious recipes... Sorry! :)

Sandra said...

I think you should just take over. Otherwise chaos will ensue and who wants the drama...I swear we are living the same lives! Except I'm not an engineer and I don't cook. But otherwise, exactly the same thing!

Kim said...

I just started taking some courses on- line. Not looking forward to any group project drama though. I'm a new follower from Java's hop

Allyson Bossie said...

I am following the blog hop and subscribed to your GFC as masugr. Hope you can stop by http://mywildcrazylife.blogspot.com and follow me back!

Mark said...

Just call it "Tuna Time" and be done with it.
m.

Red Nomad OZ said...

Nah, just change it to 'Wonder-Woman's Guide ...'!!!

Hilary said...

My vote is for Bitchy woman's...

mamahasspoken said...

Reading your post makes me so glad that I am done with higher education. As for group projects at work, I'm the slacker who sits back and lets everyone else do the work, only interjecting a few times to make it seem like I am participating...

Frogs in my formula said...

I kind of like the Bitchy Woman's Guide...

Sultan said...

For me a group project in school always meant, "Oh shit, Laoch has to do all the work, otherwise we will get a bad grade."

BB said...

I'm only following you so I can keep my eye on you and Sandra. We all know she loves me better! lol. Great post. Seriously funny.

corabeth said...

Love the recipe!!


New Follower from Blog hop till you drop. Hoping you will follow back! =0)
My Crazy Life

Ami said...

I like you. But I think FB is the Antichrist. Can I still like you?

BrendaC said...

Great recipe and don't change the blog name I like it. New follower from the hop. Would love if you dropped by my blog at kittycrochettwo.blogspot.com when you get a chance. Have a fantastic week!

Crazy Life of a Writing Mom said...

YUMMY! And don't let those kids get to ya. You're awesome :0)

1 Funky Woman said...

So are they Frat boys and sorority girls? Sad thing is they never change from that! Grown men and women who still act like this world revolves around them!

Had a couple of them at my birthday bash this past August. Couple of assholes and wives that just let it happen. Certainly didn't change my opinion of all of them!

Good lucky with those cocky winey babies, you are miles above them!
Megan

Kimberly said...

Fack...you just reminded me of my roots.
They're scary bad.
Meh.
I also hate...HATE working in groups. Especially when marks were concerned. At work, who cares...but in school? Ack.
Hang in there Tuna

Paula said...

Holy crap there is nothing I hate more than having to work in groups for a school project!

Kara said...

You've just answered my question of what to make for dinner. As for the title change, I'd keep it as I'm sure you'll find a job.

MOV said...

OMG, I just found you Goddess of Tuna (no "I" in Goddess either, conveniently) and I think I am in love. Not with your recipes, I don't cook (I am a mean baker, though, and by mean I mean that I yell at everyone to get out of my teensy galley kitchen when I make home-made brownies from scratch with the really expensive chocolate from Trader Joe's). But I digress. This is all about you and how great you are.

YOU. ARE. GREAT. I am a new follower now.

best,
MOV
ps--might even have to carve out (see? "carve"? I am using cooking terminology already after reading just ONE of your posts!) time to read some of your archives.

Stephanie said...

Just face it - you're damn bossy. And I'm right there with you. It's my way or the highway. To hell with group consensus...

Meg at the Members Lounge said...

Oh Mrs. Tuna, you ARE a working woman no matter what! I would get SO much satisfaction for tattling on those little whiny brats that I'd just take the whole project over and be done with it. Good luck in the mid-terms and disciplinary work you have ahead of you!

Anonymous said...

Sorry its taken me so long to come visit.. It's been nuts around here. That recipe looks yummy! As for your class mates... Duct tape is always the answer. Take in a roll. When they start in tape them together, as they scream slap some over their mouths and just for good measure and because it will entertain you put some on their eyebrows then rip it off. Just throwing you a bone here. Could be fun. haha

twelvedaysold said...

If no one else sent it to you, here is the i in team:

http://pics.blameitonthevoices.com/092010/theres_i_in_team.jpg

Kernut the Blond said...

I like @Red Nomad OZ's idea - "Wonder-Woman's Guide..."

You brought back memories of my time as an adult in college... and the "group" project we had. Guess who carried it? Yeah, me.

Unknown said...

CHICKEN TETTRAZINI! will always remind me of that one whacked out episode of maury pauvich. seriously, search youtube, it's hilarious.

Diana said...

chica you need to just forget about your engineering job and write a damn book! Not to expand your ego, but damn you are funny!