Cookies, Brownies, and Cupcakes

One thing I miss about living in the country (well, one of many things): going out to get the mail, do chores, mow the lawn, or feed the dog in WHATEVER you happen to be wearing. By the time you hear a car coming, you have plenty of time to run to the nearest barn, garage, or shed before someone sees you in your bathrobe and cowboy boots. Or you just tighten up the belt on your robe and wave- after all, if a car was coming it was only the DeHaans (Hi LuAnn :)! This morning I wanted to run down to the car to get my camera for this blog post, but I wasn't quite ready to put on pants yet. Our street is pretty quiet, so I figured I'd just run down in my bathrobe and be back in the house before anyone could see me. Well, for some reason, no matter how many times I pushed the unlock button on the car, I couldn't get the door open. People were driving by, honking, and I was waving, smiling, and strutti.....err...trying to shush them, because Ted is still asleep. Next time I'll just put on some dang sweatpants.

Yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL day. I went for a walk in the afternoon wearing a tank top and a sweatshirt- I have to admit that once I got out into the wilderness, the sweatshirt came off. It felt SO GOOD. Once I got back to town I was ashamed to be outside in fifty degree weather in a tank top so I threw my sweatshirt back on. Nobody likes to be judged.

It was perfect car-washing weather!

Last night we went to a little get-together at a friend's house. I brought the caramel swirl brownies I mentioned yesterday, only....the caramel dripped all through the bottom layer of brownie and stuck itself firmly to the pan. No matter what I did, I couldn't get them to become presentable brownies. I did NOT want to throw out the whole pan- Ted tried them and liked them, they were moist and delicious, and I had put a whole bag's worth of caramels into this baking endeavor, sooo....

I crumbled up the whole mess, put it in a big container, and bought some Breyer's "homemade vanilla" ice cream to serve it with! I know it looks like dirt in the pic, but it's REALLY good! Unfortunately (or not, I guess) I also brought some oatmeal peanut butter sea salt cookies and someone else brought frosted commissary cupcakes and someone else brought leftover princess birthday cake and someone else brought animal crackers and a tub of frosting and I never did take the lid off the brownie container, so NONE of my yummy brownie mess got eaten. I could tell it was offended, so I had it for breakfast. We both feel better now.

Here's those oatmeal peanut butter (chocolate??) sea salt cookies. These chewy cookies were recommended to my by Kylie- here's the link to the recipe. They were a hit!


Those cupcakes were also a hit, though I can't take credit for them-

Maggie & Liam

And now, time for today's RANDOM PHOTO! This is so fun for me.

This is my love on the night he got on the bus to go to Iraq~ I kind of forgot what he looks like without his curly hair! Handsome either way, of course.

I'm off to enjoy the rest of my Sunday. For those of you in Iowa... now we're 8 hours different on time. Just a reminder! :0)

Something Beautiful

Hellloooo everybody.

Yesterday was not a sunny day by any means....until last night. Just around sunset, the clouds parted, and the sun started pouring into my house!

Sun setting on the neighborhood

I love evenings like that. I SHOULD have gotten my butt outside to go for a walk. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Instead, I baked some caramel swirl brownies for a get-together we're going to tonight. Something interesting happened to those-- more on that in a different post.

I like the idea of closing my eyes and randomly selecting a picture from my photo library, so I'm going to do it again:

This one must have come from an email Mom sent me. This is the family dog, Bobbi. She is one of Toby and Dolly's babies (from their last litter). It looks like she has inherited Toby's love for babies. Makes me smile! She's such a great dog with a wonderful, cuddly personality.

By the way, everyone wish my mom, grandma, and aunt a safe trip! They are leaving today for BELIZE! I'm so excited for the three of them. Mom sent this pic from the resort they will be staying at- soon those three lovely, hardworking, very deserving ladies will be lounging in these chairs! :)


Welllll, it's time to get dressed for a princess party we are attending at noon. I hope you have a great weekend!!

Music

I ALWAYS have music on. In the house I play my iPod or iTunes, though if we were in the states it would be The Hawk 97.3!!! In the car, it's AFN-Armed Forces Network (which only plays country on Sundays- LOL). In the shower, it's the Bose turned up loud enough for the neighbors to hear so I can sing...err....shout along. When I'm cooking, I usually have iTunes on shuffle for a good mix of everything... However, when I'm cleaning the house, I like to listen to Hymns.

Lately, I've found a couple of great new albums. You must check them out! This is the thing I like most about iTunes- you can buy songs without buying the whole album. I've chosen my favorite versions of my favorite hymns.

