Colorado

I know it has been ages since I have posted ANYTHING..but I just wanted to share my excitement about being in Colorado. The Peddler and I arrived on Tuesday night after a long (23 hours actually) drive through the midwest thunderstorms.We arrived at our friends Derek and Heather's house  and then headed over to the Broodmoor Hotel in the west lobby bar for drinks with my friend Holly  the in-house Korean bar tender!  Yesterday we drove up to Pike's Peak, and I honestly cannot believe it has taken me this long to  have driven up there. It was breathtaking and both our hearts were stirred once again for the beauty of this place. We ended our night with dinner and back to the Broodmoor for drinks. Today the Peddler is on a mountain bike ride and trying to sell a few products to local shops. I am having quality time with Heather and tonight we are heading up to Divide, CO for a weekend of worship, camping, friendships and deep belly laughter at Worship@8500.

I find being here both of us have come alive in our hearts again, the mountains, the sun, friendships, and just the smell of  fresh mountain air has awaken our souls. We both are ignoring the inevitable of hopping in the car on Monday and returning to Milwaukee, but I don't think this week with be forgotten!

one of our views on the way up to Pikes Peak!

Happy Earth Day!

It's amazing to me that the Creator would ask us to cultivate and be good stewards of this planet earth. He must have way more confidence in our ability then I would have!

Music

Okay so I added a page to my blog...I am not sure who all reads this..probably just my family..haha..but anyway..there are a few songs on the Abbie Orpia Music page (right side of blog page) but here is one called  Sunset


Hope you like it!

Peppermint Park

I found out yesterday about a cool new website. 
Peppermint Park is website that sells designer clothes, shoes and accessories at discount prices...but here is the catch..ONLY to the $10 a month members. You can buy even if you are NOT a member but you don't get the swell deal. 

The other cool part of this website is if you recommend other members to sign up you get CASH..to either spend via the website or cash out via Pay Pal. Smart concept and really cool people.

irish breakfast

I mentioned last week I would post a pic and the results of our St Patrick's dinner..so here it is.

Our St. Pat's dinner was not as authentic as I would have liked but it was still a hit. Our grocery store ran out of irish soda bread and so I used pumpernickel and we didn't have the traditional black pudding. I also spaced about the irish black tea, but all in all it was still really yummy.  I did however cook everything in the same pan which is a bit greasy but the peddler and kids loved it. I fried up the sausage and bacon and then fried the eggs until they were hard..no one in my family likes them runny. I cut the tomato in four wedges and fried that at the end. We also had green koolaid  and I made that ever so popular potluck green jello salad.

Free Pastry Day @ Starbucks

On Tuesday, March 23rd take advantage of my company's kindness and get a free pastry

Go here for your coupon Free Pastry Day

Milwaukee IS cool

A friend just sent me a site to an article written about  Milwaukee....Cannot wait to experience more of this city this summer. If anyone wants to check out Mliwaukee this year let me know..we have a guest room!!!

Go ahead and kiss me...I am TOTALLY Irish

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!!!!!

So I am a HUGE fan of St. Pat's day. Ever since i could remember my family has been in touch with their Irish heritage. My brother Patrick's birthday was two days after Christmas so my parents would celebrate it on...yep thats right St. Patrick's day. I heard stories when I was little about my dad's childhood in Chicago and how they would always dye the river green every year for the celebration. I remember one St. Pat's when  my sister  made a huge Irish feast of corn beef and cabbage and everything that could be dyed green was. Including the mashed potatoes and I think the gravy! There was always Baileys at my grandmothers who when the moment was just right she would find her brogue again. Her house always smelled like boiled cabbage and her decor in the house  had something to do with shamrocks, leprechauns, a saint and prayers.

So tonight keeping with tradition  the Peddler and kids are getting an Irish breakfast and as much green dessert as possible! I will post recipes and pictures tomorrow but for now I wanted to leave an email I received from my cousin...i had to laugh because so much of it is so true with my own family!

