Thanksgiving Happenings & Happy Holidays!

    Another season has come and gone.  Winter appears to have claimed residency in central Texas now.  It’s bitter sweet to welcome this cold season.  The outdoors look bleak, but I love the sight of the Christmas tree in the house and the warm comfort food that is always associated with winter.  Kyle and I experienced some of this good home cookin’ food this past week. 

Kyle, Owen & the Polar Express!

    We decided to surprise our immediate families and “stop by” for Thanksgiving.  My family was obviously surprised well in advance since I can never keep secrets from my sisters.  Kyle did a phenomenal job of keeping his mouth shut and actually surprising his sister and mom.  Both had amazing reactions to our presence which made it totally worth it!  The hospitality amongst our families was overwhelming.  Without question Beth and Mark welcomed us into their home for the majority of the trip.  We were greeted with delicious food, spirits and fantastic conversation the entire time we stayed with them.    We were lucky to be able to spend a good amount of time with our families despite what few days we spent in Illinois.  The Burnsides had us over after the Bonfield Express 5K for the traditional brunch.  This is probably one of my favorite traditions just because it’s family and friends coming together in its simplest form.  No one dresses up for this gathering and puts on heirs.  Kyle’s family does not expect you to bring anything, but to just come as you are….which typically means tired and happy from being high on endorphin's after racing J  Of course our Thanksgiving fun did not end there.  Kyle and I also spent the evening at the Nachman’s.  This was such a wonderful low key get together.  Becky and John made an amazing meal for us and Molly, Owen & Anna kept us very entertained.  We ended our night at the movie theater.  We saw the movie Frozen with the Nachman’s.  If you have not seen this movie then you need to go see it now!  It is extremely funny and beautifully put together. 

     Kyle and I also had the chance to catch up with some other friends and family.  We definitely did not get in touch with nearly as many love ones as we would have liked to.  I’m so sorry to those of you who we couldn't contact and see.  I wish we had more time at home but I’m so grateful we had at least 3 days! 

I’m sure some of you are asking yourselves, “Hmm I wonder what Kyle and Mads will be busy doing over the holidays??”  That appears to be the only logical thing to ask this time of year J….Let me tell you! 

·         Lindsay and I are giving each the same Christmas gift….a trip to Pinot’s Pallet….who wouldn't want to drink wine and paint while humming Christmas tunes???? 

·         My dad, ol’ Kevi, will be visiting me this Saturday in Austin.  He, Joan and Jane are in town for the girls’ nephew’s wedding…thanks nephew for bringing my faja to Austin!!!  And congratulations! 

·         Kyle’s parents will be here for quite a few days right after Christmas.  I believe that means we will be officially celebrating Christmas not on Christmas day….so please remember to keep your Christmas lights up until then. 

·         Kyle and I are hopefully going to be seeing a sneak peak of the new Hobbit movie.  I think it’s something about smaug and demolition, alas I cannot remember…shocker.  

·         2 of mine and Kyle’s closest Austin friends will be moving soon L  Well technically ½ of the couple is moving this winter and the other ½ is dilly dallying.  Regardless I will be sad and missing my friend.  Like A LOT. 

·         Last but not least CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!!!  If you need me and cannot find me this Holiday I will be cruising the neighborhoods looking at pretty lights while saying “ooooohhhhh!  Ahhhh! “ 

Happy Holidays from Socrates!

Please let us know how you are doing!  There are so many moments in time when Kyle and I catch each other asking one another “I wonder what that person is up to these days?”  WE would love to hear what’s going on with everyone so please drop us a line or an email!  

XX

Madeline

P.S.   Recipe of the months?  Beth introduced Kyle and I to this extremely yummy chili!!!  Enjoy!

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili Soup with Bacon

by Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Deconstructed jalapeño poppers in a hearty, rich chili-flavored soup.

Ingredients (4-5 servings)

• olive oil, for sauteing
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 jalapeno peppers, diced, seeds removed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1 + 1/4 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, crushed between fingertips
• 1 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 + 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups cannellini beans (cooked or canned)
• 1 cup corn
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled, for serving
• Monterrey jack cheese, shredded, for serving
• sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, for serving

Instructions

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat and saute onion, both types of peppers and garlic until soft and tender.
2. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan with the chicken and lightly brown chicken on all sides. Season with chile powder, cumin and oregano.
3. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, beans and corn. Bring to a simmer and cook 30 minutes. Taste and season as needed.
4. Add cream cheese and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
5. Serve with crumbled bacon and both types of cheese sprinkled over top.

