Dr. Kayla A. Kaiser

Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs

Season 11 ribs with 2 packets of ramen soup seasoning. Add 6 cups of water to the pressure cooker. Line the outside of the pot with the ribs. Bring to pressure, cook 30 minutes, quick release.

In the meantime, add 1 cup long grain white rice to a small pot with 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.

In the meantime, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar. Add 1 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir until well combined. Add 3/4 cup brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring continuously. Reduce heat and stir 5 minutes.

It was a lot of work for a piece of paper. I still have to prove that I belong. When I relaxed and let down my guard, to allow student voices to take center stage, a colleague concluded that I lack content knowledge. Wow.

Another colleague suggested that I show off on the day I am being observed and then demonstrate humility the rest of the time. I feel pretty off balance now and unsure of my job. Still need to do some reflecting on last semester.

And then there's the threats to our campus that were made by a coward causing final exams to be compromised and forcing last-minute changes in grade calculations. I have some lingering baggage associated with that stress. We all do as a campus community.