I Had Gator Tail At Frogz

To get the bad out of the way first, I went to the doctor AGAIN Friday. A slew of doctors determined that I was not on steroids long enough, so now I'm on a nine day regimen. If I end up with moon-face, we'll know why, and if you don't know what that is, don't google it. Trust me. I've isolated everything I've tried that's new, and I'm beginning to think it really is allergies or my skin climatizing. I took it upon myself to book a dermatologist appointment just in case, so one way or another- I'm getting rid of this ish. In case anyone thinks I'm overreacting, my doctor actually said, "Well, I don't think it's Shingles..." WTH?

Will is so understanding and amazing that he offered to put off our plans for the evening because he knows I don't like to wear foundation or powder, but I wasn't going to let this crap put a damper on my plans. I slapped some makeup on and off we went.

We had a great time at the Art Walk they have downtown, but the best part was our belated Anniversary dinner. Obviously, my hot date was the best part, but said hot date took me to one of the coolest restaurants I've ever visited. Sure Frogz is in the middle of nowhere, built out of an old dilapidated house, and might not shine in a big city, but the ambiance was great, it was only a few miles out of town, and the food was TOODIEFOR.

Just a little bit of paradise in the middle of the country...

True to form, the boys decided that graduation called for a BBQ on Saturday. Everyone was mad at me because I couldn't drink, but I told them I was saving them from the witch I could turn into while mixing alcohol and steroids. Good news is, I still had fun and we didn't have to walk home. There were some nice ladies there too, and I did get invited to a Tupperware party, but then they didn't ask to exchange info. Of course, I could have just offered mine up, but I feel like a guy who doesn't want to be that guy shoving his number in girl's faces. Hence why military spouses compare finding new friends to dating.

By Sunday, we were both spent. I feel like life has been non-stop since we got here, so we had a much needed day of rest. We hit up Redbox for a movie marathon and parked our butts on the couch all day. Will had to carb load for a Physical Fitness test the next day, so the only thing that got me off that couch was makin' some banging spaghetti. I decided to put my own spin on The Pioneer Woman's Spaghetti Recipe, and I got to use the fresh herbs and veggies from my MIL's garden! Oh, how I love the real stuff.

1 lb ground beef (as lean as you can get it)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 whole large yellow onion diced
1 whole bell pepper diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup dry red wine
2 cans (14 Ounce) Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 can (small, 4-ounce) Tomato Paste
1 cup Newman's Own Marinara Sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
2 whole bay leaves
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Noodles of choice (I used sweet potato noodles, YUM)

In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and set aside.
You won't have a ton of grease with the lean meat, so just soak the excess up with a napkin, but DO NOT clean the pot. Drizzle in olive oil, when it is heated, throw in the diced onion, bell pepper, and garlic to saute for 7 minutes.
Pour in wine, allow it to bubble up, and reduce for 1-2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and marinara sauce, ground beef, and seasonings. Place the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.
Half an hour before serving, add the minced parsley and grated Parmesan. Stir to combine, then put the lid back on and allow it to simmer until supper!

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. Sure, I wish I wasn't having to deal with my stupid face, but other people have worse problems. I just keep reciting one of my favorite sayings... 

“If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.”- Regina Brett

Just marinate on that, and enjoy the rest of your week!