Blue, Green and Red

It tends to happen every winter.  I just get a little blue.

No not like this:



More like this:


Although, looking at that face has to cheer you up a little.

It's probably a lack of vitamin D, finals, finals and did I mention finals?  This winter has been especially tough being back in school, in some really hard classes and worrying about whether or not I should retake them to improve my grade.  It kind of makes me feel not good enough.  I don't know about you, but when I'm not doing well in one aspect of my life, I start doubting if I'm good enough in other areas of my life.  Am I a good enough wife, friend, daughter?  Am I doing a good enough job keeping the house neat, paying bills, being kind to others?  And then, I tend to turn on myself.  Am I eating because I'm hungry or to fill a void?  Why have I been so lazy about exercising?


Sometimes, life is hard.  When I feel like I can't stand another minute, I like to listen the song "Life Ain't Always Beautiful" by Gary Allan.  (Hopefully this link works.)

Ok, now that I've got that off my chest, let's have some fun.  Good thing I have this goofy boy (he's feeling much better!) to cheer me up:


We went for a walk along the canal road behind our house.


Snow boots for me.


Sometimes, Hunter thinks he's a cat.  I guess that day he thought he was a reindeer.

When I got home, I was in the mood for some comforting soup.  I never thought I'd say this, but since I started making homemade soup, I've snubbed the canned stuff.  With a few exceptions, it just can't compare.

I was reading Better Homes and Gardens and came across this recipe for asparagus potato soup.  It's really, really good.

First, gather your ingredients:



Chop:


Asparagus, you are so photogenic.



Simmer:



Blend.

Then get out the big guns:


Back away from the turkey bacon.  I said the big guns.

You better make two extra pieces, you know, for the dog:

Hunter turned into a puddle of drool.  He doesn't get people food very often.

First four


The second four practically get deep fried.

To be honest for a second, bacon is a food I'm afraid of.  All that fat and grease.  I tell people a lot of times that I don't like bacon but the truth is, I do.  I could eat the whole package.  Which might be why I usually avoid it.  But hey, life is short, a little bacon won't hurt.

Save a table spoon of bacon grease (just do it) and add more chopped asparagus:



Garnish:



Eat up!


I think next time, I'll save a little of the soup and only blend half, this comes out pretty thick.

Asparagus Potato Soup
(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

1 1/4 lb asparagus, chopped
1 1/4 lb poratoes, peeled and diced
12 oz. evaporated milk
1 1/4 c water
lemon zest
6 slices bacon


1. Reserve 1/3 of the asparagus and combine the rest with potatoes and evaporated milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, lemon zest and water.  Simmer until potatoes are tender.

2. Blend until smooth, half at a time (or only blend half for a thinner soup).  Cook the bacon and reserve 1 tbsp of the grease.  Cook asparagus until crisp.  Garnish with chopped bacon and asparagus.  Simple!


I also made red velvet woopie pies with peppermint cream cheese filling.  (Jeremy always laughs when I say whoopie pies, you know why.)


They were just ok.  If you want the recipe, let me know.

Oh, and I made a Christmas wreath:



This Saturday I'm getting my tree!  Yay!

What's your favorite soup?

It's That Time of Year Again

I don't care what the calendar says, it's officially winter here.



Last time, I mentioned we had our first snow, and traces of slick ice and dirty slush were still lingering when I met up with Sara at a new restaurant downtown called the Matador.  It was one of the coolest decorated restaurants I've seen in a while: Spanish style with lots of wrought iron touches.

We shared a few dishes:

Spinach Pear Salad



Blackened Ahi with Green Apple Slaw



Pan Seared Scallops



My gorgeous dinner date:


It was so great to catch up with my old friend.  I could not believe how time flew as we talked about life, school and of course our fellow bloggers (all good things!).

To days later, it snowed, and snowed and SNOWED!  I got a lovely 5:30 am wake up call (it was a recording) from the school letting me know classes were cancelled.  I'd already declared it a personal snow day anyway.


After a while, I began to wonder when it would stop.  Still, a big snow is always exciting (especially when I don't have to drive in it!)



No need to to go the gym for a workout, I just shoveled our three car driveway!  I'm actually sore today...


Good thing I dug out Jeremy's truck to brave the roads!



