SO PROUD!

Jeff graduated from UCO last week. He continued on a tradition of much of his family graduating from that college.
I am so proud of him! I don't even have words to describe how much.
I think his aunt said it best: "What a year you've had-wife degree and a baby on the way."
Jeff has worked very hard for his degree. And the past year he's been working over-night going to school and getting use to marriage (which being married to an emotional girl can't always be easy).
And along the way he has been the BEST husband and future dad.
No if he would just decide what he wants to do next..........:)
The day was beautiful. His mom and dad, sister Jennifer and Lindsay and brother-in-law Kasey came to support him.
Here's Jeff waiting in line to get his diploma:


A picture with Jennifer:


And one with his proud wife:

After his graduation (which thankfully was pretty short and sweet), we went to Texas Roadhouse. I was so happy that my steak and potatoes settled well that day because it was DELICIOUS!
I'm so proud of you Jeff. I know great things are ahead of you. Know that I will always be your biggest support and fan. I LOVE YOU!
P.S. I told his mom that I would even be willing to move to Bulgaria or Russia if he found a job there. She said she would have me declared legally incompetent so that we couldn't take the baby so far away:) So that probably won't happen anytime soon!

Tender Mercies

I've been sick. I mean REALLY sick. I'm throwing up so much that the blood vessels around my eyes are broken. I know it's all for a GREAT reason. And so while it's awful to throw up everything I eat......I still sometimes smile after I'm done because I know there is a little life growing inside of me.

On a side note, I KNOW this is a Slade baby because the one thing that ALWAYS sounds good and I can keep down is nachos:)

And I'm worn out. I got the bright idea to get a second part-time job to help pay off the last of my credit card debt. And while I'm grateful I'm able to handle it (barely), it's not always easy pulling into my driveway at 1:30 a.m. and getting up at 6:30 for my "real job."

Tired of me complaining? I am too. I'm done. I promise.

Last week on one particularly hard day, when I thought I might just break. I opened up my mailbox to see this:

Seeing my mom's precious handwriting was enough to do me in. And that was even BEFORE I opened it! Inside was treasure trove of Christmas gifts and goodies from home:
Inside was my mom's homemade toffee, ornaments, a card for Jeff's graduation and a book of all my dad's best poems that instantly became one of my prized possessions. There was some of my sister's "famous" popcorn that I wait for every year! I barely will share with Jeff:) And the video that my wickedly talented sister makes every year for our family. I woke Jeff up to watch it with me and cried over almost every picture. It's probably my favorite Christmas tradition that my family has been doing for over a decade now. Last but not least this card was in it:

From my nephew Spencer. I have always had a soft spot for him. We have close birthdays and I adore him. This card made me cry for a good 5 minutes. I'll keep it forever.

I'm SO grateful for my family. Even though they're far away, they show me all the time that they love me and are thinking of me.

And I don't know HOW she does it, but my mom always seems to know the perfect time when her kids need her the most, whether it's a phone call, or a package from home. I think we're more needy now than when she was raising us:)

I hope everyone enjoys their Christmas season. I'm excited to celebrate with Jeff as we start our own family traditions and celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

A Year of Wedded Bliss

Jeff and I (and our little lentil) celebrated our 1 year Anniversary on Sunday the 27th of November.

I can't believe its been a year already! I woke up to flowers (roses that reminded Jeff of our bouquet), a gift card inside a really sweet card and a husband who didn't have to work that day!!!!

We played hooky from the world and stayed home all day and watched football and movies. And he rubbed my feet. It was the perfect day.

As I reflected on the last year I came up with some of my favorite things about being married to my sweet Jeff.

1.Having him warm up my car for me in the morning.

2.Having him tickle my back before I fall asleep (that is when we actually sleep together!)

3.Jeff always pours the perfect drink. It use to be Diet Dr. Pepper, but lately it's Grape Gatorade. Sometimes slushy, sometimes normal.

4.Having Jeff empty the dishwasher. It's my worst.

5.Having Jeff take out the garbage.

6.Having someone so handy at fixing things. He's amazing.

7.Having Jeff get my make-up bag every morning for me. And he NEVER complains.

