Mommapalooza 4.0

This was the fourth year in a row that we hosted Mother's Day at our house. We began the tradition in 2014 without really intending for it to become a tradition. (The best ones happen that way.) We just wanted to spoil our moms by letting them have the day off from cooking, and that turned into inviting siblings and other family members too, and Mommapalooza was born.

The first year, we hosted it outside at our Marion house, in our beloved pirogi, and we had practically perfect weather. We did burger/picnic food theme and had a great time! The second year, we intended to have it outside, but the weather was unbearably humid, and we feared everyone would be miserable outside, so at the last minute, we moved it inside (still at our Marion house). We grilled pork chops and chicken and had a fun crammed in the dining room of our little house. Last year, Mommapalooza 3.0 was our deadline for having round one of home renovations done, even though we still planned to have the party outside on our deck. Sadly, last May was still wintry, so we feared everyone would freeze to death during lunch, and we packed everyone into half our living room for a pot roast (and all the fixins) lunch.

So you can imagine how grateful we were that this year, we had our garage all finished, and we could plan to party out there from the very beginning, with no fear of what the weather might bring! And multiple people commented that it was a very relaxing and enjoyable space for such a party!

(Find Phoebe in the picture for an extra 10 invisible points!)

This year I went with a breakfast theme! Four kinds of fresh fruit (pineapple, watermelon, blueberries, strawberries), quick cinnamon rolls, ham/egg/cheese sliders, Amish breakfast casserole, the Dashing Dish Sausage/Egg/Cheese Bake, ham and pickle roll-ups, and  smoky links in BBQ sauce.

My sister also brought a breakfast casserole, so we had lots of food!

We enjoyed the food, and Phoebe was a BIG hit with the kids. I'm working on building a better collection of toys and books, and they did play with those too, but I've decided having the dog for the day is really the way to go.

 Also ottomans.

 Also balloons.

We got a group photo and the stinkin' thing was blurry. Sigh.

But we got some other good pictures.

We were so grateful for a beautiful day! Even though we ate in the garage, we were thankful for a chance to be outside after! :)

The Date Inspired by "E"

In case you're keeping track, which I highly doubt any of you are, we actually have not yet gone on our date inspired by "D" in our alphabetical dates adventure. We had it scheduled for a week ago, but (spoiler alert!) it's a double date, and our doubles had to reschedule. Since they are a key part of the experience, we'll report in on that one once we've gone. Meanwhile, I already had the "E" date on the calendar, so I took a deep breath and tried really hard to not freak out about out of order dates!

The "E" date was an EARLY BIRD DATE, complete with EGGS and ESPRESSO, and EXTRA fun with our friend Randy, who joined us for breakfast!

Ryan had this past Saturday off work, so we arranged to meet Randy at Omeletty's, which is a local restaurant.

* Fun fact about Omeletty's: we have had their food several times, but this was the first time I've ever been TO the restaurant. My parents actually really like this place and on a handful of occasions over the past year, Mom's gotten food for us (moving/renovating/gallcation) and brought it to us so we didn't have to cook.

* Random observation about the restaurant: their sign says they specialize in breakfast, lunch, and dinner...which makes me wonder if that should just say they specialize in food? I mean isn't that like all the food?

* Random fact learned while eating at the restaurant: they have a HUGE chalkboard on one wall that details all the specialty coffee drinks they offer, but they actually don't have them anymore. The waitress told us the owner's late wife hand-lettered the chalkboard and after she died, he wanted it left untouched, so it stays up there. She said they have a lot of explaining to do when people try to order from it!

* Random PSA: The aforementioned chalkboard sign (which I did not take a picture of because it was crazy busy in there and I felt weird taking pictures) features "expresso," which is not a word. Ryan and I have this conversation a lot, because he calls it expresso, and I remind him it's actually espresso. No "X."

Breakfast was egg-and-coffee-filled and delicious! Someone was particularly excited about it.

 Hey! You can see part of the chalkboard behind him!

We had a great time talking with Randy. He's a fun friend, and we actually spent a couple of hours there swapping stories and having fun!

Early bird dates are fun, and if you're going to do one, try going to a place you've never been for breakfast. Whole new experience!

