My Little Kitchen

I used to be so good!  I used to share tons of recipes.  And then I stopped. It wasn't on purpose.  I just forgot to keep going.  I started all of this because I have an awful memory.  And I am no good with papers.  I have a desk full of papers that I never look at.  So I started this. 

So I am trying to start again.  With Mac N Cheese. I made it in my new(ish) pressure cooker!  But of course, it needed more crunch. So I baked it.  My goal is to post at least once a week, if not twice or thrice.  I'm looking forward to this follow through, following through.

As Fall turns into Winter

I took today off.  Well, I went to work, but I also left very early.  About 6 hours early.  It was lovely.  I had a wonderful day.  My alarm clock went off.  I took a shower.  I made my husband's lunch.  I went to work and made sub plans.  And then I left.  I finished grading my tests.  And I ran errands.  I mailed packages to soldiers that I know and love, and some that I don't know but still love. 

There was a purpose.  I was going to see the doctor today, but I got what I needed today without my doctor's help.  So long story short, I was very, very late this cycle.  We thought I was pregnant. But 10 tests (slight exaggeration, but only by 4) and blood work confirmed that I was very not pregnant.  And today my body confirmed all those tests.  After the first test (13 days ago) I was sad.  But each test just kept confirming that first answer.  So, while I should be sad because I don't have a baby right now, I am not.  I am excited to try again this month.  In fact, the thing that makes me the happiest is the love I feel from my hubby.  Matt is amazing.  We are in the best place we have ever been.  And this not baby has helped us get here. So while I am sad about the baby that wasn't, I am so much happier in the marriage that is. 

And so, while I should have been sad all day today, it has also rained all day.  I have been listening to the rain since I woke up this morning.  And instead of being sad, it has been so relaxing. Because in order for Spring to bloom, Autumn needs to turn in to Winter. So I hope this rain turns into snow soon. 

I hope that I can always see the flowers through the rainstorm.  

Happy Anniversary to my FAVORITE-EST person in the WHOLE WORLD

It is amazing that Matt and I have been together for 6 years and have been married for 2.  He has become by best friend in the world.  I can tell him anything, and I do. And we have had our share of problems in the last 6 years, and I know that no matter what we are fighting about, I love that man with all my heart.  He is the person I want to talk to first thing in the morning, kiss all day long, and cook for at the end of the day.  I love that he loves my cooking and forgives the mess I make every day.

Friends-giving

Happy Friends-giving 2011!  As some of you know, Matt's favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.  I mean it's not that hard to figure out.  The man is an eating machine.  And turkey, puh-lease, it is his favorite (except for bacon).  So when we moved in together (4 years ago) we decided to celebrate with an open house (not everyone had made excuses to see the house) and turkey.  And this is how Friends-giving was born!

Year 2 was skipped.  We got married the first week in November.  It is my favorite time of the year, not too cold, not hot at all.  And beautiful in CT with the fall leaves.  Then we went on our honeymoon over Thanksgiving so we didn't have to use all our leave at work.  We came home on Sunday, and on Monday Matt was upset that there wasn't any turkey for Thanksgiving (because we were out of the country).  So I made crock-pot Thanksgiving for the two of us. 

So to celebrate our anniversary with all our friends, we have Friends-giving.  This is the event we both look forward to every year.  I start thinking about it as soon as school starts in August! I cook the turkey, dressing, and gravy and our loved ones bring the rest.  and I don't want to brag, but my turkey is pretty awesome! I will admit that yesterday's turkey, George, was a little dry.  We had an issue with the thermometer that I melted and couldn't check the temp.  So I did overcook it by about 30 minutes.  My bad.  But George was still delicious.  And the recipe I have is so easy!  Check it out in the Reese Kitchen.  Don't know what that is?  Oh it's just where I put my most favorite-est recipes.  It is a work in progress, so check back and see if there is a recipe you want. 

So yesterday.  I was up early but not to cook George yet.  I was just up because I was excited!  I prepped all the veggies Friday night with Emily, so in the morning all I needed to do was a rub.    Last year carving started at 2, but Matt had a graduate class during the day, so carving was at 4 this year.  And the special surprise, Matt carved the turkey!  Gotta love that electric knife! Friends started arriving around 4 and stayed until morning.  (Thank goodness for daylight savings!) 

On the road again...

I cannot remember the last time I was this excited!! I am siting on the bus on the way to the airport, with one of my favorite girlfriends, and getting very exited about the next 5 days!
Okay. We landed in Orlando tonight. Leela picked us up at the airport.  And then the trip happened and I didn't come back to this post at all.

