Cooking for Two: 4th Edition

French Toast Bites

Quesadilla Stuff Pita Pockets, Side Salad 

Veggie Loaded Chili, Homemade Cornbread 

Black Bean Soup : Fixate 

Homemade Pumpkin Dream Cake 

Chicken Noodle Soup 

Peanut Butter Pancakes topped with Banana's & Homemade Strawberry Jam

Homemade Pumpkin Rolls with Salted Carmel Icing 

Ground Turkey Veggie Skillet 

Black Bean Quinoa Bake 

Our 1st LBL Camping Adventure

We took the Westy out for our first Camping Adventure this past weekend at LBL also known as Land Between the Lakes. Its a pretty huge recreational area that sits going through TN and KY and yes you guessed it, its surrounded by water. Although just driving through at first you wouldn't know that. There's so so much to do at LBL, this was only our second time out there. The first time was last fall before the hubbs deployed and then we just made a day trip out of it and drove around checking out different areas and what there was to do and see.

At the beginning of the week the hubbs mentioned going camping, kinda out of know where. I though it was kinda odd since we agreed we'd wait till we got the upholstery redone on the inside in a week or so. But hey, I didn't have school that weekend and we didn't really have any other plans so I mean why not. We booked a camp sight not really knowing where it was located and went with it.

Friday since the hubbs was off work he picked up a few things we needed to our little adventure. Also trying to see if could get the stove in the Westy looked at. It runs off propane and we are 100% sure it works and well frankly we don't want to cause any damage trying to start / light it. Not having any luck with the local shops here we decided we'd just get a little camping stove to take along with us. We'd planned on buying one at some point any how, so it worked out. He spent the rest of the afternoon loading up the Westy and getting everything ready, so when I got home I just had to change and we could head out.

On our way there it was raining, it had been raining the whole afternoon but I had hopes that since our camp ground location was on the opposite end of LBL that we'd be fine and that we where it had cleared out just shortly before we arrived. Although since it was the first time driving her out in the rain we did notice a leak in the sky light / sunroof on the top. It wasn't horrible but something we need to add to our todo list for sure.

Once we arrived and set up "camp" we started up a fire and made some dinner. Chicken Noodle Soup it was. We bought on of those packets that you simply add boiling water to and let it cook in the bag for so long and TADA its done!!! We enjoyed our first meal in the Westy followed by Hot Chocolate and S'mores over a nice little camp fire. I set up the inside bed while the hubbs and pups relaxed and took in the night stars. It was absolutely beautiful out there, so calm and peaceful. It was so nice to be away. We had no cell phone reception which was nice because we where able to disconnect from the world and really spend time with each other.

I'm the mean on between the two of us, I wouldn't let the pups sleep with us that night. I mean come on the bed is pretty much the size of a full size bed and when you have a 115lb dog and a 45lb dog plus the two of us that's quite a bit on one bed. We turned the passenger seat around and Dingo slept up there and I brought a old blanket and Bailey slept on the floor. Everyone made out fine and they didn't seem to butt hurt. Plus I really wasn't wanting them on our brand new bedding we had just bought. The hubbs took the night shift in letting them out to potty, because you know they just had to go. So, I kindly got kicked out of bed for the morning shift to take them out, and boy was it chilly. Lucky for him I had to use the restroom myself so other wise I would have not gotten my butt up outta bed.

We spent the morning making breakfast over our little camp stove and enjoyed the crisp fall air. Shortly after breakfast we decided to take the pups on a little walk about the camp grounds and explore the area some more. It was such a beautiful place, and the views of the lake at some of the camp sites where amazing. We definitely made note on a few sites we'd like to book in the future. After our walk we lounged around a bit, the hubbs rode his bike up to local store to check it out and over heard one of the workers about a walking trail. So we decided to leash up the pups again and take them for a walk. They did really good and lucky for them got in lots of extra exercise through out the day. Once we got back to our campsite I decided to fix lunch, Guacamole Shredded Chicken in Pita Bread with a Apple / Grape Salad. It was so tasty!!!! The hubbs decided he was going to be lazy and take a nap so I went for a nice little bike ride around the camp grounds, checking out the other side that we hadn't walked. 45 minutes later I finally made my way back. That's when the hubbs decided he was gonna go for a ride. We could have gone together but We really didn't wanna leave the pups alone in the Westy. I took advantage of the bed to myself and took a little nap. It was the best, I just laid there with the door open and even let the pups lay on the bed with me. Shocker I know!! When he got back he had the wild idea to go get ice cream at the general store up the road. We made it a family outing and the pups walked up with us, I had brought with us some special treats for them so I took a couple with us so they could enjoy something while we where eating our ice cream.

