Colorado Giving Day

I know that many, if not most of you do not live in Colorado...but there is something very important going on today called Colorado Giving Day.

For today only, if you donate money to local charities via this site, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar. There are so many different and worthy charities. Some of the ones my friends volunteer at and are asking donations for are:

• Judi's House
• From our friend Sara: 
  As some of you know, I have been volunteering this year with an organization that is very close to my heart: Judi's House. Judi's House is a program that allows children who have lost a loved one, to grieve, share, learn, and grow. Often these children feel very isolated in their grief, as typically no one else they know has had a death loss experience, but at Judi's House they are surrounded by... people just like them. As a volunteer, I get to sit with these kids, listen to their stories and memories and watch as they become stronger from their experiences. The program is free to families and they work with a wide range of children, including those as young as 3 up to young adults as old as 25. They provide families with individual counseling and support group services, as well as create special events and activities to help memorialize their special person. It is really an amazing organization and I feel honored that I get to be a part of it.
  
  Today is "Colorado Gives Day." Judi's House (featured on 9News last night), along with many other wonderful Colorado charities have been selected to participate and any funds you donate today will be matched. I urge you to go to http://www.cogivesday.org/ and find a charity that speaks to you and donate because for today only, your donation will go further.
• Maria Droste Counseling Center
• From our friend Kenji and his father: For Colorado Gives Day, my father is raising money for the Maria Droste Counseling Center. They provide high-quality mental health care to hundreds of Denver area children, regardless of their parents' ability to pay. Today, 1st Bank of Colorado is adding a bonus for ever dollar donated. Thanks!
• Colorado Symphony Orchestra
• Dave and I enjoy going to see the CSO and they have been in dire financial straits for a while. Here is what they posted on FaceBook earlier today: Support the Colorado Symphony on the second annual Colorado Gives Day! Today, Colorado citizens will come together again to raise millions of dollars for nonprofits like the Symphony. A portion of all donations received today via GivingFirst.org will be matched by an incentive fund from FirstBank. Make your contribution at the link below. Thanks for your support!

Here's a description of the program in case you feel like giving:
Today is Colorado Gives Day! Do you have a favorite nonprofit? If you do, today is the day to donate and show your support. Nonprofits pay no credit card fees, the value of your donation will be increased by the FirstBank Incentive Fund and large cash prizes (1k to 5k) will be given out in a variety of categories. Use the link below to search for organizations.

 

Give where you live! :) http://givingfirst.org

 

If you have the time and a few dollars to spare, please feel free to look over the different organizations that are participating in today's Coloardo Gives Day. You can search by specific organizations or just what area of focus are dear to your heart.

Thankfullness all around

To conclude my thankful thoughts series, I just want to say that I am so thankful to have everything I have in life. Sounds corny and cliche, but it is true. I've worked my tail off for what I have and to be where I am. I'm proud of who I am and what sacrafices it has taken to get to where I stand, but through it all, I am thankful that I have remained true to myself. Sure, there have been plenty of bumps along the way...many of you were there with me through my depression and subsequent personal rediscovery...but to be honest, I wouldn't change it for anything. Those experiences have made me the person I am today. Those experiences opened up my heart to things I wasn't even sure existed. So thank YOU for being there with me. For the advice and comments you have given me...and for just letting my fingers do the talking and my mind do the walking. Even if no one reads this, I am thankful that I have an outlet to share my own little corner of the world. And that means a lot...even in this crazy place we call home.

Thankful Thought - November 30

Today I am thankful for the seasons. I have yet to live in a climate where I do not see at least a glimpse of all four, but I have to think that it would be dreadful to live in such a monoseasonaic (just made that word up...you couldn't tell, could you?) place. Sure, Spring and Fall are very short seasons here...and sometimes they recede back into Summer and Winter depending on which way the wind blows, but the seasons...you can smell them...they bring back memories and promise a future filled with more.

Thankful Thought - November 29

Today I am thankful for my sense of adventure. It has not led me astray in the 29 years I have followed my gut and thrown caution to the wind. There have been amazing discoveries, tons of wonderful people, breathtaking views and thrills beyond words...all thanks to my sense of adventure. We only have this one life to live and I intend to make the most out of what I have been given.

Thankful Thought - November 28

My apologies for being a few days behind on my thankful thoughts. Germs and illness prevail in our household at the moment making life rather difficult. So my thankful thought for the 28th was rest. I'm thankful that I am able to get enough rest most of the time and that when my body reacts to the lack of sleep, I am able to get the rest my body so desires. I think about those who are too cold or hungry to sleep. Those that cannot sleep due to illnesses, worries, lack of a home or a bed...and I am thankful that I do not have to worry about those things. Rest. It is an amazing healer and something we forget about during our very busy lives.

Thankful Thought - November 27

Today I am thankful for our pets. Although I have the sneaking suspicion that our oldest cat, Mister, believes that he is the true ruler of the house, it is nice to come home to a trio of adoring pets that love and accept you no matter what. The adoring eyes of our dog Mina make me want to be a better person. The look of pure contentment from Mister when he is sitting on our laps makes me melt. And the odd quirks of our fat tubs Brutus make me smile from ear to ear. I'm also thankful for all of the pets that have come before and are sure to come after. I think that if you don't have pets, or at least the desire to have a pet at some point in your life, there is probably something wrong with you. They are so much more than furballs with legs...and I love them for that.

Thankful Thought - November 26

Today I am ridiculously grateful that Dave knows how to build things, fix things and/or make things better. I am thankful that he has gained those handyman skills to make our lives better. He can fix our cars so we don't have to take them to the shop, he can build bookcases so I don't mess them up, he can tile our floors, put in hardwood, install a new sink, redo bathrooms, build a pantry/laundry room and even build a shed in the back yard for us. Not a day goes by that I don't marvel at those skills. Sure, everyone can learn how to do those things, but the fact that we don't have to hire out for help makes me feel confident that if anything ever did go truly wrong with something, Dave would be able to fix it.

