Super Fabulous Enchiladas

Hap-hap-happy Monday!  Today's meatless recipe comes straight from the Keeley House.  Jana invited me and the Trophy Wife over for birthday dinner and Glee.  She dished up these super awesome wonderful black bean and sweet potato enchiladas.  I've made these enchiladas several times in the past, including for our Lake Trip last summer.  But I think this version is definitely my favorite. 

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas


INGREDIENTS

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 small chile, seeded and minced
• One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups salsa
• 8 large flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400F. Put the sweet potatoes on a lightly oiled baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 20 minutes, turning once, until they’re tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Turn oven down to 350F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chile and cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Add beans, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked sweet potatoes and simmer mixture 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Spread a thin layer of salsa on the bottom of a lightly oiled 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
• Place a tortilla on a flat work surface, spoon a portion of the sweet potato mixture down the center of it and roll it up. Place the filled enchilada in the baking dish with the seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and sweet potato mixture. If there’s any filling left over, spoon it on top of the enchiladas, then top with remaining salsa and sprinkle with red onion. 
• Cover and bake until casserole is hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

"I love sweet potatoes!"

After the super awesome enchiladas, we dug into the vegan cupcakes.  D doesn't look super excited about them, but trust me, she is.

Birthday Veegs.

Jana tried showing off her super knife skills, and proceeded to saw off her finger.  Maybe that's why these enchiladas were so good?

Oops.

 And we Jana so thoughtfully gave DeAnna a super fabulous birthday gift.  She's a real Gleek now.

Yea Glee!

If you haven't tried the magical combination of sweet potatoes and black beans, this is your day.  These enchiladas are amazing!!!

Happy {meatless} Monday!

Big D: Week 12

Ummm... not a lot of running this week.  I am tired.  For real.  I guess that's what taper weeks are for. 

Monday:  4 miles outside.  The puppy has gotten pretty spoiled with all the running in this gorgeous weather!

Tuesday:  Yoga, 30 minutes bike, Jillian Michael's 6 Week 6 Pack.  Pretty good day of cross-training.

Wednesday:  8 miles.  I was so tired!  This was like the slowest run ever.  But I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt.  It. Was. Awesome.

Thursday:  Yoga.  Holla.

Friday:  12 miles.  In the snow.  I had a Girls on the Run meeting on Thursday afternoon, before it started snowing, and Coach Brittany told me she was running 10 in the morning.  So I said I'd go with her.  She is way hard-core, so I knew she wouldn't back out when it started snowing.  I was really wishing for the treadmill, but it ended up being  a pretty fun run.

Meeting Point.

This is f-ing crazy.

Across from Loose Park.

Ward Parkway.

This tree is a little low.

We had a lot of fun.  It was cold, but the time flew by... especially because Brittany is a fast runner! 

Saturday:  Nada. 

Sunday:  Nothing.  Unless being hungover counts as cross-training.  No? 

Total:  24 miles. 

Goal for this week:  Go to bed!  I haven't been getting much sleep and I can't imagine that its good for my running.  Can I please get some more of that nice weather?  This snow makes me want to puke.

Husband of the Year

I haven't shared a Jamie-Drew conversation in a long time.  That's because there haven't been many Jamie-Drew conversations for awhile.  He's gone.  He's at work.  All. The. Time.  We don't see a lot of him around here lately. 

That doesn't mean I can't harass him with the details of my life via email though.  One particular email I sent this week was very dramatic important.  I had just received an email from a person (who shall remain nameless... because I don't know who reads this stuff) which requested me to do something which made me throw up in my mouth feel slightly uncomfortable. 

I freaked out and emailed Drew immediately for advice.  That email went something like this:

"OMG OMG OMG.  You will not believe what just happened!!!  Blah blah blah.  La la la la la.  Drama drama drama.  Can you believe that?  OMG.  What am I going to do???  WTF WTF WTF?!?!?  How am I going to get out of this?!?!"

Drew, always good with the advice, sent this one line response:

"Tell him you are allergic to douchery."

