Meals as a Mrs. ~ Orange Dreamsicle Cake

For this post, I thought I would mix it up a bit and share a dessert I made recently in addition to a light "Outdoor Cookout-themed" meal Adam made that consisted of shrimp and veggie shish kabobs.  He used a marinade he created of lemon juice, thyme, garlic cloves, parsley, & olive oil.  He cooked the skewers on the grill outside for 15 minutes (flipping them over halfway through the time).

Technically, we made the shish kabobs and Orange Dreamsicle Cake for June's Good Godly Grub with some girlfriends but then Adam and I feasted on the dessert leftovers the rest of the week.  We also feasted on some yummy Baked Potato Salad that I can't wait to try my hand at making and enjoyed some wine coolers and adult root beer.  Who knew this last yummy beverage existed?!  I certainly didn't!

Note:  The Orange Dreamiscle Cake is a big and very filling cake so you might want to save it for when you will have more guests unless you don't care if you eat a whole cake in less than a week!

Dog Days of Summer

Tuesday was a big day for the new pup.  He wore his collar for the first time and as a result was able to be hooked up to the cable in the back yard, went on his first walk in the neighborhood wearing his harness and using his leash, and has grown even closer to his big brother.  I think it helped that Dusty Shamrock helped to find him on Sunday afternoon at the breeder's house when we looked at his litter.  He has become Dusty's shadow...so much so that when we were cuddling on the couch the other night and both pups were sound asleep, as I watched a cute video of a grown German Shepherd interacting with a pup (who was crying and making squeaking sounds), it startled Hershey awake who promptly SAT on Dusty.  He certainly looks to Dusty for guidance and protection and it's real sweet to see Dusty nourish him while also still being playful with him as they play and run circles around the living room and up and down the hallway.  Can't wait to see what else these fur babies get in to in the future!

Dusty getting ready to go with us to pick out his little bro!

This dog training business is no joke though.  I've lost count of the number of accidents but was overjoyed when Hershey finally did his business outside in the yard!  I'm afraid Hershey will think his name is, "No!", on account of all the times I tell him to stop chewing/biting/licking.  The toys and bones have been removed and no treats have been given in the last couple days.  Also, putting the pups in the crates at night and for naps is harder on me than it is for them I think...especially for Dusty who is used to free reign throughout the house and rather enjoys his naps on the couch or somewhere else as comfy.  However, in trying to follow the rules in the training book, we're establishing that Adam and Megan are the leaders of the pack and the bedroom is off limits even on a dog bed (for now).  I can already see the benefits in reestablishing rank in our little family by seeing the growth in doggie bond between the two pups....but these days, it feels more like Megan Training than Dog Training!

Here is one of the the books we're using for any of you who may also be going through puppy training at the moment.  We got ours through our Amazon wedding registry but I'm sure you can find the book anywhere books are sold.  This one had really good reviews so we're giving it a try!
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/21-days-to-train-your-dog-colin-tennant/1110861186?ean=9781554071333

Enjoy some pictures from this week as well as the video of the two of them really interacting with one another.  This has become a morning ritual for them and well, an all day activity for them.  I'm loving this bond that is being formed!!  So much so, that while at the vet tonight, when Hershey whimpered and cried during the shots, Dusty craned forward in Adam's arms out of concern and protective instinct for the little guy....aww!

Dusty looks so big!  I joked earlier today I wonder if this is similar to what parents of second children feel like in looking at their firstborns and saying, "He is such a big boy and can show baby what to do".  Overnight, Dusty went from seeming like a small pup to a big dog in our eyes with the addition of this little guy.

He looks so tiny!

 

  

What is that song...."I'll be watching youuuuuuu" ~ hehe!

 

 

 

 

Like Hershey's "blanket"?  ; )

 

Apparently the couch is a better bed than the doggie bed!

Meals as a Mrs. ~ Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken

The other night a friend from college, her husband, their adorable 13 month old son (Henry), and their dog (Gadget) stopped by for dinner as they traveled from Pennsylvania to Cincinnati.  It turns out we were nowhere near along the way but they took a detour to dine with us.  The night went by way too quickly but we enjoyed the fellowship and laughs.  Gadget was a hoot, especially watching him climb the stairs from the basement to the first floor.  Henry had the cutest expressions and it's always good catching up with Kelley and Christopher!

