Love Letters to "Chubs" & "Wiff"

I've been working on putting together me and my husband's "love boxes," a compilation of all the cards, notes, love letters, and special mementos we've given each other since we first started courting. As I skimmed over some of the letters I wrote to my husband before we were married, I smiled often and blushed often. Sometimes I could hardly believe the things this smitten 16-year-old girl was writing! I often poured out my feelings and threw caution to the wind. At times, I had showed a lack of discretion that makes me blush now. I read one letter to my husband that I had addressed to "chubs." I was scratching my head at that one until I found another letter. In that one I had written that I could hardly wait until the day I could call my now-hubby husband instead of "chubs" and I could be called his wife instead of "wiff". Then I remembered how one day we were being silly and came up with these pet names chubs & wiff to stand in the place of husband & wife until we got married. You can laugh - it's okay! These are letters I will truly cherish.

Going through these letter left me thinking...how often do I pour out my feelings to my husband now? While we were courting and engaged, I poured out my admiration for my now-husband often. I held nothing back. I was head-over-heels in love with this man, and I wanted him and all the world to know it. I wrote him poems, songs, and letters. I drew him silly pictures and sent him candy with messages written on them. While we were engaged, I wrote him a letter telling him how much I appreciated how he was working so hard to provide for us so we could get married. I praised him for his hard work ethic and determination. It got me thinking...when was the last time I poured out my admiration on my husband? Sure, I thank him for things all the time, but when was the last time I really showed him my admiration? Maybe it's time to get back to some of the youthfulness and playfulness of our courting days. Now when I want to show him my admiration, I can truly throw caution to the wind, without having to blush. Maybe it's time this 20-something-year-old took a few hints from the smitten 16-year-old I once was, and make sure my husband and the whole world knows just how much I love my man.

Favourite Chocolate Chip Cookie

Everyone has their favourite "go-to" chocolate chip cookie recipe. If you are looking for a buttery, soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie, this is it. This is by far our favourite cookie right now. To achieve the perfect soft & chewy texture, do not over bake these. Take them out when they are just barely starting to brown. You will think they are not done yet, but after you take them out, leave them on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes and they will continue to "bake" after you take them out. If you over bake them, they will not stay chewy.

Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies - recipe adapted from here

3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (slightly softened)
1 egg
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped or sliced almonds
1/2 cup mini Hershey chocolate kisses
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix sugars, butter, and egg until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. The dough will be quite stiff. Stir in the almonds and chocolate. Drop by tablespoons (I use my cookie scoop) on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Do not overbake.

*Note: You can substitute chocolate chips for the mini kisses and white chocolate. Be sure to not over bake these*

*Linking up to We did it Wednesday
*Linking up to Raising Homemakers
*Linking up to Ask Ms. Recipe

One Pot Homemade Mac n' Cheese

I first got this recipe idea from my cousin. This is a much healthier version of boxed mac n' cheese that's full of nasty additives. This will take you no longer to make than a boxed version. Best of all, only one pot to wash! I am still experimenting a bit with it, but here's the recipe so far.

One Pot Mac n' Cheese

1 1/2 cups whole wheat macaroni
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup shredded cheese
salt, pepper, paprika to taste

Cook the macaroni in the water and milk on medium heat until tender. Stir frequently or it will get stuck to the bottom. You might need to add a splash or two of milk if it absorbs to much before the macaroni is cooked. Stir in butter and cheese until melted. Sprinkle on some paprika to taste.


