They Say It's Your Birthday

I wish that you could live forever
And that I could be there too
And that there'd be generations
To look after me and you

But I know that isn't likely
So I guess I'll say it now
That I'll love you past the boundaries
That time and breath allow

- John Gorka

Happy birthday to the woman who gave me life. I love you so much, Momma. I'm making the husband a chocolate pie today, and I'll be putting a candle in it just for you. Stella may even wear a party hat. She likes to wear things on her head, too. 

Hayes Birthday Wishes

Last night was a scrounge-through-the-fridge-and-eat-whatever-you-can-find-before-it-spoils kind of night. The husband made himself a few taco bowls; I baked tofu. It was also my MOH's birthday yesterday. My cousin two ways, which I won't get into, who I prefer to call my sissa, who is a ginger just like me but has beautiful red curls instead of straight hair that gets weird waves in the back unless you spend 10 minutes straightening it, turned another year older.

Happy birthday again, Al. I hope you and the fiancé had a nice night out on the town. We did. Our night looked a little like this:

  

My phone does not take fab photos.

With bellies filled with leftover food, the husband and I spent the night singing along with Hayes Carll. And your birthday was made complete for me, Sissa, when I danced next to a man wearing a baja. 

p.s. Did you sleep with your new snow boots?

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

The husband is a known snacker. It doesn't matter how much I feed him for dinner, there's a good chance he's going to get up off the couch at about 8 pm, go into the kitchen and start looking for a snack. He tells me he gets it from his father. For the record, I don't know why he feels the need to blame his daddy. The husband should just admit he likes his snacks. I'll admit it: I like to snack.

I also like snacks in milk. And when the husband is in the kitchen poking around for his after-dinner snack, all I need to hear is a cupboard open and his hand rummaging around in the silverware drawer to know he's about to eat cereal. 

This never bothered me until about two months ago when the doctor put an end to my cereal eating. Now, I don't want to harp on the fact that I can't eat a lot of carbs these days, that's life. But I've just got to get this off my chest: I miss some of my old favorite snacks. I miss snacks in milk.

So I thought I needed to find a way to make myself a little something I could enjoy while the husband's eating his evening bowl of cereal. I found that little something in flourless peanut butter cookies - they're not exactly low-fat and they're a little crumbly, but they taste fab in almond milk. And I don't care how much I ate for dinner, it's 8 pm, and I have room for a little cookie. 

Keepin' Things Light and Easy With Alfredo Pasta Sauce

Some nights just call for super-easy dinners that don't require standing at the stove whisking milk and cheese until it turns into sauce. Some nights, all I want to do is throw a few ingredients together in a casserole dish, eat a hot dinner and not worry about the dishes.

Chicken, mushrooms, Alfredo sauce from a jar and a little sprinkle of mozzarella on top can make me a happy girl.

And on nights like that, the husband is content to eat a pre-made pizza crust. He'll happily pile it with chicken, Alfredo sauce, pepperoni, cheese and more cheese. He especially likes it when I let him put whatever he wants on top. (Translation: I don't make him eat any vegetables.)