Weekend Update| August 14, 2011

Grandma's homemade chicken salad

Whew! What a whirlwind weekend! I have so much to update you on, but I'll try to do so in as few words as possible so I don't exasperate you.

Friday evening, John picked me up from work and we headed down to Vero Beach, Florida, where my mom, step-dad, and grandma live. This weekend was my mom's birthday and next week is John's so we wanted to have a little birthday party for everyone. As soon as we got there we were presented with my grandma's homemade chicken salad...doesn't it look divine? It was.

John opening presents

We enjoyed a great meal and caught up on the last couple weeks since we had last seen each other. I love having a meal with my family, we always laugh till we cry and enjoy trading stories from work and such.

We exchanged some presents a day early because we were all so excited to gift-give! John has been talking about wanting a grill for months now, and finally got a nice propane camping grill that works nicely on our tiny porch. (It can be put away so it can go unnoticed...since grills are technically not allowed at our complex.) We're not ones to get hung up on technicalities though...bring on the barbeque!

Mom opening gifts.

My mom collects baking dishes just like I do. Actually, on Saturday we helped my grandma move into her new house and I found boxes and boxes of cookware. Apparently this addiction hobby has been passed down a few generations.

I found some really pretty hand-painted dishes at TJ Maxx for my mom and couldn't wait to give them to her. I think this may be the very first gift I've ever bought her. I always make her things and picking out some pretty dishes for her birthday was so exciting for me. Happy birthday, mom!

Me and Mr. Squiggles

David (my step-dad) found an itty bitty garden snake and let me hold him. It's funny how even though their little jaws are two small to bite it still freaked me out when he would spook and cock his head back to attack. He was a cute little thing though, and provided the only connection with nature I experienced all weekend.

Me and J in matching swimsuits

Saturday my mom and I helped settle my grandma into her new house and John and David went to shoot guns at the shooting range. John had never gone shooting before (well, since he's been an adult) and did a really great job. And he did so without blowing any of his extremities to bits! (Thank the Lord!) I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of machines that kill...which is a shame, because I'm a great shot.

Once we met back at the house I cut John's hair. Did I mention that I also cut my own hair last week? We have estimated that by cutting our own hair from now on we will save a whopping $260 a year. (#consumer anarchy.) We've really taken things to the next level. From here the only thing left is to fill our own cavities and perform our own major surgeries. ;-)

John throwing pizza dough

Saturday night John and I cooked for everyone. We made pizza and a salad. I came up with three pizza recipes:

The Piazza Pie (an Italian-style pizza)
The Plato Pizza (a Greek-inspired pizza)
The Sasksquash (a veggies only concoction)

I definitely have to share these recipes with you and plan to do so in the coming weeks. The pizzas were delish! Check out some pics of the meal...

Spinach, tomato, and fresh mozzarella salad

The Plato Pizza

Snuggling

J and I snuggled a little bit after dinner and a walk. Man, there is nothing better than a little one conked out on your shoulder. Nothing makes me happier, and nothing makes me want to throw caution to the wind quicker...I want one! (But know now isn't the time...)

We headed back to Orlando around 9:30 and went right to bed. Who knew we could be so exhausted as early as 10:45... we are officially an old couple.

Triscuits and Dubliner Cheese...nom nom nom!

Sunday we slept in a bit and then headed off to church. We signed up for an "engage class" to learn a bit more about the church and how to get involved. We have been attending there for the past three months and have finally decided to settle down there. We really love the community and teaching and can't wait to grow in our faith alongside other believers in our area. It's good times!

We spent the afternoon grocery shopping and both had a mad case of the grumpies by the time we got home. We were not happy campers, even these crackers covered in Dubliner cheese didn't improve my mood, which is unheard of.

The grill master

But things changed around dinner time when we put together our new grill and got to cooking! John made some great steaks and grilled squash. The steaks were seasoned with brown sugar, chili powder, garlic salt, and pepper. They were tas-TEE! Take a look at the final plating...

It was one of the best meals I've had in a while...I can't wait to break in this grill a bit more. Our culinary horizons just expanded... a lot.

All in all it was a great weekend and the time with family was just the icing on the cake. It's really nice to have a change of scenery for a little while even if it's only an hour and a half away from your home.

Question of the Day: 

 Do you have a grill? Do you use it often or not at all?

P.S. Can you believe it? Almost 200 followers here on this blog. I enjoy each and every one of you and as soon as it hits 200 it's giveaway time so I can say a big thank you to all of you! I have one hint- it's lasts on year and you can read it.