Thankful Thought - November 25

Today I am thankful for my home. I'm sure that I've said it before, but it is more than just four walls and a roof to shelter us. Home is our sanctuary. Home is where I can gain a better perspective on the world. Home is where we open up our hearts to those who need us. Home is where we laugh until our eyes run and our bellies hurt. Home is where I love to be. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Thankful Thought - November 24

Today I am thankful to be alive. Sounds corny, I know, but I am so thankful that I can get up every morning and live. Sure, things might not be all that we want them to be right now, but we're working on that...and to even have the ability to change the current course of our lives is something that I marvel at. I think about those that have come before us, centuries before, who were unable to change their lives...but then those, who had the gumption to do something, to change things...those are my inspiration. My ancestors who left Norway to cross the Atlantic or those who blazed across the Oregon Trail...those people took their futures in their own hands, changed the course of their personal history...and I let them inspire me. I'm thankful that I'm alive...and that I'm alive in this day and age where we are allowed to control our destiny.

Thankful Thought - November 23

I will apologize in advance. I am taking a technology break after this morning has passed, so you will be getting a slew of posts to cover the weekend. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend everyone!

Today I am thankful for my eclectic taste in music. I generally have my iPod on shuffle no matter where I am, whether it be the gym or in the car, so you have no idea what is going to come on next. It can skip from Lady Gaga to The Beatles to The Phantom Of The Opera Soundtrack to Nicki Minaj (that Superbass song just gets stuck in my head for no reason) to Beethoven to Muddy Waters to Bjork to Type O Negative and then to Mumford and Sons. The list could go on for days because the music skips around, kind of like my own personal radio station. I'm glad that I never know what it going to come on next...keeps me on my toes and allows me to experience a wide range of emotions, even in just one 20 minute car ride.

Thankful Thought - November 22

Today I am thankful for my unshakable optimism. Sure, I have moments where things upset me or when I can't see things in a positive light, but all it takes is a perspective shift and I'm back to being who I truly am. Being pessimistic just isn't in me. True, yesterday I was upset by the whole baby thing, but it was more about the actual conversation than the content. But given a perspective shift, I'm able to see that my friends care about us and don't want us to make mistakes that they think they see. Either way, its my life and I have to live it the way I think is best...and that goes for all things.

So thank you for my eternal optimism...and thank you for gaining valuable perspective on situations. Those, I think, are some of my best qualities!

Thankful Thought - November 21

Today my thankful thought is kind of a double edged sword, but I'm going for it anyway. Today I am thankful that people are so interested in when Dave and I are going to have kids. I guess I am thankful because it means that they care and (possibly) think that we will be great parents. On the downside, I am so tired of having this coversation. It goes in waves and we get breaks from it, but it always comes back.

I get the same arguments about why we are stupid for waiting and the same, "well, its your life and not mine, but our friends waited for the same reasons and now can't conceive" discussion. Honestly, when we decide to have kids is up to us (for the most part) and while yes, waiting can mean that there are some fertility issues that we might have to deal with, I AM only 29. The other part of that is that the people who are unable to conceive probably would have had the same issues if they hadn't waited. Fertility issues run in that family, not mine, so again, I'm not worried about it...plus that other couple are in their 40s...so ummm...another age difference that I'm not worried about.

Again, I guess that I am thankful that people are just so flipping concerned about it, but it gets frustrating to have to hear the same things over and over again...and to feel that judgement from them as well. That hurts. Even though I know that the people who are saying these things are well meaning, their words and thoughts aren't really welcomed and they hurt my feelings. Yes, Dave and I are getting closer to being ready, but there are a few things that still need to fall into place before we move into that very different stage of life. I want a better job with better insurance to start...the other things, well, they would be "nice to haves"...but a new job that has less stress and better insurance, well, that is a "must have"...and people just don't get it.

Oh well...must try to see the positive in every situation...so bleh. Done with the venting, now on to more positive things!

Thankful Thought - November 20

Today I am thankful for my family. I don't know if I've already posted this or not, mostly because I'm too lazy to look back right now, but even if I did, I feel like its ok to say that I'm grateful for them more than once.

The thing about families, immediate/extended/in-laws, is that you will fight, you will laugh, you will argue and you will love. Its true that you don't get to pick your family and it is also true that while you may love them, you don't always have to like them in that moment...but when you really need them, family will be there when you most need them. The arguments fade away in a time of need and love flows in.

I can't say that it is this way for anyone else, not even the family members I have near to me, but for me, that's how it is. I'm grateful that no matter what city we end up living in, we will be close to family...and I know that even if I'm irritated by certain members, if they need me, I'll be there.

Kind of disjointed, I know...but here is an example:

Someone pisses you off...they either said something or did something...or it is just how they are in general...and trust me, this happens a lot in our current setting. But then that person has some tragedy strike, such as a miscarriage or someone passes away or they are diagnosed with something terrible...and then you are there for them. You put aside the ickiness and are there, supporting them in ways only you can.

I'm thankful that I can do that. Not everyone can put aside their differences...and that's ok. But I'm thankful that I can, because that's who I am.

Thankful Thought - November 19

Today I am thankful for social networking. Even though these sites can show some of the worst traits in people, I am so grateful that we have them. Since Dave and I live half a country away, and sometimes it seems a world away, from half of the people we love and care about, it is a great way to keep in touch with those we can't see on a regular basis. We are able to share pictures, stories and updates with the click of a button and for that, I'm grateful.

