To the Oak Tree in the Deck, Your shady coverage is so nice during the heat of the summer, but come fall/winter and it is a completely different story.You may have dropped a billion leaves all over our yard. Handsome Hubby and I spent the weekend raking all of your leaves into one enormous pile and proceeded to stuff lawn waste bags for the yard waste Monday pick up. To Long Dog, Who would have thought an indoor dog such as yourself would love a massive pile of these?? I'm so thankful for all the ways you make me laugh! 
To Baby Boy, Your now officially the size of a sweet potato (5.5 inches)! It seems like time is flying...your time in "the oven" is nearly half-way over! I've been hard at work coming up with nursery ideas and I think I have it! I plan to design your little room after this mobile and decorate with black and white pictures of your Grandpop and great grandfathers in their uniforms. Now if only we could come up with a name for you... 
To Mrs. South Korea, Thanks for a wonderful morning! I had a blast having breakfast with you and getting our nails done. It's so exciting that you get to see Mr. South Korea this week...and I bet no one is as excited as he is!! Hoping for a smooth trip (and maybe first class!) the whole way there. And lets do breakfast and nails again when you get back! :)
To Handsome Hubby, You had the WHOLE weekend off, and you helped me spend it doing yard/house chores. I am so thankful for all of your help!



And just to show you how much Long Dog loved the leaves...

Enjoying the little leaf pile...Scene 1

The large leaf pile...took up as much ground as my car, about the height of my shoulders.

And he finally learns about his retriever half...

To my Sweetheart, Last weekend we went to our store of choice and bought a Christmas tree! I was so excited to finally bring the oh-so-Christmasy smell into our home. I woke up early on Sunday and put lights on the tree and we decorated it with ornaments after church...you even drank my homemade hot chocolate! Thank you for helping me get the house ready for Christmas!
To the Snowman Ornament, It was Christmas 1991 and Popmiester brought you to me all the way from Germany as my special ornament that year. Like you, I have a special story for all of the ornaments I put on the tree (and Handsome Hubby heard them all!!) I am looking forward to all the ornaments that will join you in the many years to come!
To Dingo Dog, It's a day late, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You made it to you very first birthday and I know that your parents (Weathergirl and Hurricane Hunk) are so proud. So glad that you were able to celebrate with a small ice cream party with White Dog and Sadie Girl... Long Dog really wished he could be there. He wishes you many years of toy chewing, long walks, and splashing in puddles. :)
To Handsome Dr. Hubby, One of the patients you have been caring for for quite sometime passed away yesterday and you comforted the family with their loss. We had been praying for his healing, and the loss really affected you. I am thankful that you have such compassion for your patients. I know that the Lord led you to exactly the right profession! May you always strive to be a different kind of doctor, one who truly cares for his patients. Praise that we know that this patient is with the Lord! 

Great Expectations

The beginning of anything, whether spiritual growth, physical growth, maturity, marriage, etc comes with expectations. Hopes for what is to come. The desire to know what life will be like. The changes ahead. The goals. The dreams. The promises. The prospects. As is the case when you are expecting to bring a new life, a little blessing, into the world. Even from the very start of that precious life, we as parents begin to imagine the life that will unfold. What an incredible journey lies ahead! What abounding joy!

What utter emotional destruction when that life is taken away almost as quickly as it was started.

I want to share my journey, that it may be words of wisdom and encouragement to any couple that may go through this experience. I am now almost 17 weeks pregnant with a sweet child due in May 2012. The Lord has been so faithful to us! But before this little one, we had a miscarriage in July as I was just starting my 8th week of pregnancy. It has taken me a while to get to the point where I am able to share my (our) struggle as we grieve the loss of a precious life so temporary, yet already with a lifetime of expectations. Even at just a few weeks after finding out we were expecting, you have developed such an attachment to the life growing inside of you. This loss of our first baby was devastating.

Although almost 1 in 2 pregnancies ends in miscarriage, in the moment as you realize the loss of such an innocent life, you feel so alone, unsure of where or whom to turn to for help. A miscarriage is normally such a private matter, something often kept between spouses, and maybe family and close friends. We have decided to share publicly, that we may be a resource to those who may also be going through such an experience.

Over the last several weeks (and months), the Lord has reminded me that He gives me the strength to get through each day, each circumstance, each valley. The times we feel He has left us alone is when He is carrying us through each moment. He provides individuals in our lives to support us, encourage us, and guide us through the trials of this life. I thank our family and our friends for their outpouring of love and support. A special thanks to my mama who came and took care of me, held my hand at the doctor's office, and made us wonderful meals! I thank my mother-in-law for the information and pamphlets about coping with miscarriage and loss. I thank my sweet husband, who just held me when I needed it most. I thank the Lord, for allowing my heart to be joyful in my circumstances. I know there may still be difficult days ahead but I know that the generous strength the Lord gives me will cover me even in these times.

