Christmas Card - 2010

Color Me Merry Christmas Card

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Christmas Card - 2010

Send Holiday Cheer Christmas Card

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Christmas Card - 2010

Naughty Or Nice Christmas Card

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Dear Cuisinart Elite Food Processor...

...how was I able to function in the kitchen without you?!?!  

Not only are you cast from beautiful brushed stainless steel, you come with three different sized work bowls, an adjustable six-position slicing disc, a reversible shredding disc, a dough blade, and two chopping/mixing blades.  And the cherry on top: a retractable cord!  Do you know how much I LOVE retractable cords?!  Almost as much as I love containers.  Oh, did I fail to mention that you come with a custom container to house all of your glorious accessories?!  Aaaaah, I am now a true believer in love at first sight.
I am really looking forward to working with you in the future, and I trust that you will continue to shred, slice, chop, puree and blend my world for many years to come :)

We Want to PUMP...YOU UP!

Sooooo, not only did I have a successful first day at my new job yesterday, I also got a Deadlift PR (Personal Record) of 160 lbs at CrossFit.  Yep, you read that right - I lifted 160 lbs off the ground all by myself!!!  Wooo Hooo!  Go me!  Go me!  Go me!  ;-)  
Seriously, though, it was tough but I'm so proud of how much my form, strength, and stamina have increased since I started doing CrossFit about two months ago.  I'm really looking forward to training outside this spring/summer, and am confident I will meet & exceed my goals! 

girl power :-)

New Month, New Job!

Well, my little jaunt as a stay-at-home-mom to Finnegan has come to an end ;)  Long gone are the unscheduled days spent hanging out with my little fur face - who enjoyed some much needed sunshine yesterday...

Tomorrow is my first day as a Business Development Manager at New World Systems.  It's very similar to the job I left at Sentry Insurance in Wisconsin, only it pays better (hooray!!) and it's a MUCH shorter commute (no Beltline traffic - yippee!!)  I'm looking forward to meeting new people and learning about new products, but I can't help feeling just a little blue tonight; although the last 3 months have been stressful and have brought so much change and uncertainty, it's been a real adventure and I've really enjoyed the free time I've been able to spend with Finnegan, Marty, my mom, my mother-in-law and our new friends here in MI.  

Well, I have a big day tomorrow, and probably won't sleep very well (I never do before my first day at a new job!) so I better get to bed.  As I settle in to sleep tonight, I'm feeling very thankful for the love and support of my family and friends, and optimistic for what the future holds.  And I am also blown away by how true the cliche 'life is short' really is - I cannot believe it is already March 2010!  It feels like it was only a few weeks ago that we were packing up and preparing to move.  Now it's March and I'm starting a new job in Michigan... yikes!  Moving forward, I'm going to make a conscious effort to enjoy each moment as it's happening, and try to stop looking so far into the future (which is very hard for a planner like me!).  But I'm learning that life really does go by fast, and I want to take it all in and enjoy every minute of it.

3 years ago today...

February 27, 2007

"Are you nervous?!?!" - Nichelle

"Noooooooo!!!!" - Ashley & Krissy (in unison)

Town Village Pet Therapy

Today was Finnegan's first nursing home visit!  I was such a proud mommy, he did a great job :)
He met lots of new friends (both humans and dogs) and we are really looking forward to our next visit in a few weeks.  Despite being VERY excited, he was very well behaved.  He was quite eager, to say the least, when it came to showing off his tricks... all I had to do was reach into my pocket and say "sit" and he sprung into trick autopilot: he flew into sit, raised one paw and then the other, flopped down onto his belly, and then flipped over onto his back, with his paws in the air - all in a matter of about 6 seconds!!  I barely had a chance to say the word "sit" and he was already on his back, ready for his reward.  Needless to say, he likes to be the center of attention...
I still haven't replaced my broken camera, so I only have one crappy cell phone picture, and one I grabbed from the Town Village Pet Therapy Website.

Finn visiting with his new friends: Bill, Nava and Gabe

Finn and his new buddy, Sam

I discovered the pet therapy group via the Troy All Dogs Play Group, which I joined a few weeks ago.  Finn gets to make new friends and burn some energy, and it's also a great way for us to meet people in the area.  The members I met at the nursing home today were so friendly, and I'm really looking forward to participating in some of the fun events they have planned this spring/summer. They've asked us to participate in the Royal Oak St. Patty's Day Parade on March 13, and told me all about about a camping weekend they host up north every summer, where the group has full run of a private campground!

