Today

My Iphone 3S is capturing what's going on today.  Aztec print, paper snowflakes, insulation blowing, grocery list making and all.

Lady is petrified of everything non-threatening.  Swiffers, Tape Measures, and now insulation blower tubes.  She cowered in the bathroom overseeing the operation.  Complete with dramatic shivers.

Insulation blowing is actually really boring.

These have been added to my wardrobe.  Justin is unsure about them.  I'm very sure about them.

Our rug from World Market got delivered yesterday.  We got it 40% off.  Pretty proud of that.  Don't worry, I've already spilled a large glob of chocolate icing on it.  

What one does whilst their husband, husband's friend, and the family pit bull blow insulation?  Make a bomb-diggity grocery list.

And admire the two foot tall Christmas tree with her paper snow flake friends.

Fun Fact: I had to look on Martha Stewart.com to figure out how to make a paper snow flake.  The first one I made fell in pieces because I cut the very important corner that shall never be cut.  Oops. 

Reese's Peanut Butter Pie

I have a cousin-in-law [is that what you call them?] named Reece whom I lovingly call Reecey-Pie just to get his goat.  He and my Brother-in-law [I know that one is right], JB, have been kicking some major bum this season in football.  In fact, Thursday is the state final game for their little town.  The team is a great group of boys playing their hearts out and I'm so glad to be in-law-related to some of them.  I'm so blessed to have married into such a wonderful family.  J and I are playing hooky on Thursday to cheer the boys on and hope with the rest of the town, no joke, that they'll finish up this year with an undefeated season.  It means a lot to them, they're all playing for another cousin-in-law [or whatever they're called] of mine that is cheering them on from heaven.  Win or lose, these boys have done amazing.  They continuously bring tears to our eyes for their hard work and awesome team spirit.

Tears aside, this post is about one of my favorite desserts.  

Reese's Peanut Butter Pie. Oh my.

Recipe:

1 package of instant chocolate pudding

1 1/2 cups almond/soy/coconut/regular/rice milk

2/3 cup of peanut butter

1 package of cool whip

8-10 regular sized reese's peanut butter cups

1 cookie pie crust

or

2 cups graham or cookie crumbs with 6 Tbl of melted butter (graham only add 2 tsp of sugar)

Pre-bake the crust at 350 for 8-10 minutes if it is not a store bought crust.

Combine pudding, milk and peanut butter and whip for 2 minutes.  The stand mixer with whisk attachment is super convenient for this recipe.  Chop up the Reese's while the pudding mixture is whipped and set aside about 2-3 peanut butter cups worth for sprinkling on top.

When the pudding mixture starts to thicken, remove from mixer and fold in entire carton of cool whip and the rest of the Reese's.

Pour in cooled pie crust, sprinkle garnishing Reese's, cover and freeze for at least 3 hours.

Cut.  Eat.  Think about what heaven will taste like.  Imagine that it's going to taste like peanut butter pie.  Share the pie with someone.  Agree that it's the best thing you've ever eaten.  Share your theory about heaven.  Be happy.

Oh.  And here is the real deal Reecey-Pie

My brother-in-law [JB] is the blonde football player in the middle.  Reecey-Pie is the handsome baldish football player.  Look at that wonderful family I acquired.  Lucky girl.

daylight savings time....

IS MESSING WITH MY HEAD.

I started making lunch at 10:30.  Ooops.  I'm crazy hungry for supper and it's only 4:18 pm.  Seriously?  

In other news.  This is what my pit bull has been doing this weekend (she's currently examining the fireplace very thoroughly.)

 

Sunbathing.  Neighborspying.  Justincuddling.  Coatwearing.  And BeingcarriedbyMeganwhilstsecretelylovingit.

In conclusion.  Pit Bulls love weekends.

My instagram points out what else they love @soliloquymegan.

tonight I met Optimus Prime

And his little brother exclaimed 

"HAPPY-HALLO-TWIKT-O-TWEET!!"