The Lord has given us such a passion and desire to be parents and we feel so blessed that He has been faithful to fulfill promise! He has blessed us now with a healthy pregnancy and I praise Him for protecting this baby and myself. Can't wait until May to meet this precious one! And I know that someday I will meet Baby Bolduc #1 in heaven when I meet the Lord!

I heard this song by Laura Story a few days after the miscarriage and it reminded me of promises from the Lord and really helped me cope with the loss of this little life. 

To my Blog Readers, I'm back! As many of you may know already, pregnancy has taken its toll on me and I have spent much of the last 8-9 weeks very sick! Mama was convinced there must be more than one baby in there with how sick I have been. But, thankfully, I am beginning to feel on the up and up! I have pushed through it, persevered, and I know that it is for a very wonderful cause! 15 weeks down, 25 (or so) to go!
To Sarah, Pace, Kara, and Josh, You all made learning Settlers of Catan so fun! Thank you for sharing your favorite board game with us! We talked about it so much over Thanksgiving, that we splurged, bought it for ourselves, and taught seemingly every member of both families how to play! :) We are now the proud owners of such a delightful game...you may borrow it whenever you like! To Banker Boy, It kills me that you somehow master every strategy game. You're just that smart.
To my Work Family, I had a blast at Carraba's last night! So thankful for the annual Christmas Ladies Night out and feel incredibly blessed to call you all my work family. Merry Christmas to you all!...even if it is a little early!
To my Incredible Husband, You are a hard working doctor, you are a surgery intern, you are an amazing husband, and you are going to be a daddy! Somehow with all of your roles, you have managed to take over many of mine (teaching Kindergarten Sunday school, making dinner, cleaning house, doing laundry), all the while taking care of me while I have been so sick. You have no idea how much this means to me. You have been such a servant leader and I am so thankful for you!   

Surprise!!

We are finally officially announcing...

BABY BOLDUC due May 2012! 

We are so very excited to see and experience all of the many many blessings the Lord has and will give us with this beautifully tiny gift. :)

To my Dinner Date, Last night we went to Blue Sky Kitchen on a hot date and we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. We had a delicious meal, and you sipped on the beer on tap, and we had a wonderful conversation. It was fun, romantic, and an important way to reconnect after having spent some time apart this week. Until... At one point during dinner, I leaned over for a kiss, to which you responded my blowing beer breath directly in my face...a mere 4 inches or so away. What were you thinking?? After laughing until tears were almost streaming down your face, you said something about thinking I wanted to smell the beer. Nice...
To my iPhone, I made a very expensive mistake this week (a very "1st World" problem). After spilling an entire bowl of oatmeal on myself at breakfast one morning, I immediately took off my terry cloth robe and washed it to prevent "oatmeal concrete". It wasn't until much later that I realized I no longer knew where you were. Alas, I found you at the bottom of the washer after it had completed the entire cycle...fill, agitate, rinse, spin and all! I was distraught. I shook the water out, and immediately placed you in a bowl of rice, where you sat for 8 hours, then opened the back and placed you in a low-heat oven for another 5 hours, then took you to work the next day and put you in the desiccator for another 9 hours. After 48 hours, I finally turned you on and YOU WORK!! Are you kidding?! I am completely amazed.
To the Popmiester, You had many follow up appointments this week and a stress test, and what was the consensus among all the doctors??: You are a medical miracle. Growing up, you used to tell Banker Boy that he was a modern medicine marvel, but now I think you can claim this title! From this, we can come to two conclusions/sweet reminders: 1) The Lord must not be done with you yet; and 2) He is capable of incredible things! In this month of Thanksgiving, I can say we are all so very thankful for your health!

To Thing 1, After much debate over what to dress up as for our friend's Halloween Party, we decided to go as Thing 1 and Thing 2 for Seuss' Cat and the Hat. I loved being crafty with you for an afternoon and what an adventure it was to color our hair blue! Only Weathergirl could have pulled off a Thing 1 as good as you! 
To the Christmas Post, It is never too early to start writing you up...I actually feel like I might be starting late this year! Hoping to get organized and "publish" you by early December! 
To the GT Football Team, One word: impressed! Way to deliver at Saturday's game against Clemson! I can honestly say I haven't stayed up that late in a long time, but I enjoyed watching the very last minutes of the game and the crowd of loyal Yellow Jacket fans (and alumni!) storming the field in celebration. Only wish I had been that for such an incredible Homecoming game!
To my Dr. B., This last week, your last full week on G.I. Surgery, you completed an open inguinal hernia repair. I'm so proud!! Sometimes it amazes me to think that you go to work and get to do surgery all day. :) Good luck on your first day of Urology today!

