Housewifery and Pie Baking

This last Thanksgiving also happen to be the first Thanksgiving that my husband and I had together, and also our first as husband and wife, so I wanted it to be as special as possible. We were invited to my sister's house for dinner with the family, so I was off the hook for cooking the turkey. (I've still yet to cook one on my own, and quite frankly I'm a little intimidated by the idea.)
 A tradition on my side of the family is a pineapple pie and it's not Thanksgiving for my husband without a pumpkin pie, so that's what I set off to make. I had never made a pie before, and I wanted to try some fun decorative things on them that I had found on Pinterest (of course), and I was so nervous about how they would turn out. And as much as I really wanted to attempt making the crusts from scratch, after much debate and conversations with others, I concluded that whatever I made was not going to be as tasty as a pre-made dough.

Pumpkin Pie:

Ingredients

• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

• 15 ounces canned pure pumpkin

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 12 ounces evaporated milk

• 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell (Pillsbury ready made)
• Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
3. Combine the pumpkin and eggs in a bowl and mix well. Add to the sugar mixture and mix well. Add the evaporated milk gradually, stirring constantly. Pour into the pie shell.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for another 35 to 40 minutes or until the pie tests done.

The extra step that I added to this was that about 15-20 minutes before it was done I pulled it out of the oven and placed on the leaf cut outs (made out of the second pie shell in the pack) and then brushed them with egg yolk that was combined with food coloring. And the final product:

And the most important thing was that my husband LOVED it!! (Also, since he's on a very short list of family members that even like pumpkin pie, he got most of it to himself!)

As for the pineapple pie:

1 (20 oz.) can DOLE Crushed Pineapple
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon lemon juice 
Pastry for 9-inch double-crust pie (Pillsbury ready made crust again)
Instructions:
Combine crushed pineapple, sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Cook, stirring, until thickened and clear. Stir in butter and lemon juice. Cool slightly.
Pour filling into unbaked 9-inch pastry shell. Top with second crust and flute edges, cut slits in several places. Bake at 400^⁰F., 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

This recipe should be doubled. I made it the way it said and it only filled the pie crust about halfway. I realized this once my filling was completed and in the cooling down process and so I made the decision to add a little design to the edges. I knew that I would be adding leaf cutouts across the entire top of the pie, and so I took a different leaf cookie cutter and made the impressions all the way around and folded over the top of the filling. The leaf cutouts were just placed over the whole thing and cooked at the same time and temperature. A really simple addition to any pie!

For my first pies they both turned out surprisingly well and tasted delicious. We had a great time with the family and my fear of baking pies is gone. That is until I attempt my own crust . . . . .

I am Officially a Housewife

  As some of you may already know, I've been making some adjustments to my personal life. After many conversations between myself and my wonderfully supportive husband, we have decided that it's time for me to pursue some other opportunities. I have finally made the leap from working wife to housewife(/student). I enrolled a little while ago in some online courses and have been very slowly making my way through, and now I'm able to focus on that full time! And hopefully now that this shift has happened I'll also have more time to dedicate to the blog (which I've really been missing!).

  Also, now that I'm back writing again, I couldn't start up with just any old thing, so tonight for dinner we spiced things up, Moroccan style! One of my favorite places is Marrakesh, the restaurant in Portland Oregon, not the city in Morocco (although I've never been there and am sure that I would love it there too!). It wasn't somewhere that I went often, but I always enjoyed the experience whatever the occasion. If you are one of my many Portland area readers and haven't checked it out yet, you definitely should. And if you are one of my many readers from elsewhere, or just want to save some money, I suggest having a Moroccan night in your home too!

  My husband had no idea what he was in for as I was whisking around the kitchen preparing dinner with ingredients that you don't too often find in our house, but I'm sure common in most other homes they are more common. In fact one of the biggest appeals to this meal, besides the familiar smells wafting though our home, was that I only had to run to the store for 3 things! Another added bonus was that the main course hasdbeen prepared in the crockpot, so NO FUSS! 

  For those of you familiar with the Moroccan way, we ate dinner sitting on the floor and eating with our hands this evening. And we started that awesome meal off with a salad, but not any ordinary salad, a roasted eggplant salad! In Morocco they call it Zaalouk, and it turned out perfectly! (After Ryan's first bite there was a loud and resounding "MMMMMMMMMMM!")

Roasted Eggplant Salad: Zaalook/Zaalouk Recipe

4 servings

For the eggplants

1 medium eggplant
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

For the sauce
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut off the top and bottom of the eggplant and peel it, leaving sporadic strips of skin throughout. Cut it into 1-inch cubes. If the eggplant is old and excessively seedy, you may need to salt and drain it for at least 30 minutes before use, otherwise proceed directly. Place the eggplant cubes in a single layer in a baking dish or cookie sheet and generously brush them with olive oil. Roast them for 25 to 30 minutes (I'm at a little higher altitude and I only roasted them for about 15 minutes and they were perfect). Remove from the oven and mash the eggplants on a cutting board with a fork or potato masher.

In a medium sauté pan, cook the tomatoes with garlic and olive oil over medium heat, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mashed eggplants and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, mashing them some more with a spatula to completely blend with the tomatoes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sea salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and vinegar.

