Date Night...

Date night is being done a little differently around here. My masters is unique in the sense that I have class on the weekends (Friday nights and Saturdays from 8-5). Cooking is out of the question on Friday nights when I have class, so we've come up with an alternative plan.

I ride the light rail downtown to and from school, so Nate picks me up at the Colorado Station around 9 so that we can get some dinner before everything closes. Typically, Wahoo's is the restaurant of choice. I know what you're thinking... "Ooo, gross! Fish tacos?!" Don't worry everyone, they have a delicious chicken sandwich that has become as vital to my stomach as blood is to the body!

I'm grateful for a lot of things, but this post recognizes only three of them. I'm grateful for the opportunity to go to school, I'm grateful for date nights with Nate, and I'm grateful for the chicken sandwich at Wahoo's!

I feel so domesticated...

Last night I made Sweet and Sour Chicken... FROM SCRATCH!!! That's right people, I'm moving up in the world. It was edible, but it wasn't easy. Let me paint a picture for you...

• I put on my fancy new apron.
• I put my hair in a ponytail.
• My face had a permanent disgusted expression which lasted the entire duration that it took me to handle the chicken (I loathe touching raw meat), and cut it into "chunks" (any recipe that calls for chunks makes me a little nervous). Nate handles all the raw meat in this relationship, but this recipe called for an early head-start before he made it to my house :(
• Cornstarch and egg yolk got EVERYWHERE. On the walls, floor, and everywhere in between.
• I fried the chicken for a little minute, standing as far away from the stove as possible (I didn't want anything to splash on my new apron!).
• My one dollar spatula melted in the pan while I was frying the chicken.
• My two dollar pan SUCKS, and as I looked up into my apartment, it looked like a brisk morning, driving in the high country, so foggy you can't see the exit signs to your right!
• The fire alarm went off (which is not un-natural when I cook, but usually Nate opens the doors and waves a towel at the alarm until it stops), but what's a girl to do when she's by herself?
• There's more, but you just had to have been there...

When I was done, I didn't just desire to thoroughly wash my hands, I wanted to shower! I laughed out loud a few times, it was comical. The best part? I had everything cleaned, table was set, and I freshened myself up before my guests (Nate, Maxi, and Lauren Brea) arrived. No one had a clue of the cooking adventure I had just had.

I rated this recipe a 4, and Nate rated it a 4.2 (out of 5) which means it makes it into my book for a future meal. I feel so domesticated :)

Sidenote: You can find the recipe here.

Oh the memories...

My family loves playing games! When I was a kid, we didn't have cable, but we did have tons of board games. I love the memories I have of my siblings and I playing games together.

Twenty years later, we still love games. Currently our favorite game is Rummy, but this weekend we decided to take a break from it and play a few others. We started the night with Catch Phrase, and the girls got destroyed by the boys. I won't say who lost it for the girls, but your options to chose from are Mom, Brook, Maxi, and me (cough-mom-cough).

Then we moved onto an old family favorite... SCUM! In our family, there is scum and double scum. Back in the day, scum and double scum had to go out in the backyard and pick up the dog poop. After the dog era, your ending spot in the game evolved into a ranking of first to pick out of the candy (there would be good kinds, and bad kinds).

This weekend's choices ranged from Reeces Minis and Skittles Blenders (good choices) to a Moon Pie and Cotton Candy (uh, no comment) with an assortment in between. We played, laughed, and had a good time!

You might be wondering why Maxi is sitting on a stool that is so short, she can barely see the cards at the table? Yea, double scum has to sit on the stool...

I love my family.

Sidenote: As double scum, I learned that the cotton candy isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Cooking Motivation...

Nate and I went shopping last weekend, and found some adorable aprons in Anthropology. Since we cook 6 out of 7 nights a week, I decided that I just had to have one. There were so many to choose from, it took me a while to commit to just one. The one I finally chose has a combination of cute fabrics, flirty ruffles, and pockets with huge buttons! None of these elements are well depicted in the picture below, but you can use your imagination...

Having a cute apron does something for a woman. It motivates them to cook more and it gives them confidence in the kitchen. So, naturally, I got right to work...

I threw some french bread pizzas in the oven for Nate and I :)

And I'm pretty sure they were the best tasting french bread pizzas I've ever made!

Our First Fight...

Well, 7 months of pure happiness has come to an end. Nate and I had our first fight. It turns out that two people, coming from competitive, athletic backgrounds should not have a speed tournament (the card game).

We started a speed tournament back in July, and we've been playing ever since then.

The first person to reach 100 games wins,

and let's just say there's a lot on the line...

The current score is:

Nate: 59

Kelly: 57

Four Facts:

Stress levels are high. It'll be a close game. We both hate losing.

It's still pure happiness :)

Locally Owned Options for the Suburbs...

There is a locally owned restaurant that just opened in my neighborhood, and I really wanted to try it. Nate and I love "mom and pop" type restaurants (all the good ones are in the small mountain towns) and "holes in the wall". This restaurant wouldn't fall under either category, but it is a no-name place (meaning not a chain) and that was good enough for me!

It's called Dad and Dude's Breweria, owned by a father and son. They specialize in pizza and beer! Nate and I went there on Friday night to try it, and we each got pizza. Nate had pepperoni, and I had pepperoni and pineapple (aren't we adventurous?)!

We both thought that the pizza was good, but not anything special. I left the restaurant feeling a little disappointed. I'm always hopeful to discover a hole in the wall, mom and pop, or no-name restaurant to be a hidden treasure. Unfortunately, these places get one chance, one shot to wow the new visitors in order for them to return again.

I had an amazing night with Nate, as usual, but sad to report that we're still on the prowl for better...

One of the...

One of the most exciting things about the spring is that the weather gets nice and you can start running on the trails instead of on a dang treadmill.

One of the best things about living in Colorado is that you can meet up with the family, and workout together. Grandma and Lauren Brea went for a walk while Maxene and I went for a run!

One of the paramount things about running with Maxene is that it always ends with a post-running "snack" (below is Thursday's post-run "snack").

Sidenote #1: I found some amazing trails last summer, so if anyone needs a running buddy, call me!

Sidenote #2: Macy and Brook need to move home!

Sidenote #3: The above ice cream is my absolute favorite. You should try it, and let me know what you think!