Autumn Leaves!

I LOVE to see the changing colors of the foliage during the autumn season. It is definitely one of my favorite sights. I had a fun motorcycle ride up little Cottonwood canyon to see the beautiful leaves this week! Here are few pics from the trip.

Step Out for Diabetes

I attended the American Diabetes Association's "Walk to Fight Diabetes" with some coworkers. I think we are one of the few professions that actually support causes that would eliminate our own jobs. It was fun though. A great walk through "This is the Place Heritage Park and Hogle Zoo" and it's a great cause anyway.

HERBS!

I walked into my house today and drew in the air...what was that wonderful smell??
Fresh herbs from the garden again! Hooray. I love to breath around them. I got thinking about how I love each of them for different things.

Basil-by far the stongest and sweetest smelling, very tasty in soups, on pizzas or in sauces.
Rosemary-pine smell for a rustic woodsy taste, best on roasted potatoes or vegetables
Thyme-you know that fresh smell in the canyon just after the rain....that's what fresh thyme smells like! I don't use it much on its own...but its great combined with other italian herbs
Mint-smells very fresh and...well, minty! it is a great decorative herb for garnishes. If you are really ambitious it can be made into jellies or I usually just use it in drinks or tabbouleh.
Oregano-very mild smell, hard to detect but definitely the classic herb for anything italian or sauces.
Unfortunately the garden didn't lend itself to my favorite herb, dill. Mmmmm. You can use that on almost ANYTHING.

de-roaching

My friend Melissa had just moved back to Utah only to discover their nice townhouse was infested with lots of cockroaches...ewww. After several visits by the exterminators without much relief, she decided she could not live like that with 2 small children, so it was time to pack up again. This time, however, boxes could not be used since cockroaches apparently like cardboard. Also, every item had to be inspected for roach egg sacs. I spent the evening helping her, inspecting and making sure everything was de-roached before being sealed up in GIANT ziploc bags. I got quite an education on the different kinds of roaches, their habits, and tricks that night.

garden vegetables

I was lucky enough to find a roommate that loves to bring us garden vegetables! Pretty good match, huh...a gardener and a dietitian. This was the bounty she brought home yesterday. She grows them in a little garden plot she rented for the summer, down the street a few miles. I immediately started brainstorming for the many ways we could use squash. I love the autumn! It's my favorite season to cook:)

She also grows herbs. She brought home this bunch of mint the other day but wasn't sure how to cook with it. I put together this fantastic dish of tabbouleh with shrimp and mint. Just thought I would share. I think it is even "stacey-safe" with the exception of the feta cheese...

diabetes gadgets

I know some might call me crazy, but I like to try out all the new and exciting devices for diabetes management. I know I don't have diabetes...but I teach people who do, all day, every day. I learn so much more by wearing them, and find practical tips for people using them on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps I am too dedicated to being really good at my job...but this is interesting to me.

Here's the newest thing. CGMS (continuous glucose monitoring system). This device is great as it can give you a blood sugar reading every 5 minutes of the day and warns you if you are dropping too fast or rising too high. They aren't as accurate as we would like, but they are still extremely helpful for some patients. The changes in my blood sugar are not as exciting to watch, seeing as my pancreas works just fine, but I think I'll overdo it at the Pizza Factory tonight and see what happens:)

My Home

I bought a townhouse! It's true. I love it. Here she is, waiting in the sunshine, for me to close the deal and move in already. We've been together for a whole month now. She likes me too... I think.




I know not everyone was able to attend my housewarming party to get the tour, but I suppose they should still be able to see snippets of her splendor that I could capture in a still photograph.


Here you can also see my roommates Juliana and Michele

For some reason I think this is a good idea

I'm not sure what possessed me today and why I've suddenly decided that I need a blog of my own...but it happened. Perhaps it was my friend/mission comp that inspired me (seeing as she is the only single person I know well that actually has a blog, and still finds all sorts of interesting things to write about). All my married friends and family write about their adorable children and since I don't have any of those yet...I thought I didn't need a blog. Then again, I definitely have an exciting-enough life to produce many stories, which have kept my friends and family quite entertained in times past...so perhaps this can help save me from too much repetition. I also need something to remind me to get out my camera more often, now that I haven't scrapbooked for some time. No promises that there won't be dry spells when I get ultra busy, but we'll give it a try:)