Cooking Dinner

I could, quite possibly, be the worst cook in the state of Pennsylvania.  Maybe even the whole east coast.  I bought some ground beef last week at the store and earlier this week I decided I would thaw it out and make some burgers with half and then make a meat loaf with the rest.  It ended up being the perfect amount of meat for these two meals, but the way I prepared it was... just bad!

Not thinking, I used my grandmother's recipe for meatballs/meatloaf for the burgers.  Just before putting them on the grill I realized that burgers should be kind of a different consistency than meatloaf and I probably should have done something different.  Well, I put them on the grill anyway and when I went to flip them, they fell apart.  I was able to salvage them and keep them together enough to put them on buns and we ate them for dinner.  While they were cooking, I prepared the meatloaf in a pan with cheese in the middle!  I did this once before but I cut up blocks of cheese and mixed it in the meat, and that didn't turn out so well, so I knew I should tuck all the cheese in the middle of the meat and make sure it was all covered up so it didn't seep out.  I put it in the fridge, went up to the Pocono's for two days and then threw it in the oven tonight for dinner.  It still seeped out all over.. I made some box potatoes and heated up some corn in the microwave and we ate it.  Maybe that's just how its supposed to be!

The other thing about cooking (mainly dinner) is that I NEVER know what to cook, and my husband is no help!  When I ask what he wants for dinner, his answer is always "what ever you want" or "I don't care!"  It drives me batty!

My sister was talking about preparing meals for a month, and I guess freezing it.  I think I may look into this.. Anyone have any experience with this?

Its never pretty, and sometimes it ends up inedible but we make it work!

Anniversary with a Bang!

Jon and I have been married 3 years on August 21st 2012. We were driving home from our vacation/family visit in Michigan on our anniversary, so we did not celebrate that day.  We are notorious for  celebrating special occasions later than the actual day!  So we finally got around to our 'date night/anniversary celebration' a couple months later.  It was a great night, although I'm not sure who had more fun!  We went to a pistol range (My first time shooting a pistol!)  I was so excited to go.  Jon purchased his pistol quite a few months ago and since then I've been itching to go to the range and learn to shoot it, but with the baby, it's been hard for us to get away!  Jon grew up in a hunting family and is now in the military, so he is familiar and comfortable with many types of fire arms.  I, on the other hand, only shot once before. I visited a friend in North Dakota in the summer of... 2006 I think, and we shot rifles and shotguns at targets and clay pigeons in her back yard.  That was awesome.  Not many places you can do that around here though!  Other than that, I have zero experience with guns.  So, our date night consisted of: the range, dinner at Applebees, and a movie (The Dark Night Rises.)  Dinner and the movie were just that, dinner and a move.  Not very eventful.  The range, was awesome!  We went to Pistol People in Bensalem, and the owner (at least I think he was the owner) was really cool and helpful.  After learning that this would be my first time shooting a pistol, he gave me a one on one lesson on how to handle the weapon and defend myself.  Apparently I was picking up on things quicker than he thought I would because he was very impressed!  He even gave me a holster to try out after I started shooting!  I guess Jon was also impressed because when we got home (well after saying goodbye to our awesome babysitter) the first thing he did was take pictures of the targets and post them to his facebook page!

This is the pic he posted!

Shooting is my new favorite thing and I can't wait to go again!!  Are you a military spouse?   What branch?   Do you shoot?  How do you feel about it, do you love it as much as me?!?  How bout kids and guns/gun safety, do you teach (or plan to teach) your kids about guns and safety or will/do you keep them from the kids all together?  I'd love to hear your answers and thoughts! Thanks for reading!

Diaper Shopping!

