*Update*

Bread came out okay- the french style loaf fell a little (because I touched it!) lol  So I took some butter, minced garlic and parsley and pureed it in my food processor.. cut the bread in half spread on the butter mixture and baked it for 5 more minutes. Came out toasty on the outside and soft/garlicky on the inside....yum yum! We paired up our "leftover soup" with the garlic bread and it was delicious! Leftover soup is exactly that. We had some leftover pasta with veggie sauce and some mixed veggies - so I added all that together plus a can of minestrone soup and Viola! It was tasty and very filling- plus we've got enough leftover for another meal! Can't beat that!!

 For dessert I made sugar free raspberry jello with strawberries - it was great! Well all our chores are pretty much done for the day... gotta finish up some laundry but I think a nice relaxing afternoon with the hubs is in order! bye all!

P.S. Check out my 3 sleepyheads!...

Bread Making

Hello!!

So Matt and I are on week 2 with "living on a budget" it hasn't been easy at all... but we've realized how much money we were wasting. We've been eating and creating meals with whatever is in our cupboards... I have been dividing meat and using portion sizes... I have split up 1lb packages of hamburg to make two meals instead of 1. We've been eating up all the leftovers! Matt and I have wicked sweet tooth's and love to treat ourselves to dessert... we used to eat cookies, whoopie pies, ice cream...(which were all store bought) and now we've been eating sugar free Jello adding fruit sometimes to make it extra special.. This week we kinda cheated though and I cooked off a box of brownie mix... boo for our diets but extra tasty for us... We also got rid of Netflix... and magically our house is much cleaner! ;) I also have gotten back into the swing of making our own laundry detergent.. and I have found a simple recipe for fabric softer so when our downy bottle runs out I will be making that too. I also have attempted to start drying laundry on racks by the stove... key word is TRYing. lol. That takes some extra energy to do that but... we've been trying. Our goals lately have been to catch up with the laundry and get rid of stuff we don't need... Donating it to Goodwill, or just trashing it. I am in favor of donating... job security and all ;) 

These past few weeks have been kind of an eye opener... about where our time and money was going but also where our priorities are. Not that we fight often but our everyday tiny squabbles have pretty much disappeared, we are getting to bed earlier and just generally feeling better. 

We have been working on projects to simplify our life but also make our lives easier and more enjoyable. Matt made me a desk! We are going to be giving my parents back our old one. The desk fits in the nook upstairs... complete with a shelf that holds my printer and supplies. 

Picture is from my phone.... kinda blurry!

Did I mention that I LOVE HIM!!! Its really beautiful-all wood... so it matches the rest of the house. 

THEN he made me a shelf in my bathroom... there was a little dilemma (broken glass) with that but we worked all the kinks out so now I have a place to put all my folded towels.

 AND he made me a shelf upstairs in the closet by the new desk... It holds all of our board games and fits our filing cabinet... so now all my school stuff is out of the future baby room!! I know Matt really enjoys hands on activities so these projects were a blast for him. 

Currently right now, Matt is working on the stove.. clogged up with pellets.... AGAIN!! And I am attempting to make bread - completely by hand.... Yes be impressed... Did I mention this is attempt #2? First one didn't come out so good! lol ... So we shall see... I just stuck to loaves in the oven... the third I touched and it shrunk so I am hoping with a little extra time it will rise a little more. I think half the problem is that I can't keep my hands off it! lol But as I keep trying I keep learning what to do and what NOT to do.... lol! Its amazing how temperamental something like bread dough can be... But I have to say I am a big fan of kneading it... and slapping the heck out of it... kinda a stress reliever after a busy week at work. The recipe I had made quite a bit of dough- So I've got three loafs cooking... one french style loaf, one regular, and one cinnamon raisin.... smells delicious!! Hoping the regular one turns out good because we are having it with soup for lunch!! Have a great day everybody!

SOO.. I have done many blogs in the past and they have all fallen by the wayside.... Hopefully this time will be different.

I need an outlet- a place to send my thoughts- a place to express myself. 

You know when your in High School and the teachers make you write out your five year plan for after graduation... They drill into you.... that you HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN!! Well... My life now is nothing what I had planned for myself. My five year plan in high school was to graduate, go to college for nursing and graduate with a Bachelors Degree, find a good christian man, and get married. I will have been out of school 6 years this coming June.. and I feel like the time has flown by. These past 6 years have not been easy ones.. and I am not sad or upset at where my life has headed... I am blessed to have experienced life and I have grown into a better person because it. 

~From The Beginning~

I met my best friend when I was 18 years old.

Some people may think.. WHAT?!?! You had no friends?!?.... I had friends.... I thought I had "Best Friends".... the truth was I had Great friends.. I just hadn't met my BEST yet.... 

He was tall and shy, he couldn't look me in the eye let alone carry a conversation with me. He befriended my mother first. He baked my dad a pie. He stole my heart. 

Our first date was November 7, 2006... I had just gotten home from work and showered when he came knocking at the door. He was early.. and no one was home to answer because it was voting day. So I answered the door myself- all disheveled... turns out trying to blow dry your hair and brush your teeth at the same time is not the best idea on date night... 

It didn't seem to bother him though having to wait... That night was fun... Who knew that bowling and Sam's Italian could be such a great date. I will never forget the 7inch pizza! We were both so nervous we didn't eat hardly any of it!

That was the night that I fell in love with my best friend!!