Spouse In the House

Exciting Mystery Sport REVEALED!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 06:48:00 +0000

So...as I stated in my last post, I have become involved in a new sport! Now, if you were to quickly glance through my previous posts you may come to the conclusion that I am somewhat uncoordinated (and by somewhat I mean completely and totally). I am also somewhat out of shape, somewhat of a sissy, and somewhat of a homebody. So what kind of sport would be appropriate for an uncoordinated out of shape sissy who likes to stay home on Saturday nights you ask?? The kind that doesn't involve coordination, physical prowess, or the ability to interact with other adults without the use of a computer. What sport is that you ask?? I don't know...if you figure it out, send me an e-mail or something! In the meantime I have decided to do something completely inappropriate, given my lack of physical and social skills. I am now a proud member of a league of extraordinary women, a league of beautiful, intelligent, strong women! These lovely ladies have bumped me, bruised me, knocked me on my assets, and helped me back on my feet....or should I say wheels...or should I say my 8 wheels..or should I say my 8 wheels attached to my two skates...or should I say my 8 wheels attached to my two skates that I use for playing ROLLER DERBY!! That's right, I said roller derby. After the cookies are baked, kids schooled and bathed, laundry washed and folded, I grab my gear and head out to San Juan Capistrano, home of the South Coast Roller Derby girls, for the fastest fun in town! Okay...I'll admit it, some of that wasn't true (I don't always fold the laundry before practice) but the rest it totally factual. Cross my heart! :)

Where was I????

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:56:00 +0000

Hmmm....so last I left off, Mr. X had just taken leave and we were on our way to Camp Pendleton, California! Woohoo! Well, we made it here in one piece (four pieces actually since there are four of us) and are now living happily in the nicest newest base housing I have ever had the pleasure of inhabiting. :) Mr. X's commute is all of SEVEN minutes, he gets to come home everyday while the sun is still shining (field ops excluded) AND he gets SATURDAY AND SUNDAY off every weekend! While this is all fabulous news, I must say it has been quite an adjustment for me. Not that I don't like seeing my husband so often, I just completely forgot what it was like! It's taken a few months and some butting heads but we are finally ( I think) back to the way things are supposed to be. :) So what do I do with all of my free time now that I have HELP around the house?! I'm still trying to figure that out...so far I have taken up cake making/decorating, reading ( for pleasure not just instruction manuals, recipes, curriculum, etc.) and coming soon.........an exciting mystery sport! :)

Not that I expect anyone to read this post (a year is a LONG time), but just in case someone does.......here are few pictures from this past year. :)

FINALLY!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:01:00 +0000

Friday was Mr. X's LAST DAY.....he is officially checked out and ON LEAVE! :) :)

He went trick-or-treating with the boys and I in the mall and instead of having to go back to work....he came home with us, passed out candy, and STAYED HOME....ALL NIGHT!

The boys enjoyed receiving candy, but had so much more fun handing out candy to other trick-or-treaters. In an effort to attract more kids to our house, B leaned out the front door and started yelling "Come get your fresh, sweet candy....we've got all your favorites right here! Come and get it!"

After we ran out of candy, B actually gave away all his candy he had gotten from the mall. He is such a sweetheart!

J changed his mind about his costume a minimum of 10 times, finally settling on Iron Man. B saw a Jengo Fett (?) costume at Target and JUST HAD TO HAVE IT! Of course it was the last one in stock and 4 SIZES TOO SMALL. He begged and pleaded and, finally... I agreed to buy it....but I warned him that it might not fit and if it didn't we would have to bring it back and find something different. The second we got in the door both the boys ripped open their costumes...(actually J started ripping his open in the van) and decided to play Iron Man vs. Jengo Fett. Within 5 minutes there was a GIANT hole in the butt area of B's costume. I wound up cutting it up into pieces and GLUING and DUCT TAPING the remnants onto a pair of thermal underwear. Can you tell I was desperate????? Fortunately for me, B still thought it looked "really cool" and I even managed to whip together something vaguely resembling a jet pack.

Semper Gumby

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:04:00 +0000

*Please excuse my vent*

The first time I heard a big burly Marine utter the words "Semper Gumby" I laughed (on the inside of course). How could I have known at the time the phrase was not meant to be the least bit funny or amusing? How could I have known that these words, these two silly little words, were words that I would have to learn to live by for the next 20 years?

Always flexible, that's what it means....... ALWAYS flexible.

When Mr. X came home on Friday night and told me that our PCS date had been moved up, yet again, the first thing that came to mind was "Semper Gumby". I told myself to just smile, give him a hug and let him know that it's ok, everything is ok, you can deal with it because you are SEMPER GUMBY.....you are the epitome of flexibility, you are a Marine Corps wife, situations like this are not only expected, they are embraced and dealt with gracefully.