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE IN AN IRISH  FAMILY
1) You will never play  professional basketball.
2) You  swear very well.
3) At least one  of your cousins is a fireman, cop, bar owner, funeral home
owner or holds  political office. And you have at least one aunt who is a
nun or uncle who's a  priest.
4) You think you sing  very well.
5) You have no idea  how to make a long story short!
6) There isn't a big difference between you  losing your temper or killing
someone...
7) Many of your childhood meals were boiled.  Instant potatoes were a
mortal sin.
8) You have never hit your head on a  ceiling.
9) You spent a good  portion of your childhood kneeling in prayer.
10) You're strangely poetic after a few  beers.
11) Some punches directed  at you are from legacies of past generations.
12) Many of your sisters and/or cousins are named  Mary, Catherine or
Eileen ..... and there is at least one member of your  family with the full name
of Mary Catherine Eileen
13) Someone in your family is very generous. It  is more than likely you.
14) You  may not know the words, but that doesn't stop you from  singing..
15) You can't wait for  the other guy to stop talking before you start
talking.
16) You're not nearly as funny as you think you  are ... but what you lack
in talent, you make up for in  frequency.
17) There wasn't a huge difference between your  last wake and your last
keg party.
18) You are, or know someone, named  Murph.
19) If you don't know  Murph then you know Mac. If you don't know Murph or
Mac, then you know Sully.  Then you probably know McMurphy.
20) You are genetically incapable of keeping a  secret.
21) You have Irish  Alzheimer's... you forget everything but the grudges!
22) 'Irish Stew' is a euphemism for 'boiled  leftovers.'
23) Your skin's  ability to tan.... not so much.
24) Childhood remedies for the common cold often  included some form of
whiskey.
25) There's no leaving a family party without  saying goodbye for at least
45 minutes.
26) At this very moment, you have at least two  relatives who are not
speaking to each other. Not fighting, mind you, just not  speaking to each other.

After a full weekend with the Peddler's kids including..Lakefront Brewery Tour, meeting cool people from Brew City Church, baking beer bread, daylight savings, missing church, working all day Saturday and Sunday, hanging out with good friends, going out for yummy drinks last night....Monday arrived and is now finished. Wow...I am TIRED! 

pleasant surprise

Just found out last night my good friends Ben and Robin Pasley are going to be in town this weekend...I cannot wait to see their faces and have good heart conversations. Check out their music and the worship festival they are putting on this summer.

Tastefully Simple

Last week I went to a  Tastefully Simple party...it's like a tupperware party but with food and without the tupperware..haha. I usually decline those party invitations but I thought how bad can it be when there is food involved and 30% of the profits were going towards our church's trip to Italy. So I went and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious everything was. So today my order finally arrived. I am looking forward to making a loaf of beer bread this weekend and post how it turns out. But until then I thought would share the website and a few pics of the products.

Beer bread..this was my favorite.

fried flat bread

Okay so I had a heap of tzatziki and baba ganoush left over from last nights feast. With no yeast in the house to make pita but lots of flour and maza decided to create my own version of delicious flat bread. The Peddler came home from his day in the city and raved about how delicious these little inventions were.

1 cup of self rising flour(if you don't have self rising use all purpose and add a tsp of baking powder)
1/2 cup of Masa(instant corn flour...used for corn tortillas and tamales. )
1 tsp of salt
3/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of oil
pinch of ginger
pinch of cumin
pinch of paprika
Crumbled feta

mix both flours , salt and spices together...slowly add milk until consistency of dough is thick enough to roll out. Add more flour if mixture too wet. section out dough into 12 small balls to roll out into thin flat bread pieces. sprinkle a bit of each spice on rolled out dough. and place a few pieces of crumbled feta on each piece. fold bread in half and roll flat. Heat  small frying pan with 1/4 cup of oil on medium high heat and place one piece of bread into pan at a time. each piece takes about 45 seconds on each side until golden brown. Bread can also be made without feta and fried flat without being folded.

rolled out dough with spices

Finished golden yumminess 

my handy dandy rolling pin...thanks tea pom!

A day off....

So I am starting my first entry by sitting on my couch with our lazy cat next to me and getting the energy to clean our house after a dinner party we hosted last night. It was a Mediterranean/Moroccan feast! My husband ran out of the door this morning late of course trying to make rent by selling to upscale fashion stores in one of the top three cities in the U.S.  I however have the day off. I wish I could say I was going to put on my running shoes and take advantage of our early spring weather here in Milwaukee but I would rather sit here in the solitude of my house, listening to the tv trying to get the motivation to make coffee, clean the house, shower, eat, eventually pick up kids from school, do our  taxes, make dinner, make a few phone calls, write for another blog...well lets be honest the run will probably be the last item on the list.

Okay the coffee is calling and time is ticking away, so off to start my day "off."