Happy Father's Day!!!
The 3 Cuties!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
AZ Girl's Night Out
I am SOOOO SOOOO SOOOOOOOOOO excited.
I don't know quite how I am going.
But...luckily I have a friend named Julie that is NOT a procrastinator.
(nope, not like me)
She was able to get me a ticket the minute they went on sale.
They sold out in like 20 minutes.
They only sold a handful.
So, what is GNO?
Well, tomorrow evening I will have the privilege
to be in the company of AZ's best crafters.
I pretty sure I'm the least crafty person going.
I wish I was as crafty.
I think I am...I just don't act on it.
And, I definitely don't blog about my crafts.
Well...not enough anyway.
I should.
But, I can barely blog as it is.
I'm pretty much all talk.
These girls are stinkin' amazing.
A-MAZING.
I can't wait.
So - who will be there?
Kim, Andrea, Toni, & Molly from The Tom Kat Studio
Laura from Laura Winslow Photography
Michelle from Maddy Cakes Muse
Kristyn from Lil' Luna
And lots more crafty gals.
Oh...and me.
Well, me and Julie.
We probably have our own table for the wanna be crafters.
Just kidding.
I feel like I'll be in the presence of celebrities.
That's how excited I am.
Yay me!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Vodka Sauce and Brio
I love Brio. It's probably my favorite restaurant.
But, not for kids.
You might take yours.
But, I don't.
It's a date-night type of restaurant, only.
At least in my books.
I love, love, love their Pasta Alla Vodka.
It's serious delicious.
Handmade ricotta filled pasta.
They look like tiny purses.
The sauce....um, YUUUUUUUUM!
I mean, like really yum.
Not to mention their Bistecca Insalata.
My favorite wedge salad. EVER!
Not very many restaurants have a good vodka sauce.
Well, at least that I've found.
I did find a recipe for one that sounded promising.
I adjusted it a bit to fit what I wanted.
And...it was absolutely delicious.
Please try it.
I beg you.
And then you, too, will be stuffed and will be forced to
veg on the couch for the rest of the night.
Just like us.
Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked penne pasta (or any type of pasta that you wish)
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil + 1 tsp. for the chicken
4 cloves of garlic, minced + 1 clove of garlic, minced for the chicken
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 to 3 tablespoons of vodka
1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
6 slices of bacon
2 large chicken breasts cubed
Directions:
1. Boil pasta according to box directions.
2. In a large skillet, cook 6 slices of bacon until crisp. Take out of skillet and chop or crumble into small pieces. Spoon out most of the bacon grease from the skillet.
3. On medium heat in the same skillet, place crumbled bacon back into skillet with about 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until garlic is a golden brown.
4. Add the vodka to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes.
5. Raise the heat to medicum high. Add the tomatoes and salt and bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. While the sauce is simmering, in another skillet add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the cubed chicken and 1 clove of minced garlic. Cook on medium heat until no longer pink.
7. Once sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, add heavy cream. Bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes.
8. Add chicken to sauce. Season sauce to taste with pepper. (I added about 1/4 teaspoon of pepper)
8. Stir in parsley and serve with penne noodles. (Or, you can forget about the chopped parsley that you have sitting in the ramekin waiting to be added like I did)
Um....delish!
So I don't have a picture...but, this one from All Recipes (the inspiration to my recipe) is good enough. However....my sauce was a little pinker because I added more cream. And...our dish looked way tastier.
Just sayin'...
Oh...one more thing - if I can make this - everyone can.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Nanny & Poppy
In my family - the kids call my parents Nanny and Poppy. That is what I called my maternal grandparents and that is what my kids now call their maternal grandparents.
Awhile back (bad blogger me) we took some quick photos is their backyard. It is pretty hard to get all 6 of their grandkids (soon to be seven, yay Ashley!!) and a dog to sit still and smile. Here are my favorites.
Awhile back (bad blogger me) we took some quick photos is their backyard. It is pretty hard to get all 6 of their grandkids (soon to be seven, yay Ashley!!) and a dog to sit still and smile. Here are my favorites.
I love the one above because of Aidyn's face. She is so dang cute and her facial expression is so awesome!
This one includes the "granddoggy" Yogi. Or, as Brady would say - Yogi Bear Trouble Majercin.
This one of Cori and Aidyn is so perfect!
Here's one of my cute 'rents. Aren't they so adorable??!!! I love them!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Durango Adventures in the Odyssey
Today was a nice, lazy, relaxing day. Well, sort of. We (Brady, Hayden, Charlie, and Me) woke up darn early at 6:30am-ish. The sun was out and the windows were letting in lots of light. Justin got up and started breakfast burritos. The kids dressed to go fishing and then our power went out. April, Charlie and I decided to load up the van and head out to downtown Durando to window shop. While driving...we decided to instead make the 40 mile drive to Telluride.