We just got home from a trip to Michigan to visit the hubsters family.  We had a great, but exhausting time.  We visited for about a week and a half and headed home Tuesday morning after breakfast with My mother-in-law and her mom.   The plan was to stop at 4 stores I found online that sold cloth diapers among other natural baby products.  When I proposed the idea to my husband, I half expected him to say yes, then change his mind and come up with a "better" idea for our trip home... but if this was his plan, he must have changed his mind when realized how excited I was about it!  I was telling his whole family about my cloth diapering addiction and explaining to them how there is only one store in our area and its about 45 minutes away from our house.  They probably think I'm crazy but, oh well, maybe I am!

Anyway, the plan changed a little as we went.  We didn't make it to all four that I wanted to go to.  Just the first three.  There is one in Ann Arbor that I would like to go to one day but it probably won't happen till next years trip out there :(  We just didn't make it that far before they closed.

Abby was asleep when we got to the first one so hubs stayed in the car with her while I went in.  That one was a "children's store" that had a few cloth diapers.  The woman behind the counter was a little helpful (explaining what she uses for bed time and how she heard good things about the bamboo diapers that a local wahm makes), but she didn't seem to be the most friendly person in the world.  I don't know if I will go back there on future trips.  

Our next two stops were in Lansing & East Lansing.  I came across this one cloth diaper website called Mother & Earth baby boutique.  I wasn't sure if they had a Brick and mortar store, so I found them on facebook and asked.  To my surprise, they got back to me and said that their store would be opening on Tuesday August 21.  How bout that!  That was the day we were planning on heading home.. Yay!  We got there, and Abby had just woken up, so we went in.  It was a cute little place and when Abby was giving daddy a hard time because she wanted to get down and walk (yes I said walk :) well, kinda... she takes 5 or 6 steps on her own!) they suggested he take her in the play room!  They had a little room set up for kids to play in with chalk boards, and a little table.. It was great, I could look around and not have to worry about getting "lets go" looks from daddy.  They were helpful and very pleasant and I will definitely stop again next year if we go through Lansing while they are open!

About 20 minutes further down the highway, we stopped at Little Green Branches in East Lansing.  We had a similar experience there!  I think the one woman was the owner and the other worked for her, but they were equally friendly and helpful.  The even drew us a map to Cracker Barrel so we could stop there for dinner!  The other cool thing about this place was that their kids were playing in the store next to it called simply, Play.  When they suggested we check it out because, while its for many ages, Abby was a great age for it, we told them where we were from!  It is basically just a place where kids can, well, play!  I don't know much more about it but it looked like a great place. You can click here or where it says play. to check it out!

By the time we got out of the state of Michigan, it was around 9pm!  After along trip and many stops we finally made it home at 5am Wednesday morning.  

I DIY

Since having a baby in August 2011, I learned to crochet!  My mom was doing it one day and I asked her to show me how to do it and now I have baskets of yarn and folders of patterns of projects I would like to take on!  My latest project is a dress for my daughter!




I have pulled out my husbands sewing machine too, (yes, you read right, my husband's machine!)  He is in the military and has lived on his own since he was 18 years old.  Apparently, sometime between graduating high school and now, he needed a sewing machine enough to buy one for himself!  My mom is a quilter and I lived with my parents until we got married, so I never needed my own.


Anyway, I made my own cloth baby wipes, and made myself a diaper bag out of my husbands old uniforms. There are flaws, but hey, I'm a beginner! 

I've made my own raised garden beds.  My husband and I made ourselves a picnic table.  We've got many Diy projects under our belt!
Before we buy something, our first questions is 'can we make this ourselves?'
I would love to share with you some how-to's and DIY projects, and would love to hear about or see pics of yours!  Please share :-)

Cloth diapers: All Daddy's Have a Preference!

Cloth diapering our child was originally my husbands idea.  He suggested it and I ran with it!  We have a variety of diapers, because before Abby was born I didn't know what we would like, (I like them all!)  Daddy, on the other hand, has a fave!  OK, ok, I do like some better than others but I'll use them all.

So here's the story... 

