Its that time!!

Merry Christmas, May God bless you and your family with his richest blessings.

My tradition

It's that time, Christmas time is here
Everybody knows there's not a better time of year
Hear that sleigh, Santa's on his way
Hip, Hip Hooray, for Christamas Vacation!
Merry Christmas Clark W Griswold!

Eat, drink and be merry!!

What a wonderful night! Thanks to our very qualified babysitters (grandad and granna) my lovely wife and myself got to experience a wonderful evening with Dave Matthews and Tim reynolds. Dave Matthews has been my favorite artist for about 10+ years now and his music means so much to me. His music has really been with me through happy times, sad times, lonley times and has really touched my life as well as my brother and sisters life. It really is amazing how much music means to us a human beings. What a powerful force! I've also been blessed to play with a dave, David Greer who is also a amazing artist. Music is so important to me and I'm proud to be a musician myself. Thanks again for the incredible night Dave!

Turkey and tears

I'm standing here at walmart at 11:45 pm in brenham Texas on thanksgiving thinking of the days past events and tying to put them all in order in my head. About the same time my brother Caleb was embracing my little ten week old for the first time my maw-maw was embracing her lord and savior for the first time. Crazy really, the way it is. Enjoy your reward maw-maw, I'll see you someday! I promise!

Happy chef!

This time of year always confirms and renews my love for my chosen profession. The smells, the sounds, the beautiful roasted bird and of course a day set aside just for eating makes me fall in love again with cooking. So fire up those ovens and let's get to cooking! For me...there is no place I would rather be than beside my mom as her sous chef. She is the chef that inspires me. Happy thanksgiving.

Time to eat!

You can almost smell the turkey roasting in the oven right now so before we starting feasting away I just wanted to say how thankful I am for all the wonderful things and people in my life. I could mention them all for days but most of all I am very thankful for my wife Cindy and my little booger beth. Heres to all you out there. Enjoy every minute, drink in every second, and have a very happy thanksgiving. I love you all! Brad

My 2 favorite months

Fall, leaves, snow, turkey, family, travel, giving, gifts, movies, crackle of the fire, laughing, excitement, traditions, rest, cornbread stuffing, stories, nation lampoons Christmas vacation, a Christmas story, Dallas cowboys, Christmas trees, stockings, marshmallows, kitchens, christmas songs, ..... I could go on for days!!

Keep on trying

I recently interviewed for a higher position at whole foods and even though I felt great about the interview and I gots lots of good feedback I didn't get the job. I was a little bummed at first but I quickly remembered how lucky I am to have a sous chef position in this great company and also that when the right job for me comes I'll be ready.
Also.... Happy halloween to all my family and friends. I love this time of year and can wait to see you all over the next couple of months!! Love you all! - brad

What a great week!

Last week was an amazing week for the Hall family with Holly (my wife's sister) and baby maddy here to meet and love on my little sweetpea. Beth Anne is very lucky to have such a wonderful extended family and we look forward to the holidays and the special new meanings and excitement they bring looking through my daughter's eyes. Also it was great to have granna down to and I'm very thankful that granna babysat and let my lovely bride and I go out on a date!

Bethany update: little girl will be 7 weeks old on friday and she is still growing like a weed. She's starting to make cute baby noises and smiling more each day. Each day she becomes more precious to me and I am so in love with that sweet little girl. She also wants to be self reliant like her mama, she is so much like her mom... I love it!

Y'all need to hear this.

Want some great gospel preaching to get you through the week?? Your in luck!! O course, I'm a little bias! http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=79900350

The end for now

Due to the fore mentioned "down-sizing" going on right now in the Hall's house I will be retiring from podcasting my show for the immediate future. But don't fret, you can still log on to my blog for all things Brad. Thank you so much to all of you who supported me listened to the show.