Homemade Granola

I haven't done a recipe for you in a LONG TIME! Largely because I haven't cooked a normal meal in a LONG TIME! But today, as you kick back and snack on your holiday treats, I bring you the healthy stuff. :)

I adore granola. Granola bars, granola bites, granola cereal, just plain granola...yes please! And when Lynne taught me to like yogurt, she did so through a delightful parfait bathed in fresh fruit and heaps of granola. I struggle to eat yogurt without granola because it gets to be too creepy a texture for me. I need the crunch and the interruption of granola to get through the yogurt.

But I'm also cheap, and granola is expensive. Ryan and I were buying a bag every week to the tune of five or more dollars, and I couldn't justify it anymore! Plus when I accidentally looked at the nutrition information one day, I realized not all granola is healthy! A lot of it tastes so good because it is loaded with sugar.

So....I set out to make my own in hopes that I could find something that was good and yet a little more cost effective and a little less pricey. I found this post, which offered a "build your own" granola bar, and I liked that. I liked being able to swap in and out the things I like, and changing up the taste as needed!

Below is the recipe I used, with the options listed, and my choice for each one in bold.

Homemade Granola

4 cups oats 
1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon (pumpkin pie spice, cloves, or whatever spice you love)
1 cup raw walnuts (pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds)
1 cup slivered almonds (coconut, more oats, another nut or seed choice)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (other dried fruit choice)
1 pinch of salt
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (canola oil or butter)
1/4 cup maple syrup (honey, brown sugar, agave or other sweetener)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (other flavored extract)

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Combine the three wet ingredients and add to dry ingredients; mix well. Spread out on large cookie sheet {with sides} and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Stir and store in airtight container.

A Few Tips:

* I won't lie: if you don't have this stuff on hand, it can be kind of pricey to get all the ingredients to start. Nuts and coconut oil are not cheap. But if you have some of it on hand already, buying some more won't be too bad, and most of my bags of ingredients lasted long enough to make two batches at least. Some made more.

* The raw walnuts and the slivered almonds were among the cheaper raw nuts at the store. {I love salt as much as the next girl but they say to use raw ones for a healthier option.} I LOVE pecans in granola but could not afford them the day we were making our purchases.

* I HATE RAISINS - and most dried fruit, actually. It kind of freaks me out. So I got an all-natural version of dried cranberries, and they were pretty good! You have to be careful with dried fruit too, because some of THOSE are covered in sugar as well, making them taste delicious but defeating your get-healthy purposes.

* I used cinnamon because it's my favorite, but if I were making this in the fall, I would think pumpkin pie spice would be just heavenly.

* I melted some coconut oil for our granola, because I bought a jar of it to use in some of my other DIY projects, and because I know it's good for you. A jar really does last for a while, so it makes the price tag worth it, in my opinion.

* I used maple syrup in ours because honey seemed too messy to deal with and my father-in-law makes his own maple syrup, so I get it for free!

* This granola recipe isn't super crunchy like what you buy in the store. The original post said if you add more of the fat {butter or oil}, it will get crunchier, but it will also add calories. So pick your poison!

* We really like this granola and it makes the house smell delicious when it bakes!

Birthday Fun!

Well, I've been 37 for almost five days now, and I haven't even told you about all the fun I had on my birthday!!

Our alarm went off at 3:45 in the morning {which no alarm should ever do, by the way} and while I tried to figure out what might be happening, Ryan told me to keep sleeping. Don't have to tell me twice! The next time I saw him...he was bringing a breakfast pizza and coffee to me in bed!

{Sorry for the hair you're about to see.}

That darling man had gotten up, CALLED A GAS STATION that makes breakfast pizzas, ordered one, and then he drove clear across town to pick it up. AT FOUR IN THE MORNING.

I've never been more in love.

So we had breakfast in bed, while we watched I Love Lucy, and then I opened the presents my family members had sent over to be ready for the big day! Among them...a travel mug from my in-laws:

 A ginormous coffee cup from one sister and a pillow from the other.

And then it was time to go to work! The party continued there with co-workers who spoiled me ROTTEN.

