Cave of the Winds

Last Friday after we went to the Wolf Sanctuary we went to Manitou Springs, this charming little tourist town outside of Colorado Springs nestled in the base of Pikes Peak. We walked thru main street and had lunch at this European Cafe which was really really good!

 After lunch we went to our last stop of the day Cave of The Winds in Manitou Springs!

 This amazing cave system is inside the base of a mountain and this attraction is set in the cliff of the mountain overlooking the stunning canyon below.

 I always love playing tourist in my own state and lucky me Colorado will always give us plenty of opportunities to do that, the hard part is just narrowing it all down for that day!

 We took an hour long tour inside the cave which was incredible, I loved learning the history of the cave and how the tours ran when this first opened. And let me tell you back then you couldn't pay me money to CRAWL in the dark for 4 hours just to see 1 open room then to only crawl back in the dark to get out.

 This is a great tour but honestly unlike the tour says... fun for all ages, don't bring toddlers! Or anyone who can't walk a million stairs or pay attention for a full hour. We had fun but some others were trying to ruin it for us!

A few years back the Today filmed from Cave of the Winds and they have an attraction called the Terror-Dactyl which I would NEVER DO but the Today show did! You can see the video below, its funny...


To learn more about Cave of the Winds click HERE

Abner Gundy Savage

This Friday marks the Anniversary of the day we brought our boy Abner home and is therefor his Birthday. He was in the worst shape when we got him and no one knew his exact age and to this day we only guess along with the vet. Most likely Abner will be 15 on Friday, our little old man. Since living with our family for the past 7 years he has battled seizures, intestine issues and now our boy is losing his hearing and his eye sight. We have reason to believe that our boy might not be with us too much longer and that pains us greatly ( I hope we are wrong). 

This EXACT time last year almost to the day we found out Oscar had cancer and my parents came to visit him where my Dad did a photo shoot with Matt, Oscar and myself. That was one of the greatest gifts we have, doing that before it got too late. So this last weekend my Dad once again gave us the sweetest gift of letting our Abner be the star of our Fall pictures. 

Abner has days when I think everyone must be wrong... he acts like a puppy but then there are days when I just know it in my heart. We spoon feed our oldest baby and lace his food with cheese.... because Abner gets what Abner wants from now on. I will of course keep everyone updated on his health and the thought of losing not 1 but 2 of my children in the same year breaks me, it breaks us both. I could NEVER imagine our family without Abner, he is truly the light of our family and if you have been around him.... you know that is true! It's a true honor to be bossed around by him! lol

Here are some of the photos and the rest I am putting on Facebook you can see HERE

I only have one more thing to say.... Could Abner BE ANYMORE handsome and dapper? I surely think NOT!

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Matt's 36!!!

You guys as I was loading pictures to this post for Matt's Birthday weekend I sat back and realized... MAN, he had a GREAT weekend! lol! I mean that was my goal and all but wow! hehe!

My parents flew in last Thursday evening for the weekend.... they came for the Broncos game, we try to go to one a year with them and Matt's Birthday weekend wound up being the best fit AND that way the tickets for all of us to go to the game was his present from my parents and my grandma!

Friday night we kicked off the weekend with dinner out at our favorite special occasion place! Guard and Grace downtown and while we were eating the ENTIRE Portland Trailblazers NBA team came in to eat! Kinda cool!

 Mom and Dad LOVED dinner too..... since they got the Broncos tickets Matt and I actually treated them to the steakhouse dinner! And for those of you who asked about my top on Facebook it is Free People and I got it recently, my "pleather" leggings are from Nordstroms!

Saturday Mom and I set out to go shopping before our tailgate prep started and Dad and Matt got a BIG surprise! My Dad is a private pilot and his plane is in Oklahoma but I found a great plane rental company here in Denver and set it all up for Dad and Matt to fly around Denver for the afternoon! They were super excited!

 Here is just 1 of Matt's pictures from the plane, and they even did a low fly over of our house! Mom and I were outside on the deck waving... it was super cool! They flew over the foothills, Red Rocks, Denver and had a wonderful afternoon in the sky!

Sunday for the game I organized a tailgate of Matt's friends and we had a good turn out, around 15-18 people stopped by and thank you to those of you who did! We had games, music and a TON of food that Mom and I made... plus Matt manned the grill!

 This game was on Matt's actual Birthday which was so neat..... plus a Broncos WIN! Go Broncos!

These are two other Farmers District Managers who stopped by to wish Matt a Happy Birthday! I love their fro's!