It was not until around midnight that the severity of the information I had just received hit me. I have ONE month, ONE MONTH to move. Why...why....why could "they" not of told us this 2 months ago????? WHY? I thought of being SEMPER GUMBY, then I just thought about GUMBY and then I imagined that GUMBY was "they", and that GUMBY was forcing us to move sooner than expected for no good reason and it made me want to punch him in the face and run him over. I want to be rigid and inflexible! I hate you GUMBY! I hate you and your ugly green body, I hate your stupid little voice and your ability to transport yourself into storybooks! I want to wad you up into an ugly, gooey, green ball and throw you off the top of the Empire State building and watch you get stepped on after you plummet to the ground!

I wish I was able to say, without hesitation, that I am the perfect military wife...... that nothing ever phases me, that I am ALWAYS prepared for the worst/unexpected yet hoping for the best, and that I have a permanently genuine smile plastered on my face regardless of the situation......I can't say that, and I can't say that I will ever be able to. I know that I love my country, my family and my husband. I love the fact that I am an integral part of the support system that allows him to continue to honorably serve. I understand this lifestyle requires sacrifice on both our parts and yet....I find that, occasionally, I am filled with confusion and frustration. It used to be that I just "let it go" or so I thought I was letting it go. In reality I was just letting, whatever IT was fester in the deep, dark, dank places of my mind...places that are usually only occupied by my irrational fears and useless inventions. I am finished with festering, because festering leads to infection and the last thing I want infected is my mind because I have a hard enough time making sense as it is. I cannot express, even to myself, in words how therapeutic it is to release my thoughts in a manner such as this. I can be the flexible supportive wife, the jubilant loving mother, and the crazy confused woman who wants to run over Gumby........all without scaring my husband or children because I have released my thoughts, feelings, and tensions here...here in my own little corner of the blogosphere...... and you know what? I feel better!

~Semper Gumby~

Mrs. X

Where does the time go?

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:07:00 +0000

I'm here and I'm well! (thanks for asking Elena!)

We returned from our trip on Sunday night around 2 am. Monday, we got up late (naturally) and had to rush around town trying to figure out how in the heck to make the jet packs for B's den meeting that I had promised earlier. We then hurried back home in time to make B's virtual meeting with his online mentor, pre-cut all our materials, and make a sample jet pack for the meeting. (Lucky for me Mr. X is really handy with a saw.) Needless to say, I did not squeeze in ANY time for blogging. :(

Tuesday is somewhat of a blur and I honestly can't remember what I did.

Wednesday I really, really thought I would finally post the 2-3 pictures I took on our trip (I know! I am the best photo documenter ever!) but then I got really sucked into B's Benjamin Franklin power point presentation. By the time we finished it was around 9:30 and Mr. X walked in the door.

It is now THURSDAY and I am finally writing up this horribly uninteresting post. *sigh*

One quick story before I go:

I have been on a VERY strict diet the last couple of weeks. (with the exception of the time I was on vacation, because what type of person seriously diets on VACATION!?)
About a week before we left for our trip I was REALLY frustrated with my lack of weight loss, I was *ahem* bloated and since becoming "bloated" I found the weight was not coming off as quickly. Mr. X took note of my frustration and attempted to be encouraging and make me feel better.

"I can't believe this, babe! I haven't loss any weight lately!"

"Well, honey, it might be because you are bloated."

"You're right, I'm probably just retaining a lot of water."

"Yeah! And can you imagine when you're finished with you're "bloating"? You'll be losing weight so fast! You'll probably lose like 10,000 pounds, just like that!"

I watched his face as he finished his sentence. I knew, that he knew what he had just said did not come out quite the way he planned it. His smile faded and his eyes widened...I can only imagine what ran through his head at that point "OH s#!&! I just told my wife she has 10,000 pounds to lose"

I mustered the most devious, mischievous smile I am capable of mustering and replied,

"Thanks, babe. I didn't know I had 10,000 pounds to lose, but I'll do what I can to get it off."

It took him a second, but he finally laughed nervously, after he realized I wasn't an overly sensitive, deeply offended, PMS monster.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 07:01:00 +0000

Happy birthday to you...happy birthday...to0000..........you......happy birthday, Mr........X, happy birthday to you! Mwah!

Dear Mr. X,

You are my best friend, my partner in life, my hero, my other half....my rock. I love you more than you will ever know.♥ Thank you for being my husband and a phenomenal father to the boys (oh, and ALSO for defending our freedom). I don't know what we'd do without you. :)

Love,
Your incredibly clumsy wife~Mrs. X

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Pudding AND Frosting!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 07:01:00 +0000

I made this cake today for my husband's birthday...only a sliver remains. :)

*Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap Friday*

You will need:

3 layers of yellow cake

I substituted all purpose flour for cake flour and it still came out delicious and moist. Be sure to cream the butter and sugar well before adding egg yolks ONE at a time. It is somewhat easy to fudge up this cake, but if you do it right, the results will be splendid. :)

Place layers of cake onto individual sheets of wax paper after you remove them from cake pan. This will ensure easy crack-free transitions. After your layers are cooled, add large blobs of cold pudding to the first layer.