I'm gonna miss these girls when I'm gone. Cindy always brings the most GORGEOUS flowers from her own garden. And also...this really cute clipboard, which I think I'm going to use as a picture frame in our home office. So pretty. 

 My dear Amy...with a beautiful planter that I adore. And please oh please, don't let me kill those pretty purple flowers!!

 Lynne gave us more pillows for our room. And that giant bow there? Yeah that's covered in glitter, as is my work chair now, so any one who comes to visit often {I'm thinking of you, Ken Church} is going to be highly decorated upon standing....

 These girls know the way to my heart...a gift card to Starbucks and one to Picaboo {for scrapbooking}. If you don't know them, the one in the black dress is Jeri, and the one in jeans is Dana. Jeri and I hired in not too far from one another, and Dana answers our phones for Mid-Morning. Love both these girls so much!

 Diane Hooley, our lovely receptionist, gave me a sign that says "No coffee...no workee." TRUEEE!!!

And now I realize this post is so long and I still want to tell you about my fun night out with Ryan!! You'll come back tomorrow, right? To read about that? Please say yes?

Healthier{ish} Danish

 
When I get to Heaven, sometime down the road, after I ask all the truly important, spiritual, eternal questions, I think there might be a distinct possibility I'll ask God whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy I stood so long in the appetite and weight-retention line. Seriously. Why wasn't I one of those with endless, carefree metabolism? No need to work out? No need to adjust recipes to health them up? I will ask in part because the original, creamy, gooey, delicious version of this recipe is admittedly funner {feel free to use that word} to eat.

But I will not lie...the healthier{ish} - and feel free to use that word, too - version is in no way shabby. It's good. And while I mourn the lack of fully fattened cream cheese and the absence of butterfalls from the top layer...I smile with satisfaction that I've taken more than one measure to try to make a sweet delight just that much better for us.

I first made this recipe for our Sunday School class, because we take turns carrying in breakfast each Sunday morning. They loved it, so I've made it multiple times since...each time, trying to make it just that much better...for us. So far I've not received rejections or complaints, so I think I may have landed on a good version.

It works as a breakfast treat or dessert...or dessert for breakfast. Whatever you like! Enjoy!! And if you just can't hack the health...it's not that hard to twist part or all of this recipe back to its original form!

Healthier{ish} Danish

* 1 can reduced fat crescent rolls, room temperature
* 1 8-ounce package reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 Tablespoons butter
* 1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
* 1 Tablespoon sugar

Roll half the package of crescent rolls {four rolls} out until they stretch wide and long enough to cover the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Combine cream cheese and sugar in mixer until smooth and creamy. Spread cream cheese mixture over layer of rolls. Roll remaining half of crescent rolls {four rolls} out until they stretch wide and long enough to cover the top of the cream cheese mixture. Melt butter and brush over top of rolls. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over top of rolls. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Serve warm.

A Few Tips: 

* The original recipe called for 2 cans of rolls, with one can going on the bottom of the pan and the other on the top. If you choose to go back to that, you won't need to stretch out the rolls at all.

* I learned the rolls roll out better if they are room temperature. If they're cold, they snap back to their original size and make you CRAZY. I also learned they fit the pan better if you make them longer rather than wider.

* The original recipe also called for 2 bricks of cream cheese and a full cup of sugar. That version is certainly much creamier, but I think this halved version is plenty creamy and flavorful, so I decided to stick with less filling {even though I love filling with all my being}.

* The original recipe also called for a quarter cup of butter, but it was SO MUCH. I think even 2 Tablespoons is almost more than enough. You only need enough for your cinnamon/sugar mixture to cling to.

* So good with coffee. But that's just my opinion. :)

Happy birthday to ME!

So it's been almost a week now, and you've been so patient...as I'm sure you've been on the edge of your SEAT waiting to hear about my birthday! {Ha!!}

I really appreciate how much Ryan gets that my birthday is MY HOLIDAY. {And just so you don't think I'm selfish...I take this viewpoint on everyone's birthday. Everyone deserves a personal holiday!}

So he got up early and while I was still regaining consciousness, he placed this on the bed:

When we were dating, he bought me this journal, and we would swap it every week, writing to each other about our thoughts, verses we found...whatever. Then on Sundays {the only day of the week when we were guaranteed multiple hours together} we would read our entries to each other. We have kept up the tradition even in marriage, though the entries aren't daily now. He'd written a few for me leading up to my birthday and gave it to me with my gift!

