National Coffee Day 2011

Happy National Coffee Day to all the coffee lovers in the world (yep, including me)!! Here's to cool fall weather and a hot cup of joe (or cold, whichever way you like it). Have you had your cup today to celebrate?!

Caffeinated!
-D

Off We Go

...in seven six months.


     "Flexibility is the key to Air power" and "Hurry up and wait." These are two of the common sayings that are heard in the Air Force and we are currently experiencing them firsthand. We had originally planned on heading out somewhere around mid-October; however, the date has now been set at March 15th, 2012.
     
      We will be in Glendale, AZ for one month before heading to Wright-Patterson AFB for Civil Engineering training, which will last 6 weeks and take us through the first week of June. Then, it's back to Luke AFB for me to start my true engineering position and Dani to begin looking for teaching jobs in the area.


       As for now, due to this major change in dates, we are in the process of finding long term jobs. Dani has been approved as a substitute teacher and I have secured a temporary position with an engineering company, so I am waiting to hear from them about when I am supposed to start. Just like the Air Force, the engineering company has postponed my start date, so I am in limbo with a job while in limbo for another job. haha.


      During all this, Dani and I are enjoying time with our friends, family, and each other. We are excited to be here during Thanksgiving and Christmas. We are looking forward to whatever the future may bring for us and enjoying this transition time together.


Until Next Time,
Brad and Dani

First Day of Fall

I'll take today to proclaim my love for this most glorious season of all! Fall has the best weather of any of the seasons and the scenery is to die for. It's even better to be in the mountains during this time of year! I love the pumpkin flavored everything, and the crunchy colored leaves. Below I made a wordle* of some of my favorite fall things. Here's to our last North Carolina Fall before we move out to Arizona!

Happy Fall!

-D


*Wordles are great for many different kinds of classroom projects!! I loved using them with my students.

Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea....

(Forrest Gump anyone?)

During the first part of my year in Greenville, NC I had the pleasure of dining with some very special people about every week or so. We took turns cooking and going out, and this recipe is from one of our dine in nights. Thanks Caro!

Shrimp & Grits

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth
  (or 4 chicken bullion cubes with 4 cups water)
• 1 cup grits
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
  (this time I did 1/2 green bell pepper and 1/2 red... for added color :) )
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 pound raw shrimp
• 4oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 4oz shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles

Directions

• Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add grits and simmer 20 minutes (may need to add more water).
• Saute green onions, bell pepper and garlic in butter until almost tender, then add shrimp and cook about 2 minutes longer.
• Combine vegetables and shrimp, grits, cheeses and Rotel together and pour into 13x9 baking dish. Top with cheddar cheese.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Enjoy!
-D

Sausage Casserole

So I always love a good breakfast casserole with sausage, eggs, cheese... all that yummy stuff! Brad and I LOVE to have breakfast for dinner and so I decided to finally try a recipe for the sausage casserole. I pulled parts from different recipes I found online and added a couple of things to it myself.



Ingredients

• 1 can crescent rolls
• 6 eggs
• ~ 1 cup milk
• 1 lb sausage (hot, mild, turkey... whatever you like!)
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1/2 cup green pepper, diced
• 8oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray 13x9 casserole dish with cooking spray. Unroll crescent rolls and lay flat in a single layer across the bottom of dish. Bake approximately 10 minutes and set aside.
3. Brown sausage with diced onions and green peppers. Drain.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs together with milk, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, salt and pepper to taste. I added a tad of parsley to the egg mixture as well.
5. Layer sausage with onions/peppers on top of crescent roll layer. Pour egg mixture over top and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.



Voilà!

Enjoy!
-D

Camera Down!

A couple weeks ago, my poor sweet Canon got a few grains of sand stuck in the lens. Result? Lens wouldn't close, i.e. broken camera. No one seems to be able to fix it in town and when I've asked around everyone has said that with the cost of repair it'd be better to just get a new camera.

Hubby took Canon apart a few days ago to see if he could get to the lens. Result?

Goodbye, my Canon! 

Now begins the search for a replacement camera. Until I get a new one all blog pictures will be courtesy of my phone! I want to stick with Canon brand since I'm used to how they operate, I've got a couple batteries, charger and memory card for it.

Does anyone have any suggestions? If so leave a comment!

Thanks!!

-D

Cross Stitchin'

Okay, so if you read the post from yesterday you know that I'm somewhat unemployed at the moment. Enter new hobby: cross stitching!

One day when I went down to visit my parents in Hickory while Brad was working, I picked up a stamped cross stitch kit at AC Moore since Michaels here in town doesn't carry them (lame!). Burton showed me a bit of the ropes, lent me a hoop (and needle after I broke mine within the first 10 mintues) and set me loose to complete my first cross stitch work of art! I went with stamped for my first so I wouldn't lose count and get discouraged! :)

Here is a before shot: needle, thread, hoop and alll!