Notes:

-For a thick chili omit chicken broth.

-For a bigger pop of heat leave seeds in jalapeno peppers.

A Chill is in the Air. Yippee!!

Fall is finally here.  The best season ever!  One of my favorite parts about autumn is the leaves changing colors, unfortunately, in central Texas this is not really a major characteristic of fall.  I know this initially sounds like the worse thing ever; however I believe this just opens an opportunity for me to focus more on the other reasons why autumn is the best season!  I love the sweaters, the pumpkins, the cider, the stews, the chilly weather, the football and the beautiful autumn décor.  I’m not sure if anyone was able to read between the lines but I am definitely grateful to be out of the 100 and something degree weather!  Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 50’s for us and I cannot wait!! 

Don’t get me wrong, there were some great times during those 100-something degree days.   

Here's one of those summer memories...Once Kyle and I got back from visiting Illinois we were quickly welcoming Kyle’s mom and aunt to Texas.  They took a long road trip in August.   First to New Mexico to visit with Kyle’s cousin, Meg, and then they swung by Austin to spend some time with Kyle and I.  It would be an understatement to say this visit was wonderful. We experienced lots of laughs, yummy foods and a lot of Austin!

Summer Time Fun

Kyle and I also had the chance to see the musical, Little Shop of Horrors, at the city’s outdoor community theater.  I’m game any day for a picnic, spectacular entertainment and some great company!  We actually have many great moments this summer of going out and just simply enjoying our friends’ and the company they have to offer. 

One of our last big summer hoorah’s was celebrating Museum Day in Austin.  Kyle and I hit up two museums in Austin: an art museum and a history museum.  I would recommend the art museum to everyone!  The history museum….hmmm I would say if history is your thing….you should check it out.  I personally had to put a little effort in to stay engaged.  Kyle seemed to really enjoy it though!   

 Enough about looking into the past…let’s look more into the future! 

Patrick and I: Independence Brewery Fun!

Kyle and I are going to see Les Miserables  this upcoming weekend.  I am sooo excited!  One of my favorite musicals ever!  We are also checking out a tapas restaurant we’ve never been too before.  Yummmmm! I can't wait for all the many adventures and fun fall has to offer for us!!!!

Here are a couple more bullet points to the goings-on of these transplant Austinites :)  - 

• Kyle's roomies (& our good friends) just got a puppy!!! He was found outside of Shawn's work and after a couple of days of waiting for someone to claim him...he quickly became a part of the family.  His name is Phoenix and he is super duper cute!!!
• We just had a fantastic time last weekend at one of our favorite Austin breweries.  Independence was celebrating their 9th anniversary.  
• Kyle and I are cat sitting for our friends who got married in Hawaii this past week!  It is so amusing getting to know another cat other than socrates...they are like night and day.  
• Theresa, my sister, safely moved to Canada and seems to be getting acclimated quickly to a whole new life in a whole new country.  I actually talk to her more now than I did when she was in Illinois....thanks Skype!!!  
• Molly is going to be Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween and Owen I believe will be a ninja?  I couldn't really understand him through all his little happy squeals the other night...hmmmm.    

Happy Birthday to all the fall babies out there! 

And happy wedding fun for our good friends  We are soo happy for Crystal and Matt!!!

XX

Mads

P.S. Recipe of the months??  :)  

Baked Ziti

Weight Watchers Recipe

7 PointsPlus Value

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 40 min

Other time: 0 min

Serves: 12

Here’s a tasty, healthy version of the Italian classic. For more robust flavor, add crushed fennel seeds. For a meaty version, add lean ground beef to the sauce.*

