Pretty Peppers
January 24, 2009
Wow – I’ve never made such a pretty meal as I did a few nights ago – seriously, my dinner was so cheerful and colorful and just made me happy! Silly, I know — you probably think I’m a nut right about now, but really, check it out…
And the best part about my pretty peppers is that they were DE-LICIOUS! Dustin was even a Little upset that I took all of the leftovers for lunch and didn’t leave him any to eat the next night! Here’s the recipe (fairly easy) if you wanna try them out:
- 6 whole bell peppers (red, yellow or orange preferred)
- One pound lean ground beef
- 1 Cup brown rice
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 can chicken stock
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Course salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 3500 F
- Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown in skillet on medium-temperature
- In the meantime, cook the rice with half the amount of liquid called for (using chicken stock rather than water will add flavor) and half the time as noted on the box directions. Once the rice mixture is transferred to the peppers, the liquid in the peppers will cook the rice the remainder of the way in the oven. Be careful not to over cook the rice before filling the peppers as it will get soggy.
- add the can of tomatoes, liquid and all, into the skillet with the ground beef
- Once the rice is done, add that to the skillet along with the minced garlic and salt and pepper
- Combine all ingredients well
- Cut the tops off the peppers and remove all seeds from inside
- Take your meat and rice mixture and fill the peppers to the top. If there’s any extra stock from the rice, add it to each individual pepper. After the peppers are full, put the tops back on.
- Cover the entire baking dish with aluminum foil and cook in the oven for 50 minutes
- Remove the foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes
Swing arm and jab needle into thigh
January 13, 2009
First, let me say that I firmly believe that the words swing, jab, and needle should NEVER be used in the same sentence, ESPECIALLY when describing how to self-inject a potentially life-saving medicine into one’s own body…
So last Wednesday ended kind of strangely. As I was finishing up a little bit of cardio on the elliptical at the gym, my throat began to feel really weird…kinda itchy, kinda scratchy, just not normal at all. A few minutes after feeling the weirdness in my throat, my face started to itch at which time I felt a welt the size of a silver dollar on my left cheek …then my right ear got really hot and itchy followed by my bottom lip swelling up to more than double its normal size (think Will Smith in Hitch or better yet homemade macadamia nut ice cream on my honeymoon!). By the time I convinced myself to get off the machine and check myself out in the mirror, my entire face was red and puffy and my throat had almost swollen shut. Normally at this point I would be freaking out (most of you know me well enough to know I’m pretty dramatic), but luckily (or unfortunately) I had a very similar experience a few years ago when I was running with Caty. When I went to the minor emergency clinic (technically I believe the closing of one’s windpipe is a little more than a ‘minor’ emergency, but I knew the emergency room would be packed) they simply told me I was having an allergic reaction to something in the air (ya think??), gave me a shot and sent me on my merry way with a prescription for epi pens so that I could treat myself (eerrrr, save my own life) in the case that this ever happened again. Lucky me, it happened again and I got to make use of that prescription…
When I get home the first thing Dustin says upon seeing my distorted features was “Your lip is really big and you’re talking funny.” Uuuummm, maybe because my overactive immune system is attacking my face??!!?? Anyway, I quickly found the epi’s and started reading the directions which stated “swing arm and jab needle into upper thigh” – really, I have to gain momentum before stabbing myself with an inch long needle? I just couldn’t do it so I handed over the evil needle to Dustin who gladly swung and stabbed. 2 hours later I’m fine and able to breath without feeling like my chest might implode from the effort – whew…that was a close one…or not. I just hope the wind whisks away the mountain cedar and whatever else might be clogging up my pipes — I can’t take another jab…at least for a while.
I resolute to…
January 13, 2009
I've never been a fan of resolutions…not because I couldn't finish them, but because from a very young age I was taught to set goals throughout the year (not just at the beginning of the year). I was told that each day was a new beginning and that anything could be accomplished at any time with a little heart, hard work, and possibly a few tears. I have to say, that was one of the best lessons I've carried with me into adulthood. I've continued to set goals (some small and others HUGE) throughout my third decade and I guess that's why I don't feel the need to set a definite resolution each time New Year's Eve rolls around. I will admit, the New Year does bring the feeling of a 'clean slate' and really puts me in the mood to set new goals and to strive to complete others that may be lagging in the completion department. So while I will not call the following list 'resolutions' I will endeavor to check them off of my life-long to-do list in 2009 — but I know as soon as I achieve one, a new goal will be added to the end of the list and I will continue to barrel forward in 2009 and beyond!
So, in the spirit of the new year, I resolute to…
Physical Goals:
- Complete a half marathon — my eyes (and entry fee) are set on The Big Don April 5th
- Enter the world of multi-sport competition (just enter it, not necessarily be competitive in it) – contemplating the Tough Cookie Duathlonon March 15th
- Complete a triathlon (sprint distance of course!) — aiming for the Rogue Womens Trion July 26th
Educational Goals:
- Determine the best masters degree to pursue (need to determine if I should continue the one I started or gear myself in a different direction in order to reach long-term goals)
- Create a timeline for completing my masters degree (would prefer to complete it before I am 30…starting to hit up against that deadline!!)
Hobbyistic Goals:
- Expand realm of underwater photography skills (possibly take a class…and then take a vacation to use my new talents)
- Redesign my family blog (yep, the one you're reading — I'd really like to make it more professional looking and have realized in trying to do so that my programming skills have really been thrown to the wayside – may need to take a class for this one too)
- Scrapbook more — need to finish my running book and our 2008 vacations book and my bachelorette party book!
