Happy Holidays!

We had such an incredible holiday, back in the South with our families. One of our favorite Christmas traditions is baking a Buche de Noel, a French roll cake designed to look like a Yule Log. I was really proud of how it turned out!




We fly back to Colorado tomorrow. Apparently, we are flying home to negative temperatures. Eek.

Happy, Happy Anniversary

Morgan and I celebrated our first anniversary this weekend. It's so hard to believe that this time last year, we were gettin' hitched! We feel so overwhelmingly blessed. :)

Did you know that every anniversary has a theme? I knew that 50 is the Golden Anniversary, but that's about it. Well, apparently, the theme of the first anniversary is paper, which seems appropriate since we're young and broke :) I gave Morgan a scrapbook of letters that we've written to one another over the course of our relationship. It's so neat to read those letters and remember things we went through while we were dating and see how much our love has grown. Morgan surprised me with tickets to the Nutcracker ballet. I don't think the holidays are complete without the Nutcracker. And Morgan sat through the whole thing (almost) without falling asleep.

Tomorrow, we head back to Georgia for the holidays. I can't wait.

Learning to be an Italian Grandmother

Hi everyone! Sorry for the lack of posts this week. It's been crazy-busy here in the Angert household, as we've been getting ready for Christmas. We will also be celebrating our anniversary on Sunday. It's nuts how quickly time passes! So, we've been Christmas shopping, trying to get ahead at work so we can enjoy our nice, long vacation, trying to figure out what to do with the girls while we're gone...

But tonight, we are going to take it easy and kick back with some friends. I have not really entertained since we've moved out here to Colorado, so I'm really looking forward to getting a little Southern hospitality out of my system. Two couples from our church, also newlyweds and relatively new to Fort Collins, will be coming over for dinner. For some reason, when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to cook, I got really ambitious. I decided to try making homemade gnocchi. If you've never had gnocchi before, you should. It is heavenly. But I've never made it myself, so I'm a little nervous. I got the recipe from this great website, 101 Cookbooks. This particular recipe is called "How to Make Gnocci like an Italian Grandmother".

Also on the menu? Feta and prosciutto salad and Paula Deen's coconut cream bread pudding. Doesn't this sound ambitious? I must have been in a very confidant mood last night. :)

When In Rome

Morgan and I got our ski passes today! We each got a four-pass for Copper Mountain, which looks positively gorgeous. I am excited to hit the slopes. Problem one: I have never skied in my life. Problem two: I am a tad bit clumsy. Having two long skis attached to my feet and two poles in my hands should be interesting. Getting off the ski lift should be interesting. Morgan and I will most likely be enrolling in ski school.

We are also excited to see Morgan's dad, who is driving our other car all the way up from Georgia and should arrive tomorrow! Irony: It is currently warmer here in Colorado than in Georgia. What's the deal?

Oh Christmas Tree

We finally got our Christmas tree up and decorated! It definitely brings some cheer to our little apartment.

I have an obsession with old school, ceramic colored Christmas tree lights. I think they have a cool, vintage feel.

Hunting for a Christmas Tree

We found it!

Christmas Kickoff

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, we can "officially" start celebrating Christmas. Let's be honest, I have already been celebrating for months. :)

We are getting our tree on Sunday, and we have already started decking the halls in our little apartment. Last night, we went on our first Christmas shopping trip. I wrapped our first presents last night. Tonight, we're going to a staff Christmas party at our pastor's home. Which reminds me. I need to find a white elephant gift...

A Marathon of Eating

We had such a great time in Georgia this past week! Sunday night, we arrived in Atlanta, ate at the Varsity, and then went to the Ben Folds concert at the Tabernacle. Then we headed back to Athens and celebrated my mom's birthday with a trip to Trader Joe's, a hike in the Botanical Gardens, and then dinner out at Last Resort. Gosh, have I have missed Cecilia's cakes!

