While I realize I’ve been light in the posting department lately, I wanted to give a little shout out to dads.

Dads are awesome aren’t they?

I mean, don’t get me wrong, moms are awesome too.  But I’m a firm believer that having . . . → Read More: Fathers]]> A happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there yesterday!

While I realize I’ve been light in the posting department lately, I wanted to give a little shout out to dads.

Dads are awesome aren’t they?

I mean, don’t get me wrong, moms are awesome too.  But I’m a firm believer that having a mom AND a dad is just good as gravy.  The yin and the yang, you know?

Without a dad, who would fix your bike or teach you how to swing a baseball bat?  Who would take you on daddy-daughter dates to the mountains or to get hamburgers? Who would help you pick out your first car and stay up late to help you with your algebra?  Who would still come over after you’ve moved out to build shelves, assemble tables, lay sod, and make sure your carbon monoxide detector was plugged in?  Who would teach you that quality is often better than quantity or that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? Who would tell you all the time how beautiful you were, or teach you that you can do ANYTHING you want in life?

My dad did all those things, and continues to.  Seriously, I was blessed with the best parents.

And you know how when you were a little girl you used to imagine your husband and you’d hope that he would be a kick-A dad?

Turns out, my baby-daddy is better than I could’ve even imagined.

Claire ADORES him, and deservedly so.  She thinks I’m ok most the time, but daddy?  Daddy is the coolest person walking planet earth.

I’m so glad my little girl has a dad who plays with her, cuddles her, sings to her, listens to her, cooks for her, works for her, and loves her endlessly.

He’s pretty cute too.  I’m glad we get to keep him.

On Thursday the husband left for a 4 day backpacking trip through the Southern Utah wilderness.  As he has been finishing . . . → Read More: All by my lonesome]]> This week, everyone up and left me.  Just like that!  Can you believe it?  Total lame-sauce.  I suppose they didn’t leave me behind on purpose, it’s just how it turned out.  But still…

On Thursday the husband left for a 4 day backpacking trip through the Southern Utah wilderness.  As he has been finishing up his final credits for his degree this summer, he took a backpacking class to fulfill some goofy elective requirement.  The “final” was a backpacking trip.  From what I hear, he is in the middle of NOWHERE with no cell service, so I’m crossing my fingers that all is well and that he makes it home safely tomorrow.

So if it wasn’t enough to have my other half wandering through some desolate canyon four hours away, the rest of my family jetted off to Europe on Friday!  And I wasn’t with them!  Ahh!!  Instead, I’m the designated cat-sitter for them.  Which is almost as glamorous?  Let’s face it, this weekend I’ve been the lonely, crazy cat-lady.

Fortunately, I’ve had my sweet little girl to keep me company.  As it turns out, when not wetting their pants 2-year olds can really make for some great company.  When did my baby turn into a little person?  You know, with opinions and stories to tell and questions to ask?  I’ve realized over the last couple of days that we now can carry on actual two-way conversations (more or less), and it is delightful!  For me, anyway.  I don’t know about her.  I’m guessing it is any day now before she slaps her forehead in embarrassment over something odd I’ve said.

Speaking of odd conversations!  After putting her to bed tonight she started hollering for me from her room.  “Mom!  I need something!  Hey, mom!”  After going to the door and asking what she needed, she replied in the most certain tone, “I need a ball of yarn.”  A wha???  Pretty sure she’s never seen an actual ball of yarn in her life.  Still scratching my head over that one.

While the occasional evening of “me” time can be nice, I sure miss my husband.  There’s really nothing better than being married to your best friend, you know?  Looking forward to tomorrow… In the meantime, who wants to save me from being the crazy cat-lady?

Back off ladies, that’s my husband.  He’s pretty awesome.

Yesterday was his birthday.  He turned 30.  Thiiiirrrrttyyyyyyy.  He likes when I say it nice and slow like that, to really appreciate the sound of it.  He also likes when I say things like, “The big 3-0, huh?  Wow!” . . . → Read More: Birthday boy]]> See this dude right here?

Back off ladies, that’s my husband.  He’s pretty awesome.

Yesterday was his birthday.  He turned 30.  Thiiiirrrrttyyyyyyy.  He likes when I say it nice and slow like that, to really appreciate the sound of it.  He also likes when I say things like, “The big 3-0, huh?  Wow!” and, “Man, the next big one will be FORTY!  Crazy!”.  Makes him feel special.

It can be difficult hitting those “milestone” birthdays.  It always makes us reflect on what we’ve done with our lives up to that point and compare it to the ideals we have in our heads.  I think most of us are a little too tough on ourselves.

Even though my husband may not think he’s accomplished/become all that he thinks he should, I think he’s pretty great.  For example, he makes the best mashed potatoes.  Plus, he smells good.  And he has a really cute smile.  That’s practically the perfect man!