We lounged around a bit more that afternoon, played with a wooden airplane the hubbs had bought and decided we head back that evening, instead of early in the morning as planned. (hubbs had to be in Nashville super early Sunday morning) Not before dinner over our campfire, Chili Hot Dogs. I couldn't even tell you the last time I ate a hotdog, let alone a Chili Hotdog. Not my thing but there's something about camping that brings them out and makes it ok to eat. Of course since we had a fire going we had to make up some S'mores. It's not a camping trip without stuffing your with the yummy goodness of chocolate and marshmallows smushed and melted between two graham crackers.

It was the perfect way to end our much needed relaxing little get away.

We even took a different way home that evening so we were able to see a new to us part of KY and it was such a beautiful drive. I can't wait to go back out camping and for all the fun adventure we have ahead of us in our Westy!!!! 

JUNE!!!!

How in the world is it already June, don't get me wrong I'm not complaining at all. I need the month to fly by please!!!! It's going to be a BUSY one for me, for sure. I've got so much going on. 

Here's just a little preview of something I have going on....

*School - I'm taking a summer course that is 11 classes through the month. Tuesday & Thursday Nights and Saturday's. YIKES

*Preschool Graduation - I'll be graduating my first class of Preschoolers this coming Saturday. Can't believe the school year is already over. 

*21 DFX - I'll be tackling another round of 21 DFX, taking me all the way to almost the end of June. 

*Vacay - I have two road trips planned at the end of the month. 3 days in West Virginia to see the girls and then over July 4th I'm headed to Ohio for 5 days to meet up with the In-Loves and some friends from Hawaii. 

*Running - To log 80 miles. Should be do able, fingers crossed. I'm already 3 miles down as of today. 

*Weight - I have a goal weight I'm trying to get to. I'm determined to get there by the end of the month. 

*Blanket - I started making a blanket (crocheting) a few months back. My plan was to have it finished be-time the hubbs came home. I haven't touched it in a good few months, till this past weekend. I want to finish the spools of yarn I have on hand before I go to WV.
*Truck- We've got some work that needs to be done on the truck and the plan was for me to get it taken care of while the hubbs is gone and well I've kinda put it off. So I need to get that taken care of so it's done and ready for when he comes home.
*Weekends- Did I mention I don't have a free weekend with nothing planned till the middle of July.

It's going to be a busy month for sure. I know there will be some fun good times in there as well. I don't want to rush time along to fast but I can't wait till the end of the month is here to go on a much need Vacay or 2 !!!!

And because a blog post isn't complete with out a picture. I grilled out this past weekend for the first time this year. Its late into the season and I have many many more nights planned to grill out and even more when the hubbs gets home but I have to say it turned out pretty darn fabulously tasty if I do say so myself.

Grilled Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes and Seasoned Chicken. Get in My Belly!!!!! I planned ahead and made enough for two nights, so I didn't have to cook dinner Sunday night.  

 Sunday morning I did make breakfast before heading out for my run. 2 ingredient pancakes. I was a little skeptical at first trying them out. But they where pretty good and I'll definitely be making them again soon.
1 Banana and 2 Eggs mix it together in a food processor and then pour on the griddle to your size liking. Cook till done. I drizzled some honey on top and they tasted just like Banana Pancakes. So yummy!!!

Life Happens....you've been warned...

....random update of life lately, it's kinda all over the place but wanted / needed to recap. 

