UGA goes home

The DAWG nation awoke today to sad news. Our UGA VI passed on to Dawg heaven during the night. UGA has served as our mascot since 1999. Thanks, UGA!

Maggie Goes to Disney World

To kick off my week in Orlando, I went to Disney world with Pattie, also from Memphis, and Ann from Knoxville! I know it is hard to believe, but it was my FIRST visit. We had a great time! Pattie and I assisted Ann in deciding which Disney themed hat to get her niece. Despite getting a bit concerned about the trip not being worth it (see below), the conference turned out to be great and was complete with new ideas and new contacts across the country! While I am very grateful to have an awesome job, I am definitely glad to be back home w/ David, Tahoe, and Millie!

I think this is a total waste of time and $$$

Okay, so blogging on the road hasn't turned out like I'd planned. It is much more challenging to find time to sit at a computer and think after a 12+ hour day than I'd anticipated. I've been in Orlando since Tuesday and can't wait to go home. After rising this morning at 6:00 AM (that's 5:00 am Memphis time) for a run w/ colleagues, I headed off to more "inspiring" education classes and meetings. As I approached our first meeting room, I told my dear friend Ann, who does the same job I do but for the Knoxville region, that I hadn't gotten much out of this conference and I was quite worried that I had wasted my time and my association's $$$. Then, I entered the most amazing educational session entitled: Wild Card Track: Motivational Leadership. As I entered, I thought . . . "Hum . . . it is going to take a whole lot more than this giant cup of coffee to motivate me this morning . . . " We walked into the room, sat down, heard a speaker but didn't see one. That is because he wasn't up on the podium behind the mic as a traditional speaker. He was on the floor in a wheelchair sitting among the crowd. Chad (Hymas) is a quadriplegic who became paralyzed after a giant bale of hay fell on him on his elk farm. I wish I'd had a tape recorder. He was AMAZING. Not only has he overcome the challenges of becoming a quadriplegic, but he has risen to be an amazing leader of mankind and a dear husband and father. I tired to find a good article / video of Chad but couldn't. Here are a couple of links w/ further info about Chad if you're interested:
News article
Chad's website

The seminar was more than worth every penny and every minute I spent away from the office. What an amazing blessing to get to hear Chad!

On the Road Again!

We just returned from a speedy road trip to Atlanta and are gearing up for a few more weeks of travel! David goes to St. Louis to buy cars this week while I go to Orlando for my national conference. I'm shooting for my first visit ever to Disney World. I'll try to take pictures! We'll be back in Memphis for a few days and then we'll make the drive to St. Simons for the Peeples family vacation. Over the weekend, David headed up to Cashiers, NC, with friends while I had a brief shopping trip with Mom and had a girls' night out. One of the hardest parts of living away from home is the chaos that comes with going home. No matter how hard you try, you can't see everyone. Another challenge is there is no way to get to all of the great shopping venues Atlanta has! There are so many to pick from!

Hate to cut it short, but I'm exhausted! Good night. Have a great week!

Happy Father's Day!

John and David atop the Peabody. (Can't find any pictures of my dad and me.)

David and I are both very grateful to have fathers who always take the time to make sure we know we are loved. Thank you!

I heart food, part II

After professing my love for food, I got to thinking I should share a couple of new recipes I tried this past week. Both are from Y'all Come Eat (http://www.amazon.com/Yall-Come-Eat-Jamie-Deen/dp/0696233975/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213554833&sr=8-1) by the Deen brothers.

Pesto Shrimp Salad

2 pounds medium uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons crab boil seasoning
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
salt and ground black pepper
Mixed salad greens

1. In a large pot combine the shrimp and crab boil seasoning; toss to coat. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the shrimp by 2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat for 8 minutes (water doesn't have to come to a simmer or boil). Turn off the heat, cover, and let the shrimp sit in the cooking liquid for 2-3 minutes more or just until opaque. Drain.
2. In a large bowl toss the shrimp with the pesto, celery, mayonnaise, red pepper, and onion. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve shrimp mixture at room temperature or chilled on a bed of mixed.

Ham and Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup finely chopped ham
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or paprika if you like it mild)
onion salt
ground pepper
vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs

1. Place chicken breast halves between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound halves until 1/4 inch thick. Set aside.
2. Stir together cream cheese, ham, cayenne pepper, and onion salt. Mound one-fourth of cream cheese mixture onto each flattened breast half. Pull the sides of breast over the cream cheese and tuck in the ends. Use toothpicks as necessary to hold things together. Season all over w/ onion salt and pepper.
3. In large pot/skillet, heat 2 inches of oil to 360. Put the flour in one bowl, the beaten eggs in a second bowl, and the bread crumbs in a third. Dip the stuffed chicken breasts first in the flour, shaking off the excess; dip into the beaten eggs, then dredge in the breast crumbs to coat. Place in hot oil. Fry about 8 minutes or until brown. Place chicken on paper towels to drain and remove toothpicks.

Maggie's adjustments: Don't fry. You'll die! (The cream cheese and ham are enough of a treat!)Bake. I baked the chicken at 400 for about twenty minutes.

I heart food!

I love to eat! If someone were to ask me what my two favorite hobbies are, I'd probably say to eat and exercise. Hope I can keep my body healthy for years to come to counteract my food obsession. I have no idea where I picked up this love of food, as it was never a focus in my house growing up, but I am always trying to dig up a great new restaurant or recipe to try. This love for food hasn't gone unnoticed by others, either. Before I met David, I briefly dated this guy I'd grown up with. Several months after we'd stopped seeing each other, he told one of my friends, "Man, all that girl ever wanted to do was eat!" You're darn right!

Unfortunately, the summer heat has forced my evening runs into dinner preparation time. However, I will not be separated from food so, we have a solution! While it isn't the most organic or environmentally friendly solution, it will work for a couple of months. (Please don't kill me, Gary.) David and I had our first experience at Super Supper, a national chain where you go in, prepare as many meals as you like, using their ingredients and recipes, and take home twelve or so meals ready to pop in the freezer until needed. SO . . . we now have twelve meals in the freezer ready to go so I can run as late as I want. I'm sure all of you moms out there, particularly working moms, are wondering why in creation I can't get a bit more organized!

Super Suppers was only the beginning of my food excitement for the week! Last night David and I ran a 5K downtown. And guess where we were able to park? Right at the door step of Happy Mexican, my absolute favorite Mexican joint. We were able to go straight from the race to Mexican. It was perfect!

My last bit of "food" exciting news is really "wine" exciting news. A little over ten years ago, David and I were going out on a date. When he came to pick me up, I offered him a glass of wine, before we left, which he took and proceeded to force himself to drink as he hated every sip. Needless to say, he soon no longer felt the need to impress me and never took me up on the wine offer again. Despite his dislike for wine and whiskey, I came to adore him and the rest is history. But . . . for the past seven years, I've been without a spouse who would split a bottle of wine with me until this week! David was out to dinner this past week with a fellow car guy, Chuck. Chuck apparently managed to spark David's interest in wine AND order a bottle that David liked. Thank you Chuck! Yippy! I am so excited. Chuck did in one dinner what I've been trying to do for ten years.