Rest in Peace Grandpa Jack

So with a weary heart I write this ironic post.  My beloved Grandpa passed away unexpectedly this evening from a heart attack.  I can't believe it.  Just last Monday I was writing about the one year anniversary of my Grandma's death.  I guess she didn't want to be alone on Thanksgiving this year and now Grandpa can join her. He was an amazing Grandpa.  He always had a story for me - and told lots of stories about hunting and his days on the road and in Alaska.  I remember our trips gopher trapping and how I picked out a stick one day that I carried with me every time we trapped.  He still has it.  I'm anxious to find it and see what it looks like today.  He was always laughing.  He always wore snap button up flannel shirts too - because real buttons take too long ;). He was a cornerstone of one of the best hunting camps a person could every dream of. My Grandma was the love of his life and my mom was the light of his eye and my siblings and I were the warmth in his heart. It comforts me to know he is finally reunited with my Grandma even though my heart will always ache for him. Rest in Peace my Dear Grandpa, you will be forever missed and forever in my heart.

Grandpa Jack Coffield

June 15, 1937-November 22, 2011

 

Grandma

Grandparents Hold Our Hands for a Little While

but Our Hearts Forever!

Today marks one year that my Grandma peacefully passed away surrounded by family and friends.  I remember the day like it was yesterday.  She had cancer for 34 years.  There were many times in her life where we weren't sure how long she was going to make it, especially the last few weeks.  I knew it was coming.  On Sunday afternoon, November 14, 2010, my mom called and told me Grandma was getting worse.  She told me I should think about coming home.  I really should have listened.  I made it home in time to say goodbye but I didn't leave until Monday morning.  So many times during those last few months there were "iffy" times and we weren't sure what the next day would bring.  This had happened before and she came out of it.  Monday morning I called and found out she was still hanging in there but that Home Health said it was a matter of hours.  I went to work and told them I had to leave immediately for Lancaster.  I got in my car and drove the entire 6 1/2 hour drive with one brief stop for more gas.  I made it to Lancaster around 1pm and sat next to my Grandma and crocheted ~ a gift that she taught me many moons ago.  It was very peaceful.  My sisters and brother crowded around as well.  We sat there for four hours talking, reminiscing, and telling Grandma stories.  Various friends and family would peek in occasionally.  Around 5pm Grandma's breath changed and we knew it was time to say our final goodbyes. With my mom on one side and my Grandpa on the other, holding her hand, my Grandma fell asleep.  It was beautiful.  I miss her so much.  She taught me so many things.  Her laughter was infectious and her knowledge endless. I am calmed by the fact that she is no longer suffering and that I will one day see her again.  She was a fighter and I hope that's something that she instilled in me, and something that will be passed down to my children. She was a lover and a giver.  She was so many things.  I'll love her forever and be forever grateful she was in my life for so many years.

Time Flies

Wow. I looked at the last date of my blog entry and could hardly believe that I let that many days go by - yet again.  I say I love to write and yet I neglect the very place where I can write whenever and whatever I want.  I will vow (yet again) to try be better tomorrow and leave you with this inspirational message:

Crazy Busy Beautiful Life

So these last few weeks have flown by and I have neglected my blog once again.  I'll hurry and catch you up so I can start fresh again tomorrow ;)

Halloween came and went - my hubby and I dressed up as Fred and Wilma Flintstone.  I don't have any fabulous pictures of us - plus he doesn't like his photo on my blog, but I'm sure we looked JUST like them ;)

Then we helped clean out the cabin and shut it down for the winter - that's always a sad, sad time of the year. But, I got some beautiful pictures (on my camera that I can't find) - it's even pretty when it's brown. 

The next few days I spent getting my newsletter ready for deer season.  Deer Season is a Holiday for my family (and many extended friends!) We have around 60 people that come up and stay at different cabins whether it be land they bought or on my Grandpa's land.  Then, we all get together for different meals throughout the week.  It's truly my favorite time of the year.  I write a newsletter that is going on 15 years....crazy to think I started it when I was 9!  So, I got that ready and packed and headed home for a 5 day weekend.  It was wonderful - but it was really nice to come home again too.  My hubby hunted at his family's house so I missed him while I was gone, it's always more fun when they can join you :) 

Now, I've been back since Monday and today's Wednesday and I'm working on getting back into my routine.  I didn't do so hot this morning because I slept in and it's already 10:30 and I should be doing something very productive.....I bought groceries yesterday and cut up all the produce right away so they are in handy little baggies to just grab and munch <3  Today I am going to throw some more chopped up veggies in the crockpot for a new stew for tonight's dinner.  Well, now you've caught up on my life.....more interesting things tomorrow - maybe. 