Ingredients 3 spray(s) cooking spray    1 pound(s) uncooked pasta, rigatoni or penne    3/4 pound(s) part-skim ricotta cheese    1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste    1/4 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, divided    4 cup(s) store bought marinara sauce, divided**    1/2 pound(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese    1/4 cup(s) basil, cut into ribbons, for garnish***    Instructions Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat bottom and sides of a lasagna pan with cooking spray. Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse with cool water and drain. While pasta is cooking, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, red pepper flakes, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 1/3 cup marinara sauce. To assemble ziti, spoon 1/2 cup sauce on bottom of prepared pan; top with half of pasta in an even layer. Evenly spread pasta with ricotta mixture; cover with half of remaining sauce. Top with remaining pasta and spoon remaining sauce over top; sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining tablespoon Parmesan. Bake until cheese melts and is browned, about 20 to 30 minutes. Allow ziti to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing into 12 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving. Notes *Could affect PointsPlus value. **If you don’t have a store-bought sauce on hand, you can use fire-roasted diced tomatoes instead (could affect PointsPlus value). *** To watch a video of this technique, click here.

Home Sweet Home with a Side of Ale

There has not been too much excitement happening for Kyle and I since we arrived home from Illinois.  The few weeks ago Kyle and I went to see the movie Crafting. A Nation at Jester King Brewery.  The land the brewery is located on is absolutely beautiful with its rustic look.  Hmmm maybe a nice spot for a wedding??? J  The movie we watched was right up Kyle’s alley.  I enjoyed it as well but I believe Kyle found more inspiration from it than I did.  It was awesome seeing how much people put their heart and life into running a brewery.  I never associated pure happiness with running a company until I watched this documentary.  There were two true downsides to the night for me though…boooo. 

1.       Most of the beer is made in aged oak barrels.  YUCK!  Kyle doesn’t mind this but it makes it a little too sour for me.  So unfortunately I could not enjoy the beer as much as I would have liked to. 

2.       GIANT.  SPIDER.  Did I make myself clear???   Giant meaning bigger than a silver dollar and its body was thicker than your two thumbs put on top of each other. This spider was so quick on the dark ground that it looked like it was just floating.  This movie was outside in the grass so let’s just say I was paranoid during the whole movie wondering when this huge spider was going to attack.  I probably distracted every single audience member with my constant kicking and shuffling of my feet.  Ugh. 

Last weekend Kyle and his housemates hosted a housewarming party.  It was a ton of fun and surprisingly not awkward.  The reason there was thought that it might become awkward was because it was 4 housemates invited their own separate group of friends, coworkers and family.  This was bound to be a crazy group of randoms, but it turned out being this beautiful mix.  Everyone got to know each and stayed for such a long time.  Beautiful celebration. 

 

A few other highlights of the last few weeks:

1.       I learned how to Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) at my good friend Crystal’s bachelorette party.  Such a fun party! 

2.       Linds and I spent three weeks carrying for an abandoned baby mocking bird.  It seemed to be doing great, then it broke either a foot or a wing and wouldn’t stand up and then the grand finale consisted of a road runner eating our baby bird.  LINDSAY AND I HATE ROAD RUNNERS.  They are vicious….they eat other small birds for pete’s sake!!!!  Jerks. 

3.       Kyle learned how to make some pretty darn delicious lemon bars. 

Other than all that fun stuff, things have been fairly quiet in these parts of the Hill Country.  The summer has not been as hot as most in the past so thank God for that!!!!  We’re just livin and lovin life over here!!! 

 

Xx

 

P.S. Recipe of the week! 

Lemon Squares

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood (c) Clarkson Potter 2010

Total Time:  1 hr 0 min

Prep 15 min

Cook  45 min

Yield:   15 squares

Level:  Easy

 

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling
•  

Filling:

• 4 large eggs
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 2 large lemons)
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Mix the flour and confectioners' sugar in a bowl and add the melted butter, mixing until a dough forms. Press the mixture firmly into a 9- by 13- by 2-inch pan. Bake the crust for 25 minutes.

For the filling: While the crust is baking, with an electric mixer, combine the eggs, lemon juice and zest until smooth. Add the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder and salt, and beat until smooth. Pour the mixture over the baked crust. Bake for 20 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely. Sprinkle the top with confectioners' sugar. Cut into squares and serve.

Sum, Sum, SUMMERTIME!