[after he summoned me to the door by gently knocking and then using the "come here" finger signal to me]

Which was the cutest thing ever.  Also he was dressed as Bumblebee from Transformers.  AND he had a lion hat on.  Which was awesome.  

Here is the only sad and blurry picture I have of my Halloween costume this year.

Basically there was a costume contest at work and I'm fiercely competitive when prizes are involved.  So we didn't win, but we each got 5$ gift cards to fareway.  Worth it.  And one of my kiddos told me I was cute.  Then I took his stitches out.  

I'm usually pretty anti dairy

But Yoplait Frozen Yogurt is pretty much the best thing ever.  

Two words.

Strawberry.  Banana.

happiness is a squeaky toy

Today the guy at the vet when we went and picked Ladybug up from being boarded informed us that she should not have been adopted out by the humane society.  She is "too dog aggressive" and "dog aggressive pit bulls aren't supposed to be adopted out." 

I was mad.  Yes, cartoon-voice-guy, I know she's dog aggressive.  I've been dragged across the street into oncoming traffic because of it.  However, WE'RE WORKING ON IT!  If I had a dog aggressive Chihuahua, you wouldn't say anything.  If my poodle was biting at other dog's ankles, no one would say anything except for that poodles are ugly and not the nicest to pet.  

I didn't say any of those things.  I did my favorite thing to do in the event that I don't want to talk to someone which is look at my phone and give noncommittal grunts.  We took our crazy dog and left.  And later in the afternoon my vicious pitbull and I had a nap together on the couch.  Her head rested on my neck so that when we woke up she licked my chin and then squirmed around because she was happy with herself.  My horrible beast also paid no attention to the neighbor dog as he barked his head off at her.  Progress.  

Also, the best way to make a pitbull wag her tail consistently for 15 minutes is have her lick out the peanut butter jar.  Pure joy.

the magic that is target

Today I wandered through target for an hour.  I left work early and "needed" some things to prepare for the weekend.  And I did really NEED a stocking hat for the ISU game this weekend because today the temperature took a drastic nose dive dropping from 68 to 44 in about an hour.  Rude.  I digress, target.  It's a mecca for the distracted shopper.  Which Justin will adamantly agree that I am.  I wandered to and fro, hither and thither.

Am I a bathrobe person?  Maybe?  Or would I just wear it at inappropriate times, like, all the time.

How do I convince Justin that I need ALL of the Nate Berkus decoration collection?  Especially this.  And only 40$?  A steal if you ask me.

Does target have the gluten-free brown rice crispies.  No.  (I already knew this, but pretended that I didn't so that I could go to target.)

Will gel eye liner make me look like Audrey Hepburn?  Again, no, not quite.

What is the meaning of life as it relates to target (just kidding) but seriously, I need zebra print towels, right?

After picking out three shirts I needed like I need a hole in my head.  And a hat that I really NEED, then a hat that I NEEDED more.  

 I found it.  

The purchase I knew I had to make.  

I texted Justin "This is real.  Bulldog puppy bookends.  My heart says yes and my brain says yes."

He didn't reply.  I bet he wishes he had now.  I called my friend Ashley, who I knew would support my purchase.  But felt like I needed to give someone a fair chance to tell me no since J wasn't taking his.  Of course Ashley approved with gusto, and I named the bookend[s] Pierre the Pup.  I love him.

Oh.  Justin texted me back.  When the cashier gave me the receipt.  "Mine says no."  Anyways, he didn't know how much he would love Pierre the Pup and now he agrees (probably) that I had to get him.  I love target.

Also, hat (that I NEED) and shirt (that I don't)

Plus a pit bull to admire.  She made her most pathetic faces for me.  They clearly say "why do you put me in the garage when you go to work?"

Also, I made buns. So that's not nothing.

5' 8"

Today.