Place second layer on top and repeat. When removing wax paper be sure to pull across and not up, as pulling up will result in missing chunks of cake! :)

Ta-da!

Now frost entire cake with whipped frosting and you're done! I know it ain't pretty, but is sure tasted great *so I heard*

~Chocolate pudding~

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in milk and place on medium heat. KEEP WHISKING, after mixture is smooth whisk faster, and faster! It will take some time, but it will thicken. You must whisk the entire time to prevent a skin from forming at the bottom of the pan. If you get bored, watch your arm flab jiggle while you whisk...I found this quite amusing. OR...you can also make this in the microwave! Place in freezer to cool.

~Chocolate frosting~

3 cups powdered sugar

2/3 cup baking cocoa

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

5-9 tablespoons heavy whipping cream OR milk

*use whipping cream if you prefer thick creamy frosting (like I do), use milk for stiffer frosting-similar to store bought*

Beat 1 cup sugar, cocoa, butter, and 2 tablespoons of your preferred dairy product until CREAMY. Alternate adding sugar and liquid until your desired consistency is achieved.

It should have peaks...like this:

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

My sweet child

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:01:00 +0000

So...Sunday night my internet connection and my computer got together and conspired against me, making it nearly impossible for me to do ANYTHING computery or internety Monday and part of Tuesday. It literally took me 1/2 an hour to leave a single comment! I gave up after visiting ( I think 3 blogs) and decided to go blogless for a day. :( But now...I'M BACK ONLINE! Woo HOO! But only for a little bit...Mr. X's birthday is on Friday AND HE HAS 3 WHOLE DAYS OFF (IN A ROW!)....so......... we're headed up north to beautiful Bellingham, Washington to spend the weekend with some very good friends (the only people I trust to babysit my children outside of my family). I think I'll be back Tuesday (hopefully with lotsa fun pictures) :)

In other news....

Saturday night, Mr. X took me shopping...at my favorite store...TARGET. I rarely buy myself clothes, partially because it is difficult to shop and try things on with two boys, and partially because I don't like to spend money. Anyhow, I found a couple items (on the clearance rack OF COURSE :) ) one of which was a super adorable Isaac Mizrahi shirt dress. I bought (it was $17 dollars and totally cute, what else could I do!?), brought it home, tried it on, and fell in love with it...I couldn't wait to wear it out of the house...to my second favorite store...COSTCO :P

Remember this picture from our exclusive club brunch?

Take another look. Do you see these hands? These greasy, greasy hands?

Now...exactly where do you suspect my gorgeous three year old child decided to place his dirty little digits? On a napkin? On his shirt? His pants? In his pockets? No, no, no, and no. He placed them directly on MY ADORABLE NEW DRESS!

*SIGH* *DOUBLE SIGH*

If anyone one knows of a miracle grease stain removing remedy...NOW would be the time to share. PLEASE :)

As disappointed as I was, I could not bring myself to be even remotely upset with my darling child. After all, I was was the brilliant parent who decided to feed him shiny pizza. I also failed to ensure that his hands were properly cleaned afterward. *Note to self: bring wet wipes EVERYWHERE!

This, however, warrants a talking to! Every single time a plate of cookies is placed on the table, he finds it necessary to bite as many cookies as possible without ever finishing a single one. I have yet to figure out why.

Oh, my mischievous little one, how you test me so! One day...when you are a teenager, your ability to charm me with your incredibly innocent looking face will come to an end ( I hope).

Sunday Brunch

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:00:00 +0000

Yesterday, we ate out at an exclusive club. It's SO exclusive that your ID must be checked at the door to confirm membership prior to even entering the building. Being that it was Sunday, it was quite difficult to find a table. Luckily, just as we arrived, one opened up and we were able to be seated immediately. I feasted on a delicious Caesar salad, the boys both chose an Italian dish, and Mr. X opted for traditional American cuisine....

Okay...our club is Costco, the boys had pizza, Mr. X had hot dogs, and my salad came in a plastic box. But it was fabulous none the less and we enjoyed just sharing a meal together (and also the free soda refills) :)

Oapplemeal Coffee Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:58:00 +0000

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

~Oapplemeal Coffee Cake~

Actually it's just apple oatmeal coffee cake, but I thought oapplemeal sounded more interesting. :)

Crumbly topping (below)

Vanilla drizzle (below)

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup oats (quick or old fashioned)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar (white)

1/2 softened margarine or butter

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 egg

2-3 shredded apples (I like gala)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease square baking dish. 9x9 or 8x8- *8x8 might take a couple minutes longer to bake

Make crumble topping:

1/4 cup AP flour

2 tablespoons cold margarine or butter

1/4 cup oats (quick or old fashioned)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients with pastry cutter or by crisscrossing two knives. Should end up crumbly :)

Stir together flour, salt, sugars, oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add butter, milk, lemon juice, and egg-mix until fully incorporated. Gently fold in shredded apple.