Some examples:
Pictures of Jana's travels
Updates on Millie's educational prowess
Pictures of Amelia
Updates on Chole's life
Being able to see my niece via pictures
Being able to see what my dad's garden looks like
Knowing that the people I care about are still alive =)

Thankful Thought - November 18

Today I am thankful for indoor plumbing and electricity. I know that Dave and I would be able to make it in this world without these amazing advances, but I would rather not have to endure that. But it makes me think about all of the different cultures and places in the world that either don't have these at all, or if they do, they are fairly unreliable. So thank you for indoor plumbing and electricity...things we take for granted pretty much every second of every day, but make life so much better.

As a side note, we did have to live without electricty for five days after a tornado-esque storm hit our neighborhood in 2009. We were the last section of street in the entire city to have power restored and I have to say that it wasn't pretty, it wasn't fun...but at least we had running water and hot water at that. I was thankful then for my ridiculous need to have candles in the house...because without them, we would have been in the dark, literally, for days!

Thankful Thought - November 17

Today I am thankful for The Arts. Music, dancing, painting, creating, writing, reading, watching people perform...those are all things that I am so grateful for. I was lucky enough to grow up with two fairly artistic people. We were encouraged to follow any artistic path that we chose and were fully supported when doing so. Having a childhood like that allowed me to flourish and didn't make me so afraid to express myself. I can only hope that when we have children, our household will be similar in that way, that music will always be on, paintings will always be on the wall, books open and tickets to the symphony, a play, a musical or a concert on the fridge just waiting to be used.

Thankful Thought - November 16

Today I am thankful for all of the sunrises and sunsets I have seen in my lifetime. Each one is diferent and each one is beautiful in its own way...not only the beauty that my eyes get to feast on, but also the beauty of the memories that were created that day. There were some days where we were able to see both the sunset and then the sunrise with special people. Some mornings where I witnessed the sunrise on my morning commute. Some evenings where the sole purpose is to sit and enjoy the silence as we witness this daily ritual.  This is something I often take for granted, but am so thankful for. Each sunrise means that I live to see a new day, see new opportunities and new adventures. Each sunset means that I survived that day, embraced it and am thankful for having it.

Thankful Thought - November 15

Sorry for the post a day early, but my new boss is in town and I'm not sure if I'll have any time tomorrow, the 15th, to actually write this.

Today I am thankful for the internet. Such a silly thing that we often times take for granted. I'm amazed at how far technology has come since I was a kid. I still remember my elementary school librarian helping us compose one of the first emails to ever be sent across the country, to another school in, I believe, Virginia. It was such a huge deal, such a novel thing to be doing, that the memory of sitting criss-cross-apple-sauce on the library floor while she wrote on those huge pads of paper, has stuck with me for all of this time. To think that kids today will not know of a time before google or iPads is amazing. But I guess it was that way for generations before us. Even my mom remembers a time when they had outdoor plumbing...of course, that's one of her earliest memories and I believe she can still remember that because it was traumatizing =)

Thankful Thought - November 14

Today I am extremely thankful for reliable transportation. There are so many people out there who have cars that break down all of the time or inaccessible public transportation. I feel so lucky and thankful that when I can, I use public transportation (even though it isn't my favorite way to get around in this city) when I can and that for the rest of the time, I am able to drive my car. I'm even more thankful that Dave's new/used car is reliable and has great gas mileage. That means we can drive his car more often and relieve my car of some of that wear/tear action that has been going on.

Thankful Thought - November 13

I am thankful for Dave. Not just today, but every single second of every single day. I haven't written about my thankfulness to have such a great partner in life before because it is sort of a given. We tell eachother almost daily how thankful we are to have one another in our lives. There isn't a single day that goes by where we don't make eachother laugh, where we don't dream about the future, where we don't support one another...

So cliche, but I married my best friend. He is my confidant, my sounding board, my moral compass...he helps give me perspective on things, he forces me to see the brighter side of things when I only see darkness, he does everything because we are a team. I'm sure that he would be able to go on for ages about what I am to him, but for me, it is pretty indescribable...and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Even though I had to take a gigantic leap to see if our relationship would work almost 8 years ago by moving half way across the country, I'm so happy that I did. Things have been wonderful, even if there was a period there where depression held me in its grips. Dave was there, supporting me, helping me through it all.

I wish that I could accurately portray my feelings for Dave, but honestly, there are no words...and I think that is true for most people when they find their true match. There are just no words that can accurately describe the love, the bond, the intangibles that you feel.

And with that, I'll leave you with a few quotes:

"If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you made me smile, I would have the whole night sky in the palm of my hand."
Author Unknown

"From every human being there rises a light that reaches straight to heaven. And when two souls that are destined to be together find each other, their streams of light flow together, and a single brighter light goes forth from their united being."
Author Unknown

"The most wonderful of all things in life is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a growing depth, beauty and joy as the years increase. This inner progressiveness of love between two human beings is a most marvelous thing; it cannot be found by looking for it or by passionately wishing for it. It is a sort of divine accident, and the most wonderful of all things in life."Sir Hugh Walpole

"Love means to commit oneself without guarantee, to give oneself completely in the hope that our love will produce love in the loved person. Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love."Erich Fromm

Thankful Thought - November 12

Today I am thankful that I have a place that I can call my Alma Mater. I am so grateful that I was able to attend college and receive my Bachelor's Degree. Being the first person in my immediate family to do so was quite a large accomplishment and I wouldn't have been able to do it without the scholarships I received or the hard work I put in when I was pursuing higher education. I know that people complain about being poor college students, but when they do, I sort of just shake my head and wonder what sort of life they really live. I took full, often times overloaded, course loads during my time in college, while I also worked at least one job, most of the time two, and for a while there, three jobs at a time. I was able to maintain a fairly high GPA and was asked by department heads to work with them.

