I've been trying to be better at planning a weekly menu. I used to be pretty good at it, but now that's it's just the two of us, it's so easy to just say, "Hey, what sounds good for dinner tonight?" I'm grateful for a husband who loves to kick me out of the kitchen occasionally and work his magic. His meals are usually of the meat variety ;-) Tonight was no exception.
I have been having some problems sleeping for the last few weeks. I'm averaging 2 or 3 hours per night. Last night was a particularly rough night, so, when Kurt suggested we go to the mall at Tyson's Corner today, I reluctantly agreed. The mall was amazing! I can't wait to go back when I'm lucid!!! ;-)
Every time I drive past a certain house on Sudley Street in Manassas, VA, I am intrigued by the bicycle fence around the perimeter of the home. The homeowner has welded old bicycles together as a permanent curbside display - they are all painted white and redecorated with the change of seasons and major holidays. If I counted correctly, I believe there are 43 bikes!
Red umbrellas were the theme for the Christmas holiday. Luckily they were still there today so I could take some pictures.
I can't help but smile when I drive by and see this sight! It truly brightens my day.
Tonight we had the pleasure of feeding two of our local missionaries, Elder Scott, from Gooding, Idaho and Elder Hoffer, from Midvale, Utah. It is always an honor to have these young men in our home. We love the spirit they bring and while we fill their tummies, they fill our hearts with a desire to share the gospel with others.
I have been dying to make this pie ever since I first tasted it on Christmas Eve at the Olson's. Lia Lee brought it for dessert and I LOVED it! Thanks for sharing the recipe Lia! And thank you to my friend Cindy for the beautiful pie plate, a Christmas gift that I've been excited to use! Ingredients:
1 pastry crust for a 9 inch deep-dish pie (homemade or store-bought)
1/2 cup sugar
3 TBLS all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
6 cups thinly slice, peeled apples (golden delicious and fuji)
1 recipe crumb topping (see below)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup caramel topping
Ingredients for Crumb Topping:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup butter
Directions for Crumb Topping:
1. Stir together brown sugar, flour and rolled oats
2. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until topping is like course crumbs. Set aside.
DIRECTIONS FOR PIE:
1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.
2. Add apple slices and gently toss until coated.
3. Transfer apple mixture to the pie shell
4. Sprinkle crumb topping over apple mixture.
5. Place pie on a cookie sheet so the drippings don't drop into your oven.
6. Cover edges of pie with aluminum foil.
7. Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 25 minutes. Then remove foil and put back in for another 25 to 30 minutes without foil.
8. Remove from oven. Sprinkle pie with chopped pecans then drizzle with caramel on top.
9. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy warm or at room temperature.
10. Delicious when served with vanilla ice cream!
SERIOUSLY? 
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add onion and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring mixture occasionally. Remove turkey mixture from heat; stir in salsa.
3. Unroll dough; divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 6 x 4–inch rectangle. Working with one rectangle at a time, spoon about 1/2 cup turkey mixture on one side of dough. Top with 3 tablespoons cheese; fold dough over turkey mixture, and press edges together with a fork to seal. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and turkey mixture. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until browned. Serve with sour cream.
Black bean salad: Combine 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed and drained black beans, 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl; toss well to coat.
Our final day of filming started at L'Enfant Metro station and ended with a street chase around Thomas Circle. Here I am getting out of my police car after pulling Agent Rick over. When we weren't filming, I sat in the car with Officer Lee (a real police officer) who told me that this particular vehicle is a special ops car used for riots, protests and the Presidential Motorcade. Gotta say this ALMOST rates up there with driving a hearse!
Our location on day 3 was a side street near FAA Headquarters and across the street from The Smithsonian Institute Castle. The highlight of the day was getting to ride this T3. It was a little scary since I've never even driven a motorcycle. I had no idea how the hand controls worked and had a few close calls with people, the camera, and parked cars ;-) By the end of the day, I was peeling out and screeching to a stop when I pulled Secret Agent Rick over. Fun day!
Today we spent the day filming in Constitution Gardens. In this scene, I'm in hot pursuit of Agent Rick who isn't supposed to be riding his bike on this pedestrian trail. We were all a bunch of popsicles by the end of the day. Temperatures hovered around 27 degrees. BRRRRR!
Today was the first day of filming the FAA training DVD "Preventing Wrong Runway Departures." I play the role of an FAA police officer. Here I am assisting Secret Agent Rick in finding the Washington Monument. It took over 3 hours to film this one scene. I had no idea how many takes and different angles are involved in making a movie. Just to complicate things, just as we'd be in the middle of our dialogue, a plane would fly over, or an ambulance or bus would roar by! We had a fun time and sure had a lot of tourists wanting to see what we were up to.
