My fall decor is finally complete now that winter temperatures have arrived...

The changing leaves and cool, crisp weather encouraged me to decorate for fall even though I was not originally planning to as the decorations were nestled away snuggly in our fully packed storage unit. But, as I am a sucker for cooler weather and the novelty of an actual season change, I ever so sweetly requested that my husband (and unfortunately for Jason, he got dragged into this event also) dig through the madness of the storage unit to find the needle in the haystack that is marked "Fall decorations." I had one lingering project for my fall decos to be completed....and this required some of the leaves to have changed colors......

Homemade leaf garland with pressed fall leaves I searched the area for (please excuse
the messy counters in the mirror)

Entry table and mirror all fall'd out

Windowsill in living room - I love that 'lil turkey

Coffee table with pumpkins and fall pillow in backgroundKitchen table
My mother in law sent me this super cute fall decoration....the TX flag got booted

for a little while...sorry Texas!

I have other decorations around, but I forgot to take pictures...and basically I am too lazy to re-upload more photos, so you only get the highlights :)

Washington D.C. part II

Upon summarizing the events of this past weekend, I realized that we really did try to do too much! The trip was never as relaxing as it should have been in spite of the splendid sights and sounds of such a fantastic city. Day 2 started out just as early as the previous day; only this time our feet were a little less excited about the upcoming events. Andrew dropped me off at the George Washington Monument around 0745 so I could stand in line for tickets to go up to the top of the monument while he parked the car. The ticket office didn't open until 0830 and standing in line I realized something very important about the outfit I so meticulously packed for Monday's adventures......it was NOT warm enough for the brisk DC air! Standing in line freezing my butt off I realized that there was only one thing that was going to get me through the next 45 minutes of standing in line: I needed to make a friend to talk to and FAST! So the unsuspecting man in front of me soon found out all about our previous days adventures, Texas, Ft. Hood, Ft. Lee and our anticipated move to Germany. Fortunately for myself, he was formerly in the Army and cared a great deal about my stories....little did he know that I really didn't care if he cared or not, I needed somebody to talk to keep my mouth running and my mind off the cold. He spoke of his time in the Army and how he loved it so and would have made a career out of the military if wasn't for his ill fated marriage to a woman who couldn't deal with the Army life. After nearly an hour of small talk to keep warm, we finally got our tickets for 1500.

After Andrew was finished parking the car we met up and started our journey across the national mall to the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world containing millions of books, photos, manuscripts, maps and recordings it also serves as the research arm for congress. The building was completed in 1897 and was hailed to be the largest, costliest, and safest library in the world. Today, the library spans over three buildings settled on the east side of the national mall. The Jefferson building (the first building built) was the sole building open on Columbus Day, and the only one that we were able to tour. It is a large, incredibly elaborate and overly ornate building constructed in the Italian Renaissance fashion.
The reading rooms, where people are allowed to research and study the stacks of available resources are amazing.
Our next stop was a tour of the Capitol building.
The Capitol RotundaThe Center of Washington D.C. in the center of the Capitol building The Speaker of the House's ChamberStatuary HallOur final stop for the day was back to the Washington Monument for our scheduled time to go to the top of the monument. The 60 second elevator ride takes you to a level of 500 ft. where windows on each side of the obelisk allow you to view the north, south, east and west sides of the mall.

Washington D.C.

This past weekend, Andrew had a 4-day weekend and so we decided to venture up to the D.C. area and enjoy our nation's Capitol. During the summer of 2006, we stayed in D.C. for 2 nights on our drive from Ft. Benning, GA to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD. On our first trip there we did all of major highlights and saw nearly every important monument/building/landmark and the American History museum. This visit we were a little more poignant about what we wanted to see and do. Ideally, we had hoped to visit and tour the Pentagon and the 9/11 memorial there. Unfortunately in order to visit the Pentagon it is required that you turn in your information 15 days prior to your visit so they can perform a background check. We didn't exactly plan this trip as I had hoped....aka, I couldn't a get direct answer from my husband as to whether we were for sure planning to go or not until Friday and we went on Sunday! I generally prefer to have an organized plan, but I am not anal about that and can still "wing it" and go with the flow. So on Saturday, we came up with a narrowed itinerary of events:

Iwo Jima - We didn't see this amazing memorial last time we were in D.C. and I will probably never go back without stopping by. It truly is one of the most awe inspiring monuments I have seen. Not only is the massive size and amazing grounds impressive, but the inspiring moment that is depicted is awesome. It was our first stop of the day, so the sun was still rising (we got an early start to the day) and I was able to capture some really good photos.
Thomas Jefferson's Monument was our next stop. T.J. is not my favorite founding father, but his memorial is definitely beautiful. The view overlooking the Potomac River and onto the National Mall is dazzling. I supposed I didn't expect the monument to be so gigantic! They even have a museum of artifacts underneath the monument.....T.J. might just be starting to grow on me a bit.

National Air and Space Museum - This Smithsonian contains the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world; including the 1903 Wright Brothers plane and the Spirit of St. Louis (the first airplane to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, by Charles Lindbergh), as well as many artifacts from NASAs journey to the moon. There was a great deal of displays that interested me in this gallery, but overall I believe it to be more of a man's museum.
The National Portrait Gallery - This Smithsonian which is not located directly on the National Mall as many of the others are, tells the story of our nations history through photographs, paintings and other artistic artifacts. Of particular interest was the "America's President's" exhibit which is the only complete collection of American Presidential portraits outside of the White House. Included in the collection was a display of American Presidential dinnerware including plates that both G. Washington and Abraham Lincoln used in the White House. I don't believe that my husband was very excited about my enthusiasm toward visiting this Smithsonian, but afterward even he agreed that the museum was incredibly interesting and had hoards of interesting American artwork.
And finally, after sightseeing all day and driving around D.C. in search of our hotel amidst the crowds of GLBT protesters covered in pink shirts and rainbow buttons carrying "peace, love and gays" signs we voyaged on a 4 hour dinner cruise around the beltway on the Potomac. Could you think of anything more romantic than cruising around our nation's capitol while eating a 5 course meal and viewing our country's finest sights????

Just call me Betty Crocker

Ever since the movie Julie & Julia came out, I have been desperately wanting to make Beef Bourguignon (pronounced boo-r-geen-yuhn, for all you non-French types). Then I saw an episode of Barefoot Contessa where Ina Garten was making Beef Bourguignon with filets no less!!! Filets, bacon, mushrooms and onions in a red wine sauce...I'm SOLD! Forgive me, if I come off as bragging, but it was quite possibly the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. The burgundy sauce was AMAZING; rich and robust, with a near velvet texture. Here is the recipe.


Cook time: 1 hr 5 minutes (It took me more like 2 hours....I never can cook a recipe in the time it says it takes. Maybe I could if I had a MUCH larger kitchen, with dozens of pots to chose from and if I didn't clean up along the way...or if I had somebody else to do the dishes for me)

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 (3-pound) filet of beef, trimmed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning plus 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 to 4 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/4 pound bacon, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups good dry red wine, such as Burgundy or Chianti
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1/2 pound pearl onions, peeled
• 8 to 10 carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick (domestic or wild)

Directions

With a sharp knife, cut the filet crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Salt and pepper the filets on both sides. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan on medium-high heat, saute the slices of beef in batches with 2 to 3 tablespoons oil until browned on the outside and very rare inside, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove the fillets from the pan and set aside on a platter.

In the same pan, saute the bacon on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon and set it aside. Drain all the fat, except 2 tablespoons, from the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook on high heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Strain the sauce and return it to the pan. Add the onions and carrots and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and the vegetables are cooked.

With a fork mash 2 tablespoons butter and the flour into a paste and whisk it gently into the sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes to thicken.

Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms separately in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender.

Add the filet of beef slices, the mushrooms, and the bacon to the pan with the vegetables and sauce. Cover and reheat gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook. Season, to taste, and serve immediately.

** Be careful not to overcook the meat. Filets have little fat, so they cook super fast so don't leave them in with the sauce too long because they'll over cook.....some of my filets did. Next time though, they will all be perfect! Come visit me and you can have a 5-star meal cooked by yours truly!

Mommy WOW, I'm a big girl now!