Ahh Drew.  Always good with the advice.  Clearly someone is too busy reading financial statements and doing whatever it is auditors do to take my serious problems seriously.  I guess I should just count my blessings that I haven't been audited yet this busy season.

I have however, been punched in the face.

Don't mess with that guy during busy season.  He is gr-umpy! 

Love you Drew!!!

Pet Worms

Okay, what did you think of when you read the post title?  I for some reason thought of Screech from Saved By the Bell.  Didn't he have pet worms?

This warm weather has be so excited for Spring and Summer!  So much so that I spent a good portion of my Research Methodology class this weekend* plotting out my garden.  I'm sure its going to be a huge success this year, mostly because I'll have lots of organic compost to get things started right.  It has to be good, right? 

However, things in the compost bin haven't been moving very fast.  Probably because it has been so cold.  But the thing is, when we built the compost bin, we were maybe supposed to get some worms to put in there to speed things along.  Then I read that worms will just find their way on their own.  So I thought I'd just let nature do her thing.

Well, I decided nature needed a little kick in the pants.  So I went in search of worms.  I did my research and knew that I needed Red Wiggler Worms.  I called around to a bunch of bait shops in the area (why do we have so many bait shops in the area?) and none of them had red wigglers. 

Lucky for me, I found the cutest little organic farm right here in Kansas that would ship me my very own red wiggler worms.  

Yes.  You heard right.  I ordered worms.  Off the internet.

Never thought I'd say that.

Well, the little guys showed up on my doorstep today.   

Someone call Screech.

The puppies were very excited for their new pets. 

"Hello?  Who is in there?"

"You are my pets and you can sleep in my crate."

I was so freaking nervous opening this box.  I did not know what to expect.  I'm an online-worm-buying-virgin. 

They were packaged all nice and comfy in a little bag of dirt.  I was so relieved I didn't have to touch them.

Say hello to my little friends.

I put the worms in their new home and let them go to work.  These little guys will eat their body weight in less than two days.  That means my one little pound of worms will eat a pound of food every two days. 

Good thing I got the worms to safer pastures when I did.  Ari snatched the empty worm bag from me and took off with it.  He and Mya tore it to shreds in a game of tug-of-war.  They aren't very responsible pet worm owners.

So there you have it.  I guess you can order anything off the internet these days.  Hopefully these guys will work their magic and in a few months we'll be on our way to a happy vegetable garden!

*If anyone ever ever tells you that it is a good idea to take a weekend class, they are lying.  It is a very very bad idea.  

Vegan Cookies & Creme Cupcakes

Confession:  I have completely lost the motivation to cook.  I'm officially a busy-season CPA's widow and honestly, dinner for one doesn't get me excited for fancy meat-free dishes.  Cereal for dinner?  That's more like it.  SO, today's meatless Monday isn't a meal.  It's a dessert. 

Not only is it dessert, but it is my first attempt at vegan baking.  T-Dub's birthday is coming up so Jana and I are celebrating with a vegan feast and Glee.

I was nervous about the cupcakes because I always hear how difficult vegan baking is.  Most of the recipes I encounter have a million different ingredients, most that I don't recognize or have on hand.  So I was thrilled to find this recipe online.  The ingredients are all recognizable and there aren't a million of them.

Vegan Cookies & Creme Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soy milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 Vegan chocolate sandwich cookies, mashed
• Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
• Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle.
• Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).  Stir in cookies.
• Pour into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Vegan Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening
• 1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine, we use Earth Balance
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup plain soy milk or soy creamer (almond milk)
• 5 vegan chocolate sandwich cookies,  mashed

Method:

• Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy.
• Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes.
• Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.
• Stir in mashed chocolate sandwich cookies.

These are so good!  Yes, I ate one before the birthday party.  Also, I accidentally used cornstarch instead of baking powder... I know, right?  Who does that?  They were in the oven by the time I realized it.  So they might be a smidge more dense than they are supposed to be... but still fantastic!  Who needs eggs, right?

Happy {meatless} Monday!