 Guess What??? We had 3rd ROW TICKETS! It was awesome being so close to the action and we were right by the Cheerleaders which I LOVED!

 OMG They gave out Vampire Miller masks and we loved them..... Matt and Mom demonstrate here!

 This is how close we were... NO ZOOM!

 Matt had a wonderful weekend which made me happy but come yesterday we were all super tired! Mom and Dad are back in Oklahoma and it's back to the real world I guess! BOO hiss!

Go Broncos!!!!!!! Happy 36th Matty!

Game Days are HERE!

Football Season is HERE! The start of Fall, Game Days, Great Eats, Tailgates, Cooler Weather, Fantasy Football but don't forget The World Series is around the corner too! It's a great time of year and I amoung the masses is obsessed with Fall and everything is has to offer!

 Last week was pretty much a Bucket List night for us... NOT only did we go to the Broncos Season Opener BUT it was NFL Kickoff.... With a free One Republic Concert, Presentation of the Lombardi Trophy and a BRONCO WIN after the Super Bowl Round 2 Game! It was EPIC as was our seats!!!

 I may not be one to sit in front of the couch for hours watching the Broncos or our Sooners but I LOVE going to the games! It's completely different!

This weekend is HUGE for OU as we are set to play Ohio State (BOO, Hiss) so for the game I have our game day menu all planned out but don't fret I have MANY options for you also.........

Game Day Eats!
 * Smokey Turkey Chili is a wonderful healthy option, find the recipe HERE
 * My Moms White Bean Chicken Chili is the easiest option and the recipe is HERE
 * I Love this Crock Pot Green Chili Chicken over rice, the recipe is HERE 
 * Maybe a Sandwich better suits your crew, this crockpot shredded chicken sandwich is great! The recipe is HERE

I hope I have inspired you for Game Day this weekend and GO SOONERS!!!!!






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Fall!!

I thought I would share some of my Fall decor with you guys today and this year I really took it easy. On the 24th I am throwing Matt a 35th birthday party here at the house and in a sense it is like a house warming because it will be the first time we are having people over. So... I didn't want to decorate too much because I want the house to shine as it is! HA! BUT, I had to add some subtle Fall touches!

 Just a few fun Pumpkins placed around the house and the gingham one below is my favorite! And the black and white placemats above not only match the kitchen but are a little Halloween touch.

 I found that cute Give Thanks wooden sign at Hobby Lobby and it really matches perfectly... it might live on the front porch long past Fall!

I planted Mums in my front porch containers but since I have a black thumb they are not doing so well but my fun Football sign looks cute!

 I 

 How cute is the metal Pumpkin I found at Home Goods? It's the perfect little set-up for our eat-in kitchen table!

So there it is folks, not too much but just enough to make me smile!

Perfect Fall Supper

On Moms last night here in Denver a few weeks ago I wanted to do a real nice Fall dinner and even Matt was able to come home to eat with us! I made a Fall Salad with Kale, Red Wine braised beef over Pumpkin risotto and it was a HUGE hit!!! So I am sorry I didn't take step-by-step pictures but I want to share the recipe with you all anyways!!

Fall Kale Salad:
Toss these items in a salad bowl:
Kale
Red leaf lettuce
Shaved green apple
Dried cranberries
Pumpkin seeds

Dressing:
(I always eyeball the dressing so I tried to make it into measurements for you all....)
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
Dash of Salt and Pepper
1 Teaspoon Poppy Seeds
** Mix those ingredients together**
Then while whisking all about 1/4 cup EVOO!
Then add to your salad and your done!!!

Red wine braised beef from The noshery

ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, divided

2 small onions, halved and thinly sliced

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 3 lb beef chuck

salt 

pepper

1/2 bottle red wine

2 sprigs rosemary

2 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

3 garlic cloves

instructions

pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a dutch oven or a heavy oven-safe pot. let it get nice and hot. add diced carrots and cook until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. when the carrots start to brown, add the onions and celery. 

cook the vegetables until the onions begin to caramelize. i know you will be tempted to stir and fidget with the vegetables, but trust me: let them sit a bit, stirring occasionally. it's the best way to get some good caramelization. use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables and set aside on a plate.

pat the beef chuck dry and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. don't be shy; it's a big piece of meat.

if needed, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in dutch oven, letting it get nice and hot. the butter should shimmer. sear the beef on each side for about 5 minutes -- don't fidget with it. it should be brown, not grey, and crispy on the edges. remove beef and set aside.

pour 1/2 a bottle of red wine into the pot while still hot. using a firm spatula, scrape up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pot. return vegetables to the pot. lay browned beef on top of vegetables. 