Serve warm, cold or at room temperature, garnished with chopped parsley. Serve flat bread or crusty bread (I went with a crusty artisan flat bread that I found for $2 at the store) **I served it with finely diced cucumbers and green leaf lettuce (again, that's how it is prepared at the restaurant, but you can take it or leave it). 

  It comes out looking, or at least mine did, like a big pile of mush. But, if my memory serves me correctly, that's what it looks like at the restaurant and it smelled EXACTLY the same! It can be served warm, but I prefer it the way that I've been served it in the past, which is kinda cold. The greatest part is that you can quickly make this up after you've thrown dinner in and let it chill for a while in the fridge, then just pull it out right when the crockpot goes off and VOILA! And speaking of dinner, the main course tonight was:

Lemon and Olive Chicken!

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped onion
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I actually used chicken thighs because I love the taste of them)
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 cup green olives (you can always add more, I did!)
1 tbs white vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup swason 99% fat free chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Place onion in bottom of slow cooker. Arrange chicken breasts over onions. Place the thinly sliced lemon's on top of the chicken breasts, add olives, vinegar, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Slowly pour broth over chicken.

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until chicken is tender. Add parsley before serving.

 I can't even begin to tell you how awesome your house will smell!

  About 5 minutes before the Crockpot went off I whipped up some Cous Cous (SUPER EASY TO MAKE, just follow directions on the box) and dinner was ready! I know that this might seem like a lot, trust me, I thought the same thing before attempting it, but it really is one of the easiest meals I've ever made and with the greatest reward. 

  It was definitely something different than we normally do, and I'm fortunate enough to have a husband who is equally as adventurous and doesn't just roll his eyes when I carry dinner past the dining room table and set it on the coffee table. :) 

I'm in Love With a Wonderful Guy!

  It may or may not surprise you that I love musicals. One of my favorites would definitely have to be South Pacific. My earliest memory with this musical was going over to my grandparent's house and my grandfather was sitting in his chair watching it. And I remember curling up by his feet and watching it with him. And now every time I watch it, which is probably twice a month, I think of that time fondly. The other thing I think about, is how much there is no way I actually understood anything that was really going on in the movie. Even still, I notice something new every time that I watch it. Or maybe it's just that every time I watch it I am in a different place and just see it differently. Either way, this last time that I saw it, just a few days ago, I gravitated toward the song "I'm in Love With A Wonderful Guy". It happens in a part in the movie that she has all by written him off, by "washing him right out of her hair", and then of course he shows up and as soon as she sees him it is undeniable that she loves him. It's hard not to smile when watching this.

  What I love most about the song is that it's exactly how we should feel with the person that we're with. When you are with someone that makes you so happy that it overflows and you can't help but sing it from the rooftops (or in her case the beach)! You may not express it in song and dance, but I hope that you do express it in someway. As much as I love watching it in the movies, I'm personally not a big "song and dance" type of person, but I show it in other ways. From the way that I cut up the bread when I make french toast (because I know that he likes the french toast sticks) to making sure the house is clean when he gets home so that we have more time to spend together. And, of course, everyday I tell him how much I love him and how much I appreciate everything that he does for me.
  As a side note: Ryan likes to remind me that instead of using up valuable/limited DVR space to keep this on the recorded list, I could just put in the disc of it that he bought for me. But it's like hearing a song on the radio that you know you have the cd for and could listen to anytime that you want, it just sounds so much better on the radio. Or when you've watched Julie&Julia for the 17th time, because they keep showing it, but I wouldn't take the time to put in the DVD that I have. I know that it's silly, but I also know that I'm far from alone in this!

Menu Monday!

  Ryan says to me last night, "If this taste even half as good as it smells, then it's going to be the best thing you've ever made!".
  And it did.
  And it was!

  I love trying new dishes, and I love it even more when they turn out good! Dinner last night was no exception. And just like the rest of my meals, the gyros that I made for dinner were quick, easy and delicious!

For the meat:

1 lb. ground lamb (which I thought would be hard to find, but it was right next to ground beef in the deli!)
4 cloves of garlic, grated
1/4 c. grated red onion
1 tsp. dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. chopped rosemary (dried or fresh)

*mix it all together (I like using my hands!) and then throw it straight into a hot pan to brown up. The instructions said to make patties out of it, but I decided not to!

For the Tzatziki sauce:
1 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 med. cucumber, peeled and grated (when it's grated, the flavor seems to infuse into the sauce a lot better)
salt and pepper to taste

*combine and chill for at least an hour before using.

  And that's basically it! Grab a pita, pop in the meat, top with the sauce and some thinly sliced red onions, tomatoes and feta, and you've got yourself dinner! I honestly thought that it would more complicated, or that I would spend a bunch of money on all the ingredients. But once I figured it all out, the only things that I didn't already have at the house were the lamb (which was only about $5), the dill weed and the rosemary (which I now have and can use it so many other things).

Now, I know you're thinking to yourself, "But Ashley, what about dessert?" Don't you worry, I got that covered to.

  Dessert was a quick and easy (duh!) chocolate mousse pie! I whipped up a packet of chocolate pudding, mixed in a little cool whip, tossed it in a pre-made graham cracker crust and topped with a thin layer of more cool whip, and PRESTO!
 
Add it all together, and what have you got?

One very happy husband!