Pour into baking dish and evenly coat with crumbly topping.

Bake for approximately 55 minutes. Drizzle with vanilla glaze and serve warm

Vanilla Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

4 tablespoons milk

Stir together all ingredients until smooth....that's it!

Enjoy! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

What a prankster!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:00:00 +0000

Oh, Marine Corps! You really got me good this time! hahahahahahaha When I saw those official lookin' orders stating that our PCS date (move date) wasn't until the end of January I really believed them! For over a month now I have been nice and relaxed thinking I had plenty of time to prepare for our out of state move. But then...hahahaha (please excuse my laughter, I'm just SO amused right now)...then-----we find out TODAY, which is in the month of OCTOBER, that our PCS date is being moved UP....to DECEMBER. Oh golly! Where do you come up with these ideas?! You are just TOO funny! Double funny points for those orders-they looked so REAL! Marine Corps, you really know how to show a girl a good time. Thanks, thanks for that. I really needed a good laugh today.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am feeling SO MUCH better. Tuesday afternoon I was able to take a nap, a real nap, while the boys ALSO napped. It was AMAZING, I drooled and dreamed and everything.

Thank you so much for all your well wishes yesterday, I really appreciated them. :)

Look at that face!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:01:00 +0000

How do you like our cub scout craft?

Who knew procrastination could turn out so cute?!

Naturally, I waited until Sunday night to decide on a craft for B's den meeting. Luckily, Walmart had ONE box of mini pumpkins left and I was able to buy most of them before some other craft crazed mom could. Don't worry, I'm nice...I left a couple of the ugly ones behind.

I spent most of Monday morning cutting out little arms, legs, noses, and mouths. Then I realized I could not possibly go to the meeting.

The sore throat that had been bothering me since Friday had not gotten any better and I really didn't want to breathe my sickness all over everyone else's children.

Fortunately, Mr. X was available and graciously offered to lead the craft activity for the evening.

I think it would of been worth going, sick and all, just to get a couple pictures of him helping B make a pumpkin person. :)

If I was feeling better, I'd probably finish this post with a painful and/or embarassing story but I'm not...so I won't. :(

Pumpkin Patch

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:38:00 +0000

Thursday night I burned my forehead with my brand new curling iron that I had cranked to it's highest setting, which just happened to be "30". Just so you know, "30" equates to 30 thousand degrees. Thank goodness I have bangs to cover up my stupidity/clumsiness....that's all I'm going to say about that.

Now for some fun stuff! Sunday we went to the PUMPKIN PATCH! Yay!

Because I am very tired from visiting pumpkin paradise and have a gajillion things planned for tomorrow(school, making up some fun game for cub scouts, finish planning craft for cub scouts, weekly goody baking, laundry, a second trip to Walmart, etc, etc)...I will fill the rest of this post with pictures.

Come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion of ...THE MOM WHO PLANNED TOO MUCH!

Just Have Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:01:00 +0000

I saw it at a pizza buffet, a photograph of a baby sitting in an enormous pot of noodles. I knew, the instant it caught my eye that I just HAD to replicate it with my own adorable infant. At the time, J was small enough to fit perfectly into the largest pot from my Wolfgang collection. However, by the time I actually got around to buying a massive amount of spaghetti, boiling it, clearing a spot in the dining room, etc, etc, he no longer fit in ANY of my pots, not even my humongous canning one.

We had been snowed in for over a week and were all badly in need of entertainment.

We set out two pots full of noodles, and told him...

"Just have fun."

...I think he did. :)

Hairy Situation

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:42:00 +0000

After I had children, taking care of my hair fell to the bottom of my priority list, right along with sleeping and going to the gym. Aside from the occasional curl job, reserved for extra special days, I was content to just throw it into an enormous bun. Some days I didn't even brush it. Then, I decided to chop it all off...well maybe not all of it, just enough to donate to Locks of Love. It was chopping my hair off that inspired me to take better care of it. I was sure that the recipients would be grateful for any hair, but they would probably also appreciate shiny, healthy hair that had been properly cared for.

I had made the decision to become a hair farm.

It's not like growing hair takes any time or effort, so why not grow it for good?
The first time I donated, the salon was kind enough to send it in for me. The second time, the salon was not. If you knew me personally you would know that I find it nearly impossible to make a trip to the post office. Why? I am not sure. All I know is that I am still in possession of a bag of hair that I have been storing in the glove compartment of my van. If you think that sounds creepy, just try and imagine my mechanic's dismay and horror when he found more than what he was looking for in my glove compartment which, incidentally, is also where I store my lug nut key.

Ok, back to my hair care. Saturday, I stumbled upon a couple online articles recommending using a vinegar rinse to achieve shiny hair, and a healthy scalp. "I want shiny hair! I want a healthy scalp!" I grabbed an empty dish soap bottle, filled it with a vinegar solution and headed to the shower, Walmart bag in hand. My plan was to lean over the shower, squirt solution on my hair until it was soaked, then neatly tie a plastic bag around it and let it set for a while. This is what happened:

Within .5 seconds of squirting the solution in my hair, I realized I had made it WAY too strong.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I continued to soak my hair, despite the fact that my nasal passages were being chemically burned by the smell.