Wednesday we headed out to Roswell, where we ate an obscenely HUGE Thanksgiving feast at Pammy's parents' house. We spent Black Friday doing a little early holiday shopping, and then, we picked out a Christmas tree!! I cannot think of a better way to spend the holiday.

Tonight we went to yet another Thanksgiving feast at our friends' house. We sat, ate. Sat and ate some more. As we started to feel comatose, we ate dessert. It was fabulous!

Now we're going on a diet.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful

So I was looking at the date and I realized that in one month, Morgan and I will have been married for a year. I can't believe how quickly time has passed and how truly blessed we are! I can't believe how often I take things for granted, simple things like a roof over my head and food to eat and good health. And on top of that, I have been given the most precious, amazing family in the entire world. I never have any reason to complain. Ever.

A little early thanks-giving to start the holiday off right.

Cozy Up

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I feel like life has been crazy-busy lately. We are looking forward to a restful Thanksgiving back in Georgia. Ben Folds at the Tabernacle, Southern Thanksgiving feasts (two of them now... perks of being married), and time with family. The recipe for a wonderful holiday

Since it's been so cold here, I've been feeling the need to cozy up indoors with warm cider and old movies. Tonight we're watching Charlie Brown Christmas. :)

Image from T Ruffle.

Let it Snow

We got our first snow last night. It continued all the way into the morning, and when we woke up, our whole street was buried beneath a fresh blanket of white, powdery snow. We went for a walk and then came back to the apartment and had a cozy breakfast of chocolate-chip waffles. Perfection.

Tis the Season

Morgan won't let me get a Christmas tree yet. (I have to say I agree with the whole after Thanksgiving rule). BUT he did let me add a bunch of movies to our Netflix queue. Which means that, for the next several weeks, we will go bananas with Christmas movies. Including, but not limited to the following:

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas
2. A Christmas Story
3. The Santa Clause
4. Home Alone
5. Home Alone 2
6. Nightmare Before Christmas
7. A Muppet Christmas Carol
8. Christmas Vacation
9. It's a Wonderful Life
10. Love Actually
12. The Holiday
13. Shop Around the Corner
14. I'll Be Home for Christmas
15. Elf
16. Batman Returns

Did I leave any out???




Fort Collins is getting really festive too. Downtown, they've put up all these pretty twinkling Christmas lights. I know it's too early and we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet. But there's just something so magical about Christmas...

Nanny Life

Did I mention that I get to nanny for a cute little baby named Grace? She belongs to our neighbors. This baby has been on hikes and bikes and mountain climbs. She is oh so precious.



Tonight, our neighbors are having a party to welcome in the winter. We're having hot cider and a bon fire and lots of yummy food. I think having a party is a fun way to celebrate the seasons changing!

Have a great weekend :)

Sufjan Stevens

My sweet (and very sneaky) husband surprised me today with Sufjan Stevens tickets!! We sat third row, center. It was the most amazing show I have ever seen. At one point, we were all dancing in our seats. We left this concert in the best mood.

We had to take our sweet friends to the airport this morning. I was sad to say goodbye to them, but what a great visit!

Friends Visit

It has been such a great visit with Erin and Leanna! We have crammed so much into one weekend...

On Saturday morning, I picked Erin and Leanna up from the Denver airport. We met up with our friend Karla, who is working in Denver as a math teacher. We went to lunch with her at 16th Street Mall. I saw the Paramount Theater with Sufjan's name on the marquee. He is playing a concert tomorrow (my birthday), but we couldn't get tickets!!! Oh, well. Maybe we'll catch him next time he comes to Denver.

After lunch, we left Denver and headed south to Colorado Springs, home of Focus on the Family (Mom, remember Adventures in Odyssey?) and Pike's Peak. We picked up Beka and headed into the mountains to visit Lost Valley Ranch, the five-star ranch where Mary Ellen has been working for the past several years. We arrived just in time for the Halloween party, but Mary Ellen snuck in a quick tour. This ranch is legit. It is both a functioning cattle ranch and a resort where guests can stay. It is out in the middle of nowhere. The star-gazing is wonderful. I would like to stay there.

