Running with Gratitude (part 4)

Friends are great!  Some of the best friends I have made through the years are the people I have worked with.  Mason is one of my favorite people.  She is funny, thoughtful, a great cook, and one of the best moms I have ever met (and grandma too)!

Since we no longer work together, we have to find other occasions to catch up.  Our favorite one is pedicures!  Nothing better than having someone make your toes look beautiful!  We have our favorite place for our toes, and we always get seats together.

So, in addition to begin thankful for good looking toes, I'm thankful for my wonderful friend Mason!  Love ya!

Running with Gratitude (part 3)

I'm going to use every last moment of November to be grateful.  To me, the Christmas season doesn't officially begin til December 1st.

I'm very grateful to my dear cousin over at Sweet Bee Cottage.  She is not only a great cousin, she's also a really great friend!  Our Baby Girls are very close in age, and always enjoy their time together, (even though it takes a little time to warm up, and I must remember - no sesame seeds).   Sweet Bee and I share an awful lot in common...we both teach, we both love crafts, we both have outstanding personalities (smile), but what I'm most grateful for (or what I blame her for) is my addiction to both blogging and coffee.  Because of her, I own my own Starbucks espresso maker - which actually has saved me a heck of a lot of money - thank you!  And, because of her, I have a blog - sporadically attended to, but I'm always trying!!

So, dear cousin and friend, I'm thankful for your presence in my life, since birth - wow, can't say that about too many people I know!


We now have something else in common...can you guess?  Yeah, its the iPad!  Thanks cousin!

Running with Gratitude (part 2)...

I am blessed with a wonderful family.  My mother, although she drives me crazy at times, is the best mother, who would honestly do anything for her family.  My dad...he can build anything...and has done some wonderful gifts for my children and me (note to self:  blog about the woodwork Dad has done).  My sister, 100% loyal to her family, and the best aunt my kids could ask for.  For all of my family I am extremely thankful.

On a side note... I made a pie for Thanksgiving.  I'm not a pie baker - mostly I hate rolling out dough for crust - but I tried this recipe for a Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie from Fine Cooking magazine.  Seriously, how can you go wrong with these ingredients?

I used the food processor that my mother "stores" at my house.  I hate cleaning all the attachments, but WOW, it makes the dough so easy to prepare!  So, here's how it turned out...yum!!!

Fine Cooking also had recipes for a Maple Bacon Pecan Pie...hmm...sounds like a dessert for the Wine Gurus!


Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you had a very blessed Thanksgiving!!

Running with Gratitude!

I read an article today that said gratitude is healthy for you.  Grateful people feel more alert, alive, interested, and enthusiastic.  They also feel more connected to others.  Apparently, being grateful can actually influence your health in a positive way!  Nice... 

So in this week of Thanksgiving I'm working on reconnecting with some people that I've been "too busy" to see.  (Sad...)  I'm grateful for so many people in my life, and for the grace of God who placed each of these wonderful people in my path.

I'm thankful for my wonderful friend Rosie.  Rosie has been a friend for over 14 years.  Her daughter was in my 1st grade class and Rosie eventually ended up being our daycare provider for both my son and daughter.  We've stayed close through the years.  Rosie is truly a daughter of God.  She speaks to God...calls him Dad when she talks to him and about him.  I love that. Rosie is so spiritual and truthful about her beliefs.

Whenever we meet up, the conversation begins with kids, husbands, future plans, and finally moves to God's place in our lives.  Rosie keeps me real...she doesn't sugar coat anything, and I always come away from our times together feeling just so...grateful!  I love you Rosie!  Thank you for being my very special friend!

Running on Shoesday!

It's Tuesday Shoesday!  Look at these gorgeous stunners!!  Sometimes you find some "drop-dead" fabulous shoes but...you must ask yourself...What the heck are you going to wear them with?  When are you going to wear them?  I haven't quite answered these questions yet...it's enough to just put them on and dream...

 Enjoy your Tuesday!

Drop in with the Shoe Obsessed One and see what kind of "stunners" she has today!

Thanks for dropping by!

Running with deliciousness...

I love fall!  My favorite fall things?  Cooler days and evenings, beautiful fall colors, and warm soups and stews.  We made this delicious soup last week.  It's Posole - not the traditional recipe, but still very yummy!

My mother in law is a wonderful cook.  She's the kind of cook that just knows how much of every ingredient to include.  She makes the most wonderful Spanish rice and her most requested dish is Tacos Margarita!  Yum!


When we told her about this soup she wanted the recipe, so...here it is!

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 6-ounce cans whole green chiles, drained
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 4 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 15-ounce cans hominy, drained
• Sliced avocado and radishes and/or baked corn chips, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and salt and pepper to taste; set aside.  Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a blender, then add the chiles, cilantro and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme and puree until smooth. 

Return to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens and turns deep green, about 5 minutes.
Add the broth, hominy and chicken to the saucepan. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 10 minutes. Garnish with avocado, radishes and/or corn chips, if desired.

This soup actually tastes better a couple days after you make it - all the flavors meld together!  

If you love soup, you need to check out Sweet Bee Cottage (this is a shameless plug for my cousin).  Over at the Cottage they have made some fabulous soups - made my  mouth water just reading about it!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Tell me, are you making anything delicious for the cold weather?