New England Clam Chowder. Is that the red? or the white?

The weather in Dallas right now is perfect for soup.  My phone says it's 37 degrees outside and drizzling.  Perrrrrrfect.  On my way home from work last night I stopped at the store and picked up ingredients to make my first try at clam chowder.  We both like clam chowder, but have never made it at home.  I looked up the recipe and it is really simple!   You will need the following ingredients.

4 slices of bacon, diced

1 1/2 cups diced onion

4 cups of cubed potatoes

3 cups of half & half

10oz of minced clams

salt and pepper

1 1/2 cup of water

I stood in front of the bacon for longer than I should have at the store.  We have eaten turkey bacon for such a long time I had a hard time buying real bacon.  But I couldn't imagine the soup being good with turkey bacon.  It wouldn't cook the same!  So I picked up the smallest packet I could find.  I only needed 4 slices!  This soup is so easy friends.  Here are my instructions:

dice the bacon

cook it until crisp

add the onions (don't remove the fat/grease) cook about 5 mins

Add the potatoes and water.  You need to bring them to a boil for about 15 mins or until potatoes are tender with a fork.  The amount of water in the recipe wasn't enough in my opinion so I added more.  Enough water to cover the top.

Reduce heat and pour in the half and half.  Season with salt and pepper. (stir)

Ewww. Clams.
::sigh:: Drain the clams and add to the soup.  Save the water from the clams and pour in half.  

DO NOT BRING TO BOIL.  Heat on low until warmed throughout.  

 And there you have it!  Clam Chowder.  I served my with some mini baguettes and that was it.  It was hot and got us warm and cozy while watching Friday night TV.  I can't wait to cook up more soups this winter.  Thanks to my wonderful soup cookbook from my friend Natalie, I won't have to look far.  

Picture Book

As a child, reading books before you can read really is just looking at the pictures.  The pictures alone tell the story.  My last blog post told a story with no pictures.  This blog tells a story with pictures!  My past weekend.

If you want to order your own AWESOME cake....here is her FB page https://www.facebook.com/RedHeadCakes

Running Thoughts

There won't be any pictures in this post.  This is just a post of my thoughts while I run.  I often think about so many topics on my long Sunday's.  I tell myself that when I get back I will write about it, but I never today.  I'm waiting on Preston to get back from his 20 mile (you read that correctly) so I thought I would go ahead and spill my brain.

I'm on week 9 of my training.  Week 10 starts tomorrow, which means only 4 more weeks until the half.  I'm feeling really positive about my running lately.  I have cut back on tremendously on my unhealthy eating and drinking.  I know it sounds very common sense, but whooza does that make a difference.  It is so worth it.  Last week I did 9 miles for my long run.  Today I was only needing to do 6.  It's funny to me as 9 weeks ago I would have never thought I could do 6 miles and think, "oh that's nothing!".  I got new running pants yesterday so I was excited to try them out.  They fit perfectly and will help me focus on my breathing vs my uncomfortable feeling of clothes.

As I set off for my run I tucked my new phone into my spy belt.  It's actually called that. Spy Belt.  It's really a fanny pack for runners, but I like calling it a spy belt instead.  Anyway, I have a new phone so my arm band is on order, thus me having to tuck the phone in the belt.  Without getting to boring, I am using a half training app.  I love it! In order for it to work properly, I have to run the apps in certain order.

Start running app
Start pandora
Then go back to running app

If I go away from the running app I am not able to hear the directions of "start running" "start walking" "begin your cool down", etc.  This is also the same if I lock my phone.

*****funny thing. I called my friend Lauren mid writing and the mid phone convo Preston came home from his run and I closed down my computer.*****

Just now getting back on here and have lost my focus on my "running thoughts".  What a lame post.

My Life Is Changing

In August I received an email about a job opportunity.  Normally I say, "thank you but no thanks."  However, this particular email was different.  I was genuinely interested.  4 interviews later, 2 test, and a background test I received a job offer.  On Friday, October 18th I accepted and put in my 2 weeks notices with Balfour Beatty Construction.  I worked there for 6 years so it was a tough decision, but at the same time...it wasn't.  I was ready for a change and a challenge.  Tomorrow I start my first day at my new job. Eck! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.  Of course before I left my friends gave me a going away happy hour.  The cake I received was perfect!

This is Natalie. She is the mind behind the cake! 

I carpooled with Preston one last time on Friday.

So with that, my days at Balfour Beatty were over.  Saturday we spent the day being adults.  We cleaned the master bedroom including our closet which was horrible!  We packed up 3 bags of clothes that needed to be given away.  We also packed up a bunch of stuff in our guest bedroom to take to storage.  I sure do love the storage unit.  So easy and nice to get things out of our house!  After we dropped off the storage stuff we noticed across the street was a gas station with a clothes drop off box.  Surrounding the box were about 11 men.  This is a common site on Ross Ave in Dallas in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday.  They stand in the parking lots of gas stations waiting for someone to come by that needs cheap labor.  They will work for cash and at a good price.  Give them $50 and a subway sandwhich and they will move lumber for you.  Anyway, since the clothes box was right there, we thought, "hmmmmmm".  So I drove across the street.  As soon as we pulled up they ran to our car all saying they could help us with whatever.  Preston quickly said, "no labor. dropping off some stuff...unless...."  We both reached our hands out with the bags and they grabbed them soooo fast!!  The ripped at the garbage bag and were tugging at the clothes.  Whoa.  But it made me very, very happy to give them away to people that WANTED them.  