In all seriousness though, I am really lucky.  He is an incredibly loving person.  He finds joy in making me happy and in spending time with his family, and that’s a wonderful thing.  No one can make Claire shriek and laugh with happiness the way he can.  He has the utmost patience as a father, and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.  He cooks dinner for me almost every night, and cooks breakfast for me too if we’re both home in the mornings.  (I know, I’m so spoiled).  He encourages me to relax and does everything he can to make that possible, because he knows I’m a stress-case.  He laughs at my jokes, which is amazing in itself.  He’s manly but sensitive, thoughtful but fun, and my very best friend.

He treats me like every day is my birthday, and I couldn’t ask for more. I can’t wait to spend the next 30+ years together.

I used to know him as the guy in the house with his eyes glued to Sports Center. Or a Yankees game.  Or Jazz game.  Or pretty much any game at all.

These days though, I find him curled up in the corner of the couch, TV off.  . . . → Read More: Who are you and what have you done with my husband?]]> Lately, I don’t recognize my husband.

I used to know him as the guy in the house with his eyes glued to Sports Center. Or a Yankees game.  Or Jazz game.  Or pretty much any game at all.

These days though, I find him curled up in the corner of the couch, TV off.  Reading a book. Happily reading a book, I should say.  Everywhere he goes he carries around his novel so he can crack it open during a dull moment.  Then, later that night he wants to talk about the book.  The story line, the characters, the way the author writes, the way it makes him feel. (Can you believe it?  A man talking about FEELINGS?)

Internet, my husband has become a nerd.

And it is so hot.

I’ve been a book nerd my whole life- and proud of it!  I love to read.  Like really, LOVE to read.  I don’t have much time to do it these days, sadly.  I have to be very selective about when I choose to pick up a book, because if I do everything else goes right out the window.  Laundry?  Forget it.  Eating?  Nope.  Sleep?  It can wait.  If I read something I throw myself into it, so I really only do it over holidays and vacations now.

When I married my husband I knew he did not enjoy reading, and I was ok with that.  Just because I loved it didn’t mean he had to as well.  I had fully accepted that we would never be one of those old-fashioned couples on TV, both in our pj’s, sitting in bed reading together.  Sure, that sounded nice, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker.  There were plenty of other things we had in common.

But now!  He’s a new man.  Do you know what he said to me the other day?  “Sometimes I’d rather read than watch TV!”

*Swoon!*

He wants us to read the same book at the same time so we can talk about it as we go.  SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT BOOKS!  Be still, my beating heart! So far he’s read almost five novels since January.  That’s more than he’s read in probably the last ten years.  Seriously, I don’t recognize the man, but I love him.

Guys, you want to know the secret to a woman’s heart?  Take a genuine interest in something she loves.  Whether it be reading, cooking, scrapbooking, traveling, running, bird watching, underwater basket-weaving, or whatever, just take an interest.  You don’t have to do it yourself, or love it as much as she does, but TALK to her about it as though you really care.  Works like magic.

Ladies, same goes for you too.  This last baseball season I sat down with my husband and actually watched the Yankees play in the World Series.  And something crazy happened: I liked it. But more importantly, he loved it.

Common interests strengthen a marriage…who knew?

What common interests do you share with your significant other?

Anyone have any must-read books they would suggest?

CARNIVORE.

And not just as in “oh sure, a little grilled chicken would be nice.”  I mean carnivore as in, “give me the biggest slab of prime rib you’ve got-  and RARE!”  We’re talking about . . . → Read More: Taming the beast]]> There are a lot of words you could use to describe my husband:  Competitive.  Sentimental. Hard-working.  Athletic.  Fun.  Soft-spoken.

CARNIVORE.

And not just as in “oh sure, a little grilled chicken would be nice.”  I mean carnivore as in, “give me the biggest slab of prime rib you’ve got-  and RARE!”  We’re talking about the man that turned to me once and said, “I think ham is my 5th favorite meat.”

“You rank your meats?”  I replied.

“Well, yeah.  Don’t you?” he said innocently, as if it wasn’t bizarre to love meat so much that you classify them.

So when I read that one of the Eleven Miserly Guidelines was to cut back on meat I wanted to laugh.  A big, hearty, YEAH RIGHT kind of laugh.  HAHAHAHAHA!

But I remembered a while back I had proposed that we maybe institute a vegetarian night one night a week for health reasons, and he actually kind of agreed.  It didn’t stick though.  So this time I approached him with the argument that we really should try to be more veggie-lovin’ for the sake of our wallets.  To which he gave a big, hearty laugh.  He didn’t believe that forgoing meat occasionally would be cheaper.  He has been under the incorrect assumption that centering meals around meat is less expensive, as long as you get the meat for a good price.  However, really, meat ain’t cheap folks.  Unless there’s a great sale.  Overall though, cutting back on meats on a regular basis can do a lot for your budget.

