don't give up on me, your love is like the sea

He made me lunch.

He snuggled me all day.

He took me out to dinner.

He let me eat some of his jello.

He held my hand during The Hurt Locker.

He's all mine :)

Second Star to the Right by This Day and Age

salmon patties

I bought canned salmon about a month ago to make these salmon patties but didn't get around to it until tonight. They were super easy to put together and only took a total of 8 minutes to cook. The patties were a little icky to form, but stayed together surprisingly well once placed in oil. Next time I plan on draining the salmon, using a little less salt and maybe add some extra seasoning. Old Bay perhaps? I didn't use dill because I didn't have any, so I added some dried parsley.

Neither Andy or I had ever tried salmon patties before. They were yummy! I'm going to make them again in a few days and will see if my changes work for the better.

letting go

I've been asked a few times recently how my budget challenge is going. Uhh. It's not. It never really got going in the first place.

It's so much easier to ask Andy to pick up a few things here since he works at Martins. There have been weeks where I haven't set foot in a grocery store. After we cancelled our Sunday paper in January, I didn't have coupon-ing to keep me inspired. I realized that the budget challenge just wasn't at the top of my priority list.

With the big move coming up I've been going through some things in effort to avoid bringing unwanted/unused items to our new home. I threw out high school papers, almost empty bottles of shampoo and lotion from my early college years, tons of old mascara, makeup encrusted bobby pins and SMAD 101 flash-cards. I found lots of brand new toothpaste, shampoo, cotton rounds, razors and shaving cream.

While I'm at it, I'm throwing away the budget challenge and hoping to find success in a new method of saving instead. I've decided to become the primary grocery shopper and shop for specific meals, particularly ones where leftovers turn into a new meal for the next day. I want to challenge myself in the kitchen. I haven't cooked consistently since last summer. One of the reasons I looked for a different nannying job was because I missed being home in time to make a meal.

Our moving goal is to be sleeping in our new house the night of April 6th. Until then, we're hoping our only groceries will be bread, milk and fruit. Maybe cheese. We do eat a lot of cheese.

It's midnight...

chicken enchiladas

I made enchiladas for the first time on Sunday. They were fabulous and lasted for 2 dinners and a lunch. Andy and I don't mind leftovers, but if you do then simply cut the recipe in half and use a smaller baking dish.

These enchiladas come from a cookbook that was put together by the women in my parent's church.

Chicken Enchiladas courtesy of Norma Woodward

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 package medium flour tortillas

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can diced green chiles

1 pint sour cream

2-4 cups Mexican shredded cheese (I used 2)

1 small can mild enchilada sauce (I used the red kind)

Grease a 9x12 dish. Mix sour cream, soup and green chiles. Set aside. Spread a layer of sour cream mixture, chicken and cheese down the middle of each tortilla, fold and place seam side down in the dish. Repeat until dish is full (I squished mine in tight). Add enchilada sauce to remaining sour cream mixture and spread over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned.

Andy thinks this recipe would be even better if the cooked chicken was rubbed with taco seasoning before being placed on the tortillas. The man loves taco seasoning.

a good excuse to go to Staples

When I got engaged I desperately wanted a wedding planner (in the form of a book). My mom warned me that I would never use it. She was right.

What I did use was a plain white 1/4 inch binder stocked with clear page sleeves. I went through my stack of bridal, fitness and cooking magazines and ripped out anything that I found inspiring or helpful. This included a sample registry printed from Bed Bath and Beyond, ab workouts, examples of wedding hairstyles and makeup, a laundry guide and quick dinner ideas. I also stuck in cards from my bridal showers and mementos from my bachelorette vacation.

Now I can not only go back and look at what interested me in 2007/2008, I can also trash what I don't need anymore and add more relevant items. The great thing about page sleeves is you can put in whatever you want- calendars, menu plans, paint chips, invitations, etc.