Doggie Days

We took ETHAN to the Dog Costume Parade in Central West End on Saturday.  I couldn't find any costumes that fit him correctly this year, so we just worked with what we had.  Ethan wore his blue polo shirt, David wore his  S L U  M E D  hoodie, and I wore my new  U M S L  hoodie.  We were all dressed up as "students."  I know, I know..... we're pretty extreme.  ha ha!

The parade sounded like so much fun and I thought it would be good for Ethan to be social with other dogs.  It was a B L A S T !  

E t h a n  was one of the tiniest dogs at the parade.  So many people complimented him on his cuteness.  I should also mention that he was a REAL LADIES MAN.  All the little girl Yorkies thought he was HOT stuff!  It was absolutely priceless watching them interact.  After all the excitement, the poor guy was all tuckered out and slept the rest of the day.

Here are some pics we took throughout the event.

                       

Ethan made some new friends

                               

  

David and I were invited to a friends birthday party on Saturday night.  It was so much fun to hang out with our friends and talk about anything and everything.  I think our friend had a pretty good birthday.  = )

Today has been pretty low key.  We all just lounged around the apartment.  I did get out for a bit to buy a couple more ingredients for Gumbo.  I made a double batch and it is  SO GOOD! 

Unfortunately I ended up getting some burns this time.  I was stirring the roux while multitasking.  Not a smart idea!  I accidently splattered some of it out of the pot right onto my hand.  It still stings.  I have several blisters on my hand now.  = (    In case you're wondering, the roux is butter and flour that you stir continually until it reaches it's proper color.  It felt like I stuck my hand in a fryer!  O U C H !  No more multitasking in the kitchen for me...... well, at least for the night.  

 Notice the street name!

Family Fun!

Davids parents came to Missouri for a vacation and were able to stop by and see us for a bit.  They traveled to Missouri to ride their bikes along the well-known Katy Trail.  I think they biked about 30 miles a day for 2 days.

They met us at our place after I picked David up from the train on Wednesday late afternoon.  David and his parents went to Barnes and Noble while I took my Biology exam.  After I got home we went to Zia's, which is an Italian Restaurant in "The Hill."  I think they have THE BEST toasted ravioli ever!  My meal was phenomenal.  It was our servers favorite dish there.  Let me tell ya... That boy knows how to eat!

Even though we were all painfully full, we remembered that there's always room for ice cream.  Donna has taught us that ice cream melts on the way down and just fills in the cracks.  So, we took them to get ice cream at Serendipity in Webster Groves.

        

  

We all planned on taking David to school on Thursday morning and then going to the Botanical Gardens.  It ended up being rainy and gross out, so we just slept in a bit instead.  We all needed that extra sleep.  The weather was such a downer that David even skipped class that day.  

Donna, my mother-in-law, got me started on Penzey's Spices a few years ago.  We have one just up the road and I go there often.  I thought she'd like to go, so we went there and loaded up on the best spices around.  

After Penzey's we went to Schlafly's.  It's a local brewing company that also has a restaurant attached.  They have some of the best food ever.   David and I don't get to go there often, so we really appreciated going there with his folks.  We enjoyed their Farmers Platter, Hummus, and their Beer Bread.  It was incredible!  I can't wait to go back.  

Donna really wanted to see the St. Louis Art Museum and boy was I glad.  It's free to all, but I didn't think it would be all that great.  I was wrong!  It was wonderful.  They had original works of Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Cezanne, and many more.  It was a real treat...... and it was FREE!  

David really wanted to show his parents the fabulous penguin exhibit at the STL ZOO.  We took them there, which was also FREE!  Those penguins sure know how to put on a show.   They are pretty cute!

 

We came back to our place after the zoo because Davids dad had to get on the road back to OKC.  Donna and I had to do what us girls do best- SHOP!  I took her to the Galleria because she wanted to get tea to take home.  I know that sounds silly because you can buy tea anywhere.  Well, I gave Donna some tea from Teavana when we went to visit her this last summer.  It was LOVE at first sip.  So, it was time to refill her tea canister and try more flavors.  We also went to Crab Tree & Evelyn and spent too much money.  I absolutely LOVE their hand therapy and also got Donna started on it.  My likings sure are contagious!  

After the mall we came back to pick up David and went to Maggiano's for dinner.  All I can say is YUM!  It's one of our favorite places to eat.  I ordered the Chicken Pesto Pasta and will probably be eating it for the next 3 days.  Their portions are HUGE!  We were so full after dinner that we had to call it a night.

I think we all had a pretty good time.  We dropped off Donna at the airport this morning so she could fly back to Santa Fe.  Thanks for coming!  

TODAY I reactivated my application at UMSL.  I talked to an advisor and I'm pretty much good to go.  The advisor said that I'll be hearing from a nursing advisor soon so they can help me plan my schedule for the spring.  I should be able to enroll in November.

I'M SO EXCITED!

Check out My NEW School  .......   www.umsl.edu

Keepin' It Real!

