Sylvandale Ranch

One of the perks to my job is that I get to attend meetings in some pretty cool places. This year we held 2 meetings at the Sylvandale Guest Ranch in Loveland, CO. You can go here to check out some pictures of the ranch.

The first time we went was in late September when the weather was still quite warm. I went horseback riding with a fun group. It's funny to watch people ride who have never been on a horse before.

Last week was a bit different. On Wednesday we woke up to a couple of inches of snow and it kept falling throughout the day. It was cold, but so very beautiful. This was the view from the window of my cabin.

I thoroughly enjoyed having a real fireplace fire in my cabin. At one point, I was alone in my cabin - just me, this fire and a good book. I could have stayed there staring into this fire all night thinking deep Angie thoughts. Eventually my roommates came home and I had to pretend to be social again.

Being in the country made me a bit melancholy. Things touched my heart there. People touched my heart.

The country brings peace to my hectic life.

Swine Flu and Dude Ranches

Hoping to not get Swine Flu this winter. Hate the idea of wearing a mask during my travels, but how seriously funny would it be to wear one like this?

I leave tomorrow morning on another work trip to a dude ranch called Sylvandale. It's located near Loveland, CO. This will be my 3rd time there and I always enjoy it immensely. I didn't take my camera last time, but I will this time so I can share the beauty of the place with you.

Someday....

Looking forward to the future, but appreciating what we have.

Angie and Jim - Unplugged

You can never have too many pictures of your loved ones.

I take as many pictures as I can of my favorite people in the world, but it's not often that we have someone around to take pictures of us together.

I like the picture above, it just has no personality. It's us, but not us, ya know?

This picture is us.




It's a horrible shot, but it captures our personalities. I don't know why I'm picking at my teeth. I don't know why Jim is sticking his butt out. It doesn't matter, this is us.

Love us anyway.

Through the Eyes of Jacob

My nephew Jacob spent the most time around us during our week back home out of all the nieces and nephews. They become teenagers and all of a sudden think they have their own lives or something. Well, Jake still thought it was cool to hang out with Uncle Jim and Aunt G. Actually he was probably just hanging out with his dad, and we saw a lot of Jeff. But for the sake of my tender ego, I will assume he wanted to be around us.

One thing I know Jacob did like was my camera. I told him he could take some pictures and the boy took off. 89 pictures later, I had a pretty good idea what young boys do when they wander off.

I have no idea where he found that spider. I'm just glad he took a picture of it instead of bringing it over to show us.

A cute photo of his Grandpa's doggies.

A fun snap of his little cousin Shane.

A captured moment of conversation between me and Jeff.

And a lovely picture of the two of us. Nice shot kiddo!

Jacob told me he wanted a camera for his birthday. I'm not sure if he got one, but his Aunt G thinks he's got talent.

Oh Brother!

I don't get to be with my big bros very often so it's important to get a good quality group shot when we're together.

It's not as easy as it sounds. Getting these two to cooperate is someting of an art form.

It went something like this...

I think Jeff licked Phillip here, not really sure, but something was amiss.



And then Jeff grabbed a handful of Bub's arm



which they both found to be hilarious.



And then Bub looked drunk for some reason.

I had to turn around to see what the heck was going on. Look at Bub trying to act all innocent.

And then the brother classic.

After that Jeff was done with the whole picture taking thing.

It's amazing that we got one decent shot. It's a rare thing to find a picture of us together where Jeff is smiling and Phillip doesn't have his tongue sticking out. I will treasure it forever!

Love you guys.

Gone Country

I consider myself a country girl at heart.

A country girl that happens to live in a city. A country girl that flies on airplanes more than any person should be subjected to. A country girl that wears business clothes and has a phone glued to her ear.

But still a country girl at heart.

Jim and I went back home for a week in September and enjoyed every second of it. It was my first time home in 2 1/2 years but in a way I felt like I'd never left. Everything there is right. Everything fits and makes sense. Everything is simple.

Simple needs. Simple pleasures. Perfect.

Well except for ticks. I have not missed the ticks.

Incidently, I am the only one who walked in the fields and managed to get into seed ticks.

It's probably true that I spent more time in the fields than everyone else. I couldn't help it. I kept getting drawn to those simple things I used to take for granted.

Like cows.

God help me, I've missed cows.

The way they liesurely stroll and eat without a care in the world.



The way they playfully scuffle.



The way they make funny faces.



Cows have a fantastic sense of humor.



See?



Thanks funny tongue cow. Thanks for reminding me about the simple things.

Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:
4 chicken tenderloin, cut into small pieces
a ridiculous amount of Mexican blend shredded cheese (low fat)
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
honey mustard
wheat tortillas
Organic canola oil spray (this is my new best friend)
*optional add-ons: peppers, mushrooms, etc

{Before I start this, I must add that in our quest to get and stay healthy, we have made some changes in our eating habits. Everything we have been eating in the last few months is based on positive eating choices, but still good, filling foods.}

Heat a skillet over medium - medium/high heat. Spray the bottom of the skillet with canola oil spray (I dare you to not love this product). Add the onions.



Cook until the onions are soft and browned. At this point I have to swat Jim away because he always sneaks in the kitchen to eat the carmalized onions. Add the chopped garlic and cook a few more minutes.



Place the onions on a plate then add the chicken to the same pan. Cook until done.



Set aside chicken.

Here's the thing that gives the quesadilla flavor - honey mustard. Put just enough honey mustard on one tortilla to get a thin layer over one side.



On top of the honey mustard, add cheese (don't skimp), the onions, chicken, and whatever else you added.

Add another layer of cheese then the second tortilla.

Use your awesome canola oil spray again to coat the skillet. Once the oil is hot (still at medium to medium/high) add the quesadilla.

Now put a large pot on top of it weighted with canned goods to smoosh it down.

Cook for 4-5 minutes then remove pot.

Spray the top side with more canola oil then carefully flip over.

Cook until the cheese is nice and gooey.

Crispy, healthy and delish.