Food Friday! : Festive Butter Cookies

Buttercream Iced Butter Cookies

One of the many things that I fondly remember about the holidays (all of them!) was my mother's butter cookies (thanks Mama for the recipe!). Each holiday of course was represented by various holiday-appropriate shapes and the three of us kids devoured them. She would keep extras in the freezer, hoping we would never know they were there, and instead we just got used to eating frozen cookies. :) I almost prefer them that way now. I will admit, this recipe is a little bit labor intensive, with the rolling of the dough, cutting out of the cookies, baking the cookies, and icing them (and we never really appreciated the amount of work that went into them), but it is well worth it! And it makes for truly beautiful cookies, if I may say so myself. I hope you enjoy! 


Ingredients:


 (for cookies)
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tsp vanilla 
3 cups flour 
1/2 tsp baking powder


(for icing)
1 box powdered sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 tsp vanilla
1-3 tbsp milk for thickness


Preparation


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Add beaten egg and mix well. Then add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Stir into butter/egg/sugar mixture. Form dough into giant ball.

On a floured surface, roll dough (I start with about 1/4 of the total amount of dough) out until its about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.

Cut with cookie cutters. I use pumpkins and leaves for fall (although there is a very wide assortment of other shapes you can use).

Place on ungreased cookie sheet (or on silpat) and bake approximately 5-7 mins or until edges are being to lightly brown. Place on cooling rack to completely cool.

For the icing,  cream together 1/2 cup butter (softened) and powdered sugar. Then add vanilla and blend thoroughly. Begin by adding 1 tbsp of milk at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. I normally only add the 1 tbsp, but if you would prefer thinner icing, you can add more. Add food coloring dropwise until you get the color you want. I used several drops of both red and yellow for the pumpkin color and several drops of only green for the stem.

Ice the cookies once they are completely cool. It may even be the perfect opportunity to break up the task of making the cookies and ice them on a different day. The cookies can be stored in refrigerator or freezer. Enjoy!

To my Pumpkin Picker, On Sunday, you and I went hunting for the perfect pumpkin. Had you gone by yourself and brought home any pumpkin, I would have probably thought it was perfect, but since you took me with you, we were on a quest to find the epitome of a perfect pumpkin. Sorry it took so long, and thank you for putting up with my picky choices! :) Although, to be fair...we did end up with the best two pumpkins ever! (We paid $1 for the pumpkin in the picture, but I couldn't resist its cuteness!). I'm looking forward to carving at least the big one with you this weekend!
To my Small Group, I'm so thankful for the discussion that we had last night and I'm so grateful for the role that each of you has in my life! You are such a wonderful source of encouragement and support and I always am so refreshed! The Lord has truly blessed me with each one of you!
To my Social Mr. B., We are invited to a Halloween/Birthday/Costume Party on Friday, as in tomorrow... All of a sudden I'm so nervous about dressing up and I can't think of a single costume option! How about you just go and say I came dressed as the Invisible Woman?! P.S. Only a few more days of G.I. and then its off to General Urology! You'll be 1/3 of the way through your intern year! :)


Seriously though, any one have any great costume ideas?? For me or for me and HH as a couple? Think modest and respectful...

Food Friday! : Chicken Pockets

Food Friday! : Chicken Pockets

This is one of Handsome Hubby's favorite (recent) recipes I found a few months back on e-mealz.com, a subscription website that is great for help weekly meal-planning on a tight budget. This recipe is fairly quick to put together and I always double the recipe so we have more leftovers. This is also the kind of meal that I often buy the ingredients for somewhat in advance, except for the rotisserie chicken, and use as an "emergency" meal when we need it (and it is easy enough that HH has made it multiple times on his own!). I made these for Sunday dinner after a pretty busy day, and now the pictures are making me hungry just looking at them! Enjoy!! :)

Ingredients   (2 recipes worth)

1- 8 oz package of cream cheese (I use Light Philadelphia Cream cheese, but any kind really works)
1/2 cup of mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's Light)
2 cans crescent rolls, unbaked (I use Pillsbury's Light Crescent Rolls)
1 whole rotisserie chicken
1 tsp Italian seasoning, or seasonings of your preference to taste
1 beaten egg

PreparationPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, shredded chicken and seasonings in a bowl. It helps if the cream cheese is room temperature.