Which worked out because someone wasn't feeling himself.  I had made an appointment the night before to take him to the vet because I was concerned about kennel cough, basically a respiratory tract infection.





Bet ya didn't know dogs can cough??  It sounds more like a gagging/hacking than human coughs.  I researched to see if there was anything I could do to make Hunter more comfortable, and one website recommended strong peppermint tea with honey.


I was surprised, he licked it right up!

And I set up the humidifier in the bedroom.  It might sound like a lot of trouble for a dog, but he's my baby.  Plus, the tea and the humidifier helped and he was already feeling better the next day.  I still took him to the vet to make sure he was ok and sure enough!  He didn't even need any antibiotics because the vet was certain that it was clearing on its own.  I love when vets or doctors don't immediately turn to drugs.


He clearly was still feeling well enough to play in the snow!  That dog never slows down.



Friday I have plans to make amazing red velvet cookies with cream cheese peppermint filling.  Stay tuned!


Has your pet ever been sick?

Frozen

As I type this, it is currently 9 degrees outside.  That's Farenheight.  Or -13 degrees Celsius.   We got some snow the other day.  Not very much, but it is FREEZING.

Still, it was exciting to get the first snow of the year.  The icy roads were almost too exciting for me.  :/

I've been slurping down herbal tea like crazy!  

Since my mom has been here, I took a little blogging break to hang out, plan some landscaping for the backyard, sew curtains for the master bathroom (when I hang them, I'll post a picture I promise) COOK and take walks in the snow (at least I know where I inherited my crazy from).

My mom usually cooks for me when she comes out but since I didn't have school, I ended up cooking for her!  It was a lot of fun to impress her with my skillz!

Katie's ginger glazed tilapia

This sounded good, but it tasted incredible!  I served it with rice pilaf (from a box) and fresh green beans.

Friday night, we went to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Chapala's, sorry no pictures!   After dinner, we went to see the movie Morning Glory.  I just love Rachel McAdams, I can't believe she's 32!

Caramelized onion chicken burgers (pre-made).

We added some fresh guac and lettuce, a squeeze of honey mustard and some vegan garlic mayo.  I also slow roasted some sweet potatoes and zapped some frozen peas in the microwave.

I'd never tried vegan mayo, but this stuff was pretty good!  

Hunter LOVES my mom, he was at her door every morning to greet her when she got up!  

Here he is parading around with her scarf. 

Crock pot beef roast and veggies.  

If you're new to crockpot cooking, I'd start with this one.  It is so easy.

You put in a roast, add your veggies (I used baby carrots, celery and quarted some red potatoes), mix your spice packet with a cup of water then pour over veggies and meat in the crockpot and cook 7-8 hours on low!

My mom also taught me how to make the easiest gravy in the world.  

Finally at age 24, I can quit making gravy from a packet.

All you need is 2 cups broth (from the crockpot), 2 tbs butter, 2 tbs flour.  You cook the butter and the flour on medium low until it starts bubbling, then add the broth and simmer until thickened.  

For dessert, I made Jessica's chocolate cinnamon scones with vanilla sauce. 

Delish and not overly sweet!

The recipe called for buttermilk, but I didn't have any.  So I decided to try my hand at making my own.  1 cup milk plus 1 tbs white vinegar.  Wait 5 minutes.  I was totally freaked out by this.

Worked like a charm!

Janetha had recently mentioned cooking ham in a crock pot so I decided to give it a try.  I added a simple sweet glaze into the pot for some extra flavor. 

We had left over sweet potatoes and a big salad on the side.

Hunter definitely felt like he was missing out.

He was laying on a towel to dry out after frolicking in the snow.

Don't feel too bad for him though, look what the local pet and lawn place was giving away.


Doggie turkey!

It's this time of the year that I really reflect upon all the good things that have happened since January.  I would be ungrateful if I didn't express how much I appreciate all the things that God has blessed Jeremy and I with.  Even though we've both had to (and continue to) work really hard and make sacrifices, I know that we truly are blessed.  I think about people in my own town who might be homeless or struggling and it really humbles me to look around and see how much we have.

So I challenge all of you to look around you this Thanksgiving weekend and count the many things you have been blessed with.

What are some of the things you are thankful for?