Thanks for the Little Things

Last year, I wrote a lot about all the big things I'm thankful for. While a lot has changed this year, I am still very grateful for all the same things, and I won't make you suffer through another extensive description like that. I will, however, outline a few other gifts I'm thrilled to have in my life:

• UCLA, the place that truly helped make me who I am and helped me find my husband. And for the win against that other school, too. :-)
• Trader Joe's.
• Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, for making the news much more interesting.
• My new computer mouse. I don't know how I functioned without it.
• The fact that I have not yet heard the "Thanksgiving Song"--I tend to get those silly songs stuck in my head, and it's terrible for everyone.
• Our apartment gym. It's tiny, and the machines randomly shut down while you're running, and if two people are in there at once all the windows fog up, but I don't have to join a gym to get my workouts done. 
• Blogging friends (blends) who have been so supportive and fun to get to know this year.
• Random phone calls and texts with my brother. He never fails to make me laugh.
• My foam roller. I hate it, but I love it.
• Pinterest, for helping me come to the realization that I will never be crafty, and I can be okay with that.
• The fact that the election is over. I really despised those commercials.
• The cool(er) weather lately, though it's supposed to be 80 again tomorrow.
• Nights like tonight, rare as they are, for requiring nothing more than a meal and relaxing time with my husband.
• Dessert. I look forward to it all day.
• The squirrels in our backyard. They keep Scout entertained for hours, and it's pretty cute to see them watching him watching them. (Come on, you knew I had to mention Scout in here somewhere.)

Check out the other WIAWs!

6:30 am - Pre-workout snack (well, it was supposed to be...): a spoon of peanut butter
10:00 am - Morning snack: apple and tea
12:30 pm - Lunch: shared a BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad and a Veggie Pizza at CPK with Amanda
6:15 pm - Pre-dinner snack: a few of my favorite chips
7:30 pm - Quiche
After I publish this post - Dessert: TBD (we don't have much, so I'll scrounge around for something)

For the quiche, I tried something a little different: an Italian-inspired quiche! Honestly, it was the best I could do with all I had on hand. I made my usual whole wheat crust (I reduced the butter by about 2 tablespoons and it still turned out great!) and then added the following to the basic eggs and milk mixture:

• chicken sausage (sweet Italian, pre-cooked from TJ's), sliced
• fresh tomatoes (blotted dry a bit to prevent too much moisture)
• pre-roasted zucchini and squash from the other night
• mozzarella cheese

It would have also been great with bell peppers, sauteed onions, or pepperoni, but this quiche was delicious as it was! I'm glad we have leftovers.

What are you thankful for? It's really a nice thing to count our blessings. I feel like my list could have gone on forever.