A Quick Update

  I know that I've slacked the last few days on updating, but I want to let you know that I've got some great stuff in the works. I'm in the process of working out a new system for the blog. The biggest change is going to be that I will start posting every other day (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). I'm also going to try and have a little more structure to the entries (not too much, so don't worry).
  So don't you fret dear readers! Give me just a few more days and starting next Monday things will start fresh! Thanks so much to all of my readers, and I promise that things will get back on track!

What's for Dinner?

  One of my favorite salads is the Asian Coleslaw (aka Ramen Noodle Salad). So for dinner tonight I'll be making up a big side of that to pair nicely with some Asian style meatballs. If you can't tell we're doing an Asian theme for dinner tonight. :P
  This is one of the quickest, easiest and most delicious meals that I make. Let's start with the salad!

Asian Coleslaw

Ingredients:

1 bag coleslaw mix and 1 bag broccoli slaw
green onions finely chopped (approx 1/4 cup or less)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 pack ramen noodles (I use the Oriental flavor) broken into small pieces (I also throw them in a pan and toast them slightly, just keep an eye on them cause they don't take long at all)

Dressing: (I just mix this all up in a big measuring cup)
3/4 cup oil
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp sugar
flavor pack from the ramen noodle package

Now for the super hard instructions: Mix, Pour, Toss and Chill!

And if you thought that was difficult, now it's time for the meatballs.

Asian Meatballs 

Ingredients:

As many meatballs as you would like out of a bag of frozen meatballs (we use turkey meatballs)

3/4 cup Yoshida's marinade

1 clove of garlic, grated

Instructions:

Put ingredients in freezer size zip lock bag and throw in the fridge. (I get it all in the bag in the morning and they are thawed and fully marinated by dinner time.

Use tongs to remove the meatballs (toss the rest of the marinade) and heat them in a frying pan. (approx. 5 minutes)

That's it! And now you know all of my secrets for a quick, easy and delicious meal! People always assume that it has to require more than that, but it doesn't. 

Happy cooking!

Lost Crate Update!

  I got home yesterday to my box from Lost Crate! As excited as I was to open it I had a few errands to run first. If you recall, I just recently bought a new car and my husband and I had decided to sell the old one. So yesterday we got the rest of the money and handed over the title. Then we had to run straight to the bank to deposit the money, and of course run over to Sonic to celebrate with milkshakes!

  Finally back at the house I had a chance to open my gift. The first thing I noticed about it was that it is definitely not a crate. In fact, a pretty small box. But I was excited none the less. I cut the tape and opened the box, and the first thing that I said was, "Oh my gosh, my mom would love these!". Inside were 3 little "sweater pumpkins". I am not exactly sure what I was expecting to be in the box, but it was definitely not that. But the more I looked at them, the more I liked them. So it looks like my mom is going to have to wait until I buy her some other ones, because these now have a new home on my mantel.
  Due to the funds involved, I probably won't renew my subscription to Lost Crates. Instead I might occasionally just purchase one, or try and find a little cheaper subscription box to sign up for. I still just love the surprise of not knowing what's going to be inside!

My New Love For Yoga!!

Not my idea of relaxing!

  As a super busy woman, I am always looking for ways to relax and unwind throughout the day. My "go to" has always been a long soak in a hot bath,which I still love, but it's not always convenient. I've thought about trying yoga before, but I've always heard that it's surprisingly hard, so I've opted for other solutions. But now that our house guests have left and the house has been cleaned it, I needed to try something extra special to relax.

  I remembered that On Demand they have little workout things, some of which were yoga and Pilates. I wasn't really looking to "workout", just relax. So after quickly ruling out Pilates I started searching through the yoga lessons. I was looking for a very specific type of yoga. It might sound lazy (isn't that the point of relaxing) but I wanted one that was the easiest and most soothing. Mostly looking for one that just focused on stretching and breathing. There was about 6 yoga videos to choose from and I went through a few minutes of each one before finally getting to the last one that was actual a prenatal yoga lesson. (Don't get any crazy ideas!) It did make the most sense though, because pregnant woman aren't suppose to do strenuous workouts, so all it focused on was stretching and breathing. It was perfect!!

  After the 15 minute session I felt more relaxed than I ever have even after hours and hours in the bathtub! It was absolutely amazing. Yoga helped me discover places that I didn't even realize I was holding stress. It does take a little getting use to clearing your mind, but I could tell that even towards the end of the first session it was getting easier. I can't wait to do it again tomorrow! And what's great about it is that it's something that can easily be done anywhere and anytime. I'm even thinking of taking 10 minutes during my lunch break and just clearing my head, breathing and relaxing!

  What are some of the techniques you use to relax?

I Love Making Dinner . . . Fun!

  Maybe it's not how it really use to be, but I never remember dinner being boring when I was a kid. I do remember when we would sit down as a family and make a list of all of our favorite dinners, and that's what was always on the menu for the week. As an adult, I now do the same thing. Every Sunday Ryan and I sit down and go over what we liked about the week before, what we didn't like and what recipes we'd like to switch out. Then we go through the fridge and pantry and see if we've got everything we need for the week, and if not it goes on the grocery list. We then run over to the store and get the few ingredients we need and when we get home I spend the next hour or so prepping ahead everything I can for the week. Dicing and chopping up veggies, browning and portioning off meat and sometimes even preparing full meals that can just be thrown into the oven on the day we need it.