With the help of a nice man at Michael's Arts and Crafts, I framed our New Years puzzle today. I've been looking for something to hang above the couch in our apartment and this fills the space nicely. It will remind me, every day, that I need to go back to New York!
Finished the book Dolly gave me for Christmas today. Written from the perspective of an eleven year old boy, it was all about family, faith, love, commitment, fear, humor...I loved every word of this story and was sad when I was finished. I highly recommend this book.
Today we received a package from Angie and family - our Christmas package. It was mailed from Utah on December 15th. We were sure it had been lost in the mail. I don't know if it's just me, but doesn't 1 month seem a little excessive? I do have to admit though, it sure was fun to open another Christmas present today! Thank you Angie, Greg and kids!
We had such a fun visit with Alax, Alyssa and Marlee. It was so much fun to see Tyler and Dolly, (Tyler's fiance). I loved spending time with a few friends and attending church in the Placerville Ward. It's always hard to leave again after these visits. We love our family and friends and look forward to our next trip to California!!
Morning glory is the best name,
Spent the day playing with my
Off to church in her Sunday best! Just can't get enough of this little sweetheart!
Who says there's no leg room on Southwest Airlines? We had a nice flight today. My favorite part of the day was when we were checking in at Washington Dulles. The ticketing agent burst into song:
A few weeks before Christmas, I saw an interview on ABC News with a man named John Kralik. He was having some difficulties in his life and was prompted to write a thank you note to someone every day for a year. His story inspired me. I started this challenge on January 1st. So far I am loving the challenge. My mind is racing with possibilities. I have SO much and so many people in my life to be grateful for. I picked up his book last night (Thank you Tyler for the Barnes and Noble gift card!) I just finished reading it. It was WONDERFUL! I highly recommend it. I have a feeling this is going to be so good for me!
This morning I took my camera with me on my morning walk. This area is so rich in history and I love exploring it. I hadn't noticed this old house before. It's about 2 blocks from our apartment. I was able to walk inside the gate and look in the windows. It's called The Conner House - and this is what the sign outside said: "Originally known as Blooms Grove, this antebellum house was built of locally quarried sandstone about 1820 and later expanded, the Conner House was used during the Civil War by the Confederacy and then by the United States. After the First Battle of Manassas on July 21, 1861, General Joseph E. Johnston, who with General P.G.T. Beauregard, had commanded the victorious Southern army, kept his quarters here until November. From here, Johnston secured his position at Manassas Junction and control of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, the tracks of which ran just east of the house. Johnston evacuated the area on March 8-9, 1862 to defend Richmond. In August 1862, The Conner House changed sides when Col. Lewis B. Pierce, 12th Pennsylvania Calvary, used it for his headquarters and a hospital. On the night of August 26, Pierce lay ill here as Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Confederate force approached from the southwest. Having captured Bristoe Station on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad line, Jackson ordered a rare night attack on the great Union supply depot at Manassas Junction. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble led the assault, brushing aside the Pennsylvanians when they opposed him in front of the house, and captured the depot easily. Within a few days, the Second Battle of Manassas raged nearby."
Kurt's been fighting a nasty cold for over a week, so I thought I'd make him some soup for dinner. I didn't want the usual chicken noodle soup, so I
These are the DREADmills in the fitness center at our apartment complex. I know them well. I love them. I hate them. I would MUCH rather be outside running, but it's cold out there! I'm trying to get myself back in shape for a marathon in November. The last time I attempted this, I ended up with a stress fracture in my right leg. I'm opting for a more forgiving surface to run on for a couple of months, then I'll slowly make the transition to outside running in the Spring. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it!
This photo was taken at 8:45 am this morning! What's so exciting about that you ask? Well, it means that church starts at 9:00 am and WE ARE HOME BY LUNCH TIME!!! I love the early church schedule! I can't say it's always been my favorite, especially when I had young children, but now that I'm only responsible for getting myself ready for church, it ROCKS!!! Now, if they only had an 8:00 am start time, life would be perfect! ;-)
Today was a COMPLETELY relaxing day. We went for a 2 hour walk this morning through a beautiful golf course with winding trails, streams and bridges, came back and took a nap (heaven), and then I put together my annual New Years Day puzzle. I was so excited to find this puzzle of Times Square (one of my new favorite places!) It has 765 pieces and is 3 feet wide. I like it so much I think I may have it matted and framed. I think it would look nice in our little living room above the couch.