Even though a Bachelor's Degree is something that most employers require these days, I can definitely see that I need to go for an even higher degree. Fairly soon, I suspect that I will be joining the throngs of academics to pursue a Master's Degree. I just have to figure out what that is.

But more importantly, I'm thankful that I can even say that. How many people in the world, minus our country, are able to say that?

So thank you to the organizations that helped put me through college, thank you to my bosses during that time, and thank you to my professors for helping me learn concepts that have shaped the way that I see the world and have left me wanting more information to cram into my brain.

Thankful Thoughts - November 11

In honor of Veteran's Day, I would like to express my immense gratitude to all of the Veterans out there. My family has its fair share of them and I have a large number of friends who are either on active duty, married to someone on active duty or are themselves Veterans.

There is a cliche saying out there that "Freedom isn't free" but honestly, that's true. Even if we weren't fighting a war, there are always military personnel that are deployed to distant parts of the world where they are unable to see their spouse, watch their children grow or hang out with their friends. They don't have access to the little things that we take for granted here in our every day lives and yes, for the most part, they don't complain about it. Their families don't really complain about it either because they know that the Country is just a little bit safer due to their sacrafice.

So thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart to those spouses who are left alone to be a single parent during deployment, thank you to the mothers and fathers who have that panic inducing fear when they hear that their child is being deployed, thank you to the children of deployed military personnel...things are sometimes ridiculously hard for you...and finally, thank you to the military personnel of today, tomorrow and yesterday. Without you, who knows what our freedoms would look like. Without you, would we be in that 1% of the world? Or would we be back in that 99% that looks upon the 1% with disdain?

Thank you for your sacrafices. Thank you for all that you do. Hopefully one day we will be able to support you with the mental health care that you deserve after coming home from war...and hopefully one day we can repay you and your family for your absence.

Thankful Thought - November 10

Today I am thankful for modern medicine. With all of the advances that are being made in creating a cure for HIV/AIDS to the new treatments for cancer patients being developed daily, it makes me so grateful that we live in this time where new medical advances are being made. I'm also grateful that we have access to things like pain killers and muscle relaxers...my life would be miserable without the latter, or even without advil. So thank you medicine and all of your scientists, for making life better for everyone!

Thankful Thought - November 9

Today I'm going to take a page out of my Aunt's book and be thankful that I know how to cook and bake. Apparently this is a skill that is largely lacking in today's society. Neither of my sister-in-laws know how to cook and/or bake...when they do, it is often times disasterous...but I definitely commend them for trying! I am very grateful to my parents for never buying processed food or ready made meals. I grew up seeing both of my parents cook us delicious food out of the basic staples and for that I am eternally grateful because as I get older, my cooking and baking skills improve...and that is something I hope to pass on to my children someday, just like my parents did.

Thankful Thought - November 8

Today I am thankful that we are able to remember and reflect on the past. Not only our personal histories, but the collective history of the Earth. We can learn so much from the past generations and I think that is something we often forget in this world of instant gratification, contstant communication with our peers and disconnected emotions from reality. Dave and I watched a fairly graphic documentary about the Holocaust over the weekend and it really made me so exceedingly grateful that we do not have to live through that, that we do not have to see that pain and suffering every single day. It really made me so eternally grateful for all that we have, for all the liberties and freedoms that we take for granted, for our families who may frustrate us at times, but will be there no matter what.

Thankful Thought - November 7

Today I am thankful that I have access to quality health care. I'm living vicariously, at the moment, via a friend who is travelling the world. She has been to Greece, Brazil, South Africa, India and is now in China. She has seen immense poverty and immense wealth. But with that immense poverty comes a huge lack of even basic health care. Seeing the world through her pictures, through her eyes, has made me so grateful that even though I hate going to the doctor, I at least have the choice, the option, to go.

Thankful Thought - November 6

Today I am thankful for the extreme good luck I have, that most of us have, for being born in a free country. I am so exceedingly grateful that I was born in The United States of America and this is something I remember, even at a very early age, being thankful for. It might be due to the fact that my family was exposed to so many different cultures and types of people due to my mom's job at the School of International Education at OSU or the fact that my parents were involved with the church community that didn't discriminate based on race, creed, gender or anything else....but one of my earliest memories is that of sitting in our beat up, run down car at one of the only two stop lights in my hometown, waiting to get to the wrong side of the tracks, where of course, our home was located, and thinking, wow, I am so lucky to have this. Even then I realized that though we didn't have a lot, especially back then, that we were doing a lot better than many people in this world. That's something I think we take for granted for a bulk of our time. We have had great luck in that we were born Americans. That we didn't have to fight for freedom. That we didn't have to fight to live in this country. That's something to think about, especially as we have people who are still struggling to live here.

Thankful Thought - November 5

Today I am thankful that I have full cupboards, a stocked pantry and a fridge/freezer combo that provides sustenance for us. Due to growing up lacking quite a few things that other kids had, I have a sense of low grade anxiety when my home is not stocked with dry and canned goods. I feel so grateful that we are able to keep that anxiety down and our stock pile of goods up these days. Such a weird thing to think about or to have anxiety over, but I have peace of mind knowing that if something were to happen, we could ration out our food for at least a month.

Yes, I know I'm weird, but that's a survival instinct that was driven into my head since I was young. Always be prepared, always have canned/dry goods on hand...just in case.

