Omaha gets a Trader Joe's

Today I am thankful for something completely frivilous - I am thankful that a Trader Joe's opened in Omaha!  I have had the chance to shop at Trader Joe's when visitng various different cities and have found some items that I really love, but we have not had one in Omaha until this past Friday.

Matt and I were heading home from downtown yesterday and took the opportunity to stop by and check out the new store.  It was busy, which is great, but there was tons of staff on hand and after we made our way through the store with a few key purchases, we got through the line in about 5 minutes.

I picked up some of the awesome cinnamon grahams that I had tried previously and they have not disappointed so far.  I noted tonight on the website that they have some peppermint coffee for sale that I missed when we were there - so I will be heading back soon! :)

Sam I Am

Today I am thankful for my cousin Sam!   

I would not say that Sam and I were particularly close growing up, but we have grown closer as adulthood has set in.  In the last few years I have been able to visit him at least twice a year in Corvallis, OR when I am there for work and we have grown much closer during these visits.  I always look forward to them.
Sam is an incredibly talented researcher/scholar/teacher and recently finished his Ph.D.  I always look to him for advice because he is very practical, knowledgable and really puts thought into his advice, which I can appreciate. 

He is also very generous, cares about his family and friends, and is a fantastic cook!  I am really lucky to not only have Sam as a cousin, but to call him a friend as well!

Love you, Sam and Happy Birthday!!!

Today I am thankful for a lazy Saturday with my husband.  We had only one item on the agenda for today and that was an insurance physical first thing this morning - lots of fun, huh?  The rest of the day had a clean slate so we both headed to the gym, grabbed some lunch, watched a couple of college football games and then headed out to run some errands.  It was one of those days where you get to the end of the day and realize that you spent almost all day in the presence of your spouse.  Given that we both work full-time, this is pretty much the exact opposite of what we experience during the week.  So, weekend days with little to nothing on the schedule are really precious to us.  Luckily, we have very little on the schedule for tomorrow as well.

Go Jays!

Today I am thankful that we have season tickets to the Creighton Bluejays basketball games.  Our lives tend to get a bit boring in the winter and the Jays games provide us with periodic entertainment.  A big thanks to Creighton for the buy one, get one tickets for employees so we can enjoy the games without going broke!

Thankful for Peppermint Mochas!

Today I am thankful that it is Peppermint Mocha season again!  Peppermint Mochas just might be my very favorite beverage (besides water, which I love!), but due to the need to control both my budget and my waistline I limit myself to only enjoying them when it is actually "Peppermint Mocha Season" at my favorite coffee joints.  Whilst many people are going ga-ga over Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I am merely waiting for the next seasonal speciality to debut for the year! 

I admit to indulging in several already this year and have quite enjoyed each and everyone one of them.  I typically request "half the flavoring" when I indulge in a sugary drink and with the peppermint mochas this seems to be the perfect amount of pepperminty goodness! 

I love being able to sip on one of these while Christmas shopping, while wrapping lovingly selected gifts, while spending time with loved ones, or during my annual watching of It's a Wonderful Life!  I'm reminded to just slow down and enjoy something for myself every once in awhile!

Unexpected Fun Family Dinners

Today I am thankful for unexpected family dinners.  Matt and I made plans earlier this week to make something today that could simmer on the stove or bake in the oven for awhile while we prepared for trick or treaters and decided today to go with baked potato soup.  I stole a recipe from one of my favorite food blogs - Playing House Blog - and it did not disappoint!  For a "light" recipe it was incredibly rich and filling.   My mom and sister joined us after we realized they would both be sitting at home alone on Halloween.  They both said that they never would have guessed the recipe was the "light" version until we told them.  We made it even more "light" than the recipe called for as we purchase 1% milk. 

Sarah brought bread, hummus, cheese and crackers and we had soup and salad - a great Halloween night dinner.  And it was a great opportunity for some fun family time - all arranged after noon today.

An Unexpected Lunch Date

Today I am incredibly thankful for an unexpected lunch date with a very good friend.  Returning to work this week has been very helpful on the "getting stuff done" front, but stressful in that it is hard to adjust back to a routine and it is still travel season so our office still feesl empty.  So, finding out today that a friend of mine was going to be on campus and available for lunch was a welcomed break.  I hope she felt the same way I did about finding out that we could meet for lunch - especially since she didn't think I was in Omaha this week. 

