The Melting Pot

One of our last meals together for quite sometime. So we decided to splurge. But of course not without a coupon.=) Millers don't got anywhere without their coupons. We got a free chocolate for two for signing up for the "Melting Pot Club" - basically just annoying emails updating me on whats going on with the Melting Pot. ANYway, this was Eric's first time to go and we were pretty excited.

Starting out with our first course: The Swiss Cheese Fondue, completed with veggies, granny smith apples, and 3 different kinds of bread as dippers. It was SO yummy.

Second course: the California salad - walnuts, goat cheese, cherry tomatoes and topped with a black walnut raspberry vinagerette.

Third course: The meat cooked in a broth that was full of herbs and garlic. There was salmon, filet mignon, sirloin, chicken and shrimp to be cooked, along with broccoli, potatoes and mushrooms. Then there were 5 different sauces to top them off! Curry, plum, teriyaki, a spicy horsiradish style one, and a bleu cheese sauce. SO SO good. Our favorite thing from the whole evening were probably the mushrooms. They came with their own special filling, of sour cream, cream cheese, chives and other yumminess, to make a sort of stuffed mushrooms. A-mazing!

And fourthly, the Chocolate. There were so many choices of types of chocolate, with all kinds of goodies mixed in, but in the end, we picked the plain dark chocolate. So so good. So good, that we dug right in and I forgot to take a picture of the beautiful arrangment of strawberries, brownies, marshmellows, pound cake, bananas, cheesecake and rice krispies. It was incredible.
All in all, dinner took about 2 hours, which I loved. We had such a good time being together, talking and enjoying our last moments together. It is such a gift from Jesus to not only be so in love with each other, but to reall really like being with one another. Praise Him for He is good.

Happy Mother's Day, a day late

I forgot to post for either of our mom's yesteday, but Eric and I did an activity that is very much in honor of both of them. Every year for Mother's Day, for as long as I can remember, my mom's request was to either be outside playing a game, or working on the yard. We have cleared many of beds, and worked on her tomato plants, or played kick-ball in the cul-de-sac. No matter what it is, as long as we can be outside. I am not a green thumb by nature, but our front yard needed some serious help. So, to Lowe's we went and bought several different kinds of plants and soil. Unfortunately, we are far behind in what Eric's mom has accomplished in her years of gardening. She has grown all kinds of vegetables: tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, green beans, broccoli, corn, potatoes, cherry tomatoes. Maybe one day we'll get there.

This is me digging everything up. I was so excited to get the hodge-podge of plants out of the bed and make it look pretty!This is my man, getting the hose ready for some serious watering. Look at those guns!=)

Here's the finished project! I left the strip closest to the sidewalk for impatients. Thanks Mom (and Dad) for teaching the very little that I do know about gardening. I used Miracle Grow, topsoil and Peetmoss - aren't you proud?=)

Detoxing is no fun

This is how much Diet Coke or Diet Dr. Pepper (or affectionately known as DDP) Eric had in less then 3 hours. The boy is addicted. And he has just gone through the process of detoxing this past week in preparation for deployment. Not because there is no soda in the Middle East, but because there is an unlimited supply for Eric's addiction. The soda on base where Eric is deploying is free, flows like milk and honey, and this fountain of... carbonated, osteoporosis inducing, cancer filled beverage, is located very near to his dorm room. Eric has high hopes of creating a new eating and exercise regiment with some of his buddies while in the desert and he wanted to start out caffeine free.

Jack Johnson is full of good ideas

Eric and I listened to Jack Johnson all through our dating years at JMU. And of course we know all the words to "Banana Pancakes". I don't know when it was during our first year of marriage that we started the tradition of making banana pancakes every Saturday morning, but 3 years later, we're still going strong. It's probably one of the biggest things I'll miss when Eric leaves.

These are not your typical bisquick pancakes though. They are a from scratch, whole wheat, flax-seed recipe from my mom, which I grew up on. And we've added something new. We both love over easy eggs, which is placed on a pancake (regular, not banana) and eaten together. It's SO delicious! Here is the recipe if you so wish to try them. I dare you.=)

Whole Wheat, Flax-Seed Banana Pancakes:

1 C whole wheat flour

1 C skim milk

2 Tablespoons of oil

2-3 Tablespoons of ground flaxseed

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/4 of salt

Sliced banana

Makes 8-9 small pancakes. YUMMY!

Smallpox anyone?

Disgusting, I know. But its so fascinating too! This is Eric's arm about a week after he received his smallpox vaccination. He got 15 pokes of cowpox vaccine in the same spot. Ouch. Gotta love the pre-deployment shots. And his puss-filled bump really isn't as bad as some of them get. Apparently there are guys that had to change the bandaging several times a day. This is probably worst for Eric. Its now scabbed over, and only sometimes itches. Its been annoying to be careful around it though. He changes the bandages with gloves on, can't get his arm wet, (therefore he showers with one arm, and the other is stuck either out of waters way or above his head) and I always forgot about it when I would go to hug him, and he'd flinch away. Apparently if it bursts and the puss touches new skin, it will spread and infect the surrounding area. Nasty. Anyway, thought I'd share alittle bit of an airman's life ready to go save the world.=)

What gets Ellen excited

Ellen's favorite place in the house is in the office, sitting by the window with her chin of the window sill, watching all that happens in the cul-de-sac outside. And there is this nieghborhood cat that Ellen get SO excited when she sees. Sometimes I wonder if all the hours that she so calmly lays by the window, she's actually just waiting for the cat to reappear. She gets beside herself she doesn't know what to do! She starts whining and pacing, and then runs from the office out into the living room as if there is another place she see the cat or get to it, realizes "oh yeah, I can see it from the office!" and runs back to the window. Its hilarious! I love how worked up she gets. Its so different then her chill, lazy attitude that she normally has.

So I had a friend refer me to this place called Pink Swirl. Its a knock-off of Pinkberry, if anyone has heard of that. Pinkberry was started in L.A. and we have seen 2 variations of this store in Oklahoma City so far, one called PassionBerry and now, Pink Swirl. Its pretty amazing, and is extremely easy to overload on fruit and toppings since you make your own sundae and then are weighed by the ounce. Eric got 14 ounces!=) He's a little bit of an overkill.... but because its fat-free and you're eating fresh fruit on top, its hard to feel guilty.