I'm Packin' Heat!

I had an "episode" Saturday night, so that bad boy is now officially lashed to my bed side.

What kind of episode you ask?

The kind where there might have been some holes in the wall if Will hadn't have been there...

That is NOT a good thing considering I was basically hallucinating, though.  Little ol' me, who swore that I would never shoot someone, wished that I had that gun in my hand on Saturday.

See, what had happened was....I bolted up from a man calling "Hello, hello..." and our dog barking, to silence.  Will was awoken very confused, and as I sat watching the shadows- I just KNEW that someone was in the house.  I pulled on my robe and peeked my head out into the hall. I SWEAR that I saw a man (In a carhart jacket, no less), so I ducked back inside and told Will that there was someone downstairs.  I thought this man had killed the dog (who was sleeping downstairs) and that he was a psycho serial killer coming for us.  Will, the good-protective hubby that he is, jumped up and ran downstairs to find......

Nothing.

I didn't believe him. I thought the man was hiding in the closet, and was going to come kill us in our sleep with our own gun.  My heart was pounding out of my chest and I began to weep as Will held me tight.  The dog was alive, which eased my anxiety a bit, but as we laid in bed- I tried not to let the shadows play tricks on me.  There was no man coming to shoot us where we lay...I hoped.

The next morning, I awoke with relief to be alive, but very confused as to how my mind had played such dirty tricks on me.  I'm guessing that I am repressing a lot of anxiety about Will leaving, and this is how it's coming out.  It is sad, but at least we were able to laugh about it afterwards.  I just hope that now that the gun is so accessible, I don't put 9mm holes in the wall.  With a 30 round magazine- that could be a BIG mess...

V-Day Recap

You saw that I decorated for the hubs that morning, then we both had to go to work.

Too bad Valentine's Day isn't one of those kind of holidays...

It's OK, though. There was lots of candy and yumminess at work, there were many Valentine's text messages (including my love, Desiree) AND I got a card from Ms. P!nky!!

Will got off early, with dinner plans in mind, and when I got home he banished me from the kitchen.  I knew that meant he was cookin' up something EXTRA special.  Boy was I right!

But what I'm most happy about? The fact that this is the FIRST Valentine's Day that we actually have pictures together! Thank goodness for self timers and for the blinking light that got Weiser's attention.

We wrapped up the night by watching the movie Will got me for the occasion:

Yes, I know we are way late on this one, but I read the book first.

Source: barnesandnoble.com via Janna on Pinterest

Fire in the fireplace, good movie, cuddling on the couch...you do the math for the rest of the night ;)

Veggie-fied Meatloaf!

So now that we all got Chocolate Wasted yesterday, I think we need a little healthy goodness in our lives!

I happen to love vegetables. This is a shock, because I used to be the PICKIEST eater; my mom will vouch.  As a matter of fact, I have been sending her pics- such as this:

...and it blows her mind!

Not only do I enjoy eating veggies, but I enjoy being able to eat my fill of something and not feeling like poo after.  I like to maximize my meals and vegetables allow me to do this.  Spaghetti Squash allows me to enjoy the meatballs, garlic bread and cheese without feeling too  guilty, nixing the meat toppings for veggie pizza are more flavorful and guiltless, and just wait till you try the Cauliflower Crust Pizza I found on Pinterest! 

I want to prove to the world that eating healthy IS NOT a bad thing.

One recipe at a time.

I was in the mood for meatloaf the other day, so I went through the vegetables at the grocery store and decided that a few of them would probably work with the meatloaf...or at least I hoped!  Not only did we successfully mix the veggies in with the meatloaf, but we also made mashed cauliflower, so it was a savory, comfort meal that was SOO light!

Janna's Meatloaf
Ingredients:
1 tbs. Olive oil
1 white onion
1 yellow  bell pepper
1/2 eggplant
1 cup cauliflower (at least partially cooked)
1 clove garlic
3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
2 lg. egg whites
2/3 (or more) cups ketchup
2-3 tbs. Worcestershire
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs pepper (I get liberal)
1-2 tbs dijon mustard
1 lb. lean ground beef

Get started:
Figure out what you want to bake it in.  I realized that my loaf pan was too small AFTER I started cooking, so my options were casserole dish, muffin pan (they would have been cute muffin-meatloafs) or my dutch oven.  I went with the dutch because I could spread the mixture out and it would cook pretty evenly. I sprayed it with a bit of cooking spray and preheated the oven  to 375.
MOST OF YOU WILL WANT TO STAY AT 350
-but we are at 6,000 feet, so we have to have it hotter.
You will also need a decent size pan to saute the veggies and a food processor or blender.

Get to Cookin':
Heat oil in pan on Medium, add garlic and then veggies (slightly chopped).  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

(During this time, I also had the rest of the cauliflower steaming to make mashed cauliflower.)

After veggies are cooked, toss them in the processor till they look like this:

(Sssshhhh...that's the secret to sneaking the veggies in...your kids will NEVER know)

Then, simply mix your other ingredients (except for the Dijon mustard and half the ketchup) with 3/4ths of the processed veggies. Spoon the mixture in your baking dish, then mix together the rest of the ketchup with the dijon mustard to taste and spread the mixture on top.

While that is baking (for approximately 30-35 minutes), add the steamed cauliflower to the leftover processed veggies, some butter, sour cream, garlic powder, pepper, salt and whatever else you like in your mashed potatoes.  Process till smooth and BAM you've snuck more veggies in undercover!

Continue baking till meat reaches at least 160 degrees.  It doesn't look done at that point, and is quite loose, but the trick is to let it stand for 10 minutes.  It will firm right up and serve!
It would also be a good meal to make the night before, because the leftovers are bangin'.

Bon Appetite!

St. Valentine's Day

If you hate Valentine's Day, then I feel bad for you...Even when I was single, I would go out with my girls and have a blast.  Hubby and I don't spend a ton of money or go crazy, so we don't let all the commercialization get in the way.  There is NOTHING wrong with enjoying the spirit of this day, so embrace it, don't waste it!
(Totally meant to rhyme there ;) 

That being said...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

To my #1 Valentine:

You are my reason for living...

No, I'm not one of those sad suckers, who "can't live without him".

I am one of the lucky ones, who gets to enjoy a blissful marriage with a man who is more wonderful than I could have ever even imagined was possible. Yes, it will be hard when he is deployed, but I would rather endure deployments, than not have him in my life.
THAT is true love.

This is for YOU, Lover.

"People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants.  But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own 
attention so you can change your life. 
A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack 
you awake. A soul mates purpose is to 
shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get 
in, make you so out of control that you 
have to transform your life..."
-Elizabeth Gilbert

I will be forever grateful for finding my true soul mate.  


I didn't even believe in them...

Until I met him <3

Not only are we celebrating our fourth Valentine's together, we are celebrating 
that we will be Valentine's till the end of time.  
That is what Valentine's Day is truly about. 
Don't you agree?