Oh today.  The things I manage to get in trouble for.  I don't go looking for trouble.  I'm innocent.  Somehow though, the shoes I wore to work were inappropriate.  But really I had to wear those shoes.  Without them my pants would drag upon the floor.  That's not professional.  That's sloppy.  I can hardly be sloppy, can I? 

Seriously?  Seriously.

My shoes?  My boss was worried that I'd slip and fall and file a Workman's Comp claim.

Silly boss.  If I slip and fall, it is my own darn fault.  Now let me revel in how tall I am in 4 inch heels  before the pain kicks in.

mundane almost sounds like monday...

Something I just noticed.

What is it about Mondays?  It's like they have a special super power to kick your bum and make you wish that the week was not so long.  Some Mondays even make you try and subtract other days of the week to make it shorter.  Today I kept trying to subtract Tuesday.  Let's skip Tuesday, can't we?  I have reconfigured in my head how the work week should really be.  Mondays should be no work, because of the tendency for Mondays to kick major bum.  Tuesday is an okay work day.  Stuff generally gets done on Tuesdays.  Wednesdays are ok too, though they are long and arduous.  Thursdays, maybe they can be a half day, but usually there is too much excitement on Thursdays for the weekend so there isn't likely a lot in productivity that day anyways.  No, no work on Thursdays.  Friday clearly should be work free.  That leaves us a five day weekend and a 2 day work week.

Perfect.

Oh, and I'll take that raise now...

oh dear

Today I had the very sad realization that my food gawker app is using up all the storage space on my phone.  Though it's sunny and beautiful and it has been the perfect day.  This makes me a teensy bit sad.

How will I survive boring meetings at work?  No more covert under the table gawking at mouthwatering foods.  Maybe I'll contribute...  Let's not get too carried away there's always angry birds.

Macaroni & Cheese

Not just any macaroni and cheese.  Macaroni and cheese with bacon.

We died and went to heaven this weekend with good food.  I can't even name a favorite.  But the macaroni and cheese was delightful.  And possibly a little too sinful for a Sunday.  Thank goodness God is a forgiving God.  I like this recipe because it doesn't require a roux for the cheese sauce.  It seriously makes the best macaroni and cheese either Justin or I have ever eaten.

Recipe:
1 Box of noodles (use shells to make your heart sing with happiness)
1 8oz block of Medium Cheddar Cheese
3.5 oz (approximately) of Farmer's Cheese-whatever that is
2 cups of milk/almond milk/soy milk
2 tsp brown rice flour
1/4 pound diced and browned bacon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp sour cream
1 egg

Cook noodles and drain them.  Cook to al dente.  I used quinoa noodles because they were the cheapest on the shelf.  Use your favorite.

Shred up the cheeses. Save some cheddar to sprinkle and brown on top.

Combine egg, flour, s&p and nutmeg, sour cream and milk in LARGE bowl with the rest of the shredded cheese, and bacon.

Grease your 2 qt. baking dish with -wait for it- the bacon grease.  You'll thank me.

Mix noodles into the cheese sauce mixture and then pour into the dish and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

minnesota

Today (along with other days) I wish I was back in Minnesota.

It's crazy how two hundred and fifty miles can seem like completely different countries.  They address problems differently here.  Have a slightly different dialect (with a completely different accent).  It smells different when you walk outside.  Some days it feels black and white.

I love my job and my house and I don't want to move.  But if I could pick those things up and scooch them north.  I would do it yesterday.  Now I should go back in time and tell my 14 year old self that the place I would want to be the most is not California, New York, Colorado, or Europe.  It's where o's are drawn out.  Lakes are abundant.  And I don't feel like a fish out of water.

Who knows.  Maybe fish can adapt.

Menu

Growing up, my mom went to the grocery store about 4 times a week because we never decided what we were having for supper until the last minute and then we had to go and get any missing ingredients.

That was fine then.  But now I'm the one going to the grocery store.  And I don't like it.  After I've worked a full day, the last thing I want to do is figure out what to make for dinner.  Decide if I have the necessary ingredients.  Go to the store and fight the droves of people doing the same thing.  And then go home and prepare a meal.