So now I have been home for 3 days and I realized that you didn't get to hear about any part of it.  So sad for you!  I apologize - can you forgive me?  Well you don't have a choice!

I guess this story starts way back in May when Sugarland was playing at Merriweather Pavilion.  But I couldn't go because my baby brother was graduating from Yale, and well I was proud of him!  So Colleen & I went looking for another place & time to go and see them.  We thought about Allentown, PA, but it would have been after school and a pain to get to and then there wouldn't be anywhere to sleep, etc.  So pass on that one.  Then there was Las Vegas, but it was the weekend before school started.  And that was a bad plan.  So then Orlando!  And Colleen has friends & family there, so it won even more!

So Wednesday I went to work and all I could think about was making it through the day.  Just 3 more classes.  Just a few more hours.  And then we were in the airport!  A beer & dinner and then on the plane!  Leela picked us up at the airport and we and hung out.

Thursday, we woke up and went to Universal Studios and to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!  Oh it was wonderful!  Butterbeer!  And a roller coaster.  And lunch at the 3 Broomsticks.  A great morning all together.  We wandered around for the rest of the day. 
We went back to Leela's condo and hung out at the pool for an hour.  Then got ready for Sugarland.  We went out for Tapas and had delicious sangria for dinner!  Then CONCERT!!!!  Sugarland was all I hoped for and more!  It was love at first sight!

Friday.  Did we sleep in?  I don't think so.  Maybe a little.  Not important.  We went shopping.  I needed a dress for a wedding in November that is black tie preferred, and well I didn't have anything.  So I tried on all sorts of ugly dresses before trying on a pretty red dress.  The other issue was it couldn't be too short (ruling out half the dresses in my closet) and needing some sort of straps (ruling out the other half of the dresses).  I like the new one a lot.
Then we went out for lunch.  We went to the Ravenous Pig - a gastropub.  Yum. I had a delicious chicken sandwich with truffle fries.  LOVE!  I thought I had a picture, but I seem to have eaten it... hehehe

Friday afternoon we headed to Colleen's cousin house to sit by the pool.  LOVE THE SUN!  So MUCH!  Out for dinner.  Watched a movie. Went to bed.

Saturday.  We woke up so very early to accompany Kelly to work.  She works at Animal Kingdom.  She went to work and her opening meeting, then met us at the gate and got us in for free!  One of the perks of working there.  We spent the morning walking around the Animal Kingdom.  It was chilly in the morning before the sun came up.  And when we rode the Mount Everest roller coaster, it was freezing in the mountain air.  But it warmed up on the safari.  We saw all sorts of animals, elephants, lions, giraffes, gazelles, warthogs.  All sorts of animals from the Lion King - and we saw the show they put on.

Then we were off to Epcot and the Food & Wine Festival!  We ate our way around the world.  We ate:

• Australia - Grilled lamb chops with potato-goat cheese salad and Shiraz reduction
• Brazil - Seared Mahi Mahi with steam rice, hearts of palm and coconut-lime sauce.  & a Caipirinha cocktail (yum)
• Mexico - grilled ribeye taco. Crispy shrimp taco.  & a strawberry lime margarita
• Cheese (I know, not a country, but it counted apparently) - artisan cheeses & a cheese fondue
• Italy - ravioli (cheese with creamy beef bolognese). & a Moretti (we had them on our honeymoon)
• American Hops & Barley - Lobster roll, & a Sam Adams
• Japan - California roll, Tuna & Salmon sensation
• Ireland - lobster & scallop fisherman's pie (3 times), warm chocolate lava cake with Bailey's ganache (Colleen has these recipes). & a Meade Honey Wine

Do you think we ate enough?  We were there for 8 hours and ate our way around the world and back.  There was a lot more eating than drinking - THANK GOODNESS.  Except for Leela.  She had more drinking than eating at the beginning... I don't want to tell you anything about that.  It didn't end in the prettiest way.

While we were there we witnessed a number of groups that travel to the festival every year and they had the most wonderful T-shirts.

This was such a wonderful trip.  I loved every minute of it!  I can't believe it started with a need to see a concert and then just got better and better.  There is talk of a repeat trip next year!!!!!!

Happy New Year!

One of my favorite holidays just came and went.  And it feels weird to talk about Yom Kippur as being a favorite, or even positive holiday, but it is true.  For those who don't know (because maybe you live under a rock... sorry that was harsh because I am Jewish and therefore know these holidays, but I digress). For those who don't know there are two major Jewish holidays that take place in September/October (because they use a lunar calendar so the date changes slightly every year).  The first is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  We welcome in the New Year and wish everyone a sweet new year, by eating apples & honey. 