Getting smarter

My lovely wife and I have just spent the last couple of days "down-sizeing". Due to the fact that we are a one income family we smartly made some decisions and re-worked our budget to really make things easier and do-able for our new life with Bethany. Cindy and I are excited that we really didn't have to sacrifice to get the best possible results for our bright future. It's all about being good stewards these days in the Hall's house!

Good journeys jeep ol' friend...may your tires always be inflated properly and your gas tank be full.

Big Day

Today I proudly pass my love of Christ and plant a seed of faith in my first born and like so many of her family members before her, lay her at the feet of our lord and dedicate her to his kingdom on this day. Bethany, my sweetpea, continue in a long line of Hall's and Eckstein's who love and serve the lord!

Time keeps on slipping

My little baby girl is only two days away from being 3 weeks old! I'm starting to get use to being a parent but know I have tons to learn. I was so thankful that both Mimi and pappy Hall got the opportunity to come down this past weekend and meet baby Bethany. I don't know how they did it but they have already spoiled her rotten! That's cool by me.

Bethany moment of the day: I have no idea how someone that tiny can produce farts so loud. I was even granted the pleasure of waking up the other night due to the fact that bethany strung together a symphony of farts right on my head while she was feeding in bed. You go girl!

WOW! What a week!!

As My beautiful wife Cindy and I start to come out of this "fog" I now can look back at this past week and marvel and how amazing it was. Bethany is one week old today and she is doing great. Cindy and I are slowly getting use to being parents and it's not as great as I thought it would be...It's So Much Better!! Bethany has been a tremendous blessing to Cindy and I and the love I feel for my "Sweet Pea" is a love that cannot be describe by words. She melts her daddy's heart with every look. What a wonderful, wonderful gift from God and a awesome reminder of God's love for Cindy and I.

To hear the birth story of Bethany check out my wife's blog at cindysoccer.blogspot.com

Still waiting!

Even though the process has begun, here we sit. I feel like a cat pose to strike, in ready mode, ready to respond on a minutes moment. But Bethany Anne just quietly waits and says "I'll come out when I'm ready." Well sweet baby take your time...Your daddy will be waiting for you when your ready.

2 years and counting

Yesterday marked two years of work at the wonderful Whole foods market in Lakewood, Colorado. Looking back over the last 2 years just makes me feel extremely lucky and honored to be a team member of a company who strives everyday to help provide me with a livable wage and a environment of growth and the luxury of being myself and using the skills that God has blessed me with. I am also so blessed to be surrounded by top-rate Chefs that are passionate about there craft and push me to be better.Who knows where the next year will take me or the job opportunities that will come my way but I will always Feel grateful for Whole foods.

I'll pencil you in

I have recently been given the privilege of constructing the weekly scheduled for the prep foods department and whole foods. We have just under 50 team members and It has been a very humbling experience trying to get a handle on it. All together with re-writes and getting everything approved it takes me around 8 hours to complete each week. If you have never written a schedule  for a team that big the hardest part is not finding the team members to work but knowing that it is more than just numbers that your writing down and that it effects most aspects of the team members life. what a awesome responsibility.

"The Brad Hall Show" 8-11-10

"The Brad Hall Show" 8-11-10

Right stap dab in the middle (Stuck in the middle with you)

Hello friends -
I recenty ran a search on the "Podbean" podcast website to see how I ranked amoung podcasts in the Podbean world. Much to my shock I ranked 66 out of 149 podcasts!!! WOW!! Thank you so much for all the support and love you shown me in this endover I have undertaken. If you'll keep listening ...I'll keep talking. -Brad
P.S. I want to be in the top 10.....Tell a friend.

"The Brad Hall Show" 8-9-10

"The Brad Hall Show" 8-9-10

Let's get it started in here!

It's Monday (well sort of) and with that comes A bevy of brand new podcasts of the "Brad Hall Show"...Yeah!! I look forward to my recipe show tomorrow were I will talk summer recipes and look out...the green chilis are starting to hatch. Love you all, Have a great week!