It was great to catch up, share some moments of our day, and enjoy a break from work for awhile.  I don't consider myself to be someone who has a great number of good friends, but I am an introvert by nature so that isn't hugely surprising.  However, the friends I do have mean a great deal to me and I always appreciate the opportunity to reconnect. 

Cousins

Today I am thankful to have cousins that are also friends.  Since Friday I have been in Portland, OR staying with my cousin Alice, her significant other Nick, and her sister Machaela.  Tomorrow I will make my way south to Corvallis to stay with my cousin Sam and his significant other Stasi for a couple of days. 

I only have three first cousins as my mom is an only child so my dad's brother's children are my only cousins.  I feel very thankful for the fact that we have all grown closer as we have gotten older.  In the last couple of years I have been able to travel to Oregon at least twice a year for work and have had the opportunity to stay with Sam and Alice while I am there.  Usually, I have been able to plan an extra weekend along with my travel time so I have had time to spend some extra time with my cousins. 

The five of us are split by 13 years in age (Matt is the oldest, and Sarah the youngest) so we definitely were not as close growing up.  Growing older has made us closer and I am so thankful that they are all a part of my life.

Today I am thankful for the opportunity to meet new people. I am an introvert by nature and have probably never been considered a social butterfly.  I never, ever remember getting in trouble in school for talking too much.  I'm comfortable being lost in my own thoughts and don't rely on others for strength and inspiration.

But, I relish the opportunity to meet new people.  There are some people who walk into our lives for just a brief time, but manage to make an impact on our outlook on life.  And there are others we meet who we know will instantly be life-long friends.

Today I met someone who I will likely never see again.  But for a brief period of time we shared a wonderful conversation.  I always appreciate meeting someone who is a good conversationalist. And by good conversationalist I mean someone who demonstrates a genuine interest in having a conversation with you.  This individual looked at me when I was talking despite the fact that there were countless other things going on around.  We also both shared the responsibility for keeping the conversation going.  I shared a brief glimpse of my life, and received a brief glimpse at another's life.   And it is worth remembering.

Southwest

Today I am thankful for Southwest Airlines.  I absolutely love Southwest and will choose to fly with Southwest over any other airline anytime the option is available.  Typically, my choices regarding travel for work revolve around two factors - timing, and price.  Luckily, Southwest has the market in both most of the time.  I have found that while I can sometimes find a cheaper flight on another airline, by the time I pay to check two bags (which is a must almost anytime I am traveling for work - one for clothes, and one for recruiting materials) Southwest is cheaper because they allow me to check two bags for free. 

I also love Southwest's Frequent Flyer Program - Rapid Rewards.  By flying frequently, I have been able to earn several free tickets Matt and I have used to make our way about the country.  In fact, we will hopefully be using two to travel to my graduation in June.

I am also thankful for Southwest's amazing staff. The pilots and flight attendants on Southwest have always been friendly when I have flown with them.  I don't think either job is easy, but you would never know it from the attitude of the staff.  I have only been involved in an "emergency" situation once on an airplane and it happened to be Southwest about 18 months ago.  I was flying from Denver to Portland and something it the front window on the plane and shattered it.  The pilots reported we were in no danger, but regulations required us to land ASAP.  So we landed in Boise.  We deplaned and the Boise crew was already working on a plan to get us to our destination as quickly as possible.  They were calm, cool, collected and kept us informed continuously regarding the plan of action.  Most of us were on the ground in Boise for about 2 hours and then another plane arrived to get us on our way.  I sent my compliments to Southwest after the incident because I was so impressed. 

I am also thankful for the expertise of the Southwest crew who are responsible for keeping 1000 of lives safe and sound everyday.  I will trust you with mine anytime.

Boise!

While there are many difficult aspects of my job, today I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to see so much of our beautiful country while I travel for work.  In the last month alone I have visited three states I have not had the oppotunity to see before.  I am so grateful for a job that allows me to meet new people and see new places all the time.

My travels this week took me to Idaho - one of my favorite places to visit!  Boise is one of my favorite cities - easy to get around in, and full of friendly people.  I got the opportunity to visit Big City Coffee - the cutest little coffee, breakfast, brunch, lunch and sweet (and savory) treat shop. I stumbled upon this place last year and absolutely fell in love with it.  I have always decided that if my career in higher ed doesn't work out for  me, it would be loads of fun to open a little place just like Big City Coffee. 

