Yummy Recipe

Chandra gave me this yummy recipe. It turned out SO good! It's not as spicy as it sounds either...kid friendly:)

SPICY CHEESEBURGER SOUP

1 ½ Cups Water 1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained

2 Cups cubed peeled potatoes 2 ½ cups milk, divided

2 small carrots, grated 3 Tbsp. flour

1 small onion, chopped 8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed

¼ Cup green pepper, chopped (1/2 a bell pepper) ¼-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped ½ lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. beef bouillon

½ tsp. salt

Cook and drain ground beef, set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in beef and 2 cups of the milk, heat through. Combine flour with the remaining milk until smooth and gradually stir into the soup. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat, stir in cheese until melted. Add cayenne. Top with bacon just before serving.

Good news..

Trav is off the ventilator and breathing on his own! This is a big step in the right direction. Love you Trav, keep this up:)

Update on Trav

Yes, that is Trav's bum we are touching;) He always tried to hook it up with the ladies that are already taken. Travis is a fighter, to say the least. There haven't been any significant setbacks since the second surgery. He is staying the same, still unconscious and on a ventilator. Doctors think they'll place a tracheostomy Sunday or Monday. They say usually swelling decreases by day 8-10 so we are hoping for more change late this weekend and early next week.
Trav clenches his left fist pretty hard so his mom went and bought him a little beanie baby puppy for him to hold on to, and with his right hand he'll pet it;) The doctors were pretty worried about his right arm for a little while but he has been moving it quite a bit. Travis has the most amazing family. To his parents: you two are the source of our strength. We all look forward to going to the hospital and having a laugh with Nick, he is always good for a story or two. Toby you are kind and compassionate, I see why Trav loves you so much. Nick (brother), is the rock for their family, he is strong, kind, and always has everything taken care of.
It's surreal looking at these pictures, we have so many memories with Trav and so many more to come. We are optimistic and praying for him to wake up. Although sometimes his friends need to be reminded every now and then to be patient;) Trav has been through hell and needs time to heal. He will wake up when its time. Keep Trav and his family in your prayers, we love you Travis, STAY STRONG!

T-LO

Our best friend Trav (T-Lo, T-love..whatever you would like to call him) is in surgery right now for the second time in two days. He has skull fractures and bleeding that is causing his brain to swell.
I just wanted to post some pics so you all know who you are praying for. You are praying for our best friend, the life of the party, the friend who is always there for you no matter what, our shoulder to cry on, the friend who will make you laugh even if you don't want to.

Trav is a man on many talents, he plays the guitar and the ukulele (very well I might add), he waits all summer for snowboarding season, he recently took up mountain biking to fill the void in the summer. Music is Trav's life, he is always telling us about the up and coming new bands. A few songs come to mind when I think of Trav, Hero by Enrique, and Wish you were here by Pink Floyd. Oh and how he LOVES concerts, he is the one always rocking out with complete stranger
Please pray for Travis's speedy recovery and support and strength for his family. We love you so much Trav, you are strong and stubborn, you will pull through this!

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Apricot-Almond Pie. YUMMO!

Hey everyone!

Finally, summer can begin for me. I just finished my 2nd semester in nursing school, 3 more to go. Thank God, because I was going crazy this semester. Next, is mom/baby, L&D, and pediatrics, which I am stoked for because eventually I would like to be a pediatric nurse.
Now I have a 3 week break, I plan to clean, exercise, apply for financial aid, move my bedroom set into my house, cut Denny's hair, cook, play with my nieces, visit the grandma's, and last but not least RELAX!
Speaking of cooking, I found this yummy recipe on Little Birdie Secret's blog but I don't know any one with an apricot tree. Know anyone?

apricot-almond pie

Apricot-Almond Pie
1 pastry crust (the recipe I use is below)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
4 cups sliced, pitted apricots (about 1 3/4 lbs)
1/2 tsp. almond extract plus 2 T. water
1/4 cup slivered almonds, optional
Crumb Topping:
Stir together 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut in 3 T. butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

1. Prepare and roll out pastry and line a 9 inch pie plate with it. Prepare crumb topping and set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine sugar and flour. Add apricots and almond/water. Gently toss until coated.
3. Transfer apricot mixture to pastry-lined pie plate. Sprinkle crumb topping over the filling. Sprinkle with almonds (I usually don't add these since my husband is not a fan of nuts, but I have had it with them before and it is YUMMY.)
4. Lightly tent the pie with foil and bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack and ENJOY!

Pastry Recipe (from Betty Crocker):
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup plus 1 T. shortening
2-3 T. cold water

Mix together flour and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or fork. Sprinkle with cold water, adding more (1-2 tsp. if necessary) until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl. Gather into a ball and roll out on floured surface. If you have time you can refrigerate the pastry in plastic wrap for 30 minutes to make it easier to roll. Transfer to pie plate and cut off any excess. Sometimes I will 1 1/2 the recipe if I want a thicker crust.