What I'm Thankful For (2009 Version)

In no particular order...

- My husband. We've been on an amazing roller coaster ride this year and there's no one I'd rather have crammed in the seat next to me.

- Toby, my wingman. He reminds me daily to stop and enjoy the little things in life.

- My parents. They're amazing. Period.

- My sister. She's a dork.

- My brother. He's an even bigger dork.

- My trusty camera

- Simply Orange pulp-free orange juice (with mango!)

- Good health

- Our Dyson vacuum. I never thought I'd enjoy looking at all the crap a vacuum sucks up, but you just can't help it.

- Spanx

- My job and all the wacky characters I get to see every day.

- Adobe Lightroom

- The Animal Rescue League of Iowa - Every pet deserves a loving home, and rescue animals have a special place in my heart.

- The adventure that lies ahead of us, and the fact that we're able to experience it at all.

- Friends and family who love and care about us.

- And finally, I'll be really thankful when Thanksgiving is over and I haven't poisoned anyone.

I just love when I'm productive.

This chair belonged to my husband's late grandfather, who got it from his mother. It's about 85 years old. When we got it, it had a lovely golden orange velour seat cushion. It was so lovely, that I felt it was just too nice for our house. ;) So I bought some funky fabric and have been waiting for time to finish the cushion. I finally found that time today, and I'm in LOVE with how it turned out.

Toby loves it, too. Really.

Support the Paws... er, Cause!

Every year, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa puts out a calendar as a fundraiser. I stopped by the Main Office last week and picked up a copy of their 2010 version. Ain't it cute?


Wait a sec.

Why... who is that I see on the March page?

Well it's our boy! He's a regular pin-up hound!

If you're interested in your very own calendar, featuring other four-legged friends, you can get them for $5 at the Animal Rescue League, or by going to their website: Arl-Iowa.org

It's for a great cause! Support your local animal shelter.

Dress(ing) Rehearsal

This year, I'll be hosting my first Thanksgiving. It'll be interesting since I've never made a turkey before. So in an effort to keep from poisoning our families, I'm doing some trial runs.

First up is my favorite: Stuffing.

Everyone's made the kind that comes in a box, but I want to make it from scratch.

Take a loaf of crusty French bread and cut it into 1" chunks. I also made a loaf of cornbread and did the same with that. Either set the cubes out to dry for a day, or place in a 300-degree oven for about 30 minutes to really dry them up.

When they're crusty and cooled, place them together in a large bowl.

Then chop up a few celery stalks and an onion (I used half of a medium onion.)

Melt one stick of butter in a large pan.

When it's melted, add the celery and onion and cook until the onion is translucent.

Then add four cups of chicken stock.

Bring the mixture to a boil.

While that's happening, get your spices ready. Get 1/2 teaspoon each of rosemary, basil, thyme, and sage. I used a good chunk of fresh parsley, too.

Add them to your boiling mixture, then spoon ladels of it over the bowl of bread. Taste & season as you go. I didn't use all the mixture - probably only half of it. I didn't want my bread too soggy.

Of course the resident hound is never too far when there's food cooking.

Place the mixture in a greased baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until it's browned.

While it's baking, it's probably a good idea to tackle your dishes.

Here's the finished product. Mmmmmmm does it ever smell good.

And it tastes divine. Way better than anything out of a box.

I'd say my first foray into Thanksgiving fare was a success. Can't wait to make it again!

Autumn...

This is my favorite time of year.


I drive past this hill every day, and after a couple weeks of getting closer and closer, it's finally peaking.

DONE.

I'll let these speak for themselves.

Little Sis, continued.

We're finishing up her senior portraits this weekend. We're off to a GREAT start!