Open each can of crescent rolls and lay out dough to make rectangles (two triangle dough pieces pressed together). Place a heaping spoonful of the cream cheese/chicken mixture in the center and pull up the excess dough around it to form a pouch, pinching the dough together at the top to keep it together. Some will look nicer than others, but they all taste wonderful in the end!

 I then lightly spread the beaten egg using a pastry brush over the top of the chicken pocket, which can help "glue" the dough together and also gives a nice browned look to the pocket after baking.

I sprinkle the tops with a little extra seasoning, just for appearances. ;)

Bake at 350 degrees for 14-20 minutes, or until the pastry is no longer doughy to the touch and has nicely browned. Enjoy!

To Long Dog, Thank you for being such a good sport. You put up with so much! Handsome Hubby dressed you up in his t-shirt the other day and had you running around the house. Thank you for appeasing him and thinking it was all in good fun. I can't promise he won't do it again!
To the New Kitchen Faucet, The landlord installed you last Saturday and it has been glorious not to hear the incessant dripping of water (the volume of the TV used to be directly proportionate to the noise of a dripping faucet). I'm still getting used to the slightly new style, but I'm so thankful for this new chrome fixture! And on a side note, I had a constant reminder of what is said in Proverbs 19: A nagging wife is like constant dripping. May I never be a leaky-faucet-wife!
To Time, Where have you gone?! I can't believe it is Thursday already this week! It seemed like just yesterday I promised to fix my photo editing software and upload a Food Friday! It has been yet another week since I posted. Here's to living each moment of each day, not stressing about not having enough time, and asking for guidance on what the Lord would have me do this day. Tomorrow has enough troubles of its own!
To my Vampire Husband, I'm only kidding... but, seriously- You leave in the morning well before the sun comes up and you return home long after the sun goes down (and sometimes you even have blood on your shirt!). I know that in the craziness of patient care and surgeries at the hospital you may not know that the sun actually came up this day. May the Lord bless you today, and since you don't see sun, may you feel His presence shining down on you! May He grant you the encouragement you need, the recall that is necessary, and the confidence to be the best advocate for your patients to get the job done!

To my Sleepy-Doo, You are officially almost done with your second week on G.I. surgery. The best part? Not having to be at the hospital so early because you only have 2 patients instead of 27 (on trauma surgery!). What does this mean for your early mornings? We get to wake up together! No more frighteningly early alarms, no rummaging around in the dark to find socks, shoes, and whatever else. I've decided I like it so much better when I actually get to spend part of my morning with you. Two more weeks of G.I. and then its off to Urology!
To Banker Boy, A couple weeks ago you called me and said you had won an iPad2 at work that day...in a dodgeball tournament! Of the 80 teams that played in the during-work-hours dodgeball-a-thon, your team won! Who knew you had such mad dodgeball skills?! I would love to take a break from the regular grind and play in a work tournament...I need to work for a bank. Besides, that is where the money is kept!
To Weathergirl and Hurricane Hunk, Last weekend you graciously allowed us to use Weathergirl's season football ticket for the GT vs MD game. We were beyond thrilled and I secured the seat immediately behind it for myself. Handsome Hubby and I had a blast and can't believe it was our first football game (in person) in over 2 years!! Time flies... Thank you for your generosity! You made our weekend!
To my Loving Husband, You drove into the driveway yesterday, turned around on the parking pad and left. What a tease! But, when you came home a few minutes later, you said you had gone to buy me flowers from Rose Lady down the street...and, you had gone every afternoon this week, but all of the flowers had been purchased already. I love that you wanted to buy me flowers! Thank you for showing your romantic side. And you can keep checking her rose supply... :)





P.S. Food Friday post coming later (after work) so I can retrieve the pictures.

Happy (Dating) Anniversary!

Hello Blog Readers!

It has been a whole week since I last updated...I have been under the weather for the last several days (and then passed it along to Handsome Hubby) and took some time to recuperate. As a result of being sick, I also did not cook/bake much this week (although I did thaw some chicken noodle soup I had frozen especially for weeks like this and I made blue box mac and cheese one night for dinner...), so alas, no Food Friday today either. Sadness...

But, I didn't want to leave you empty handed on this beautiful Friday (that's right, almost the weekend!). Above is Handsome Hubby and my first costume party picture together on the porch of Theta Xi at Georgia Tech. This happened to be the night that he officially asked me to be his girlfriend, right there on that porch swing...10-7-2004...7 years ago today! It would be another 2 months until our first kiss (my very first ever first kiss!), almost exactly 2 years until he asked for my hand in marriage, and almost 3.5 years until we would actually tie the knot!

To my Sweetheart, Thank you for the time that we have spent together. Thank you for being the man that you are, the leader of our household, a wonderful friend, and an incredible companion. Here's to many more years together! I can't wait to share them all with you! I love you.


