Stock Show 2011

And the number 1 thing (besides Girl Scout Cookies) that I love in the Post-Christmas Winter is….

THE STOCK SHOW!

Seriously its one of my favorite things to do, despite the fact that its pretty much exactly the same every year…I find comfort in that. This year was no exception! Mr Gaunt and I went alone for the first time, we went after work on a Thursday. I used the Visa gift card I found on the ground to buy our tickets…pleasing.

So in usual form we paroosed the booths of AS SEEN ON TV stuff and bedazzled cowgirl apparel. We hit up the petting zoo and watched the merry-go-round. We poked at feather friends and looked at funny farm equipment. We always like to hit up the small free arena and watch the 4H kids show off their cows, they are all big and fluffy in the winter. We like to add our own commentary and make up our own standards for how we judge a cow.  Mr. Gaunt really wanted to see the Sheep Hearding dog competitions but they are only on the weekends. I’m promising him now that one day we can get one of our own and train it to be all super smart. Our new house has a fully fenced large back yard….Do I hear Wedding Bells Puppy Bells?

We also ate a smidge of garbage food, BBQ Chicken and Lemonade. And I insisted on buying meticulously expensive Salt Water Taffy, as it is my favorite! And as we were leaving we saw GO VEGAN spray painted on one of train cars…I though this was funny and Ironic.

(see last years pics here)

25 things I learned before turning 25

On September 12th I turned 25! Yippee! 25 to me feels like a nice grown up age, and I am happy to be here. And so in my old older age I would like to share 25 things I learned before turning 25:

1. Drama, as much fun as it seems at the time will never make you happy.

2. Relationships are a roller-coaster of hard work and smooth sailing.

3. You can always change your habits, it just takes desire.

4. Take care of the ones you love, and they will stay with you no matter how far away you are.

5. Forgiveness is for yourself, and no one else.

6. Treating your body good will reflect in all aspects of your life.

7. Men can change on their own, you just cant force them to do it.

8. Money will come and go, the stress it puts on you will stay much longer.

9. Behind every happy couple is an understanding of partnership. One that can not be broken.

10. Finding a happy medium between enjoying solitude and enjoying company is very difficult.

11. Nothing is a pressing as the one who’s pressing would like you to believe.

12. Family is a constant work in acceptance.

13. Opening up and sharing your insecurities makes others like you more, not less.

14. Everything in moderation.

15. Enjoy the seasons, they are one of the few constants in our lives and can always bring back memories we had forgotten.

16. You can say “I’ll never” as much as you want, it doesn’t mean its true.

17. It’s a comforting feeling to look back and realize your were a dumbass.

18. Prioritize happiness. Always.

19. If you can’t go to school, then you must let the world around you teach. Open your heart and mind to life’s lessons.

20. Reading lets your inner dialogue run wild. It’s good for the soul.

21. Find the little things to enjoy in the present. Waiting for the future is exhausting.

22. Find a partner who loves and respects you more every single day. It will bring such happiness.

23. Be the change you want to see in the world. And don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t help fix it.

24. Crying almost always makes me feel better.

25. Trust in yourself, trust in your friends, trust in your family.

I leave you with pictures from my birthday. Mr. Gaunt and I celebrate “Birthday week” the whole week before your birthday! It was the week before we got paid so we were a little broke.  Mr. Gaunt still wanted to do something sweet every day so he staked out areas around town that had little public gardens and he cut me fresh flowers every day!

It was the Broncos first game of the season on my birthday so I put on some Broncos apparel and pretended to root for them…lol! I have decided (since I really don’t care) to be a Broncos Fan for Mr. Gaunt. We will also be raising our children as Broncos fans, despite the fact that we will be in Washington. Its something that makes him happy, so I am happy to do it.

For dinner we dressed up and went to Sushi Den with Jenny and Justin. So yummy! I even got my favorite Green Tea Ice Cream to blow out my candle!

Date Night

In all efforts Mr. Gaunt and I try to stay in love as much as possible. Dont get me wrong, there are days when we hate each others guts, but for the most part we try to live in love. Because I’m a floozy and I move in with boyfriends very quickly, Mr. Gaunt and I really never “dated” perse. I mean we would meet for lunch, and go out drinking with friends, but there was very little courting. He didn’t pick me up at my house and take me out to dinner or movies or anything like that. Most of the time I could care less about those kinds of things, but every now and then I think how much I would like to go on dates.

Mr. Gaunt is on an endless path to show me how much our relationship means to me (yes ladies be jealous…lol!) For real I often feel like he works 10x harder than I do, but I know that isn’t really true. We each have our own unique way of showing we care and putting effort in the relationship. For me its making good food and taking pictures of our family and all the little creative inspiration that keeps us entertained. I feel good about what I put into it too.

Anyway last Friday Mr. Gaunt decided we were going to go a date! Yipee! Originally he had planned for us to take Tango dancing lessons, but I sort of vetoed, Id rather do ballroom or salsa, tango seems too Adams Family. So instead we decided to do dinner and a walk through the park in Denver. We went to Pete’s Greek Restaurant, because I LOVE Greek food and Mr. Gaunt and I had never really been to real Greek food together. It was amazing, of course:

After that we went to City Park and watched the sun set and the fountains light up. We had wanted to go to the Botanical Gardens, but they were hosting some event that evening. The cutest part of the evening though was when we got to watch this guy propose to his girlfriend. I made a video, but I dont know how to upload it (MR. GAUNT HELP!) it was so stinking cute I cried…lol! Best date night EVER!

