Thursday, November 24, 2011

A Turkey Tale

In November 2008, JPug and I were living in Gainesville, FL for JPug’s temporary work assignment…building a self-sustaining power plant for the University of Florida’s Shands Hospital.  Being budget and vacation-conscious, we decided to stay in Gainesville for Thanksgiving and make our way back to the Midwest for Christmas.  My mom and her other half, Joe, joined us for the holiday.

Rather than cook a grand Thanksgiving meal for four, we had been invited by a co-worker of JPug’s, Jimbo, to spend Thanksgiving with him, his wife Linda and their family.  Potentially our one chance in life to enjoy traditional southern Thanksgiving…YES PLEASE!  They were taking care of all the food and we were in charge of dessert.  I scoured my stash of cooking magazines and came up with a Caramel, Chocolate Pecan Pie…sounds delicious, right?  

One of my (few) downfalls is that I’m HORRIBLE at reading recipes in advance.  I get through the ingredients, maybe step 1 and lose interest from there.  This M.O. has lead to a lot of waiting for the oven to preheat and scrambling at the last minute but things usually turn out OK.  Mom and I started making our pie Thanksgiving morning and the process was no good from the start.  The tiny galley kitchen in our apartment was impossible to maneuver with two cooks in the kitchen.  Our electric stove, homemade caramel-making combination made for a disaster and we ended up abandoning the first batch and starting over…all the while, time continued to count down.  

Finally, the layers were complete and we assembled the pie…chocolate pecan layer, caramel layer, homemade whip cream.  It looked divine!  We had just enough time to clean up the kitchen and ourselves and travel from Gainesville to Williston for our celebration.  Before jumping in the shower, I read the last line of the recipe “Chill for at least 6 hours before serving”.  EEK!  6 hours…we barely had 1 before we needed to hit the road.  I opted to put the pie in the freezer while I showered and changed, hoping it would set-up as much as possible.  I balanced the aluminum foil pie-plate on a tub of ice cream and made a B-line for the bathroom. 

As my mom and I finished up, JPug and Joe gathered our things and got the dogs ready for their cages.  JPug opened the freezer door where we kept peanut butter popsicles (Kongs filled with peanut butter) and that’s when it happened… Opening the freezer door jolted the pie just enough that it managed to flip over in the freezer, slide down the vent at the front, down the fridge door and onto the floor.  Our pie, which took a combined 6+ hours to put together, was OBLITERATED!  Sometimes these incidents are salvageable but this one was definitely not.  We couldn’t let the mess sit (or freeze in the freezer) so we took to disassembling the freezer vent, cleaning everything and travelling to Williston (late and with no dessert in hand).  

On the way, I think we stopped by a gas station and purchased a handful of personal-serving pecan pies that had probably been on the shelf since Thanksgiving 2007.  Luckily, the Williams family didn’t mind that we were late or that we came without dessert.  We had a wonderful time and a pretty entertaining story to tell.

This Thanksgiving, I hope your day is less eventful than the one we experienced three years ago but no less wonderful.  Enjoy great company, great food and great football.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

It's November, Give Thanks

Originally written on Friday, November 18th...

As JPug would say, today I’ve managed to put on my Grumpy Pants in lieu of the traditional Friday Jeans so I figured what better way to snap me out of a funk than to start writing about what I’m thankful for. With Thanksgiving just 6 days away and the tone of November moving from post-Halloween candy coma recuperation to honoring our nation’s veterans on Veteran’s Day to Thanksgiving, I’ve been thinking about what I’m thankful for…A LOT. Without further adieu, here goes.

First and foremost, I’m thankful for my husband who I knew I loved four and a half years ago when we were married but I had no idea just how strong our bond would become. In JPug, I found a true life partner…someone who will love me unconditionally, put me in my place when I need it, make me laugh and console me when I cry. I could go on and on about why I think we’re such a terrific pair but the best way to sum it up is that he makes me want to be a better person…not for me…but for us.

I’m thankful for my parents who provided the foundation for the person I’ve become today. They taught me the value of hard work, graciousness, optimism, integrity and a dollar. Even when their marriage didn’t work, they made a decision to be respectful to one another and continued to present a united front (discipline, holidays & celebrations) even though they didn’t live in the same house. Wow…what amazing, inspiring people!

I’m thankful for my cousins, Jenni & Katie who, for this only child, are more like sisters from another mother. We celebrate each others successes and support each other through difficult times; we love unconditionally and embrace differences. I’ve never had siblings and thanks to these two wonderful ladies, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

I’m thankful for friends and family who offer support, encouragement, silliness, craziness, wit, love and laughter. No matter if you’re someone I talk to every day or once a year, I’m lucky to have each of you in my life.

I’m thankful for the experience of infertility. I’ve learned more about my body and the process of conception than I ever thought I would. I’ve learned we’re not alone in our journey and hope other couples experiencing infertility know that too. I’ve learned to be more sensitive to others…you never know what situation they’re facing.