  Now that we've got a few extra people staying with us, it's even more important to say on top of it, or we end up making last minute bad decisions for meals. And now that one of the people staying with us is 9 years old, it's especially important to make dinner a fun experience so that he'll actually eat it! The biggest test came yesterday when I had decided to make meatloaf for dinner. But we couldn't do ordinary meatloaf, cause that's not fun, so I made up a batch of Meatloaf Cupcakes! And if it's any indication as to how much the 9 year old loved them, he made up a song about them (which is still stuck in my head)!

  I followed a very basic recipe:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 egg 1 onion, chopped 1 cup dried bread crumbs 1 teaspoon oregano salt and pepper to taste

sauce: 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons prepared mustard 1/3 cup ketchup oven at 350. cook for 10 minutes, remove and cover with sauce, then back into the oven for 5 more minutes and that's it!!

  Then I sectioned it off into about 1/2 cup portions and put them into a cupcake tin (sprayed with olive oil). But that isn't the end of the fun, because what are meatloaf cupcakes without frosting! Yep, I made up a quick easy batch of baby red mashed potatoes and used a ziplock bag to pipe the "frosting" unto each little cupcake! I added a quick side of green beans and dinner was complete. And EVERYONE loved it!! For the adults, we even had chive "sprinkles", and for the 9 year old (my nephew) I had him stick a green bean out the top of the mashed potato frosting and make it look like a candle! It was a fun, simple, delicious and healthy dinner for the family. And one that we will definitely be adding to the list of our favorite meals to make again!

 
 

The Lost Crate

  A little while ago I was killing sometime (okay, days) on Pinterest and stumbled on one of my favorite bloggers participating in a new program. Almost everyone on Pinterest is familiar with the name Michael Wurm Jr., and if not then you're silly and you should check him out HERE. (and while you're there checking him out, you can follow my Pinterest page too!)Anyway, I saw that he was joining up with a company called Lost Crates. Basically they go to awesome people and those awesome people recommend awesome things and then we, as equally awesome people can buy them. Also for a little while they had awesome people sponsored crates. You could just buy one, or you could subscribe and get one every month for a year, or get them quarterly and get 4 a year. The crates ranged in price, and everything in the crate equaled the same price. (i.e. you bought a $25 crate, there would be $25 worth of stuff in it.)
  So, I signed up for the quarterly subscription, and I'm expected to get my first crate this month! I'm not sure  what will be in it or when exactly it will even arrive, but who doesn't love a surprise! The only downfall currently is that I just received an email the other day that they are actually putting a hold on all of the subscriptions for now while they are shuffling around some stuff. But I will still get my crate in October and the rest of the money will be refunded to me! And I will definitely be setting it back up once I'm able to.
  I'm looking forward to finding out what's inside the crate and sharing it all with you!

Splish Splash

  After 2 days of feeling under the weather, the only thing that feels even remotely good is soaking in a hot bath. Let me correct that by saying "a CLEAN hot bath". And I am lucky to have a husband that's sweet enough to take such great care of me (whether I'm feeling well or not). So Ryan, with a little help from Pinterest and Martha Stewart, created a cleaning solution to clean out the tub. Let me preface by saying that I've tried numerous different kinds of cleaning solutions (homemade and store bought) and I have yet to find one that works as well as the ONE that Ryan wanted to try!

  Add one teaspoon of liquid soap, one cup of baking soda and then add just enough water to form a paste. Then all you have to do is use a brush to scrub the tub. What??? That's it, you say?? Yep! That's it! Obviously depending on how bad the bottom of the tub is you might have to use a little more elbow grease, but it's not any more than you'd already be using. Because I didn't do the cleaning, I didn't get a before and after picture. But I can say that I took a bath the day before and then again right after he cleaned it, and the difference is AMAZING!! In fact, now that I'm getting out of bed today, I'll be mixing some more together for the other bathroom. The thing that I like most about it, it that there is no harsh smell (I tried one a few weeks ago that used vinegar). You can also add a couple drops of essential oils for smell, I just didn't have any to use. 

Happy Cleaning!!

National Do Something Nice Day!

  To go along with the post that I made the other day about giving thanks, today is National Do Something Nice Day! As often as we get wrapped up in what we've got going on, it's always so great to take a few minutes and do something for someone else. Doing something nice doesn't mean that you have to spend a lot (if any) money or time! For example, last week I was at Costco and I say a lady a few checkout lines down who had on the most adorable chevron maxi skirt, and as I was leaving and walking past her I took 3 steps out of my way to stop and tell her just that. And her entire face lit up! That was all it took. And I like to think that she later told someone about it and how nice it was, or she passed it forward and complimented someone else.
  I make it a habit to do something everyday for someone other than myself. It makes me happy to be able to do that. And, again, it's not always about receiving thanks for the things you've done, although it's nice to hear, it's just about doing what you know to be good and right! So get out there and do something nice for someone today! And if you're having trouble coming up with some ideas, here's a list to help you get started:

*Hold the door for someone
*SMILE!
*Buy someone lunch
*Mow your neighbor's lawn, or water their garden
*Listen intently in conversation
*Be a shoulder to cry on
*Compliment someone
*Inspire and encourage others
*Volunteer in your community
*Hand write a personal thank you card
*Tell someone "I love you"

HAPPY NATIONAL DO SOMETHING NICE DAY!!