Overall it was such a rewarding experience - not only for the residents, but for the dogs and their owners as well.  And it re-sparked my interest in getting Finn certified as a therapy dog.

"Excuse me dad, your head is on MY pillow..."

When the humans are away, the dog will... rearrange?!

Apparently Finn has been paying attention to all of the HGTV I've been watching lately, because he's been doing some 'rearranging' when we leave him alone for any length of time.   His favorite things to move around are shoes and clothing.  Sometimes he gets real serious and rearranges furniture.
This is what I found when I returned home after a one hour workout on Friday morning:

I walked into the apartment to find my jeans and Marty's shoe in Finn's kennel...

...and then I walked into the bedroom to find other shoe on Marty's pillow :)

Now if I could just teach him how to make the bed and wash the dishes while we are away...

A Little Yummy for your Tummy :)

So, I've been doing some dabbling in the kitchen lately, experimenting with established recipes and creating some new ones in the process.  I've had some requests to share the food love, and I thought that directing people here would be more efficient than emailing recipes to individuals (you know, 'cause I have such a busy schedule these days... ;)


I posted about our new obsession, Organic Coconut Chicken Tenders, last week.  I have made it a few times since then, and I'm making it AGAIN this weekend when my mother-in-law Kathy is visiting.  Yeah, that's how much we love this delicious - and super easy - recipe :)


Another favorite is one that we sort of 'invented' last week.  I don't really have exact measurements, and it still needs some serious tweaking, but it's a start!  We'll call this one... 
Marty's Almond Crusted Chicken
Ingredients
1 cup organic Almonds
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (or maybe some wheat flour.  I don't know, just an idea that we haven't tried yet)
some Sea Salt (probably about 1/4 tsp)
some fresh ground black pepper (how about 1/4 tsp?  maybe more?  I guess it depends on how much kick you want it to have :)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 lb organic boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 'tenders'
*some other optional spices to add include, but are not limited to: italian spices such as basil, oregano, parsley, or garlic, or perhaps something with a little 'kick' like chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes or cumin.  I also want to try adding parmesan cheese (after all, everything is better with cheese :)  Again, we haven't had a chance to try any of this yet, but we will - and I'm open to suggestions!
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Lightly grease a shallow pan or cookie sheet (I just throw some foil down and call it a day, which ensures a super easy clean up when it's all said and done).
Throw the almonds in a food processor, and grind them up until they are the consistency of bread crumbs.  If you're feeling frisky, this would be a good time to throw in some dried spices, some garlic, or maybe some crushed red pepper flakes (make sure you say "BAM!" like Emeril when you do it).  While you're at it, toss in the rest of the dry ingredients and give it a spin.  
Dip the chicken pieces in egg, and then coat them in the almond mixture.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until chicken is done




My sister first introduced me to this next recipe in October, when my mom and I visited her in Duluth (it was such a fun weekend!  I miss you mom & HK!).  I usually make a few modifications to this recipe, but overall it's the perfect comfort food! 
Sausage, Zucchini and Two Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) pkg whole wheat penne pasta
1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage (*I use low fat turkey sausage and sometimes I'll add chicken to bump up the protein)
1/4 red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup Marsala wine (*I use basic white cooking wine, or whatever white wine I happen to have open - Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay work well)
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
2 cups chicken stock (*I use organic chicken broth)

1/4 cup blanched green peas (*I use organic frozen peas)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (*optional; I've also substituted with mozzarella) 
Directions
In a large pot with boiling salted water cook penne pasta until al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook sausage until brown. Remove from pan. Saute the red onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft and transparent. Add the oregano, salt, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, 1/2 of the wine, yellow bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, and saute until tender. Add remaining wine and chicken stock and cook until liquid has reduced to a thick sauce, about 20 minutes.
After sauce has reduced, add cooked sausage and thawed peas to the sauce and stir to heat through.
Toss pasta with the sauce to coat evenly. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.