8.Having a GREAT mother-in-law. She's been one of my only friends this first year. I don't know what I would have done without her.

9.Having someone help me pay off MY not HIS credit card debt, and never make me feel bad.

10.Being married to a worthy Priesthood holder.

11.When he actually goes shopping with me, he carries all the groceries inside.

12.Having someone to watch cheesy disaster/alien movies with.

13.He make the MOST delicious Annie's macaroni.

14. He crisps my chicken to the perfect burntness.

15.Having someone to spend the holiday's with.

16.Having someone to sit at church with.

17.He always surprises me with little "prizes". On Sunday it happened to be tums:)

18.Jeff loving my nieces and nephews. He told me that if any of our kids turned out like Bridger he would be more than okay with that. I fell in love with him all over again.

19.Being married to SUCH a hard worker.

20.Finding out I was pregnant and knowing he would be SUCH a good daddy.

I love you honey!

It's been a great year.

I'm glad we have an eternity more of them.

Dear Baby

Dear baby,

A week ago my life was changed forever.

As I was driving home from work on a Friday afternoon, I was talking to your grandma on the phone. I told her that I might just for fun get a pregnancy test, because although I was pretty sure I wasn't, I had been extremely tired all week. And not just normal sleepy, I mean I was falling asleep at work sleepy. I was also a few days "late."

She told me to go get one and let her know. You'll learn that Grandma Slade is as anxious as me to know things! You'll meet her when she comes to OK for your birth....And stays forever. She's the best grandma in the world. All your cousins think the world revolves around her.

So, to get back on track, I bought a test, took it home and to my ABSOLUTE shock, this is what the pregnancy test read:

You'll have to excuse the blurriness. I believe I was shaking at the time:) I ran into my bedroom woke your dad up out of the dead of sleep and yelled: "Look at the stick!" He looked at the stick and gave me a hug. I asked him if I could call grandma and tell her about you. He somewhat dazed said yes. I turned off the light and began making some calls. Calls I have been waiting what seems all my life to make.

That night we told your dad's family at dinner about you with this adorable onesie that your Aunt Jennifer made:

Since that life changing day little baby, you are ALL I have been able to think about. I have wanted to be a mommy since before I even knew where babies came from. When your aunt Stephanie and I use to play house I would put a pillow under my shirt and pretend I was pregnant.

You are SO loved already. You have grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and most of all a mom and dad who are eagerly awaiting for your arrival.

I am going to try and do my best to make sure you arrive in this world healthy and happy. I am even cutting WAY back of diet Dr. pepper:) I went for a long walk today instead of driving to do my errands to start making myself strong for you.

I remember not too long ago wondering if I was ever going to be a mom. Then I met your daddy. Then, almost a year ago we got married for Time and All Eternity, and became a family. And now when you join our family, you will be ours forever.

I wonder if you will look more like him or me.

I wonder if you will be a boy or girl.

I wonder about a lot of things.

But what I think about most of all is the miracle that you already are to me.

I thank Heavenly Father every night for you.

I love you little baby Hale.

Love, Mom

Scared and Shaken (Literally)!

Jeff left for work on Saturday night as usual, so I got my blanket and settled in on the couch for some TV time, when all of a sudden I see a black MOUSE running from the kitchen. I of course screamed BLOODY murder and it ran right back into the kitchen. I jumped up from the couch, left the TV and all lights on, grabbed my blanket and ran into my bedroom. Once I got into my bedroom I immediately barricaded myself inside. OBVIOUSLY.

The next dilemma was what I should do. So of course, I text Jeff, FREAKING OUT!

Cinderella's little mouse helpers? I couldn't stop laughing. That is why I love my husband. He can calm me down better then anyone I know.

So next thing you know I am cleaning my room because I'm stuck inside it and my charger was outside and my battery was low so watching Netflix on my phone is out of the question.

What do you think happened next?

http://newsok.com/article/feed/314765

That's right an EARTHQUAKE! The biggest one in Oklahoma history! I was standing by my bed throwing away trash and felt the ground beneath me shake and tremble. Then my bed starting shaking. It was a surreal experience. Thankfully There were no serious injuries reported.

