Saturday was a birthday dinner!

Like the title states, Saturday was filled with me cooking a birthday dinner. 

Tall Guy turned old.

And by old I mean...

28.

Nah that isn't old but we like to give him crap cause he's...almost...30. 

As if men really care about that number.

Or do they? I've never really asked.

When I asked him what I should cook, it didn't take him long to decide on Sloppy Joes. I was going to make the Italian Joes but I don't have her spaghetti sauce cooked yet (will be doing that on Monday!!) so we did the regular ones. I have cooked them before and posted them on the blog but this was his first time having them. 

Instead of kaiser rolls, he bought Potato Rolls. The flavor and thickness was really really good with the sloppy joes. So I give that 2 thumbs way way up. He also added some spice to it (I believe he added some cayenne and something else, can't remember which now) and yeah that gave it a big kick. I made him chop up the vegetables because let's face it, if I don't have to cut up an onion, I'm not. He got to witness my weird way of eating sloppy joes (open face, I hate making a mess eating them in a sandwich) and we sat down to watch Chopped with a bag of chips in front of us.

Yes...Chopped was the show of choice. Which is kinda funny because that show makes me feel huge everytime I watch it and yet here I was stuffing my face with sloppy joes. Can we say big fat fatties? 

Yeah, I knew you could.

But it was a great dinner, great show and great company. That's all that matters right?

The pictures were taken with the last of the leftovers he said. Neither one of us took pictures even though I said I was gonna blog about it. Seems to be a habit around here....

The delicious rolls that I made him brown too! 

Nom!

See that mess? Yeah I just can't do it! 

What's on your dinner agenda tonight? Tonight before RCIA class, I am making Chicken and Mozzarella Stuffed Ravioli with Bertolli Vodka Sauce. Sounds heavenly and it is!

You. Are. Welcome.

Yes, you are welcome for this annoying song being stuck in your head. But how can you not love it? Totally on my iPod for gym time!

Full term!!!

Little Miss is full term as of today. So now it's just the waiting game to see how much activity will happen in the next couple weeks. 

I honestly think she is going to come out at 9+lbs and probably not until October. Shes dropping for sure. Everyday I look lower and lower and I can feel it. She still loves to sit her little butt in my rib cage though. Apparently that is her hang out. 

What I am looking forward to the most though is that come December, I will have the go ahead to start working out and running again. And I am REALLY excited about it. Like so much so its kinda lame!

So excited in fact that the above stroller is the only one I am purchasing. I won't be using it for awhile given the weather around here (and I just can't stand those stroller covers) but I will be breaking that out the minute its nice out. 

I know its going to be a hard road. I mean getting back into running is long and tiresome to begin with. Now let's add in having not been able to for 9 months and all the extra baby fluff. But I am bound and determined to do it! I am thinking I might do the St Paddy's Day 5k Walk this year too. N thinks I should do the run again with her but I don't know. What do you think? You think I'd be able to train that hard in 2 months? 

Steak Fingers with.....?

Last night I finally made Steak Fingers With Gravy. I was going to make them on Tuesday night but we had an Open House at the school for Cub Scouts so I didn't have time. 

I sliced up all the meat into little strips, I used cube steak because they don't sell precut Steak Fingers where I shop. 

Ewww....raw meat! 

Then I started the process of coating it and frying it up. I fried some up real fast for Little Man as he had Awana's last night (came home with his blue Wing Runner book and is MIGHTY excited about it!). He gave me this look that said "um sure Momma" but surprisingly, he ate it right up. Even asked for more. I was SHOCKED. This child will eat tons of chicken, like his Momma. But anything steak or hamburger and it takes some prodding. Glad to report his plate was clean. 

The cayenne pepper that you use gives it a little kick that says "Oh here I am!" which I like. I like having some spice just now something overpowering you know? Very minimal seasoning too...cayenne pepper, black pepper and seasoned salt. Which, if you have cooked any of PW's recipes they are normally minimal in seasoning but chalked full of flavor!

Now the recipe is Steak Fingers with Gravy right? Her gravy making instructions are the same as her gravy for Biscuits and Gravy (which I adore her recipe for that by the way!). So I was like Okay, I have done this tons of time, I'll be good.