Then there are 10 days.  10 days of atonement.  10 days of saying you are sorry.  For asking for forgiveness for the things we have done wrong, thought badly, and for hurting others whether intentionally or unintentionally.  And this is the part I enjoy.  There is something about this part of the holiday which is freeing and uplifting (not the wrong words at all).  So it is just a matter of calling the people who mean something to you and apologizing for anything you might have done in the last year that hurt them.  (DISCLAIMER - this year I failed at this and didn't make the phone calls, and for that I am sorry.)

Yom Kippur is on day 10.  This is the day when after having asked forgiveness from the people we care about, we ask God for forgiveness as well.  One of my favorite parts of the service says:

"For transgressions against God, the Day of Atonement atones; but for transgressions of one human being against another, the Day of Atonement does not atone until they have made peace with one another."

The more well known part of this holiday is the fact that we fast on this holiday.  We refrain from engaging in activities that give us pleasure so that we can focus on asking for forgiveness and forgiving others.  We refrain from eating, bathing, and sex.  In doing so, we can focus on the task at hand and not be distracted from all the day-to-day nonsense. 

There was something about this Yom Kippur that was very different for me.  It felt more profound.  Which is strange because I was away from home and looking for a local synagogue (which I might have found after a non-holiday visit) and I did not truly fast (because of a medication I am taking - no worries, nothing serious). I missed my family.  I missed being with the community I know.  But I enjoyed not having the distractions of those same people.  I was able to focus on my apologies and hopes for the New Year. 

So after all this there are just two things I want to say.
If I have done anything to offend you, I am sorry.  Whether it was by my actions or by my words, I did not mean to harm you or hurt you in any way.  I know words can feel harmless and change after they sit awhile.  I am sorry for any misunderstandings. 
Also, have a wonderful and happy New Year.  May it be a sweet and wonderful New Year. 

---PS--- and no that apology does not count for the people I still need to call, but I dropped my phone in the toilet and I am waiting for the replacement to arrive in the mail.  True story.

Love you, D

A healthy update

I did it!  I followed through.  TWICE!

So I posted on Thursday.  Then I worked out!  And I made it all the way through!  Granted, during the 3rd circuit, I was exhausted and didn't make it through all of the repetitions.  I had to breathe!  But I finished!

Friday - I had every intention of working out again with Jillian.  But I fell asleep, and woke up 2 hours later to find my husband home.  I don't remember him coming home.  I was asleep on the couch.  But it was date night (because our responsibilities were canceled due to rain!!).

Saturday morning - I watched TV while I cleaned the house (to make the husband happy) and then I worked out again!  Hello follow through! PS - AND I MADE IT THROUGH ALL OF THE LUNGES!! I hate lunges!  I don't ever feel like I have the spacing right.  But I stuck with it and felt the pain!  Hurrah!

I noticed how much more of my body aches after 2 attempts at this.  Way more than any amount of time I put in at the gym, even when I was going regularly.  Jillian really does have a way with brutally attacking you.  Love it.  And I am going to do this again tomorrow!

A moment of honesty

Two summers ago we went to the beach with a group of our friends.  It was wonderful!  During that week, a picture was taken of me in my bikini that was... how do you say it... well I thought it was less than flattering.  In fact it made me self-conscious of how I looked.  Since getting married (almost two years ago!!!!) actually since before then, well maybe not.  I didn't feel like this getting ready for the wedding, but afterwards it started... Wait, I might be rambling.  For a while now I have felt uncomfortable with how I look.  And it's not a lot of un-comfort, it is just I wish I was less lazy.

Then last Christmas, two family members made a decision & I jumped right on their bandwagon.  I joined Weight Watchers as my only New Year's resolution.  I joined.  I drank the kool-aid.  And it worked for me.  I lost 15 pounds.  But the problem is that once I reached my imaginary target, I fell right off that wagon.  Hard.  And then I ate my way through the summer in a cupcake tasting.  So I am back where I started.

So in response to yesterday's announcement I have made a decision.  In this next cycle I want to exercise (almost) every day.  And starting tonight.  I have two things I will do.  On lazy days, I can devote 20 minutes to Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.  I have loved that DVD in the past.  In 20 minutes I am completely out of breath and really sweaty.  And the first few times I do it, I can't even complete 20 minutes.  My other option I want to do specifically on Saturdays & Sundays.  I used to be able to wake up and go straight to the gym.  And I loved it.  So I am going to start again.  And on some weekdays too.  I can run on the elliptical for an hour and then lift weights.  And an hour & a half passes. 

