Celebrating Family

This summer has been full of some much needed family time. I think my family is pretty damn awesome.  We may not see each other a ton every year, but when we get together, we enjoy every single minute. 

Mom and I headed to Denver for a fantastic family wedding with the Huebert/Myers clan. Claire and Mark were married in a beautiful garden surrounded by the mountains. 

It was fun hanging out with cousins both young and old.  Growing up, summer vacations meant a trip to Colorado. 

My Aunt Tedde, Uncle Jim and their clan of kiddos was always a highlight of the summer. My sister and I were usually the baby of the cousins and we just adored our older cousins. I remember feeling so cool hanging out with them. When we spend time together now, I still feel like a giddy little girl. 

The start of July always means the birthday of one of my heartbeats, Miss Brenda!  We have spent the last few years celebrating her and it was great spending her special day with her. It was a beautiful day boating on the lake, sun, cocktails and a ton of laughs with her friends. So lucky to have another year of Brenda in my life! 

July 4th was another family celebration and food! We always try to get a few photos of everyone together because it doesn't happen often enough. This is only a small representation of the big group of the Huebert clan. 

I also spent some quality time with these lovely ladies. Miss Lindsey is the little sister I never had and she is also the  proud mama of Miss Ally and Miss Lucy. I couldn't get enough of Ally's kisses and tickles. 

Another collection of memories in my life of people who make my heartbeat...

AE

Friends, Memorial Day, Golf, Music, Future, and Real Deal Kind of Weekend

I think summertime likes to give me more time than I know what to do with by providing longer, sunny filled days and endless opportunities of excitement. However, it does rob me of known indoor activities like writing and blogging. So being the wise adult that I am, I know now to place an alert in my phone that says (no joke):   "Hey Anne,  I know you're having a blasty blast but it's been 2 weeks, have you blogged?"  

The first official holiday weekend to kick off summer fun started with a little trip to Omaha to have Happy Hour with my frista and other lady friends. We dined on sushi, had a few Grey Goose and waters and had endless laughs. Those girlies just make my day and it is always fun to go back and catch up with them. 

One of our favorite spots is Kona Grill because they have killer happy hour sushi and cocktail specials on their amazing patio. The only thing I wonder about Friday's in Omaha is does anyone work past noon?  Geez.....

After a delightful night with the girls, I headed back to my roots to enjoy seeing my beautiful mother, family and the peace and quiet.

There was a time in my life I felt leaving Panama and not looking back was the best thing in the world. Thing is, all roads lead back to the foundation of my life. There is a sense of peace and calm in this small but mighty Iowa town 

(cue John Cougar Mellencamp and the sweet sounds of Small Town). 

When I am back in the hood, I love to head out and hit the pavement with an exploring run. So many fun memories come rushing back and I feel like I could run for endless miles (which let's be honest, 4 miles is more like it and realistically my limit).  The train tracks line the east side of town and run through Whispering Pines Park, which was frequently traveled on by a slew of girls on bikes.

There is this calming sense of comfort as I drive up Main Street and see the homestead on the right. The home I spent the majority of the youth in, sprayed endless amounts of hairspray in, sang karaoke to Cyndi Lauper with my girl gang, ate homemade pizza under the kitchen table, slammed a few doors in, shed a few tears in and shared a life with my amazing parents and sister. I may have also kissed a few boys on the front porch as well.

We picked beautiful peonies in our backyard to take to my sweet Papa and sister on Memorial Day.  Peonies are one of my favorite flowers and they are everywhere in Panama. My mom has these stunning pink ones in the back yard.

 I had a little help from my friend Gypsy. She is also my fur baby, Lil g's momma. She loves to tag along in the backyard and supervise all the happenings.

I also couldn't resist one of my most guilty pleasures from my Mom's garden:  ONIONS!  Oh my goodness, I seriously can pick this straight from the ground, wash it off and eat it like candy. I don't mind dipping it in a little salt if it's handy. The best part about this is I know she planted them for me because she runs as fast as possible away from onions. So thank you Mom for this produce pleasure!

After a relaxing time back home, another work we started. Except this week was not only short, but it was our annual managers golf outing. 

There were over 300 managers who spent the day out on the links. Even though our team didn't win anything,  I would say our team won in the entertaining and a blast to be with division.  Thanks Matt, Jason and Stacey for making it such a fun day!

Each year, my summer officially starts with the first concert I go to.  Last year, I pledged to attend 3 concerts (minimum) a summer because there is nothing better than witnessing music in its most vulnerable and creative space: live. I also pledged to be open to new and different types of music to expand my horizons and the first one up did a lot of expanding.  It was an enjoyable night of creative outlaw country at Wooly's. 

The end of week was full of new adventures. I met up with this lovely, who I haven't seen for a long time when she was my intern!  I am proud of Jena and all of her dietitian accomplishments thus far. It is great reconnecting with dietitians I have worked with in the past and hear about all the amazing things they have done and are doing. 

The Principal Charity Classic was back in town this past weekend and it was a pretty kick ass day out on the course. I enjoyed a few beers, soaked up some sun (with SPF 30 slathered all over of course!) and hung out with some of my favorite people. 

Whew! Holy Sh*% that was a crazy, busy, beautiful week!  I love this time of year. I love making memories and being with people who make my heart beat. 