Thankful Thought - November 4

For today's thankful thought, I would like to give thanks to the fact that I have extra weight that I'm carrying. That means that I live in a country where we are lucky enough to have problems like weighing a bit too much while there are so many others in this world that are still dying of starvation. I may not be 100% satisfied with how my body looks, but I am so grateful what it means. It means that I have plenty of food to eat, that I'm not dying of starvation or thirst...that I live in the land of plenty, even when so many here are making huge sacrifices due to the financial crisis. As many of the bloggers have said before, even though we are in the 99% in this country, we are the 1% to much of the rest of the world.

Thankful Thought - November 3

Today I am thankful that I have amazing friends who support me no matter how crazy my decisions might seem. When I made the decision to move to Colorado, everyone was supportive. When I went through a terrible depression, that showed me who truly cared about me and helped me leave those who made me worse. My friends have always been there for me and I hope that I can return the favor for them.

Thankful Thought - November 2

Today I am thankful that I have a wonderful husband who loves me unconditionally, takes care of me when I'm not feeling well, and surprises me daily with demonstrations of his love. I love my family, but my parents didn't show love all that well so learning to live with a highly emotional Italian man has been interesting to say the least, but I wouldn't trade in this life for anything!

Thankful Thought - November 1

One of my high school friends just posted a thought on facebook and I'm totally going to steal it from her. She is going to try and post one thing she is thankful for each day of November. Sounds like a good idea...and because I'm such a slacker at actually posting, please expect to see multiple posts for multiple days on one day...retroactively of course =)

So Thankful Thought - November 1st

Today I am thankful that I have a job that helps keep our house warm, food in our bellies and a roof over our head. True, it provides a constant source of frustration, but I am lucky to have that source when so many people are without employment.

Everyday Cupcakes

Thanks to a VERY old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook my dad gave me a few months ago, I found this recipie and made these moist and delish cupcakes that aren't too sweet and balance out frosting quite well.

I made some of these on Friday when our friend Rachael was over. She desperately wanted some cupcakes and freaked out when I started making these from scratch. They are super easy and I made a double batch because, contrary to popular belief, 12 cupcakes just isn't enough! We used both strawberry and chocolate frosting...and the combo was very nice...but use whatever frosting is your favorite and I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Everyday Cupcakes
1/2 cup shortening (I used butter)
1 3/4 cups sifted  flour (I use whole wheat flour, but really whatever you have around)
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place shortening (or butter) in mixing bowl. Sift in dry ingredients. Add egg and half the milk; mix till flour is moistened. Beat 2 minutes at low speed. Add remaining milk and vanilla; beat 1 minute longer. Fill paper bake cups in muffin pans half full. bake at 375 degrees (f) for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and frost.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread Bundt Cake

A long title, I know.

The other day I was asked to bring some sort of sustenance to a long event where food might be scarce. Seeing as how I had a large quantity of blackened bananas, I decided to make bananna bread. As my original recipie called for only two ripe and mashed bananas (and there were four on my counter), I decided to adapt my recipie and see how things turned out. Please forgive me because some of the measurements aren't really measurements at all. I just added things until I was satisfied with how the batter looked and what the consistency was like. For me, baking is all about trial and error...some times you win and some times you lose. Either way, it was delicious so I say that's a win in my book!

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 medium)**
1 egg
2 egg whites
2 1/2 cups flour**
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup walnuts**
1 cup chocolate chips**
1/2 cup peanut butter**

**If you stick with the listed ingredients, minus the peanut butter, the recipie turns out great. But if you use more bananas than listed, throw in the peanut butter and a little extra flour. The chocolate chips are optional, but I loves me some chocolate and you know, I use semi-sweet dark chocolate so they're healthy, right?

Preaheat oven to 375 degrees (f). Grease pan and set aside

Beat sugars and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add banannas, egg and egg whites.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt in to medium bowl; add to banana mixture. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips (if you want them). Pour into prepared pan.

Bake one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Serve warm, preferably with a nice pat of butter.

Of course, since I added so much extra stuff, I had to use a bundt pan so I had just one loaf. I decided to take some artistic liberties and added nice walnuts to the bottom of the bundt pan, prior to spreading the batter in evenly.

It looked wonderful and recieved many compliments. So take, bake and enjoy!

Falling In Love Chocolate Mousse Pie

In relation to the last post regarding the Marshmallow Mermaid Pie, I also made this pie for our "food featured in film" dinner party.

This one was ridiculously delicious and the amount of mousse that it makes could probably fill at least two pie shells. I took the extra mousse and used it to dip fresh strawberries in. Honestly, I would probably just make the mousse again sans pie shell because it was just that good!

Falling in Love Chocolate Mousse Pie
9-inch baked pastry shell
1 14-oz. can condensed milk (not evaporated)
2/3 C. water
1 (4 serving) pkg. chocolate pudding mix (not instant)
1 1-oz. square unsweetened chocolate
2 C. (1 pt.) whipping cream, stiffly whipped

In large saucepan, combine condensed milk, water and pudding mix; mix well. Add chocolate. Over medium heat, cook and stir rapidly until chocolate melts and mixture thickens. Remove from heat; beat until smooth. Cool. Chill thoroughly; stir. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into prepared pastry shell. Chill 4 hours until set.

Marshmallow Mermaid Pie

A few weeks back we attended a dinner party where the theme was "food featured in films".

You would think that this would be an easy category, but honestly, all of the easy things like fried green tomatoes or pizza were taken. I dug in a little and remembered that "Waitress", an independent film from a few years ago, featured quite a few different pies.

This one was called Marshmallow Mermaid Pie. It was good, but you definitely have to like marshmallows to like this...the other "off" part was that I used the graham crackers we had taken camping the week before so there was a slight campfire taste to the pie that just didn't seem to go along with it...but meh!