So I figure that this is a start.  And if I can do this for a "cycle," you know, about 30 days, then I can make this work for real, you know, as a lifestyle.  And I figure that if I am healthy before my big news becomes more than a fantasy, that I can get back to it faster after it is a reality.

Big News

I have been struggling with whether or not to write this.  I go back and forth on whether or not this is public knowledge and information.  And then I thought about the conversations that I have with my friends and family.  Most of them already know about this, some of them don't.  Maybe if I write in a really small font it will be easier to type... no probably not. 

The truth is that Matt & I have been talking about this for almost a year now.  And for the past 9 months we have agreed and been on board.  And now we are trying.  We are trying to turn this foursome into a fivesome. (That's not a real word)  We are two crazy people and two neurotic dogs.  And we are hoping to add to this list.  And what we add will only be a four-legged creature for a little while. 

So we should have big news to announce in the future, maybe soon, maybe not.  When it happens, it happens.  We are as ready as we can be for that moment.  And we are looking forward to it!

this area knows how to survive!

Let's talk weather!  2011 came in with a bang and we are not done yet. 

It started with snow - and lots of it.  We used all our snow days and M & I started to get nervous about our vacation and leaving on time.  (No worries though)  We spent a few days cooped in the house.

This summer.  It has been H.O.T. HOT HOT HOT!  Where are the cabana boys?  With this heat, we should have spent the whole thing at the beach, but we didn't make it to the beach once.  Well, we went to the lake in Chicago, and it has a beach, but it is not the same. 

Last week, we had an earthquake.  I thought that living on the East Coast, I would never experience an earthquake.  Wrong!  I wrote all about it in this post. It was a 5.9 on the Richter scale.  Which was huge for this area.  Tons of freaked out people.

And then as it there hasn't been enough weather, we survived a hurricane last night!  Irene came and went and you can tell she was not the friendliest weather we have ever met.  Everyone was saying that Irene was supposed to be huge with 100mph winds and tons of destruction.  We were supposed to have food and water for a few days and bunker down for downpour and winds.  Yesterday.  It started raining around 11, but not real rain.  It was spitting.  Nothing more.  All day.  Around 9 it started actually raining.  At some point over night it became windy.  And then we lost power.  Misty climbed in bed with me and would not get out.  Bones just slept. 

This morning, the dogs woke us up at 7 this morning.  We went out to survey the damage.  There were major limbs down, but not on anything valuable.  One neighbor had a giant limb down next to his car and leaning on the hood.  But that was all the damage.  Matt decided that this was a sign to take down a lot of the ugly tree in our backyard.  And I went back to sleep until 11 - because it was gloomy outside.  I didn't intend to sleep that late, but I did. 

I checked in with the fam - they were all safe and in one piece.  My sister's car might have some damage.  Otherwise, all safe and sound.  My dad lost power.  My brother in NYC had nothing remarkable - and he was bummed!  We bummed around for the rest of the day.  Matt cleaned (because he couldn't play video games).  I cleaned out the spare bedroom.  Around 2 the power flickered.  And the oven screamed.  But then it disappeared again.  At some point in the afternoon, MCPS texted us and told us that we might have tomorrow off because there were a lot of areas without power.  Around 5 the power came back!  And then we started showering, laundry, and vacuuming. 

So, in conclusion, weather - you can suck it!  Snow, heat, earthquakes, and hurricanes.  DONE and DONE!  All we need is a little wildfire and then we would have the rest of the country beat!  Wait a second, our neighbor lit some of the field behind our house on fire this summer too!  WIN!  Wildfire - check!  What's left?  oh just an empty can of weather whoop ass!

The End of Summer & First Week Blues

Since being home from all my travels so much has happened!  I came home Friday night for a wedding on Saturday.  Scott & Sokhan have been together for 10 years and finally tied the knot!  The coolest part of the wedding were all the outfit changes.  I asked, they had 8 different outfits throughout the day.  I guess the piece of information that is missing is that Sokhan is Cambodian, so they had traditional Cambodian & American attire. 

All the guys from college

Sokhan, Matt, Me, Scott

Then we had a week before we went back to school :(  And we did a lot!  Well... between Chicago and my trip, we started painting the hallway.  Matt finished it while I was away.  So after I got home, we started putting the house back together.  All the pictures & paintings needed to get put back up.  I also reframed all the pictures from the bathroom.   I still have to put those back up.

see if you can see yourself in any of these shots!!