Off line

Well... I've been kind of unplugged for the last week and a couple days or so and it's been nice to be a "Walton" or a cast member of " happy days". I've found the outlet again and I'll return with ferver and plug back into the social network next weekend. It is nice though to sometimes not be so social... It can be exhausting!

Guest hosting today...CINDY!!!

Ladies and geltleman....I'm taking the day off from my podcast and my lovley wife cindy is taking over the mic with a absolutely wonderful edition of "The Brad Hall Show". Make sure you listen in and show her some love!

Our house, is a very, very, very fine house.

What a wonderful weekend of work! I know, weekend and work don't seem to go together but It's amazing the transformation that you go through as a homeowner (I still love saying that!)that entices you to work to improve and maintain the house. My lovely prego wife and I got the downstairs bathroom painted, worked outside and clean up in the house. It's truly a joy to toil in the house...especially when you got a hot chick by your side. -Brad

"The Brad Hall Show" 07/14/2010

"The Brad Hall Show" 07/14/2010

Getting closer

As the newly arrived at due date gets closer excitement grows as well as nervousness from both of Bethany's parents. I'm trying to get used to the term "Dad" but it's a title that I'm going to wear proudly far more than any other I have held in the past. To hold the same title as such men as my grandfathers, as well as Both my fathers Doug and Brian hold me to a great responsibility to follow in the same footsteps of these great men of God. I feel like I can be A good dad because of these Men. Thank you God for the tremendous example of what a true man should be by giving me Doug Hall and Brian Eckstein.

Vacation-riffic!

What a wonderful vacation!!! My beautiful wife and I had a great time visiting my parents in Brenham, Texas and then returning to the place of my birth in Abliene, Texas for the wedding of Ethan and Jenna. (by the way...check out http://braddhall.podbean.com for my comments from the wedding) I'm so thankful for the loving families that both Cindy and I have and it is so comforting to know that my first born will be born in to such strong, Godly families as the Eckstein's and the Hall's. So what did I do on vacation...??? A whole lot of nothing and that's exactly how I wanted it.

"The Brad Hall Show" 6/23/2010

"The Brad Hall Show" 6/23/2010

"The Brad Hall Show" 06/14/2010

"The Brad Hall Show" 06/14/2010

"The Brad Hall Show" 05-31-2010

"The Brad Hall Show" 05-31-2010

2 down, 2 million to go!

Hello -

What a great weekend...The start of summer, Memorial Day weekend, and our (Cindy and mine) 2 year anniversary! Being married to my wonderful wife is with out a doubt the smartest thing I have ever done. I asked my lovely pregnant wife of two years today ..."So, Why did you decide to marry me?" her reply was simply, "because you were the cutest little man i had ever seen." That about says it all folks. Happy memorial day everybody! _brad

"The Brad Hall Show" 05-24-2010

"The Brad Hall Show" 05-24-2010

Posted using ShareThis

Proud members

Hello all -

My beautiful wife and I are now proud members of Colorado Community Church in Aurora, Colorado. We have been attending the church for the last 2 months and really found a home there. We found a church that believes in the same values and principals as we do but also promotes freedom in worship and doesn't want ti leave your former practices or belief but to bring them with you and learn and celebrate each others beliefs. We really believe that God has put us here in Colorado and this church not only as a blessing but a board to the head from above telling my wife and I that this is where we need to be and where we are needed!

I think I've got the dreaded Monkey Pox

Hi!

I woke up yesterday sounding like Phyllis Diller. Yep...I'm sick. Their is a virus going around that Cindy is just getting over and I'm Ramping up to. Luckily the mid-wife's said the baby will be fine. My voice is out of commission so I hope to resume podcasting this weekend and I'm also looking forward to having the weekend off!!!

Ladies and Gents... we have a winner!

Cindy and I had a blast cooking and podcasting Saturday night. The Podcasts are posted on ready for your listening entertainment at http://braddhall.podbean.com. Thanks for all your time and recipes!!