Yeah. No.

There wasn't enough grease to make it. At all. Which not gonna lie, is slightly irritating. Cause I bet this would be amazing with gravy. Guarantee it. 

Verdict is: 

This is amazing. I will be making this again. Ate it for lunch and my son is highly unhappy that there isn't more cause he wants more..again. He just asked me if I would make it again tonight. 

Tuesday Tunes

If you haven't noticed yet, once I have a good song I use it on either Tuesday or Thursday Tunes. There's no rhyme or reason to my madness! 

This week's song is by Mumford and Sons. I can't stop listening to it. Its a two part song. The first part is called To Darkness:

The second part is called Kripa. Both are amazing.

Enjoy!

Bi-Weekly Menu Sept 17th-Sept 28th

I have made a menu for the first time in....

man I can't even tell you how long.

But here it is. So Running With the Girls, your family can eat again! :-P

Baked French Toast

Diced Ham and Eggs

Steak Fingers with Gravy

Chicken Teriyaki, Rice and Steamed broccoli

Orzo with Parm and Basil

Crockpot Chicken Ceaser Sandwiches

T-Bone Steaks with Hotel Butter

Sausage Egg and Cheese Biscuit Casserole

Best Macaroni Salad Ever

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Wreath

White Chicken Cheddar Pasta

Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

Bacon-Chicken Crescent Ring Bake

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Tater Tot Casserole

Course, since I will be 36 weeks on Friday, I MIGHT have Little Miss before then. I doubt it since my last OB appt showed that she is making ZERO effort to try and come out. Before my midwife was thinking I wouldn't make it to 37 weeks. Now she's thinking that she might just stay in the entire 40 weeks. Given how large she is, I really hope not!!! 

Thursday Tunes

Other Chef has exposed me to all sorts of music. He has a wide range of what he will listen to. This band is one of them...

For some reason, I can't get enough of them. 

Enjoy!!!!

9/11....11 years later....

11 years ago today, my history class was told something by Mr Valentic and his words, I can still in my head today. 

He turned to us while we all sat at our desks, dumbfounded as to WHY someone would attack our country like this. We were all juniors, 16-17 years old. Completely sheltered to something so evil. Our biggest worry was a sale at Abercrombie or passing our Japanese test that was coming up. We were not worried about our country being attacked and thousands of people dying in a single day.

"You might not see it or know it now, but your lives will be forever changed from this moment on."

How true that statement is and was.

11 years later and I can guarantee that everyone knows at least one person who has been affected by 9/11 and the subsequent war(s) that followed.

11 years later and that day still echos in all our ears. 11 years later and we can all remember exactly what we were doing on that day, at that minute when we saw it happen. 

11 years later and I can still see that second tower being hit. I can still see those towers collapsing like they were made out of Legos.

11 years later and we know real life heroes. Not the ones we see on TV. But actual men and woman who lay down their lives, no questions asked, for their country. Because to them, its an honor to serve. Its an honor to do their duty.

11 years later and we are still reflecting. We are still reeling with the aftermath of 9/11. 

How has your life changed?

LeMay American Car Museum Trip

Saturday was a trip to the LeMay American Car Museum. It just opened this summer and not gonna lie, I was really stoked to go. I grew up around cars. My family drag raced and still races. I grew up with muscle cars in my garage. I love all things old cars. Little Man however was like Oh look...its a car. So yes, this trip was most definitely I think more for us adults then it was for the kiddo! 

My son asked if this is the car Grandma drove when she got a car....yes, I snorted.

1961 Chrysler

1960 Chevy Camaro, and I HATE that this one is blurry :( 

1951 Chevy Truck

1920s Gangster Car. Beautiful.

One view of Tacoma...that big white building is where I will be having Little Miss.

Downtown Tacoma. I love the view of the Mountains and the Sound.

1953 Buick.

1931 Duesenberg

1933 Mercedes Benz

1930 Rolls Royce

Rolls Royce Ghost

1960 Chevy Corvette

Old School BMW...kinda cool actually!

THE Flintstone car from the movie. Little Man's favorite car. LOL