Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

I have only recently discovered that lemons and blueberries, together, create a symphony of deliciousness that dances over one's taste buds.

I spent the great majority of my life despising blueberries. I hated blueberry pancakes, blueberry pie, blueberry muffins - you get the picture. Only recently have I come around and learned to appreciate the humble antioxidant-filled blueberry.

I had some friends over for dinner and searched Pinterest for an impressive dessert and came across Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars (link to recipe below). It has a shortbread crust (which has lemon), cheesecake filling (which has lemon), and a blueberry syrup swirled in the cheesecake filling. . . and yes, it also has lemon. It was the most delicious dessert I had ever had. EVER. 

http://jennsrandomscraps.blogspot.ca/2013/06/blueberry-lemon-cheesecake-bars.html?m=1

Seriously, click the link above and make these bars. You will not be sorry. They are a bit involved and require some effort (definitely not something you can quickly whip up), but aren't the best things the ones you need to wait for? Make. Them.

Anyway! So I made breakfast this weekend, but wanted something different than the typical omelet I usually make with some potatoes (don't get me wrong - I make AWESOME omelets and even better potatoes).

I stopped at our local produce stand a few days ago and 1/2 pints of blueberries were on sale for only $0.99! So I picked some up along with a bunch of other delicious goodies including. . . you guessed it. . . lemons. 

So while looking for things to make for breakfast, I came across all purpose baking mix (Target brand equivalent to Bisquick), the blueberries and lemons I bought at the produce stand, and luckily some Vermont maple syrup. The delicious memories of those blueberry lemon cheesecake bars came rushing into my mind and I was determined to once again experience the scrumptious marriage of lemons and blueberries. And that is the story of how my lemon blueberry pancakes were born.

Now I am sure that someone else out there has come up with this idea already, but for me, this was a whole new experience and a completely original recipe. And they were delicious. My favorite pancakes yet and boy do I LOOOOOOOOVE my pumpkin pancakes in the fall (I will post that recipe at some point, I am sure! So good! It's like eating pumpkin pie, but even better, for breakfast). These pancakes just take like summer with a subtle lemon flavor and fresh plump blueberries.

The only thing that I think could take these pancakes over the deliciousness edge would be a cheesecake-type filling (laced with lemon) smeared between two pancakes and then drizzled with syrup. Umm, hello?! I think that would be amazing, but I did not have any cream cheese on hand to try it. Next time, I think I will plan ahead to make these pancakes and will make sure to get some cream cheese. . . or mascarpone. . . oh gosh, I am officially salivating! Enough talking. Start cooking. I hope you enjoy my lemon blueberry pancakes!

Ingredients:

Pancake batter (homemade or your favorite brand - enough batter for about 12-16 pancakes)
1 lemon
1/2 pint of blueberries, washed
2 heaping tablespoons of sugar
Butter for cooking (or you can use cooking spray)

Directions:

1. Preheat your skillet or counter top griddle on medium to medium-high heat

2. To your pancake batter that you should have already prepared either by your own recipe or package directions, add the zest and juice of the lemon.

3. Add the blueberries and mix until evenly distributed in the batter.

4. Add the sugar and mix again (you need extra sugar to counteract the tartness of the lemon)

5. You may now have batter that is a little runny, depending on how thick you made it to begin with. If it is too runny, add some flour or baking mix (a tbsp at a time) in order to get the right consistency. It is all about preference. I like my batter kind of thick because I like really dense pancakes, but if you like lighter pancakes, then don't make the batter too thick.

6. Add butter (or cooking spray) to your skillet or griddle to coat. Butter is my preferred method because not only does it keep the pancakes from sticking, but it also gives them rich buttery flavor and makes them kind of crispy along the edges.

7. Pour the batter onto your skillet or griddle to make desired size pancakes (mine are usually about 5 inches across)

8. When bubbles form all over the top of the pancakes, flip them over. Adjust your heat if needed.

9. To keep pancakes warm while finishing up the batter, I put them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper (or you can just grease it) and put them in a 225 degree oven. Other people put them on a plate and cover with tin foil - whatever you want to do.