So I just had to wait until 1:00 a.m. for Jeff to bring home mouse traps and more importantly some dinner!

He is the best. And I'm glad he isn't scared of mice!

Here's a video of him cleaning behind the stove the next day.

I was amazed at the trash the previous tenants had left. We didn't find any droppings around the stove or the fridge or any cupboards. I'm blaming it on our neighbors. I think the mouse visits our house and then leaves again. But next time he comes we'll be prepared with 20 traps.

That was my adventurous weekend. Phew!

Now if we can only catch that little mouse I can again step in my kitchen without dread:)

True love...........at 2:00 a.m.!

I think I've mentioned a time or two how amazing Jeff is. He is so sweet, and always doing nice things for me. I try my best to do the same for him. Although I think he wins for the most part:)

However.......On Sunday night I did surprise him....at 2:00 in the morning.

That evening we went to his sister's to celebrate her little girl's birthday and ate dinner. So when it was time to make Jeff's lunch I didn't have anything prepared. With a lot of guilt I made him a box of macaroni and cheese and some frozen chicken, and sent him off to work.

At about 10:30 our texting conversation went like this:

I'm not sure what had gotten into me but I felt like surprising him with a lunch at home instead of having him eat at work. He told me I could make a frozen pizza if I was too tired. Has he MET me?

I looked in my cupboards and freezer and decided to whip up some homemade chicken Parmesan. I took a bit from a recipe online, but basically just made it up as I went along (including homemade sauce:))I think it turned out pretty fabulous! I also thought while I was at it I would set the table nice. Usually when we eat it's on the couch watching tv!

Here's my hard working husband enjoying his meal. Disclaimer: If you notice the top of his dinner it's loaded with Parmesan cheese from the CAN. I had a lovely bowl of freshly grated Parmesan for myself but my weird husband PREFERS the can. It makes me sad every time he sprinkles it on his food. We enjoyed a nice meal together and started "Season of the Witch" before he left. I DO NOT recommend starting that movie if you're scared of the dark and sleeping by yourself because your husband is leaving back to work at 3:00 a.m.

I love you honey and thanks for working so HARD!!!!

While Jeff was asleep today........

Today after getting home from church and eating lunch, Jeff was rooting around the kitchen for something sweet to eat. Now, this doesn't happen very often. My husband would probably eat meat and potatoes for every meal and be perfectly happy. As luck would have it there wasn't anything around he wanted. So he went off to bed unsatisfied.

Lucky for him I have been planning for about a week to make homemade mint milanos. This is one treat that Jeff REALLY loves. So, I looked on the web for a recipe. I found one that didn't look to hard and I gave it a go. There weren't too many ingredients and were simple to put together. This is the dough chilling in the fridge

........On a side note, if you look closely you can see a blue Fanta in the fridge.....Jeff and I had a really fun adventure yesterday at a Greek deli buying Bulgarian cheese, hummus and Macedonian Fanta. Jeff always likes to try the weird drinks and food he sees. Ask my sister about the candy he ate in July:) This tangent has nothing to do with cookies, but it was the funnest day!

Back to the cookies........I think they turned out pretty delicious if I do say so myself. You'll notice a cookie in the back with a chocolate smear......it was bugging me so bad I almost threw it away. But I knew Jeff would freak out if I told him. And I'm working on my OCD:)

The only thing I wished I had done is cook them a little bit longer so they were just a tad crispier. Next time I make them that will be easy to fix. I also had the idea to use up some crushed peppermints for some of the cookies. And man was that a yummy addition!

Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon while my tired husband is sleeping!!!

Recipe:

http://www.eatliverun.com/mint-milano-cookies/

Christmas List

Jeff and I are writing out our Christmas wish lists for each other. It will be nice this year to actually have jobs and be able to afford to buy a few things for each other:) I've seen Jeff's list and it has things like cologne, sweaters, a Bulgarian Hymn book, etc.......as I sat down tonight to write my list I could only think of 1 thing I REALLY want........

I sent an email to Jeff labeling it Christmas List and added this picture. Jeff opened it and said, "but I don't know how to find this baby."

I guess I better stick with perfume and kitchen tools this year:)

BOOMER!

