Domestic Engineering

As you know, I'm not currently working, so I've been dubbed a "domestic engineer" I cook, clean & generally keep up the house. It's not that bad, it's giving me the time to complete online seminars to try and beef up my resume before we get to California. Not working will also allow me the time to volunteer somewhere once I can find a place.

This past week I've learned a few things:

Having a clean kitchen makes me happy. 
I feel like such a dork saying that, but honestly I love having a clean kitchen. It makes experimenting with food so much more pleasurable. Dirty dishes and I are improving our relationship. Washing dishes wouldn't be that big of a deal if our dishwasher actually cleaned the dishes. I've tried using two soap pod things, using all the different modes, and everything else I can think of to make it clean the dishes, but it never fails, the dishes always come out still dirty {Anyone have any suggestions?}. Oh well, by washing our dishes by hand at least I know they're getting clean, right?

I still hate really dislike running.
I was motivated to just get up and go for a run by a friend's blog post last week [you can check out her amazing blog here]; and because, let's face it, there's nothing stopping me. It wasn't terrible; I had good music in my ears and I was able to run more of it that walk, so I felt really good about it. Then I got home and remembered why I don't run. My leg was absolutely killing me; that's what I get for wrapping my car around a tree when I was 16 :) 
On the topic of working out, E and I were at Target yesterday and they were having a sale on all of their workout gear, I got new goggles & they are gorgeous! I'm one step closer to getting back in the pool and it feels so, so good! I will get back in shape!

I'm a good cook.
This sounds conceited, but I've decided that I am. Our grocery shopping trip got pushed back, so I was forced to make a meal with the random things in our pantry and fridge. I put together the few things we had left in the house. I know it's not that healthy, but it turned out fabulous! 

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• fettuccine pasta
• spinach
• boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• juice from half of one lemon
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• seasonings {I used garlic powder, lemon powder & basil}

Directions:

• cook pasta according to directions on box
• heat half of the olive oil in pan and cook chicken breasts {I seasoned them after putting them in the pan}
• remove chicken from pan, cut up into pieces {whatever size you'd like} 
• put spinach in pan & cook [low heat]
• drain pasta & put in pan with spinach; add rest of olive oil
• add chicken 
• season to taste, stir up & serve

I got directions on how to make homemade applesauce in the crock pot from one of my sweet friends, Melissa, so I tried that for the first time. The applesauce is amazing! We've decided we will never buy applesauce from the store again!

To make the applesauce:

• 12 apples {i used 6 green & 6 yellow}
• cinnamon & nutmeg
• 1/2 cup water {you could also use apple juice}

Slice up apples, put in crock pot, dump in seasonings to your liking, add water & cook on low for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally. Yum!

Another recipe I tried this week was a "healthier" version of brownies. Once I get better with eating healthier, I'll make them completely from scratch, but until then [to satisfy a craving] I used a box of brownie mix and substituted homemade applesauce for vegetable oil and used one mashed banana instead of the 2 eggs the recipe called for. They were so good! 

And to start this week off on a great note, Wrigley's birthday was yesterday. He turned two, and like the crazy dog mom I am, I made a pan of "pupcakes" for him [I found the recipe on Pinterest & it was super easy]. I frosted one with peanut butter and let him go to town, he loved it! I have 11 more in the freezer so I can pull them out whenever for him! 

Until next time,
-Sadie