And then...

It's the mark of a grownup: coffee and cupcakes in bed on your birthday. Oh, yes please.

SOMEONE wanted to help me blow out my candles.

After I ate, I hunkered down with the journal to read his thoughts to me. {tear.}

Meanwhile, SOMEONE stole the bow off my gift. :)

I had NO idea what he got me for my birthday...not even a clue. He was so excited for me to open it - talked about it for days leading up to my birthday. I held the box in my hands...it was heavy. Still no clue.

So I started to open it...

I stared at the box. It said Surface. I said to Ryan... "What is it? I'm so confused." He said, "SERIOUSLY!?!!!? You don't know!?!?!? You saw the commercial and said it's what you wanted!"

Whoopsie.

So I kept digging.

DING DING DING!!!!!

I figured it out! It's a TABLET!!!!!

I really am an idiot. How in the world I forgot what this one is called is beyond me and mine. I HAD seen the commercial, and I liked it because it's Windows compatible, so you can use Word on it. For this writer girl...that's a selling point.

Having said that, I never in my natural lifetime expected to actually OWN a tablet, so this was a huge, wonderful surprise!

And Braeya ate the plastic.

I didn't take the day off work this year, so I drove to work and enjoyed MANY wonderful gifts from my co-workers. A resounding theme was chocolate and coffee.  They were so good to me!

It POURED all day long, which was sad, but I didn't care! I still celebrated! Ryan and I hurried home from work and headed out for our evening date:

We went to the Pizza Shack in Tipton...

It's a buffet place...and it is GOOD.

And then we made our way to the cutest old theater...to finally see Heaven is For Real.

 It's this darling little one room theater with tons of character:

I really loved the movie. There was only one part where I thought the theology was bad, but the storyline was GREAT and it seemed to represent the book well!

It was POURING when we left, so we came straight home and...that was how I turned 36!!

Valentine's Day

We had such a fun Valentine's Day...always easier to celebrate a holiday when you have the day off, right?

Ryan started the day out right by treating me to breakfast! He made our favorite pancakes and some turkey bacon - and of course, coffee!!

And he treated me to a Valentine's Day gift: roses, Reese's peanut butter hearts, and a black and burlap "S" to put in our dining room. He knows me!!!!

You might remember that Ryan's wedding gift from me was a series of letters I wrote to him for years leading up to our marriage. {Before I even knew who he was!} He's still reading them and had noticed that the next one in line was one I'd written on a Valentine's Day back in 2007. So while we ate, he read that letter...my heart was filled with such hope on that day in 2007. I was so sure that marriage was just around the corner! This is the beauty of God not giving all the details up front!! Thankful for His faithfulness in that long season of waiting.

We exchanged our cards...{please excuse our bedhead. HA!! We were on vacation.}

And then I gave Ryan his gift. I'd been SO EXCITED about this present!!! I had a list of verses I used to pray over my future marriage...26 verses...one for every letter of the alphabet. So I made a scrapbook that featured every single verse I prayed, and a picture taken sometime since the start of our relationship that showed in some way how God had answered the prayer of that verse. He loved it.

It was a beautiful start to the morning!! After breakfast, we packed up the car and headed to Fort Wayne for our Valentine's Day outing: a dessert and coffee date at DeBrand Fine Chocolates. If you're not from around here...well, you're missing out. Fabulous chocolate. And such a fun atmosphere!! They were a bit packed that day {learned that lots of people wait UNTIL Valentine's Day to buy the goodies} but they were well-staffed and ridiculously efficient, and we didn't have to wait long!

We ordered the Ultimate Float and some coffee. Oh my word. People. PEOPLE!!!!!!!

 I cannot even put into words the goodness of this float.

We had the best time just savoring our dessert...enjoying each other's company. So good.

We drove around Fort Wayne a bit and then...checked into our hotel for the beginning of the marriage retreat!

{Yes, I brought my roses with me.}

It was a great day!! Thanks, Ryan, for treating me to such fun!