Roasted Pear Salad( favorite new recipe)

This past weekend we went to gulf shores and ate at a place called sassy bass. I ordered a roasted pear salad and enjoyed it so much I told the cook I was trying to figure out how to make it at home and she was nice enough to walk me though it. She said...

cut up a fresh crisp pear(washed of course). Put some butter( I added a tad bit of brown sugar also) in a pan and let it simmer then add the pear pieces.

The throw those and whatever else you normally like to garnish ur salad with over a bed of spinach. I didn't have spinach at the house but It was MUCH better with the spinach.

Add feta... lots of feta.

Then drizzle a capful of oil and lemon juice over everything as evenly as possible. Then drizzle a fare amount of honey( that's right.... HONEY) over the whole thing.

The mixture of the sweet honey and pear with the sharp cheese taste and the crisp slightly lemon spiced lettuce is so Delicious!

Its also incredibly healthy, filling, and a nice change from a regular salad.

If you don't try this recipe your missing out.

The Curvettes First 5K

Our first 5k landed on the last day of week 7 of our 10 week 5k training. Although taking on a race before out training was complete intimidated some of the runner I was impressed with the 6 ladies who signed up to run almost as soon  as I posted the race details. As the race got closer  and our training intensified, excitement and anxiety grew in the club. Where we ready? Should we have waited for a race to come once we had finished the entire 10 week class?

Doubts and nerves aside when race day came everyone showed up, ran their hearts out, and finished well. Each individual Curves runner beat their previous best 5k time.  I was so proud of each one of them.

The Ellisville Curvettes

June 16,2012

Run for gold 5k

Christy, Lisa, Me, Angie, Wanda, Marilyn, and Tara

Tara, Marilyn, and Wanda smiling as the leave a water station

Brad and I just starting the 3rd mile

Marilyn and Lisa with less than half a mile to go. Running hard as the day starts to heat up.

Angie pacing herself at the end of the 2 mile

Tara almost at the finish line

Marilyn pickin up speed as she nears the finish line

Happy the race is over!

June is Pepper Jelly Season

Last year around this time both Krisan and I were in our first trimesters and thinking about our third trimesters that happened to land during the Christmas holiday. Although it was both of our first pregnancy we assumed that at 8 and 9 months pregnant we were not going to feel like fighting the holiday shopping madness. So, we went to task canning home made Pepper Jelly for friends and family. It seemed to be a hit and pregnant or not..... I like the idea of getting some Christmas happys out of the way early this year so ....

can pepper jelly we did.

(and now you can too)

First make sure you wash the jars really good. Remember to wear gloves whenever handling the peppers. The juice will burn your hands. Cut up 2-4 regular sized peppers. I used about 6 small ones. The key to making the jelly hot is the membrane and seeds of the pepper so if you want less spice put the middle out. Toss the peppers into a blinder and blend them up until your happy. I like chunks in my pepper jelly. Krisan does not:)

Then mix 1 1/2 cups of Cranapple cocktail, 1 Cup white vinegar, and the blended peppers. Bring that to a boil on stove top, cover, and let it boil for ten minutes.

Its more fun if you have help!!!!!

Then take 2 cups of that and pour it into another bowl with 5 cups of sugar and 1 packet of liquid pectin. Bring to boil and let it roll for 1 minute and your done with the jelly part and ready for the canning part...

Pour it into your jars...

Make sure you clean around the rim very very good. then put the lids on and screw them down very tight. You can seal them by dipping them in boiling water or by turning them upside down and waiting until they cool. We did the later of the two.

While you wait is a good time to play with the kiddos...

It takes about 15 minutes to go from peppers to canned pepper jelly.

Its quick and easy, keeps forever, Is so yummy, and great for holiday happys!!

Pinterest recipe #6 spinach and ricotta stuffed pasta

mix a tub of ricotta cheese, cup of spinach, 1 can of sliced tomatoes, 1 cup of motzerella cheese and the rest is picture history...

Although this is very similar to the first pinterest recipe I tried, this is my favorite.

I love it. And that recipe made double what you saw in the picture the other pan went to my neighbor/grandparent-in-laws

Couch to 5K training week 6

Wow! What can I say? I would suggest this program to anyone who wants to learn to be a runner. I feel better and have more energy but I have to warn you I've gained .5lb every single week since we started. I have always wanted to be a runner. Throughout the years I have tried but everytime I jumped in with both feel and failed shortly therafter. Looking back I can clearly see what was missing. And that would be BABY STEPS! 6 weeks ago we ,the 5k runner from Curves of Ellisville, walked 5 minutes, ran 2 minutes, walked 5 minutes. Then we all discussed how sad it was that those two minutes kicked our none running butts. Adding a minute here and a minute there we have all learned how to put one foot in front of the other and push through the doubt and pain. A week from our first 5k, tonight we ran the actual race day route. Walked 5 minutes, ran 15 then walk/ran the rest of race. I am 25 and I am the youngest person on the team. Two of our members wear braces due to previous injuries, The next youngest runner after me has ceribal palsy and is so sore somedays she almost trips while she runs but she has never missed a day. Tonight we ran/walked our first 5k in 40.40. I am so proud of the whole crew.

I cant wait for the race next week.

Pictures and times will be posted.

Pinterest Recipe #5 Croissant burgers

Have you ever had those days when you need a quick easy meal and doesnt requir too much preparation and even less clean up? Of course you have. If you like me then this is  how I feel about all days that end in "Y". So, here ya go, another pinterest recipe tried and true

Croissant Burgers

Brown a pound of ground beef and then season it however you like your burgers. We added sharp cheddar cheese, Crushed peppers, salt and pepper, half a pack union soup mix. Then open those croissant dough packs. Just a dollop of meat in the middle, wrap them up tight, and cook them at 350 until golden brown.

On mine I put an extra slice of cheese and there were pickles on brads. Then get your condiments over invite some friends over( we invited brads folks over) and have a lovely evening.

Best part I didn't have to leave the AC to make it and didn't have to clean the grill after:)

bon apatit!

( I spell checked this and nothing... it looks wrong though)

Reagan Leigh is Five months old

Sweet Angel

The divorce rate

At the beginning of this year a report was released saying that the divorce rate was now at 70%. I can't accept this. an accurate translation of this report means the world is telling me most of my siblings and possibly myself will divorce. How can this percentage be correct? Whats bothering me is how in the world can they claim to even know the number of couples that divorce? The only way to get an accurate count of couples NOT divorced you have to wait until they are dead. And how do you count divorced couples when say wife is one her third marriage and husbands on his second. And if a couple has been married 30 years but both had previous marriages do they count as divorced or not?

It just hit me, another perk of a family our size ( other than being a voting block) is we can lower the divorce rate. Were already well on our way. At the end of this year half the Callen kids will me married!

Those Callen boys aren't afraid to commit

In a day an age full of men who avoid commitment and responsibility like the plague those Callen boys are obviously not afraid to commit to the women they love.

Congratulations to Thomas Martin Callen

and his bride elect Kimber Lee Dear

(Showing off her new bling..He did a great job)

(Telling the story of how he proposed)