1. Selah- Greatest Hymns. Be Thou My Vision is a must-have. Fernando Ortega also has a great version of this song on Hymns of Worship.

2. Chris Rice- Peace Like A River: The Hymns Project. Listen to Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing and Great is Thy Faithfulness.

3. Chris Rice- Run the Earth, Watch the Sky. Listen to Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus).

4. Alan Jackson- Precious Memories. Listen to Blessed Assurance.

5. Charley Pride- Pride and Joy. Listen to Just a Closer Walk with Thee.

6. Merle Haggard- What a Friend we Have in Jesus. Listen to Softly and Tenderly.

There, now you have your own "Clean the House" playlist! If you can't scrub a toilet clean in six songs, we need to talk about your bathroom habits. ;)

Today is the first gloomy day in probably a week. I don't even mind- when you've been blessed with so many days of sunshine, a few clouds are nothing (ask me again in a week when it's snowing). I've been keeping true to my husband's suggestion to cut the crap from my diet and exercise every day. I've decided not to drink pop except on the weekends, and then try to make it diet, unless I'm really craving a Pepsi or a Dr. Pepper. So- I haven't had any chips or any candy yet! Honestly I can hardly believe that I've stayed strong thus far. Every single time I'm in line at the grocery store I eyeball the candy at the checkout and I do think about grabbing a Reece's....but then I tell myself if I still want it on Saturday I can have it then. :) Luckily fresh fruit is getting good again at the commissary. I use it as my "something sweet." Last night Ted cut us a pineapple and it was so deliciously creamy- we'll have it gone in no time. There was some pre-cut canteloupe that was pretty darn tasty too, considering it's not the season. I'm sure the farmer's markets will start opening up in the bigger cities before too long. Do you think fruit tastes better from the farmer's market? Personally I haven't noticed a difference. I like my fruits to be chilled at the grocery store and covered in pesticides. Okay, not really on that last part- but I truly haven't noticed a difference in quality, a least around here. Maybe someday I will grow my own fruits- I heard things taste best when you grow them yourself!

I don't have any new pics to put up, so I'm going to randomly choose a picture from the folder with my eyes closed.....ready.....THIS one:


Well. This is not exciting. This is my road bike. Cheap, but trusty. I bought this one after I came back from basic training and AIT. Sadly, I put the most miles on a borrowed bike, not this one- but at least I got my money's worth when I sold it. Some lady who does RAGBRAI (at least she did it once) owns it now! This pic was taken at Ted's apartment in Kelley. It might be the only picture we have of that place! I wish I had been better with taking pictures back then. Anyway, this picture simultaneously makes me want to hop on a bike, clip in and go---and makes my butt hurt. ;) Maybe next time I'll randomly pick a better pic.

Goodbye for now!

Party

Well, I told you all that two weekends ago we that we had a party and I was going to show you some pics! First lets discuss the menu:

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Velveeta Shells & Cheese (yes, from the box(es)!)
Maple Chipotle Baked Beans (sauce compliments of my mama-from Tassel Ridge Winery)
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Girl Scout Cookies (Samoas, of course! MMMMM!)
*Side note: Here in Germany it is not safe for the little ones to go door to door or whatever to sell their cookies (do they even do that in the states?). Instead, they get to set up camp inside the doorway of the shopette (gas station), commissary (grocery store), and PX (Wal-Mart?). For weeks at a time it is nearly impossible to go in and out of these necessary places without being accosted by a mob of girl scouts and their mothers. I try to duck behind them, run out when they are helping other customers, or talk on the phone on my way out the door... However, one day I really did want some cookies. Ted was with me, and I stopped before we got to their little table to check if I had any cash. Turns out, I didn't, so we proceeded to walk out the door, and I told the little girl who asked if I would like to buy some cookies, "I'm sorry, but I don't have any cash today!"
Her little brother said, "LIAR."
Well then. I wanted to turn around and call him a turd. I didn't. Thankfully.

Aaaanyway....back to the party food.

Everything was a hit! Even the boxed macaroni. Now, the other day I told you to get out your crockpots, because BBQ Pulled Pork is my new favorite recipe to make. I say to make because it's pretty much always been one of my favorite foods. I remember for my sixteenth birthday we were camping below the dam (great memories!) and Mom made me my favorite meal- Velveeta shells & cheese and pulled pork sandwiches! That wasn't the first or the last time she made me that meal, but that one sticks out in my mind for some reason. Anyway, this recipe is truly simple, and I owe it to Iowa Girl Eats. Take your pork shoulder and sprinkle it with garlic salt. Throw it in the crockpot and cover it about 3/4 of the way with coca-cola. Add about a half cup of BBQ sauce (or if you're Ted, the whole bottle- it tastes good either way) and cook on low for 8 hours. DELICIOUS!!!