These things are just a small excerpt of what I'm thankful for...there isn't enough time to capture everything and I'd rather not turn a single post into a novel.  As the holiday draws near, I hope you travel safe no matter how far you go. If the pressure of the day starts weighing you down, take a deep breath and a big gulp of wine (in moderation, of course) because it'll all be okay. On a day filled with thanks, don't sweat the small stuff...just enjoy all the wonderful things life has given you.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Gettin’ Fit

I’ve always been a fairly active person.  I danced from the time I was 3 and coupled that with cheerleading throughout high school.  When I went off to college, I continued to be active but wasn’t at practice or in class for a couple hours a day as I had been previously.  I went to the campus gym a couple times a week and joined my sorority’s dance team for events each semester.  After college, I became less active as a regular job and household duties dictated my time.  Fortunately, I hadn’t gained much weight but I definitely wasn’t as fit as I had once been. 

About two years ago, I decided to make a change for me.  I began running regularly…a couple minutes turned into a couple miles which eventually turned into a couple hours straight.  In 2010, I completed two half marathons as well as a handful of other, shorter races.  My time for the halfs wasn’t great but I finished and as a beginner, that’s all that mattered.  After the second half, I took some time off from running to let my aching knees heal and concentrated on cross-training with the P90 & P90x workouts. 

This past spring, I got back into running and completed a couple short races before our primary care physician, Dr. B, suggested that I pull back in favor or concentrating on conception.  After four months passed without a baby Pug on board, my friend Lisa and I took up running again.  Nothing too strenuous…started with a single mile and worked our way up to 5 over 3 months’ time…improving time, distance and elevation as we went.  As a first time runner, Lisa (who was slightly scared to death at the get-go) did great!  The culmination of our training was the Ruckus Run the first weekend in November. 

In mid-October, I picked up CrossFit (thanks to a Groupon) as a way to cross train and incorporate different exercises into my running routine.  CrossFit is a program that offers broad, general strength and conditioning.  The equipment is pretty basic but an hour-long class will absolutely kick your butt.  I’ve really enjoyed learning the CrossFit exercises and techniques and feel great after finishing a workout.  I somewhat attribute the “feeling great” to my newly-stabilized TSH…at least I’m not exhausted and wanting to crawl into bed at 7pm, right?!  I can honestly say after running and incorporating CrossFit into my regimen, I’m probably in the best shape of my life…at 28!  This is where things take a turn for the worst…

As we go through treatments with Dr. K, her office suggests that I don’t exercise.  Well, let me rephrase that…the nurse said they wouldn’t have a problem with me walking on a treadmill.  GASP…walk on a treadmill?!  The nurse must have no concept of real exercise because let’s face it folks…walking on a treadmill is NOT exercise in my book…at least not for someone at my level of fitness.  Going forward, JPug and I will be bundling ourselves and the pooches up and taking a brisk walk each night.  Just to reiterate, the walk will be brisk (JPug is really more of a stroller). 


Am I thrilled about abandoning running and CrossFit cold turkey?  Definitely not.  Am I willing to make the sacrifice for my own health and well being and to give potential baby Pug the best opportunity to come on board?  Unequivocally yes.  Here’s to hoping my new “workout routine” is worth it.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Goodbye 27, Hello 28


This past Friday, 11-11-11, was my 28th birthday.  Twenty-eight isn’t much of a milestone and I may not remember it five years from now, but for one 24 hour period, it was nearly perfect.  For one day, I got to do exactly what I wanted…turned my back on the to-do list and just enjoyed myself.  No need for a full run-down but I took it easy, splurged with a massage, manicure & pedicure at the spa and traveled to St. Louis where I had a wonderful dinner with my family.  Gifts aren’t ever at the top of my list but I got some pretty great things…a gift card to one of my favorite stores, some new sewing gadgets, an e-reader and a charm (suggested by a friend who’s been experiencing her own, unique hardships) that reads “Expect a Miracle” on the front with “Team Pug” engraved on the back.  When it comes down to it, I had a wonderful day filled with love and family that I wouldn’t have traded for the world.

We rounded out the weekend with “family” pictures…JPug, Bella, Beau and I met a friend from high school turned photographer who put up our crazy antics at a local park for an entire hour.  The pictures should be ready in a couple of weeks so I’ll be sure to post a couple on the blog.  We spent Saturday evening celebrating the marriage of one of Joe’s friends from high school, Tara, and her husband, Chase, who is originally from Springfield, IL.  Once you’ve planned your own wedding, I think you have a much greater appreciation for any wedding you attend…and I was very appreciative of Mr. & Mrs. Cooper’s!  I’d post a picture of the couple but in true LPug fashion, I didn’t bring a camera.  It’s not much of a resolution but taking more pictures might have to be my 2012 New Year’s resolution because I downright stink at having my camera, battery charged and ready to go. 

Oh my goodness…I almost forgot.  JPug also received our latest “I Word” update on Friday.  Dr. N called with the results of his recent blood/hormone tests and everything was normal (hurray!).  JPug will continue his prescription medical food which will hopefully enhance future counts but otherwise, all hormone levels were within the normal range.  Our mystery still hasn’t been solved but we’re another step closer so that's good news.