Hello. My name is Alicia and I'm married to an OU-aholic. Really. Our first "fight" was over OU. For those of you who know me, know I can be well.....stubborn:) When someone tells me I have to do something, or like something, I'll dig in and do the opposite, even if I secretly want to go along. There is something in my nature that just won't let me give in.

I can't remember exactly how the conversation/fight got started but it was something along the lines of me saying: "I will never cheer for OU. I didn't grow up here. You can't make me change who I root for." What a brat....I think I was just trying to control something in my life that at that moment had so many HUGE changes ,that I felt like I was spiraling out of control. Quite a bit of drama for a conversation about football!

Any who, since then I've come a long way because I know it makes Mr. Fix-it happy when I cheer for them. I even had an OU party for their first game this year! I also have an OU blanket that my wonderful (I seriously love her) mother-in-law gave me. I snuggle up with it when I'm on the couch watching TV.

And last week I got to go to my VERY first game. And I have to say, I was completely swept up by it. The pageantry of the pre-game, the crowd, the stadium, our wonderful seats, my cute husband's excitement, the delicious hot dog I ate, the way OU CREAMED Ball State (I know I've never heard of them before either. I loved all of it. I may have even teared up during the opening festivities. Hey, I'm not embarrassed. I cry sometimes:)

Plus how cute is my husband?I would do just about anything to make him happy, EXCEPT for giving up watching "Toddlers and Tiaras."

I can now say I am officially an OU fan, unless they are playing BYU (Jeff even agreed on this!)

Watch the following clip and just try to say it's not a pretty cool team to root for with all it's tradition and winning ways:)

You can hear at the end of the video Jeff saying "On-side kick?" And I think I said "Nice" Oops! I guess Ball State knowing what they were in for: A 62-6 drubbing, thought they would try a trick play. I think it just made the OU players want to murder them!

Great Support

I think I've mentioned a time or 2 how much I love my husband. He is so wonderful. And he is also such a great support to me. A couple weeks ago I started Weight Watchers (last night I was able to zip up an old pair of jeans!!!) and I've been saying for those couple of weeks how much I needed a scale to weigh my food so I can be accurate in my serving sizes. Well guess what my sweet husband brought home from work this morning? A scale! And if you look closely, you'll see a perfect 90 grams!

I told him not to bring me home any more delicious prizes like: Flaming hot Cheetos, sour straws, star crunches and such, and he hasn't. The prizes have kept coming they're just the non-edible type for the most part. And if they are edible it's usually bananas or diet Dr. Pepper!

Last night we had little Caesar's for dinner. Don't worry I kept it within my point system. I love their Italian cheese bread which is 4 points a stick. I ate 4 and made Jeff take them away from me. A few hours later when I was angry at the Red Sox (don't get me started) and hungry. I told Jeff he either had to go put the cheese sticks away out of my sight or give me the rest. I told him it was up to him. After looking scared (he wanted to give in) he went and put them away. I need someone like that who will help me achieve my goals.

I love him SO much. I love that he loves me the way I am but will support me in helping me be healthier. Plus, he tickles my back when I fall asleep at night. I'm one lucky Wife on the Prairie.

Mama says take care of your sister.......

Yesterday was probably one of the hardest days I've had in my life. I won't go into details but I will say I have never felt more betrayed, attacked and hurt in my life. I don't think I have ever felt so lonely as I did yesterday. When I needed someone to talk to I thought of Jeff.....But he was asleep....And he is the only person in OK I can turn to. BUT I know I have a whole BUNCH of people I can turn to that I trust with my whole heart who I know will always pick up the phone and listen to me cry.

My sister Carole gave me this globe for my birthday. It is titled "Mama said take care of your sister." And boy do my sisters take care of me. I turn to each of the them for different needs.

Carole: When I need someone who loves me enough to give it to me straight I call her. When I'm in the wrong she lets me know it in a way that makes me know she loves me. She also sides with Jeff a lot so he loves her:) She is the PERFECT oldest sister. She takes such good care of her 5 sisters. She is one of the wisest people I know. She also gives such sound advice. I tend to get emotional.....and she grounds me. Plus, she's about the most amazing homemaker in the world. We call her Martha.