Here is the recipe, should you want to attempt this pie. It was pretty easy so if you ever feel like pie making or if you have some random dinner party to attend, why not?

Marshmallow Mermaid Pie
9 graham crackers
1/2 C. sweetened, flaked coconut, toasted
5 Tbs. butter or margarine, melted
34 lg. marshmallows (8 oz.)
1/2 C. whole milk
1 1/2 C. heavy or whipping cream
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine coconut and graham crackers in food processor until coarse crumbs form. Combine crumbs and butter with fork. Press to bottom and side of 9-inch pie plate. Bake 10 minutes and cool on wire rack. Heat marshmallows and milk in 3-qt. saucepan over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat. Cool completely (30 minutes.) In large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold marshmallow mixture into whipped cream with grated chocolate. Spoon filling into cooled crust. Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours or overnight. Top with mini marshmallows, maraschino cherries and rainbow sprinkles.

My Mind - A brief glimpse

"My mind as both empty and occupied, all of the thoughts buzzing far below the surface."  - Laurie King, "The Language of Bees"

This is generally how my mind feels. Like there is a torrent of activity going on below the surface...I know that it is there, that things are being processed, but on the surface I might have a jingle running through my mind or a gentle hum.

There have been many times where I know I should be thinking, almost aloud, in my head, where I should be digesting the happenings of the day or of a certain event, but the buzz is there without a singular thought popping into consciousness.

How apropos that this quote should show up today, when I have long since tried to phrase how my mind works.

Anniversary Trip

After a crazy summer full of ups, downs and running around like chickens with our heads cut off, we decided to take it easy for our anniversary trip this year.

Instead of going on a marathon road trip where we see the sights, get very little sleep and try to cram a ton of activities, sights and experiences into one little three day weekend, we took a liesurely drive to Glenwood Springs and spend most of the weekend there.

It takes beween 2.5 and three hours to get to Glenwood, but the drive is very scenic and easy as it is all on I-70.

We decided to take Dave's new/used car for this trip for a few reasons. First, it was our first time being able to take out the Frau (what we have named her) out on a trip that lasts more than 30 minues as well as the fact that we didn't need to take the Explorer as we weren't planning on heading into mountainous territory (ok, we were in the mountains, but we weren't off-roading). There's also that little fact about gas mileage...but you know, just a mere trifle in today's economy =)

Here's a pic of The Frau in case I didn't share one before...

Since we waited until the last minute to plan this anniversary trip, we were torn as to where we should go. There were discussions of heading back down to Mexico for a long weekend or even heading over to San Francisco to see the sights, but after buying a new/used car, something local and relaxing seemed to be just what we needed.

Due to the last minute planning, we didn't get much of a choice in our lodgings, but we ended up staying at a fairly high rated (thanks trip advisor), yet budget friendly lodge. They had an indoor and an outdoor pool, along with a hot tub and sauna, plus a nice breakfast bar in the mornings which was nice when not overrun with the other clientele.

The first day was travel and then taking in the sights of the town. We stopped in Vail for lunch after getting lost in the maze of luxury condos and resorts. We arrived in Glenwood in the early afternoon and decided to walk the downtown area, check out the shops, and stop in at the local brewery.  Dave and I love visiting local breweries. Its something we try to do when we visit a new town. My favorite thing to do is to get a flight or sampler of the different beers they brew...I also do this at vineyards/wineries when available.

After our foray into the different styles and tastes of beer at the Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company, we headed over for a nice anniversary dinner at the Italian Underground Restaurant. It is down in the basement of a building, small and intimate. The staff was great, but I have to say that my Italian food is much better than what we got that night. Its hard to go to Italian places though because we generally make better food...such is the curse of being taught by Dave's Grandma!

The restaurant is in the basement of this building...

Some nice gentleman decided he would take our anniversary picture

After that, a dip in the pool and hot tub, our night was complete. The next day we decided that we would try to go to Hanging Lake. Unfortunately just about everyone in a 100 mile radius decided that they wanted to do the same thing, so we ended up turning around and heading back into town. Luckily for us though, we saw another trailhead and decided to stop and go on a nice hike. We ended up hiking for about three hours at the Grizzly Creek trail. It was beautiful, challenging and hot, but I'm so thankful that we decided to stop and partake in the fresh air. We could have gone farther, but lunchtime had come and gone, so we decided to take a break in the freezing cold mountain stream and head back down the trail.

 (As always, you can click on any of the images in this blog and it will enlarge the image for you)

After a semi-quick lunch at Vicco's Charcoal Burger Stand (which was good, but overpriced and you had to wait while they slaughtered the cow and grew the potatoes), we ended up at the Yampah Vapor Caves. I have to say that the caves are a wonderful way to spend your afternoon/evening. Its a natural sauna heated with the hotsprings water. We spent at least three and a half hours going from cave to solarium (so we could cool off), stretching our sore muscles after our long hike and just in general having a nice relaxing afternoon. We decided that since we spent so long in the Vapor Caves, we were going to put off going to the hot springs pools for another time since it was ridiculously crowded and pretty much just your standard pool, except that it is heated naturally.

Here's Dave at the Charcoal Burger Stand

Here's a pic from the Vapor Cave's website...

The next day we decided that since we were only an hour away from Aspen, and since visiting there is on my Colorado To-Do list, we would meander that way and have a nice lunch. Well, we drove there and tried to find somewhere to park and then somewhere to eat. Both of those things were pretty much impossible to do. Aspen is not really what I thought it would be. I thought that it would be a high class mountain town, similar to Steamboat Springs, but it was kind of like being in a Denver suburb, only in the mountains. We ended up skipping lunch and headed to the Maroon Bells, which we ended up turning around at because the road up was full of bikers and tour busses.