10. When all the batter is used up and all pancakes are finished, serve with your favorite syrup and enjoy! I paired these babies with apple maple chicken breakfast sausage - so good!

Island In The Sun Quesadillas

Last night I accidentally made the most delicious quesadillas. Ever. I think. The hubs, too.

We just got back from our honeymoon a few days ago and came home to an empty refrigerator. . . which I did on purpose because I did not want our food to go bad while we were away. So our first full day back after travelling for 30 hours from Malta back to southeast Florida, I went to the store to stock back up.

I bought things that were going to be easy to cook and require minimal effort.  I bought stuff like fresh raw chicken tenders (they cook up so quick!) for a busy night, some frozen turkey meatballs, some standard items like tortillas, bread, cheese, etc., and some fresh fruit that was on sale.

One thing I love about living in south Florida is that fruit is generally almost always pretty cheap - especially at the produce stands. Whole pineapples were on sale for $2 and mangoes were on sale for $1. I knew the hubs would appreciate the pineapple for snacking (it is definitely one of his faves) and I could maybe use mango to both snack on and maybe on top of chicken or something.

So last night I got home a bit late from work and wanted something easy. I opened the freezer to see what we had and decided to take out and thaw the chicken tenders (to thaw, just place the unopened package in a wide, shallow container and cover with room temperature water - they thaw fairly quickly which is why I love to have them on hand! Way faster than breasts).

Then I looked in the pantry and refrigerator to see what I could do with the tenders. I saw the tortillas and the cheese and thought, "Voila! Quesadillas."

While cooking up the thawed chicken tenders in my skillet, I went to grab the olive oil and much to my dismay, learned that we were all out of that, too! Oi vey. So I checked in the cabinet and saw we had virgin coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil has a much stronger coconut flavor than non-virgin, so I wanted to use it sparingly. I have used a bunch of it before and cooked as normal and it just tasted too funny. It really requires flavors that pair well with coconut.

Well, a huge glop fell out of the jar and into the pan - exactly what I did not want to happen! So at that point I just thought, "OK. We are having coconut chicken quesadillas." So I looked in my cabinet to then find spices and flavorings that would go nicely with coconut. I found yellow curry powder and thought that could make for an interesting quesadilla. I added it to the chicken along with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and just a sprinkle of Italian herbs.

I then checked back in my fridge to see what other items I had that would pair well with the flavors. I found honey barbeque sauce and the pineapple and mango I had just bought. Then I was like, "OK! Tropical quesadillas! Let's see how this works out."

Long story longer, I put everything all together on a buttered tortilla, folded it in half, and slapped it on my panini grill (which was sooooooo much easier than pan-frying and worrying about flipping the quesadillas without the filling falling out. Plus it grills both sides at the same time cutting down on cook time!)

I plated those suckers up and watched hubs take the first bite with nervous eyes. To my delight, he loved them! But then again, I could put pineapple in just about anything and he would probably love it. But  still - he thought they were delicious. I replied to him by saying, "They say it's rude to compliment your own food, but damn! These are good!" He then asked me if I got the recipe on Pinterest. To which I replied, "No, from my brain." He then suggested I put the recipe on Pinterest to give back to all the lovely people out there who have made our breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and desserts more delicious over the last couple years.

So below, please find my recipe for my accidental, on a whim, made-up-as-I-went-along, Island In The Sun Quesadillas.

Ingredients

1 package (about a pound or so) of raw chicken tenders or breasts
6 tortillas (8 inch size)
2 cups of shredded cheese of your choice (1 package)
Pineapple
Mango
2 tbsp. virgin coconut oil
Butter or your favorite buttery spread
Barbeque sauce
Yellow curry powder
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Italian seasoning/dried herbs (any you have on hand will work - or none at all - totally optional)

Directions

1. Heat up a large skillet on medium to medium-high heat with 2 tbsp of virgin coconut oil

2. Cut up chicken into bite-sized pieces then add to hot skillet and let chicken brown about 1 minute

3. Add desired amount of yellow curry powder (I used probably about 1/2 tbsp.), garlic powder (I used about 1 tbsp.), salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of dried herbs.