Moving to Germany has meant countless appointments in order to get everything lined out to go. Today, I had an appointment to get my "official" passport. I already have a tourist passport, but apparently if you are going to be in a foreign country for over 90 days, you need either a visa or a passport stating that you are there on official business. I suppose the military sending you to Germany is "official" enough, so I have to apply for a military provided (and paid for...thank goodness) passport. Unfortunately, I thought I had everything in line to get one today but alas, apparently I needed a copy of my husbands military ID....and who the heck carries around a copy of your husbands ID card??? Not me! So I have to re-schedule my appointment for another day.

Also, while on post I needed to get a tetanus shot and a TB test. So even though the passport did not work out today, it was not completely a waste. Before I got my shots today I told the nice older nurse administering the immunizations that I had not had a shot since high school and that I was going to try to be a big girl for her. I am happy to report that I was indeed a big girl.....but I did not get a sticker, sucker or anything......

Hi! My name is Angie and I just got back from a trip and I STILL have a spilling problem!

So, we just got back from a fabulous trip to Illinois to see our dear, dear friend Allen and his absolutely adorable bride, Lindsey get hitched! We met Allen while Andrew was at BOLC III/OBC in Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD. After BOLC III, he ventured to Ft. Hood where we quickly became good friends and I grew quite fond of our weekly cook-outs. Allen is now out of the Army and has moved back to Illinois. I know our paths will likely not cross often but I will always be grateful to the Army for bringing such a dear friend into our lives.

Let me start by saying that I love traveling and in particular I love experiencing regional cuisine. OK, I'll go ahead and say it...I'm a foodie! I *heart* food! I like to try new foods and experience different cultures through their food. Sometimes this works out...sometimes it doesn't (i.e. my cream of asparagus experience this weekend).

Before we left for Chicago I told Andrew that if we are in Chicago and I don't get to try a deep-dish Chicago style pizza, I was going to be VERY, VERY sad! And of course my husband doesn't want me to be sad (and in truth, he probably really wanted to try the pizza too) so he agreed. We asked some native Illini about must eat pizza joints and they suggested Lou Malnati's. http://www.loumalnatis.com/
And I will admit, it was probably one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten. Every bite, was scrumptious. My mouth is actually watering a little right now just thinking about it. The anatomy of a Chicago deep-dish pizza is a little different than traditional pizza. They start with a thick, crunchy crust (we are talking really crisp crust....like need to use a knife crisp), then pile on fresh mozzarella, romano and I think I might have tasted cheddar too, then the toppings (they were famous for their sausage...so of course we had to try it) THEN the pizza sauce, which was thick and chunky and delicious. I made Andrew document my first bite....man was it good!
If you are ever in Chicago, you have got to try the pizza. Lou's gets 5 stars from me, but I'm not saying there aren't other great deep-dish pizza places out there...in fact, I believe that it may require an additional trip to Chicago to research which pizza place does in fact have the best pizza.

And finally, because admittance is the first step, the weekend did not completely go spill free....after all no weekend would be complete without the dreaded Angie spill. And it had to happen with the worst possible drink to spill......RED WINE.....Merlot to be exact! Thats right folks, I spilled red wine all over myself. But not just any glass....er...plastic cup I should say, a freshly refilled cup of red wine! I spilled a freshly refilled cup of red wine all into my lap! I have a problem....a big, BIG, spilling problem! The good news is that my dress camouflaged the red wine, so despite being a little damp and sticky...it was as if the spill never happened at all...or so I will keep telling myself!

Hi! My name is Angie and I have a spilling problem...

Anybody know of a recovery program for habitual spillers??? The first step is admitting, and here it is.....I have a problem! I seriously can not stop spilling things....just ask Jason, he's been on the other side of the spill several times now. Tonight, I was just sitting on the couch holding a glass of tea (perfectly sweetened, I might add) and BAM, I spill the whole glass all over myself, the couch and a fall turkey decoration that Clayton had so politely removed from its location and given to me for "safe" keeping. After changing clothes and wiping up the couch (which, is the easiest thing to clean ever b/c my Grandmother scotchguarded guarded these suckers, as if she knew a habitual spiller would some day end up with her couches) cushion and the puddle that rested underneath the cushion, I realized that I have a real problem. I seriously need a sippycup. I think from here out I will only drink out of my camelbak until I can learn how to properly drink from a 'big girl' cup!