Not only was this dinner and visit occurring on the one month anniversary of our wedding date but this family was also the first dinner guests we entertained since tying the knot so I wanted to prepare something extra special!  It's not every night that we can say we had our first dinner guests over as husband and wife.  ; )  I chose to set the table using our wedding colors of light green, purple, and a splash of hot pink.  However, last week was a busy one with also volunteering to teach arts and crafts at Vacation Bible School from 8:30 - 12:30pm each day so when planning for the dinner, I knew I would need something relatively quick and easy.  Out came the crock pot and a note asking Adam to place the chicken and sauce I had prepared the night before into the slow cooker around 10:30am that morning.  With a cook time of six hours, dinner would be ready right on time.

The recipe I selected was Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs.  You can find the recipe here.  As usual, I made some tweaks along the way.  We had chicken breasts in the freezer so I opted to make Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts instead...haha.  Also, since four adults (and one baby) were planning to eat, I added six pieces of meat rather than the four as called for on the recipe.  Therefore, I increased each ingredient slightly to adjust for the increased meat.  The result was a savory flavorful chicken dish that was served with a Caesar salad, sweet corn, mashed potatoes, and buttered potato rolls. 

For dessert, we served one of Adam's specialties:  Chocolate Creme Dessert Pie!  However, after sinking our teeth into the first bite, we realized that we had forgotten to bake the crust so we improvised and enjoyed the creamy chocolate pudding made from scratch topped with the homemade whipped topping garnished with chocolate shavings that was oh so delicious!!  I can't access the cookbook right now as our kitchen wallpaper is currently being removed (HIP HIP HOORAY!!) but here is a similar dessert pie recipe I found online if you would like to try your hand at the dessert.  Just remember to bake the pie crust!  ; )

 

 

God's taking pictures

Earlier this summer one afternoon I was skyping with my friend, Doris, out in Colorado.  The windows were open, the summer breeze was blowing throughout the house, and Dusty was content on my lap as Doris and I got caught up with one another.  We were so engrossed in our conversation that I didn't notice the afternoon daylight gradually getting darker and darker and the wind picking up outside the large bay window in our living room.  All of a sudden, as the pitter patter of the rain was heard and the scent of rain permeated my nose, Adam came flying out of the office saying we must close the windows for the rain was coming and we must hurry!  I didn't understand the sense of urgency until I realized that this nearly everyday occurrence of summers from the past for me was a very new one for Adam.  I asked Doris to hold on while I helped Adam shut the windows and we cranked up the A/C.  The windows have been shut ever since due to the seemingly neverending bursts of rain showers we receive each day (today included).  I would prefer to see the curtains blowing in the wind and hear the birds chirping outside our windows but for now we'll leave the windows shut and rely on the A/C until the rain abates some later this summer.  My mother-in-law shared the other day that the usage of water is being patrolled in her neighborhood as well as in our siblings' neighborhoods out in CA due to the scarcity of water there.  Even if I wish I could leave the windows wide open without fear of the carpet or curtains getting wet, I'm grateful we have the water we do have.  Hopefully CA will get some of before summer ends!

Other than the grass that grows too fast to keep up with and the flowers that are being watered too much we also have spectacular lightning storms at night due to the humidity and storms.  One of my favorite expressions as a child was, "God's taking pictures" to explain why there is lightning.  This is another first for Adam as he is not used to these kind of lightning displays so the other night when he asked me to film some of the storm so that we could share with family on the West Coast, I quickly snatched up my camera and began recording.  The interesting part is the lightning was too far away to hear any thunder associated with each strike and it was a bit hazy/foggy so the lightning for the most part does look like a flash of a camera going off...again, God likes taking pictures!  ; )  Please see the snippets I filmed below and let's hope rain comes sooner rather than later for folks everywhere who need more moisture!

 

New things for my hubby

Even though Adam has been living in the same time zone as me since January (praise God!), little things come up every now and then that still remind us of the differences in west and east coast living.  For instance, on our honeymoon earlier this month, as we strolled the dirt roads of Colonial Williamsburg at dusk, Adam excitedly pointed out the lightning bugs.  "Yeah?" I commented not realizing that this was his first time seeing the fireflies!  Now, it makes me smile all the more when I see our backyard aglow with them on these warm summer nights.
 