I don’t really have anyone that I’m close to that is vegetarian, so I’m really quite stupid when it comes to how to go about this.  One of my concerns was that many meatless dishes were very fattening, usually centering around some sort of cheesy pasta (yummy, but not healthy).  That didn’t exactly seem like the right sort of trade off.

So since then I’ve been on the hunt for healthy, satisfying vegetarian recipes.  Yesterday I made a sweet potato and black bean chili that was fabulous.  Flavorful, filling, and super healthy.  I doubled the recipe so we could have some for dinner, and then I froze the other half for a dinner later on.

Here’s the recipe if you want to give it a go (this is the original recipe.  I doubled mine and made some changes to it which I will explain in just a sec):

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground chipotle chili

1/8 tsp salt, or to taste

1 1/3 cups water

1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed

1 cup canned diced tomatoes (I like the petite diced tomatoes)

2 tsp lime juice

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and potato and cook, stirring often, until onion is slightly softened, about 4 min.  Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add water, bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to maintain gentle simmer and cook until potato is tender, 10-12 minutes.  Add beans, tomatoes, and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often.  Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 min.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

So, my version was slightly different.  I realized after I started cooking I didn’t have any chili powder, so I substituted it with some pork rub seasoning and I actually think it turned out better- a little sweeter and smokier, which we like.  I also didn’t have any chipotle seasoning, which was fine.  I added a dash of black pepper and seasoned salt as well as garlic salt, and I didn’t put in any lime (didn’t have any.  I was rather ill-prepared).  I served it with a little dollop of light sour cream.  Delish!  Husband even loved it!

Any vegetarians out there that have some good, healthy recipes?  I’d love to learn more!

*Recipe from www.eatingwell.com

I grew up in a family with all sisters, no brothers, so I don’t think I really got the full idea of how guys are.  Sure, my dad lived there, but he was my dad.  Needless to say, getting married was a pretty big eye opener for me.  And I’ve . . . → Read More: Like clockwork]]> Men are so weird.

I grew up in a family with all sisters, no brothers, so I don’t think I really got the full idea of how guys are.  Sure, my dad lived there, but he was my dad.  Needless to say, getting married was a pretty big eye opener for me.  And I’ve had it easy, my hubby is generally very well mannered and not the usual gross boy.

One thing I’m still discovering, after 3 years of marriage, is that men are nothing without their routine.  If one thing gets off in their personal schedule the whole day might as well go down the drain.

This morning the hubby and I were up a little early due to the fact we are still adjusting to daylight savings.  As a result, he could get ready for school at leisure and had plenty of time before he had to leave.  Normally he doesn’t eat breakfast because he tries to sleep as long as possible before he absolutely must get up and get ready.  But today, I assumed he would want breakfast since he had time, and who wouldn’t want to eat when given the opportunity?  I know that I always look forward to my next opportunity to eat.  You know, like a normal person.

Except when I asked him what he wanted for breakfast he said wanted nothing.  Nothing?  Huh?  He said he had to leave for class.  “But you don’t have to leave for at least another 10 minutes.  That’s plenty of time to down a couple of Eggo’s!” I insisted.  He said he didn’t want to rush.  “Well then, just grab a quick bowl of cereal.  You don’t want to be hungry, do you?” I pressed.  No thanks.  “Are you nuts?  Why on earth would you willingly go hungry for the next 3 hours?”  I couldn’t understand this crazy man’s logic.

Finally he came clean with a sigh, “I don’t want to throw off my schedule.  If I eat now, I’ll have to eat lunch early, and then I’ll be hungry in the afternoon.”

Me: *Blink…blink*  “So, eat a snack in the afternoon.  It makes no sense to go hungry if you don’t have to.”

Him: “No, I want to eat just 3 meals a day.  I have to stick to the schedule.”

Seriously, this logic is completely baffling to me.  I have no eating schedule.  I eat when I’m hungry, I don’t eat if I’m not.  I eat when food is available, I don’t eat if there isn’t any.  Simple as that.  And since I know you’re dying to know, same with my bathroom habits.  I go when I need to, and don’t go if there is no need.  Logical, right?  No schedule.  I’m footloose and fancy free!

Crazy hubby, on the other hand, has an iron-clad bathroom regimen, especially in the morning.  If things don’t go according to schedule, his whole day is off.  Apparently his eating habits must go as planned too.  And I know his sleep must stay on schedule.  If he gets more than 30 minutes off for even one night he wakes up the next morning insisting he is getting a cold due to lack of sleep.  Personally, I think it’s all in his head. 

Are all men like this?  Are women like this too and I’m just the weird one??