I made this soup before we moved from one apartment to another, and we were able to eat it for about 4 days straight, until we got settled into our new place.  It's so thick and hearty, and reheats really well.  I made it organic and vegetarian (omitted the ham, because all I could find was heavily processed "solution added" ham) but I think I'll invest in a good piece of ham from Whole Foods the next time I make it.
Thick Navy Bean Soup
Ingredients
1 lg. pkg. dried navy beans
3 c. chicken broth (do not use bouillon cubes)
1 c. water (or more broth)
2 lg. slices cooked ham, diced (trim all fat away)
1 c. diced onion
1 c. diced celery
1 c. diced carrots
1 c. green beans, canned or fresh, diced
1 c. diced "new" potatoes (I used fingerling potatos)
1 green pepper, diced
1-2 cans cream of chicken soup
Preparation
Soak beans 4-6 hours, rinse, drain and clean well. 
Add all ingredients to beans and cook in large soup pot. 
Simmer until beans and potatoes are tender. (Watch carefully, because it can burn and
stick to the bottom of the pot) .
Take 1 1/2 cups of cooked soup (including beans) and blend in blender (I pureed it with my Cuisinart Stick blender). 
Add blended soup back to pot to thicken the soup. 
Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
16 servings - enjoy!


I made these delicious cookies last night, and the dough was SO YUMMY that we almost turned the oven off and just ate the dough!!  As usual, I made a few modifications.  But overall, these are super easy and made from everyday wholesome ingredients :)
Crispy Salted Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients1 c organic butter, softened
1 c organic light brown sugar
1/4 c organic milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (*I use real, organic vanilla extract instead of the imitation stuff)
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour (*next time I'm going to try whole wheat, and someday I want to try using oat flour!)
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt (*I use finely ground organic sea salt)
2 c old fashioned oats (*make sure it's the 'Old Fashioned Oats' instead of the thinner, ground up 'Minute Oats')
1 1/2 c butterscotch chips (*I omitted these after reading the ingredients, which included partially-hydrogenated oil and other hard to pronounce crap)
1/2 c organic flaked unsweetened coconut
flaky sea salt (*I didn't have this, so I just used my organic sea salt)
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, and the 1st salt measurement in a medium bowl.
2. In another bowl, beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in milk and vanilla until combined. Slowly add in flour mixture and mix until just blended. Add in oats, butterscotch chips and coconut until incorporated.
3. Spoon up a large tablespoon of dough and drop it onto a cookie sheet leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie. Slightly press down on each lump to slightly flatten and sprinkle a flake or two of salt on each cookie. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes 24 - 30 cookies.


I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do.  If you have any of your own to share - or any modifications to the ones listed above - please post them as comments!

One Tired Puppy

There is nothing better than a post-Doggy Daycare Finnegan :o)

He gets SO bored just hanging out with me at home all day, so I try to take him to The Canine Inn about once a week for a good 'ol romp with his friends.  I can't wait to get a job so that he can go back to his daily daycare schedule!!

Dehydration Station

My parents got us a Nesco Food Dehydrator for Christmas, and it has already paid for itself ten times over!  We started off easy, making chicken chews and sweet potato treats for Finnegan.  These kinds of treats cost anywhere from $6 - $15 per bag at the pet store, so this is a great way to save and provide healthy, preservative-free treats for Finny!
In the last few weeks we have been making lots of healthy treats for ourselves.  Some of our favorites include dehydrated watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, apples, grapes (raisons), pears, strawberries, and bananas.  It's also a great way to dry fresh herbs like basil, parsley and cilantro.

The raisons, bananas and strawberries are really good when added to hot oatmeal.  The pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe and pears turn into sweet chewy pieces, which taste like candy.  And the apples and bananas turn into sweet, crispy chips (the bananas are my favorite and SO addicting!)
We can also make delicious fruit roll-ups by pureeing fruits or simply dehydrating applesauce.

The possibilities are endless, and it's really fun to experiment and come up with fun new treats :)

My Special Valentine

Well, Finn sure enjoyed Valentine's Day this year (his first one with us!).  He is obsessed with this stuffed squeaky frog toy, which we've named "Freddie the Frog."  During a trip to PetSmart on Friday, he found a "Freddie Jr" down the dog toy aisle - and he literally grabbed it out of the toy bin and carried it around the store in his mouth!  I just couldn't say no, so Finn got an early Valentine's Day present :o)

Note: both Freddie & Freddie Jr's right eyes have been dismembered; apparently Finn prefers that his friends have only one functioning eye....