No.

So I became a menu planner.  This helped not only with my sanity, but with saving money at the grocery store.  I now scan the ads before I decide what I'm going to make, and take inventory of our produce and pantry items.  I then make a list on Excel breaking down each meal and the ingredients I need from the store for each one with a miscellaneous column on the bottom.  We went from spending about 120$ per week on groceries to around $80, and I've had weeks where we've only spent about $40.  That's more like it.

This week's menu:

Monday:

Pizza (I had all these ingredients already)

Tuesday:

Pork Chops

Grilled Veggies

Wednesday:

Barbecue Chicken

Green Beans

Thursday:

Chicken Stir Fry

Rice

Friday:

Hamburgers

Oven Fries

Fruit Salad

Saturday:

Jerk Chicken

Grilled pineapple

Baked Potato Soup

Rain rain...

You can stay.

As long as you turn the tomatoes in my "garden" red.

Love,

Megan.

karma

So yesterday after I complained about how sometimes Celiac Disease is a major bummer and today, this is what I ate.

Yay.  What a perfect supper.

On top of my soap box

I don't have a ton of complaints anymore about the mandatory gluten free lifestyle that I follow.  5 years of it has beat me into submission and even taught me to appreciate the hand I have been dealt.  Some days though, I feel like I did at the beginning.  This isn't fair.

J and I have been invited to one of my co-worker's houses this weekend for a get together.  My co-worker said she was going to make hamburgers and told me I should just bring my own bun.  I said oh that's ok, I'm just not going to eat. [Note: I don't eat at other people's houses unless I am the one preparing the food because I am a VERY sensitive celiac and have gotten sick from ridiculously small amounts of gluten cross contamination.]  My co-workers response to my statement was somewhat unexpected, though I've heard it before, "you're weird!"  No, dear people of the world.  I am not weird.  I am protecting myself and my health, if I could eat safely at your house I promise you I would.  Your food always looks good.  Upon explaining this, her statement was retracted and I was instead deemed "high maintenance."  Au contraire.  I am no maintenance.  You don't even have to feed me.  How is that high maintenance?  I simply go to these sorts of functions to be in your presence.

I realize that we are a species that loves feeding one another, and when people come over to my house I live and die to feed them.  I feel awful that I cannot eat the beautiful food that has been prepared.  I know it is hard.  Please don't slap a hurtful label on me for a choice that I never wanted to have to make.  My intention was never to make anyone uncomfortable.

Invite me out to dinner.  If I don't eat, don't say anything.  Know that I will eat eventually, but at that moment I care more about the company I'm with than the food.

After a lengthy hiatus...

I'm going to try coming back.

It's been a crazy 8 months.

Friedrich is my beloved ceramic bird.  Oh the joy
he brings!

We bought, and have been fixing up our house.

We got married!  It was the most perfect wedding.

AND

She doesn't like being cold.

We saved this bundle of energy and personality from the humane society.  She was labeled as a pit bull mix, but we were told by the vet that she's all pit bull.  Her name is Lady and she's mostly good with a few quirks.  The snuggles better than any dog I've ever had and she's got a good heart. 

I see...

Have you ever seen The Sixth Sense?  The part where the kid gets in trouble from his mom because she thinks he keeps opening all the drawers and cabinets?

It's actually the ghost of his Grandma...

I think she now lives in my apartment.

Just saying.

february showers.

This weekend was my wedding shower back home in Minnesota.  It was beautiful.  It was fun.  I was amazing at the games.  It was everything I imagined a shower could be.  Not to mention the food was delicious.  Deeeelicious.

see?  yum.

homemade sangria

my cousin took this picture, she's an artist artist.  clearly.

three words: flourless chocolate cake.

 My friends are beautiful.  See?

 So are my family members.

So thankful for my bestie Courtnie.