After thoroughly soaking my hair, I realize I did not bring a towel with me.

I reach back to grab the Walmart bag, and ATTEMPT to tie it neatly around my head.

I finally manage to cram all my hair in the bag, only to realize I have tied it too tight and think maybe losing circulation to my scalp is not a good thing.

While readjusting the bag, some of the vinegar solution escapes and proceeds to drip in LARGE drops, directly into my eyeballs.

While attempting to extinguish the fire in my eyes, I lose grip of the bag, leaving my vinegar soaked hair free to drip solution down my back and onto the floor.

I manage to collect my hair in the bag, once more, and secure it with a LOOSE knot, leaving enough slack to allow blood flow to my brain.

After about half an hour, I take a shower and think I have washed away the vinegar smell.

A couple hours later, Mr. X arrives home and gives me my "I'm home, I missed you" hug.

"You used vinegar in your hair, didn't you?" -A clear look of disgust on his face.

"I thought I washed it all out! I'm sorry I smell" :(

Once again, an attempted beauty routine has caught my poor husband by surprise, not in a good way.

My hair did come out looking extra shiny, but due to the fact that I am prone to clumsiness, I don't think I will try a vinegar solution again, at least not for my hair.

Some good did come of all this mess. Before I took my shower, I grabbed a brand new conditioner out of the supply closet. It was Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths conditioner, something I normally don't buy, but had because I had a coupon. While in the shower, I just happened to read the label. I thought it was called Beautiful Lengths because it was for long hair. Upon further examination, I realized Beautiful Lengths is also a program sponsored by Pantene Pro-V. A program that collects donated hair and makes wigs for women who have lost their hair to cancer. I am a person who does not believe in coincidence. There was a reason I was standing in a shower, smelling of vinegar, reading a conditioner bottle. Clearly my hair is meant to go to Beautiful Lengths, I'm not sure why, I just know it's what I must do.

Now, if I could just get to the post office my hair's destiny will be fulfilled. Until then I will keep my donation in the house in order to spare anyone else the horror of finding a bag of human hair in my glove box.

Doughnut Shop Style Apple Fritters

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:11:00 +0000

*Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap Friday*

This is my very own recipe, that I somehow managed to write down, so I truly hope you enjoy it as much as my family does. :)

*Apple Fritters*

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

5 tbsp melted butter or margarine

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs-beaten

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp flour

2-3 gala apples

Glaze

1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter of margarine

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3-5 tbsp hot water

~To make glaze~

Place powdered sugar, melted margarine/butter, and vanilla in medium bowl.

Notice my lovely new whisk?

Whisk until smooth.

Slowly add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time, until your desired consistency is reached.

~To make fritters~

Preheat vegetable oil on medium heat. Make sure you do not fill the frying pan more than halfway. *I really wish I knew the exact temperature, but I do not have a probe.* You will know the oil is the right temperature when you place the dough in and it rises to the top.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, melted margarine, vanilla and evaporated milk, stir until fully incorporated.

Notice how extremely neat I am when adding dry ingredients!:)

After peeling and coring, cut apples into small chunks and place in separate bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and toss, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour and toss again, making sure to coat all pieces.

Gently fold apples into mixture.

Drop by the large spoonful into hot oil.

Fry until golden brown on each side, turning once. I didn't time this so you'll just have to watch!

Drain off excess oil, then place into shallow baking dish and drizzle with glaze.

Set on cookie rack to cool, and to allow any excess glaze drip to off.

Enjoy!

If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comment box, or you can e-mail me at spouseinthehouse(at)gmail.com

Thanks for stopping by!

The Perfect Apple Pie: Recipe Not Included

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Since we have been married I have been on a quest, of sorts, to bake Mr. X the perfect apple pie. The pies I have made have always been "good", "wonderful", or "delicious", but never perfect. You see, he prefers more filling than apple. He's quite fond of McDonald's' apple to filling ratio in their "pies", but is not a big fan of their taste.

Tonight, after 7 years, and countless pies, I finally did it, I made his "perfect" apple pie. A large scale McDonald's like version, with more flavor and a crumble top. There is only one problem, I have a very bad habit when it comes to creating recipes...

"Would you like some pie?"

"Oh is it done already? YES PLEASE!"

I serve him a slice and wait, excitedly, for him to take a bite.

"OH MY GOSH, HONEY! THIS PIE IS PERFECT"

Yes! I did it, my 7 year quest has come to a victorious end!

"Seriously, babe, you should enter this in a contest or something. How did you make this? What did you put in it?

"Uhhhh.."

"You did it again, didn't you? You FORGOT to write down the recipe."