Giving Thanks

  It's not just something that happens once a year. As women we do so much that goes unnoticed. From trials we silently struggle with and keep to ourselves to noticing that there is a little ring starting around the water line in the toilet. We do so much unselfishly and give and give and give without the praise or acknowledgment from others. Well today I got a genuine "thank you" from someone and I can't even begin to tell you how much it means. To have someone take note of something you've done. And it's not that we do things just to be recognized, but every once in a while it sure is nice to know that someone took the time to say something. 

  This post is going to be short today. I just hope that we all remember to take the time to thank someone everyday. For anything! For taking out the trash, not leaving their bags by the front door, throwing their dirty clothes in the hamper, letting you go in front of them at the grocery store, walking your dog, for brightening your day, just for being them! It's not the reason that we do things, but it sure makes it all a little bit nicer!

It Doesn't Hurt to Ask!

  I have had a checking account with a certain bank since I turned 18 years old. It is the oldest line of credit that I have and so I'm not too eager to close it just yet. But to make things a little bit easier between the Hubby and I, I opened a new account with a certain credit union.  Not even one week old, and I haven't even used my debit card, and there was already a $2 charge taken out! So I did what every one should do: I called them! I know that it's sometimes a hassle, and sometimes you're on hold for 20 minutes. But more often than not, they will fix the problem! In an age where everything is getting rapidly more expensive, it's so important to save every penny we can. 

  The little problem with my account was that, even though it's a free checking account, they were charging me $2 for a statement fee. So for them to print off the statement, stuff it in an envelope, stamp it and send it to me (just so I can throw it away) it was going to cost me $2 a month! I don't think so!! So I called. And I talked to a really pleasant guy and I told him, "hey, I was never even made aware that I had a choice in the matter when it came to paperless or not. And if given the option I would have chosen go paperless because I love trees. And I definitely wasn't told that it would cost me every month for that service." And you know what happened? He apologized. He told me that he completely understood. He fixed my account so that my statements in the future would all be paperless. And, most importantly, he refunded my $2! 

  Now, I know that $2 might not seem like the end of the world, and it probably wasn't, but that's not the point. The fact of the matter was, that I really wasn't given any of that information, and if given the choice I wouldn't have agreed to that. So obviously I was in the right, and it was only right for him to fix the mistake (and yes, I fully understand that it was not his mistake to fix). But there have also been many times in the past when it had been completely my fault that an extra charge had been taken out (i.e. an overdraft charge) and I've still called and asked them to refund it and they have. I don't think that it's anything specific that I say, or even the way that I say it that makes a difference, but it's just taking the time to make the call. A couple of other tips are: try and make them laugh, let them know that you realize that it's not "their" fault, be sincere, give them all of the information (to let them know that you know what you're talking about), and always ALWAYS thank them! I've talked my way out of literally hundreds of dollars in fees, and you can too! Just take a few minutes to call. It doesn't hurt to ask!

Long Weekend

  I know. I know. This daily thing isn't working out so well, but I'm doing the best I can people! I guess that I should start with the car. Ryan and I have been discussing the possibility of getting a second car for a little, basically ever since his parents first came out and visited. Okay, honestly it's just pretty much been me talking about it ever since then. His family came out for a week and while they were here they had this great rental car that I got to basically drive around the whole time since they didn't really know where anything was. And from that moment on I been obsessed with the RAV4. It is an SUV, but still compact. It's higher off the ground than my little Nissan, and so it will be great for the winter months. It has tons of storage space in the back and you can still fit 5 adults in it. In fact, every time we would drive down the road and see one, I would point and it and say "look, there's my car". And now Ryan teases me and says that as we're driving down the street in my new RAV4! Yep! I got it! What better way to celebrate spending the last 10 years paying off debt than to start another loan! But in all seriousness, it will be a great little car that will last for quite some time. (and yes, everybody, one that our little family can grow into.)

  The next part of our weekend adventure was spending sometime with my sister and her family to celebrate her birthday (which is this upcoming week). We made a huge dinner with everything she wanted: salmon, tempura veggies and a green salad covered with shrimp! Everything was delicious, if I do say so myself. 

  On top of everything else, we've now got a couple of house guests staying with us for the next little bit. It has been fun to have our little home full of so much love and laughter (not that we weren't happy before they showed up, but just so much more now.) Most of all this weekend has just been a lot of little adjustments, and trying to get settled in to a new routine. One of the newest parts of our daily routine is a "wind down" quiet reading time the last hour of everyday before we all go off to bed. (yes, I made sure if it was okay to use reading time to write instead tonight). But I love the process of setting aside time to unwind from the day and spend some quiet time together. It's also fun to be able to be in such close quarters with other people that enjoy reading as much as I do!

  I'm going to work really hard on getting back to daily updates, even if they are not super long. I do miss it when I'm not writing. But that is all for now as it is getting close to the end of reading time and the beginning of crawl-in-bed-and-sleep time. 

  Night all!!

  

Conversations With Women

  Growing up I was definitely not what you would call "housewife material". A self-proclaimed tomboy, with not much more than random t-shirts and jeans in my drawers. Girly-girls use to bug me and I just never got along with them. While I had a couple of friends who were girls when I was younger, they were never really the girly type either. And once I started getting older, it seemed that all of my friends were guys. I just found that I related to them more. I would have much rather played video games and climbed trees than do my makeup and sit around talking about boys while completely surrounded by pink things everywhere. (which is what I assume they all did when we were younger).

