cooking.

I'm cooking tonight. First time in a long time. We are having people over. That means the house is clean like it hasn't been in a long time too. Oh the changes that happen in the first trimester of pregnancy. I'll be 13 weeks tomorrow, hopefully that means that a clean house and dinner cooking will become a more regular part of my routine again :)
On the menu for tonight:
Italian Roast Beef Sandwhiches.

possibly the easiest recipe in the world, and so so good. Just get sliced roast beef at the deli, and layer it in the crock pot with a bottle of zesty italian dressing. warm it up for a few hours, then serve on a good crusty roll with provolone cheese. :)

Cheesy Potatoes with crunchy topping.

more ingredients, but still an easy recipe. Frozen hashbrowns, sour cream, white cheddar cheese, cream of chicken soup, 1/2 stick melted butter, put in 9x13 pan... then crunch up corn flakes mixed with melted butter as the topping. bake one hour @ 350. also so good :)

Salad, with all my favorite toppings.

that means: feta cheese, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, cucumbers, glazed pecans, texas toast croutons, and raspberry vinagrette. :)

And that is the first meal I am making since becoming pregnant. :)

Inspiration!

And the weather I've been longing for is here for a brief little visit, and I'M LOVING IT. We grilled tonight. Oh the loveliness. :)

Winter...

I find winter... un-inspiring to say the least. I've never wanted spring to get here so badly in my whole life. Maybe because I associate the spring with no longer being sick. Maybe because I am craving bruschetta made with tomatoes from the garden, and cucumber sandwiches, and grilled veggies, and corn on the cob... {umm, pregnant? yes.} Maybe because the projects bouncing around in my head involve lots of color, and require me feeling well enough to pull them off. Maybe because I have reached the peak of winter paleness. Maybe because I found some really cute maternity sun dresses online. Maybe because I daydream about eating out on our back porch, or sitting outside reading while the sun goes down. Whatever the reason, I'm slightly obsessed with the change of seasons right now.
Thank goodness for my husband, who finds winter the perfect time to work on projects and has single handedly taken down all the wall paper in our basement, primed the walls, built shelves, is about to paint, and has the carpet people lined up to put extra thick padding down under the carpet to make it the ultimate worship room/family room/play room for our babies :) I love him :)