Oh well, at least I know I'm capable of producing the perfect pie. Just like I am capable of producing the perfect enchiladas, chili, bread, cookies, chocolate cake, yellow cake...the list goes on. Now if I could just remember to write it down!

I AM getting better, since I started blogging and sharing various recipes, from time to time I do make a point to write down what I'm doing. Unfortunately my apple pie was not destined for my blog, which means...I didn't write it down.

On a happy note, Mr. X said he loved my pie so much, he is going to eat it for breakfast....and that is not a compliment I take lightly. :)

But then again, who wouldn't want pie for breakfast? Except, maybe...this boy:

Dreams Do Come True!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:30:00 +0000

*(In my best Sophia, from The Golden Girls, impression)*
Picture this:

The year was 1980something, the place: somewhere in southern California

A little boy watches Star Wars for the first time, and wants nothing more than to have his very own lightsaber and fight the "Dark Side".

Years later, that same little boy is introduced to video games and wants nothing more than to be able to play them anytime he wants, for however long he wants.

The little boy grows up to be a very handsome man, gets married and has two little boys of his own.

He introduces his sons to Star Wars and video games and, inevitably, they come to have the same hopes and dreams as their father.

September 16th, 2008

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is released, making fighting the Dark Side with a lightsaber a virtual reality.

September 21st, 2008 the father uses his incredible people skills to get a MASSIVE discount on the Wii game, originally priced at around $50.

He brings the game home and prepares to surprise his son.

"B, let me ask you a question"

"OK, what is it?"

"What's the coolest thing your father has ever done for you?"

SILENCE

"What do you think, B?"

"I don't know, Dad. I'm trying to pick something, there are so many cool things you've done. Like feed me and take care of me, and play with me..."

At this point the father whips the game out from behind his back and presents it to his awe struck son.

"Dad, I can't believe it! It's the new Star Wars game!"

"Now tell me. What's the coolest thing your dad has ever done for you?"

"Dad, this IS cool, but it isn't the coolest thing you've done for me. The coolest thing you've ever done for me is love me."

I tried, DEARLY, not to ruin this magical, manly, video game moment by crying! So I waited until they ran off into the living room to play before I let my eyes fill with tears.

My little one, J, is still a bit too young to effectively play video games, so he was content just to watch Dad and big brother battle it out.

It is now Tuesday....and they are still at it! All I can say is, I will not go into the living room while they are in action, for fear I will be knocked unconscious by ~~a Wii remote~~ ~~lightsaber~~ THE FORCE.

Better Start Slimming Into That Dress!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:30:00 +0000

September is drawing to a close, which means October is upon us, which means November is just over the horizon. Oh, November! The month of turkeys, fabulous fall feasts, family, and......the MARINE CORPS BALL, which means....DRESS SHOPPING! Yes, while everyone else happily plumps up on holiday cookies, cakes, casseroles and whatnots, knowing they can just hide it under a fantastic fall sweater and "resolve" to eat better next year, I am worrying about how in the heck I am going to fit my ~~little~~ big mommy buns into this:

Or this!!

OR...Hmm, do you think anyone would notice if I just wore this? Really, isn't everyone going to be drunk anyway?

Does anyone know a personal trainer that will kick my butt for free? Just for their own sick satisfaction??! Oh well, never hurts to ASK! :)

Alright, I'm going to give it my all! On this day, the 23rd of September 2008, I resolve to work my butt off so I will not have to wear a bathrobe to the ball (even if no one would notice)!

A Penny For Your Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:41:00 +0000

OK, I can't give you a penny, but I would appreciate your thoughts!

Yesterday, while out doing the weekly shopping, an odd situation arose, directly in front of the egg display.

Mr. X and I were blocking a good half of the eggs with our cart and kids while I opened box after box, looking for a flawless, crack free, 18 pack. Keep in mind that Mr. X was at the helm of our shopping vessel, since he pushes it SO much more quickly and aggressively than I. While I was busy checking eggs, Mr. X was busy speaking with one of his MANY community contacts. I located a perfect pack and tried to move on to the next aisle, but apparently, Mr. X did not notice my absence and continued TALKING. So I come back to the cart and pretend not to care that it is SUNDAY, his only day off, and here he is talking SHOP, while he has the 6 other days of the week to do it, and why the heck doesn't he just get the darn guy's phone number and say he's going to call him later because it's SUNDAY, his only day off and he should really be paying attention to his wife and kids because this last week he spent 2 nights in a hotel on top of his 12-13 hour work day!!!! Anyhow, I'm pretending, he's talking when an employee of the store comes up next to us with a huge palette full of eggs and says "excuse me", very politely, to which I reply "Oh, I'm sorry!" and promptly move myself and my child OUT of the way. Mr. X just stands there, talking. At first I thought he either didn't hear or didn't see the guy, so I grabbed the cart handle and moved it back for him. Mr. X finishes talking, we continue shopping, and I think "that's the end of that".