And yes, I did get a glimpse of the smurf blue turf - go Broncos!!

To my one and only...

Today I am thankful for the love of my life - my husband Matt Caldwell.  Yesterday, when I checked into my hotel I thought that the clerk had been paying attention to my birthday on my ID because the front desk staff delivered some M&Ms and a nice "happy birthday" note to my hotel room.  But, it turns out that my sweet husband had called them and clued them in and asked them to do something since I was spending the evening of my birthday alone. 

I am so thankful to have found a life partner who really "gets" me.  Matt deals with my crazy work schedule and never gets upset when I have to be out of town, or when I am working late or working from home.  It isn't easy being married to someone who works in admissions. I know that sometimes his life revolves around my job and I am so grateful that he doesn't resent me for that.

So sweetie - thank you for making me laugh every single day, thank you for the eyeroll inducing comments (because I probably wouldn't be rolling my eyes if I didn't find them funny or clever in some way), thank you for putting up with my tendency to overreact at times, and not handle things well when I feel like my life is out of control.  Thank you for being my biggest support while I have been in graduate school. 

And thank you just for being you and for showing me how much you love me every single day.  Love ya!

Turning 30

My mom was telling me the other day about the sermon the minister at their church gave on Sunday.  He mentioned that he had started spending time each day thinking about what he is thankful for and recording that appreciation.  He also mentioned sending notes of thanks to individuals. 

I turned 30 today. And I think I have decided that the theme for my thirty-first year is to be thankful.  I have found that I far too often take my good fortune for granted.  I get hung up on the little petty things in life and forget the big picture and what is really important.

Today, I am thankful to be embracing 30.  I admit to being somewhat uneasy about the end of my 20s and the start of my 30s.  I had some moments of a "quarter-life crisis" wondering if I have really accomplish everything I hoped to accomplish by age 30.  I'll be honest - I've never actually written down where I hoped to be by age 30, but I think that all of us have some thought what we would like to accomplish by certain milestone in our lives.

However, I came to realize that eveything I accomplish in my life comes in its own time.  There are simply things in life that I have zero control over the timing of.  I'm okay with that.  I didn't really have any control over when I met and fell in love and that has worked out so far.  I wasn't looking for a  job when my current job came available and I'm thrilled with my career path right now. 

So, instead of looking at 30 and thinking about all of the things I haven't accomplished, I have decided to embrace 30 and think about all of the wonderful, positive aspects of my life.  I see it as the beginning of my journey of thankfulness. 

A return to a simpler time...

Each year my college roommates and I try to gather for a girl's weekend.  It is a time for us to enjoy each other's company and some quality girl-time, escape from our everyday lives for a short weekend, and visit a new city.  In June, we met in Chicago for a fantastic three day weekend.   Our girl's weekend was cancelled last year so I think all of us were really looking forward to a great weekend together.  We visited the Museum of Science and Industry, took in a show at Second City, visited Millenium Park, ate sushi, drank wine, and laughed our way through the weekend.  It was simply wonderful weekend and I hope we can repeat it next year - we just need to pick a location, right girls? :)

I discovered something very interesting while in coversation with my friends that weekend.  Of the five of us who were there, four of us are gardening this summer.   I was so excited to hear this as I am more convinced all the time that we should have more knowledge of where our food actually comes from.  I love visiting the farmers' markets in Omaha and getting to see the farmers who actually produce the goods I am purchasing.  I would much rather spend the time to make something from scratch than purchase a mix or something premade at the store. 

And I love that so many of my peers feel the same way about food.  I find it so encouraging that there is a possibility that in the future our society will begin moving back towards homemade, homegrown foods and having a much better idea of where our food is coming from.

This summer Matt (with Pell's help) installed two 8X4 foot garden boxes in our backyard.   I planted in early June and we have been enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables since.

Tomatoes, and Meatballs, and Eggs

A couple of months ago I was introduced to Smitten Kitchen, a simply delightful foodie blog that I now check at least once per week for her newest recipe including her wonderful photography.  A few weeks ago, she featured a recipe for Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons that I knew I wanted to make as soon as possible. Luckily, my parents came over the dinner the weekend after I first saw the recipe and it was the perfect opportunity to try it out.  

