Probably The Most Perfect Weekend Ever

Let me start with last Thursday. We babysat. Remember that night that I babysat and the baby cried all night long, and I was exhausted and ready to cry myself? We babysat the same kids on Thursday evening, but the baby did so much better. She slept almost the entire time, and only fussed a little bit when she woke up and I changed her diaper. And then she fell asleep in my arms! And then the parents came back.

The boy was hyper as usual, but no unruly. He watched Horton Hears a Who. Twice. He REALLY likes that movie. He was a tiny bit cranky because the night went so late, and he was pretty tired, so he didn't fuss when it was time to go (like he usually does. He hates being away from Art's nerf guns).

So Thursday night was a good night. Friday night, Art and I went out on a date, to a restaurant called The Copper Hog. They serve authentic, UK-style food. (Did you know that in Europe, a lot of places serve fish and chips with mashed peas? So weird!) We didn't get fish and chips, but we did get curry fries with chicken. It was quite different, and really really good.

We got steak for our main dish, and it came with some broccoli, and when I bit into the broccoli, it was dry and crunchy and flavorful, like a chip! Broccoli chips! I loved it. I want to make broccoli chips for myself some day. Very soon.

Saturday was glorious. I got to sleep in and snuggle with my hubby for a while. Something we almost never get to do. I had a manicure at 1:00pm, and even though it was a basic mani, my nails look so pretty! I don't put color on my nails, because I want them to look neat and professional, so I chose an opaque, pearl-esque polish. I always try to keep my nails looking good, but right now, they look especially good.

We had the most gorgeous weather on Saturday, so even though Art and I drove past the grocery store on my way home, I asked him to drop me off at home so I could walk to the grocery store, to pick up a few things, and to enjoy the sunshine and warmth. So that was heavenly. Plus I bought eggnog. :D :D :D :D :D We like us some eggnog, yes we do.

The rest of Saturday was spent relaxing, and hanging out with friends, and watching UFC, and baking. (Because no two things go together more perfectly than baking to the sounds of two guys beating each other up.) Anyway, I had to bring something to eat for church the next day, because we were meeting as small groups instead of one congregation. It was 10pm, and I had no idea what I was going to make.

I opened my cupboards for inspiration, and behold: 3 cans of pumpkin! I immediately knew that I was destined to make pumpkin cookies, so Sozan and I drove off to Haggen at 10:30pm, picked up some ingredients, and I was baking cookies till midnight. And they were DELICIOUS! If I do say so myself. Although, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who thinks so, because they were gobbled up pretty quickly on Sunday morning. And don't worry, I will definitely share my recipe with you.

So Sunday started out pretty good, with those pumpkin cookies, and breakfast with a small group of people from the church. It was really informal, and I'm so glad that Art and I finally got to meet some people. We barely know anyone there! Hopefully we are now on our way to making some new friends.

The rest of Sunday was pretty much spent with Art watching football, and my listening to more Mark Driscoll sermons online, and looking up more recipes. I was suddenly inspired to learn how to make easy, nutritious, delicious meals. And what I found so far makes me very happy, and actually excited to get into the kitchen.

Tonight I tried out my very first full meal: beef and broccoli. So easy, so quick, so completely healthy and balanced, and it tastes SO good. As a matter of fact, I'm eating my second helping as I type this. It uses olive oil or vegetable oil for fat, broccoli for carbs, and beef for protein. Plus soy sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic for flavor. Genius! All three basic nutrients in one dish. I'm so proud of myself, because I used to say that I was a bad cook, and that I hated cooking. But every time I try something, it works! I just had to get inspired.

I'm thinking that maybe tomorrow, I'll try doing the broccoli chips. The whole broccoli thing is an especially big deal, because it's so healthy, but I hate eating it. I was determined to find ways to prepare it so that I would love it. So far, so good.

Stay tuned for some recipes, and more adventures as I discover that I'm not a horrible cook!