A Brand new episode of Star Trek!!!!!!!!

">

Make it quick!!!

Hi friends...

You have only one more day to summit your recipes for "The Brad Hall Show" recipe contest. And ooooo yes!! There will be a grand prize winner. Cindy "legs" Hall and yours truly will host a live (kind-of) podcast this Saturday night and will take you through the wonderful recipes sent in by the very talented chefs and comment and talk about each one. We will end our podcast with a " iron chef" style judging and comment section ending in a announcement of the winner of a the grand prize! I'm starved!!

Chefhall@gmail.com

...and the winner is

Hey folks -

In just a few short ticks of the clock my beautiful wife Cindy and I will find out the sex of our first. To be honest with you even though were both a little nervous this will be the most enjoyable trip to the the doctors office to date. We will update you tomorrow on the sex of our baby on our facebook account as well as a discussion about our appointment on "the Brad Hall Show" which will be posted by midnight Wednesday on my podbean account as well as iTunes. Here we go!

Http://braddhall.podbean.com
Http://Twitter.com/chefbdhall

notes and info

Dear loyal listeners to "The Brad Hall Show" -

Due to space issues, from time to time, I will have to "purge" some podcasts from my podbean account to make room for brand spankin new episodes. That being said if you hear a episode and want to pass it on to your children and your children's children make sure to download the episodes to your ipods or save them to your computer. All good things must come to an end...and begin again -brad

"The Brad Hall Show" Recipe show #1

Seared Salmon with fruit compote on a bed of mache

Chocolate Moose

Salmon: Pat dry your Salmon and sear on both side 3-4 minutes in a hot oiled pan. You are looking for a golden brown hard sear. Set oven to 350 and rest salmon until needed to cook

Fruit compote:
finely cube about a 1/2 a cup each of cantaloupe, honeydew melon and jicama. Fine dice 1/2 red bell pepper. Finely chop some parsley, cilantro and mint (about a 1/4 total)
Combine all ingredients and season with salt and pepper and squeeze out the juice of 1/2 to 1 lime over ingredients.

Mache: 1 to 2 cups of mache dressed with EVOO and salt and pepper.

Chocolate moose: Equal parts freshly whipped heavy cream with melted chocolate.

Want to no how all these fine ingredients fit together??? Check out the podcast!
Http:/braddhall.blogspot.com

Something in here smells like a fart!

Have you ever stumble out of bed in the dead of night to go relieve yourself or grab a tasty beverage just to be greeted by the over whelming stinch of a fruity fart?!? Well, that's what happened to me the last 2 nights. It's got to be waffles the dog right? Well that's what thought. The smell lingered through out the entire two days. My eyes (and nose) was opened last night when I opened the garage door to the 10+ lawn bags of rotting grass clippings that I had left in there a couple of days ago...I would like to say Sorry to waffles and his anus. - Brad.

Make sure to check out 2 new podcasts from "the Brad Hall Show" posting Thursday.

Friday

Hello dear friends and family!

Greetings from the hall house in beautiful Aurora, Colorado! I hope y'all are all doing well. Summer dreaming is in full effect here as we look forward to a fun filled summer and the semi-retirement of my beautiful wife. Speaking of work... I was pleased to receive a $.75 a hour bump in pay from whole foods! Good times! On the baby front, "legs" is starting to show more of a baby bump and continues to get great reports from her appts at the mountain midwifery clinic. I covet your prayers that Cindy will continue to have a smooth pregnancy and that she stays stress free and happy. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and make sure to check out episode #2 of "the Brad Hall Show" now posted at http://braddhall.podbean.com

Road rules

Want to follow along with Caleb and myself on our road trip to Califorina??? Well... YOUR IN LUCK!! I just poasted our first 2 days of our journey on my podbean page. You can find them at http://braddhall.podbean.com. Luck be a lady tonight! -Brad

Away we go...again

2nd day of the trip is underway! Make sure to check out my Twitter account for up-dates along the way. -brad. Http:// Twitter.com/chefbdhall

1 day down...

