Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for...
1.  a good doctors visit
2. time at Target looking at all the nice fall items
3. finishing the last Harry Potter book - although it always makes me sad finishing a book. I am eager when I start it but when I finish I am sad. I am still thankful for have the opportunity to read all 6 books as they were exceptional.
4. frozen yogurt
5. Alka Seltzer cold and cough - I wouldn't have any sleep without it

Source: nefon.tumblr.com via Chrissy on Pinterest

Hopeful

Well I am hopeful....it was a good visit with my new doctor. He came in with notes he hand wrote out.  And then he really was thoughtful of what to do - really thinking for a solution. He is much different then my previous doctor but he was nice. Going on some new meds and will be seeing him in a week as he feels a couple of the meds should be kicking in by then and making me feel better.  

So I am just feeling hopeful that things will get better.

Adele again

I am not sure I have found a song of hers that I don't like and don't play over and over. This one I played quite a bit last month.

Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for...
1. that I knew the Dad of my best friend from junior high school.  He always made me laugh. I have some very good memories and I am very thankful for them.  I am keeping my friend and her family in my thoughts as her Dad passed away this week.
2. adorable photos that my niece sent us (well her Mom and Dad sent us but it said it was from her)
3. getting some rooms cleaned this week even though it takes so much out of me. I am still recovering.
4. out of the blue email from a good friend who now lives closer to us so we hope to go visit soon
5. the nebulizer I was loaned from the clinic.  I am so thankful that I have had it around as I have needed it.

Cheeseburger Flatbread

I found this recipe on Kevin and Amanda. I did change a few things. 

Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts

1 lb ground turkey browned and drained (ground beef can be used also)
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tbsp mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
11 oz pizza dough 
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown and drain ground meat. Add water, vinegar, onion soup mix, ketchup, mustard and garlic. Stir to combine and simmer over low heat. 

Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Divide the pizza dough into six to eight equal portions and press the pieces out to make them a little bit bigger. Fry the dough for one minute on each side or until golden brown and bubbly. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Top with beef mixture and shredded cheese.

Makes 6 to 8 flatbread melts. 

NOTES:

* I left out the apple cider the last time I made it and it really didn't change the taste much. 

* I increased the ketchup because I didn't feel it was covering the meat enough when I stirred it in.  But you could try it with the 1/4 cup first and then see if you need a little more. 

* Amanda's recipe uses the thin crust pizza dough but I tried it and then regular but really didn't find much difference except maybe got a little bit bigger pieces of flatbread out of the regular pizza dough. 

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Turning Tables

I love Adele.  I listen to her quite bit on Pandora.

Gratitude Friday

Today I am thankful for...
1. being able to see Michael do his presentation - He rocked!
2. an evening out with friends
3. a great view from our hotel room in Denver
4. unplugging for the evening and just relaxing
5. time spent with Michael

Today

The Verve

Sick of Being Sick

We were suppose to go celebrate Michael's sister-in-law's birthday yesterday with a surprise party for her but I was up all night with asthma problems. Michael didn't sleep well either so being on the road and driving wasn't a great option for us.  We were feeling so bad about missing it.  It is a milestone birthday and we also missed something else not too long ago that was important to her....so we just wanted to make sure we were there so she knew we loved her.

We were going to do what we call a turn and burn - drive 4 hours to Denver  to the party. Stay at the party for a few hours and then drive all the way back to Grand Junction the same day. It takes a lot out of us and since we had just got home the week before we still aren't really up to speed yet. And we are going to be in Denver again next week it is hard to all this traveling so I guess it was our bodies saying no.

My asthma is still giving me problems. I have an appointment at the end of the month - and it will be someone new I am seeing since my doctor moved in August.

I am just feeling a little frustrated and down because it feels like I am falling behind on everything because I can't breath. I don't have the energy for anything. I am out of spoons. Basically I am sick of being sick.  So I really hope that things go at the end of the month with the new doctor.

Ten Years Later

We watched one of the specials on 9/11 tonight on TV and it was really hard to watch. I cried throughout. I feel so much for those firefighters who have developed cancer.  Again this is one of those things that angers me because we aren't helping them with their medical bills.  A bill passed that didn't cover cancer...that makes no sense to me.  My heart goes out to the rescue workers and their families.

Double Crunch Pie

There are times when recipes don't really turn out how the recipe is stated.  For me it often happens with those recipe club cards that you get in the mail.  I have some from collections from friends and then just sample cards in the mail.

This recipe was one of those...Double Crunch Pie...I had to modify it to make it work. Find the original recipe here.

• 1 (3.8-ounce) package instant chocolate pie filling
• 8 ounces whipped topping
• 1 (6-ounce) prepared chocolate crumb pie crust
• 7 chocolate creme sandwich cookies, crushed into chunks
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips

.