  And then somewhere along the line, something changed. I'm not sure if I could pinpoint an exact time or location because it was such a gradual process. But at the same time it seemed like an overnight transformation. Where one day I was talking about zombies and gore and the next I was talking about makeup and dresses. So I guess I'm either evolving (or devolving). Maybe it's just taken me this long to figure out that those girls when I was younger knew something that I didn't. Now this is not to say that I don't still enjoy talking about those things, but my focus has now shifted. And I guess more than anything, I find myself relating more and more to women. And in the process it's sparked some very interesting conversations.

  I sometimes still feel like Jane Goodall, studying these creatures and their movements and personalities. Learning how to live among them without standing out like a sore thumb (or a human among monkeys). But everyday I'm learning from them, these strong and amazing women that I surround myself with. I never knew that women were even having these conversations. Not only are they taking about things like makeup and hair (which is all I ever saw from a distance), but they are talking about these deeply personal things. And I was never one to have personal conversations, or really talk about myself at all. (Well that's obviously changed!) Now I find myself talking with women I just met about concerns and fears that I may have. Admitting things to them, that I've just barely started admitting to myself. But they get it. And they relate. And then they share their stories. Then we cry or laugh or just smile to ourselves and be happy with the fact that someone else understands what you're going through, or dealing with, or is excited about. (or maybe that's just me). And it's different than how a man gets it. The difference between sympathy and empathy. I know that this all must sounds so elementary to most of you, but I never really got it until now. And I'm really glad that I do.

  I am really happy to be a part of these conversations, and to be a part of something so special. This experience has really opened my eyes and really got me talking to people that I wouldn't have normally talked to. And I've been loving ever minute of it!
 Thanks so much to all of the amazing women in my life. I learn so much from you everyday! And I promise that tomorrow I'll go back to talking about my amazing husband. :P
 

Getting to Know Me!

  I know that most of you already know who I am, and what I'm about, but as I'm getting more and more followers (THANKS!) I thought that I would introduce myself formally. My name is Ashley, I'm almost 30 and I've been married for just over 3 months to my best friend, Ryan. I don't claim to be the best housewife, or have all of the answers, but I'm certainly trying, and learning and growing everyday. And my number 1 goal is to be the best wife for my husband.
  I've been collecting some questions today to help you get to know me just a little bit better, so without any further delays, I'll get right into them!

Q: Why did you start blogging in the first place?
A: Well, to be completely honest, I started blogging because of the movie Julie&Julia! As most of you know, it's a movie about a girl in her late 20's/early 30's who doesn't really get fulfillment from her job, has a really supportive husband and is just trying to find something to do with her time and learning to finish something that she started. I can relate to that. And I thought, I have a unique voice that I think people might be able to relate to, and if not then it's just a really fun journal for me. I love my husband, and just want to be the best for him and this was a way for me to learn and try new things and also hold myself accountable.

Q: What is your favorite food to bake?
A: Wow! Umm, so far it's probably cupcakes. It's not that they are anything special, but I love how much Ryan loves them. And he always gets so excited when he knows that I've made them. Plus, I LOVE decorating them. It's something that I've been teaching myself little by little, and I really enjoy it. It allows me to be creative and artistic, and also eat cupcakes!

Q: What is your favorite thing about being married?
A: EVERYTHING! (more specific?) I have always been kind of a people pleaser, so I like having someone around that I can take care of. And it's not because he can't take care of himself, he's fully capable, but he lets me. It makes me happy to serve my husband and do little things for him!

Q: Do you have a favorite website/cookbook for recipes?
A: I hate to kinda cop-out with this one, but I'd have to say Pinterest. :P There are so many new and fun things to try on there, and I've got some really good ideas from it. I also just use Google a lot. Ryan and I are on a diet where we eat 5 meals a day, and our 3 main meals have around 300-400 calories each, so I will literally just type in "400 calorie meals" in Google and just start clicking around. And mostly I just try and search for recipes that we both love and then experiment with ways that I can make them healthier and still tasty.

Q: What three things can always be found in your fridge?
A: And I can only pick 3? Well the first one is always water. I'm weird and I can't stand the taste of tap water in Utah. I've lived here for just over 3 years and I've yet to drink it. So we always have gallon jugs of water. The second thing would be our meats. Every Sunday I cook up a big batch of ground turkey and chicken and I keep it in containers in the fridge so we can just scoops out a portion (about 4oz.) whenever we need it for a meal. And the third thing would be liquid egg whites. I am a firm believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and every other day of the week I make either quick and easy breakfast sandwiches or omelettes. (great question!)

Q: What was the last thing that you ate?
A: We just finished up dinner a little bit ago and I made Chicken Tostadas. I bake some corn tortillas and we use refried black beans, diced chicken, tomatoes, olives, onion and lettuce (and usually a little salsa). They are quick and easy, which is the way I like my meals to be since we're both so busy.

Q: Shower or baths?
A: Well that's kind of a personal question :) but I really enjoy my baths. Just as important as it is for me to take care of my husband, it is just as important for me to take care of myself. I'm not a stay-at-home housewife, I too have a full time job and I love being able to spend some alone time with my scented bath salts, just soaking in a hot tub with a good book!