Another first for Adam was a sighting of the beautiful cardinal.  We were at our neighbors' house the other night enjoying the view from their back deck when we glimpsed cardinals in their backyard.  Blue jays and cardinals have always been favorites of mine and I took it for granted that they were everywhere.  Apparently cardinals don't take up residence in California.  Who knew?!  In an effort to draw cardinals to our birdfeeder and yard, we threw some peanuts out into the yard, upon the recommendation of our neighbors, but so far just Dusty has been finding the peanuts.  Silly pup!
Something else Adam recently experienced for the first time was Relay for Life.  He had heard of it and even did some work-related tasks for the organization but never attended one...until the other weekend.  I didn't realize until we were on the way there that he thought it was an actual relay race.  I explained to him how it is more of a walk that you do in memory of those who have had cancer or are currently fighting cancer.  I told him about my Aunt Ollie and how I like to do at least one lap each year for her wherever I am.  I have walked laps in North Carolina with my little brother and other friends.  A couple of us in high school used to go to Pottsville and walk at Martz Hall.  A few years back, I walked with my twin and his family who is very active in the movement outside Philly.  The point is, no matter where you are, you can find a Relay for Life happening in the summer and I'm glad we stumbled upon the one held here during Father's Day Weekend.  A first for me at this particular Relay was the lighting of the lanterns and lit up balloons that were released into the nighttime sky.  It was an emotional moment and while I'm glad we did the lap I so badly wish that we didn't have to....I hope that we find a cure for cancer in this lifetime!  Thinking back on this night earlier this month makes me wish all the more Aunt Ollie were still here with us!

 

 

These unexpected discoveries over the first month of marriage make me realize just how often we take the things we take for granted when living in a certain geographical area. It's been fun experiencing life in a different way as a result!  In closing, the last thing we learned recently is that pie crusts from the freezer are not the same as pre-baked pie shells.  We discovered this as we ate our first mouthfuls of dessert pie that we made the other night....oops!  I would rank that mistake up there with the time that I forgot to bake the pizza dough when making BBQ chicken pizza back in the apartment I shared with my twin in Harrisburg one time.  Nothing like raw dough or pie crust to spoil the taste of the finished product.  Good thing we were able to turn the dessert pie into a custard or pudding instead by eating the delectable chocolate mousse filling and homemade whipped cream!  ; )  Stay tuned for that yummy recipe in a future "Meals as a Mrs." blog posting!

Introducing the newest (and smallest) addition to our family!

Yesterday afternoon Dusty Shamrock became a big brother!  Yes, Adam and I adopted an adorably squeaky and spunky little Morkie!  He is ten weeks old and weighs about two lbs.  What exactly is a Morkie?  I had never heard of or seen one until doing research on this little guy.  Well, he is a mix of a Maltese with a York Terrier which is good for allergy sufferers like me.  Their temperaments are generally playful, adventurous, and they exhibit explorer tendencies which we have seen so far since bringing him home.  The average life expectancy is 12 - 14 years and we're excited to watch the bond between the brother pups grow.  Even though they are different breeds and Dusty looks SO much bigger than this little one, they resemble each other in the face a little which is so cute to see.

I hadn't really considered ever having multiple dogs in the past but considering Adam had four pups when living in California and after seeing firsthand how much Dusty LOVED being with Shelby, my former roommate's lab, when we would go back and visit over the last 4.5 years, slowly I began to think about someday getting a sibling for Dusty Shamrock. I mean can you even handle the cuteness overload in these pictures?!  It was always so cute coming home and seeing the two of them co-existing in the same place and their wagging tails greeting us as we returned to the house.

Therefore it was no surprise to me when halfway through the spring semester this past year, Adam suggested we get another pup.  I asked if we could wait until after the wedding and I moved in so that we could share the experience together this summer!  Adam obliged and in the meantime, purchased two dog training books with some of our wedding registry gift money.  We began reading the one book as we drove to Lisbon, Ohio to pick up the newest addition yesterday.  We're already a couple chapters into the book and are hopeful we can get the hang of this puppy training thing.  Fingers crossed!

~ On our way home ~

Getting comfy in Daddy's lap!

Dusty Shamrock looks so big next to little brother.

 

Doggie Kisses

Just chillin'

 

 

Dusty showing how it's done...

 

Bath time!

 

Two clean pups!

 

 

Being a big brother is tiring work.

 

Meet Dusty's little brother, Hershey (Kiss)!!

Adam and I were unable to decide on a name until this morning.  Before going to bed we had gone through:  Sparky, Charlie, Flopsy, Brownie, Peanut, Tootsie, Snickers, Churro, and many other potential names.  However, this morning we both were drawn to Hershey!  He's a combination of brown and reddish fur with some white, silvers, and black mixed in there but we're unsure what his grownup fur will look like after the puppy coat falls out....but due to his small size and love of giving kisses (like big brother), a little miniature Hershey candy bar or Hershey Kiss seems appropriate so Hershey it is!  A sweet name for a little sweetie!