P.S. What really helps me remember this date is that HH used to use it as a password. :)

Food Friday! : Balsamic Vinegar Marinated Hamburgers

Balsamic Vinegar Marinated Hamburgers

One of our favorite things to do during football season is to grill out before watching the game (on tv... sad to say), and one of our favorite things to grill are hamburgers. A few years back, I found this incredible recipe for Balsamic Vinegar Marinated Turkey Burgers and we love it so much we use it with hamburger meat too. I remember making this for Handsome Hubby's PawPaw one time and he said it was the best hamburger he had every eaten...from a sometimes picky picky eater, that is a huge compliment! Try it for yourself...you might be impressed!

Ingredients

1 pound ground meat (turkey or hamburger)
One medium white or yellow onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (it's your preference. I love this marinade, and I go for more like 3 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings

Preparation

Finely chop/dice onion or use a food processor. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and seasonings. Add the onion and mix. Pour over meat and mix together. I use my hands...it's just easier. Form meat into small to medium patties and grill until done. I serve this on whole wheat buns, with lettuce (hydroponic lettuce makes for a really beautiful looking hamburger!), avocado, and cheddar cheese (I promise it's not American in the picture), and HH always adds barbecue sauce. :)

Happy Eating! And enjoy whatever football game you may be watching this weekend! GOOOOO JACKETS!

To my Sweetie, Sometimes I leave you notes signed by "Mrs. Dr. B.". This is because I love being your wife, and I'm so proud of the accomplishments you have made!
To the Swede, There is nothing in the world I like more than receiving snail mail (although I don't much like junk mail...). Imagine my surprise when I not only got snail mail all the way from Sweden!!...but, it was a whole package! :) I completely forgot that you were sending it and it made my day yesterday. Hoping the cold weather isn't coming too soon for you already.
To my Small Group Girls, Thanks for a wonderful discussion last night! You ladies are such an encouragement to me and I am thankful for everyone of you...the new and the old! It is always so refreshing to fellowship with you all! Makes my Wednesday's just a little bit brighter. 
To my Dr. B., It was made pretty clear that you would not be doing any procedures/surgeries during your September rotation, but you had a nice surprise yesterday!- you got to put in a chest tube in the E.R. Now, I know it's no open appendectomy or a whipple, but when you haven't been in the O.R. for several weeks, placing a chest tube is an incredible task...one that you were excited to do! Here's to only one more full day in Trauma Surgery and then on to a new month's rotation...I hope filled with so many surgeries you can't even count!

To the Popmiester, Thanks for helping us fix our circa 1927 toilet! Can't believe anyone ever thought that using steel pipes was a good idea (...the pipes are filled with rust!). Thanks for your plumbing expertise and your willingness to work on a project! :) It now takes 2 minutes to fill the enormous tank instead of 30. I'm so thankful that you and Mama Ne' came for the weekend! And Long Dog is even more thankful that you brought along the White Dog. 
To my favorite M-I-L and B-I-L, Yay for figuring out facetime and chatting "face-to-face" with you, at least for a few minutes! It was great to be able to talk to you! We should definitely try and do that more often!
To Stray Kitty, You should really pretend to be more afraid of the dogs. I know you are great friends with Long Dog, but the White Dog spends all of her time licking her lips when she sees you and even tries to nibble your ears when you get close... I wonder what makes her think that kitty cats taste good?... :)
To my Dr. Hubby, My parents got a really good idea of exactly how much you work/ how little I see you while they were here this weekend. As much as they missed seeing more of you, I loved having them here on a weekend that you worked! T minus 3 days until the end of this rotation! Wahooooooooo!!


Picture: This is the steel tank lid on the toilet in our upstairs bath. It's hard to read with the rust build up, but the toilet was manufactured in the USA on June 3, 1927. That is one old toilet!

Food Friday! : Perfect Apple Pie

Perfect Apple Pie

With fall well on its way, and apples in season, I decided to make an apple pie for us to enjoy while watching the Yellow Jackets play last weekend. It turned out great! I must be honest...this is a collaboration of Paula Dean's apple pie filling (from her Crunch Top Apple Pie recipe) and a Cooking Light apple pie crust. It worked well together and the pie was delicious! When I found out Paula's pie crust recipe used 12 additional tablespoons of butter for the same amount of dough, I just couldn't bring myself to make it! 