Q: What makeup could you not live without?
A: I would probably have to say my eyeliner, although I'm getting more and more into lipsticks. I haven't always been super girly and am still figuring out this whole makeup thing, but it's fun to just play around with it until something good happens.


  Wow! Thank you all so much for the awesome questions! (That was actually kind of fun!) If you didn't get your question in today, there's always tomorrow. You can always leave questions for me in the comments below and also on the Facebook fan page. And just a reminder that we're still working on getting 50 likes, so if you like what you've been reading so far, please share it with your friends!
  Thanks to all of you! NIGHT!
 

Really Early, or Really Late Spring Cleaning!

  Shortly after we moved into our townhouse a whole string of craziness started in our lives. It began with Ryan's birthday, which was also when his family came out for the week and it was the first time I had met them. Then all of the crazy planning and weekends figuring out favors, and flowers, and fittings for our wedding which was only a few short months away. And of course all of the stuff going on after the wedding! They don't tell you about that stuff. I always assumed that after the wedding everything would settle back down and go back to normal, but that's not how it happens at all. It's thank you notes and finding places for your gifts and a weeks worth of cleaning after the final house guest has left. In fact, I just found a box of stuff from our wedding that I hadn't even noticed before! Needless to say, we have now been in our place for just over 8 months and we're still not quite settled in.

  This weekend I really wanted to tackle a couple of rooms, our front living room area and the unfinished bedroom in the basement which has become designated storage room. Along with all of the normal and deep cleaning I do on Fridays while Ryan is at work, I decided to redesign the front room. We've got a couch that was left here by the owner, one that we had already, my big red chair, a coffee table and 2 side tables. There is nothing in the world that can quickly change the entire feel of a room more than a redesign. I know that that seems so obvious, but I just don't think that we always think of it as an option. So often, once we put something somewhere, that just becomes the place where it must be. But you should play around with your furniture. Every few months I like to redesign my bedroom. Even if it's something as simple as moving our bed up against a different wall. 

  The front room I've been wanting to do basically ever since we moved in and I set it up the way I had it. It just never felt quite right. The couches were facing each other with the coffee table in between them. Seemed great for if people came over to sit and chat in there. The problem was that we never really had anyone came over that just sat down in our front room to talk! So why was that the situation that I was creating the atmosphere for. Instead I wanted a room that was a little more closed off and personal. For the longest time I've been looking for a big "L" shaped couch, which I thought would really create the feel I was going for. And then, just this Friday, it hit me, I have 2 couches, why can't I just move them into an "L" shape? Yes, I know, I too fall prey to the notion that once something is put somewhere than that's where it must live until it's dying day. So I moved them! And in the process, 2 things happened: 1) I finally got the room to feel the way that I wanted it to! And 2) I saved us $1000 by not having to buy a new couch! (Ryan is really happy about the second!) 

  The second room that I've been wanting to work on is the unfinished bedroom in the basement where all of our storage is. Now, let's keep in mind that we have a good-sized townhouse, and it is just the 2 of us. Also, Ryan and I are really pretty good about not frivolously spending money on things that don't have a purpose or a specific place they need to be, so our "storage" is mostly things like a box of Christmas decorations and some of my old writings, art stuff, and our camping stuff that just doesn't get used that often. But we had it all just thrown down in the spare bedroom and what little we have seemed to be multiplying and taking over the whole room. So off to Home Depot we went to find some sort of shelving unit to contain the madness. $40 later and no tools required, we quickly snapped together the shelf and started organizing the boxes. The shelf had 5 shelves, which was a little too tall for the closet space, so we did 3 and 2 side-by-side and they fit PERFECTLY!! Now I am able to get to the Christmas decorations, when it's time, without having to take out everything else just to uncover it! 

  It truly doesn't take that long and it makes SUCH a difference! It is true that we should try to think outside the box, especially when it comes to our homes. It is where we spend the most time and where we should feel the most comfortable. Redesigning a room can change your whole attitude. It has certainly changed mine!

  Just a quick reminder that I'm still working on reaching 50 likes on the Facebook page so that I can give away any awesome prize (CHECK IT OUT HERE). I've also now added a link to the Wonder Woman Housewife Pinterest page so you can check out where I get some of my ideas! 

  Thanks so much to everyone! Night!

Return of the Dead

  Nope, not the movie, just me coming back to the land of the living.
  One of the things I love the most is taking care of people and doing things for them, so it's really hard for me to just relax and let other people take care of me for a change. My husband was completely amazing through all of it and does such a great job of taking care of me, but I am very happy to be feeling 100% again!