With a wooden spoon or spatula, mix up the chicken and seasoning in the pan so that all chicken is coated with coconut oil and flavorings.

Continue cooking the chicken about 5-7 minutes until the inside is no longer pink.

4. While chicken is cooking, cut up pineapple and the mango. Cutting mango can be tricky if you have never done it before. I used a YouTube video to help me out after butchering my first mango years ago!

5. When chicken is done cooking, turn off heat, take skillet off the burner, and place chicken aside.

6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter one side of a tortilla. Flip it over and drizzle barbeque sauce on the non-buttered side.

On one HALF of the tortilla, sprinkle just a little bit of cheese over the barbeque sauce to act as glue.

Then, spoon on some chicken over the cheese, sprinkle on some pineapple and mango, and then top with a more generous desired amount of cheese.

 Fold the tortilla in half by pulling the half with just barbeque sauce over the half with the toppings.

7. Carefully place folded stuffed tortilla on sandwich press, a countertop griddle, or a large heated skillet on the stove.

If using a sandwich press, close the top so that it grills both sides of the quesadilla at the same time. Check periodically to make sure your tortilla does not burn.

If using a griddle or skillet, cook on medium to medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes and then carefully flip the quesadilla over to cook the other side.

8. When quesadilla is cooked on both sides to your desired crispness, place on a greased baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm while you assemble the others.

9. Repeat steps 1 through 8 with your remaining 5 quesadillas.

10. Enjoy the deliciousness!

How To: Heatless Boho Natural Waves

SO I have really long hair (almost to my butt), so I am always trying to do my hair in cute ways that it looks "done" without heat. I have a rule where I do not use heat on my hair more than once per week. I have beautiful, silky, nourished ends, which is very, VERY hard with such long hair!

I also like to add some texture to my hair every once in a while. My natural hair texture is long loose waves, but sometimes, I just want it it look really full. I have a lot of hair, but it is very fine. Also, because my hair is so long, it is heavy and tends to just lay flat on my head.

Anyway, I really love that natural kind of kinky texture. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with it and would make my mom braid my hair into little braids every time I washed my hair. When I took my braids out in the morning, I would have super kinky, big hair. That was a cute look in the '90s when I was a kid (it looked like I took a crimper to my hair and just went NUTS), but this is 2014 and as a 27-year-old young professional, I need a more "mature" version of this style if I am going to keep rockin' it.

So I tried just doing regular braids that were larger versions of the ones I would do as a kid, but the texture wasn't right. It still looked too crimp-y. So then I tried rope braids and voila! It gives a texture that's more of a wave rather than a crimp and because you have to twist the hair to make a rope braid, I got some nice spiral texture, too.

In the photos below, I divided my hair into four sections and rope braided each section. I did not twist or wrap my hair super tight to try to keep the waves from being too tight. However, if the photos below is too much texture for you, just divide your hair into less sections or just do one large rope braid.

I have also included a video below which shows you how to do a rope braid if you do not know how to do one already. This video is how I learned to do it and she also has a ton of other great tutorials for all kinds of different braids and hairstyles.

1. Divide slightly damp hair into desired number of sections and rope braid each section. The more sections you have, the tights your waves will be. So if you want looser waves, divide your hair into less sections or do just one large rope braid. Again, I did 4 sections. Now go to sleep and let your braids work their magic while you slumber! (Please forgive my eyebrows - they are due for a waxing!)
Tip: You may want to add a little bit of frizz serum to your hair before braiding. I use the one by Paul Mitchell.

A close-up of the rope braids

2. In the morning, take out your braids. Gently run your fingers through your hair to separate it - it will still be twisted. I say gently because otherwise you will end up with a frizzy rats nest.
Tip: If hair is still a little damp, blow dry the braids BEFORE taking out the braids. Blow dry on high heat and low fan speed.

Look at the wonderful texture! Such a nice, easy change every now and then from the super sleek Chi straightened look. And it gives your hair a nice break from the high heat!

Also looks great in a cute pony. . .

