Snow Day...

Winter has shown up in a big way this year! Here's a couple of pictures from our 2nd big snow...

The not-so-bleek midwinter...

It's been a few years since I experienced a winter this cold since moving further south. I have to say, I've been kind of a wimp about it. But honestly, how easily can one go back to highs in the low 30's when it's been low 50's for the last couple of years? Oh well... All that to say, we've spent a lot of time on the great indoors in past couple of weeks. It has inspired some more cooking experiments and finding joy in (usually) the most mundane of outings.

With a couple of unusually busy work weeks, hubby has stepped up and made dinner a few times (as well as pitch in on many more household chores). Here was one of his more creative dinners...



I present to you, his ultimate loaded ramen... Ramen noodles get a pretty bad reputation. It's not so bad when it's just a base to build the rest of your meal on like rice or potatoes. If nothing else, it absolutley hit the spot and my husband made dinner, so I refuse to judge.

Also, I made berry turnovers:



When I make these again, they MUST leave our house. They were so good, it took a great deal of will power not to eat them all at once.

On the nights that cooking may be a bit much, we've combine our weekly trips to the grocery with dinner out by having dinner at the supermarket's cafe. Two birds, one stone...






And lastly, we've seen a lot of my hubby's best friend since he's started his engine build project so it only make sense that we have dinner with him a few times. But this night was a little too much for me...



And they say they don't act like brothers. Gotta love Marines... :)

It has been bleek in other ways, with the massive tragedy of recent the earthquake in Haiti. But even there, I've seen some of the best come out of people and situations. I can only hope that this endures until we see full restoration...

Adventures in baking...

So, everyone knows around holiday time, there is a massive amount of cooking and consuming of yummy foods. This year, I was motivated to try a couple of new baking recipes for my family. I don't have much of a sweet tooth myself, but the pictures look so yummy, it was tough to pass them up!

New York Style Cheesecakes w/ Oreo cookie crust

Red Velvet Cheesecake!

Citrus & Spice Walnut Logs

The citrus & spice walnut logs were a little exotic for some, but the cheesecakes were a success! At our New Year's Day family reunion, everyone was anxious to dig into desert before dinner was even started. That was an incredible confidence booster and I may have found a new passion...

Lesson of the day...

I'm learning more and more that making good friends often means giving up some of myself. My time, my space, my resources... And that's OK.

Totally beats spending my day off catching up on episodes of Ugly Betty...

Ah, just like I remember...

Instead of sulking alone at home, I decided to go up to the base to deliver food and entertainment and maybe some company to my hubby while he was on duty. Best decision I made last night! Not only was it WAY better than texting him and checking facebook every hour, but I was instantly sent back to my freshman year of college. Surrounded by a bunch of guys (and one other woman) cracking jokes, reciting movie lines and theorizing what would suffice as self defense. Here are some of the more interesting lines of the evening (PG version, of course.)


"So if a guy breaks into my house and I peg him in the face with a baseball, do you think that I've sufficeintly defended myself? ...How about a golf ball?"

"He was talking about my wife... there are no pizza rolls!"

"There is beef in my chicken quesadilla!" "How do you know?" "The beef from Taco Bell tastes different from the chicken..."

"Why is it that every time a white guy says a spanish word he is immediatley corrected with the correct pronunciation?"

Good to know I can always depend on guys being guys...

New Year, New Start

I haven't diligently kept a blog in a couple of years. But now that I'm married and family and friends are far away, I think I want to start updating regularly. I mentioned to a friend that the beauty of the internet is that it keeps us connected across miles and time zones. So let's try to do this more often...

Also, I've been encouraged to practice my photography skills and maybe post pictures every couple of days, if not everyday. I got this amazing camera as a Valentine's Day present but it stays in it's carrying case too often and the pictures are still on the memory card... So yeah, let's change that too...

As life changing as 2009 was, I suspect 2010 has much to offer as well. 10 year reunion, another wedding, 1st wedding anniversary, ARE exams (I hope!), more spiritual growth, more adventures with the USMC, road trips, opportunities to love and serve, chances to stretch the creative muscles that have started to feel a bit rusty...

I am truly excited to get going, see what God has planned for 2010...