Out for the count

Killer migraines are no fun! Especially when they start Sunday and only disappear Thursday late afternoon :( Which is why my blogging attempt at 30 days was so horrendous!

I will resume it all starting November 1st AKA my 6 year dating anniversary with Hubby. We're going away for the weekend and I can't wait! I totally need to recharge my batteries right now, the migraine knocked me out and even though I've been sleeping lots I still feel exhausted!

We're going to celebrate with a bottle of Verve Cliquot (an engagement present) and the top tier of our wedding cake...we are cheating a bit but I want to eat it whilst it's still semi-yummy! And besides, we still have the candy bow to save for our anniversary which is good.

Day 2: 30 Days of Truth

Day 2: Something you love about yourself.

I love that I am so giving/caring. I always try and make my friends/family feel really special and loved and I think that's a really important trait to have.

Just a short one for today folks ;)

PS: I made pizza dough it was so damn YUMMY! Everyone loved it.

Day 1: Something you hate about yourself.

Day 2: Something you love about yourself.
Day 3: Something you have to forgive yourself for.
Day 4: Something you have to forgive someone for.
Day 5: Something you hope to do in your life.
Day 6: Something you hope you never have to do.
Day 7: Someone who has made your life worth living for.
Day 8: Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.
Day 9: Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.
Day 10: Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.
Day 11: Something people seem to compliment you the most on.
Day 12: Something you never get compliments on.
Day 13: A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)
Day 14: A hero that has let you down. (letter)
Day 15: Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.
Day 16: Someone or something you definitely could live without.
Day 17: A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.
Day 18: Your views on gay marriage.
Day 19: What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?
Day 20: Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 21: (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?
Day 22: Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.
Day 23: Something you wish you had done in your life.
Day 24: Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)
Day 25: The reason you believe you’re still alive today.
Day 26: Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?
Day 27: What’s the best thing going for you right now?
Day 28: What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?
Day 29: Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.
Day 30: A letter to yourself: tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself.

Day 1: 30 Days of Truth

Day 1: Something you hate about yourself.

JEALOUSY/BEING INSECURE. Without a doubt this is the easiest thing for me to single out. I'm sure a lot of people would focus on physical flaws but I'm pretty ok with my imperfect body, it's my mind that I occasionally want to whack with a croquet mallet!

I wish I wasn't so jealous when I get excluding from things to do with my evil step sisters-in-law and that I was a strong enough person just to let it all wash over me. Unfortunately I let everything, even the little pointless things, get to me and it's a horrible way to live. I shouldn't be living my life compared to other people's or going out of my way to do things for people who don't care either way in an attempt to get them to like me. Just because I married my AMAZING husband doesn't mean I should let his family get under my skin as much as they do.

And with the jealousy I need to get over the fact that the evil SiL has a kid and another one on the way and an awesome house. They're at a different stage in life than I am and my logical brain tells me that I'd much rather be where I am having gone travelling and being able to do whatever I want on the spur of the moment. Hopefully next year will be my baby year and it will definitely be bringing a more awesome place to live if things go the way they are going now.

I just wish I didn't compare myself or want to me part of their little 'clique'...it's like highschool all over again and it's just so pointless. Which is why that's something I hate about myself, I can see it's stupid but I just can't stop feeling it/letting it affect me.

Below is a list of what is involved each day of this challenge (I haven't scanned through them all but I figure it'll be interesting discovering them as I go along).

Day 1: Something you hate about yourself.

Day 2: Something you love about yourself.
Day 3: Something you have to forgive yourself for.
Day 4: Something you have to forgive someone for.
Day 5: Something you hope to do in your life.
Day 6: Something you hope you never have to do.
Day 7: Someone who has made your life worth living for.
Day 8: Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.
Day 9: Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.
Day 10: Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.
Day 11: Something people seem to compliment you the most on.
Day 12: Something you never get compliments on.
Day 13: A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)
Day 14: A hero that has let you down. (letter)
Day 15: Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.
Day 16: Someone or something you definitely could live without.
Day 17: A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.
Day 18: Your views on gay marriage.
Day 19: What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?
Day 20: Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 21: (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?
Day 22: Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.
Day 23: Something you wish you had done in your life.
Day 24: Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)
Day 25: The reason you believe you’re still alive today.
Day 26: Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?
Day 27: What’s the best thing going for you right now?
Day 28: What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?
Day 29: Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.
Day 30: A letter to yourself: tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself.