Big D: Week 11

This was such a great week for running.  The weather was amazing!  I can only hope it stays this way.  I don't miss 24 Hour Fitness one little bit.  Here's what this week's marathon training looked like:

Monday:  4 miles. 

Tuesday:  Rest Day.

Wednesday:  7 miles as seen here.

Thursday:  4 miles with Katy!  It was 70 degrees when we met up at Porter Park and proceeded to get lost in the hills and mansions of Mission Hills.  I love running with friends!  And I'm so excited for Katy to run her first half marathon this Spring! 

But the real reason I love Katy so much; she's super easy to talk into post-run frozen yogurt.  We had dinner at TCBY. 

Fro-Yo

Yummo!

Friday:  18 miles!  I was feeling good when I started out, despite having eaten ice cream for dinner the night before.  AND, I was wearing my super sweet new Mizunos:

They are super comfy!  I didn't want to do any loops this run; I wanted it to truly be a long run.  So I grabbed a Honey Stinger and my credit card and set out.  I felt amazing for the first few miles.  I just really settled into the run and enjoyed myself.  I ran about 7 miles out and stopped at a Quik Trip for a potty break and a Gatorade (and candy).  Bringing my credit card was the best idea ever.  Except I had to control the urge to stop at every ice cream shop along the way.  Ice cream is not acceptable mid-run fuel.

After my Quik Trip stop, I turned around and headed out on the Indian Creek Trails.  This is about when I realized I'd run those first seven miles with the wind at my back.  Oops.  The next five or so were much harder as I battled the wind while carrying my bottle of Gatorade.  I always see people running with a bottle in their hand.  Looks easy, but I'm not so good at it I guess.

At mile 13 I took my energy gel and started to perk up.  The last five miles were super-wonderful-I-love-to-run miles.  I really pushed it for the last two, running around 8-minute miles!  He-ey!

This was super close to my 17-mile time last week!  Goes to show how much easier it is to run when the ground isn't covered in snow.  It also reaffirmed my decision not to ever ever ever drink Vega Sport Drink again. 

I came home, stretched, foam rolled, iced, and drank my favorite recovery protein shake.

Coffee + Milk + Chocolate Protein Powder = Yum!

To clarify, I don't drink protein shakes every day.  I'm not trying to get "big" over here.  I just drink them after long runs as a recovery drink.  We'll save the body building for later in life.

Saturday:  Rest Day.  I'm taking a weekend class... whoever came up with this idea is just mean.  Spending Saturday at school learning about research methods; not fun.

Sunday:  Nothing yet.  I might make a late night gym appearance to get in my time on the bike. :)

Total Mileage:  33 miles

Next week is another easy week, but it looks like the weather will be hanging steady.  I'm being optimistic, but I'm hoping I don't have to do a treadmill run for quite some time.  Come on sunny weather!  I've only got two more really long runs left before the race... surely the running gods will smile on me.

The greatest pleasure in life, is doing the things people say we cannot do.   -Walter Bagehot

I'm on The Right Track Baby...

... I was born this way! 

Anyone else totally digging the new Lady GaGa song?  I really have to concentrate on not belting it out while I'm running.  No one likes crazy.

This week has been amazing!  Perfect running weather which means I haven't had to go to the gym all week.  Here's the problem though:  I think the treadmill gives me some unrealistic expectations of what my running times should be. 

I set out for a 7-miler on Wednesday and just assumed I would run it in under an hour because that's what I've been doing on the treadmill.  That's also my Boston qualifying time and even though I'm not expecting to run anywhere near that in the Big D, I like to practice that pace just so it starts to feel more comfortable.

Well, less than a mile into it I was running slower than 10-minute miles and it felt like a real effort.  I started giving myself a hard time for running so slow and really started to get down on myself. 

"Blah blah blah.  I'm stupid.  I'm slow.  I suck at life."

Finally I had to give myself a talking to about all this negativity!  I told myself that a few months ago I wasn't even able to run and that because I'm coming off an injury I need to put time goals aside and just enjoy being able to run.  No, I'm probably not going to qualify for Boston at this race, but if I just keep running, eventually I'll get there.  