Style it and makes a great down-do that translates well for a casual, but done office look

One more shot of the texture!

Video: How to do a rope braid by Bebexo

 

DIY Project: Dried Flower Petal Candle Holder

Every time I get flowers, especially from Joseph, I always want to keep them in some sort of way. I am a very sentimental person and feel very guilty about throwing things away that have meaning. However, I am also realistic and realize that I cannot have bunches upon bunches of stems of flowers that have been hung upside down to dry just lying around everywhere.

This issue of throwing away flowers came up again after my wedding. Flowers for a wedding can cost a small fortune and even though I think I got a pretty good deal for only $1275, that is still a lot of money to spend on things that are disposable and going to die.

After the wedding, we were stuck with every single centerpiece, along with the giant arrangements for the ceremony. People did not take anything home because they really had no way of transporting the flowers because they were asked not to take the vases. So, we got stuck with all of them.

We were going to donate all of the flowers to a nursing home or hospital or something, but being so tired after the wedding, we got lazy and the flowers started dying. I didn't want to donate almost dead flowers. Because the flowers were almost dead, I couldn't really send them away for preservation either. Besides, that is really expensive and we were tapped after the wedding! . . . And still are, sadly.

So my aunt, who is an interior decorator, sat down with me to try to figure out what we could do with the flowers so that they did not just end up in the dumpster. Upon brainstorming together, we came up with getting a tall vase from Michael's or Homegoods or wherever, and filling it with the dried petals. Then, top the filled vase with a glass candle saucer to make it a candle holder. So I got to work!

It was inexpensive compared to sending off the flowers for preservation, which can be $300-$1,500+

Materials

1. 10 lbs. (two 5lb boxes) of silica gel, which can be found at any craft store in the floral department. I think it was $16.99 per box at Michael's, but I used a 40% off coupon for each box, making the total cost about $20 for both boxes.

2. A tall vase. Again, I went to Michael's. The vase was $14.99 and once again, I used a 40% off coupon, which brought the price to about $9.

3. A glass candle holder saucer. Once again, Michael's. It was $2.99 - pretty cheap.

4. Flower petals - you don't need many. There is a lot of space between petals. However, you can stuff a lot in there as well. More on that later.

5. A candle

6. Hot glue

7. Shoebox sized airtight containers - 1 for each type of flower you have ($1.49 each at Big Lots - I needed 4) 

8. Colander/pasta stainer

Instructions:

1.  Dismantle your flowers and separate the different types of petals into different airtight containers
- Spread a thin layer of the silica gel on the bottom of each container before placing your flowers in them. 

2. Dry your flowers
- You cannot just stuff flower petals into a vase without drying them. You will end up with a brown slimy mess as they decompose and break down. Drying them with silica gel will not only preserve their color pretty well, but it also dries out the flowers by drawing out all of the moisture so they don't turn into brown slime. 
- Once your flower petals are in the airtight containers, cover the petals with silica gel. Make sure to shake the container a bit so the silica gel gets in between the petals. You want the gel to get into as many cracks as possible so that it makes contact with every petal. Otherwise, some of your petals will turn into that slimy brown goop I mentioned earlier. 
- Place the lids on your containers. Let your petals sit in the containers with the silica gel for at least 5 days. You can check on your petals to see if they are dry before the 5 days are up. Even though mine felt dry, I just thought I was better safe than sorry by letting them dry some more. 
-  Put a colander over an empty container and pour the petals and silica gel into it. You are not going to completely get rid of all the silica gel, but that's OK. Just get most of it off the petals. Keep the leftover silica gel - you can reuse it for a future project!

This is what the box of silica gel looks like - again, it is in the floral department of any craft store

Spread silica gel in the bottom of containers, then add petals

Spread the silica gel over the petals and shake - make sure to cover well!

This is what your petals will look like once dried and the silica gel strained into another container

3. Get your vase and start stuffing it by layering your different petals
- If you don't have a ton of flowers, that is OK! The vase fills up pretty fast if you don't press the flowers down into the vase. However, if you have a ton of flowers like I did, you can press them to the bottom to get rid of the air and empty space between the petals. My vase was kind of tall, so I used a broomstick to do this.