Dough Ingredients:
 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (of course, I used half all-purpose flour, and half whole wheat flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup ice water
Cooking spray

Filling Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash salt
3 1/2 cups peeled, chopped cooking apples(I use 3-4 medium sized peeled apples, depending on how stuffed you want the pie...)
1 (16-ounce) jar applesauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, chopped into small pieces


Preparation

Lightly spoon 2 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually add ice water; toss with a fork until flour mixture is moist. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Gently press each portion into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap. Cover and chill 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 425°. Prepare filling: Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in apples, apple sauce, and lemon juice. Set aside.

Once the dough is chilled, unwrap and place 1 portion of chilled dough on floured wax paper. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Place dough in 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Spoon apple mixture into pie pan and dot with the 2 tablespoons chopped butter. Unwrap and place the second portion of chilled dough on floured waxed paper and roll dough into another 12-inch circle. Lay over the top of the pie and press edges of the pie together, also removing excess dough hanging out of/off of the dish. Cut several slits in the top of the dough to allow steam to escape. You can also decorate with any left over dough pieces.

Still unbaked, but having a little fun with some fall-inspired leaves!

Place pie plate on a foil-lined baking sheet; bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove pie from oven); bake an additional 40 minutes or until browned. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy (best served with vanilla ice cream)!  :)

 

To my Teaching Dr. B., Among many many other things, your job right now is largely managing patients and their care. And managing/teaching med students. The good and the bad. Sometimes you get really lucky, and you work/teach/train an excellent student. Such is the case this month. And as it turns out, he will be the same student on the G.I. service next month! You couldn't be more happy and I couldn't be more happy for you! 
To Weathergirl, Thanks for sending some rain our way! I was so excited this morning to pull out my wellies!! :) I still think it's so appropriate that you gave them to me. Next on my list of weather items? A new umbrella. I'm embarrassed to show you the condition mine is in currently... How about a new IKEA one? Nothing better than a Swedish umbrella with (kinda) Georgia Tech colors!
To Mama Ne and the Popmiester (and White Dog and Sadie Girl), You're coming to visit this weekend and I am beyond excited to catch up over cups of coffee, play disc golf with Popmiester's birthday gifts (disc golf discs, of course!), take the 3 dogs on long walks, and eat great food! I know that only Long Dog will be more excited than me that you're coming... which is why I haven't told him yet. Afterall, he has zero concept of time. :)
To my "golfing" buddy, Warm up your disc golf arm! There's going be a showdown this weekend! I'm not competitive, am I?

To my Dr. B., Thank you for all of your medical consultations. I'm sorry that I have so many aliments sometimes. ;) Thank you for your patience...
To Long Dog, It has been no secret that you were probably a fire-dog in your last life. You love anything that smells like smoke (grill smell included), and you howl at the passing firetrucks...not bark, not whine, howl... I love it and we have been forever trying to catch it on video. I now have the proof! You are such a funny dog and I love you.
To Fall, Yet another reason why I love fall: new episodes of my favorite shows! Can't wait to curl up with Long Dog, some hot tea, on this probably rainy afternoon, and watch the recorded Castle premiere from last night! T minus 8 hours of work remain! The perfect cure for my incredibly sore throat...
To Kung Fu Panda, I was watching you on tv yesterday while doing laundry (yes, I know...26 and watching kid's movies in my spare time...by myself!) and I was surprised to be reminded of a wonderful blessing I experience everyday: Grand Master Oogway said "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That is why they call it the 'present.'" Lord, thank you that you have blessed us with today. Thank you that you make each morning new. Thank you for the provisions and strength you give us to get through each day. It is a wonderful gift. Remind me each and every night that today is just one more day that you gifted me. 


Anyone notice that I had to prompt Long Dog's howling? :) We sound so much alike! Like mother like son (kinda)... 

To my Dr. Husband, I know you care for very, very sick patients on a daily basis, but you may be impressed to know that I saved one of my "patients" yesterday too! He stopped breathing after a dose of anesthesia, and I started chest compressions and prayed that his life might be spared. Almost 15 seconds later, life was breathed back into his little body and he started gasping! I promise I did not do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation...
To our Concerned Friends and Family, WE HAVE A/C! Real a/c, not a window unit. It's nice to have the house really cool, even if it because it might be 65 degrees outside and we have all of the windows still open. Oh, and all the electricity in the kitchen works too!
To this Perfect Fall Day, It might still be officially summer, but what a wonderful day! Beautiful temps, white chicken chili, cornbread muffins, apple pie, and the GT football game (what a wonderful surprise, since I didn't think it would be aired on any of my cable channels)!!! It would only be better if we were actually at Bobby Dodd Stadium! GO JACKETS!
To my Golfing Bee, Did you ever think that you would have time during your intern year to play in a golf tournament?! I sure didn't. I'm so glad you got to play today, and you still have the rest of the weekend off! I heard you played really well!