Kelli: She is loyal like NO other. I remember a time in high school when a boy broke my heart. She instantly hated him for me. I remember her helping me tear up some roses and flush them down the toilet. I can call Kelli day or night and she will pick up. And she will listen and listen and listen. Once you mess with her family that's it for you. And she also curls my hair better than anyone! Plus, anytime I need a pick me-up I call one of her little girls and you can guarantee I'm laughing in no time.

Becky: My sister Becky is really struggling right now. She's not in a place where I can just pick up the phone and call. But I can write her and I know she will read my letters and care about what's going on in my life.

Stephanie: When we were little and had to share rooms we didn't always get along so well....But now? She's my best friend. She was my maid of honor. We promised each other when we were young we would name our first daughters after each other. She just fulfilled her promise....I hope to fulfill mine soon:) When she makes you a promise, she will keep it NO matter what. If you tell her something in confidence you know it will stay that way.

Anjali: She has the best attitude. She was born with cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. But that has never kept her down. You can count on her to always smile....Even when you've just injured yourself....Inside family joke! She also loves to read like I do. I love that about her!

My mom: There are NO words to describe my mom. She's the most amazing mother on this planet. I absolutely know she is always there for me when I call her. There were MANY Sunday nights when I called her crying thinking I would never get married. She always just listened to me and soothed my sadness and gave me hope. If you hurt one of her kids it's not going to be good for you. She's the most protective mother I know. She taught her girls that protectiveness of each other.

I'm SO grateful for my mom and sisters. Without them I would be lost. And even though I'm far away from them. They are always only a phone call away!

Guess what you can do with 2 trillion pounds of almonds and a brand new Food Processor?

So my really awesome brother Ryan runs an almond farm in California. They have a gazillion almonds. Look at this picture I took last fall when I went to visit his family:

So when I need almonds, I know who to call! I asked Ryan awhile back to send me some almonds to give to my mother-in-law. Well when I opened the mail this is what I found:Plus a whole bunch more! I've had this in my freezer for awhile so they wouldn't go bad. And tonight it hit me! ALMOND BUTTER! I love almond butter and I thought that with my fancy shmancy new food processor, I would try to make some!

It took twice as long as the recipe called for, but it turned out AMAZING. And seeing as how I joined Weight Watchers tonight, it can help me have a delicious snack that's good for you!

The plate is a tribute to my OU obsessed husband:) And when I say obsessed I mean it. My ears are STILL ringing from last Saturday He has an unnaturally loud clap when he watches football!

Pink Nightgown Kind of Night

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a pink nightgown. And when I put on that pink nightgown, it's not going to be a good night. I put it on when I want comfort, I put it on when I'm sad. I put it on when I'm mad. Just ask my Boston friends about a certain 4th of July.........

Last week after making cookies for our neighbor (situation all cleared up!), I started in on making dinner. For this dinner I needed to crumble some bread and garlic for a crumbled topping. I tried doing it in my itty bitty food processor. When the blade kept coming undone for the 400th time, I unplugged it in a fit of anger and threw it away. I couldn't deal with it anymore. Another weakness of mine is to throw stuff away....ask Ellen, she has stories to tell!

Next I tried the blender. Bad, Bad idea Alicia. I think a few choice words may have escaped from my lips. The bread kept getting clogged in the bottom ( I didn't throw the blender away). At that point I put on my nightgown. I was desperate. I turned to Jeff with frustration and maybe a few tears and asked him if I could PLEASE have my present early.

Jeff in his infinite wisdom gave in:) I think he's been married to me long enough to know when it's better to give in then deal with my crazy Pre-PMS emotions.

I bet you're wondering how I knew what present I was most likely getting?

1. I've been BEGGING him for a food processor for MONTHS!

2. I saw on his phone he was researching food processors.

3. Last week I saw him carrying in a big box! He told me not to look:)

So, he led me into the guest room (that I was warned not to go in), and he let me open my present!!! Guess what it was?????If you look closely, you can see the nightgown:)

A gorgeous 14 cup food processor! It came with a french fry grater, a slicer and a dicer. I'm seriously in heaven. Jeff said he had never seen me that excited the whole time he's known me.