Look at all that beautiful texture!

4. Glue your saucer onto the top of your vase

 5. Get a candle - you're done! (I need to get a different candle, but I needed to take a picture with something!)

And that's it! It is a little time consuming and not something that can be done in a weekend due to the drying process. However, this is a very easy project that even the inexperienced crafter can do (in my opinions).   Also, this is a great way to get to enjoy your flowers from all of those special occasions every day. And, the best part, this project is a hell of a lot cheaper than having your flowers preserved - and they will last forever!

 

Before You Move In Together: What You Should Talk About First

So my best friend, Anna, has decided to leave me in sunny South Florida to move in with her boyfriend in freezing Ohio. Since she has not lived with a significant other before, she asked me for some advice. She mostly wanted to know what I thought the most important things to talk about and work out before moving in together were. Considering she is leaving in less than two days, hopefully all will be fine!

So anyway, I thought about it and thought about it while lying in bed last night and came up with some of the things that my now-husband and I used to fight over a lot when we first moved in together.

Joseph and I have been living together since September 2011 and were just "boyfriend and girlfriend" when we decided to move in together. By the way, I am a HUGE advocate for living together before getting engaged/married. Forget the whole "He won't buy the cow if he gets the milk for free," crap. One year and 3 months later, I had a rock on my finger (not that getting married is something all women are looking for, nor is it something they should be looking for - I understand marriage is not for everyone. There was a time when I seriously thought it wasn't for me either.).  We had been dating for a little over 3 1/2 years and thought we knew what it was going to be like living together. We went on vacations together to see if we could be around each other for 24 hours a day for 7-10 days at a time. We even went on a cruise and lived harmoniously in a human-sized sardine can of a sleeping cabin. We thought we knew each others bad habits and annoying quirks. We. Had. No. Idea.

When people say the first year of living together is the hardest (this is usually said about marriage since traditionally, couples do not live together until they were married, but I say screw tradition), they are not joking. We had never been that couple that fought. We bickered here and there like normal couples, but we never had, like, fights. We got into screaming matches over stuff I never dreamed of. SO! Long story longer, here are some things I would suggest new couples work out before signing that lease.

1. Bad habits
More than likely (and hopefully), you have been together long enough to have spent a decent amount of time in each others home before moving in together. You should already have a pretty good idea of what your partner's bad habits are. If there is something that you see as potentially very bothersome, talk about it before you move in together. Do not expect that your partner will suddenly break a habit that took probably years and years to develop just because they now have to share their space with someone else.

For instance, I am really bad about doing my laundry and my clothes are always scattered in random places throughout the house. When Joseph would come over my house, he would joke about my clothes being everywhere, but he seemed accepting of it. Until my clothes were all over his house, too. Not just mine. We still fight about this, but I am at least trying to get better. Also, he has a bad habit of hoarding receipts and keeping them in crumpled messy piles all over his dresser. I absolutely cannot stand this, but I knew he did it before we moved in together. However, I didn't realize how much it bugged me until his messy dresser was in my bedroom.

If there is something that you think will be a deal breaker that you just absolutely will not tolerate unless your partner changes their ways, talk about it. Communication really is key in a healthy relationship - talk, talk, talk! Get it all out and then move on to the next step with you both on the same page.

2. Bills
Have this worked out before moving in so there are no surprises later. Will the bills be in your name, theirs, or will you divide them? How will you split the bills? When will you sit down and figure out who owes the other what?

To keep things simple, we put everything in Joseph's name and he pays all the bills as they come in. We split everything except the mortgage equally (he bought the house - we did not buy it together before getting married) because at the time, he made a lot more money than I did. However, we figured out my fair share and agreed. At the end of the month, after all the bills have been paid, Joseph divides the total number in half and I write him a check. Not very romantic, but this is life as a barely middle class young couple.

3. Food
Who will be responsible for providing food for the house? Will all the burden be placed on one person? Will you go one week and then they will go the next? Will you do all of your shopping together? How will you keep track of food costs to make sure each is paying their fair share (food is expensive!)? What will your weekly/monthly food budget be (this is probably the most important factor to work out)?

