Our Christmas Tree!!

I love Christmas trees! Our's is small but as Chase would say "it's fine." LOL I want a bigger one and I might just get my wish next year. My mom has a big tree that she wants to give me since my brother and me are 'all grown'. Hahaha Chase- we WILL have a big tree next year :)
Please excuse the tennis shoe is the corner of the pic lol- I put poinsettias around the bottom of the tree.

"Where should I go in my travels.."

So.. my husband read my 'Thanksgiving' post where I mentioned that we had made some big decisions... and he said to me "what are you talking about, Ashley?"... Wow. Men.

A week or so ago, we were talking about him applying to the traveling agency that a friend of his has worked with. I decided to check out the website and see what kind of Rad Tech jobs were available and where. Then I decided to see what kind of RN jobs are available and where... And then it hit me- why don't I travel? I could make possibly double the money I am now AND I would get to see different places. Chase and I talked and it is a BIG possibility. He takes his Rad Tech test on December 18th. We will keep looking and hoping he gets on somewhere or with the traveling agency. If he doesn't, then in January or February I will probably apply to a traveling agency. We will both go on my assignments and I think we will be able to get his foot in the door that way.

To me, this is a HUGE deal so I considered it a big decision. I was open to the idea of moving out of state it that's what it took to land a Rad Tech job for Chase, but I never thought I would possibly be traveling soon! Traveling had been a distant goal for years now and for it to be right here is so so scary. Of course, I feel most comfortable here and would be quite alright if there was some way we could stay at home and work, but sometimes it doesn't work like that. Leaving somewhere you feel comfortable is a hard thing to do.. I am excited to see where all this will lead :)

Jason Richard Carney, Jr

My nephew-Jason- was born 11.24.2009 at 6:55 pm. He was 8lbs 4oz and 20 inches long. He is sooooo gorgeous. I heart this baby!
I can't believe I am an AUNT! I am planning a trip to Texas in January and I will definitely be visiting this little guy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to say HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I will be sleeping today and working tonight so I will miss out on the good part (the food) but I hope everyone has a great day with their families. I will see ya'll in the crowds on BLACK FRIDAY!!!!!!

On another note- Chase and I have made some big decisions!! Will share later.

Enjoy your day!

Chase

Chase had lunch with some friends from Rad Tech school yesterday at Colton's!! He learned from one of his friends that a traveling company offered her THREE permanent positions- one in Kansas, Maine, and Oklahoma. She turned them down because she did not want a permanent position out of state. Granted, this girl has about 6 months of working experience that Chase doesn't have but we are hopeful. Chase has applied to their company and we are crossing our fingers. Anything at this point would be a blessing :). If they will take him as a traveling tech, then we have discussed going ahead and starting to travel together! Hmmm the possibilities are endless...

"America is my country but Paris is my hometown."--Gertrude Stein

I have to go to Paris. I had a chance to go as an undergraduate at ASU. I had signed up for it and lined out all the travel arrangements, but had to back out at the last minute. I regret that I did. Paris is mysterious and sexy. The history, architecture, monuments and landmarks, parks and gardens, entertainment and museums-they absolutely compel me to travel there! It is only a matter of time though. It is at the top of my '100 Things I Gotta Do' list..:)

Where would you love to visit?

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Ricotta Cheese

This sounded weird to me but EVERYONE rated this recipe as 5 stars- they just loved it. I am on a 'eat healthier kick' and the great thing about this recipe is that its a low-fat naturally sweetened dish.

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Pierce potatoes with a fork and bake until soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool until potatoes can be handled, about 20 minutes.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a large baking sheet.
3. Meanwhile, place olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook and stir until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
4. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp, leaving a thin shell. Set shells aside. Place pulp into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add ricotta, salt, pepper, ginger, and sugar to the blender; blend until smooth.
5. Return potato mixture to a bowl; stir in shallots, Parmesan cheese, and sage. Spoon mixture back into potato skins. Place potatoes on prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole (from scratch!!)

I have never been to a Thanksgiving dinner with out green bean casserole. It's just a nice filler between all the other good stuff. But I have never had it made from scratch-we just always use a can of cream of mushroom. I think this recipe sounds very good.

