Grandma

 

 

February 1919 - October 2013

 

 

My dear grandma passed away exactly one week ago. It seems so weird not to have my grandma here with me in person. After all, she has always been in my life and it is a new experience not having her there. I treasure the time I had with her, and was very fortunate to have a grandma who was a major influence in my life. I know she struggled on earth these last few years and I am grateful she can now be at peace and can be re-united with, Jean, her daughter whom she has missed for 49 long years. I am grateful for the things I have learned from her and will continue to live my life so that her light can shine through me. I will miss you grandma, but I know we will see you again!

Chili Verde

I love chili verde, but have never made it. I usually just order it when I go out for Mexican food, but being that Utah is slim pickins' when it comes to ethnic dining, I am always looking for ways to make my favorite dishes at home. And, thanks to pinterest and my friend Marilyn, whose lovely garden supplied me with some anaheim peppers, a yummy chili verde meal was had by all. Here is what it looked like while cooking:

Most recipes don't use the crock pot, but since I got a crock pot for Christmas last year, I decided to alter the recipe just a bit. Besides, there is something divine about setting the crockpot, letting it cook while I'm gone, and then coming home and not having to prepare anything. In addition to altering the cooking method, I also altered the recipe a little bit and I think it tasted delightful! So, here is the recipe I used:

2lbs Pork (Chopped into chucks)

Chicken Broth (I used a whole carton which is 32oz I think)

2 Sml Cans of Chilies (diced)

1 Anaheim Pepper

1-2 Jalapenos (depending on how hot you want it)

1/2 Onion

4-5 Garlic Cloves (Or, I cheated and just used a couple spoonfuls of diced garlic)

1 Tsp of Olive Oil

1-2 Tblsp of Cumin

1-2 Tblsp Garlic Salt

1 Tsp of Salt

Black Pepper to taste

Throw all this in the crockpot and let cook on high for about 6-8 hrs. You may need to thicken it up with some cornstarch mixed with water. We transferred it to a large pot and let some of the liquid boil off and then added the cornstarch mix. Once it is thick to your liking, eat up and enjoy with some cheese, salsa, sour cream, tortillas, and/or chips. Delicious! 

A Little Bit of Halloween

I have always had a very high love for Halloween. I am not really sure where this stems from, but it goes hand in hand with my love of scary movies. I guess it has something to do with the thrill. Or maybe it is the array of adorable decorations that the stores so successfully display to entice me to buy. It also could be that this time of year is my favorite. I love the smells, colors, and the weather. Yes, I am one of those crazy people that enjoys cold and snow. I love my scarves, boots, sweaters, and gloves.

So, in order to really get in the Halloween spirit, I spent the weekend getting my home decorated. I even have some fun orange lights on either side of my garage which are pretty dang awesome if I do say so myself! 

This year is super fun for me because it it my first year being put up my own decorations in my first house. I was out on my own last year, but had just closed on my house right at Halloween and couldn't put anything up. Yay for Halloween! Now if I could just decide what to dress up as.

5k...No Biggie!

So I have run my very first 5k. I was a little apprehensive about it as I am not a runner and have really not been doing so good at training for my half. However, upon completing my run I must admit that I really enjoyed it. That is a huge accomplishment for me. Those that know me know I am not at all into running....like not at all. I finished in just under 40 min and felt great! It actually makes me a little more excited for my half coming up next month. I must get outside though and train my lungs to like the cold air. That was the only thing that kept me from running the whole thing. Anyway, here is before...

during....

and after....

Probably helped that this run was a fun run...it was a lot of fun getting blasted with color as we ran. I am definitely ready to do more runs and am excited to participate in my first half...I shall let you know how that goes!