Once again, to keep things simple, we gave all the food responsibilities to one person: yours truly. It is my duty to brave the Publix parking lot each week. Having one person be in charge was the easiest way we found to keep track of costs. Plus, Joseph hates the grocery store (not that I am super fond of it either, but I guess I tolerate it better) and honestly, he wouldn't know what to buy anyway. I once sent him to the grocery store to buy Pillsbury Crescent Rolls - he came back with croissants from the bakery section. Delicious, but not the right thing. Not the right thing at all. Bless his heart.

Also, who will be in charge of cooking? You cannot afford to eat take out every night (or maybe you can, I don't know. But most likely you can't), so who will be responsible for putting the food on the table? In addition, you may want to make an arrangement that whomever doesn't cook, cleans the dishes. I do all the cooking and Joseph does all the dishes. 

4. Pets
Do either of you have a pet of your own? Is the other person really okay with sharing their house with said pet? Will they be sharing in the responsibilities of taking care of said pet and adopt them as their own, or will the main responsibility remain with the primary pet owner?

If neither of you has a pet before moving in together, does one of you want one? Does the other person want one, too? Are they at least open to the idea? Are they allergic to animals? Is not having a pet a deal breaker? If the other person agrees to live with a pet, will they share the responsibilities of taking care of the pet? A new pet is to be taken VERY seriously - adopting a pet is a huge commitment and should not be done unless the other person is truly willing to commit as well. Animals are not disposable - it causes them great distress when their bonds with their humans are suddenly broken. Do not get a pet with the attitude that you can just get rid of it if things don't work out.

Neither Joseph nor I had pets before moving in together. Joseph had never had a pet before in his life (seriously) and I had ALWAYS had pets growing up - and most of the time, multiple pets. Before moving in together, I was adamant that we must have pets and that I could not live in a home without animals. Joseph, not having any allergies, agreed to share the home with pets and we decided that two pets was reasonable for both of us. However, he did make his preference for a cat over a dog known since they are less maintenance. Disappointed because I was looking forward to finally having my own dog, I agreed, because I do really love kitties and have always had a kitty.

We now have a cat named Jane Eyre (although we call her The Bees - I have no idea what possesses us to call her this, but it's really cute when my husband says, "Oh no! It's the attack of the killer bees!" - it's seriously my favorite thing) and a chinchilla named Paco.

I can't resist sharing photos of my adorable fur babies! They are just the cutest little fluffs!

5. Chores
Ah, the dreaded chores. At least for lazy people like me, they are dreaded. Joseph and I are still working this one out, but in a perfect world this is what we would do:

We would make a list of all the chores that need to be done around the house (not just IN the house). We would then sit together, review the list, and divide it equally by allowing each other to choose the chores we feel we can tolerate the most. This way, we would have a clear distinction of who is responsible for what and each of us would do our fair share. And we wouldn't totally hate our chores since we picked them ourselves. By the way, we are totally doing this in the very near future - we must.

Also, will there be a certain day you will do chores together? Or will you each just be responsible for doing your chores separately whenever each of you gets around to them?

6. Sleeping 
Does one of you snore really loud? Are one of you a night owl and the other is an "early to bed, early to rise," kind of person? Do you have opposite working schedules that force you to sleep at different times?

Joseph and I do not have any of these problems, but we know many couples who do. Sleep is incredibly important not only to your personal health, but to the health of your relationship. If neither of you are sleeping well, you will be cranky and more likely to fight.

The only time my husband and I ever ran into this sort of problem with sleeping arrangements was when I was in grad school. There were some nights that I had to stay up all night writing a paper. Instead of disturbing him by messing with the covers, crawling into bed, and plugging in my phone, I would sleep downstairs on the couch those nights. 

Bottom line, it may be necessary for you to sleep separately. Maybe not all the time, but every-so-often. Some may think that sleeping separately is a nail in the coffin for a relationship, but many times, it actually dramatically improves the relationship. Talk about each others sleep needs and how you will address any problems. Mostly, figure out who it is that will get the boot to the couch so you don't fight about it later.