About 5 minutes later, Mr. X says "I didn't move for a reason. I am the customer, I should not have to move for an employee, they should have to wait for me." Hmm, interesting, he's right, we are the customers. Now him not moving, even though he did hear the employee, makes sense. But, I'm still not sure. What if the employee is on a deadline? What if he'll get fired if he doesn't put the eggs out right now? But, then again...aren't we the customers? Is it appropriate for an employee to ask a customer to move? I'm conflicted.

What do you think?

P.S. I LOVE my husband, (I love you babe!) he is kind and giving, and all sorts of wonderful. We already had an open coversation about this yesterday, so I'm definitely not complaining about him behind his back. Besides, he reads my blog, so I wouldn't be the brightest crayon if I tried to secretly complain about my husband on a blog that he reads daily.

Unbelievably Cute!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:55:00 +0000

Words escape me!

Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Things

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:23:00 +0000

*Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap Friday*

What is a cinnamon sugar swirl thing? Well, it tastes VERY similar to a churro, because I originally wanted to MAKE CHURROS! After I realized that I had no star frosting tips (because I had thrown them all out in a fit of rage after an unfortunate frosting incident, and forgotten about it!), I went ahead and decided to just pipe swirly things into the oil so it didn't look like long plain fried dough sticks.

Alright, now that we've gotten the useless details out of the way, here's the recipe. (Which my 7 year old says is "better than candy")

Vegetable oil *for frying*

1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup margarine
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar combined with 3/4 tsp cinnamon(or more if you really like cinnamon)

Preheat oil in large frying pan to 350 or just set on medium heat (Oil should reach no higher than halfway to the top of what ever vessel you have chosen)

Bring water and margarine to boil in medium saucepan

Combine flour, salt, 1 tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon in large mixing bowl

Pour boiling water/margarine into flour mixture and stir (or mix with dough hook) until it pulls away from the sides.

(If you would like to make original churros WITH A LARGE STAR TIP FROSTER you would instead reduce the water/margarine to low and add the flour mixture to the saucepan, stirring until it formed a firm ball)

Beat 3 eggs in separate bowl Then add slowly to dough

It should end up looking like this:

Place dough into a large piping bag (if you do not have a piping bag, snip the tip off of a Ziplock freezer bag and screw on frosting tip *you probably already knew that*)

Pipe directly into hot oil in swirly like motion

When one side has browned, approx 1-2 minutes, turn over, repeat

Place into/onto large plate or baking dish and immediately sprinkle with cinnamon sugar

Enjoy!

See more of my recipes here, here, here, and here!

Have questions? Contact me at spouseinthehouse@gmail.com

Marshmallow Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:56:00 +0000

B: MOM!! J has something in his pants!
Me: J, come here honey, let me see what's in your pants.

J comes running, leaving a trail of miniature marshmallows behind him. Hmmm...either A)he is trying to mark a path because otherwise he will forget where he came from OR B)he's trying to see how many miniature marshmallows he can shove down his pants before B tells on him.

My motherly instincts tell me it's most likely scenario B.

Me: J, marshmallows do not belong in your pants. Marshmallows are for eating.
J: Shawy (sorry) Mommy

I empty his pants of soft sugary white confections and send him on his way. Thankful that I did so BEFORE the marshmallows melted into a thick, sticky sugar glue that I would've had to scrub off with a brillo pad.

Not long after I find marshmallows...

-In my bed, UNDER my sheets. Yes, he put marshmallows on my bed, then covered them with my sheet AND comforter.
-On the bathroom floor (They probably fell out of his pants)
-Shoved into the cockpit of a toy plane
-In my closet
-Under my bed
-And in the boys' bedroom and playroom

I suppose it really is all my fault, I made the mistake of leaving an open bag of miniature delights on the dining room table!

Usually, while I'm helping B with his assignments J plays quietly in the playroom until we are finished or he until he decides he wants to do "pwee-shcool". I suppose today, I should of noticed he was playing a little TOO QUIETLY.

What "sweet" memories I will have of my boys when they are grown and gone. :)

Just for fun, since we ARE talking about marshmallows:

Sleepless Spouse

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:15:00 +0000

Monday: badnews o'clock

Me: I love you, I can't wait until you get home so I can serve you a lovingly prepared meal and stare adoringly at you while you consume it.

Mr. X: I love you too, blah...blah...applicant...MEPS...hotel...dinner to go please.

What?! I slaved over a mildly warm crockpot all day, for this? WELL, I never!

Anyhow, Mr. X comes home, picks up his overnight necessities AND to-go dinner, then leaves; dooming me to a night of paranoia induced sleeplessness.

The first part of the evening goes by quickly:

-The kids refuse to eat my crockpot creation because it has "chickenth" and onions in it.
-The kids ~~demand~~ ask for a pizza.
-I make them a pizza because I feel badly that their father works unpredictable hours and feel that somehow making them special dinners will help them to not miss him so much. Then I feel ridiculous and guilty because nothing can replace their father, especially not a pizza, and I should know better. What kind of mother AM I?!
-B asks me why I have not yet made the granola bars that I PROMISED to make.
-I send the kids to bed and tell B that I will make granola bars while he sleeps.
-B asks me not to make granola bars without him since I will "probably forget to put in the peanut butter chips".