Family, friends and readers...thank you for your love, wisdom, laughter and support at 27 and I look forward to an even better 28!

Monday, November 7, 2011

The Carriage House of Cady Cottage

Now that October has come and gone, it hit me this morning…this is the first year since moving back from Florida that we didn’t visit Hermann, MO for Oktoberfest.  Hermann was established by Germans on the banks of the Missouri River in 1837.  Today Hermann offers quaint shops, numerous local wineries and a brewery all with an old-world look and feel.  The first four weekends of October, Hermann celebrates its heritage and opens its arms to visitors who enjoy fall colors, festive bands, brats and plenty of drinks.

In 2009, we made the trip with a group of friends…rode the train from KC to Hermann, squished way too many people into two hotel rooms and enjoyed beer, wine and food from sun-up to sun-down (reminiscent of a number of college trips).  In 2010, JPug and I decided to make the trek on our own and classed it up a bit whole lot.  I found a B&B online with a decent website, reasonable rate and a charm I just couldn’t resist.  The same weekend as MU’s homecoming, we detoured through Columbia to enjoy campus for the afternoon and continued on to Hermann.

Once we arrived, we had some difficulty finding the place…from what I remember, the numbers weren’t well-marked on the house and there was no discernable front door.  After circling the block twice, we figured it out using process of elimination and the help of a nosy neighbor.  We walked up the path to the front door (which was actually on the side of the house) and knocked; the owner, Chris, came out.  Big sigh of relief…we’d come to the right place!

Chris (short for Christine) was on the upper end of middle-aged, standard build with silver-grey hair pulled back into a classy ponytail.  She asked if we had any trouble finding the house to which we replied (and lied through our teeth) “No”.  After a few pleasantries, she asked us to pull our car into the alley behind the house which was the main entrance of The Carriage House of Cady Cottage. 

As we pulled up, it appeared that The Carriage House was a two-car detached garage that had been converted into the only room Chris had to offer.  From the outside, it was well kept but didn’t look like much.  As we entered, we were transformed into an old English cottage complete with four-post bed, dining area, sitting area w/ fireplace, reading nook and bathroom.  I’m usually not one for cluttered décor but the look and feel Chris infused into this small cottage was absolutely amazing.  Come to find out, she had been collecting English cottage pieces (furniture, accessories, etc.) for years and opened The Carriage House once her collection was complete.  Chris walked us through each of the features of the room and was sure to point out our evening dessert on the dining table…homemade apple pie!

The next morning, Chris prepared a gourmet breakfast…truly better than I’ve had at any B&B.   The breakfast area was decorated as an art studio and displayed numerous pieces of Chris’ own handmade folk art.  As we wrapped up our meal, she was sure to provide recommendations regarding places to eat and things to see and do in Hermann.  After a long day of enjoying Oktoberfest, we returned to The Carriage House to find another terrific, homemade dessert.  The next morning, Chris whipped up another amazing breakfast…homemade stuffing & egg soufflés served with a side of seasonal berries.  Once we were finished, we said our goodbyes and were on our way.

If you’re looking for a weekend getaway, I would absolutely recommend Hermann, MO and The Carriage House of Cady Cottage.  Whenever possible, JPug and I try to support local B&Bs rather than large hotel chains.  We’ve stayed at our fair share of B&Bs and I can say with certainty that The Carriage House of Cady Cottage tops them all.  Hermann is known for its wineries but the visitor’s bureau does a great job of offering all sorts of events and opportunities to enjoy Hermann if drinking isn’t your thing.  Bon voyage my friends…I hope you have a great trip!  

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Quick & Delish: Momma's Bran Muffins

Growing up, momma made all sorts of delicious food.  She worked weeknights so we weren't able to spend a lot of time together in the evening.  She almost always had breakfast ready before I left for school and we had a sit-down dinner most nights before she left for work.  One of my favorite recipes momma made regularly was bran muffins...they're a quick, delicious grab-and-go for weekday mornings.  I'm happy to share the recipe with you...enjoy!


Ingredients

1c. Kellog's all bran cereal (original variety)
1c. buttermilk
1/2c. packed brown sugar
1/4c. butter or margarine (cut into pieces)
1 egg
1c. raisins or craisins I have a strange aversion to raisins so I typically opt for a craisin substitution
1c. flour
1t. baking powder
1/4t. salt
cinnamon and/or nutmeg to taste


Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a large, microwafe safe bowl, combine bran, buttermilk, brown sugar & butter....mix.
  3. Microwave mixture on high for 2 minutes.
  4. Stir mixture to combine and allow to cool, stir occasionally while cooling (5 - 10 minutes).
  5. Add in egg & raisins/craisins.
  6. Stir in remaining ingredients until combined.
  7. Spoon mixture into greased or lined muffin cups...approximately 2/3 full.
  8. Bake 14 minutes or until toothpick pulls out clean.