He was waiting forever for her to arrive.

SHE SAID YES!

Gelato vs Ice Cream

(Taken from Wikipedia) Gelato differs from ice cream in that it has a lower butterfat content, typically gelato contains 4-8% versus 14% for ice cream. Gelato generally has slightly lower sugar content, averaging between 16-22% versus approximately 21% for ice cream. Non-fat milk is added as a solid. The sugar content in gelato is precisely balanced with the water content to act as an anti-freeze, that is, to prevent the gelato from freezing solid.

Unlike commercial ice cream in the United States which is frozen with a continuous assembly line freezer, gelato is frozen very quickly in individual small batches in a batch freezer. The batch freezer incorporates air or overage into the mix as it freezes. Unlike American-style ice cream which can have an overage of up to 50%, gelato generally has between 20% and 35% overage. This results in a denser product with more intense flavor than U.S. style ice cream. U.S. style ice cream, with a higher fat content, can be stored in a freezer for months. High-quality artisan gelato holds its peak flavor and texture (from delicate ice crystals) for only several days, even when it is stored carefully at the proper temperature. This is why gelaterias typically make their own gelato on the premises or nearby.

Ms. G and I went to Little Man Ice Cream in Denver last week. I got Honey Gelato and she got cherry chocolate and watermelon. They give ridiculously huge portions! But very yummy, even though it was cold and rainy.

We also stopped in at this adorable little Plus Size Boutique called Buxom where we both found the PERFECT SHORTS! I still havent gotten a good picture of them, but they are by Boom Boom. I got denim and black in a size 14 (which I think is as low as they go, maybe 12), and I love them! They are also having a clothing swap/sell in July that I will be attending!

Summer Eats

I have completely neglected my blog. I’ve been dealing with some stress and anxiety issues, as well as health issues that I plan to share in upcoming post. I will say that I’m doing pretty well and despite some heated therapy sessions, Mr. Gaunt and I are happy and trying to make the most of our summer.

The weather took a slight turn this past weekend and I had to skip lap swimming for a few days…boo. I’m back on it now though, and the weather is looking 80+ with no cold in sight. Mr. Gaunt and I have been hitting up the farmers markets, and last weekend Ms. G and I went into Denver to the cutest little Local Produce Hut called In Season Local Market. This place is super cute and tiny! They carry local veggies, meat and dairy, as well as honey, soap and other goods. I bought a bunch of veggies and some cheese as well as some AMAZING yogurt called Noosa Yoghurt made in Boulder Co. It’s probably the best yogurt I have ever had! If you’re in the Denver area you should check out In Season, their open weekdays till 2-8pm which is great for people who don’t have time to get to the farmers market.

We also tried the Cherry Creek Farmers market which is one of the best markets I’ve been to in Colorado. We got lots of good local food there too as well as a new shirt for Mr. Gaunt! Although it is crazy busy, still worth it. There are so many cute dogs everywhere too…and babies!

Local Veggies

Local Pheasant and Chicken Sausages!

Local focaccia Bread

And besides that grocery stores have been all kinds of cheap so there has been an over abundance of produce in our house, I’m almost overwhelmed. I wont be shopping for the next two weeks as we leave for Washington on the 2nd for 9 days. Until then I hope to be better about blogging, in fact the following posts are coming up: New Swimsuit, Smoking/Stress, and Kale!

Last I leave you with the cutest dress I found tonight at Target for $5.99! I think it will be adorable with a little black cardigan to wear to my big family dinner at the Grandparents house! Yay for cheap clothes! and two funny pics of us at Michaels.

Chicken Parmesan

I made Chicken Parmesan a few nights ago and it was DELISH! It took a smidge longer than expected because the oven temp wasnt set (ehm…mr.gaunt) none the less we finally ate at 8:00pm (boo that is way past six!). It’s also super easy. I baked breaded chicken (I have made my own bread crumbs, but these were store-bought) and then sprinkled parmesan on it about 3 minutes before it came out of the oven. I boiled some whole wheat angel hair and sauteed some onions, zucchini and cherry tomatoes in olive oil. I mixed the veggies into the pasta and put the chicken on top of it, poured over some spaghetti sauce and sprinkled with a little more cheese. Super yummy and pretty healthy. We are on a major veggie kick, and I can not get enough!

I’m going to Washington in SEVEN days! YAY! Its my mom’s birthday next Friday and I’m so glad I get to spend it with her! I havent seen her since July (which is a damn crime against mother/daughter bonding!) and we are gonna do Deep Water Running, and I want to cook with her! I really want to try to make Kale Chips while there (yah down mom?) because we both love a good chip, and I LOVE KALE! Anyway, tomorrow is Ms. G’s Birthday and we will be going to Fresh Fish for dinner. I’ve already decided I’m getting clams…becuase clams are heaven in a shell. Oh and its Friends and Family Weekend at Old Navy, and a friend sent me the 30% off coupon (total purchase) and 5% goes to Boys and Girls club! How sweet is that! CLICK HERE FOR THE COUPON!