I love my husband.

And I love that he fears the pink nightgown.

A year ago today

A year ago today, my best friend, sister-in-law and twin lost her husband when he died unexpectedly. I'll never forget the phone call I got from Jodi telling me that something had happened and that I needed to get over to Jen's house right away.

I'll never forget that first long night I stayed with Jen at their home so she wouldn't be alone.

I stayed that night in the guest room but had trouble falling asleep. I just couldn't seem to wrap my my mind around the fact that Dave was gone. I mean it was DAVE. He was larger than life. He made me laugh, he shared my love of sauces. He shared my love of all Boston sports. He was a dad to the most precious little boy you've ever met. He was a husband to my twin. How could he just be gone? I had just seen him yesterday at church. I remember talking to him in my car as we were both going home. He was going to come by and get my primary manual. And now.........he was just gone.

I remember at about 2:30ish I was laying there in the dark and for some reason their computer turned on to the screen saver. It was a recent picture of Dave that Ellen had taken the previous fall. I remember for one thing being freaked out. I hadn't moved the mouse to turn it on. But I also remember feeling a sense of comfort. It was almost as if Dave was there in that room saying it's okay. I'm still me. I still exist. You'll see me again.

I remember texting Jeff who seemed SO far away and asking him if he really believed we would see Dave again. If there was life after death. My sweet, strong, never wavering in his faith Jeff immediately sent me back a "yes I do." He also shared a scripture in Alma chapter 40 with me about eternal life that brought me such peace. I know I'll see Dave again. I know Jen and Adler will be reunited with him again. I know my Savior died for us to make Eternal families possible.

When I get sad thinking about the loss of my brother-in-law I think of my favorite memories of him. The summer he passed away I got to spend a lot of time with him and Jennifer because that is the summer I fell in love with Jeff and he spent 6 weeks staying with them while we dated/got engaged.. We went to dinner together a lot. We watched "The Office" almost every night, we had barbecues, we went camping, we went whale watching, we went to Nantucket.....We had so much fun. I'm so grateful for that summer. It will always be some of my most treasured memories.

The following are some of my favorite memories of Dave:
The first time I met him was at Chick-fil-A. Jen and I had spent the day in Maine with Ellen, and Jen called Dave to see if he wanted to meet us for dinner. I immediately thought he was cool because he was wearing a Red Sox hat. What sent my likeness for him to to the top was because he loves sauces as MUCH as I do. We spent a good 5 minutes talking about our favorite sauces.

A couple years ago I hosted a BYU/OU football watching party (A game which Jeff claims didn't take place). I had a bunch of friends come over and told them I would provide the food, they just needed to show up. But Dave being Dave(He was an Eagle Scout and always prepared...sometimes OVER prepared)brought 2 roma tomatoes and a bottle of peppercinis just in case we wanted to make salsa. That memory still makes me laugh today when I think about it.

I miss you Dave. And I know Jennifer and Adler miss you more than words can say. I'll do my best to take watch out for your precious family until you can be with them again.

Dear Abby

I have a soft spot for my little niece Abigail. For one thing she is adorable. I mean just look at this picture:Who looks that cute in goggles and a swimming vest? And she is SUPER brave. She was jumping off the diving board all day long, all by herself. I don't think I ever did that until I was an adult.

I have a soft spot for her because she's the middle child. Kelli (her mom) tells me stories about her that instantly bring me back to my own childhood. Case in point: On my recent trip out to Utah Jeff and I bought her a princess Barbie that lets you cut her hair. She had been wanting it for MONTHS. She was at my mom's still, so when I called to tell her we bought it, she asked: "Is it still in the box." I laughed and told her yes. When I told Kelli what she said, she started laughing. I guess Sophia had tried to get into the barbie earlier with some scissors! I remember those feelings of being fiercely protective of your toys and trying to keep them away from other siblings.