Well....its been a bit uneventful but a bit over whelming here lately. Parts of me doesn't mind it but then other parts of me wonders how I've managed to take on so much. When in reality its not all that much at all. With work Monday-Friday and Classes 3 nights a week, my days are pretty full. When I don't have class in the evenings I generally stay late and close at work. I like having the option to stay and close if needed vs. being completely depended on. It makes for some really long day's either way I go but it beats sitting at home alone. Some nights when I don't have class or have to close I tend to find myself hanging out and chatting a bit longer at work. I don't always feel the need to rush home, I mean the pups are there but the nights are the hardest with the hubbs away and it makes for lonely evenings. In the mornings I get up work out and take the pups for their walk before going to work. Two reason: One-when I get off its already dark out so not really ideal for walking the pups. Darn you winter time change. Two-working out before work means if I wanna come home and be lazy I can. Most nights when I cook dinner I cook enough for me to have left overs for 2 maybe 3 nights. This helps my commissary budget, as well as keeps me from having to cook every night. I don't mind cooking at all, I actually love cooking. But the last thing I want to do when I get home from class at close to 9pm is to cook dinner and do dishes. So left overs are perfect for me right now. On the weekends I might cook myself a more time consuming / involved meal because I can take my time with it. 

If I typically have any running around to do or shopping I try to get it all done on Saturday mornings - mid afternoon after walking the pups. This way I have the rest of Saturday to work on my homework because lets face it these two classes have me swamped. I've been out of school for a hot minute now and trying to get back into the swing of things with classes and homework has had its challenges. I've started reading more for pleasure but this whole reading and having to write a paper on it is a totally different thing. It also give me time to do any hously duties I might need to do clean the house, straighten up. The dreaded laundry, its so easy to throw it in the wash, then dryer but I hate hate folding and putting it away. Sunday's I go to church, the early service which is at 8:30 and I'm usually home by 9:45, unless I go to Sunday School. After our morning walk around the neighborhood I'm back in my comfy clothes for the day, vegging out on the couch watching Netflix and Hulu. I'll try and make myself productive here and there but normally I have a completely lazy day. I haven't gone out and really done much lately other than a few random outings here and there. It's been crazy cold and then we will have days in the 50's, it almost reminds me so much of Texas weather. It's been quite a bit rainy here lately as well, I never knew it rained so much in TN. I'm so ready for it to warm up more. I absolutely hate hate the cold weather, that's what 3 years of living in Hawaii will do to you. 

I've slowly been knocking my To Do List down, little by little. Reminding myself everything doesn't have to be done at one time. But oh how I desperately wish it could be. I did finally get our taxes done this morning so that's taken care of. My homework assignments for this coming week are complete and just need to be typed. I'm headed to Nashville tomorrow for a birthday party for one of my kiddos and I'm planning on making a day out of it. Heading downtown right after church in the morning!! Life's been busy and chaotic but I wouldn't have it any other way. At least I'm making the most of my time through this deployment. 

Better than sulking and eating ice cream from the carton every night.

 I mean a bowl is so much more classy!!! Right!?!?!?

And because a post isn't complete with out a picture.....

I slipped on my boots and took the hubbs Glock and HK out for a little swirl last weekend to this lovely setting......

I may or may not share what went on that afternoon. I still haven't decided!!! 

Summer Cookin

Just a little look at what we've been eatin the last few days. The hubbs has had a lot of late nights these past two weeks so I try to have dinner ready for him when he gets home. 

Grilled Chicken Salad w/ Fresh Veggies 

Lunch date with Jenna on our lunch break from work. 

Stuffed Green Bell Peppers &  Movie night

Bruschetta Chicken w/ Fresh oven roasted Corn on the Cob

Cajun Chicken Pasta w/ Fresh Veggies 

Kalua Pork w/ White Rice 

What have you been eating lately? Tried any new recipes you'd like to share?!?!

Life Get's in the Way

Sometimes life gets busy and we I forget to stop and smell the roses or flowers in my case. It seems like I've always got something going on, some were to be or something to do. But it never seems overly exciting or fancy. Non the less, I've got a busy life and I suppose that's a good thing right. So here's a little tidbit of what I've been up to over the last two weeks. 

