Wow, a freaking update.

Can I first just say that I completely forgot about this blog. o.O I'm terribly sorry. The good news is that no one actually even follows me so, heh, I'm off the hook I think. This will be a lengthy post, promise.

Good news! I can almost make decent food!

It all started some time around last August, when I woke up and set my mind to meatloaf. I planted my fist firmly on my hips. I stared down that package of raw hamburger. I shook my fist and I stamped my food and I said, 'meat, dammit...you will be something tasty!' I timidly tossed it into a bowl. I carefully cracked the egg, shook in some italian breadcrumbs, and dusted in a packet of onion soup mix. I cocked my head. Too plain. I tossed in a tablespoon of garlic. Pepper. Barbeque sauce. Squish, squish, squish. I sat there on the couch as I waited for it to cook, wringing my fingers. I pleaded with the meatloaf gods, please let me make something good for once. I could care less what it tasted like. Hell, I used to eat tv dinners twice a day. At least. No, I wanted Mr. Man to like it. I wanted him to love it. I was tired of being the young girlfriend who couldn't cook.  Lo and behold, it was a success. Mr. Man's eyes practically rolled back in his head. He slumped into the couch mumbling between bites about how good it was.

And from then on, it went swimmingly. =] Meatballs, pastas, chili, etc. I can finally feed him properly!

Okay, finished with the cuisine update. Onward to my life update.

Mr. Man and I got engaged on January...err...9th? *whistles nonchalantly* Yea, we never can remember dates. Anyhoo, he proposed to me at Epcot in Disney in front of my parents and his mother and two little sisters, as well as a brother in law and a niece and a nephew). It was very romantic, under fireworks and just after dinner in China.

I will say that wedding planning isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's fun, don't get me wrong. It's just....stressful. Daunting. Expensive. My parents are paying for the wedding, so that's a plus, but it's still very stressful because I don't want to spend a crazy ton of money that isn't mine, ya know? We are doing most of the flowers ourselves, which is really saving a lot of money. I stayed under-budget on my dress by $200. The venue was crazy expensive, though. =/ Egh. With less than six months until the big day, I should probably get those invitations out, eh. Hehe. ^_^ I'm ordering them tomorrow. After we finalize the guestlist. Cripes. *faint*

I had my twenty-first birthday. Mr. Man took me out to a really nice place for breakfast but I now work nights and had to be at work that night, thus no bars for me. Oh well. My wine drinking has slightly increased, and I usually order a drink at a restaurant, but I don't drink a great deal more than I used to. I have yet to be to a real bar for drinking purposes. Depressing? Not as much as one would think. Not a big party girl.

Who wants a recipe!? Me me, I do I do!

Heart Attack Cassarole

1 1/2lbs of boneless/skinless chicken breast
2 boxes of chicken stuffing (you know the kind. wink)
1 12oz can of cream of chicken soup
3 cups of chicken stock
1/2 stick butter
1 cup of cooked carrots (I use fresh, not frozen or canned. You can also just use a cup of frozen mixed veggies, cooked, if you prefer more variety)
1/2 cup fiesta blend shredded cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bring your chicken stock and butter to a rolling boil. Add your stuffing, and stir in your cream of chicken as well. In a separate pot, heat your veggies. In a pan, cook your chicken, diced, with some garlic, pepper, and onion powder (if you feel like you're in the seasoning mood). Drain your veggies, and also your chicken (any oil you used or moisture from your chicken is unnecessary). Add to the stuffing mixture. Toss that cheese on there and throw that sucker into the over for a few minutes until the cheese is nice and melty. This is one of Mr. Man's favorites. =] Any questions? Comment.

I tried uploading a recent picture, but I failed and I'm tired. Goodnight.

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes (From a Box)

 Ahhh yes, from the box comes the lovely clatter of freeze dried potatoes into a pyrex cassarole. After sending out a few job applicationss and pondering the Classifieds, baking in the sun for over an hour (while enjoying a nap), and enjoying a refreshing shower, I decided to tackle something to eat. We're sort of trying to clear out some clutter in the kitchen, so yesterday I resolved to try to use everything I could before returning to Hannaford. Btw, I threw out like 13 bottles of salad dressing...but I kept the crutons because what else could happen to them? They're already stale! Anyhoo, so I think to myself, hey...I suck at baking things....might as well try something from a box. Alas, I'm out of milk...but does that stop me? NO. Instead of the reccomended 2c boiling water, 2/3c milk, 2T butter, I decide to throw in 2 1/2c boiling water, 3T butter, 1/2c shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1T minced garlic, and some ground pepper. That oughta do it. Threw it into a preheated for 15 minutes, threw some more shredded cheese on the top, and left her in there for another 5-6 minutes (recipe said 20 minutes). The Outcome: A really buttery, greasy-looking salty cheesey thing. Potatoes are a little undercooked, but oh well. Color is slightly wonky, but on the plus side, it tastes nice and garlicky.

The Verdict: Minor fail. But there is a lesson to be learned here, lovelies....Follow directions.

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Alas, this is the recipe that made me want to start a blog. After I used up two partially-empty jars of peanut butter and had to use the natural stuff in the fridge, I realize aloud 'wow...a cup of peanut butter is a lot.' It looks like a lot more in the bowl than it does in the cup, and after I added the cup of sugar and the egg, it still looked like a glop of peanut butter...just bigger. Did I mention I hate cooking? So I preheated the oven to 350, popped them in, and out they came, fifteen minutes later.

The picture is nice, the taste...not so much =[ FAIL. Boyfriend: 'They don't taste bad, but they smell kinda burned.'