Believe it or not, these stuffed frogs (which originally sported little yellow mohawks - one of the first things to go at the hands, er teeth, of Finn) are not his most treasured toys.  He is OBSESSED with this random furry soccer ball, which he squeaks NONSTOP and in ALL areas of our apartment, at ALL times of the day and night.  He also likes to play a little game called "oh, woe is me, I've dropped my ball but I couldn't possibly get off of the chair/bed/couch to get it myself, so I'll just hang my head off of the furniture, and stare longingly at it until one of my servants (AKA human owners) finally gives in and gets it for me."  Yeah, we're pathetic pet parents who will bend over backwards at the sight of those sweet brown puppy dog eyes... and he knows it ;)

He treats this ball like a small child would treat a treasured teddy bear; he carries it with him everywhere, including potty breaks outside in the snow, and he has even begun sleeping with it.  The other night I got up to grab a glass of water about 20 minutes after declaring it "bedtime" (which means bedroom door closed for the night so that he can't wander around our apartment at night, growling and barking at every little noise he hears).  He ran out of the bedroom, went DIRECTLY to his toy basket by the front door, grabbed his soccer ball, and then RAN back into the bedroom with it, where he settled in for a good night's sleep...on my pillow.  

Oh, that reminds me: another one of his sweet new moves is to sleep in bed with us, as though he is a person.  I'm talking head-on-the-pillow, body-under-the-covers, spooning-with-mom-and-snoring-in-her-face sleeping in bed with us.  Cute?  Yes.  Comfortable for me and Marty?  NO!  But he's got us tied around his furry little finger, so, alas...

Ok, ok... enough about the dog :) 

Marty and I enjoyed a very relaxing Valentine's Day weekend.  He surprised me with a gift certificate for a facial at Consher Organic Spa, a really cute place down the road from us, where they make homemade organic scrubs, lotions and potions for your body and face.  My complexion has definitely been affected by the stress of moving and all of the recent life changes, so it was a much needed and greatly appreciated gift!  We met our friend Brigid (a fellow CrossFit member), at Toast for a yummy brunch on Saturday morning, and then spent the rest of the day relaxing, watching movies and the Olympics, and making some delicious food :o)  

With more free time on my hands these days than ever before, I have discovered a passion for cooking.  I have been trying new recipes outside of my "Shake & Bake Chicken" comfort zone, and I cannot wait to have a normal size kitchen again, so that I can really go all out!!  I've been searching for new food inspirations lately, and have found them on websites like AllRecipes.com, a variety of Food Network shows and websites, and some really cool foodie blogs, like Siriously Delicious (thanks to Facebook, I discovered this awesome blog, which is written by a friend of a friend from home).

I am a looooong way from calling myself a "chef" or even a "great cook," but it is something I am taking one day at a time.  It feels so good to hone my cooking skills and to be actively working towards a healthier, organic lifestyle.  It's hard enough to make significant lifestyle changes (like working out regularly, switching to organic foods, and cutting out chemicals in foods and household products) right now, when it's just the two of us, so I can't imagine trying to change life-long habits after having kids.  

I am really proud of the healthy lifestyle changes Marty and I are making as we begin this new adventure together in Michigan.  We work well as a team, and have really enjoyed doing so much together, like working out, grocery shopping, making meal plans, cooking, and making plans for our future.  

I feel like I'm much more 'in tune' with who I am and with who I want to become as a wife/mother/friend/daughter/sister, and I feel like I owe a great deal of that to Marty.  He has supported, encouraged and taught me so much throughout the last three years, and he is SO motivated - which in turn motivates me!  I feel so incredibly lucky to have met him (thanks mom!), and even luckier to call him my husband :o)

Sisters

After going through a ton of photos as I backed up my hard drive this morning, I couldn't help but notice a common theme in photos of my sister and I...

As you can see, she has a new partner in crime...

Haaaahahahaaa!!

    

Words cannot explain how grateful I am to have my sister in my life.  Although we weren't always the best of friends throughout the years as we were growing up, we are closer now than we have ever been, and I couldn't be happier.  We have SO much fun together (in case you couldn't tell from the photos above..) and I am SO proud of the incredible woman she has become.  

Heather, we are so incredibly proud of you!  You have chosen to spend your life with Morgan (who is such an AMAZING person), you are moving forward on your professional journey (and always remember that it is just that - a JOURNEY!), and you've got some awesome pets, too :)

I hope to see you soon, HK... I think a Road Trip to Michigan with Morgan and Jade this spring is in order, so that we can add to our collection of "random face" photos :o)