Today is Do Day

I have declared Saturday my day! Later tonight friends are coming around for pizzas and Wii Games :) So I'm busy preparing the house seeing as I'm not in the habit of keeping it constantly neat and tidy!

Today is also the day I will finally be making pizza dough (once Hubby comes back and can go to the shop so I can continue cleaning!)! Very excited and I'll once again be putting the Kitchen Aid to use so that's always a good thing.

I've also decided to participate in the 30 Days of Truth -

I figure this way I'll be more involved in blogging as well and it'll give a better insight into myself than just my lame-o cooking skills!

Monday Yummies

Well I didn't really cook. The Hubby put a turkey roll in the slow cooker (on high whoops!) and then we just had pumpkin, potatoes and peas. Go the pees :p When Hubby uncut the string holding it together the whole thing fell apart but it was very very yummy and the sauce that he put on it (just the leaked out bits haha) was AWESOME!

The in-laws semi invited themselves down to our humble little abode. I didn't realise until they were there that they hadn't been there in months and months. It's hard with them living 30 minutes away and with the Hubby's uni timetable.

His Mum mentioned family dinner starting up again when Hubby has finished uni...really not keen. I feel like dirt whenever I'm with his little sister and sister-in-law and I just want to avoid all that. No point having it forced upon me one night a week when I can avoid it! So hopefully that will all fall to pieces! Shame on me for saying that but sometimes you really have to look after yourself.

On another note my Mum got it out of us that we're planning on having a baby end of November next year (although I know it's impossible to be that close with planning!). She was slightly concerned with Andreas only just having finished uni but I want baby & Hubby time and we won't ever get that again with him at work.

Monday Yummies

Monday wasn't that interesting. I was going to finally try and make some pizza dough sadly, I didn't pay attention to the fact that I'd have to wait 1.5-2 hours for it to be done whoops!

Luckily we could improvise with lavash bread we had in the freezer (YAY!). I was chowing down something fierce. Shamefully I didn't make the pizza sauce what my pizzas had on them were:

• Feta
• Mozzarella
• Grape tomatoes
• Ham

It was pretty boring but damn did it taste GOOD!

The funny but kind of not funny part was when Hubby went to take his pizza out of the oven. He had a very MAN moment thinking he could just take it straight out of the boiling hot oven. Needless to say he burnt his poor finger and lost the whole top of his pizza into all the crevices of the oven. Guess who isn't cleaning the oven come rent inspection time!?

Dinner, Birthdays and Cake

This weekend has been both eventful and un-eventful.

It started with a visit to what used to be one of our favourite restaurants - The Mussel Bar in Fremantle. It must've been on everyone's to do list that night because it was super busy. But thankfully we got a better table than last night and were seated at a window overlooking some awesome old boats. Even though it was a fantastic dinner foodwise it was a great date night with my Hubby.

We started off by ordering their seafood tasting plate to share and 6 oysters. I will only eat oysters if they are tempura and I was so happy to find tempura oysters with pineapple salsa on the menu - they were YUMMY! I also really enjoyed the softshell crab and the sushi but other than that the remainder of the tasting plate was a little ho-hum. I'd also been trying to decide if I should order the yummy white wine mussels I did last time or if I should go with something different. I decided not to be a risk taker and go with mussels because I love them! Unfortunately I wish I'd taken the risk...they were WAY too salty and just tasted yuck. I should've sent them back but the place was so busy. Then we decided to order dessert and I chose the passionfruit brulee. We were busy chatting but the Mr kept looking at his watch and finally admitted we'd been waiting for 30 minutes and still no food (I'd lost track of time). He told our waitress who said she'd go check and it should be out soon...after another 15 minutes she came back and we asked them to cancel it because it still hadn't even been made!

Very disappointed and I wish I'd had the guts to say how unhappy I was with my main meal as well - they didn't even offer us a discount or anything, just a sorry hope we see you again! Sadly they won't not, it just wasn't worth the $100+ we both paid. (Hopefully it was just because it was so busy because our first dinner there was amazing!)

But other than the waiting and not so good food it was great. We talked heaps, held hands like teenagers on a first date and stared out into harbour. We talked about baby names and I advised him he had 5 veto rights (similar to that Friends episode hehe) and how because of our surname we definitely could not have a child named after a food or adjective :p

Saturday we were celebrating my uni friend's birthday and went out to Elmars in the Swan Valley. Needless to say too much wine (not enough food) and sitting in the sun did not a good Jess make. The poor husband he always looks after me when I get like this. I declared that my friend's last day as 23 was my last day drinking like a teenager! I just can't do it anymore, I lose the next 24-48 hours.