This summer has been filled with a lot of great times already.   Mentioned in the previous post were the grand visits of my sister and Kyle’s sister.  What wasn’t mentioned was the grand birthday that took place during one of these visits!!  A certain fiancé of mine celebrated his 30^th birthday this past June!  I know, I know baby face Burnside is not as young as you once thought.  Those mutton chops LIE!  His birthday was splendid…or at least I think so J  Not only did he get to celebrate it with Beth and Mark, but later in the evening a bunch of our other friends met us at The Salt Lick Barbeque for some delicious eats.  Even one of our really good friends who is a VEGETARIAN attended this celebration (Thanks Kristi J)!!  What a wonderful start to a great summer!

Soon after Kyle’s birthday he moved into his new home this summer with some of our good friends.  The house they are living in right now is super cute and normal J  Ahhh nothing screams “splendid summer” like moving people into their new home in 100 degree weather!!  Regardless of the work and eat it was a great day none the less.

 

Grandpa, Anna & Molly

 Recently Kyle and I came down to Illinois to spend some time with friends and family.  We also were able to attend our lovely engagement party thrown for us by our families and my niece’s baptism.  Both events were spectacular!!! I was blessed with the opportunity to actually be home for an extra week than Kyle because my job makes it possible for me to work sometimes away from the office.  Having the opportunity to just spend time with my oldest sister, Becky, and her kids was worth it.  My favorite part of the whole trip was having coffee in the mornings with Becky and going for runs with Beth, Theresa and Kyle.   It’s really awesome to see how these little acts of everyday life are what mean the most.  The most moving thing I experienced while at home was seeing my sister Claire and her boyfriend, Bryce.  These two traveled all the way from northern Minnesota just to spend a few days with me and the rest of the family.  It is so overwhelming to see how generous and selfless people are in your life.   These two weeks I spent back home made me feel so loved and lucky to have such wonderful people in my life.  Here are some other highlights of my/our time back home:

Kyle and Anna

·         Kyle became Anna’s (my niece) Godfather

·         Socrates survived 2 plane rides!!!!

·         Surprise visits from Dad

·         Fantastic bike ride with Kyle’s mom, Pat

·         Hot Tubbing J 

·         4^th of July at the Nachman’s (quality time with the Vogts, Ryans and sisters)

·         Lots of sister shots J

·         Wine bar and pizza

·         A few hours spent with Miss Jamie Sanders….love this gal J

 

·         Baby shower for a dear friend, Lambie J 

       
          ·               Owen, Molly and Anna….Duh. 

 

Owen and Socrates...love/hate relationship :)

·         …this list is basically endless!

Thank you to all those I got to catch up with so far this summer.  I’m excited to continue many more wonderful memories this summer!! 

XX

P.S. Recipe!  Watch out all you slow cooker users!!!

Slow Cooker Creamy Macaroni and Cheese (makes a generous 4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

4 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Boil the macaroni in water for six minutes and drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Heat over medium high heat and stir until the cheese melts. Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Combine cheese mixture, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper in your slow cooker. Add the drained macaroni and stir again. Cook on low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally (I cooked mine for about 2 hours and stirred it twice and it was perfect).

Recipe source: six sisters stuff blog

"I Wish I was a Little Bit Taller, I Wish I was a Baller..."

Thank you Skee-Lo for such a great one hit wonder :)  This song kept playing in my head for the last few weeks as if it was the temporary soundtrack of my life.  Yes, lots of dreaming happening over here, more particularly about something I am not nor ever will be....hmmmmmm actually, maybe I will be. 

These lovely lyrics originally made their recent debut in my head from a rather entertaining rav-4 series of commercials.  Marketing and advertising really does amaze me!  It's as if those in that industry are magicians who so swiftly brainwash us to buy.  Regardless, those rav-4 magicians waved their wand and I now think of them everytime I hear the "I wish" lyrics. AND every hour something has happened in the last 2 weeks that reminds me of the "I wish" song...so basically what I am saying is that it is only a matter of time until I get a 2nd brand new car :) 