Also, if you do find yourself over at Tassel Ridge, pick up a bottle of that Maple Chipotle Sauce. It's made by Stonewall Kitchen and the baked beans recipe on the bottle is to die for. I do not like leftovers, but I ate those beans for another three days!


After we stuffed our faces somebody got out Rock Band. The boys did a splendid (by that I mean unrecognizable) rendition of "This One's for the Girls" on the country track pack.

Anthony, Ted, Sam

And of course it just wouldn't be a party without some sort of game. Apples to Apples is always a popular choice and makes a pretty fun game- more so if everyone knows each other.

Kristof is all partied out

All in all everyone had a great time. I'm really happy we have such a good group of people to hang out with (it seems weird to say "hang out" at my age, but for lack of a better term....).

One last thing: Breakfast for dinner. It's awesome. Bacon + Syrup = Yummmm. Pancakes....eh. A good reason to get some syrup on my plate I guess. ;)

Food

Good morning, Iowa folks. Now that the sun shines here (several days in a row- I forgot that was even possible) I feel like maybe, just maybe, I can write again. It's been a long, hard winter, which we all know isn't over yet.....but at least the end is in sight. I've used that whole "It's been a long, hard winter" phrase as an excuse for LOTS of things. You know, to explain mysterious atrocities- how none of my pants fit except for my sweatpants. Whelp. It's been a long, hard winter. What can I say?

I am happy to say that with the sunshine, one day of crash-dieting meltdown, and a little pep-talk from my husband, I'm at least back on the road to wearing pants again. We had a little get-together for the other lieutenants Ted works with (more on that later) and I definitely wanted to be able to stuff my face then (it's a PARTY!) so I decided to start a diet on Sunday, the day after the party. I had checked out a new diet book from the library, and to this day (yeah, a whole week later) I don't know how I got sucked in to thinking this was a good idea. The book promised it was not a fad diet- that it was a sustainable way to get to your healthy weight and remain there. LIES! ALL LIES! You were supposed to kick-start your diet by eating 5 superfoods for five days. And nothing else. So, I went shopping, bought my five foods, and Sunday morning rolled around. Ted made our houseguest some biscuits and gravy, but I was so pumped up about "losing up to eight pounds in five days" that I didn't even find it hard to say no. I cooked up my ONE egg with spinach and had some unsweetened raspberries (gag). I should also mention that on this diet you were only supposed to eat every 3.5-5 hours. I know my body, and I've always been a grazer.....Even at my skinniest I eat SOMETHING consistently throughout the day. By the time lunch time came around I was SO hungry but I was only supposed to eat six ounces of plain yogurt, a cup of raspberries, and some almonds. I gagged down the berries and yogurt. I still thought I could do this. All afternoon I couldn't concentrate on anything but being hungry. Somewhere around three I vomited and let me tell you, it was mean and angry. I've always felt nauseous if I haven't eaten, ever since I was little. I remember one time my mom was taking me shopping, and I didn't feel well at ALL but she got me a hamburger and life was good again! Ever since then, I always have some sort of snack around (ask Ted about the console in our car--it's sort of like a cupboard for me and makes him a little angry). Anyway, I'm quite sure I was sick because my stomach was literally empty. I still held on, because I'm famous for quitting things I start, even when I swear I'm not going to. I wanted to prove to Ted I WOULD do it, and I also wanted to wear my jeans again. Within the next five days. When supper-time finally came, I made up a bowl of spinach with raspberries and almonds and a cut-up hard boiled egg ( I was so hungry I was even eating the yolk part, which is a huge deal). Ted was having leftover pulled pork sandwiches from the party (my favorite meal). We sat down to supper, and I took one bite and started crying. I went to the kitchen, warmed up some pulled pork and baked beans, and ate a real dinner. I felt like such a loser for quitting on the first day, but it felt SO good to eat. My mood improved instantly. I was sobbing through the first few bites but my husband is wise and told me basically all I have to do is stop eating so many chips and candy and start exercising more (which of course everyone knows but it's SO hard). There was no reason to be making myself miserable. So, since Sunday, I have not eaten chips or chocolate. It may not sound like much of a sacrifice, but for me it really is. Over the winter I have gotten in a terrible habit of eating WHATEVER sounded good....out of boredom mostly. My favorite part of the afternoon was mindlessly eating M&M's or BBQ Lays while reading a good book. I knew how harmful it was, but I just didn't care.