We then had my friend who has just been to South Africa (I definitely want to go there now!) come over and show her photos and video of her bungy jumping - VERY JEALOUS! I finally christened our Kitchen Aid (wedding gift from the in-laws) by baking a Cinnamon Tea Cake (yummy both boys went back for seconds). I must admit it is so easy to use, even if I didn't follow the recipe properly (stuff folding in sifted flour in between putting in the milk!).

So now I'm relaxing in front of the telly after doing the dishes (I felt I owed hubby something), stuck watching Top Gear because the Mr loves it. It would be Keeping up with the Kardashians but the dvd broke - too many sad sad housewifes renting it.

Life is good :)

Monday Yummies

Technically it was leftovers but I did make it all from scratch!

I'm desperate to make pizza dough next!

Mexican Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs (I think we had about 5 and cut in half)
• Chicken stock cube
• Water
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper+ (add a bit extra)
• Can of red kidney beans
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp cumin+ (add a bit extra)
• Diced tomatoes (use a can we didn't have one so I cut up heaps of tomatoes)
• 1 onion chopped

Method

• Place chicken and stock cube in small frypan and then cover with water. Bring to simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes. Take the chicken out (let them cool and then shred the chicken). Reserve the liquid.
• Heat oil in the large saucepan. Add onion (cook for 5 minutes), add cumin and cayenne pepper stir for 30 seconds. Add the reserved liquid and diced tomatoes. Bring to boil.
• Add chicken & beans and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and stir occasionally for 10 minutes.

Corn Bread

Ingredients

• 150g self raising flour
• 175g polenta
• 1 can creamed corn
• Lots of cayenne pepper (I need to buy some chilli powder maybe that's hotter?!)
• 1 tbsp honey (makes it smell gorgeous but it's not sweet)
• 175ml buttermilk
• 50g melted butter
• Dash of salt
• Cheese - which I omitted because Hubby hates it but definitely would've made it better

Method

• Sift flour, polenta & salt in a bowl. Add corn, cayenne pepper, honey, buttermilk, butter (and cheese)
• Stir to combine. Transfer to a greased spring form pan (roughly 20cm).
• Bake for 30 minutes.

The corn bread was pretty ho hum (I even added lots more spice that what the recipe called for!) but was wicked for just tearing chunks off and throwing in the soup.

Chicken Tonight

I'm trying out being a Domestic Goddess today ha-ha. Finally (almost) made a bedroom clean and tidy and now I'm pottering around the good ol' internet trying to find a yummy dish to cook with the chicken thighs I pulled out of the freezer.

I've decided I'm going to make cornbread as well seeing as the Butter Milk I bought is no doubt due to go off soon. Don't you hate when you buy heaps of yummy things to use in all these 'planned' dishes during the week and it never winds up happening. I guess I blame that on full-time work and just being exhausted after it. Especially with this past week which has been insane!

Today was the sister-in-law's birthday and we finally got her the pair of gold sneakers she wanted only to find out she bought a pair on ebay yesterday! Damn it don't buy stuff so close to your birthday people...oh well she was happy with the second-hand i-Pod at least. Not that we could compare with the $300 Mimco bracelet the her brother & sister-in-law (the one I'm not so keen on) got her. I'm sucky when it comes to presents with their family some how everyone always gives great presents to everyone but me and the Hubby. I joked with him today that we must be the least liked haha I think it's been 2 years in a row that I haven't received anything. Which wouldn't bother me (I'm not a gimme-gimme person) except that I wish I was on level footing with the brother's wife seeing as we're both in-laws. Oh well I just have to build a bridge and get over that...unfortunately it's a lot easier to say than do.

In other news, I miss my Husband! I forgot how much study time uni took up but at least when I did it I actually stayed home. He's always at uni (even now) and I'm starting to feel a bit lonely. But in the end it is all for the best! Poor thing keeps getting rejected for vac work programs though which I know is really getting him down. But with the amount of people applying and the fact that he doesn't have a super duper course average something yucky in my tummy is telling me he won't be getting work over the long summer break :( I just hope he does for his sake, I know it's getting to him but he'd never let on and he'll just feel so down.

Random side note: a dove has taken to eating the dog biscuits we leave outside and I think our dog is ok with that! He's now sitting at the open door and just watching he bird...too damn cute!