"Roses and sunshine and rainbows."

Well, the pep talk worked.  After a few miles I started to get into the groove and was able to pick up the pace.  And guess what.  I finished in just over an hour.   

See?  All that negativity for nothing.

So it seemed fitting that Boston chose the following day to change their qualifying times.  As of next September, someone in my age group would have to run a sub-3:35 marathon to qualify to run Boston.  That's only five minutes shorter than the current qualifying time of 3:40, but those five minutes mean a faster pace and less trips to the porta potty.

There will also be a new registration process next year which will allow those with the fastest times to register first.  People who run 20 minutes faster than their qualifying time will register first and then every couple of days they will let the next fastest group register.  This change came about because the race sold out in eight hours this year. 

I can totally understand them making the qualifying times harder.  It is supposed to be an elite race for the fastest runners.  But I think its crappy to do the rolling registration.  I mean, say someone like me works their butt off to get to that qualifying time and comes in just under the time.  Well then yeah, you qualified, but there's still no way you'll be able to run Boston because by the time it is your turn to register, the race will be sold out.  I think it would have been better to make the times even harder and let everyone register at the same time.  If you qualify for the race, you should get the chance to run it.

Anyways... let's get back to talking about me. :)

Even though I have absolutely no shot at BQ-ing during the Big D Marathon, I do have some goals!  I always hear you are supposed to make different levels of goals so that you won't feel completely let down if you don't reach them all.  So here they are:

Level 1 Goal:  Finish the dang thing and have fun.  We'll be in Dallas and my friends will be there.  So this one is an almost for certain.  Of course we'll have fun.  And I will finish.  I will. 

Level 2 Goal:  Set a Personal Record.  My marathon PR is something like 4:21 from the 2008 Wichita Marathon.  Runner's World says I'm not supposed to claim a PR if it is more than 2-years old.  Well, I am.  So it would be nice to beat that time so I don't feel like a dirty liar.

Level 3 Goal:  Sub - 4 Hour Marathon.  This is my big real goal.  I really really really want to run under four hours.  Really really.  According to my half marathon times I should easily be able to do this.  And I feel like I've got a good shot. 

Level 4 (in your dreams) Goal:  BQ.  This would be my last shot at qualifying for Boston before the times drop.  This will most likely not happen.  When I say most likely, I mean there's a 99.99% chance that it won't.  Dream big, right?

And... that's all for my ramblings today.  Happy Friday!

"I'm beautiful in my way, cause God makes no mistakes.  I'm on the right track baby I was born this way."

BRGR: Eat Drink Socialize

Every time I go to BRGR I take pictures and intend to blog about it because I love love love it so much.  Well, today is the day... finally.  BRGR has been in the Village for over a year now and it is still quite the hot-spot.  They claim to be a "modern burger joint" in the neighborhood, and I'm just so glad they chose my neighborhood as their residence!

Sunday night we girls met up for some dinner and catching up with Mrs. Burley who was in town for a quick visit.   

I usually order beer at BRGR, but when I arrived everyone had a glass of wine.  I'm a big fan of peer pressure so I ordered a glass of wine and made some comment about how we were having a classy night out.  I'm pretty sure our waiter made fun of me for the rest of the night about how "classy" I was.  Nice.

The BRGR menu is pretty awesome.  Not only do they have a million different burgers, they have a whole selection of "snacks" such as Blue Cheesy Chips, Fried Asparagus, and Fried Pickles.  The sides are the best, especially the onion straws.  I've never tried the truffle tater tots, but I've heard great things.

I always order the same thing: The Portabella Mushroom Sandwich: marinated and grilled, bistro cheese, English cucumbers, watercress salad, on toasted ciabatta.  It is so messy and so delicious. 

My favorite Jaime!!!

In other news, this is the Big D Marathon Crew (minus Mrs. Grier):

I'm running the full, Jaime & Katy (and Mr. Burley: not pictured) are running the half, and Meg and Kait (hopefully Kait) are our entourage; in charge of making signs and cheering loud.

