Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

oh dear.

oh my. It has been a while. I'll try to get around to updating about our summer someday and getting some pictures up on the site.

Basically, it went like this:

• My parents came to visit in June. We showed them around the area and went to a Rockies baseball game.
• At the end of June, Johnny and I drove to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park to meet up with friends Kaylynn, Hannah and Chris, and go camping, hiking and nearly eaten by bears and other wild animals for a week (true story).
• In July I enrolled in a weekly pottery wheel class and spontaneously cut my hair to my collar bone.
• On the 28th, we celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary with cheesecake and a weekend long camping trip near Laramie, at Deep Creek.
• At the very end of July, Jason and I traveled to Washington to attend a wedding and tie up some loose ends for our move back to Washington.
• My bell pepper plant that I bought in May started sprouting peppers out of nowhere! They are about 3 inches long right now.
• In mid-August, Harley was diagnosed with Central Diabetes Insipidus after several visits and tests at CSU Animal Hospital in Fort Collins, CO. He was drinking 21 cups+ of water per day prior to medication!

and now we're to today. The next week will be hectic. I'll be wrapping up my time at work, dropping Jason off at the airport while at the same time picking Meghan up, and then Meghan and I will begin our roadtrip (U-haul and dog in tow) to Seattle! I'll get settled in and prepare for graduate school and my new job (at the Pacific Science Center as a Science Teacher on Wheels! (look at the awesome van I might drive! heh!). In late September, Johnny will arrive with his dad (who is flying to Laramie to drive back with Johnny) and with our cat, Atari.

Both Johnny and I are going through a lot of changes on Sept 25: I start graduate school at the University of Washington in Museum Studies and he'll begin his first day of work at Vintage Customs in Auburn! Shortly after that day, we'll be able to move into our new apartment!

Things are a'changin' and are going to be busy so I'm not sure how often this blog will get updated. My goal is at least monthly. Or at least to be less wordy and post pictures instead. We'll see. :P

Give us a call if you want to get together, we both have 3 day weekends!

and check out my 101 Things to Do list! *points to the right of the screen* I've gotten quite a bit done this summer, although I've definitely failed on the repetitive tasks. :P

So, if you didn't know, I was offered a permanent position at the University of Wyoming. The position at the Art Museum is temporary through nearly the end of November (which is sad because I really like it there), and I will then move to the Office of General Counsel at the University of Wyoming. I'm going to be the Senior Office Assistant for the two attorneys and the office in general, occasionally helping with the VP and his assistant. I'm excited because the people are all very nice and welcoming and I'm going to be exposed to a very interesting work environment. I definitely think I'm going to be kept busy and enjoy the position. I hope I can still help out at the Art Museum still, as a volunteer maybe.

Yesterday I made this type of apple pie called Rustic Caramel Apple Tart.

here you go:

It was SO GOOD. I decided I am going to make them for Thanksgiving.





Prep: 20 min + 30+ min chilling
Bake: 25 min

DOUGH
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter
6 1/2 teaspoons cold water
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled tart applies (one large apple does the trick)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

TOPPING
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping, warmed

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add water and vanilla, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10 inch circle. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (I didn't do this, just put it on a non stick baking pan). Combine the filling ingredients;, spoon over pastry to within 2 inches of edges. Fold up edges of pastry over filling, leaving center uncovered. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over filling.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Using parchment paper, slide tart onto a wire rack (I just used a spatula since I didn't use the parchment paper). Drizzle with caramel topping. Serve warm.

Yield: 4 servings.

nutrition facts: 1 slice equals 286 calories, 12g fat (7g saturated fat), 31mg cholesterol, 226mg sodium, 44g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 3g protein.

SO GOOD


Speaking of Thanksgiving, we'll be going to visit Aunt Sherry! yay! AND, Meghan and Nick are flying in from Seattle and we're going to have another Thanksgiving with them! WOO!

The best thing about Wyoming: blue skies nearly everyday. LOVE IT!