Then we went back to work.  We had meetings.  And Freshman Orientation.  Oh, and an earthquake.  That's right.  On the East Coast.  An EARTHQUAKE!  We were both in school when it happened.  It was weird.  The floor started to feel like the ocean; it was just kind of, I don't know, moving.  Like a sheet of plastic.  The only problem was that we didn't know what to do... we don't have earthquakes.  So we sat there.  Then the people in the classroom panicked; they crawled under furniture and tried to put 20 people under the doorway.  Then we evacuated.  I think the building had stopped moving at that point.  And it was towards the end of the day, so almost everyone left at that point.  When we got home, the dogs were kind of freaked out and they hung out with me for the rest of the day.  Apparently, there was an after shock in the middle of the night too.  We slept through it and the dogs didn't bark either.

And now we are waiting for Irene to get here and make some noise.  So far it has just rained.  And I don't want to jinx anything, but I think an earthquake & a hurricane in the same week is a lot for the east coast.  I would like to hear the wind though. 

I am seriously trying!

I have recently learned that my husband is amazingly patient.  I always knew that he loved me more than I understood (don't hate, it's true) and that because of that he put up with a lot of my crap - both personal and all my crap.  But it dawned on me yesterday that he was so much more than I give him credit for.

So where to start with real words and information?  How about 6 years ago?  Oh... make that 7, when I moved to MD.  I went to IKEA with my parents and bought a desk.  I thought it would be the right size.  I thought I wanted something small-ish with a few shelves.  And for awhile, it worked.  I never loved it, or worked at it either.  It was too small.  But I kept it and dealt with it for 3 years!  Then Matt & I moved in together.  (Wow, that sounds so much longer ago than it feels).  And we went to IKEA, and bought me more of a table.  I used it for about 3 days.  Then I realized I hated that more.

Then, last spring, Matt's father passed away.  I don't want to get into all that, because I will cry in the next few moments if I do.  But I loved his desk.  He had a wooden roll-top desk.  It is gorgeous and I always admired it.  It was the only tangible thing of Gerry's that I loved and wanted at all.  Matt & his brother Phil went out of their ways to get that beautiful, pain-in-the-ass, heavy, wooden, desk into our house.  And here I met disappointment again.  While I loved the desk because I love (present tense) Gerry, I hated the desk because (again) the desk was not deep enough.  I couldn't open my laptop on it.  I couldn't grade papers at it.  And I filled it to the brim with stuff I didn't need and then shut the drawers.  Bad news.  Sad face.  We called Salvation Army yesterday...

...Because we went to IKEA.  4th times the charm?  Fingers crossed!!! Pray for me (but mostly my husband!!).  I told him that what I really want from a desk is something like my desk at work.  It has lots of counter space.  It has a space for a desktop computer and tons of space to grade papers.  But it is huge.  And way too big for our townhouse.  So that wasn't an option.  But then we found a desk at IKEA that fit the bill!  And it has space for two desks - so Matt (who has been using the first desk mentioned since we moved in together) and I will be sharing a space.  Now my husband is more brave than patient.

So we Matt set up the desks and the bookshelf that separates them (the only saving grace for Matt).  And 15 minutes after he was done building, his desk was completely setup.  15 minutes.  Not an exaggeration.  15 minutes.

It has now been 24 hours, and I have all but one box of crap put away.  And yes I am starting to call my stuff crap because it is what I have - crap.  And I recognize that it is crap and not necessary (except the letters or cards that people have sent us, those just make me feel good).  So I purged.  Not all, but a lot.  2 garbage bags full, well mostly full.  And all necessary.  I even made a box of books that I am donating to the library. FYI - that picture is from last night.  Right now the middle is empty, well except for my computer.

So the desks.  Let's see if it works. 

Clearly I am not being compensated by anyone.  These are my opinions (mostly of myself).  But I would love to be compensated by IKEA, I mean look around my house, I have a ton of their stuff.  So, right, just my opinions of their stuff.

Colorado, Part 2

August 9

Eliza had a different Dr. Appt. today.  She is one smart lady for scheduling all these while there are two extra bodies around to take care of her cuties.  Today, we all went together.  Julie held A. and knitted (shocker, well actually she hasn’t done much of that since we got here).  G & I ran up and down the hallways at the Dr’s office going “vroom.”  Also, G. learned two new words today – pop & boom!  From a game I had been playing with her!  WIN!

