I "heart" chickens :)

She is DETERMINED to get one to poke her!

Christmas comes before Thanksgiving in Louisiana

Yeah, they do things a little backwards in the south ;)

We celebrated Christmas a day before Thanksgiving.

Last Monday we packed up the kids and headed to Louisiana to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with Bruce's side of the family.
It was a looooooooooong ride-18 hours straight through, with stops only to fill up the tank, potty breaks, and once to eat breakfast at a Cracker Barrel.
We had a great time and got lots of fun and much NEEDED gifts (new food processor for me-YAY!!!), clothes, and got the rotors for the car resurfaced. But, the best gift was spending time with family.
Feeding the chickens was pretty fun, too!
They are so entertaining to watch, especially since there are several different breeds. One had fuzzy legs and feet. Bruce called him "Legwarmers."

Two had crazy hair on their heads that looked almost like afros combined with headdresses. I called them the "Wackadoos."
Another one had a leg injury and walked like a soldier in the Nazi army. Bruce called him "Colonel Klink."

The neighbors had horses and this one was fun to feed. We fed him an apple and it nibbled it around and around like a person, instead of just chomping it whole.
They also had goats!
The south is home to many plants and trees we don't often encounter in the north. Bruce pointed out a Magnolia tree in the yard. Fun Fact-the movie Steel Magnolias was filmed in this area. :)
There were also a couple fig trees on the property and he pointed out where a pomegranate tree used to be. He grew up munchin' on pomegranates from the front yard! I was kinda bummed that was gone.

So, what did this gluten free vegan have for Thanksgiving dinner whilst surrounded by down home southern thanksgiving cookin'?
My mother in law rocks. She bought me tons of fruits and veggies.
So...I made a ginormous salad, had a baked sweet potato from a neighbor's garden, and bunches of broccoli and carrots.
Trust me, I was F-U-L-L. I didn't miss out on a thing :)
We're headin' home now and hope it's not another year before we see the family again.
Merry Thankgiving!!

I did it! I did it!

I made my own "Larabars"!!

I've had the intention to do it for a long time, but finally did it today.

It's so easy. Kinda fun. And very frugal. Here is the mixed up and rolled out blob of dates and nuts.

I simply threw some dates into my mini-food processor and then into a bowl. Next in the food processor went the nuts. I mixed them together with my hands and then rolled it all out with a rolling pin. There is also the option of soaking both the dates and nuts before processing-which makes for a softer bar. Next, I sliced them and individually wrapped them in cling wrap.

I made two different flavors today-the cashew cookie, and banana bread. The cashew cookie flavor was simply cashews and dates.
The banana bread flavor was almonds, dates, and bananas. I'm keeping those in the freezer.
While they don't taste EXACTLY like the real Larabars,( I need to adjust my nut to date ratio) they are scrumptious. I think today I will make the Peanut Butter cookie flavor and Pecan Pie flavor.

Peanut butter cookie flavor =peanuts and dates.
Pecan Pie flavor=pecans, almonds, and dates.
Other yummy versions to come in the near future:
lemon bar
pistachio
apple pie
cinnamon
coffee & cocoa

EIGHT crazy YEARS!

I've got a feeling that many of the people who read this know the dilly-o about our marriage. It's a pretty unique story. Some think we've made parts of it up. Not so.

For those who don't know, or for those who need a recap, here it goes.

It was 2001. I drove out to Colorado from Wisconsin that February. He drove out from Louisiana that July.

I was working at a Rehab and Wellness Center wayyyyyyyy up in the mountains(10,000 feet above sea level).
One EARLY July morning (5:45 am), with my still wet hair pulled back into a ponytail, face sans makeup, donning an unflattering scrubs uniform, and eyes half open from exhaustion, we met.

Romantic, huh?Not quite!

He was assigned to "shadow" me for the day, since he was the new guy. We worked our 12 hours shift together, doing seriously mundane and mind-numbing tasks.

By the end of our 12 hour shift, he pulled out a phonebook from behind the nurse's station, and expressed his interest in finding a vegetarian restaurant to take me to.
I was flabbergasted. Shocked. Almost offended. Ok-very offended.
After turning 12 shades of red I think I was able to utter, "um, I'll think about it."
When I was really thinking, "What?! He's known me for 12 hours and is asking me out! Does he think I'm easy!?"
Skip to 6 weeks later on September 8th (his birthday). He proposed. I accepted. Apparently I am easy! :)
Fast forward to 8 more weeks later on November 17th.
We were married in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado in front of family, friends, naysayers, doubters, and skeptics.
Our first kiss was when the pastor said, "You may now kiss the bride."
Yup. From meeting to marriage it was a grand total of 4 months.
Here we are 8 years later. Bruce's son Tyler was 14 when he moved in with us. He's now 19 and in college.
Our daughter Trinity is now 6 years old.
It's been an interesting adventure full of unique experiences and we're determined to make it last NO MATTER WHAT.
Why?
Because marriage is a covenant. Not a contract.
Love you Bruce!!

Is that a football?!

Check out this beauty!

That right there is 2.63 lbs of sweet potato goodness. Isn't she glorious?!

Last night Bruce and I went to the grocery store and about 3.7 seconds after I got done telling him how much I've been loving sweet potatoes, this monstrous tuber caught my eye. Right then and there I knew I had to have her. *sigh*

My phone is there for size comparison.

Of course I won't be able to eat her all in one sitting. So, I decided that the options of fries, chips, and baked like a normal potato would work best.

I cut a third of her into fries and chips. The other two-thirds mass is in the fridge awaiting my next craving.
MMMMM....even Dora and Boots are excited to try some! Look at them grabbing for my fries!
And here is a yummy sweet potato chip. I decided to season them differently. Some have Cajun seasoning, while others have either cinammon or chili powder.
A short lesson in vegetology (yes it's a word): Yams and sweet potatoes are NOT the same vegetable. Botanically, they are not even related.
It bugs the snot out of me when sweet potatoes are advertised as "YAMS."
I'm hit again with the inaccuracy when I get my receipt....2.63 lb YAM, or when I see cans of Bruce's Yams (yes that's an actual brand!).
I want to proclaim,"NO, IT'S NOT A YAM!" (click for a picture)
Yams can grow up to 8 feet in length and weigh up to 154 lbs,
and although my football sized sweet potato is pretty darn big for her species, she is in no way a yam.
Anyway, since it's nearly Thanksgiving, be sure to get plenty of sweet potatoes and make them in creative ways. They are oh so healthy and chock full of vitamins A &C, B6, and fiber.

Dinner and Indian Summer

For those who are concerned about vegans obtaining adequate nutrition, behold a salubrious (look it up) and delicious meal!

Black eyed peas: great source of fiber and protein, calcium, potassium, folate, and iron

Spinach: wonderful source of vitamins A and K, protein, decent source of iron, good source of calcium, and yes, more fiber!

Carrots: another good source of fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, folate, and potassium

Brown rice: another good source of potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, and manganese.

So, YES, vegans can get more than adequate amounts of calcium and protein without eating animal or animal by-products, which seems to be a concern of non-vegans.

A gorgeous 70 degree day in November. Rare. Appreciated. Taken advantage of.
Picking up shells that have washed ashore
 at a local beach.