Well, we are well on our way to California. Day one went very smooth. Spent the morning loading up calebs u-haul and tieing up loose ends. Only went slightly over 300 miles today but got out of Colorado and through the mountainous ranges of Wyoming. Long haul tomorrow, going to stop right outside San Jose. Cant wait to upload the podcast from the road I've been doing so you can share in the adventure. See you on the road...-brad

California here we come!!

This coming Thursday my brother Caleb and I will be taking a 1,300 mile drive to San Jose California. During the 3 day trip which will end in caleb moving in to his new apt., I will be bring you the action via podcasting to "The Brad Hall Show". I will be poasting all the the special episodes that following Monday. Happy listening!

howdy!

Please log on to http://braddhall.podbean.com for the start of my new radio program 'The Brad Hall Show'! I would love your show ideas and comments.

Cindy and I are excited to have Tammy down for the weekend...she always brings the funny.

Cindy is on spring break....nice!

And I'm excited about Caleb's new job in San Jose, CA. California Love!

And me...Life's a garden, DIG IT! -Brad

"This Chef's Table" podcast EP:4 recipes

Italian Menu:

1. Brad's Caprese Salad - 4 people

1 cup cherry toms
1 cup Mozzarella balls
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1/2 cup roasted peppers
1 Bunch of basil

Dressing:
1 cup of olive oil
1/2 to 2/3 cup of lemon juice
S+p


2. Fresh Pasta with pesto

Pasta -
1 egg
1 cup of AP flour

Pesto-
2-3 bunches of basil
1-2 cups olive oil
1 small pack of pine nuts
1/3 cup of parm cheese
s+p
1 lemon (juiced)
1 lime (juiced)
2-3 clove of garlic

3: Creme Brulee -
A great recipe for this can be found at Cremebrulle.com

Hope you enjoy! Happy eating!! -Brad

"testing 1..2..3..is this thing on??"

"This Chef's Table" progragging notes:

I will be giving you 3 more podcast in the next week instead of the formentioned 2.

1. The 1st ever Recipe show.

2. brew some coffee and listen to our 'Coffee Show'

3. The 'Farm Natural Enterprises' company intoduction show.

Talk to you soon!

More podcast coming soon!

Dearest podcast listeners -

After a couple of weeks off of planning and research "This Chef's Table" will be back with 2 new episodes this up-coming week! We will have a recipe contest and well as 2 awesome action and entertainment pack episodes! Talk to you soon! -Brad
http://braddhall.podbean.com/ or search:braddhall on itunes

biggie smalls

My wife is a school teacher and she is always watching these outer space DVDs at home to get ready for the next day of school. To be honest with you I have learned quite a bit. The other night Cindy popped in this vid by some religious dude who was having rally for high-school students in which he not only had slides of the universe but he also awkwardly wove a sermon into it. One thing he keep on harping on was how small we as humans are. How in the grand scheme of things we were but a speck of dust in the endless expanse of space. Really?? I was under the impression that God loved us so much that he gave US his only son to this speck of dust so that we can be free of our sins. And does he not have each one of our hairs numbered (mine probley didn't take very long, darn this male pattern baldness).I don't know...seems we might be a little bigger then the preacher thinks we are. Ponder that one Spock! -Brad

Valentines day with my love-bug!

I had a great valentines weekend...me and my beautiful wife cooked together, laughed, watched movies and just enjoyed each others company. I am so blessed to have been lucky enough to have found such a wonderful wife as Cindy.
Cindy and I recorded a podcast together this weekend so go check it out at http://braddhall.podbean.com we had a blast doing it together!

