We're saving some money!

Today we officially refinanced our Boulder townhouse. Getting off an FHA loan and dropping our interest rate from 4.75% to 3.5% saved us over $400 per month! We've had really crappy experiences with past lenders but we couldn't have been more pleased with the professionalism and timeliness of Premier Mortgage Group. Dan Spiegler was a great communicator and really made the overall process quite seamless. If you're in the market for a top notch lender that will get the job done, contact Dan - http://pmglending.com/danspiegler/

Going a tad bit overboard!

If you haven't noticed, the prices on LED televisions and computer screens has dropped drastically in the past year. I've wanted to get a larger computer screen for a while since the 19in screen seemed a bit small, so I jumped on Amazon and browsed around. I found a great 32in LED HD screen for $200 with free shipping and totally jumped on it. I didn't think it was THAT big until I opened the box and put it on my desk :) The picture above truly doesn't do justice unless you compare it to my old monitor on the right. Good thing I keep my sunglasses handy because I need them every time I look at the new screen! Tis the season for shopping.

Back to the Mitten!

After a very simple flight to Michigan on Thanksgiving morning, we arrived at my parent's house with a complete and ready-to-eat, homemade gluten/dairy free dinner! My mother rarely cooks so preparing an entire Thanksgiving feast without any diary or gluten was quite the challenge. She crushed it and we all cleaned our plates pretty quickly. After dinner, we went to my grandparent's place where we met up with my entire extended family. We haven't seen any of them since our visit last summer for my cousin's wedding so it was great to catch up. Friday was a very relaxed day spent catching up with my parents and riding around on my dad's garage full of toys :)

One of the biggest reasons we decided to come back to MI for the holiday was because of my 10 year High School reunion on Friday evening. I dragged Bryce out to the party and it couldn't have been more fun catching up with so many of my close friends that I really hadn't seen in over a decade. What a fun night! We are planning another relaxing day today then head back to Denver later this evening. A short and sweet trip back to my homeland :)

It's my turn to get RAD!

After a lot of thought, I've decided to sell my trail bike and replace it with a full on downhill rig! With the Trestle Bike Park in our backyard at Winter Park, it's the perfect opportunity to enhance my bike skills and try something new. Since the mountain doesn't open until late Spring/early Summer, I have plenty of time to build this beauty up exactly how I want. I'm still on the fence about which fork to run and the newest debate is whether to ride an air shock instead of a coil to save more weight. It will be a fun winter project and I'm super excited to finally get rad with all my DH friends :)

Everyone needs a good plumber!

Bryce has been itching to get a hot water hose bib for the outside faucet forever and his wish finally came true. Our good friend,  Bob Bieterman, is also a fantastic plumber and owner of Silver Springs Heating and Plumbing in Boulder, CO. If you ever in need of someone for any home repairs or remodels, definitely check him out! Looking forward to washing bicycles and dirt bikes with warm hands and hot water this winter! Okay, let's be honest, Bryce is looking forward to washing my toys without freezing his butt off outside :)

PLEASE HELP!!!!

Friends & Family - I was able to find out a lot of my health issues through a Naturopathic Physician. Please sign this petition so that they may become licensed all states and be included in the new Obamacare program! It really means a lot to me :) Thanks for your help!

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/include-licensed-naturopathic-physicians-primary-care-providers-federal-healthcare-law-obamacare/rW0MNqMt

Snow riding and Soup-offs!

This past weekend was the first real cold and dreary weekend in Boulder this fall. Even though it was freezing, sleeting and snowing, we decided to tough it out and go for a fun MTB ride at Heil Ranch. Since we bundled up and wore the right clothing, it was actually really enjoyable!

After a warm shower, we made up a pot of White Bean/Sweet Potato Chicken Chili for Jilayne's annual soup off. Paired with some gluten/dairy free corn bread, this slow cooker recipe was awesome! We pulled off a 4th (out of 8) place finish which was surprising considering our culinary skills :) Sunday was another chilly day that was spent hiking with friends, helping Tony at his new house and watching lots of football on the couch.

Chocolate-Almond Thumprints

Makes ~8 cookies

Gluten Free & Dairy Free

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees and combine the following in a medium bowl:

1. 1 cup Almond flour
2. 1/2 cup Coconut flour
3. 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4. 1/2 tsp baking soda

* Then mix in 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, 1 egg and 2 TBSP melted coconut oil. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet and push your thumb into the top of each cookie making a well. Bake for 10-12 minutes then put on wire rack to cool.

* While the cookies are baking, combine the following into a small saucepan on low heat until melted:

1. 1oz (2TBSP) dairy free chocolate (I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips)
2. 3 TBSP organic peanut butter
3. 2 TBSP coconut oil

* Let the filling cool and firm up in the fridge (about an hour) then place into each cookie until full. Store in airtight container or put in the freezer. These are very simple to make and absolutely delicious!!!!

Busy Bee

You would think that since I haven't been able to train, I would have a lot more time on my hands, right?! Unfortunately the past few weeks have been extremely busy and my usual every other day blog posting has been taken to the sidelines. This time of the year is always frantic with work because of the holiday madness, but it's also the time where planning/budgeting for the upcoming year is in full force. In between the long hours of work, I have been able to squeeze in a few bicycle rides outdoors (which have actually gone quite well) and even attended a Nuggets/Pistons basketball game downtown Denver. My health is progressing each week and I've been adding in a few additional food items here and there per the doctor. I've committed to not racing until June 2013 so I feel very confident that my slow transition back into the sport will be the right move to be fit and fast by the following CX season! I promise to update more often and even share some of the newer recipes that have become a household favorite.