6 months and counting!

Today, Jay and I have been married for six months!!! So far, so good :)

Updates on the experiment this week:

Grilled Chicken Caesar with Bacon-Herb-Parmesan "Croutons" from Rachael Ray's Get Real cookbook. This was good, but nothing special. The gimmick that I got sucked in by was the low/no-carb "croutons." I thought that they were greasy, but I loved the salad dressing. It was easy, and I will probably make it again.






Grilled Barbeque Shrimp from All Things Good. These were really spicy, and I have decided that is my fault. Trying to be healthy, I cut down the butter/margarine in the marinade and didn't cut down the spices. Oops! We will, however, try this one again (with less spices next time!!)



Italian Steak Pinwheels from Rachael Ray's magazine Everyday with Rachael Ray. These were stuffed with fresh basil, roasted red peppers, and mozzerella cheese.



Taquitos (with sauce) from Rachael Ray's Just In Time cookbook.




So now for dinner with my parents and grandparents...everything went well! I was slightly stressed about the house and cooking (my family has never thought that I would turn out to be even slightly domestic, which I'm still not 100 percent convinced that I am). I guess it is hard for me to accept that there might be a different "standard" for me. My mom has always kept a spotless house and been an excellent cook. Sometimes it feels hard for me to live up to that. I am (slowly) realizing that I will NEVER be able to come close to that UNLESS I stop working and become a "housewife" and I don't think I'm ready for that. I admire the women that can do that, but I just don't think it is for me. Maybe I'll feel differently if or when we have children, but I truly believe that I wouldn't be a good companion/wife for Jay if I didn't work. I need constant stimulation or a mental challenge(I know it's sad) or I'm completely and totally unhappy and unfulfilled. So all of that aside, I'm starting to realize that my standard is and should be different from hers. I'm a different person with different goals (for the time being at least).

I made a Fresh Apple Cake from Southern Sideboards for my dad's birthday. I suppose I should say WE made it, because my sweet husband peeled the apples> :) Proof that I actually use my pretty red mixer for more than just decoration:



The finished product with a few pieces missing :) :



This is one of my favorite easy appetizers. I use the Weight Watchers whipped cream cheese, so it is healthy. I usually serve with whole wheat crackers (Ritz Sociables) or bagel chips. The recipe is here.



Marinated Pork Tenderloin from All Things Good. It was so easy and so good! Pork tenderloin is my new go-to dish for entertaining. It is easy, healthy, and almost everyone likes it (and if they don't, they should!).



Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions from All Things Good. These are soo easy and so good (and healthy)!



My mom brought my favorite salad with mixed baby greens, Parmesan cheese, balsalmic vinegarette, strawberries, and pine nuts.

All in all, I think that everything turned out well, so I hope that my dad had a good birthday.