7. Fighting 
You are going to fight. It is inevitable. Talk about how you plan to address conflicts in a constructive manner. Also, you may want to each establish a "safe place" in the home. This is a place where each of you can go, undisturbed, to cool off while in a fight to better prevent regretful words from being spoken. Remember, once the words are said, they can never be taken back, no matter how many times one stresses they didn't mean it.

I made sure the home we moved into was two stories. I wanted the ability to completely separate myself from Joseph if I needed to get away for a few minutes to calm down. When we get in a fight, up the stairs and into our bedroom I go. Once I calm down, I go back downstairs (or Joseph comes upstairs) and we talk it out.

8.  Personal Space
Everyone needs some "Me Time." It is important for personal growth and reflection. A relationship cannot flourish if the people in it are not flourishing and growing as well.

Talk about what your personal needs are for alone time and agree to be understanding and not get upset or offended if your partner asks to be left alone for a little while. 

I know that when Joseph is in our office with the door almost closed and with the music on, he is most likely partaking in his "Me Time," and I leave him alone. He likes to write and make music, so I try to just let him do his thang. Also, he listens to music on his headphones every night before going to bed. This used to bother me and I would accuse him of tuning me out, but now I understand that is his "Me Time" that he just happens to have while lying next to me.

In addition to "Me Time," how will you handle having guests over? Both of you may be used to just inviting your friends over whenever you damn well feel like it. However, you will now be sharing a space with someone else and that someone else may not want to have people over at the same time you do. Talk about standard protocol for inviting friends over to make sure you do not overwhelm each other with company.

9. Expectations 
This can apply to many different things dealing with your new arrangements. 

What are each of your expectations for your relationship? Where is it headed? Is moving in together your final stepping stone or will there be wedding bells at some point afterward? If you both want to get married, is there a general time frame either of you would like to be engaged within?

What are your expectations of each other? Is one of you supposed to be going back to school? Or finishing school? How about looking for a new job because the one they are in is a dead-end or they should be striving for something better? Do you expect your partner to achieve a certain goal by a certain time?

What are your general expectations? How much quality time would you like to spend together? Will you have a designated date night (Just because you are going to be living together does not mean you stop dating each other. Ever.)?  Will there be a limit to things like video game playing (No, you should not try to control your partner or try to change them, but unless you are playing video games together, excessive video game-playing can cause a lot of serious tension in a relationship.)?

Just talk to each other about what you are both expecting, in general, of living together. If there are certain things you are expecting your partner to do or not do, talk about them. Do not think for a second that your partner is a mind reader because this assumption will lead you to many, many, many fights. Trust me, I know from experience.

Living together can really be wonderful, so long as you are with the right person. Ultimately, living together is going to require a lot of compromise and you will understand the true meaning behind, the saying "Pick your battles." If either of you is too stubborn or too proud to make any concessions, you may find yourself in trouble.

I love coming home to Joseph every night and waking up next time him every morning. It is a nice feeling to share your home with someone you love and who loves you back. We both had to learn to be more open minded to each others ways and flaws, and to work out conflicts constructively rather than with pure aggression. So long as both of you are willing to work out the kinks together as a team and drop the ego, you will be fine.

A Romantic Night In

 So, once again, Joseph and I got married two weeks ago. Our bank accounts are essentially depleted and we are hurtin'!

We have never made a big deal of Valentine's Day all 6 years we have been together. We give each other a card, he maybe gives me some flowers (most of the time it's just a single rose, which is totally fine), and we go out to a moderately priced dinner - nothing ever really fancy, but I guess just a little bit more special than our typical weekly Saturday Date Night. No gifts. No candy. Nothing crazy or expensive.

This year, however, is the first year that we decided to stay in. Pretty much every year I have dabbled with the idea, but have always thought that cooking, cleaning up, and hanging out in my own house did not seem as romantic as going to a crowded, loud, and anything-but-intimate restaurant. However, in that crowded restaurant, I do not have to cook or clean.