What's your favorite fall meal/food?
 

Food Friday! : Zucchini Nut Bread Cookie Sandwiches

Zucchini Nut Bread Cookie Sandwiches

It's a bread! It's a cookie! No, it's a sandwich!...

Last Sunday, I attended a potluck lunch and I had signed up to bring a dessert (enough for 12 people). Of all the dessert recipes I had, I decided to search for a new recipe to try and I came across this recipe on Martha Stewart's website, featuring recipes that included end-of-summer produce. These cookies, as indicated by "bread" in the name, are much more spongy and chewy than your normal cookie, and I might go so far as to say that they are almost like a muffin top. The cream cheese filling gives this sandwich a very oatmeal cream-pie look (especially tempting for children...and adults!), although I think these cookies might be just as good sans filling. Even still, they were a big hit! One (half)word: delish!

 Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (separated)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup finely grated zucchini
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Preparation

Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat 1 stick of the butter and the sugars until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Then, beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Mix in zucchini (mostly "de-watered"), oats, and walnuts. Refrigerate 1 hour before baking.

While waiting, make the icing: beat together remaining 1/2 stick butter, the cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop (about 2 tablespoons), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets (or silpats), spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden, about 15-17 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Once cookies are completely cool, spread/pipe roughly 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling onto the flat side of 1 cookie, and sandwich with another cookie.

One of the most helpful things my mother taught me in her kitchen was that a piping bag was not necessary. An easier, cheaper, less messy way of piping is to use a ziploc bag: spoon the filling/icing into a gallon-size ziploc bag, close the top after squeezing most of the air out, push contents down to one corner, and twist the top of the bag to keep contents in that corner. Then, when you are ready with a cookie (or whatever you are icing) in hand, cut the corner of the ziploc bag off and pipe away! Since I don't own (yet) a icing piping bag or tips, this is how I pipe everything I make.

I made these cookies the night before and stored them in the fridge until ready to serve. This recipe makes approximately 30 cookies, or 15 sandwiches. Enjoy!

To my Dearest Friend, We have spent the last 6 days without A/C at our house. Last night was finally the last straw and when I saw that the temp on the alarm clock upstairs read 90 degrees, we moved our mattress downstairs to the family room and had a slumber party there (a good 5-10 degrees cooler!). Thanks for making me feel like a little kid again. :) I love slumber parties! To Long Dog, You became so excited when you thought we had moved our mattress downstairs all for you! Nice try, Mr. Cool. Thanks for participating in the slumber party too!
To the Non-functioning A/C System, You had a good run. 17 years of a long life + 1 miserably hot week and we are ready for your replacement! Thank you though for reminding us how privileged we are to normally have A/C. Thank you for reminding us that many people go without such luxuries on a regular basis. Lord, you have blessed us with much! To the new A/C System, T minus 16 hours until you are installed. Not one minute too soon...Coincidentally enough, it's just in enough time to not need the A/C for the beautiful weather weekend!
To the Squirrels, I will just make it known that when I take Long Dog outside to go potty, I am not intentionally invading your territory. There is no need to hiss at or pelt me, Long Dog, or Stray Kitty with acorns. We will ignore you if you ignore us. Otherwise, it's on... bring it! :)
To my Mr. B., Last night, you decided we would buy a window A/C unit to help keep us cool (which may come in especially handy because the upstairs is always hotter). Thank you for being so concerned for my well-being. If only we had thought of it sooner... Of course, the Med-Student Housemate came up with a great solution already: take more overnight call so you can sleep at the air-conditioned hospital! :)

P.S. Shout out to Caitie-Bug! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Is this your 7th anniversary of your 21st birthday? :) Wishing you a wonderful year ahead!


P.P.S. I came home to a wonderful surprise on my front porch! Busby's Heating and Air dropped off a window A/C unit so we don't have to buy one! Almost made me cry to see it sitting there. Thank you, Lord for your provision! And thank you Busby's for your kind heart!

To my Doctor B., Sometimes when you come home and talk about your patients, I think the only reason they are still alive is because you cared for them today.  Thank you, Lord, that you have given him the discernment he needs to treat and help your children. May he continue to have your favor and the favor of those physicians you have placed in his life! Give him the patience, kind-heart, endurance, and understanding he needs to do what you would have him do.
To my A/C, Did I insult you last week when I said that the weather had been so nice, we no longer needed you? You have officially died (at least the compressor) and you started making our breaker box inside the house smoke...eek!! So, we spent all weekend without you. To Weathergirl, Thanks for the slightly cooler weather! It looks like we will be without A/C for another couple of days...so, keep it up!!
To Banker Boy, It's been fun catching up with you this summer after episodes of Suits [insert shameless plug for USA Network here]. I love when I get a call after the show airs with you wanting to know what I thought! Can't believe we will have to wait 10 months before the new season starts. Let's pick a new show and keep up the tradition... 
To my Silly Sweetheart, Last night as we sat down for dinner, you handed me a fork, and called it a "brush". I thought for sure you were just delirious in your post-call sleepy stupor, but then you started humming songs from The Little Mermaid. It's no wonder you connect well with kids. But, I think you meant to call it a dinglehopper. :)