I have a soft spot for her because she is feisty and hilarious. One of my favorite examples of this is a couple of Christmas's ago I was visiting them. Abby got in trouble for something and Kelli sent her to time out. Her way of speaking up about the unfairness of it all? She was sitting by Kelli's cute little lighted trees. Abby: "I'll break all theses trees. And the ornaments too." Morgan and I still laugh about it this day. I definitely had those thoughts when I was in trouble back in the day, but she definitely speaks up more than I did! And that same night when she suffered some injustice from her older brother Kody, she planned her revenge. Bob saw her walking up the stairs with something behind her back. He asked her what she was doing......She had a fondue stick that she was going to "poke" Kody with. I could not stop laughing.

I have a soft spot for her because she is an emotional mess sometimes....Just like me. Must be a middle child thing.

And maybe I have a soft spot for her because she looks just like me!

So, my sweet precious little Abby. If you ever feel like nobody cares or understands you, trust me, your Aunt Alicia does, and she is just a phone call away Love you my little twin Abby-Lou!

Love Hate Relationship

Yeast......I love you, and I also hate you at the same time. You have brought tears of joy to my eyes when you work out well, and you have brought tears of frustration when recipes involving you go terribly, terribly wrong.

In the past I've mostly stayed away from anything involving yeast. But lately, I've been giving it a go again. I got a little cocky with a bread stick recipe that has turned out well the last few times. I decided to make some more complicated rolls last week using you as the star ingredient. I'm pretty sure 1 roll was eaten, and the rest tossed in the garbage. I decided to take a break from all things involving yeast.

That is until I got an email from my mom today with a recipe for cinnamon rolls that she said were out of this world. My mom said it was the easiest dough she has ever worked with. My mom has never lied to me, so I thought I would give it a shot. Besides when I told Jeff about the recipe I think his mouth started watering. And to be honest with myself, the thought of a gooey cinnamon roll covered in frosting finding it's way to my mouth was hard to resist!

And my mom was right (like she has been, and will most likely be the rest of my life). There was minimal mess, not very much flour in the recipe(I've found that's the key with me and yeast products), and the best dough I have EVER worked with.

This part was a little messy......But not difficult at all. I just scooped up the extra filling, and put it on top of the rolls once they were in the pan!

The end result were these:

Delicious, light, amazing and wonderful cinnamon rolls! And I only ate 1(tonight), so that's healthy right?

So my dear frenemy......Tonight I love and adore you!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of milk

1/4 cup of butter(softened not melted)

3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 package instant yeast

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1 egg

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 T ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened (not melted)

Directions:

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, the remove from heat. Mix in butter;stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm. This part is important because if the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt: mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface (or a new trick of mine is to spray the counter with pam instead of using flour, this way you don't add too much flour to the dough and end up with heavy dough) and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon and softened butter.

Roll out dough into a 12x9 inch rectangle. Spread onto the dough the butter/sugar mixture. Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal sizes (I use non-flavored dental floss to cute the rolls) and place in sprayed cake pan. Cover and let rise until doubles, about 30 minutes. With about 10 minutes left in the rising process, Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned.

Once I took them out I let them rest for a few minutes and then frost them with (gasp) store bought cream cheese frosting. They were DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!

A little Summer Snack!

Yesterday for dinner I planned on making homemade pesto. Can you guess where my love of pesto started?!? Boston. It is REALLY delicious. I've always just bought it pre-made, but I decided I was up for the challenge of making it from scratch. It turned out really great. Anyway, the point of this post isn't about the pesto, but what I did with my leftover Basil.I had a bunch of fresh Basil that I didn't want to go to waste. And as I was thinking of what to do with it, I had a great idea.....A Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil salad! It turned out so yummy and was super simple and quick to make. And if you can believe it....my meat and potato loving husband LOVED it!

All I did was chop up some tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and then tore up a few basil leaves and layered it on a plate. That by itself would have been wonderful, but I decided to kick it up a notch and sprinkled a little kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper on top. And the final touch? A little drizzle of olive oil and then a few splashes of balsamic vinaigrette ( I read yesterday about a lady who pays a $100.00 per bottle of the balsamic. I don't think I've ever paid over $6.00!).

It was like a little summer party of deliciousness in my mouth. And look at the grin on my cute husband's faceDon't worry, I got a few bites:)

P.S. Do you spy the handle of a bat in this picture? I don't know why it made me laugh when I saw it. Some could say I need more sleep.