cooking | Our Marriage Adventure

Snafooed by a Secret

September 13, 2012 By Stephanie

I’ve been crafting up a storm lately. Well ok, mentally I have been crafting up a storm. In real life not so much, but I did go out this weekend and purchase items so that I can make my secret sister gift.

Just for the record I also run marathons mentally, but sadly this has yet to transfer over to real life. (Yes Alex you may now stare pointedly at that treadmill, the clothes upon it and state just for the record you totally told me so. You were right.)

So I was going to share my amazing S.S. gift with y’all and then it occurred to me that my S.S. might just maybe read my blog. How? Well because I’ve shared info about my blog with my church. So I had to rule out showing you even bits and pieces lest she figure out who the crap I am and defeat the whole SECRET part of being a secret sister. (I’m a quick one aren’t I?) However, I don’t know because I can’t ask her. But I’m getting / making / buying / stealing / borrowing (she’ll never know) her gifts and they are unique enough (in my mind) that she’d totally know it was me if I put them here and she does perchance read the blog. Basically I screwed myself over on this whole over-achiever business.

So anyway, point is – I have this really awesome (in my mind at least) gift and it would make a totally great Pinterest post but alas I’m stuck not being able to share because of this whole secret schmecret business. Which leads me to my next point –

Have any of y’all actually TRIED to make Pinterest recipes? I look at those amazing tables and plates of wholesome delicious food and I think to myself “What the crap was I thinking pinning that? I am not Martha Stewart…in fact I’m her direct opposite. Goddess of Sloth.” So have y’all tried any? I think I jumped off the mental bandwagon today because tonight, Lord above please don’t strike me dead, I’m going to succeed and make a dinner. It will be pretty (HA) and tasty (so is takeout) and encourage me to do this again some other night. This is my goal.

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Source: mycrossfitpaleojourney.wordpress.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

So seriously – what, if anything, have y’all tried? Did it work? Was it easy? Could I, Goddess of Sloth, make it? If all of the above are yes, what is it?!?

Filed Under: House and Home, Marriage Matters Tagged With: cooking, gifts, Stephanie 2 Comments

Meal and Grocery Planning

April 17, 2012 By Stephanie

I like cooking a lot. I even am ok with grocery shopping, because I get to grab myself a snack (heheh) and then calculate out the rest of the week during some quiet time.

What I DON’T like – is planning the meals out in advance. Which is ironic, because normally I’m a total planner, but something about recipes and grocery lists and so forth so on make me want to cry.

However, the other day thanks to Pinterest, I found my salvation.

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Source: smallnotebook.org via Stephanie on Pinterest

A spreadsheet – a way to organize my ingredients, my meals, AND my grocery list in one fell swoop. I’ve done this the past couple of week and let me tell y’all….its a miracle for the meal-planner-hater like me! Plus – it takes me maybe 10 minutes. AND I’m saving on average $20-$30 a week.

A WEEK PEOPLE!!

I usually do mine in Google docs because its easier, and I have access to it no matter where I am which is super important to me. However you could do this on graph paper, excel, any ol way you want. Here is a link to my most recent meal planning list that you can use as your own. I’ll get the recipes I reference up later this week.

(The extra blank spots are for the random personal staples every household has. Like Dog and Cat food in my house.)

So far my favorite part is I’m able to pull recipes based on groceries I had in my fridge and pantry, so I’m not wasting money buying things two or three times over. Well…except for spaghetti. I have LOTS of spaghetti.

How do you plan out your meals and grocery lists?

Filed Under: Marriage Matters Tagged With: cooking, recipes, Stephanie 5 Comments

Delicious Banana Bread

March 20, 2012 By Stephanie

OK y’all here is the recipe I was talking about the other day. Its super delicious and super easy. Just a note, it SAYS you should mix some of the ingredients together first. Let me just say I’ve NEVER done it that way. I’ve always just smooshed it all together at once and never had an issue.

Also, Alex says the nuts are vital and the bread should never be made without them. (In case you can’t tell the last time I made this I did not put them in. Oops.)

Banana Bread

print Delicious Banana Bread Print recipe

Prep time	50 minutes
Cook time	30 minutes
Total time	1 hours, 20 minutes
Allergy	Egg, Peanuts
Meal type	Bread
Misc	Child Friendly, Freezable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot
By author	Wilma Grigsby

Banana and nut bread

Ingredients

1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
3 medium bananas (mashed)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Optional

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions

Step 1
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Step 2
Grease loaf pan lightly
Step 3
Cream sugar and butter together
Step 4
Beat in eggs and bananas to butter and sugar mixture
Step 5
Add remaining ingredients and mix well
Step 6
Pour mixture into loaf pan, tap against counter lightly to remove any air pockets
Step 7
Place in oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when poked into the center of the loaf.

Also, let me know what y’all think of this new recipe plugin. I think it makes it easier to distinguish the recipes but I want y’all’s feedback!

Filed Under: Marriage Matters Tagged With: baking, cooking, recipe 4 Comments

Run Turkey Run!

November 23, 2011 By Stephanie

The time has come for the bird to run. (He hasn’t got a chance y’all. I have cats.) It’s time for the pots and the pans to simmer and bake. It’s for friends and family to gather with laughter ‘round the table groaning under all that weight. It’s time for the belts to come off and the pants to loosen where day time naps are the norm and the cats adorn laps stuffed to the brink.

Translation, it’s time for the feast of thanks otherwise known as Thanksgiving!

As in years past I’ve been asked to make the Apple Pie (recipe is up under the “Recipes” link in the menu bar along with several others). This year I’m also taking on the mashed potatoes and the green bean casserole too.

It’s handy having two households within 5 minutes of one another for big meals like this. It means two stoves, two ovens, and sadly two messes.

My plan tomorrow is take the bag of potatoes and get Alex to peel and dice them. I’ll handle the cooking and the mashing. (Why yes I managed this so I’d get the easy job. Duh!)

I’ll also bake the apple pie. Once that pie is done I’ll bake the green bean casserole so that it’s nice and hot when we head over to my folks house.

Will you be cooking this year? What are your plans?

Lastly – y’all I want to tell you how wonderfully thankful I am for YOU! Your comments, your visits, your friendship make me smile every day. On the crummy moments which I share in the blog, your words of joy lift me up. Your words of camaraderie in the happy moments make me smile too! So just know that this Thanksgiving I’m giving thanks for all of YOU!!

Filed Under: Marriage Matters Tagged With: cooking, holiday traditions, Thanksgiving 10 Comments