Food Friday! : Italian Sausage Stuffed Green Peppers

Italian Sausage Stuffed Green Peppers

I found this recipe on Kalyn's Kitchen, and when I saw that green peppers were on sale this week at Kroger, I planned it for one of our weeknight dinners this week. Handsome Hubby loved it (and of course, only wished there was more cheese in the stuffings!). This is a fairly easy recipe, and only slightly time consuming because of the baking time.

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain brown rice
4 large green bell peppers, bottom trimmed, cap end cut off and diced, and seeds removed
1 large onion, diced
2 links turkey Sweet Italian Sausage
1/2 tsp. ground fennel
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese


Preparation

Preheat oven to 375º. Cook rice according to package directions. So the peppers don't wobble, trim the bottom of bell peppers to make them flat. Cut off the stem end of peppers, and remove seeds. Place hollowed-out peppers in a greased 8x8 baking dish.

Dice pepper caps (without stem) and the onion and, in a large skillet with approximately 1 tbsp olive oil, sauté diced pepper and onion for 3-4 minute or until they are starting to soften. Remove pepper-onion mixture to a bowl, add 1 tsp. more olive oil, then squeeze sausage out of the casing and cook until it's lightly browned, breaking apart with a spatula.

Once the meat has browned, mix together the onions/peppers and the meat in the sauté pan. Add the dried spices, and saute 2-3 minutes to blend the flavors. Then add cooked rice and Parmesan cheese, season the mixture with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, and cook just long enough to warm, about 1-2 minutes.

Stuff the filling mixture into the hollowed-out peppers, using a spoon to press the mixture down so it's tightly packed into the pepper shell. Sprinkle Swiss cheese generously on the top on the stuffing. Bake peppers for 30 minutes and serve hot. Enjoy!

To the Love of My Life, This song came on my Pandora while getting ready for work this morning. It might be cheesy to say this, but it reminded me of how I felt when I met you. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with such a wonderful husband!
To my little Blog, Happy 1st Birthday! Congrats on one official year, 59 precious comments, and 64 posts down (including this one) and many more posts to go. Thanks to the readers for making it a success! And, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Auntie J...wish we were there to celebrate with you!
To Weathergirl and Hurricane Hunk, I just know that you "ordered" this weather just for me! A million thanks over and over for bringing fall a little early (can anyone tell fall is my favorite season?!). We have been able to keep the 3 open-able windows (yes, only 3...) in the house open every night this week. I know my utility budget thanks you too!
To my Busy Bee, Two words: Trauma Surgery. You may be up well before the sun rises, home after the sun sets, doing two interns worth of work, managing a ridiculous number of patients, and getting zero O.R. time, but you are making the most of it. And after all of that, you still ask me about my day. Just one of the many ways you make me feel loved. P.S. You've packed your lunch everyday this month (with a little help)! Thank you for staying committed to keeping our fast food budget down, although I know McD's and the hospital cafeteria will miss your regular contributions. :)



What is your favorite thing about fall?

To my Fall Wreath, The weather was beautiful today and much cooler than normal, and I just could not hold out any longer. You have officially made your debut for this fall season! Wahoooo! I planned to put you out on the first day of fall...at least I lasted until after the unofficial first day of fall. Besides, Einstein's Bros Bagels has pumpkin bagels, pumpkin smear, and Autumn Roast coffee out already... P.S. I was shocked beyond belief to hear that the ATL area had highs below 70 degrees today. I wish this weather was here to stay! 
To Long Dog, Today was the perfect day for a bath. You are soooooo happy when you are clean! And I just love it that you smell good enough to cuddle with! 
To TV Watchers, When do the "collectors" on American Pickers become hoarders? Some of these people have a TON of stuff...
To my Doctor Hubby, Sometimes you come home frustrated because of how some health care professionals treat the patients at the hospital. It's refreshing to know you are an incredible physician and a patient advocate.



For those interested, I made this wreath two years ago from leaf garlands that I found at Michael's for $4 each (I used two garlands). For lack of a better idea, I used a straightened wire hanger and twist-and-ties to secure and support the garlands. It was that simple...