Here's Abby in may (9mo) in a grovia aplix (velcro) shell

When Abby woke up from her nap, daddy went in to get her up and change her.  The monitor was still on (and I think hubbs knew it).  So I hear him talking to Abby, getting ready to change her, and then I hear "oh no Abby, where are the velcro ones?? Daddy doesn't like these snap ones."  

Who knew!  Apparently, he likes them because they are easiest to put on.   

My Hockey Career: The Beginning

It started when my brother for some reason or another wanted to play ice hockey.

I have always been a tomboy.  How? I don't know, being that my twin and I are the 4th and 5th daughters my parents had!  Two years after us came their little boy, my bff for the next 10 years of my life or so!  We did everything together, from playing in the woods to street hockey in the neighbors driveway.

Danielle, Me, Danny, & Heather (4 out of 6 siblings)

My twin (left) and me.  

When I said to my parents, "well I want to play too" my mom said, "No daughter of mine will play ice hockey".  Boy was she ever wrong!  I started to save up my pennies (money wasn't even why they weren't going to let me play!) and my twin, Danielle, found out.  She told mom, then mom and dad talked and decided to let me play.  What they didn't realize was that they had just changed the life of a little girl in an amazing way.  Hockey had become my first true love.

How I became an Electrician

My father is an electrician.  My brother did some electrical work and is now a marine!  Dads brother, Uncle Doug is an electrician.  Dads brother, Uncle Dave was an electrician.  Dads late brother, Uncle Don was an electrician.  Cousin Eric (Uncle Dons kid) was an electrician.  Dads sister's son, cousin Johnny (I think he goes by John now, but he's always been Johnny to me!) is an electrician.  Dads uncle (his mom's [we call her Nanny] brother) was an electrician and dads grandfather (Nanny's dad) was an electrician.  So.. I am a fourth generation union electrician!  I believe Great Grandpa got into the union in 1906, and I was accepted in 2006.
After graduating from high school in 2002, I went to kind of a prep school in Vermont called North American Hockey Academy (NAHA). We only lived there during the hockey season and played 50 games in 5 months.  The girls that were in high school, went to their regular school until October, and then picked up with their schooling at NAHA one-on-one with a teacher.  As a post grad, I took some online classes and didn't have to go to school before heading up to Vermont.

Between graduation and the start of NAHA, I helped my dad, an electrical contractor in the Philadelphia area.  It started with him asking me to run to the supply house and bring some material to the job.  Then he taught me to "pull wire."  I did this for the next couple summers and while in college (when I was home).  

After NAHA, I went to Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY.  After a year there, I came home and went to the community college for two years and then Temple University.  All the while running material for my dad.  I wasn't sure what I wanted to do (all that college and no degree!)  I love math and was going to be an actuary (a what?!?)  That's a story for another day!  

My dad suggested I try to get into the union and become an electrician.  I've always been a tomboy and loved the idea of working with my hands, and having a physical job.  I took the test in April during my second semester at Temple.  I must have started another semester at Temple, because I was accepted into the union and began school in October 2006.  After finishing the semester at Temple, I worked for my dad full time and continued to attend my one day a week classes at the union hall.  I was one of three girls in my graduating class.  We graduated in January of 2010.  I just recently finished my 8000 hours in the field, and am now a Journeyman Wireman and I have my licence in Philadelphia and Allentown!  

Are you a non-traditional woman?  Do you have a non-traditional job?  If so I'd love to hear your story!

Jon

I met my husband just over 5 years ago when my twin sister and I turned 23. When I found out he was in the Air Force, I didn't have the first clue as to what a military life was like. I'd like to say I learned quickly, but, I can't... I'm still learning.

Abby & Daddy After work (june 2012)

He spent the first 7 years of his military career in Japan (before I knew him). He's been stationed in New Jersey since then for the last 7 years, during which time he has deployed twice. The first time was only a little over a year after we had met. His last deployment was in the summer of 2010. Each deployment was 4 months long.  Those were some of the longest months of my life.  Since having Abby in 2011, thankfully, Jon has not had to deploy, and with any luck, he will not have to any time soon!