WOW!  It's been too long.  I've been a  studying maniac lately. I don't know how I ever completed an undergraduate degree and a graduate degree while working.  I guess that's the difference in pursuing something that comes natural versus something that isn't so natural.  I seriously feel like I'm learning a whole new language!  It's tough for me, but I'm enjoying it very much.

Here's what has been going on with us:

• David  H O N O R E D his Neurology course!!!  He really loved it and is now considering going into neurology.
  
• David is now studying C a r d i o l o g y and is off to a great start!

• I did great on my Biology Exam #3 that I took tonight...... So great that I'm going to treat myself to a pedicure this weekend!
  
• My other classes are going very well
  
• I have an initial/new patient appointment with an Endocrinologist on Nov. 19
  

Here's some fun things that we've recently enjoyed:

• Wishing my best friends son, Marshall, a Happy First Birthday!  I LOVE that kid!
  
• I went shopping with my friend, Tammy, while her hubby watched their kids.  It was a super treat, but I did miss those kiddos.
  
• Going to Texas Roadhouse for dinner with one of David's classmates while his wife and kids were out of town.  We love that family so much!
  
• Having some friends over to drink wine, eat cheese, and watch movies.
  
• I had dinner at Cheesecake Factory and really splurged with some of my best friends......There were 9 of us!  = )
  
• Made caramel apples with the most LOVING and amazing Med Wives ever!  Thanks, ladies!!!

X O X O !

AUTUMN IS AMAZING!

It's my favorite time of year!  

The leaves are turning and the air is crisp.

On Saturday, Oct. 4, David and I went to the Soulard Oktoberfest.  It was INCREDIBLE! 

We indulged in German beer and food.  

We started off by both ordering a stein of Warsteiner Oktoberfest beer.  The stein held an entire liter!  It was delicious.  

After getting our beer we headed toward the giant food tent.  We both ordered the bratwurst platter.  It had 2 brats, a roll, and your choice of 2 other sides.  Of course, I know how I like my German food, so I ordered the potatoes and sauerkraut.  Eating it brought back so many memories.  Poor David had to sit and listen to me go on and on about how much I miss having German food for the Holidays.  In case you didn't know, my dad's mom was German.  She cooked the best pork, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes on the face of the planet.  We had it for the major Holidays and I sure do miss it.  I haven't met anyone else who could cook German food like that woman.  I make that dish every now and then, but it's just not the same.  I guess I'll have to keep trying.  

David and I went apple picking on Friday, Oct. 10.   We picked over 10 lbs. of apples!

We used some of them to make an apple pie from scratch!  This was a first time for both of us.  Yes, we have made pie before, but it was always with pre-made crust.  So, I even had to go out and buy a pie pan.

It was a blast to do it the old fashioned way.  Now I have to decide what we're going to do with the rest of the apples.  = )

                

HERE ARE THE RECIPES WE USED: Pie Crust IV

Submitted by: Jan Bittner Rated: 5 out of 5 by 114 members

Yields: 16 servings

"The proportions are nice in this pastry dough, with just the right ratio of flour to shortening to water. Everything incorporates perfectly and the dough is easy to roll out. This recipe for flaky, tender crust doubles well and freezes nicely."

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup cold water

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Mix shortening, flour, and salt together with a fork or a pastry blender until very crumbly. Add as much water as needed to hold together, and mix lightly with a fork. To double this recipe, use 1 cup shortening, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup cold water.

2.

Roll gently, one crust at a time, on a floured pastry cloth, to about an inch larger than pie plate. Fold carefully in half. Lift to pie plate, and unfold. Fit into pan. For a single-crust pie, trim with a small knife to about 1/2 inch beyond rim. Fold up, and pinch so edge of pie is raised from rim. For a two-crust pie, trim bottom crust to edge of rim, fill, and top with crust about 1/2 inch larger than rim. Tuck top crust under bottom along rim. Seal with floured fork.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 10/12/2008

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

Submitted by: MOSHASMAMA Rated: 5 out of 5 by 1972 members

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ready In: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Yields: 8 servings

"Grandmas from all around can be proud of this unique recipe that brings fabulous results. Sliced apples are mounded in a prepared pie shell, covered with a latticed crust, and just before slipping into the oven, doused with a sugary butter syrup."

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie 1/2 cup unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 cup water

1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced (We used SunCrisp)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2.	Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3.	Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 10/12/2008

Putting Smiles On Faces Half Way Around The World

We received an email from David's brother, Chris, yesterday.  He wanted to let us know he received the box of goodies that we shipped to him.  He's in the Air Force National Guard and is currently stationed in Afghanistan.  Chris has been over there for several months and misses the US and all its goodies.

David and I shipped him a pretty good sized box of candy, gum, snacks, playing cards, word finds, magazines, and cigars.  We figured he could keep it all to himself, trade with others, or share.  He was SO HAPPY to receive something from the US.  

We are SO PROUD of him and SUPER THANKFUL to him for serving our great country.  

We hope he can return home safely very soon!

These are a couple of pics we received from him.  

The email and pics really made my day.  

Chris made his team very happy by sharing his cigars