So we headed back to Glenwood, which was fine with me, and just relaxed for the rest of the afternoon before heading to dinner. I do wish that we had visited the Hunter S. Thompson Memorial, but we realized that we missed visiting that when we were almost back to our hotel and we didn't feel like turning back around.

Once we reached town, Dave wanted to see the house where their longtime friends of the family used to live. He spent quite a bit of time up in Glenwood when he was younger, but the friends have since sold their house and moved down to the metro-area.  He remembered how to get there and was flooded with childhood memories. These were people who knew Dave's parents before his mom went crazy and his dad, well, his dad has always been his dad...so ?

After that we went to a nice, romantic dinner on the river at a place called, aptly enough, Rivers. 

It was a nice end to our relaxing anniversary trip. There were other things we could have done while we were there, other sights to be seen, but in the end, we have been running at full tilt for the entire summer and we just wanted to rest and relax. Coming home was nice...and I maintain that there is seriously nothing better than climbing into your own bed after a few days at a hotel.

I'm so going to make these!

With all of the travelling and events we have coming up, I won't have time to really bake until the end of September. We DO have a post-wedding potluck that we will need to bring an item for...I just need to figure out if we are in the appetizer section or the dessert section...

Either way though, I'll be making these pillow cookies I saw over on the Bakerella website as soon as the house is cool enough to bake again.

They look delish and right up my alley! (Well, once the wedding festivities are over...I have to make sure that I fit in my bridesmaid dress and that Dave fits into his tux!)

Pillow Cookies

Have you ever had any pillow cookies? I’ve only had them once, but I was immediately smitten. I found them in the bakery section of the Fresh Market sometime last year. They were some sort of sugar cookie wrapped around a brownie center. I immediately went on the hunt for a similar recipe but didn’t have much luck until just a few weeks ago when I was rummaging through some of my aunt’s recipes.

And there it was. A torn out recipe for Chocolate Chip Brownie Pillows.



Not sugar cookies, but good enough. Better even. And when I read the how-to, it all made sense. I had been throwing around scenarios in my head trying to figure out how the brownie batter and cookie batter all came together to form such soft sugary cookies.

And… It’s easier than you think.



First… bake up some brownies. You can just use your favorite box mix if you like. Let them cool and cut about ten 1 inch squares. You won’t need the rest for the cookies. I’m sure you can find something to do with the leftovers.



Then you need some chocolate chip cookie dough (recipe below). The dough should be chilled for at least an hour before using.

Each cookie uses about 1/2 cup of dough. Yes, you read that right. One half cup. For each.

And yes, they are ginourmous!



All you do is place the dough on parchment paper and make a pretty big indention in the center. Place the small brownie in the middle and fold the dough around it to form a ball. Then bake. I know, I was a bit skeptical at first, too. But it worked perfectly.

Not convinced? Want to see it again.

Okay. here goes.



Place 1/2 cup of cookie dough batter on a parchment lined baking sheet.



Make indentions in the dough and place a 1 inch square brownie in the center of each.



Smoosh it a little, so the cookie dough surrounds the edges of the brownie.



Then work the dough around the top to cover the entire brownie and shape them into balls.

Place no more than 6 on a 15 x 20 inch baking sheet at a time because these guys are HUGE!

Bake and voila………




Giant pillow cookies. Now these are much, much, much larger than the ones I had from the Fresh Market. And actually, the process may not even be similar, but the result reminds me of them. I’m guessing these could go smaller if you like, just use a smaller brownie to start.
But I love how big the are.


Gigantic.

I guess you want to see the inside.
The magic.
The pillowy goodness.
Let’s face it – you just want to see the brownie.
I know. I know.
Okay, here ya go…


Oh my.


I’m in love.

Brownie Pillow Cookies
1 package brownie mix
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 oz. bag miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Make brownies according to package and let cool. Cut about ten 1 inch squares. Enjoy the remaining brownies. (I used a pan about 8 X 8)
For the chocolate chip cookie dough, beat butter with a mixer until creamy.
Add brown sugar and beat until smooth.

Add eggs, yolk and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl and stir together with a wire whisk.

Add flour to butter mixture and beat until combined. Stir in mini chips.
Let dough chill covered in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use a measuring cup to scoop batter by the 1/2 cup. Since it’s chilled, you may need to pack it with a spoon. Then use the spoon to remove the dough from the cup and place it on parchment paper. Work quickly so the dough remains chilled or either prepare one cookie at a time so the rest of the dough remains cold.

After the dough is on the parchment paper, make an indention and place a 1 inch square brownie in the center. Press the brownie down gently and work the remaining dough around the brownie. You can use your hands to shape the dough into a ball.

During this step, I found it easier to use a piece of parchment paper as a work surface since the dough can get sticky and then I used another piece of parchment paper for the baking sheet. If your dough gets too soft, you can chill the rolled dough balls for a few minutes right before baking.

Prepare six cookies at a time using a large baking sheet (15 X 20) and bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes. Return the remaining dough to the refrigerator until time to bake the second batch.

Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes about ten cookies using a little less than a 1/2 cup of dough for each cookie.

If your cookies start to get too brown before they are done baking, you can place a sheet of aluminum foil over top for the last few minutes.

Recipe adapted slightly from an ad for a Southern Living Cookbook… I think it’s in the Christmas with Southern Living 2009, but not sure.


Enjoy!
P.S. If there was ever a time to use the term “Brookies,” this would be a good one.

Coffee Grounds

I grew up composting just about everything we could. I didn't realize back then that we were being environmentally friendly, I just knew that it was what my parents wanted us to do, so we did it. We did quite a few other things back in the day that now are considered to be super "green". For me though, it was just a regular part of life and something that I try to incorporate into my adult life today.