When we got home it was time for a nap.  And a new diaper.  G & I have been sharing large iced teas (well I have been drinking the iced tea and then filling up the cup with water for her) and we drank 4 large cups worth of water this morning while running.  Ravioli for lunch.  G woke up.  And since today was so wonderful (i.e. NOT HOT!!!!) we went to Garden of the Gods.  It is a natural rock formation that is pretty spectacular.  There are no words to describe it at all, so I won’t even try.  

 

For dinner Julie and I made pizza.  I bought the dough on Saturday at Poor Richard’s.  Tonight I sautéed onions & garlic, butternut squash & zucchini.  On the pizza we added mozzarella and turkey sausage.  It was amazing, if I do say so myself.  And considering that Matt normally cooks pizza (well calzones) in our house, I was mighty proud of myself.  We also had a side of asparagus.  I think I am still trying to make up for all the fried food from the first part of this trip.  

August 10

Today was an around the house kind of day.  There was playtime in the morning, followed by naptime, then lunch, and then more naptime.  Then we got ourselves together for an outing.  We left early in the hopes of having a cupcake, but the shop was closed.  So we found a different bakery down the road and bought a cupcake, 2 rum balls, 2 peanut butter cups, and an orange-cinnamon roll.  Everything was good except for the cupcake.  I thought it was dry and the icing just blah.  I liked the sprinkles the best – and that is pretty bad for a cupcake. 

We were actually on our way to a FRG meeting.  It is a group for the families of people in the army.  Eliza is in charge because Sam is in charge.  They met at the bowling alley and then we all bowled.  By the time we got home it was late and way past G’s bedtime, but she ate dinner and got ready for bed like a champ!  I made zucchini, butternut squash, and beans for dinner over salad.  It was delicious!  I also found some goat’s milk brie!  LOVE LOVE LOVE!  We watched So You Think You Can Dance (everyone is now addicted – shame it is already the end of the season) and went to bed.    

August 11

I am very conflicted.  Today is the last day of the trip.  I am looking forward to seeing my wonderful husband again tomorrow, but I will miss the ladies.  This trip has made me so grateful for the friendships I have but regretful for leaving them alone for so long.  Does that make any sense?  I have missed these ladies so much since we graduated college; wait, since we got home from Spain 7 years ago.  I say this every year, but I think having spent the last two weeks with women (& their families) whom I truly love, that I actually will keep in touch better.  Because without them, my life is less full. 

So today.  Was a sneaky kind of day.  Last night, Julie made a comment to be that I made sure happened today.  We gave Eliza 12 hours (Starting last night at 9:19pm) to come up with something to do OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE and ALL BY HERSELF!  I mean seriously, there were 2 of us left to contend with 2 sleeping babies – how hard could it be? Especially since they loved and trusted us.  No sweat.  And seriously, when had Eliza spent any time alone in the last few weeks, wait months.  So this afternoon, we kicked Eliza out!  Then we ate lunch and played in the rain.  She went shopping for clothing for HERSELF!!!  And brought us home groceries so I could make stuffed shells for dinner.  We did forget about the eggs, and then the cheese after Julie had come home from the grocery store.  But it was delicious.  I stuffed them with ricotta, mozzarella, mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach.  YUM. 

 

Tonight we also watched the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance!!!!!  LOVE!  Funny, because my darling husband called me right before we started watching it to tell me that he knew who won already! I mean well, duh, different time zone!  But that he approved of the winner.  I have fought every urge to call him back now and tell him that I know also!  But it is almost 3 in the morning his time, so that is just NOT happening.  Especially if I want him to pick me up tomorrow.

In other news, I finished my quilt tonight!!!! With tons of help, support, and patience from the SPECTACULAR Julie!  She has been so wonderful throughout the whole process!  I couldn’t have picked it up so quickly without her (and her sewing machine!! hehe).  

Off to pack.  Then bed.  Then play with the munchkins for a little while before Julie takes me to the airport.  Sad night.

 


August 12
Today was the longest day of flying ever.  The flights were completely uneventful - thank goodness.  Just long.  Metro home.  I called Matt to pick me up.  When I got in the car he told me two very interesting things.  First - I was supposed to call when I transferred lines (so he could have bought me flowers on the way to pick me up).  Second, he baked me a cake!  He intended to make me cupcakes, but he couldn't figure out where the liners were, and he couldn't call and ask.  But the best part, only 1/4 of the cake was left when I got home!  I love my husband!  He is too funny!