  Today is my mother-in-law's birthday (Happy Birthday Mom!!), so while Ryan and I were making breakfast and getting ready this morning we though it would be fun to call and wake her up. We don't talk to them nearly enough (and I'm not just saying that because I know she's reading this). We, like many people, get caught up in our day to day things and we forget how important it is for us to make time for things like that. It's obviously a little different with my side of the family, because most of them live within a half an hour of us, so we see and talk to them on a fairly regular basis. In fact tonight we are babysitting one of the nephews which we are both completely looking forward to. Although, I think Ryan is more excited about the fact that I told him since we were babysitting that we could splurge a little on dinner tonight, instead of having our regular diet meal. :P
  Today is also a run day (Monday, Wednesday and Friday we work on the couch25K program). We are into week 6, so not only is it getting more intense, but I missed my run on Wednesday due to the plague, so today was especially rough. But I did it (just barely) and that's what matters. It would have been so easy to use the excuse that I've been sick and not run today, but then I just feel worse. Not in the pukey way that I've been feeling, but the disappointed in myself kind of way. Although, the stomach flu that I just had dropped me down another 2 lbs! (15lbs total so far I've lost!!)
  As for the rest of the day, I've got errands to run. Gotta go change the oil in my car, grab a couple of things from the store, pay some bills, clean the house, and (most importantly) figure out what new recipe I'm going to attempt this weekend to share with all of you. Sundays are our "cheat days", so I try and plan something special on those days. Something that's still healthy, but more calories than we would probably normally consume. Or maybe even a treat of some sort. I've been wanting to attempt a real pie (as oppose to the super easy banana cream pie I always make), one that requires making a crust and actually baking!
  I'm glad to be back and fully functioning! I hope all of you are well and ready to enjoy this weekend ahead of us!!

Surviving-Day 2

  Day 2 of death dwelling inside me and not letting anything else in there is going just about as good as it sounds. My head is swimming and I have no strength left in my body. I plan on spending today the same way that I spent most of yesterday, either in bed, on the floor of the bathroom or soaking in the bathtub. In the bath I used about 1/2 cup of epsom salt (eucalyptus and spearmint), which is so relaxing. Too relaxing in fact, since I actually fell asleep for a little while in the tub! Oopsy!
  The other thing that I tried yesterday was a face mask. Made up of 1 tbsp baking soda and 1/4 cup of milk. I didn't really think it was doing anything, since it was mostly just dripping all over my face, but then it started hardening. I left it on for about 10 minutes and then washed my face off and my skin was so incredibly smooth. Even today, it is still the only part of my body that feels good!
  Last night when Ryan got home from work, he was amazing and helped me make soup and let me crawl back in bed and eat it there, and then he took the dishes back downstairs to the kitchen when I was done. And he even lied next to me in bed and didn't complain once about the cheesy romantic movies that I was watching. I watched the 1979 movie A Little Romance, that stars Diane Lane (who had to have been about 13 at the time and whom I absolutely adore, and made me really want to watch Must Love Dogs) and Laurence Olivier. And the next movie I watched was Roxanne, The 1987 movie with Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah.
  All right, back to bed for me. I hope that you are all feeling better than I am and having a good day. Keep your fingers crossed that I'll be all better by tomorrow, or even a little better, I'm not greedy!

It was bound to happen

  I missed posting anything yesterday and today I woke up with some nasty stomach flu that's been going around. I'm trying a couple of home remedies for detoxing, which I will be sure to write about as soon as I'm feeling up to it. But mostly just relaxing as much as I can between trips to the bathroom. (Yeah, I know, TMI!)
  Being sick is no fun at all. If I'm going to be quarantined in my house all day, trust me, I'd much rather be cleaning, than being stuck in bed (or sleeping on the bathroom floor). Blah! That's enough for now. Just wanted you to let you know what's going on. Let's just hope I get over this soon! Any home remedies that any of you might have to flush out this bug would be appreciated! Otherwise I hope you all have a great day. As for me, I'm going back to bed.

50 LIKE GIVEAWAY!!

  Thank you to each and everyone of you for checking out my blog and for your amazing amounts of support! As a thank you I have really been wanting to have a giveaway. I will do a random drawing when we reach 50 likes!! I know that it might seem like a small goal to reach for, but I don't think there's anything wrong with setting attainable realistic goals to start with. This is SUPER EASY! All you have to do is share the Facebook Fan Page with your friends and get the page over 50 likes!  I told you, it's super easy!

  Now some of you may be wondering what I will be giving away once we get to that point, well that's the fun part! Obviously my blog is about being a great housewife, and what is a great housewife without her kitchen gadgets! Out of all of the fun little gadgets I have in the kitchen, there are a few that I love and use the most. And I want to be able to share with you some of my favorite things. This is by no means an “Oprah's Favorite Things” thing, but these are tools that I use every single day in my kitchen, and I think that you will too!

  First up is the mix and chop tool! As odd as this little gadget looks, it is SO handy! I make big batches of ground meat once a week and this little baby works like a charm! We were given this as a wedding present and it took me a little bit to warm up to it (and to figure out what to do with it), but once I started using it, I haven't been able to stop.

  The next tool I use on a daily basis is the switchit all-purpose silicone spatula. I cannot even begin to express how highly I feel about this spatula. I use this EVERY SINGLE DAY! And I would be totally lost without this tool. I love making omelettes and this is the only spatula I've ever used that works perfect for them. 

  And last, but certainly not least, is the Microplane Grater. I'm one that loves to cook with a lot of garlic, but don't always want bit chunks, or even little minced up pieces. So I now just grate it into everything.

  And now back to how you could win all 3 of these amazing gadgets! Like I said, it's really easy. All you've got to do is spread the word about the Wonder Woman Housewife blog and get all of your friends to like the Wonder Woman Facebook fan page! Now, we're shooting for 50, but that doesn't mean we need to stop there!

  I look forward to shipping of this great package to one of you lucky folks!!