Because financially we did not have much of a choice this year but to stay in, I decided to make the best of it. And I was pleasantly surprised! We had such a lovely and romantic evening!

Mr. Sophie (I love Pride & Prejudice and 19th century literature, so I like to call him this!) cannot cook to save his life. However, for our romantic night in, I commissioned him to cook alongside me so it felt more like we were actually spending the evening together.

It turned out that creating something together was incredibly romantic! I loved that I got to spend so much quality time with him and we worked as a team to create some pretty yummy noms. We put on some romantic tunes by some of our faves like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Ella Fitzgerald and then we ate our creations by candlelight with a couple of glasses of Sauvignon Blanc.

And the best part?  His gift to me was cleaning up!

We made a simple salad of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, store bought cheese-garlic croutons, store bought Italian dressing, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

For dinner, we made Chicken Spinach Alfredo Lasagna Roll-Ups (keep scrolling for the recipe!)

And lastly for dessert, we made Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifles (again, keep scrolling for the recipe). I thought this was perfect as it was so easy to make the recipe to suit just two people without having any leftovers. Since it was Valentine's Day, we decided it was OK to be a bit decadent, but we need to get back into our normal healthy(ish) routine. Plus, our honeymoon to Malta is coming up in May, so I need to watch out before we hit those Mediterranean beaches! 

So my advice to you? Opt for a romantic date night in! Yes, cooking, cleaning, and spending quality time together in your home can be and IS romantic! Have fun and enjoy each other's company.

Chicken Spinach Alfredo Roll-Ups
(Makes 10-12 rolls - each person eats 2-3 rolls) 

1 package of your favorite lasagna noodles (I used Dreamfields)
2 large chicken breasts, boiled and shredded (use 2 forks to do this) 
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 jar of your favorite jarred Alfredo sauce (I guess you could make your own if you want) 
1 small container of ricotta cheese (I think the 10oz size? I forgot to look)
1 egg
2 cups of shredded Mozzarella cheese (1 store bought package)
1/4 cup (plus extra for sprinkling) Parmesan cheese
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
Parsley for sprinkling (optional - it's just for decoration, really) 
Salt
Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cook noodles according to package directions. Once noodles have cooked, drain in a colander and rinse them under cold water. This will remove the starch so they don't stick together and will also cool them so they will be easy to work with.
 

3. While noodles are cooking, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. After you have mixed all ingredients well, add about 1/4 cup (you can be a little more generous of you want) of Mozzarella cheese. Mix again to incorporate.

4. In a larger mixing bowl, add the ricotta mixture, shredded chicken, and spinach. Mix well with a spoon.

5. On a clean surface (I used a large cutting board), lay out some noodles. Spoon ricotta mixture over noodles and spread evenly. Roll the noodles up and place them in a baking dish with a thin layer of Alfredo sauce on the bottom and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Repeat until all of your filling is used up (you will have noodles left over, don't panic!).

Look how pretty!

6. Spoon some Alfredo sauce over the noodles and top with Mozzarella cheese. For both the sauce and the cheese, use however much you are comfortable using. If you want your lasagna super saucy and cheesy, use whatcha got! If you are trying to keep it kind of low-cal, you can use less (the latter is what we did). Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes so that the cheese gets a little browned and bubbly.

 8. ENJOY!

While dinner is baking away to delicious goodness, you have time to make dessert!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mini Trifles

2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk (I used almond milk) 
Jarred fudge sundae topping 
Whipped cream
About 6 cookies (I used Chips Ahoy since that is what I had on hand) 
2 small cups (like punch-sized)

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla, and milk until combined and looks like a mousse. You can use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or handheld mixer - both will work.

2. For each trifle, crush a cookie and place in the bottom of cup. 

3. Spoon peanut butter mousse over cookies. 

4. Spoon some fudge sauce over the mousse. 

5. Repeat until all mousse has been used up  (two peanut butter layers per trifle) 

6. Top each trifle with whipped cream and crushed cookies. 

(Recipe adapted from original recipe here: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/tagalong-peanut-butter-parfaits/)