The night was low key with Preston making his wonderful Salmon patties.  We needed the engergy for our runs on Sunday.  They were long ones!  Having that kind of food in my system totally makes a difference!  I was very excited about my time.  For me, this is great!  I was so excited I took a picture. Hehehe.  

 

I sent it to my sister who lives in Germany.  She also had gone for a run that morning and she sent me a picture of her running path.  So pretty!  I can't wait to go visit them.  We don't have a date set, but sometime in 1Q of 2014.  

Tonight is relaxing with football and dinner.  I put a whole chicken in the crock pot after my run this morning so dinner was:  salad, chicken, carrots, okra, and our special treat when I make a whole chicken....fried chicken liver! Yummy.  I report to my new job at 9am tomorrow morning.  Wish me luck! 

Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Kroger has a bin of pumpkins with the vegetables.  They are about medium size.  The sign said 2 for $5 so I picked out 2 cute looking guys and brought them home!  They sat around for a couple of days when Preston asked me what I was going to do with them.  "What do you mean?" I said, "They are decoration"  It was at this point that Preston pointed out to me that those were cooking pumpkins....like for pie.  Whaaaaaat?! I picked one of them up, rolled it around in my hand and saw the sticker that I had still not removed.  Clear as day, "Pie Pumpkin".  Well, well, well...if it isn't so.  Naturally I went straight to Pinterest to find a recipe.

It was a 2 day process, but I did it!  I baked my first pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin.  No canned stuff here.  Nope.  You first have to roast the pie then let it set over night THEN you can make it into the filling.  Here is my camera play by play.

Our pumpkins!  

I picked the larger one, removed the stem, and cut it in half.

Clean out all the "guts"

Save the seeds if you like, we roasted ours...yummy

Coat the inside NOT the outside, the inside of the pumpkin with vegetable oil.  The inside is the side that you carved all the guts out of.  I used a cooking brush.  Place them cut side down in a roasting pan.  Add 1 cup of water and cook!

This is what it looked like when finished. Ewwww

Place on a cooling rake until cool enough you are able to hold them for the scooping

Scoop out the guts and place in a sieve to drain over night with either a paper towel or coffee filter.  (Place saran wrap over the top)

Next day....you mix the pumpkin with some sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, and pumpkin pie spices.  Place in pie crust.....and.....

Homemade Pumpkin Pie

It was super easy and taste waaaay better than a can.  The complete recipe can be found here.  The recipe gives you 2 options for the filling.  You can either prepare it with heavy cream and spices or follow the recipe on the can of canned filling.  You see, the pumpkin that you roasted and sit over night is the exact same thing as in the can.  So all I did was just look that up and it worked perfectly.  I hope everyone tries to make their own pumpkin pie this season!  I will never do canned again. (unless I'm super busy and don't have time)

Χαρούμενα Γενέθλια

With a little help from Bing Translator, I know that Χαρούμενα Γενέθλια  is how you say Happy Birthday in Greek! At least I think that is what it means.  If it means something else or is offensive, opps.  I'm trusting the internet on this one.  Anyway, I celebrated the Birthday of 3 precious little Greek ladies.  My friend and co-worker has a 3 yr old and twin 1 yr olds and asked if I would come and take some photos!  But of course I would.

1. The girls are soooooo adorable.
2. She's my friend, duh
3. I have been to some previous events she has hosted and she does an AMAZING job.

So Saturday afternoon I headed over and the Greek Birthday party begin!  I won't post all of the pictures as they are her private photos.  But she has allowed me to share some. Just check out these little Άγγελοι.

E woke up from her nap and looked out into the back yard to see a Dora Bouncy House! Whaaaaaaaaaat?! Literally speechless. 

For the cake time with the twins is was very clear right away that one of them was all about the smash and eat while the other just wanted to try a little taste and then chill.  It was so fun!

I love this one.  Z is thinking, "ummm...cake? nah I'm good." and K is going at it!

The difference between the 2 cakes.  

Best. Cake. Ever. 

Birthday girl LOVED the bouncy house!

So that was my Saturday. My friend sent us home with tons of food so we have been eating well for the past couple of days. Tonight for dinner it was delicious chicken that we paired with some feta, rice, and dressing of olive oil & lemon juice. With all things Greek surrounding me the past couple of days it makes me want to go back there. Sigh. I will leave you with one of my favorite memory photos of my trip from 2008. (ok, so I couldn't pick just one)