Ski to Sea

Can you find Nick??? Red bandana, blue shirt, and red shorts. Just like Where's Waldo.

Bumpies

Chili night

Bailey at the Vet

So Bailey has been itching nonstop for the past month. Now that Bailey has his very own health plan (read more about animal healthplans here), we decided it couldn't hurt to take him to the vet.

In talking with the vet, I learned that dogs can get allergies! The doctor recommended a tablet of benadryl a day to see if that helps. Who knew that animals and humans could take the same medicine?

All the Ingredients for An Amazing Baked Potato

For an easy dinner at home, Nick made grilled chicken and baked potatoes. The chicken had a simple Italian dressing, but the potato was really the show stopper. Just chop up bacon, green onions, and tomatoes to make a filling health side. We also added some cheese and sour cream, which made it not so health, but oh so delicious!

Chicken Quesadilla

Southwestern Salad

Ingredients:

Shredded lettuce
1 flour tortilla
Chopped Tomato
Diced Black Olives
Chopped Green Onion
Diced Green Pepper
Shredded cooked chicken
Shredded cheddar cheese
Ranch
Sour Cream
Salsa

Directions:

Cut tortilla strip into strips and spray with butter or cooking spray. Put in 350 oven until strips are crispy
Layer lettuce, tomato, onion, green pepper, chicken, and shredded cheese.
To make dressing: combine 2/3 salsa and 1/3 ranch and add two tablespoons of sour cream.

ISU Women's Basketball

This is Nick angry at Bill Fenley for refusing to double team Appel.
He pulled out the laptop once we were down by 20.

Keystone chairlift

Sunday we were at the hill by 8 and left by 12. We didn't wait in line
at all. Guess ski season is almost over.

Lessons of the day:

1. Always stay low. Stop coming out of your stance when you turn.
2. Lower body leans uphill, upper body leans downhill. Feel the burn.

BLT Salad

Ingredients:

1 head of chopped lettuce
2 tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
7 slices bacon, crumbled
1/4 cucumber, diced
1/2 avocado, diced - save 4 slices
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Dash of ground pepper
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
1. Combine mayo, garlic powder, milk, pepper, and a few crumbles bacon
and blend. Add enough milk to ensure a dressing consistency.
2. Layer lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, bacon, and diced
avocado on a plate. Top each plate with 2 slices of avocado. Pour
dressing and serve!

Bailey and a Raw Hide

30 degrees and lots of snow. Doesn't matter if a bone is involved.
Bailey's been out there for an hour already.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

We had this for dinner this week! Great for cold nights and even better as left overs!

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can chili beans
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (26 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
12 oz. chicken stock/broth
1 package taco seasoning
3 chicken breasts

Directions:
1. Place onion, pepper, beans, corn, tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, and chicken stock in slow cooker. Add taco seasoning and stir. Place chicken breasts on top and press down slightly until covered. Set slow cooker to low and cook 5 hours.
2. Remove chicken breasts and allow to cool. Shred chicken and add back to slow cooker. Serve topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortillachips.

What Is Our Government Up To?

Obama is on Leno making jokes at the expense of the Special Olympics.

Congress is passing bills to increase taxes to 90%.

If this is supposed to be the worst economic time since the Great Depression, it would be hard to tell by the way our government is acting. Thomas Friedman wrote this great article in the NY Times on just this topic.

Could be the Best Peformance I've Seen

Pharrell was in Paris on Tuesday and really wanted a Big Mac from a closing McDonalds. So much so, he even gave a little performance.

Was he successful?

Identity Theft

Well, this is a first for me. In thinking about purchasing a house, I got my free credit report to determine my credit rating. As I began to review my report I found a card I didn't know about. I called the credit card company and sure enough, someone else had opened the card using my information. The feds put around the number of people who have had their identity stolen in one year at 8.5 million, but other reports put it between 12-15 million in a year.

A few thoughts:

1. How scary that we live in a world based upon revolving credit where your credit score is the end all be all, and yet it is so easy to open credit in another person's name.

2. What a burden placed upon a person that had nothing to do with the act:

• file report with credit card agency
• file police report
• file fraud alert with agencies
• wait anxiously to get information cleared from credit report
  
• live rest of life in fear of someone stealing identity

3. Do we all think this won't happen to me? I sure did.

4. Should we all have a credit freeze? See Clark Howard's site for more information on credit freezes.

10 Steps to Blogging Your Brand

http://personalbrandingblog.com/10-step-intermediate-guide-to-blogging-your-personal-brand/

Great article for those who are thinking about having a blog that actually gets lots of readership.

Tired dog

This is Bailey after a weekend of playing. Spent all day yesterday
with the neighbor's dog, went hiking today, and is crashed. The secret
to dog ownership is having a next door dog.

Birthday dinner

Scallops wrapped in bacon

Tips from AIG Corporate Security

http://gawker.com/5175745/aig-corporate-securitys-tips-for-surviving-an-angry-mob

Check out the link. It's an actual memo that AIG sent to employees to inform them on how to watch out for angry people. Seriously, what kind of economy are we living when our tax dollars become bonuses for failing companies?

It's like the whole idea of being rewarded for truly good work has gone away. While executives have been asked to give back part of the bonuses, I find it hard to believe they actually will.

Think about it: If you were in their shoes, would you give back the bonus??

Afternoon Delight

Junior League Fundraiser - Afternoon Deligth

This is a great event that my council has put together to help raise money for the Denver community. Chef Keegan is often on Food Network and has a dessert bar, "D Bar," here in Denver, that I have yet to check out. I helped with coordinating items for the silent auction. Tickets are a great deal and there's a maximum attendance of 100, so it will be nice and intimate. I've never seen a chef demonstration, so I'm super excited to go!

It's definitely amazing how much work can go into a 3 hour event.

How to Make Amazing Breakfast Pizza

2 packages refrigerated pastry dough

Asparagus - blanched

Sliced red onion

Sliced tomato

Sliced green pepper

1 package sausage - browned

Cheese

beaten eggs

To make: Preheat oven to 375, spread croissant dough out on pizza pan, put everything on top, bake until golden brown.

The Story of Stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz3tPxUFGbY

Such a great short on the real cost of everything we consume. Makes you really think about the cost of the American need to consume.

Blogging From Word 07

In exploring all the new options available from Microsoft 07, I found that I could either open a new blank document or a blog. Talk about coming of age for Microsoft. Now, I must admit I'm highly doubtful that my blog will really be of any interest. But in my desire to become the next Martha Stewart, a.k.a. Megan Stewart, minus the jail time, I'll blog about everything going on in my life, plus cooking, marketing ideas, and more.

So now to see if this update will actually work….

Blogging

Who knew this was so easy???