After the party, we left the ranch and drove back to the Springs. We spent the night at Beka's apartment. Sunday morning, we got up early and made pumpkin pancakes in honor of Halloween. Then, Beka took us to Garden of the Gods. This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The rock formations are incredible. And so is the view of Pike's Peak. We had some fun playing here.




We had a nice picnic lunch, and then it was time to head back to Fort Collins. We got to take Erin and Leanna to church with us. I may have mentioned this before, but our church meets in the evenings, at 5 p.m., because we rent space from another church who meets in the morning. So, by the time church was over, it was dark out. As we were walking home, we were admiring the Halloween decorations and the cute trick-or-treaters. And then, true story, we saw a black horse with a headless rider emerge from the shadows. The rider was wearing all black. He carried a pumpkin and a sword. Here's the conversation that transpired:
Us: "Um. Are you by any chance the headless horseman?"
Headless Horseman: *Turns towards us and raises his sword*
Us: "Are you a nice horseman?"
Headless Horseman: *Silent*
Us: "Where did you get that horse?"
Headless Horseman: "Wal-Mart." *Rides off*

We later found out that Morgan, who came home separately, had a longer conversation with him. Nice guy, the headless horseman. Sunday night, we carved our jack-o-lantern and attempted to make snicker doodle cupcakes. They weren't very aesthetically-pleasing, but they tasted scrumptious.

Today, we spent some time exploring Fort Collins. We went shopping in Old Town. We went to Odell, where we had some beer and played Jenga. Then, we went to dinner at Coopersmith's, where we consumed more food than anyone ever should. I mean, I think we had ten courses.

Tomorrow, we have to take Leanna and Erin back to the airport :( But not until we have a delicious breakfast at Snooze. I can finally order their special birthday pancakes!

Beer and Bikes

Today was a really fun, productive day! John K came into town (he teaches at a school in Denver) to see Morgan. They went out to lunch, and I got all my work done for the entire weekend. I ran some errands, did some yard work, etc. When the boys got home, we decided to ride our bikes over to Odell, a local Fort Collins brewery. We arrived just in time to take the tour! It was super interesting, and I learned a lot about the beer-making process. I also learned that the altitude means i can only drink half of a beer.



We left Odell and rode a bike trail that follows the Poudre River. The river was high today, and the trail was so beautiful because all the leaves are changing color. I wish I'd been able to take some pictures! Maybe next time.

Birthday & Some Books

This morning I woke up to discover that Georgie had devoured an entire loaf of bread (in the packaging). This is the second loaf of bread she's eaten in a week. She needs to watch the carbs.

It is so windy here! Even in our little apartment, we can here the wind howling away. It's sort of the perfect, eerie Halloween weather. Everyone in our neighborhood gets really into decorating for Halloween. There are a lot of kids in the neighborhood though, so the decorations are more fun than scary. One family built a giant spider web out of rope in front of their house. I thought that was really neat. And there are so many awesome jack-o-lanterns. I've been trying to get some ideas for mine.

Today, I got my first birthday package!!! It was from my sweet parents. They sent me a cozy "ear sweater" (my word for a head band that covers your ears in the wintertime), a beautiful necklace, and a really neat vintage copy of Cranford, all from Anthropologie.




I am obsessed with Anthropologie's vintage books. They look great on the self. Maybe I will start collecting them.

Brunch Time

One of the most important things to do shortly after moving to a new town is to find a Sunday brunch establishment. In Athens, M and I were all about Mama's Boy. We ate there at least once a week. But now that we are in Fort Collins, it's time for us to find a new brunch place. And I am excited to report that we have.