If you follow me on Instagram you've seen most of these before I'm sure. I'm going away for the weekend and my goal before I leave was to get caught up with everything, which includes this here blog of mine. Let's just say that didn't happen. I still have a weekend adventure to recap from two weeks ago. Hello what has gotten in to me. I guess you could say that every free minute I have is spent with the hubbs when he is home from work. Remember we picked up a new cycle about 2 1/2 weeks ago so things have been a little crazy. 

I made a killer Pasta Salad a couple weeks ago for dinner. We ended up eating on it for 3 days before it was all gone. Def. a favorite meal for us. 

Everyone loves Chocolate Chip Cookies. I made about 5 dozen last Sunday night. We each took some to work to let everyone enjoy. :) Because we all know we don't need to keep them all in our house. 

Running, Running, Running and more Running. I tell you It's such a stress reliever. I feel like a totally different person after my runs. No matter how good or bad of a day I've had, It's def. the best way to clear my head. 

Did you know that June 5th was National Running day......me either till I saw it posted all over FB. 

With it being National Running day on the 5th, that mint the registration fee for the Full Marathon I was wanting to do was discounted by $20. Not knowing if there would be a chance of it getting any lower than that I went ahead and bit the bullet as they call it and signed up. So it's official, I'll be running my first Full Marathon in Savannah, GA on my 6th Wedding Anniversary. No fingers crossed everything goes good and the hubbs will be off work and there to support me along the way. (even if he can't I know he'll be supporting me from home)

I'm not very good when it comes to planting, growing flowers and keeping them alive. Give me a Ivy and that's a different story. However we've had some really pretty flowers bloom from our seeds we planted a few weeks back.

I finally tested out my new pot that I got with my amazon gift card my brother got me for my birthday almost two months ago now. I say on the giftcard forever because I wasn't sure what I wanted to get and then when I decided and finally made the purchase, it took me a good couple weeks to finally use it. I made Hamburger Stew in it for the first time, it was actually really really good and super easy to make. Will def. be a keeper recipe, it would be great for during the cold winter months. I love the pot it makes a great addition to our cookware collection. 

With all the rain we've been having here lately the pups have been stuck in side a good bit. I feel bad for them to because they have so much energy to run out. I try to take them to the dog park as much as possible or at least for a walk when I get home from work. With our busy lives here lately they've been super lazy. Silly puppies and their tongues. :) 

 Now that It's official and I've signed up for my first Full Marathon I've been stepping up my gym classes / workouts. I'm really trying to work on my Strength and build up my Cardio as well. I'm still working at it and I think with anything it will take time to fully be able to do all of the exercises properly. Still I feel great afterwards so that's a good thing right. 

I hope you are all having a fabulous week and that you've got wonderful weekend plans. Thanks for hanging around and sticking with me. You ladies (and gents) are absolutely awesome!!!!! 

Let's Get Cookin

Tonight our Battalion Hosted a couples evening out a "Let's Cook" downtown. 

I hadn't mentioned anything to the hubbs about going because I though he had CQ. This morning he sent me a text asking if I'd be interested in going. Why of course I would, cooking + a date out with together, + we wouldn't have to pay for a thing. How could I pass that up, especially knowing I was leaving on Thursday for a few days. 

We've been to "Let's Cook" once before last year and we loved it. Its so much fun and we really learned a lot when we went. 

This time I decided to take my own apron to wear and I'm glad I did, I got so many complements on it. 

On the menu for the evening was: Jalapeno Cornbread, Fried Green Tomatoes served with Cheesy Grits, Low Country Boil (red potatoes, shrimp, corn on the cob, sausage) and of course dessert Strawberry Cheese Cake. 

The hubbs did most of the cutting and cooking which was totally fine by me. I mean I cook almost every single night of the week so to have someone cook for me and do all the dirty work was nice. We had fun together for sure and definitely will go back again. 

And a little while later, dinner is served. I have to say the cornbread was by far my favorite dish on the menu. I was just fabulous!!!