The good news is, I have worked out for an hour every single day, and twice this week I went to yoga class so that was two hours on those days. I haven't lost any pounds to speak of, but I feel much better and Wednesday I got back into a pair of jeans to go shopping with a friend. :) I'm learning (after about four or five years) that I just can't do the moderation thing yet- you know, just have a piece of chocolate. Just eat a couple of chips. I have to avoid them COMPLETELY, at least for now, because I don't have the will to stop. Even with 100-calorie packs...if they are in the house, after a while I won't stop at one 100-calorie pack. I will rip open another, and in an hour or two another...you get the idea. I think once I stop using food as SUCH a reward- such a feel-good treat....I will be able to enjoy a Reece's or some BBQ Lays without going out of control. In the mean time, I did find some really great fudgecicles that Ted and I both think taste great, and they are fat free and only 100 calories. It's a really nice dessert, and ice cream has always been the one thing I CAN control myself on. I do not like to feel deprived, and when I do I tend to rebel and find my way to Taco Bell. ;)

Anyway, here's to Spring (it really IS on the way--look at your calendar, it's on THIS page!!), and taking a look at your own relationship with food. Whether it's eating too little or too much, everyone has been down that path. Have you tried "fad" diets? What works for you? Writing this down has helped me realize I know myself better than I thought I did.

Some of the new (and greatly improved) foods in my life this week

I intended to talk about our party last Saturday night and post some pictures, especially since not all of you have facebook. Maybe I'll save that for another day. Everyone dust off your crockpots in the meantime, because trust me. You want pulled pork sandwiches. You do.

Oh, and here's a pic Ted took that I just came across.... I started feeding two swans on my daily walks. They are gone now that it has occasionally started to warm up, but if I had a little longer I would have had Papa Swan eating right out of my hand! It got to the point where as soon as they saw me coming down the road, they started swarming to me. Made me smile! :P

Fool me once....

Father winter got me good. We had two solid weeks of forty-degree weather, and I think there were even two days of mostly sunshine....and I soaked it up. I tried not to think about the fact that it was only the beginning of January and winter was faaar from over here in Bavaria. It was pretty easy to forget, because the grass stayed green under that 38 inches of snow we got in December. I felt like running barefoot through the soggy fields. This winter has been the hardest one of my whole life I think. Cabin (attic?) fever has really taken a hold on me. Even so, when that snow started to melt away I was resistant because I would rather see pretty white than drab mud. I was totally blown away by how "Spring" everything looked! I'm definitely thanking God for that little break. Then I guess he decided I could handle more winter, because Monday morning I woke up to this:

Back to reality.
NOTE: that is not my heavy breathing...it's cars on the highway. I'm pretty sure anyway...


I have to admit, it makes for decent scenery.

Last weekend we sold Ted's 4-wheeler. It is German, and we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to sell it before moving. If we ended up having to bring it back to the states it would be kind of hard to get parts for it. We ended up delivering it a to a family a couple of hours away.

Hi Ted! My fearless autobahn driver. Who hasn't had tobacco in two weeks! I'm sooo proud of him- going cold turkey is a big deal! He eats sunflower seeds like they are going out of style, but that I can handle.

The day we delivered the quad was the transition from spring back to winter. This was in the afternoon- I have never seen such thick fog stick around through a whole day.

It was actually a sunny, beautiful day as soon as we got about 40 minutes away from home....We live in what I call the doldrums. Others call it a hole. Both seem to fit.

Anyway, we're doing okay over here. Trudging through the winter, same as everyone else. :)

time on my hands

I had drill this weekend. It was busy. Jam-packed. No time to think or breathe (but always time to eat- for me anyway). On Monday I had a very nice, relaxing day reading, grocery shopping, and picking up the house. Not to mention a really great workout with my friend Michaela. Tuesday morning I woke before the alarm clock feeling energized and already planning my day. By 10 am...my list was done and I had time on my hands.

I decided to pick up a new hobby. We'll see if this lasts more than one day. Or two. Turns out, it's harder than it looks, considering I have absolutely no musical experience and very little rhythm (although my Wii claims I have improved).

In this picture I'm not actually doing anything. Those of you that actually PLAY the guitar, keep your comments to yourself. I'm self-teaching here. Along with a really scratchy DVD that makes me want to crush it into a million pieces because it keeps stuttering.

Here I'm actually playing a chord. The very second one I know: D7. Yes, I know I'm only supposed to be strumming the first four strings...but I was using the self timer on the camera, and that's almost harder than learning to play the guitar.

Anyway, you get the idea. Maybe when I get back I'll play you all "happy birthday." Or we can all sing the "Happy Birthday" lyrics along to the two chords I know. I'm sure it'll be the best thing you ever heard, either way.