Sweet Souvenir

My friend just got back from her trip to Germany, and she brought me the best souvenir.

How did she know I love that chocolate? Maybe it’s because when she asked me if I wanted anything from Germany before she left, I blurted out, “Milka chocolate!” Then, the polite side of my brain kicked in, and I added, “But you don’t have to get me anything, of course.” But, of course, she got it for me anyway. And the picture is not completely accurate because she actually brought me back 2 chocolate bars. I’ll give you one guess who ate the first one. (Hint: It’s not Husband.) I’m rationing this second one.

Rosemary Bread

Last week, I went to a get-together with some ladies, and my friend brought the most delicious rosemary bread. She said that it was a cinch to make in her bread machine. I could not get this bread out of my head. (No, I did not intend to make that rhyme.) But really, I couldn’t stop thinking about how good it was. Husband had to work last weekend, and I figured that what better way to spend my time than by making some rosemary bread. I found a recipe online, and it turned out to be a winner! I had only used our bread machine once before, but this recipe convinced me that I need to use it more often. In fact, no less than 24 hours after I made the first batch, I made a second. (I feel the need to explain that we gave some away, although I easily could have pigged out on the whole thing myself.) Here is the rosemary bread recipe from allrecipes.com. And in case you can’t access the link: Ingredients: 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 2 cups bread flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 teaspoon butter, softened 17 tablespoons warm water 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed 2 teaspoons minced garlic Directions: 1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select cycle; press Start. I love that there is only one step to the recipe – easy! We are already thinking about which type of bread we’ll make next. Does anyone have any favorite bread recipes?

Top Gun 2?

Husband recently told me that he heard there’s going to be a sequel to Top Gun. The more details he told me he heard, the more far-fetched it sounded, and I didn’t believe him. He assured me he wasn’t joking.

Well, I checked the internet, and it turns out that there really is a sequel in the works.

Even though the movie is really nothing like real military life, it’s a classic that we love anyway. We have not one, but two copies of it, since we each had our own copy before we got married. (Although I think that at some point we might have given one away.)

And yes, we like to quote some of the memorable lines:

- “You don’t have time to think up there. If you think, you’re dead.”

- “Yeeha, Jester’s dead!”

- “Talk to me, Goose.” [True fact: Sometimes when one of Husband’s pilot friends calls, he answers the phone like that as a joke.]

And, of course:

- “I feel the need…the need for speed.”

Will the sequel (if it gets made) be as good as the original? Probably not.

Will we still see the movie anyway? Definitely yes.

Gifts for Dinner

Both Husband and I have very generous families. We happened to get two thoughtful care packages recently from family for Halloween. And great (family) minds think alike because they both sent us yummy goodies. Happily, we are eating something from both care packages tonight for dinner. For the main course, I’m using the pasta from one care package to make a yummy Greek pasta salad. The pasta is in the shape of leaves and pumpkins (very fall-ish). I’ll add some fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, topped with cheese and an oil and vinegar salad dressing (and maybe some crumbled bacon). For dessert, we’ll be snacking on these cute gummies that are in the shape of jetplanes! It's such a neat gift idea, and I had no idea they even existed. They are almost too cute to eat. (Notice I said “almost” because, truthfully, it took a lot of willpower for me to have not devoured them by now.) Thanks again to our families for our sweet care packages!

How About Them Apples

We’ve had a fun, low-key long weekend. We didn’t have any big plans – we watched a couple movies and mostly relaxed. We also made these: I can’t remember the last time I made caramel apples. I forgot how messy they are to make, but I also forgot how good they are. It’s really starting to feel like fall. (Maybe not outside, but at least in the kitchen.) P.S. Do you pronounce it care-a-mel or car-mul? I think I alternate, but I feel like I'm saying it wrong either way.

Visit Recap

My parents were able to spend the last couple days visiting us. They were on their way to a reunion with their military friends, and they were able to stop here along the way. As always, the visit went way too fast. Here are my thoughts on the visit…. 1) I realized that I don’t dust anymore unless we’re having guests or having someone over for dinner. I probably should be embarrassed by this fact, but I’m not. 2) I forgot how much fun it is to be a tourist in your own town. 3) Even small towns have some fun things to do, like eating ice cream cones at a local shop. 4) Only in a military family would it not be strange to be exchanging (but not yet unwrapping) Christmas gifts with family in early October when we have the chance to see them. 5) Having family visit is the perfect excuse to make a ridiculous amount of food for meals. (I should have had my parents sign a waiver that we are not responsible for any weight they might have gained on the brief visit.) 6) My dad and my husband are so much alike that it’s eerie sometimes. 7) My mom and I are so much alike that it’s eerie sometimes. 8) I’m excited and already starting to plan for our Thanksgiving and Christmas family visitors.

New Book

Lucky for me, I happened to be in the library earlier this week, and they happened to have a copy of the new book by Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven, that I’d been dying to read.

The story is a little darker than his usual ones, but it was very suspenseful. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Nicholas Sparks book without romance in the story.

And I think my actions speak for how good this book was…

…I stayed up late reading it, while usually no book (no matter how good it is) comes between me and my sleep.

…I read the entire thing in less than 24 hours.

...I kept thinking about the story, even after I finished the book.

So, yes, I definitely enjoyed this book!