We used our older (and not updated) GPS for directions. We didn't have an address - so we just found something in Telluride and hit GO! The GPS began directing us to Telluride. (Mistake #1)
We noticed that it was about 40 miles per the GPS...but would take about 1.5 hours. We thought the GPS was just wrong on the time. (Mistake #2)
We drove for about 20 miles and were instructed to make a left on Hermosa Park road. The road wasn't there - there was construction and so we passed by the road. The GPS "recalculated." We ended up turning into Purgatory Ski Resort about .1 miles away. (Mistake #3)
The GPS kept telling us to turn left within the ski resort. We didn't. We somehow ran into Hermosa Park road about 1 minute later. The GPS "recalculated" and told us to continue for 18 miles. (Mistake #4)
April checks her phone GPS - the directions are a little different...but, seem to take us the same way. (Mistake #5)
It was a gravel road up the mountain. We felt a little safe since another car was driving up right in front of us. (Mistake #6)
About 2 miles up the road - the other car pulls off to take pictures. We continue. (Mistake #7)
We wind round and round on the almost 1 lane road. About 3 miles in we pass a Trout Stream. We see people and cars. We feel safe. (Mistake #8)
A truck with a trailer drives at us the opposite direction. We feel safe. Others are driving on the road. (Mistake #9)
I hear a noise that sounds like I'm dragging something. I stop. I get out. I look. Yep. Dragging a stick. I remove the stick. I laugh at how dirty the van has become on the dirt road. April gets out and takes a picture. We continue. (Mistake #10)
We continue winding down the mountain. We see water running off the road on the left and I casually say, "Gosh I hope the water doesn't get any higher. What if it crossed over the road?" We laugh. (Mistake #11)
We say - No...there would be a road closed sign. (Mistake #12)
About .5 mile up....the road is covered in water. Oops. I guess we jinxed ourselves. We drive closer to see if we can turn around before the water. Nope. I almost have an anxiety attack. April stays calm. We laugh. We decide to reverse slowly. April remembers (thank goodness) a green grass area that should be big enough to turn around in. So...I SLOWLY back up. Very slowly. It's a little curvy and I don't want to get too close to the edge and the water. Of course there are some big rocks on the other side that I must avoid. I back up for about 100 yards. We find the grassy area. I'm afraid it may be too soft and I don't want to get stuck...so I get out to test it out. Thank goodness the grassy area is hard as a rock. We put a quick game plan on how to turn around...and I do it. No issues. Thank goodness! We have now turned around and begin our 15 mile trek back up and down the mountain, laughing the entire way. Mine was kind of a relieved laugh into a hysterical laugh. Whew. First stop...$5 car wash. No drying needed - we just needed to get the mud/dirt/dust off the van. Next stop...downtown Durango to shop.
I just MapQuested the directions. The Shortest Time takes us a different way...pretty much AROUND the mountain. Highway driving the whole time. I select Shortest Distance. The GPS directions appear. And...in BIG RED WARNINGS on the Hermosa Park Road step - there is a warning that says, "Road Closed Seasonally: Oct 1 - June 30."
Oops. the GPS didn't give us that warning.
We used our older (and not updated) GPS for directions. We didn't have an address - so we just found something in Telluride and hit GO! The GPS began directing us to Telluride. (Mistake #1)
We noticed that it was about 40 miles per the GPS...but would take about 1.5 hours. We thought the GPS was just wrong on the time. (Mistake #2)
We drove for about 20 miles and were instructed to make a left on Hermosa Park road. The road wasn't there - there was construction and so we passed by the road. The GPS "recalculated." We ended up turning into Purgatory Ski Resort about .1 miles away. (Mistake #3)
The GPS kept telling us to turn left within the ski resort. We didn't. We somehow ran into Hermosa Park road about 1 minute later. The GPS "recalculated" and told us to continue for 18 miles. (Mistake #4)
April checks her phone GPS - the directions are a little different...but, seem to take us the same way. (Mistake #5)
It was a gravel road up the mountain. We felt a little safe since another car was driving up right in front of us. (Mistake #6)
About 2 miles up the road - the other car pulls off to take pictures. We continue. (Mistake #7)
We wind round and round on the almost 1 lane road. About 3 miles in we pass a Trout Stream. We see people and cars. We feel safe. (Mistake #8)
A truck with a trailer drives at us the opposite direction. We feel safe. Others are driving on the road. (Mistake #9)
I hear a noise that sounds like I'm dragging something. I stop. I get out. I look. Yep. Dragging a stick. I remove the stick. I laugh at how dirty the van has become on the dirt road. April gets out and takes a picture. We continue. (Mistake #10)
We continue winding down the mountain. We see water running off the road on the left and I casually say, "Gosh I hope the water doesn't get any higher. What if it crossed over the road?" We laugh. (Mistake #11)
We say - No...there would be a road closed sign. (Mistake #12)
About .5 mile up....the road is covered in water. Oops. I guess we jinxed ourselves. We drive closer to see if we can turn around before the water. Nope. I almost have an anxiety attack. April stays calm. We laugh. We decide to reverse slowly. April remembers (thank goodness) a green grass area that should be big enough to turn around in. So...I SLOWLY back up. Very slowly. It's a little curvy and I don't want to get too close to the edge and the water. Of course there are some big rocks on the other side that I must avoid. I back up for about 100 yards. We find the grassy area. I'm afraid it may be too soft and I don't want to get stuck...so I get out to test it out. Thank goodness the grassy area is hard as a rock. We put a quick game plan on how to turn around...and I do it. No issues. Thank goodness! We have now turned around and begin our 15 mile trek back up and down the mountain, laughing the entire way. Mine was kind of a relieved laugh into a hysterical laugh. Whew. First stop...$5 car wash. No drying needed - we just needed to get the mud/dirt/dust off the van. Next stop...downtown Durango to shop.
I just MapQuested the directions. The Shortest Time takes us a different way...pretty much AROUND the mountain. Highway driving the whole time. I select Shortest Distance. The GPS directions appear. And...in BIG RED WARNINGS on the Hermosa Park Road step - there is a warning that says, "Road Closed Seasonally: Oct 1 - June 30."
Oops. the GPS didn't give us that warning.
 |
| Our view and our gravel road. |
 |
| My dirty van. |
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
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