AE

Thanksgiving: The OG GBC (Green Bean Casserole)

There is not a lot that can compete with a green bean casserole (GBC) at Thanksgiving (ok well if my friends chimed in, corn casserole would kick GBC out of the running). Sure, there are a lot of "fancier" casseroles out there, you know ones made with fresh green beans and homemade sauce and other special twists. But this girl likes the OG GBC.

The best part about this whole experience is I have not made GBC in a long time. So I will be honest, I forgot what was in the casserole. With Friendsgiving fast approaching, I volunteered my culinary skills to bring the GBC. As I was wandering around the grocery store (of which I work at), my friend Stacey (who happens to be the best chef I know) asked me what I was doing because of the massive look of confusion and me doing a recipe search on my phone. Thankfully, Stacey helped this lady out and told me exactly what I needed to make the OG GBC. With one tiny secret...

Diced baby bellas sauteed in butter.

3 tablespoons, melted to be exact.

Over medium heat...

For about 5-7 minutes or until they are a golden brown.

Then pop open 2 cans of canned cut green beans. (I was leaning toward the French style green bean because it is my all-time winner of the canned vegetable in Anne's world, but Stacey said she preferred the cut and I was sticking to her expertise on the GBC).  One of my dietitian tricks is to rinse off the green beans to reduce the sodium content but not the taste.  No worries, plenty of salty goodness even after a good rinse off.  (I love my colander, it was my Grandma Jose's..vintage).

Then I prepare my beautiful white dish by popping open the 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup mixed with 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1 1/2 cups of fried onions, the beautifully sauteed mushrooms and my secret ingredient, 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan. Mix until well incorporated.

Toss the green beans into the pool and coat them with the creamy goodness.

Make sure to hold onto a good 2 cups of the crispy onions for the later part of the baking magic.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes. Place the remaining onions on the top of the casserole and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

And there you have it, my OG GBC masterpiece!  Whatever traditions you have on Thanksgiving, they are original to you and to your family. Holidays are time to enjoy family, friends and food. As a dietitian, everyone thinks I am always on the hunt for a healthier version of holiday recipes, but there are certain things that should just remain the way you always remembered them.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.....

Week in Review

 

Happy Happy Holidays!  I hope you had an amazing one with family and friends or whoever is special to you!  I enjoyed the holiday with some of my favorite people and appreciated the very low-key days we had together. Mr. and Mrs. Claus were up to only good things of course!  Love these two!  I couldn't imagine having anyone else as my parents! Christmas Day was celebrated with my Gramma and Poppo with a delicious brunch and fantastic conversation. It was gorgeous out, sun and 46 degrees. It was a pretty perfect day in Panama, Iowa.

 

Over the past couple of years we kind of started a new tradition by having crab legs on Christmas. Lucky for me, I work at the best Hy-Vee in the land and my friend John hooked me up with a few pounds of Alaskan deliciousness. I love that we dress the table with newspapers, melted butter, lots of napkins and tools for crab attacking. Which is exactly what I did.

 

We shared in our seafood delight with my cousin Christine and her husband Denis. No one was safe at the table this year. I got a little crazy cracking my crab. Denis and Christine took some home on their heads and the window also got a little taste. 

 

 

This year has been a year. I cannot say it has been my favorite year, but it has been a year of learning and growing. I am hopeful for all that 2015 has to offer and look forward to what lies ahead, whatever it is. I hope as the year closes, you have fond memories, moments that you learned something new, have met a new friend, have faced one of your fears and conquered it and you are ready to not look back and continue to look forward.

 

Here's to 2014!   

       

Wisdom Wednesday

Every holiday season, I make sure to take a deep breath and take it all in. Another year I am surrounded by family and friends who make me speechless, make me humble, make me happy and make me feel completely loved and blessed. I never want to forget a moment I have with them. Happy Holidays! 

Week in Review

The holidays are fast approaching once again and everyone is looking for fun and festive recipes to serve. I had a great presentation at the Franklin Library is Des Moines this past week. I demonstrated making easy holiday recipes and everyone enjoyed the samples!  This recipe below was a huge hit. If you are not a huge fan of ginger, sprinkle them with a little sea salt. 

Chocolate-Dipped Clementines

From EatingWell: January/February 2013
Yield: about 30 pieces
Active Time: 15 min
Total Time: 45 min

INGREDIENTS

1. 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
2. 4 clementines at room temperature, peeled and sectioned
3. 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger

PREPARATION

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
2. Place chocolate chips in a small glass bowl. Microwave on Medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on in 20-second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval. (Alternatively, melt in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water.)
3. Dip half to two-thirds of each clementine section into the melted chocolate. Let the excess drip back into the bowl. Place the dipped fruit on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle crystallized ginger over the chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Per Serving: 18 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrates; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 0 mg sodium; 17 mg potassium.

Each year, our dietitian group gets together to celebrate another successful year and just let loose!  Adorning our ugly sweaters, we got a chance to catch up, laugh and work on our cheerleading skills. I am lucky to work with such a strong, smart and gracious group of women. We will support each other through anything (even human pyramids).

Somehow, I became co-president with Tracy for the Des Moines Creighton Alumni Association and we hosted our first event of our presidency. It was a fun event and we were happy with our turn out as well as the Creighton Men's BB team defeating Nebraska. I was surprised to see old friends from college and it was great catching up with them. Such good memories!  Thanks to everyone who came out in the snow and the cold!