• 2 (12 ounce) packages frozen French cut green beans
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, quartered
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (2.8 ounce) can canned French fried onions

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place green beans into a saucepan and fill with about 1/2 inch of water. Bring to a boil and steam until beans are tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Drain and toss with the mushrooms. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and parsley; cook and stir until onion is tender. Whisk in flour until blended, then mix in the lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in milk, stirring constantly, so that no lumps form and then stir in sour cream. Warm over medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Dump in the green beans and mushrooms, stirring to coat.
4. Remove from the heat and toss briefly with some of the Cheddar cheese and French fried onions, saving some of each to sprinkle over the top. Spoon into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish and top with the reserved onions and cheese.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese melts, about 15 minutes.

Christmas Decorations

Oooooh my goodness! It is almost time to break out the Christmas decorations:). Christmas is one of my two favorite holidays. I love gift giving and decorating and the excitement of the kids. As a child, I would spend Christmas Eve listening to a cassette of Christmas carols on my walkman (obviously this was the 90's!). Then I would go to bed a 8 pm so that it would be morning sooner lol... As an adult, my favorite part is decorating the Christmas tree, hanging wreaths, wrapping presents, lighting Christmas scented candles... I am going to break out my tree and other decorations a couple days before Thanksgiving. Chase and I have a small skinny tree but its super cute after it's all decked out... Maybe I can talk him into a bigger tree for next year :).. I will take pics of my tree as soon as I get it up. AND I want to see yours! When you and your family get yours up, link a pic to my post! But first things first- Let's get through Thanksgiving! I plan on digging through some recipes and posting some good, quick, easy dishes to make and take to Thanksgiving dinner with your family. Love you all!

Pensacola Beach Florida

My husband Chase

My Aunt Vickie and me

My mother-in-law Karla and me

Mom, Me, and Vickie

We have tons of pictures from the Florida trip in September and I am sifting through them to post the best ones. We had such a good time and are planning another possible trip for Spring Break!

These pictures are courtesy of Karla Green Photography :)

Comments

I was just informed that the 'comments' section on my blog wasn't letting anyone leave comments. I think I have fixed this now! :)

Senior Night

Tonight was Senior Night at the Mtn Home football game! The senior football players get recognized by being introduced to the crowd by the annoucer and the parents walk out the senior. Of course, Chase and I were there to take pics. My camera had low batteries so the pics didn't turn out great but we got some good ones. My mom looked so pretty and proud. I'm so proud of my brother. He is a great kid. To top the night off, the Bombers WON the game!! Congrats Justin. You are growing up way tooo fast :)

Random Friday

I love days like today. It is sunny and beautiful and so you open all your windows, play outside with your dogs, and go for a motorcycle ride... well, that's what I did anyway :). Last night Chase and I put a pork roast in our slower cooker with red potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion. We added one cup of water and the seasoning we wanted and let it cook on low for about 10 hours. It is a really good meal not to mention very simple and little clean up. You can use the drippings to make a gravy. Try it sometime!
I saw this ring online and just fell in love. I decided to do some price checks online and in stores to price the kind of ring I want and this one has won against everything I have looked at and it's.. mostly.. in my price range. Before I saw this ring, I signed up for about 4 extra days of work where I get time and half plus an extra $5 an hour. This might just be my Christmas present for myself... This cool thing is that we need a lot of extra shifts covered at work. I firmly believe in working hard for something you want and I am definitely prepared to work hard for this :). I'm still on the fence though. I don't usually buy things for myself.
I cashed in my "WOW'S" at work and got 2 free movie tickets!! Chase and I will probably go see 'A Christmas Carol' tonight with some friends- Aaron and Traci. I'll let you know if it's good!! I hope everyone has a great Friday evening!

Megan Burges Photography

I have to throw a shout out to Megan Burges Photography! She is a-maz-ing. She doesn't just take pretty pictures of people.. She creates art. This kind of creativity just amazes me. Some of her photos creep me out (lol) but most are just a beautiful interpretation of her surroundings. She also does weddings, engagement/couple, headshots, family, and senior photo shoots. Her web address is www.meganburges.com and you can also check out a lot of her pics on facebook.

"There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are."
--Ernst Haas

Key Lime Pie

I made this Key Lime Pie tonight and Chase just looooved it!! I wanted to share because it is simple and easy and tastes sooo good. Hope everyone had a great Halloween!

You will need:

1 cup of fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon of lime zest
1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 package of instant vanilla pudding
1 80z tub of cool whip
1 10in graham cracker crust

Mix the condensed milk, lime juice, and lime rind together. Then whip in the vanilla pudding mix and let set for 5 mins. Then fold in the cool whip and spoon into graham cracker crust. Chill in the freezer for a couple hours and then it should be ready to serve. You can continue to keep it in the freezer (I personally like it better in the freezer- its thicker that way) or keep in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!