DIY: Jolly Rancher Vodka

It's that time of year again - Holiday Season!  I love it - every stressful aspect of it!  Each year I get better and start shopping earlier for Christmas Gifts. This year I'm making lots of homemade gifts.  One of which is Flavored Vodka.  I don't have a lot of friends that LOVE vodka, but I know a couple special gals who will really love this fruity treat.  It's pretty simple to do - but I added pictures just to make it a bit more fun :)

Ingredients you need:
1. Vodka (I used Karkov)

2. Jolly Ranchers (about 12 per 8oz of vodka)

3. Some sort of storing device (I chose this pretty flasks from The Container Store)

Step 1:
Wash your containers!  No need to sterilize them though, you are putting vodka in them :)


Step 2:
Separate out your jolly ranchers by flavor/color.

Step 3:
Insert separated jolly ranchers into appropriate containers!!  Remember: about 12 ranchers per cup!

Step 4:
Fill flasks with vodka until almost full!

Step 5:
Shake them up every few days. The jolly ranchers will dissolve on their own and your vodka should be ready within a week! 

When it gets closer to Christmas I will show you how I decorate the bottles for gifts :)

The Vodka just hours after it's prepared...already dissolving!

Gasthof Zur Gemutlichkeit

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to accompany a med school friend to a presentation about Global Health.  Not only was the information that was presented very informative, inspiring and motivational - but the food was awesome!!  I've never really eaten 'real' German food before.  We went to a place called Gasthof Zur Gemutlichkeit in NE Minneapolis.  It was phenomenal - everything from the various types of German beer, to the cheers (Ziggy Zaggy, Ziggy, Zaggy, Oi Oi Oi!), to the waitresses in German Uniform, to the Rouladen and Weinerschnitzel to the checkered tablecloths - it was all fabulous!

I'll give you a run down of what I tried.

Rouladen - Marinated beef rolled with mushrooms, onions and bacon - DELICIOUS!  This one was my favorite!  I'm normally not a mushroom kind of girl, but I may just start trying more mushrooms because it was sooooo good!

Weinerschnitzel - Breaded Veal Cutlet - Now I'm glad that I tried this BEFORE I knew what it was because I'm one of those name people, where if it's something that I think sound gross (baby cow :( ) I will not eat it.  However, it was very tasty!

Jagerschnitzel - Pan fried pork loin in mushroom sauce - I ate a bite of my friend's and wasn't terribly impressed.  It reminded me of country fried steak and I'm not a huge fan of that either.  I'm glad I got to try it though!

Mash potatoes and gravy - Now this is something I'm very familiar with - yummy!

Spatzle - homemade pasta - which were HUGE noodles - and awesome!  We covered them with the gravy from the potatoes

Red Sauerkraut - I did not try this but it was available in the buffet. 

They also had Caesar salad and some delicious bread and this awesome dessert that I still can't figure out what was in it - sometimes it tasted like apple and other times I thought I was eating chocolate - perhaps it had both...hmm..

Spatzle and Rouladen

You should check this place out and if you are in the area you should REALLY go there!  I brought some food home for the husband and he loved it just as much. My hubby and I have definitely decided it's a destination for our parents some visit!  http://www.gasthofzg.com/

Book Review: Toxin

So I actually finished this book a LONG time ago - I just kind of forgot to write my review about it.  I've read a few books since then. Jaycee Dugard's "A Stolen Life" and, okay, so maybe only one.  Man, I have to get on that! Remember when I said I needed to finish my "Summer Reading List". Well, this book was on it!

Toxin by Robin Cook was awesome.  I recommend it to everyone.  It started out scary and scientific and brought in a ton of emotion with a love story and played on parental instincts (or not, since I don't have any :-P ).  I cried.  I don't actually remember laughing - it's not really a funny book.  It made me not want to eat meat for awhile though.  It is about an E.Coli outbreak at a fast food restaurant (and no, it isn't a true story ~ although, it could be!!). I really don't want to spoil it for anyone.  I will just say that it makes me appreciate hunting and slaughtering my own meat! Or my husband doing it..hehe.

