Domestic Bliss (or why I am such a good wife)

So Hubs comes home tonight!  A whole day early to compensate for the fact he's been gone a week and a half.  So I am going to act like the domestic goddess I am and make him dinner.

Confession- I am an excellent cook.  I love to cook.  It's one of my favorite hobbies. However, I fail at this when it comes to meals for my newly formed family of two. This is due to the fact that Hubs is gone Monday morning through Thursday night which makes planning meals for the two of us difficult, I suppose.

Okay, I'm lying.  The fact is during the week my primary food is soup.  Seriously- I love soup.  It's normally homemade soup out of my freezer, but that is generally what I consume.  It's my favorite food.  Occasionally, I mix it up and have an omelet and salad.  Crazy, I know.  Such an adventurous palate.

But Hubs will be home, and I am craving Brussels sprouts, so dinner will be served.  At the table.  I might even light candles.

So back to the whole craving Brussels sprouts thing- this is due to the yummiest, yet super healthy, recipe that I found in a Shape, or Self, or Fitness, (they all blur together) mag courtesy of my doppelganger.  Thanks Leann!

Preheat your oven to 375-400 (depending on how diligently you want to watch these babies)

Mix halved Brussels sprouts, sliced onions (or you can use pearl onions), cubed potatoes with the skin on (or halved fingerlings but that will take longer) .  Drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper and toss.

Spray a cookie sheet with some PAM, lay the veggies on it in a single layer.  Put in oven and chill (you chill not the food, which will be heating obviously) for about 30-45 minutes.

When veggies are browned and crispy they are ready to eat!

So that with boneless pork chops marinated in a mustard beer marinade, (the pork chops free courtesy of our Junior League's Tinsel and Treasure holiday market- there was a vendor who delivers groceries, and hooked us aisle hostesses up with some meat and a cute little cooler), and some fried apples (also free thanks to 3 lb bag of honey crisps Earthfare is handing out).  It will be delish.  And figure friendly.

Here's the apple recipe (for non-southerners I think you call fried apples spiced apples?)

Ingredients:
8 medium Granny Smith apples, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Preparation:
Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sauté 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are tender. Serve as a side dish for pork or with breakfast. Serves 6.

Do ya'll have any quick healthy recipes for me to try?

Dress I am Dreaming of

So once I lose my 10 lbs, I get a new outfit.  This is not likely to happen anytime soon, since feeling sorry for myself last night because I had a migraine (which I get almost every time I start a new pack of bc, am I alone here?), I ate the Donna Martin special- popcorn mixed with ice cream.  Sounds gross, I know, but you have to trust La Spelling.  So anyway, here's some clothes I want .  In a hopefully smaller size than I am currently sporting. Hmmm.

Garden dress from Anthro- looks like something I would get a ton of wear out of because I can wear it all seasons practically.

The Nanette Lepore Fire Dress.  Deceptively simple, yet looks flattering and easy to dress up or down.

So when the ten pounds are gone, both these dresses will probably be on sale, and be mine! Mwah, ha, ha.  (that was an evil laugh).

In the meantime, I am shopping my closet, and remembered this gem from last year.

Sorry for the poor picture quality (my camera is broken after it jumped out of my coat pocket and landed on the stone floor.  Note to self- send suicidal camera to Canon for therapy today!).  Anyway, my fave red wool Milly mini-dress.  Perfect with black tights for attending the UGA- Auburn game in Athens in 2 weeks.

2 weeks til I get to see these ladies- I am so excited. Go dawgs!

Another Relaxing Weekend

So I was a homebody again this weekend.  Hubs had to be in Columbia for work, and I had to teach Sunday school, so it wasn't going to work for me to go see him.  So, instead of attending the super fun and wild barn Halloween party Friday night I saw this with AK.

It was absolutely incredible.  Go see it.  Seriously.  Amazing.  I am probably going to see it again.  Really.

Saturday I hit up kickboxing and pilates.  Why?  Oh my new incentive program,

3 lbs- eyebrows done- I need this desperately.
5lbs- mani pedi
7lbs- my hair did
10 lbs- new outfit and/or nine o'clock cotillion gown (more to come on this)

Sunday was teaching my 5 year olds about Abraham and Sarah, then a baby shower (last one for the foreseeable future, thank goodness), for Veaz.

         Me, Peg, LCA, Veaz, and ALE (who's baby shower was 2 weeks ago).  This pic is obviously from 2 summers ago when Veaz and ALE were able to drink alcohol and not popping out kids.

And, although the Dawgs lost horribly to Florida, there was at least this.

I watched the game with my parents and family friends.  It poured the whole game, so I was glad with my decision to watch in front of the fire, with steak and spinach maria, along with homemade apple pie.  Nice to spend some QT with my parents also.