*Linking up to Raising Homemakers

Menu Plan Monday

Our staycation is officially over, so I'm back to menu planning. I think I'm going to scrap the breakfast and lunch planning for now as I seem to not follow it anyway. Since there's usually just me and Ellie home for lunch, I find there hasn't been much of a point in planning lunches as we usually just have leftovers. No need to over complicate things, so until I find there's a real need, I will just be planning our supper meals and having breakfast suggestions to gain a little more variety than our usual toast & fruit

Breakfast ideas: toast & fruit, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, banana oat chip muffins

Sunday, April 10
Sausage, perogies, mashed sweet potatoes

Monday, April 11
Leftovers

Tuesday, April 12
Taco salad (using leftover taco meat in the freezer)

Wednesday, April 13
Firecracker grilled salmon (NEW), Rice, stir fry veggies

Thursday, April 14
Homemade pizza & Caesar salad

Friday, April 15
Leftovers

Saturday, April 16
Crockpot bbq beef on a bun, tossed salad

Alternate Meals:
One pot homemade mac n' cheese
Tuna casserole

Desserts/Baking/Other
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Some type of cookie (not sure yet)

*For more great meal ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday hosted by orgjunkie.com*

Staycation and Thrift Finds

Yep, I'm still on "staycation". Of course we're not exactly staying home every second of every day, but for the most part, we've been home or visiting family. I'm loving it! It's been so good to chill out at home, order pizza in, hot tub at my parent's house, go out with my hubby while my sister babysits one night, etc. We've even tackled the disaster in our basement. We've got a long way to go yet, but it is slowly coming together. I would love to get more organized. It is an ongoing process.

I went shopping for a bit today and was super pumped to buy 2 pairs of shoes for a total of $3 at Liquidation World. I also found a really nice white purse for $5 on clearance. Maybe I'll share some pictures sometime. Too much work today though - I'm on staycation, remember?! :-D I really like finding great deals. For a long time, I've been wanting to put together a "love box" to store me and my hubby's keepsakes such as love letters we wrote each other, special cards and notes, etc. Things that are just a testament of our marriage and love. I happened to find a memory box for $5 at Liquidation World the other day and finally bought it today. I'm hoping it will work for a "love box".

Oh yeah, and this afternoon we attempted to switch Ellie out of her crib and into a toddler bed. Wow. That didn't go so well. Um...4 1/2 hours later, she finally was sleeping in there. Yeah, not so much fun. I have to find a way to become more stubborn than her. My theme verse right now is definitely Galatians 6:9 "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." The other night we were visiting some family and I spent 2 hours putting her to bed. Yes, 2 hours. 2 miserable, challenging, and tiring hours. I needed to win this battle, however. And I did. Finally. There may or may not have been some silent tears shed by this frustrated and tired mother. Galatians 6:9 kept me going.

And now this post has morphed into a bit of a random post. I need to get off the internet and back to my staycation. HUGE kudos to my sister for putting Ellie to bed 10 minutes before we got home from our date night supper!! THANK YOU!! Now, I'm off to start on a sewing project I've been wanting to do for a long time now... this toddler ruffle skirt here.

Menu Plan Monday (April 4, 2011)

We are on "staycation" this week, so I'm keeping things flexible for menu planning. I am going to cook when I feel like it and eat out when I don't. Sometimes I find it is less work and less stress to eat at home than it is to go out, especially with a toddler. Choosing when to cook and when to go out? Now, that's a holiday! :-). When I do cook, it'll probably be pretty quick and simple. This is just my thrown-together menu plan of meals I can make if we stay home.

Breakfasts:
Toast, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, fruit, homemade egg mcmuffins, buttermilk pancakes

Lunches:
Leftovers, homemade one pot mac n' cheese (recipe to come), simple pasta in marinara sauce (recipe to come),

Suppers:
Fettuccine alfredo, sausage & perogies, black bean chili soup & cornbread, tacos (using taco meat from freezer)

*For more great meal ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday hosted by orgjunkie.com*

52 Weeks of Organizing - Week 13

Since I finally finished painting and making over our old dresser, I decided to tackle some drawers. Yikes. They are so unorganized, it is embarrassing. Here are a few of the drawers I got done this week.

Technology Drawer Before:



After: (I used a Dollarama drawer organizer that did not fit properly, but I figured out a way to bend the organizers a bit. Not the prettiest, but it works and things are organized now.







Makeup and Hair Drawer Before:




After: Still does not look the greatest, but it is better than it was. I went through my makeup and threw out ancient stuff I never wear anymore and expired stuff.





*Linking up to 52 Weeks of Organizing Challenge*