Weight Off My Shoulders

Well, today folks, I put in my two weeks notice at the Engineering Firm I work at.  It was a very tough decision because I wasn't sure we were financially stable enough to do it, I love all my coworkers and feel bad for leaving. However, I took lots of time to consider all my options and other opportunities and decided that we could afford it right now, my family needs me right now and basically, everything will be okay and fall into place like it's suppose to. I'm going to take my newly free time and devote more of it to studying (now I absolutely don't have any excuse!!!), making meals and helping out wherever I can.  It's kind of a weight off my shoulders because I need to take this time to invest in myself.  I've been wanting a change for a while and I think this is a good step for me.

Crazy Busy Week(s)

Hello Again!

It seems as if all I'm writing these days is why I'm gone or apologizing for being away for so long.  It's been so busy!!  I'm still winding down from a week of traveling back home and getting acclimated to my routine again.  I'll try be better tomorrow - but don't get your hopes up ;) In the meantime I will leave you with 5 things I am loving right now:

1) My job at Children's - it's awesome.  I love my coworkers, I love the doctors, I love the patients.  Everything about it makes me happy.  I look foward to going there and can't wait to wake up and go back.

2)  The beautiful fall colors - again, my FAVORITE time of year!  Get out and enjoy it :)

3) My Kindle - I've read so many amazing books on there and my list just keeps growing!!

4) Grey's - again, it's Fall and Fall means new television shows!!!!  Grey's is my favorite.  I love to sit on my couch in my sweats with a nice cup of tea or glass of water and watch my 40 minutes of bliss - I don't care if it's unrealistic, I don't care that it's drama filled - it's part of why I like LOVE it! I also prefer to watch it with my husband gone because he makes fun of it the entire time.

5) October is our anniversary month - in approximately 13 days we will be celebrating 3 years!! 

I'm Back!

I've been absent from my blog for a few days - with good reason!  I took a trip North to the cabin (no Internet) and then headed to my hometown for some family time as my sister was a candidate for Homecoming Queen - and won!  Yay Sierra!  So, I didn't feel like taking time away from spending time with them to write a post or two.  Anyway, we had a great time at coronation. Here is a pic with the reining Queen Sierra and my other sister Skyler.

This week is going to fly by.  I was at work today.  Tomorrow I work at Children's and then I head to home again for a wedding! 

I also had my hair cut/colored etc. last night.  I will post a picture of that sometime soon. It was definitely a change I wanted/needed :)

'Pining' Away

I've been "Pining" away on Pinterest.com lately and I have found some adorable shots of little kids that I would like to replicate someday.  Notice, I said someday, not any time soon ;)  sorry.

 I hope I have a little boy that I can put into cowboy boots - isn't this just adorable?  I guess I can do it with a little girl, too.

And if I have a little girl - she will wear this outfit.  It's adorable. But if she has my hair gene her hair will never be this long - I think I was bald until I was four.  Haha.

And how adorable are these Fall Outfits???  Awe - I would wear them ;)

 Little boy - yes please =)

 And I will make these   

I'm telling you, if you haven't checked out Pinterest lately - or at all, it is a must!!  It is awesome!!  Look at all the cute ideas for kids.

*Disclaimer* We are not pregnant. We are not having any kids right now.  I just like the ideas ;)

Ahhh, Autumn!!

Like I've previously stated, probably 100 times, I LOVE Fall!  I found this little picture on Pinterest.com and it fits perfectly with things I love about the Fall, plus a few more!  Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Autumn!  We are heading North this weekend for one last stay at the cabin. 

Fall Foliage Tour - Western States

Head West Young Man!  Anytime I think about the Western States I think about Toby Keith's "Should've Been a Cowboy!".  Granted, my list does not only include the cowboy frontier(s), but the song fits for some of them (plus I said a key ingredient for a road trip is a good CD mix!). Okay, let's head West!


 Maroon Bells, Colorado

 

The Maroon Bells are two peaks in the Elk Mountains near Aspen, Colorado.  The view to the Southwest is one of the most famous scenes in Colorado and is said to be the most photographed.  Due to its' proximity to Aspen, it's a highly sought tourist area.  However, motorized vehicles are allowed only limited access but you may take a tourist bus during the summer.

Wasatch Mountains, Utah

The Wasatch Mountain Range stretches 160 miles from the Utah-Idaho border, South through central Utah. It's considered the Western Edge of the Rockies and the Eastern Edge of the Great Basin.  Again, mountains and color - I can't resist!

Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming



Located in Northwestern Wyoming, the mountains of Grand Teton National Park make up part of the Rocky Mountains. Unlike many other mountains, the Tetons lack foothills to obstruct the view, making way for sharp peaks ranging from 5,000-7,000ft above the baseline. 

