A weeks worth of dinner

A weeks worth of dinner is harder to do than it looks. Allen is working 2nd shift this week. 2pm until 10 pm. So, in order to save money and him going out to eat I came up with the brilliant idea of cooking lunch and dinner to stick in the fridge. Thus resulting in three hours of cooking. 

 

A weeks worth of dinner includes:

• Pork roast, lima beans and rice.

•  Crock pot chicken, steamed mixed veggies and Italian pasta salad     

• (Allen's request) Barbeque chicken legs and Macaroni

•  Spaghetti with Italian sausage and garlic bread (leftovers from tonight)

•  Chicken, hummus and pita bread (no picture available)
• Peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwiches 

Yes, I cooked it all by myself. Here is a picture of Marley's first bath!

Marley

Welcome our first new family member to the Harvey Home!  

Marley!

 Marley is a 3 years old female chihuahua. She was abused in her previous home so she is pretty shy and skittish now.  She would not get up from the couch to get a better video of her.

One month down

 Our first month here in our fabulous new home has been quite a journey. Not sure if it really feels like a month or longer. The Lord has truly blessed us this month. Actually this six months we have been married. YES! Six months. Before we moved, We were living with my in-laws (Allens' AMAZING grandparents). They were so good to us the 5 months we lived there.

Within the first month of living in our new home:

• The dishwasher flooded (filled up with water anytime the sink was ran). Called maintenance man to fix said dishwasher.....TWICE. Got new dishwasher.
• Heating coil went out in the stove. Discover this by cooking the chicken for an hour in the stove. 
• Some girl friends came over for homemade pizza night. (heating element still bad)
• Became friends with maintenance man and he replaced the heating element in the stove.
• NEW dishwasher filled up with water and water pressure in shower turns to drizzle . Called maintenance man again. Three days later (water still in dishwasher and I have been washing my hair in sink) he drains it the NEW dishwasher and fiddles with shower.

This week we have not had to call the maintenance man! PRAISE the LORD!
New pictures to come.

What's for dinner?

What's for dinner tonight you ask? Well, it was supposed to be a baked ham, macaroni and cheese and veggies. However, that didn't happen. With a last minute decision of a five dollar movie, the ham got put on the back burner until afterwards.

Allen got to pick this movie. Well actually as usual, he gave me two choices that he wanted to see and I had to choose one from those two. The first one was another one of those Underworld movies which just in case you didn't know, I don't do scary movies! unlike my husband who grew up on them. The other was called Haywire which didn't seem every interesting but I had already said he could pick the movie. Couldn't back out now. Movie started at 5:30, got there at 5:24. 6 more minutes and it wouldn't have been $5 (were on a budget here). Allen says I am addicted to popcorn, just like his nanny (love you nanny). So, of course I have to get some for this boring movie he was making me sit through. Yes, I know movie theater popcorn is the most unhealthy thing there but it's not like we go all the time.

Like I predicted, the movie was awful. I have no idea what it was about or what was happening. I was lost from the very first scene. But through out the popcorn fights (yes we shoot popcorn at one another not at other people in the theater) and fighting over which cup holder the drink is going to sit in, the movie was much better than it could have been.

Left the theater and started to head home when Allen decides he wants ice cream instead of wine. Sweet CeCe's it is. But of course I had a coupon buy 1 get one free. It was full, no where to sit and I get toffee instead of reeces. To the car to eat our frozen yogurt and out the window when the toffee chunks.

So what's was for dinner? Popcorn and frozen yogurt. The ham can wait another night.

Mmmm.... Good

Some people know me, when it comes to cooking, as the girl who caught the kitchen on fire as a kid, flavorless chicken and rice casserole, the women who screwed up green bean casserole,  made gooey pumpkin pie, the girl that can make flowers on cupcakes, and perfected Allen's favorite cake. However, I have redeemed myself with Cheesy Potato Soup.  After planning out the meals for the week, we decided on soup for tonight. Since so many people were asking for the recipe, here is a blog post for it.

Cheesy Potato Soup

5 idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
1 white onion, chopped
4 cups 2% milk
2 Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 stick salted butter
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
3 slices crispy bacon or bacon bits (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large Crock pot add potatoes, white onion, milk, cheddar cheese soup and 1 stick of butter (sliced), mix well and cover. 

Cook on low for 6-7 hours (until potatoes are fork tender).

Stir in the sour cream and shredded cheddar, recover and let cook an additional 20 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with green onions, bacon bits and a dollop of sour cream.

Yum. Yum. Now what was my husbands thoughts on the soup? "It was fine, just needed thyme. However, we dont have any." After he had finished his first bowl and went back for the second, I asked how the bacon was with the soup. Right at that moment he knew something was up. He said it was good but in soup is the only time he would eat it crunchy. I went to the fridge and got a piece of the bacon that was left over for him to eat. "IT WAS TURKEY BACON!!!" He wouldn't touch it after that. Well, I can say I tried.

I wasn't sure what to title this post because it is so close to my heart. That is why it is was left blank. But this blog is a way for me to express and explain what I am feeling and what is going on with my life. Our life for that matter.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. Do not be afraid… for I am with you… declares the Lord.“ Jeremiah 1:5,8

7 weeks ago,  Allen and I found out we were expecting our first child. We were ecstatic! This child would be the first grandchild and great grandchild. Couldn't wait to surprise our families at Christmas. The whole thing was planned out. A few days after Thanksgiving we miscarried. We lost our baby. It was the hardest thing Allen and I have had to go through together. I couldn't understand, we both couldn't. A few days after, we found out his brother and girl friend were having a baby. I didn't want to be angry because anger wasn't going to get me anywhere but I was. I was angry that we had waited until we got married. We had done everything we were suppose to and our baby was in heaven and not with us. Does that sound selfish? I still don't understand and probably wont ever until we see him/her again.

I think it was harder on Allen then me. having to see how hard I took it and how much emotional and physical pain I was in took a tole on him. We couldn't really explain why it happened. He didn't want to talk about it for the longest time. I guess bottling it up was his only solution. If we didn't talk about it, it never really happened. But in fact it did. Some days are good but others are not. One day the Lord will give us that special child when the timing is right.

“Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.” Psalm 6:2-4,6-9

Settled in

 What an amazing Christmas season this year. Wonderful times with the family and my wonderful husband. It was certainly a special first Christmas as a married couple. A new road of our journey has begun. We MOVED! Yes, out on our own, in our own apartment. I unpacked the last box last Friday. We have been here for 12 days. Thanks to all the family that helped us move. Even all those boxes of textbooks (VERY HEAVY).
My Kitchen:

The Livingroom:

And the bathroom:

Couldn't take a picture of the bedroom and huge closet because Allen was asleep and he would kill me if I took a picture of him and his CPAP. haha.

We have been blessed.