Check out BRGR if you are all about burgers, fried things, and being really classy!  And seriously, if you go you have to call me to come along!  I live right up the street and am super offended when I hear of people going without me. :)

Glee Goes to the Grammys

My favorite girls hit the red carpet again this weekend!  The dress code for the Grammys is less formal and a bit edgier, so we got to see the girls in some very different looks this go round. 



Lea Michele

 I thought Lea's look was good, not great.  Her shoes were amazing though.  For some reason her dress made me feel like she was all slouchy.  And what's up with her always choosing a dress that requires a certain pose?  It must have been hard cocking her leg out like that all night.

Kelly Osborn totally called Lea out on Fashion Police for her ridiculous sexy faces.  Seriously, she always looks like she's trying to be some sort of sex maven.  You're hot!  You're young!  Stop taking yourself so seriously! 

Case in point.

Amber Riley

I think everyone expected a lot from Amber because of her awesome attire at the SAG awards.  Apparently this dress was a big disappointment.  I didn't think it was that bad!  I don't really love it, but she looks cute and confident.  I was so sad when she was named worst dressed on Fashion Police. :(

Dianna Agron

Dude, I love her.  Love her.  Love the shoes, love the dress.  I think she perfectly off-set the LBD with her big hair and makeup.  Plus those shoes are hot!  Did I mention I love her?

Jenna Ushkowitz

Okay, I mean I'm glad she's not wearing a prom dress again, but... what is she wearing?  I will say that her hair and makeup look a lot better than usual and I think she looks really pretty... neck up.  I don't understand this dress at all.

Naya Rivera

I love this!  I don't 100% understand it, but I love it!  I think this look is so fun, but really really pretty too.  It takes a lot for me to disengage from the show and allow myself to like her on the red carpet since I hate her so much on Glee.  Especially after tonight*.  Damn you Santana!

Chord Overstreet

I don't know what boys are supposed to wear on the red carpet, but I just think he is so adorable!  He gives me Bieber Fever.




Matthew Morrison

 Okay, for real.  Mr. Shue has some serious bed-head and appears to maybe have the munchies.  Please stop whatever it is you were doing before arriving at the red carpet.

That's all I have for Glee.  Let's move on to people who are famous for other things:




J-Lo

Jennifer Lopez was named best dressed at the Grammys this year.  Apparently this is what you are supposed to wear to the Grammys.  She looks amazing!  My only concern is the length of her skirt.  Call me a prude, but I wouldn't want to risk anyone seeing my girlie-bits on the red carpet.

Let's move on to another short & sparkly dress:

Snookie?

I don't mean to offend anyone here.  I don't watch Jersey Shore, so I don't really get the hype with this orange lady.  My question is, what is she doing at the Grammys?  Like seriously, what do you have to do to get invited to the Grammys?  Do all reality stars get invited?  Or is it only the super trashy popular shows?  Does Kate + 8 get invited?  What about the girls from the Bachelor**?  What does Snookster have that they don't?

Think about that one and let me know. 

*Did you watch tonight's episode?!?  I was dying of joy the entire time... I kept saying it might be my new favorite episode... until that stupid home-wrecking hootchie swooped in with her big fake boods and stole the innocence from yet another darling Glee boy!!!  What is up with those boys' need to be popular???  I thought boys were too cool to care about that sort of thing.

**I'm so still boycotting this season. 

Italian Eggs in a Basket

Happy Monday!  This week already seems like the longest week ever... but that's okay, because I have a super easy & delicious meat-free meal for ya!

I'm sure you've heard of eggs in a basket.  Toad in the hole?  Bird's nest?  All the same thing.  Basically you poke a hole in some bread and fry it up with an egg in the middle.  It's delicious.  This is basically the same thing only a little bit fancier.

I swear I saw Rachael Ray make this on her show one night and it was so easy that I just kept using the same method, never actually needing a recipe.  When I went to find the recipe online to share with ya'll, it wasn't there.  There is another recipe for eggs in a basket, but not this one.  So I'll claim it as my own. :)

This version of eggs in a basket gets a little fancy by using Italian bread, Parm cheese, and going in the oven rather than a frying pan.



