Domesticated

When my sisters and I were growing up our mom cooked dinner pretty much every night.   Some how none of us really picked up that trait from her .... until now.   I still don't think Amanda cooks, while Becky cooks alittle, and I have turned into my mom.   Dinner on the table every night around 6:30 is what I've become.   I have always enjoyed baking, but never really thought I was good at cooking.   Some people might consider baking and cooking the same thing, but I don't.  When I say baking I mean cookies, brownies, cakes, bread, etc.   I love to make sweet treats, eat some myself, and pass them along to others.   Cooking to me means the whole shebang - not only some form of meat, but a side and even a veggie.    Turns out the more I've been cooking the more I've enjoyed it.  I feel like I've become a lot better at it too.   Its gotten to the point where I'm finding all kinds of recipes online and saving them to my computer!!  I've even copied recipes from my mom's cookbooks and my mother-in-law's cookbooks.   I believe I've turned into a monster!!   The worst part about this whole domestication thing is that I've started eating veggies at least 3 to 4 times a week.   I have always, always, always hated veggies of all colors.  I told my mom she wouldn't even recognize my eating habits now compared to even just a year ago.   I always knew that I wanted to get married and one day be a stay at home mom, but I didn't think it would come so soon.   No I'm not pregnant, but I do have 2 very sweet overfed kitties.  (Sidenote: I was told on Friday (again) at the vet that Bottcher was too fat.  I'm somehow supposed to get her from her current weight of 15 lbs. to 12 lbs.   From the picture below you can see that I have my work cut out for me.)

Cowboy and Bottcher

I feel as though I'm trying to become a well-oiled machine with this cooking thing.  Although I'm still having a hard time getting the timing of everything being done within a minute of each other I have certainly gotten alot better at it.  I'm also not quite to the point where I can just add as I please.  I'm still following the directions pretty much verbatim.

Another thing that I've found to be super helpful is meal planning.  We plan what we are going to eat for the whole week (weekends not included for the most part) and then I go to the grocery store.  This is alot easier than trying to figure out that day what to eat and then heading to the store about 3 times in one week.    I think if I waited until that day to figure out what we were going to eat it would mostly be BBQ chicken cooked in the oven.   I think the meal planning has really allowed us to eat a variety of food.  Just last week our meals included:
Monday - Shepard's Pie (with tons of veggies!!)
Tuesday - Maple Glazed Salmon, Brown Rice, and Broccoli
Wednesday - Brats
Thursday - Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp, Broccoli, and Parmesan Garlic Bread (Breadmachine)
Saturday - Leftover Shepard's Pie with Parmesan Garlic Bread

Yesterday Todd and I made our plan for this week:
Sunday - Tacos
Monday - Digiorno's Pizza (Pizza is our VDay tradition)
Tuesday - Fast Food on the road or leftovers once we get home (we are taking my car to Dallas to be shipped to Germany)
Wednesday - BBQ Chicken, Brown Rice, and TBD Veggie
Thursday - No cooking, Night out on the town with Becky Courtright
Friday - Seared Mahi Mahi with Zesty Basil Butter*, Brown Rice, and TBD Veggie
(*We haven't had this yet, so keep your fingers crossed.)


Not only have I been cooking, you've probably guessed that I've been doing alot of quilting too.  I just posted yesterday about my sister-in-law's new baby quilt.  (I've heard through the grapevine that she loves it!)  I've got another quilt to post today....

I wanted to make sure my friend got it just to make sure that I didn't spoil the surprise by putting it up on here first.   She should have received it yesterday at her baby shower that I wasn't able to attend.  This baby quilt is for my oldest friend.   We are exactly 3 months apart and I even visited her in the hospital when she was born!!  How's that for going way back!!   Anyways, her baby boy is due in mid-March and I couldn't be more excited for the new mom and dad to be.  

The whole quilt is made from flannel prints.   The dinosaur print was cut into 5" squares while the sashing was 2" thick no matter the length.  The brown outside border was 3" thick.

The front in the cutiest flannel dinosaur print!

Close up of the front with the brown cicrle backing folded over 

Close up of dinosaurs, shashing, and border with frill cut

By the looks of it all I have been doing is quilting and cooking which is true.  But I have plans in the near future to do some other projects.  My mom recently sent me a quilting magazine that includes how-to's on how to make a laptop carrying bag, coupon purse, and plastic bag holder.  I will be doing all of these projects although it might not be until after we get to Germany.  Another thing I have recently seen is the cutest little baby toboggans with a how-to.  If you are interested in making one yourself, want to see what they look like, or decide you want me to make you one (let me know) click here.   I recently found this blog through being nosey on other random people's blogs.   Its called Make It and Love It.    I haven't looked through the blog thoroughly yet, but I already love it!  Before I start any of those sewing projects I have one very special quilt that I want to get done before we head to Germany.  The only thing I will say about it is its a surprise and the pattern is going to be 'Brick by Brick'.  This will be my first attempt at it, so wish me luck.  Like always I'll post some pictures once I through with it.  Until then Happy Quilting!