The latter half of the evening DID NOT go by quickly:

-I ~~play Dynomite on Yahoo games~~ get some housework done.
-I check on the boys.
-I turn OFF all the lights in the house.
-I turn ON all the lights in the house because, in the event of a break in, I will need to be able to see what I'm shooting at.
-I check on the boys.
-I turn OFF all the lights in the house because, in the event of a break in, my eyes will need to be adjusted to the dark in case I catch them while they are still breaking in, in which case they would be still outside, which is dark.
-I turn ON half of the lights in the house because I just feel better with SOME lights on, and the possibility of someone actually breaking into the house is VERY LOW. Besides, I can always use my shotgun, which only needs to be pointed in the vicinity of my target in order to do major damage.
-I check on the boys.
-At 2:45am I pop in Steel Magnolias and lay down.
-Mr. X calls and tells me HE can't sleep either. For some reason, this makes me feel better.
-I pass out right after Shelby gets her kidney transplant.
-I wake up to the DVD menu. This simply won't do, I need some NOISE.
-I put in Bridget Jones. I have no idea what time it was, I was afraid to look!
-I fall asleep right after Mark "is unforgivably rude" to Bridget at her mother's turkey curry buffet.
-I wake up to the sound of children jumping on their beds.

Despite my very busy night, I was still able to function efficiently the next day.(THANK YOU ZIP FIZZ!!!)

The boys and I made the granola bars WITH peanut butter chips in them. We finished our lessons, AND I prepared a delicious dinner that Mr. X was able to enjoy at HOME.

Don't you just love it when everything falls perfectly into place? :)

Three Months Later

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. X) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:06:00 +0000

About 3 months back I purchased a Sally Hansen Wax Strip Kit. My ~~hate~~ dislike for plucking my eyebrows was beginning to outweigh my desire for beautifully shaped, non-unibrows and my face was paying the price. Thinking I had finally discovered the answer to my follicle fueled problems, I brought the kit home and anxiously awaited some "free time" to actually use the stuff! Then, one day it happened, Mr. X took B to a neighbor's to play video games and J was happily watching his favorite Thomas DVD, Steamies vs. Diesels (very intense episodes). Yes! This is it! I whipped out my wax kit ready to give myself a quick n' easy eyebrow makeover. Alright, here we go!

Directions, directions...
"Wash area thoroughly to remove any oils": Check

"Rub strip briskly between hands for a few seconds": Done

"Apply the strip smoothly in the same direction that the hair grows. Stroke strip briskly a few times from top to bottom to make sure wax has adhered to the unwanted hair": Applied! Get ready to be history ugly eyebrows!
*This is where I fell into a little bit of trouble. You see, the strips are clear, the wax is clear and it is very difficult to see where a clear sticky substance has been applied to your face, especially if that clear sticky substance is being pressed upon you by a clear plastic strip that makes it look as if the entire area under it is covered in said clear sticky substance.*

"Holding skin taut...pull away quickly in the opposite direction of how you applied it.": Skin is taut, I'm ready for rip off!

5...4...3...2...1...YANK!

Oh NO!

WHERE did MY EYEBROW GO!??

I stood there, staring at the mirror in disbelief. Where there was once an eyebrow, there was now just a small, pathetic looking patch of hair surrounded by throbbing, red, BARE skin. In my hand I held the clear plastic strip, on it was two thirds of my eyebrow. I then proceeded to PANICK. Looking back, panicking was not the best thing to do, since that resulted in me PURPOSEFULLY waxing off two thirds of my other eyebrow, because in my panicked mind that was the only way I wasn't going to "look weird". (I'll let you guess how that stroke of genius turned out.)

What have I done??

What is Mr. X going to say?

I need to fix this, NOW!

I reached for a brown eyeliner and tried my best to ~~draw on some new eyebrows~~ fill in the gaps. Then I called Mr. X.

"Hi, I have a problem!"

"What's the matter, what happened?"

"I was trying to shape my eyebrows and I accidentally waxed half of them off!"

"You what?"

"My eyebrows! They're gone!"

When he arrived home, Mr. X did his best to comfort me:

"You can barely even tell... you filled them in pretty good."

Ummm...OK, nice try, but YOU CAN TELL, and I know this because YOU ARE PRACTICALLY CHOKING YOURSELF TRYING TO HOLD IN YOUR LAUGHTER!

Today, my eyebrows are still a little thin and my faith in home waxing a little shaken. But, I haven't given up! Last week I bought some more wax, only this time, it was signifigantly more visible AND it came with eyebrow protectors. I would tell you how that went, however, I'm just not ready to talk about it yet. I just need a little bit of time...let's say oh, I don't know, three months?