The first encounter of the "I wish" song playing in my head was a couple of weeks ago when my sister, Theresa, and her daughter, Brigid, came to visit me.  First off, let me just tell you all that this was by far one of the best vacations ever!  It was a relaxing week and a low stress week.  There was a lot of playing, swimming and laughing to be had.  One morning we all woke up and planned our day.  It turned out the day we planned involved a lot of sun and the great outdoors.  SO what would any logical person in central Texas do first thing...SUNBLOCK!!!  Somehow during all of the sunblocking a conversation arose about how and why we need to protect our skin. Long story short the conversation ended with Brigid commenting on how she intended to look like a goddess when she gets older.  I mean this wasn't just a haha I want to look like a goddess comment...NO!  This was a serious I need to care for my skin because I am going to grow up looking like a goddess comment.   Theresa, Lindsay and I all looked at each other in astonishment that this was a 10 year-olds mission in life and then we all laughed due to how amusing it was.  OR maybe we all laughed a knowing laugh because the three of us all are all quickly approaching or have approached our thirties and starting to understand the concept of aging.  Yuck.  Either way you'll never guess what song busted out in my head....."I WISH I WAS A LITTLE BIT TALLER, I WISH I WAS A BALLER..." 

I kid you not from this point on this song was playing like a broken record in my head.  Once Theresa and Brigid headed back home on their merry way, Kyle and I were already welcoming with open arms his sister, Beth and her husband, Mark.  Once again I cannot speak enough wonderful words about this week.  Kyle and I were given a great opportunity to show Beth and Mark why Austin is a city so near and dear to our hearts.   This trip entailed some wonderful gluttony (so worth it!), lots of outdoors and relaxation!  During this trip there were some "fancy*" moments for me as well.  Right before one of our nights out, Beth took it upon herself to shower and get ready for the evening.  While she was prepping for this fun night out, I chose to sit like a lump on a log and watch everyone get ready.  Some point during all this I made the comment of..."I wish I wanted to shower more frequently..."  Maybe that wasn't the exact quote but I definitely made it a point to note my laziness.  I suddenly get hit with the "I Wish" lyrics!!  Beth did not even flinch at this comment and just said something along the lines of, "hey, don't worry about it you just do what works for you."  Ahhh how accepting she is of my stanky self :)  And suddenly the lyrics vanish from my psyche. 

Another night comes around and once again things get fancy for me.  Beth puts on high heels for the evening.  What!?!? I spend the majority of the evening just mesmerized by her ability to walk so eloquently in these heels and make high heels look so good.  I'm pretty sure about 50 times throughout the night I made some sort of comment about how I would die to be able to wear high heels and actually pull them off.  I'm not even going to mention what jumps into my head at this point because I am sure you already have the whole song playing in your mind :)   Beth of course accepts me whole heartedly and tells me to just wear what works for me and makes me happy. Once again the song disappears.  Who is this woman??  She's like my own personal life coach suddenly! 

Moral of the story is that we all go about our lives constantly wishing to be something that just doesn't fit exactly who we are.  And nothing is necessarily wrong with that but just don't forget who you are through all that wishing.  I know I am not going to shower twice a day, HECK, maybe not even everyday!  Although I am still thinking that deep inside I really am a high heel wearer...I just haven't figured out the science of it all yet. 

Aside from all the wishing...Kyle and I are doing well.  Other than the awesome 2 weeks of family coming to visit nothing huge has been going on in our lives.  Kyle did get approved to lease out a house with 3 of our other friends for the year.  This is extremely exciting because A. we love these friends and we get to see them all the time now!  B. we will hopefully be able to save a little more for our wedding!  YAY!  Otherwise I guess no news is good news!  SO things are going well here and smooth.  Those of you who had birthdays that Kyle and I missed HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!  And to all you father's out there....THANK YOU!

*Madeline's definition of fancy:  If you do more than just putting on deodorant and brushing your teeth to get ready for the day or an event than you are being FANCY :)

xx
Mads

P.S. Recipe of the week (Or several months!) 

Baked Rigatoni with Three Cheeses 

                           

7 PointsPlus Value

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 17 min

 

Serves: 6

If you’re making this dish for company, try baking it restaurant-style, in 6 single-serving, 1-cup baking dishes; decrease the baking time to about 5 minutes.

Ingredients 12 oz uncooked pasta, rigatoni variety 3/4 cup(s) canned tomato sauce, reduced-sodium variety 1/2 cup(s) fat-free half-and-half 1/4 cup(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 2 Tbsp part-skim ricotta cheese, (1 ounce) 1 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (2 tablespoons) Instructions Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and keep warm. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Combine the tomato sauce, half-and-half, mozzarella, ricotta, and Gorgonzola in a medium bowl. Add the hot pasta and toss to coat. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish and bake until bubbly and browned on top, about 7 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving.