Thanksgiving food!

First, we made prime rib medium rare. It was done perfectly!

We had a tasty goat cheese, roasted pear salad with an apricot vinaigrette. Because I sautéed the pears, the goat cheese melted a little and mixed with the vinaigrette. So delicious! The sweet potatoes were done perfectly with a little brown sugar and pecans.

I made my bourbon pumpkin pie with pecan streusel topping. The bourbon and crushed pecans in the pie make this a party in your mouth and a step away from diabetes.

And. We made the most delicious, messy sandwich with leftover prime rib. Imagine this: prime rib bacon, onion, a fried egg, some mustard and horseradish all on toasted bread. We made it up, mostly Kathleen.

This ones really great. We took all our salsas and the horseradish and mixed them up to make a dipping sauce for the fingerling taters I made, baked with garlic and pepper, and dill.

I'm thankful for...college!

How much fun my amazing friends are!

Lexie moved to Denver and life got so much better. She's my lifelong friend and we are both so fortunate to have each other. Awe, so sentimental but so true!
Steve is moving here in a few months. What?! Is this real? He's our first friend at Loyola, he took some big consequences for us that first night of living in Creighton hall......We are indebted for a few more years.
I get to visit my Chicago crew every few months, and they come here too! We love food and when ya'll are back, I've got a list of places for us to check out! We run, hike, drink, laugh and recover together. We even play iPad games and have fun. Ha
And my sister even moved west! Thanks Ash!
I'm thankful every day for the beautiful, strong, smart, loyal, honest, hilarious, positive people that make me who I am.
I'd like to think each of us borrows the best of each other and makes it part of who we are.
When I get a mani/pedi, I think of ______*?
When I'm being a foodie, I think of :
____*?
When I'm in a little pain from working out, I remember to send good karma to...*?
When international travel crosses my mind, I always think of __*?
When I pass St. Mary's glacier, I send love to Chicago!

Weekday Winter Warrior

Winter is beautiful in Colorado. The snow in the mountains creates a sense of innocence in the people you see and the small towns you drive through. There is an overwhelming feeling that I get, that I am smaller than I think I am when it snows. All that fresh, white powder covers the mountains and roads saying, "here you go, a clean slate. Start something new, be free of your constraints." That is what I can hear when I'm blanketed by snow.

Then I hear the slice of my skis into the freshly groomed trails and hear myself say, again, 'I LIVE here!? HERE? No way.'

Pause. One of my closest friends sent an email with a great quote: Be old enough to appreciate your freedom, and young enough to enjoy it. Finally know who you are.

I know who I am because I found the place where I feel at home. Chicago was a temporary home and I still feel connected to the city every time I am walking the streets, on the EL and running on Lake Michigan. But Colorado, wow. I know I belong here because I've got the gear to prove it and the seasonal ski rental to show my commitment. And a lot of great friends to laugh with and share our time and love for this state together by running trails, snowboarding, skiing, and discovering more state parks full of fun! I am committed to living life to the fullest out here.

Final exam time is one of the greatest weeks of being at teacher. I didn't have to be at the school for the day I didn't proctor an exam. Wednesday at about 11 AM I left school, picked up a boy and headed to the mountains. We got a few hours of skiing on Wednesday, woke up and skied the next morning. WHAT?! This is my life!? Take advantage of this weekday freedom and get out there and ski!