Well, there they are — they're really the biggest ones on the list…the ones that I need to see on a daily basis to remind myself what I'm working toward. It will be an exciting year, one I'm really looking forward to and approaching head on with a positive outlook. Good luck to all of my family and friends this year – get your goals down on paper then check them off one by one!
A little wine to bring in 2009
January 11, 2009
Getting the party started:
Getting the party started
Wow, what a way to leave 2008 behind and ring in the new year – with great friends, at a great location, with great food, and great wine! On New Year’s Eve Dustin and I traveled to Austin to join several others for a bash planned by our good friends Matt & Chris. They rented a marvelous bed and breakfast nestled in the hill-country overlooking Lake Travis – and hosted the best New Year’s Eve party I’ve ever attended (seriously!).
Rolis Bed & Breakfast - The view of Lake Travis from our room
One of their coworkers hand-rolled fresh sushi for us while 2 others coddled us with Italian meatballs (with a made-from-scratch marinara sauce), brushetta, and tantalizing guacamole among other wonderful appetizers.
Fun followed the food with help from the Wii and wine…lots and lots of wine…midnight came with a bang (lots of fireworks over and across the lake) and went, but not before a dip in the jacuzzi!
The next morning gave Dustin and Matt a chance to cook brunch for Chris and I and that experience provided almost as much fun as the night before (see the smoke bellowing from the stove below)…kitchen yoga (Dustin refuses to let me post the pictures!) and Matt’s waffles certainly spiced up the affair! In the end, the food furnished much needed nourishment we all needed to aid in our recovery from the night before.
Matt & Chris – Thanks for throwing such an awesome shindig and letting us join in the mirth! May 2009 bring nothing but happiness to you all!
No Snow, Just Go..Go..Go
January 11, 2009
Well, you couldn’t find any snow near the Trimmier residence this year during Christmastime, but you could find us blowing and going and having fun! Our Christmas festivities started with one of the best bashes on the face of the planet — Urbanovsky style! We joined my mom’s family on the Urby Farm (in West, TX) along with about 40 other people and celebrated in true Urby fashion with great food, lots of laughs and caroling before opening gifts (a long standing tradition that my granddad used to make all the grandkids do before getting presents…we’ve kept the tradition alive and now all the aunts, uncles, kids, and grandkids share in the singing). It was definitely nice to see everyone as we usually only see them 1 or 2 times a year. We have a lot of new babies in the family and it was fun seeing their eyes light up at the Christmas tree as they opened their new toys.
Middle Picture: Top - Von, Dustin, Jenn, Bottom - Sheila, Grandma Urby, Marvin
The celebrations continued on Christmas Eve when Dustin and I hosted the Trimmier family at our house for dinner. Deb, Tim (Dustin’s parents), Drew, Anne (Dustin’s brother and his fiance), Nanie, Papaw (Dustin’s grandparents), Dustin and I dined on luscious beef tenderloin, homemade mac-n-cheese, sausage balls, veggies & dip, mandarin & blackberry spinach salad, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, broccoli corn casserole, hot rolls, lime jello salad, buttermilk pie, pumpkin bread, and cherry pie before retiring to the couch to have lively discussion about the family’s notable events in 2008 and plans for 2009. One of the most noteworthy celebrations in 2009 will be the upcoming nuptials of Drew & Anne — May 2nd! We also had fun researching the Trimmier family history and learning of our ancestor’s fame — Did you know that Leonard Tremeer earned a bronze medal in the 400 meter hurdles in the 1908 Olympics — seriously! Also (and obvious from my previous sentence), Trimmier used to be spelled Trimeer and then Trimyear before it morphed into its current form. Thanks to ancestry.com, my husband and father-in-law are now obsessed with tracing the roots of their family tree (I must admit it’s pretty darn interesting and I can’t wait to see what else they uncover!).
Drew & Anne, Christmas flowers, Nanie & Honey
Christmas morning was filled with stocking stuffers (Dustin and I did not do any ‘big’ gifts this year as we have made several large purchases for our home and office throughout the year) and lounging while enjoying our first Christmas morning in our own home…isn’t that weird – we’ve been together for 6 Christmases and in all those years we have never woken up in our own bed on Christmas morning. We are usually traveling to see family across the state and country, but this year we stayed put in good ‘ole San Antonio and we thoroughly enjoyed it (sorry Mom & Nanny!). It was nice to have people come to us this year and even nicer not having to spend 2 to 3 days of our time off sitting in a car on I-35 battling all of the other holiday travelers. After coffee and stockings the Trimmier gang joined us again for lunch – Nanie’s homemade chili and tamales — if it’s not obvious yet, the theme of our holiday season was ‘EAT!’ – but I guess that’s true for most American families!! Benjamen Button was the movie pick for that evening (it gets 2 stars from me for its lengthiness and weirdness) and the rest is history – well, that is if history is lounging on the couch, eating lots of leftovers and playing on your new computer!
Later in the week we enjoyed an intimate Italian dinner at Little Italy with Dustin’s parents, Drew & Anne – it was a lovely meal accompanied by lovely wine and even lovelier conversation.
We hope that all of you enjoyed your Christmas as much as we did and that you and your families feel the essence of Christmas all year long. We leave you with one last saying of the season and wish nothing but it’s meaning upon you ~ “Christmas is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.” Agnes M. Pharo