Big Wood River, Idaho

Big Wood River is 137 miles long and suns South through Central Idaho and eventually empties into the Malad River.  Again, I can't stress how much I love the bright autumn colors!  Plus, I think water complements everything so beautifully!!

Pasayten Wildnerness, Washington

 

The Pasayten Wilderness is a protected area within the Okanogan National Forest in Washington. The Western Part (above) features dramatic views of the Cascade Mountains.  Sometimes I wish I weren't so afraid of heights, because climbing that would be very cool! 

Lithia Park, Ashland, Oregon

 

 When I saw this red, I had to pick this picture.  We've had a lot of yellows and oranges out West, but not as much red and red is essential on a Fall Foliage Tour. Apparently Lithia Park gets its' name from Lithium Oxide, which can be found in the water of the park - probably not something that you wanted to know, but basically, don't drink the water.

JOY

DO something that brings me joy: exercise (not actually doing it, but when I'm done)

BE that: Resourceful, today I will try think outside of the box.

SHARE joy: I will send a card to a friend

SPEND MORE TIME WITH THAT: I will continue to go to bed earlier so I can spend more 'morning time', I do love that. 

Fall Foliage Road Trips: Mid-Atlantic States

And we're on the road again!  This time to the Mid-Atlantic States - I know what you're thinking, we're heading South and you expect to see foliage??  But yes, yes, I do. Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland have some of the most beautiful Fall Foliage!  I also want to add in there Tennessee and Kentucky, because I think their Fall colors also rival the Midwest (which I will probably always think are the best, except for maybe Paris, but that's a different category).  Anyway, grab your tea or coffee or other hot beverage of choice and let's go!

Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

The Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 mile long National Parkway that runs mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, which is a mountain chain of the Appalachian Mountains.  It begins near the Southern terminus of Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in Virginia at Rockfish Gap and runs to U.S. Route 441 at Oconaluftee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, North Carolina. The roadway is not maintained during the winter and is therefore usually shut down late fall until early spring.

Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina

Mt. Mitchell (elevation 6,684 ft) is the highest point in the Appalachian Mountains and in the Eastern part of the United States.  The nearest high point East of the Rocky Mountains is Harney Peak in the Black Hills, SD.  The Mountain is in Mount Mitchell State Park and surrounded by Pisgah National Forest. 

Maryland..er..D.C.

I know this isn't a typical picture on our usual back woodsy road trip that we were on, but I had to give a little love to the bigger cities. I do know that Washington D.C. isn't considered a state and it's not really in Maryland, but yet it was formed from the land that was originally Maryland, so for this post, that's what I'm going to categorize it as. Anyway, doesn't our Washington Monument look beautiful among all that orange!

Big South Fork of the Cumberland River, Tennessee

The river is 76 miles long and is located in both Tennessee and Kentucky.  It's a major drainage feature for the Cumberland Plateau, a major tributary of the Cumberland River System, which is also known as a worldclass canoe and kayaking stream.  The river runs primarily North through many remote areas.  Imagine the wildlife you could see along there!

Nernix, Kentucky

I couldn't find out much information about Nernix, Kentucky, but the fall foliage is sure beautiful.  I don't think they are known for it, but they should be ;) Louisville is suppose to have some beautiful shots, too, but I loved this aerial photo. 

Fall Foliage Road Trips - North Eastern States

Yes, another post about Fall.  It's my favorite time of the year.  I wish it lasted twice as long! 

If I haven't previously mentioned this - I love going for drives...nice long drives, road trips - anything involving a car, me and preferably someone else I can talk to - oh and a good CD mix or book on CD, those are good too!  And some great snacks - or at least a Caribou Coffee within stopping distance ;) 

Anyway, I decided to combine a few of my favorite things - road trips and Fall into a post about the places in the US that are considered to have the best Fall Foliage.  After I got going, I decided that I needed to cut it down into just a post about the Northeastern states today.  Though I'm sure I won't find a Caribou Coffee joint out East, I will probably find a ton of Apple Cider, Fresh Maple Syrup, Carmel Apples and other hot awesome Fall drinks!

Maine, Vermont, New York, Connecticut, and New Hampshire

 

This is Maine.  What I love most about the Eastern States (even though I've yet to go) is the coastal views and all the lighthouses!  My mom use to have a ton of lighthouses and it was a theme in our house for a long time. 

This is in Barton,Vermont.  This is exactly the picturesque view I imagine when I think of fall and a driving through the countryside. It reminds me a lot of home because on our farm we have a road that is covered by trees on both sides just like this.