There is a restaurant in Fort Collins called Snooze. It's an eclectic place with a creatively delicious menu. As I told M earlier today, I feel like Snooze has made my wildest breakfast fantasies come true. For example, when we went there for brunch today, I had the s'more pancakes. Amazing.



I just realized a lot of my posts have been about food lately :) Hmm... Well, in other news, we are getting really pumped for our friends' visits this next week. John K comes Thursday and Friday, followed by Erin and Leanna, who will be with us through both Halloween and my birthday! I am so excited to see them! Also, we are still enjoying BEAUTIFUL fall weather. No snow... yet.

A Southern Dinner

Tonight, we're going to a southern dinner. In Fort Collins, there are a few displaced Southerners, and we're getting together tonight to eat massive amounts of biscuits and cheese grits and okra and, best of all dessert. I decided that I'm going to bring banana pudding. Even better - Nutter Butter banana pudding. The Nutter Butters add a nice, peanut butter touch. I got the idea from Southern Living, but I'm using my mom's nationally-renowned recipe. I will let you know how it goes :)


[Picture from Southern Living]

EDIT: The banana pudding turned out really well. It was a big hit. Most people said they'd never had banana pudding with Nutter Butters before. Mom, I had people asking for your recipe. :)

Snail Mail Love

Our day was brightened when we discovered a package on our front steps!!! (Usually, the only mail we get is Netflix). Leanna sent us an awesome box of goodies: her homemade chocolate chip cookies and cheese straws (yum!), Halloween candy, a pretty red and black platter to support our alma mater, good ol' Terrapin beer, and a mason jar of Georgia dirt (my favorite part). I feel like we got a little bit of Georgia in a box!

The Year, In Retrospect

I have the best husband in the whole world. I am sitting here at the table, and he is cooking me dinner for no reason at all. Today has been a very relaxing day. Our church had a women's retreat at Primrose Studio, this precious little lodge out on the edge of a lake. It was such a refreshing, restful time.

Our upstairs neighbors have this annual tradition to welcome the winter. It's called the Review and Brew. They collect several photographs from all their friends, photographs taken over the past year, and put them into a slideshow. Then, the first week of November, everyone gets together and drinks home-made brews and cider out under the winter sky. The photos are projected up on the side of the house, and everyone gets to look at photographs from everyone's year. I thought this was such a neat idea, I decided to post our photo submissions. It's a year of big milestones, that's for sure.

A Little Taste of Home

The other day, we bought a ton of apples. I was in a very autumn-ish mood when I bought them, and I had all these lofty plans to make caramel apples and apple crisp and homemade apple sauce. None of this actually happened, of course, because I ran out of time. But, I did get really adventurous today and decided to attempt to recreate the Marti's Favorite sandwich from Marti's at Midday back in Athens. It's easy-peasy:

I toasted two pieces of nine-grain bread, then melted some sharp white cheddar on top of the bread in the toaster oven. I sprinkled a bit of cinnamon on top of the melted cheese (it sounds weird, but trust me). Then, I chopped my apple into thin slices and spread out the apple on top of the cheese on one of the bread slices. Put 'em together, and you have a Marti's Favorite. It makes such a cozy and delicious autumn lunch (or snack), and it sort of quenched my homesickness :)



I got this picture from A Cup of Jo, which is one of my favorite blogs. I think she used a different recipe, but it's the same basic ingredients and idea. Yum.

The "A" Trail

Today, Morgan had a day-off, so we hiked Fort Collins' "A" Trail. The "A" Trail goes up into the foothills behind the CSU football stadium. There is this "A" in the side of the hill overlooking the stadium; I think the "A" stands for Aggies, back when CSU used to be Colorado A&M.

Llama?

The "A"

View from the top...

Horsetooth Reservoir

Sadie and Georgie had a good time swimming.

A Snapshot of Fall

Today Morgan and I took a walk in our neighborhood. All the leaves are changing, and there are colors everywhere.






Makes me want to curl up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate and watch Legends of the Fall or You've Got Mail.