Annnd After! TaaDaaa!
I think it's super cute, and it'll go somewhere in our
kitchen/coffee nook once we get settled out west!

I have found cross stitching to be wildly addicting and easy to catch on to! In this kit I did the satin stitch, cross stitch, backstitch, stem stitch and french knot. For you avid cross stitchers I know this isn't much, but I'm so excited about it!

The next project I plan to conquer is Christmas Stockings!! (Maybe) In time for this year... or next! Below are the ones we picked out! Before you look and think, "Man Alive, she's never cross stitching again after those!"; Burton is going to help me on the first one while we're still in town. They're beautiful though, don't you think?!

Mine (L), Brad's (middle) and (of course) Oscar's!

-D

So We Keep Waiting

(Waiting) Waiting on [our] world to change

Mayer? Anyone?

I'm not writing to profess my love of Mayer's music.. nope. Don't mind some of it, but I'm writing because here we are, 3+ months into Marriage, into life removed of college, and not into active duty. We're just living our lives in Boone and.. waiting.

Have you ever tried to get a job when you know there's a possibility you won't be here in a month? (Employers don't prefer this) After a few interviews, rejections (because of the time we may be here in town) and an offer for 3 hours a week at minimum wage... I've gone to working in the nursery at Church, babysitting and waiting on my paperwork for substitute teaching to be approved. If you ever decide to apply for a position in Watauga County, be ready for a couple mountains of paperwork!

Brad has been truly blessed with odd jobs around Boone so that we have somewhat of an income. He's been pressure washing, staining decks, roofing, building a barn, landscaping and mowing just to name a few! I'm so proud of my hubby and so thankful for the people who have graciously offered small jobs for him! I know it isn't the type of work he truly desires, but it fills the time and gives us a little to live off of.

Ever since we moved back to Boone (since I got done with school in June of this year) we have been living with his Grandmom, Burton, in her basement. It's a nice set up that we've got down here and we have enjoyed being able to spend time with her, along with the rest of his family (and mine in Hickory) whenever we can.

[The picture to the right is of our door to the outside from the basement. Notice Oscar in the window and the nice Appalachian touch!]

A few weeks ago Brad got a call from his Lt Col at State who said we would definitely not be going before October. I guess we're getting closer to a definite date? Before his graduation, Brad was given a tentative date of October 1st... apparently Civil Engineers got the brunt end of things when it came to budget cuts. We could be in waiting up to a year.. but hopefully we'll be shipped out to AZ before Christmastime!


Until then, we'll be enjoying views like this...

JavaJavaJavaJavaJava

This recipe for 'Perfect Iced Coffee' is a MUST! It is of course from The Pioneer Woman and it makes a TON. So, probably for at least the first time I'd half it... especially if it's only going to be you drinking it. Did I mention it makes a TON!? I didn't take any photos of my coffee making, so I'm copying and pasting her recipe here! The link to it is above if you'd rather see her picture step-by-step instructions.

Recipe: Perfect Iced Coffee

Prep Time: 8 Hours  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 24

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground Coffee (good, Rich Roast)
• 8 quarts Cold Water (2 gallons)
• Half-and-half (healthy Splash Per Serving)
• Sweetened Condensed Milk (2-3 Tablespoons Per Serving
• Note: Can Use Skim Milk, 2% Milk, Whole Milk, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, Syrups...adapt To Your Liking!

Preparation Instructions

(Adapted from Imbibe Magazine)

In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds.

Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.

To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.

*************************

**D's NOTE:

• For the coffee, I used Seattle's Best - Level 5
• I used paper towels in the strainer instead of cheesecloth (worked perfect!) and instead of half-and-half/sweetened condensed milk, I used some of the French Vanilla coffee creamer I had in the fridge. (Of course, any creamer you like will work great!)
• Mine ended up tasting like Starbucks.. yum :)

Enjoy!
-D




P.S. Did anyone get the movie reference in my blog post title?! Click here to see if you were right :)

Where's Ann Arbor?

September 1, 2007 : App State vs. Michigan

Love my Mountaineers!

Four years ago today, they took down Michigan in the Big House!

34 - 32!

Enjoy the clip, Wolverines! :)

Get it, Apps!

Oh, sweet Victory.

Defeated Wolverines. I like this one best :)

Virginia Creeper Trail

On Saturday, August 27th (Oscar's Birthday!), Brad and I went with his parents and three other couples to ride the VA Creeper Trail from Whitetop (1) to Damascus (5). It was a grueling 17 mile bike ride.. all downhill. :)

I had never been on the trail before so Brad wanted me to have the experience before we move out west. I truly enjoyed it! We had great weather (though a little chilly at the start) and ice cream along the way. :)