Directions

• Prepare pie filling in a large bowl according to package directions.
• Fold whipped topping into pie filling; stir until well blended.
• Spread pie filling mixture evenly in pie crust. Chill in freezer until slightly set, about 10 minutes.
• Combine cookie chunks, chocolate chips and peanut butter chips in a small bowl. Sprinkle over pie filling. 
• Freeze until 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

NOTES:

The original had 15 crushed cookies on top and that would have been mounds and mounds of cookies that wouldn't have fit on the pie. It wouldn't set up and if you see in the picture on the original link the texture of the pie is the same as mine so I believe that it is frozen and not just refrigerated. 

The pie was good. It wasn't spectacular but it tasted good and was easy to make for a quick dessert. 

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Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for...
1. getting a chance to go to Ikea in Denver
2. Michael's parents taking care of our kitty cats while we were out of town
3. the kitty cats - we missed them while gone
4. being home
5. the great photos Michael took of our trip

photo by Michael of The Grand Tetons at dusk with moon

Decorating Eye Candy

Some decorating eye candy from Pinterest....

Source: None via Darby on Pinterest

Source: younghouselove.com via Darby on Pinterest

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Darby on Pinterest

Source: younghouselove.com via Darby on Pinterest

OkGo & The Muppets

YES!

Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for...

1. meeting Jeff and Kathie - and having such a lovely dinner with them
2. seeing beautiful double rainbows
3. the beautiful Flathead Lake in Montana
4. seeing Yellowstone....Old Faithful
5. just having this time with Michael...I love traveling with him

photo by Michael of Old Faithful

HGTV 24/7

Michael is working all day here in Montana. He brings the laptop and iPad with him so I don't have access to the internet during the day. We should have brought the MacBook so I could have had it during the day - yes we are geeks with too many computers.  I don't watch tv at home but being stuck in a hotel room all day - I am watching tv - HGTV to be precise.  Michael leaves in the morning with HGTV on and comes back in the evening with HGTV still going. He can't understand how I can watch so much decorating/house shows.  I have broken it up with some Food Network. :)

Source: hgtv.com via Darby on Pinterest

I really liked The Antonio Treatment. He did this kitchen above - the back splash is metal made to look like it was cut from old rusted signs into long planks/tiles.  I want to have that in our kitchen as our back splash.

Watching this much HGTV has given me lots of ideas and inspiration.

Dinner with Friends

Tonight Michael and I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Jeff & Kathie from Two Frog Home.  I have known Kathie for many years online. We have exchanged emails, snail mail, and gifts.  She has been an inspiration to me and been on that mental list of someone I wanted to meet - someday. So when Michael said he was going to Montana for business and I could come - I checked the map right away. As soon as I told her we were coming  and where we would be -  she invited us to have dinner with them at their home.

Such a lovely home. We sat on their porch and ate a delicious dinner.  Kathie has a big garden and many of the things we enjoyed at dinner were from her garden.  Dessert was a cherry tart that was outstanding that every time I think about it - my mouth waters. On top of all that and  the lovely evening of conversation and laughter - Kathie sent us home with a big basket of goodies.  Her canned Vanilla pear butter, Balsamic Berry Jam, hand knitted dish cloth, cookies, massage oil she made, stickers and jelly beans. It was so thoughtful.

I was so nervous when I would call to talk to her to set up the dinner but then the night before dinner I realized something that made most of my nervousness go away. I knew without a doubt Kathie was someone who would accept me for me. And that made me feel free to just be and that is rare. I know in this world we are just suppose to be ourselves but I don't feel often people can be truly open and free around people. We all have masks we have to wear to get through the day and I knew I wouldn't have to do that with Kathie. And the evening was exactly that way - I could relax and just be.  Jeff and Kathie made us feel right at home and comfortable.  Kathie is such a lovely person and it made me wish we lived close together as I just had such a nice time being with her.

Michael will probably have to go back a couple more time and one of those times I will probably get to go with him.  I look forward to the next time we can all get together.

*photo by Michael - was taken on our way into the area on Saturday. That is Flathead Lake which was so beautiful. It took us almost an hour to get around just one side of the lake.

You Could Be Happy

I hope you are happy.

Rainbows

We are in Montana.  It was a long drive here but so pretty.

In Utah, we saw a double rainbow. Those were the most gorgeous rainbows I have ever seen. One of them you could see the whole thing from one end to the other. It was incredible. I am not sure I have ever seen a full rainbow before.

Here are some picture Michael caught of them. You will see in the second picture the faint double rainbow. If you click on the photo, it will take you to a bigger view of it.

photos by Michael McGruder - taken August 27, 2011