Do you see what I see??

this weeks top 3 observations about my dog waffles

1. No matter how much you yell or how loud you talk, dogs do not understand proper English or even the queens English.
2. Waffles, my dog, firmly believes that my cat noodles produces fine Belgium chocolate out of his anus.
3. Waffles believes leg humping is a proper way to greet his mama Cindy after a long day at the office.

Church Hopping

Over the last month my lovely wife and I have been trying on different churches in the Aurora, Colorado area and trying to find a good fit for us. We have been going off and on to the Littleton Church of Christ in Littleton, Co for our 1 1/2 years of Martial bliss but we really haven't "fit in" at that church the way we wished to and its now quite a hike from our current location. For the last couple of sundays we tryed a Church of Christ in aurora which was around 150-200 members. The first time we attended there was a guest speaker that spoke about Haiti and how we should help them and then he spent the rest of service telling us that if we go to the Denver stock show it stead of church next sunday then we were forsaken the assembly. Fearing retribution from above my beautiful wife and i attended the church again the following week. The regular minister was preaching and he spoke on proper bible study. Midway through the power packed lesson he went into a a lesson on proper bible translations. I had no idea until the good pastor told me that the NIV bible i had been using was a translation "not from God" and should never be used. So after my leggy wife (her legs go all the way up!)and I finished burning all the NIV bibles in the house we both agreed to keep looking for another church. Today we attend Colorado community church in Aurora and we both were pleased to see smiling faces, up-beat music and folks that look like they really wanted to be there. Today was there day of prayer and it was a neat experience. We both decided to give this church a chance...I'll keep you posted.

Taking pleasure in the small stuff

Some of my favorite things can be classified as "simple" or even boring to some. And who in there great wisdom decided it's bad to be bored. I love when I can take a moment or to to take a deep breath and step of the fast lane.

Here's some free or cheap actives that cost nothing but will enrich your life...

1. Watch a cat yawn (you cant help but wonder how they get there mouth that wide)
2. Look through a old photo album.
3. Walk to your local gas station for a cola.
4. Challenge someone to a game of scrabble.
5. Count your blessings (that should keep you busy for a couple of weeks!)

antiphospholipid antibody syndrome

Well...that's a mouth full but that's my preliminary diagnosis. It's basically a autoimmune disorder that attacks my blood in a way that puts me at risk for blood clots. Treatment will probably be a blood thinner on a permanent basis which all things considered is not a big deal. I feel blessed to have had great health in the past and this little bump will be a small reminder of how lucky I am for my health....well enough about that crap!
On a happy note I was giving even more responsibility at Whole Foods this week by being made the BBQ smokehouse Lead as well as continuing serving as Sous Chef. I'm excited about this and really love my job at whole Foods and the cool thing is that it keeps getting better all the time.

new information is coming...

Haven't had much to say the this last week. It's funny how when you have to deal with going back and forth to the doctor and endless INR tests your mind has a hard time focusing on other stuff. But i see the sun breaking on the horizon and soon I will be back it light...talk to you then. -Brad

It's getting better!!

Well, It's not down to the level it needs to be at but it's going in the right direction. My INR scored a 4.5 at my appointment today! My next doc appiontment is Thursday morning at 8:30am, If everything is in the right level then I will looking forward to re-becoming a productive member of my family once again.
I did get some painting done tonight as well as getting to hang out with my beautiful wife Poochie.

It's like "Scrubs" but not as funny

Yesterday was my first appointment at the anti-coagulation clinic unit of the porter Adventist hospital. They took a blood sample to check my INR blood number. My INR number (this is basically the thickness of my blood) needs to be between 2-3 and after my first test my number was 5.9. I am working to bring my number down and my doctor is adjusting my meds to help me accomplish this goal. After i hit my target number i can resume normal life and go back to work and start helping out around the house again. I cant stress enough how absolutely amazing my wife Cindy has been. She is the only reason I'm making it through this hurdle.... I have a appointment at 1:30 today, come on 2-3 INR!! I'll let you know my number.