Every year when Valentines day rolls around TMV and I sit down with our calendars and pick our alternative V-Day date night.  Which ultimately means that my super girly romantic self is never with-date on the actual V-Day.  While I CAN hear you saying, "aww" don't worry -I've come up with a solution over the past four years of our married life that I believe ultimately serves a better purpose than chocolates and roses (although I do have to say that when the alternative V-Day date rolls around TMV is a 5-star date planner.  :)  Not to rub it in, or anything....).  Here is my go to V-Day ritual: I focus on the opportunity this love based holiday has granted me and reflect on how much love I have going on in my life.  To take a minute or ten and be GRATEFUL.

So here are some pictures so that you can have some bonus joy in your day.  :)  These faces sure bring me lots of joy, so why not share them, among the skimming of the jug of things that make me thankful for my life.

First and foremost I am thankful for TMV.  For everything he does, and everything he sacrifices.  

No matter how hard it is right now, I can't wait to see what life brings us in the future because of all of this hard work.  Also -isn't he handsome in his geekyness???  *cough*

swoon

Second I am thankful for the people in my life that helped make me who I am today.  Of course that includes these wonderful people...

Mom and Seester

OGO and Seester

And tons of other wonderful people that I don't actually have pictures of/with....  Added THAT to my list of MUST do's.  :)

My handsome NEWPHEW!  I can't wait -I get to meet him for the FIRST TIME in just over a week (I had the plague when he was born, so I've TOTALLY missed out -seeing everyone ELSE post photos of him has been a total bummer).  :)  My excitement overflowith.  Be ready to see a gazillion photos.  Truly -a gazillion.

Munchkins like this little scooter (who is supposedly now practicing her walking instead of her walk-face planting....)

And like these cheerful kiddos who are always the first to blow kisses via Skype (that I am SO thankful for).  Miss their snuggles!

And last but certainly last but not least........

Friendship.  No matter the distance (and no -no picture for this one.  Too many specials in my life to pick JUST ONE.  So you'll have to be creative.  Don't worry -I have faith in you!).

So this Valentines Day is for you.  I am so grateful to have you in my heart.  :)

-XO-

ME!

The Great Prep

-Warning: story time first, then regularly scheduled message towards the end.  But you should read all of it, because it's worth it!!-

Growing up I always admired my mother's cooking style.  True southern comfort, always served with a side salad.  Some of my childhood favorites were/are pot roast, shake and bake chicken with mashed potatoes, her fresh made chicken soup, and those oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  To this day those are my favorite cookie.  Now my Mema -she made killer chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie, and both women make killer biscuits.  Mmmmm!!!  My mouth is watering at those biscuits....  *sigh*  Growing up my sister and I were invited into the kitchen where we learned various methods of chopping, sautéing, and baking.  One of the skills I, in particular, didn't learn was recipe reading.  It wasn't until I got to college that I realized that people cooked with recipe's!  WHAT?  My world was shattered....  MOM!  How could you?!?!?

No -just kidding.  But it really was a shock.  Because I went from being directed in the ingredient inclusion (ok -now we need 1/4 brown sugar from that shelf right there) to being completely flabbergasted that I didn't know how to make my beloved cookies I had to work my way through developing my own prep style.

So the transition began.  Each time I returned home for a holiday or mini-vacation (because we all know that musicians only take working vacations...it's true.  Don't be ashamed!) I was sent out of the kitchen!!!  WHY?!?  Besides the fact that it was embarrassing, I didn't understand that my foody transition had happened and was throwing off their game.  I looked on as my mother and sister co-habitated the kitchen, moving like clockwork doing their thing -walking to and from the ingredient locations almost silently, getting what their minds told them they needed from the various shelves and pantry.  While they used recipes, they didn't really.  It was mostly just to remind them of that random spice, or that 1/4 tsp of whatever.

Since they didn't need me I practiced.  Trumpet is a good sound track for cooking.  Trust me.  ;)

Recently my sister was on bed-rest (did I mention that I have a cute nephew??  His cheeks kill me!!!  So cute!) my mother and I made the short hike down to visit her.  Not just to cheer her up (because GIRL TIME is THE BEST TIME!!!), but to also stock her freezer so that she wouldn't have to stress over food and a new baby.  BEST IDEA EVER.  I'm never giving diapers again.  I'm just going to stock your freezer.  You're welcome.

So I'm in the kitchen with my mother, and she's making a mess!  Mommah -you know I love you, but this is SO true!  She's got everything piled high on the counter and is digging into her first recipe.  I'm starting to hyperventilate.

Pause -I'm not OCD and am just a tiny bit of an organization freak but I was truly struggling in this moment. -ok -GO!

She started looking on her recipe list as I frantically put pastas with pastas, sauces with sauces, spices with spices, and meats with meats.  Sorting was my only hope of personal survival, and you're welcome because as things really started cooking I was the only one who knew where everything was.

It was during that moment of sorting panic when I realized how different my cooking prep was as an adult than as a child.  I can think back to any number of cooking experiences and one of the first memory flashes that pops up are the MESSES we made.  Not sure if it was me or my loving sister that made them, but everything was always a mess.  A fun, awesome, blessedly hot togetherness mess.  My childhood rocked, y'all!  Standing in my sister's beautiful new kitchen, everything was a hot mess.  I was a hot mess.

I ran around wiping down counters and washing pots and pans, and cutting and prepping veggies and measuring out spices all while my mother asked me what the heck I was doing.

It has officially happened.  I AM one of those people who, while in the kitchen, prefers to have everything ready to go into the ___ (mixer, pot, casserole, crockpot, etc) before the cooking/baking adventure begins.  And I AM that person that will hand wash all excess dish clutter in between projects (like the baking phase and the frosting phase).  And I AM that person that told her mother that she was going to lose it if there wasn't a clean pot ready for the next freezer meal (just in case you were worried, she says she still loves me).

I also happen to be the person, because of this prep obsession, that manages to use practically every bowl in the house to enable my calm cooking atmosphere.  *shrug*  It could be way worse!  My next prep step that needs work is execution.  I frequently get SO incredibly excited about the current project that I misread or forget to read recipe instructions.  Or drop fully loaded cake pans on the floor....  Proud.  I'm so proud.

Thank goodness no one's perfect!  I'd love to hear how y'all prep for food projects!  Also -I'd love to hear that I'm not alone.  Which is mostly why I'd like you to tell me how you prepare!  Leave me a message, or write a post on it, and let me know!  Who knows -you may have a better way, and I'm always looking for new ways and things!!!

Happy cooking!
-XO-
ME!