For example: we hardly ever use paper towels...mostly kitchen rags that we wash with the rest of the laundry. There's always a clean, fresh supply so they aren't germy. We also use the "if its yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down" philosphy. We don't water our lawn either because a) Colorado is in a perpetual drought. I read a quote from an ecologist that says if your lawn can't stay green on its own, that means your environment can't sustain it, so don't water it. I truly take that to heart because b) water is expensive here!

We also compost....a lot.  We eat a lot of fruits and veggies as well as drink a lot of coffee, so composting seemed like a natural step for us. Since gardening is a bit tricky here, we don't really have a use for our compost, but I feel good that we are cutting down on the amount of trash we are sending out to the landful.

With that in mind, I saw this article on facebook earlier today and thought I would share, because as much as I like to compost, there is a lot of it at our house and finding other uses for those pesky coffee grinds seems like a good thing to do.  I especially like number 11 because I, unfortunately, inherited my dad's smelley feet. So here is a list of other ways you can reuse/repurpose your coffee grinds:

Oh, coffee! Many of us rely on you to start the day or help us push through that early afternoon slump, but what happens to those coffee grounds after we finish the pot?

When you toss coffee grounds into the trash, they break down and release methane, like any other organic matter would do. Methane is a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than CO2. Luckily, there are lots of ways to divert all of that coffee from the landfill by using it in beauty products, cleaning supplies, and even in the garden!

For many of these tips, moist ground will do (just let them cool, so you don’t burn your skin!). If you’re planning to hang on to the grounds, though, you have to dry them out or they’ll get moldy. Dry them out by spreading a thin layer on a cookie sheet and placing them in a sunny spot to dry. When they’re all dried out, they’re ready to re-use!

Ready to start repurposing those old coffee grounds? Here are 15 tips to get you going! If you have more ideas on how to reuse coffee grounds, I’d love to keep the inspiration going in the comments.

1. Use them as fertilizer on acid-loving plants (like tomatoes and carrots)
2. Deter cats from the garden by sprinkling around beds or pots.
3. 3Mix with mashed avocado for an invigorating face mask.
4. Scrub your hands with spent coffee grounds after chopping onion or garlic to get the smell off of your skin.
5. Compost them
6. Make an anti-cellulite scrub.
7. Keep them in the fridge or freezer instead of baking soda to eliminate odors.
8. Repel ants, snails, and slugs by sprinkling coffee grounds near the point of entry.
9. Steep the grounds in water, strain out the grounds, and you’ve got all natural brown fabric dye!
10. Scour away grease on your pots and pans.
11. Stick a sachet of dried coffee grounds into a smelly pair of shoes to get rid of the stink.
12. If you have dark hair, you can massage coffee grounds into your scalp to prevent dandruff. Blondes and red-heads, this is not for you, since the grounds can color your roots slightly!
13. Vermicomposters can feed coffee grounds to the worms. Just be careful, since grounds are acidic. Too much isn’t good for those wigglers.
14. Use coffee grounds to exfoliate your skin.
15. To give paper an “aged” look for craft projects, quickly dip pages, soak grounds in water overnight, then quickly dip your pages and let them dry before crafting.

Tip: Not a coffee drinker? Don’t fret! You can still get in on the coffee grounds goodness. Many coffee shops will give you their spent grounds for free or for a nominal fee that covers the cost of packing them up for you.

Tip: Some people say that you can dry out spent coffee grounds, mix them 50/50 with fresh grounds, and make coffee with them one more time!

15 Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds

• posted by Becky Striepe
• Aug 23, 2011 5:05 pm

Tattoo Removal - Stage 2

So it has been about two and a half weeks since my last tattoo removal session. I kept meaning to update you on the fading process, but time slipped away from me.

After my second laser treatment with Otto at What Were You Inking I had to figure out a new way of covering my tattoo. If you are wondering why, it is because I discovered after the last treatment that I am highly allergic to all forms of adhesive. No matter what type of medical tape I used alongside with the gauze, I would end up with horrible welts wherever the tape had been. Fabric tape, paper tape, tape for sensitive skin...didn't matter...I ended up with nasty welts that lingered.

Eventually I asked my Aunt if my Uncle (my Dad's brother, who incidentally, has weird medical issues like me...we even share the same passion for pepper on breakfast foods and the same back injury) has issues with adhesive. Not strangely enough, he has the same sensitivity, and after 25 years of marriage, she was able to give me some suggestions on regular household items that would cover the treated area without inflaming it.

The solution: plastic wrap on Neosporin

INGENIUS!!!

When I returned home from my second treatment with Otto, which only lasted about 10 minutes and kind of hurt a bit more than the last one...mostly because my skin was already sensitive to the laser...I threw on some Neosporin, plastic wrap and an ice pack.

The healing process with this session was quite short compared to the first time. I had a few more scabs, but they came off a lot faster than last time. The fading is quite remarkable. I wish that the pictures actually did the fading justice because I think that we will be rid of this tattoo in no time at all!

I go in for my next treatment in a few weeks. I could go in next Friday, but we are planning a camping trip, so I would rather put off my treatment until after that.

As usual, I'll keep you updated on my progress. It is liberating to know that the painful reminder of some very tough times will be leaving my body shortly. I'm amazed at the process and can't wait to see the final results. Also, I can't wait until my dermatologist sees the results as well...I think that she'll be astounded!

Just as a reminder, this is what my tattoo originally looked like.

Progress a week or two after my first treatment...

What my tattoo looked like immediately after my second treatment...my apologies for the photo quality...Dave was at work and I wanted to get a picture before I went to bed.

This is the progress 2.5 weeks after my second treatment.