Oh.my.goodness.   

This recipe doesn't disappoint. The picture above is what it looked like prior to baking.  It looked so wonderful after baking and I was so anxious to try it that I didn't get a picture of it before we ate.  Because I have a meat-eating husband, I paired this with another Smitten Kitchen recipe - Baked Chicken Meatballs.  The meatballs were good, but I would almost venture to say that I would prefer to eat them outside of the traditional spaghetti and meatballs method. The chicken and bacon combination warrants an opportunity to enjoy the flavor of the meatballs instead of drowning them in sauce and burying them in pasta.

But back to the Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons - the whole point of this post.  I have a couple of recommendations when making this dish.  My tomatoes were fantastic, juicy tomatoes, but the dish suffered a bit because they were a little too juicy.  I even reduced some of the juice when making the dish and the end result was more of a stew than a casserole consistency.  Additionally, the bread I used was far to airy.  This dish really needs bread that is quite dense and won't immediately soak up all kinds of juice.    

Regardless of the unintended texture, the flavor in this dish is simply divine. I really can't imagine anyone who likes tomatoes not falling in love with the rich tomato taste present in every single bite.

And Smitten's recommendation to try it leftover (if you manage to have any leftover) with a poached egg on top moves this dish from fantastic to out-of-this-world!  I might even consider making this for brunch sometime. 

Food

I've discovered that my blogging often focuses on food.  I'll admit to it, I really enjoy food.  I like to try new flavors, concepts, and fads.  I am constantly finding recipies and saving them to try later.   I sometimes get very self-conscious about the fact that my blog discusses food quite often.  I typically try to eat healthy most of the time, but I am also not afraid to try something I am interested in even if it means eating something that isn't necessarily in the "healthy" category. 

Kansas City!

This weekend combined two of my favorite things: spending time with good friends and traveling.  Our weekend started on Friday night celebrating Becky's birthday.  We enjoyed some pizza, good conversation, and even got a peek at the new little one!  Hannah seems to be adjusting well as are mom and dad.


Our fun weekend continued when we picked up Pell and Bren on Saturday morning and headed to Kansas City to enjoy a weekend with Andrew and Amy.  It was last July that they visited Omaha for a weekend and we thought it was about time we repay the visit.  We had a delightful time. 

We started our visit by arriving hungry and immediately asking to go eat.  We decided on a great burger joint called b-2.  I think it is safe to say that we all really enjoyed our food.  We each ordered a different burger and then shared three different kinds of fries: regular, sweet potato, and the fries covered in gouda cheese and bacon.  I decided on the patty melt and wasn't disappointed. 


We stopped at a winery and enjoyed a glass of wine on the patio and then headed back to Andrew and Amy's to get ready for dinner.  Tim, Sarah, Addie, and John Deveney joined us for dinner and some play time on Saturday evening. 

We slept in on Sunday morning, the boys made breakfast (yay!) and then we headed out to the City Market.  It was incredibly hot so we didn't walk about for very long, but I did grab some delightful spices. We then headed for a late lunch at a wonderful litte place called the blue bird bistro.  After a great lunch (a tomato and feta sandwich for me) we jumped back in the car and headed north.  Somehow, we made a 26 hour trip seem really long! 

Thanks for the hospitality, Andrew and Amy!!

Back to Blogging

I decided to start anew with my blogging efforts. 

Previously, my blog has been a recording of events, but I find that boring to write, so I can imagine how boring it must be to read! 

So, I'm changing things up - I'm starting anew with my blog and plan to still record events in my life but I also plan to include lots of information about things I love. 

I love to cook, bake, and to try new recipes and foods. 

I also love to create thing. 

You can find Matt and me traveling, spending time with friends and family,

and enjoying life together.  

My job keeps me on my toes, but I love what I do and I love where I work. 

I'm taking classes right now to complete my master's degree and am really enjoying the coursework - much more than I thought I would. 

I'm actually contemplating more school when I am done and sometimes I think I am crazy for even considering that.

My StrengthQuest assessment indicates my strengths are

context, restorative, learner, strategic, and intellection

and I can see these emerge in my daily life. 

I am also an introvert by nature so the whole concept

of a blog is a little outside of my comfort zone.

But, I'm ready to give it a go - hope you enjoy!