add fresh herbs, garlic and bay leaves. tuck herbs into the liquid and bring to a boil.

cover and place in oven at 325 degrees for 3-4 hours or until tender. it should fall apart using a spoon, if it's still firm return to the oven and let it go another 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Risotto
I learned to make risotto years ago while working in a fine dining restaurant and once again I just kinda make it to my taste but I found a Giada recipe that seems perfect for you all to use......
****** At the end when you stir in the parmesan stir in 1/2 cup of canned Pumpkin!!!*******

Ingredients

• 4 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 3/4 cup of finely chopped onion (about 1 small onion)
• 1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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Directions

• 1
  In a Medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.
• 2
  In a large heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes.
• 3
  Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rise is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total.

4

Remove from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and the salt and pepper. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Fall Football Patio

Starting in a week or two it is that time called....maybe... "Pre-Fall" where Football reigns but not quite pumpkin take over!!! I wanted to turn my Summer patio into Fall Football Frenzie!!! Here is what I have done for our Town Home Patio, I can't wait for it all to come in! The rich Crimson just screams Fall Saturdays to me!!! And I think this will be very easy to transition into Pumpkins come October!!! I am excited to get this all fixed up before my family comes Labor Day weekend!!!!!!

BOOMER SOONER!!!!!!!!!

Fall Football Patio by nsavage featuring red throw pillows

Welcome mat / Polywood patio swing / CB2 home decor / Mudhut red throw pillow / Red Mum Basket / OU Sooners University of Oklahoma Burlap by GracefulOfferings / Oklahoma University College Burlap Garden Flag

Tasty Tuesday!

Hi Guys.....if we are all reading this then that means we survived Monday! Whew! One day down.....and 1 day closer to friends visiting! You heard me right, my friend Crystal and her husband are doing a bit of a road trip and they will be staying with us this coming weekend! YAY! 

Look at the beautiful fall foliage at the entrance to my neighborhood..... I just love it and I have no doubt that when the colors were created Fall was the inspiration!

 I made a SUPER yummy soup on Saturday night and even better.....it was a crock-pot soup!!! I wish I had taken pictures along the way but I didn't.....lucky you I take pics of all my food! ha! This is from Pinterest, where else and this recipe is from "Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom" but I added my own touches!!!! You can see the original HERE

Slow Cooker Creamy Green Chile Enchilada Soup 

Ingredients:

• 32 oz chicken both
• 24 oz chicken breasts
• 2 cans or Green Chili enchilada sauce
• 4 oz can of diced green chilies
• 3/4 cup of water
• 2 tbsp of ground cumin
• 1 tbsp of chile powder
• 1 tsp of onion powder
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 cup of frozen corn (defrosted)
• 1 block of cream cheese (cut up into a few pieces) TIP!!! I used Fat Free Cream Cheese!
• 3/4 cup of instant rice
• salt and pepper to taste (depending on the sodium level of your broth, you may need more salt.)
• table spoon of corn starch (only if needed) TIP! I didn't need any
• TIP!! I added in 1 can drained and rinsed black beans and 1 can of Rotel (undrained)!!! It was so yummy with those 2 touches!!!!

Instructions:

1. In your slow cooker, mix together the broth, green enchilada sauce, green chilies, water, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and cumin.  (My spice measurements are to my taste, it is up to you if you like more or less...)
2. Add the chicken breasts to the crock pot and cook on low for 7 hours.
3. At the 7 hour mark, remove the chicken to another dish.  Shred the chicken and put back in your slow cooker.  Add the rice, corn and cream cheese to the soup mixture and replace the lid.  Cook for another 30 minutes and stir the soup, making sure to get the cream cheese mixed in.  You may need to cook just a bit longer to ensure the cream cheese is melted completely.
4. At this point, you can judge to consistency of your soup.  If you would like it thicker, mix a table spoon of corn starch with about 1/8 cup of water and then mix into the soup, after 10 to 20 minutes the soup should thicken considerably.
5. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Working It Wednesday....

 We have been so lucky here in Ohio to truly be getting some amazing Fall-Like weather, which is my favorite time of year! And with the weather being so nice it has made me get even more excited about fall, I may have or have not started a count down! Something I did start is a new Pinterest board (like my 80th, I'm crazy I know) and this board is very straight forward...Fall Look Book! HA!
You can visit it HERE and then follow along as I add more!!!

Here are just a few of my favorite pins that have me extra excited for Fall, now all I have to do is find a money tree!