Upstate New York...........doesn't it look just like the Boundary Waters of Minnesota?  I have a friend who has a cabin in Upstate New York and that's exactly how she describes it.  I'm sure urban New York has some pretty fall colors too, but this takes the cake for me - it's more my style!

Litchfield Hills, Connecticut is famous for its' fall foliage.  And I can see why! Connecticut also has the Wine Trail, which comprises 24 different vineyards and wineries within CT. It's so cool that it definitely deserves its' own post. ;)



New Hampshire and their White Mountains!  I love Mountains too - pair it with some beautiful autumn colors and the view doesn't get any better!

Becoming a Person of Action

The other day I stumbled across this article on The Positivity Blog, about How to Become A Person of Action . If you're my friend on facebook, you will notice that I linked up to it a few days ago as well. Anyway, I love it!  I think it's a very positive and motivational little blurp and I'm hoping to incorporate the suggestions into my daily routine. 

“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”Leonardo Da Vinci

What action are YOU taking today?

Moscato Wine!

It's no secret that I love wine, especially white "desserty" wine.  I follow many different blogs and one of them that I stumbled across, Life's a Happy Hour, featured my favorite flavor of wine, Moscato and I was intrigued by her review of Villa Alena Moscato Wine from Trader Joe's, so obviously, I had to try it - and I loved it!  We drank some after canning on Friday night and I have to share our pictures of our "food photography" experiments.

Oops, too fast!

Again, my hand is in the way, and it looks just plain weird to have the bottle right there.

There!  The grapes do the trick!  I think the wine glass could probably be moved off the cutting board, but we are amateurs, what do you want from us? ;)

Fall Favs!

There are so many things I love about Fall.  One being all my favorite TV shows start back up!  This year, I cannot wait for....

Grey's Anatomy: Thursdays ABC 8pm CT Season Premiere Sept. 22!



House MD: Mondays FOX 8pm CT Season Premiere Oct 3!

Bones: Thursdays FOX 7pm CT Premiere TONIGHT!!!  2 hour Special!

 Two other favorites are

 One Tree Hill - Only, as I looked for the premiere date it looks like I may have to wait until Spring 2012!!  But I am just grateful it's coming back - AGAIN! 

I learned from a friend the other day that Chad Michael Murray signed on for this season too!  Woohoo!!!

And,

Army Wives
but again, I think I have to wait for Winter 2012 for that show.



It's probably a good thing they are spread out though, now I won't spend ALL my time in front of the TV. 

Canning Adventures!

This past weekend, Jessica Malone and I canned.  It was awesome and exhausting!  We definitely made a whole weekend out of it!  On Friday night, we canned dill pickles.  Saturday morning we were up at the crack of dawn and pulling into the Farmer's Market right when it opened!

Yes, that's the clock in my car.  We had to take a picture because otherwise we were afraid people would not believe we actually got up that early on a Saturday!

We bought all our produce and headed to a place called Granny's Donuts for a quick breakfast.  I will have to share more about that place another time.  It's got a great little story behind it and is such a great bakery in West St. Paul.  We made another quick stop to the grocery store for some seasonings and were chopping and peeling by 9am!

Peeling Tomatoes!

Jess taught me a great trick about peeling tomatoes that I hadn't done before.  I'm sure it's well known to the canning world, but this was our first time canning without someone else who really knew what they were doing!  We boiled the tomatoes for 30-45 seconds and then plunged them into ice cold water.  The peeling just slipped right off - it was awesome!  And saved us soooo much time!  I also used my food processor for parts of the chopping process.  We had a nice mixture of chopped tomatoes and pureed tomatoes for a perfect consistency.

Then we chopped onions, peppers and added all the seasonings!

We mixed it all up and started boiling it on the stove.  Once simmered for what we deemed "an appropriate time" which I can't honestly tell you, because we didn't keep track - we filled jars and put them in the canner.

We canned them for 15 minutes and let them cool enough so we were sure the pressure cooker wouldn't blow up and then took them out :)



Viola!  Finished product!

Sadly, we didn't get a picture of all the jars we did.  However, we made mild, medium and hot salsa.  We took a Caribou break for an hour or so, but for the most part our canning adventure lasted from 5am-8:30pm on Saturday.  Then we decided to can some raspberry rhubarb jam on Sunday. 

We prepped the rhubarb on Saturday night so it could soak in sugar overnight. Then we added the raspberries!  

And boiled it on the stove.

We decided to hot water bath our jam, just to mix things up and give us full exposure to two different types of canning.  And after 10 minutes or so they were ready!

How cute!!!

Overall, VERY successful canning weekend!  Thanks Jess!