Extreme Cooking

For me, anyway.

I went from about to 0 to 60 in the cooking department over the past 4 months. Most of you who know me know that I didn't really have cooking (or baking) on my top priority list to master, much less even know HOW to do it.

What was the POINT of cooking? I thought. Who cares? Why do people thrive on creating something that will be gone in a half an hour and leave 20 dishes to clean?

Isaac and I used to eat out a LOT. We had the time and more money to do so before Levi was born.

When I "tried" to cook I made spaghetti or my "specialty" salad (I love salads) or, frankly, popped in a frozen Digiorno. Can we say, not domesticated AT ALL? Yes. We can.

I really wasn't. Every bone in my body screamed Bonefish or Chipotle, or dinner-at-someone-else's-house.

I wanted to like cooking and preparing meals desperately. But I just didn't. And as much as I tried, it wasn't happening.

So, years into our marriage I faced the reality of it - that I just wasn't made to do it. That I didn't have a yearning to do it, and that I wasn't good at it.

When Levi started eating solids, I think a switch went off.

I realized that I have another mouth to feed besides Isaac and my own. Someone else's health and nutritional intake was dependent on me. Bueler?

No more Digiornos here.

When my sister told me about allrecipes.com and how she gets daily emails from them with new recipes, I decided to sign up. Maybe it would help?

It did, and has now opened up a whole new world and respect for cooking for me.

I did not realize how easy planning meals was. How easy cooking itself was. And how simple it was to find new things. That's a lot of what I struggled with!

Getting a new recipe every days shows me tons of new things - and it gives me ample ideas to choose from. I don't have to use them all, and I don't. I pick what I like. And it's actually encouraged me to check out other sites and things people pin on pinterest, too!

Cooking is actually quite easy now. It definitely can be time consuming if you have a challenging recipe, but if you plan, it's so simple. It's cheaper than eating out, and gives you leftovers so you don't have to cook EVERY night.

I love cooking. I never thought I'd say that, but I do. I love being a mom to Levi, being home at night with him and both of us trying my new recipes I've made. It's kind of become our ritual and it's great.

My latest creation...apple crumble muffins. Compliments of Gimme Some Oven. They were pretty good!

Oh and PS - my sister has even taken recipes from ME now. Never EVER thought I'd see the lights of THAT day.

Farm Harvest and Friends

Isaac and I met our good friends Monica and Jimmy, and their daughter Juliet, on Saturday at the Farm Harvest Fest in Herndon. It was a true Harvest Fest, if I do say so myself, with tons of barn animals and down-home wholesome games like the lasso, corn hole, and make-your-own scarecrow.

While Cox Farms is pretty, colorful and has lots of things to do, it seemed more fabricated than the Fest last Saturday.

At the Fest, the people running stands and booths were true rednecks and there were tractors there. I didn't see one at Cox Farms (except for the one we rode and I don't count that!). And there was a fair - with big fluffy animals you could win by throwing a baseball at a target, and funnel cakes.

True country, farmland, stables, fences, ponies, roosters, a puppet show....

I must say, Levi had much more fun at this place than at Cox's and we would definitely go again!

PS, I think Isaac had himself a good time as well...

What is Fall Without the Pumpkin Patch?

One of my favorite Taylor Swift songs is called "The Best Day."

It's a song that details her growing up under the wing of her parents, and the memories she created there. And how she always had "the best day" with them.

I love that song because it's so tender and reminiscent of my own childhood. And it makes me want to create our own memories for Levi to have.

One of the memories in her song was about going to the pumpkin patch when she was little, and that's one memory I want Levi to have. These fall moments bring us all together, keep us cozy, and bring joy and laughter.

While we may not always have it together every second and be crazy busy, we are having a great time this season with friends, family and play,. And I love being able to share these memories with all of you, here.

The one and only pic of the three of us and Isaac's eyes are closed!!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012, 4:42 p.m.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Phillippians 4:13

Levi Turns One!

This past weekend was fun-filled. We were surrounded by friends and family, near and far (in spirit) as we celebrated Levi turning one. We are so blessed by the love of others who made this special day.

Seems like just yesterday, though it has been a whole year, that he was born. That his eyes were slits. And that he wore a small baby cap to keep his head warm.

I just fed him his first 1/2 bottle of whole milk today. Not a baby anymore!

Bottles up! To one year and counting...



My early morning birthday boy.

 

Going to make this cake a yearly tradition! Except I think we will go with buttercream next time. My sister's friend Jaymie made this for us with only a few days to spare, and she did a fabulous job.

He loved it when we sang happy birthday!

Attempting to eat cake, but he wasn't so sure about it.

 

 

Isaac's cousins.

There's Mema...always on that phone!! :)

 

 

 

Sisters!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Putting together the grill.