The Before.

And in 20 simple minutes, you have a crispy, crusty delicious little dinner.

The After.

On her show, Rachael used a can of fire-roasted tomatoes as topping.  I've done that, and it tastes great.  But tonight I just used the old stand-by Pomodora Sauce.  It's always around!

Finished Product.

Italian Eggs in a Basket

Ingredients:

• Eggs
• Italian bread
• Butter
• Garlic salt
• Italian seasoning
• Parmesan cheese
• Fire-roasted tomatoes, or tomato sauce

Method:

• Slice bread, one or two pieces per person.  Cut holes in the bread.  I've found that a shot glass is the perfect size for this.
• Butter bread slices and lay them in a casserole dish. 
• Crack the eggs one at a time into a dish and then slide it into the hole in the bread.  Repeat with the rest of the eggs.
• Sprinkle with garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and Parm.
• Bake, covered, at 375 for about 20 minutes.  Toast should be golden and eggs should be firm.
• Top with tomatoes and enjoy!

See how easy that was???  And we didn't even need Rachael's help!

Now, let's talk about eggs for a moment, shall we?  I'm not getting on a soapbox, I swear.  Just a friendly chat.

Incredible edible egg!

I don't eat organic everything.  It just isn't possible at the moment.  But after learning way too much information about the whole crazy food industry, I try to be very conscious of the purchases we make, the food we put into our bodies, and the implications of those choices on the environment... including our feathered friends.

When reading The Omnivore's Dilemma back in the fall, I learned some really disturbing stuff about egg-laying hens.  Really really really terrible stuff.  Like so bad, that I had to make some freak-out calls to people I knew would understand my egg dilemma.  I'm pretty sure DeAnna's response was something like, "What are you eating eggs for anyway?  You know those are just dead baby chickens!"

Note to self: Don't call DeAnna when you're looking for comfort.*

I'm not cut out for vegan-dom.  I just don't think I have it in me.  But after hearing about those poor poor chickens, I make sure to always always always buy free-range eggs. 

They definitely cost more, which you know goes against every frugal fiber in my being.  But I think its worth it to know** that I'm not taking part in some very very bad chicken practices.  Good chicken karma is definitely worth a couple extra bucks a week.

Happy {meatless} Monday!

*Note to self:  Do call DeAnna when looking for an eager and willing vacation buddy.
**If you've seen Food, Inc or read any of Michael Pollan's books, you know that "access to the outdoors" doesn't necessarily mean the chickens are living a peachy-keen life on the farm.  But I have to believe it's still better than the alternative.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Mr. Gibson and I celebrated a day early since Valentine's Day is on the list of official holidays that McGladrey takes from me every year.  Others on the list include my birthday, Drew's birthday, and our anniversary.  I'm waiting for the announcement that Drew will be sent out of town for Christmas next year.  Bitter much?

Anyways!  We headed to my most favorite breakfast spot, Eggct., in hopes that there would be a repeat of last year's Valentine's Day Special of Red Velvet Pancakes.  Nope.  No red velvet. 

The Valentine's special was chocolate pancakes with raspberries.  As amazing as that sounds, I couldn't take my eyes off the other special: Nutella Banana French Toast Sandwich.  What the...

Oh my goodness.  Oh my goodness.  OMG.  This was seriously the best thing I've ever eaten.  Ever. 

Ever.  Ever.  Ever.

It was so flipping amazing.  I ate the whole thing.  It was so good.  It was definitely more like a dessert than a breakfast... which makes sense as to why I liked it so much.  So so good!!!  I'd try to recreate it at home, but I'm not allowed to keep Nutella in the house because it has some crazy power over me and I can't not eat it on everything.  Silly Nutella powers.

Back on the home front... Drew surprised me with every girl's my ultimate Valentine's gift:

Season 2 of Glee!!!  French toast... Glee... Drew really knows the way to my heart.  I don't need silly things like flowers...  oh wait...

He surprised me with purple tulips too!  Yes, now I'm bragging. 

Wow.  That guy really went all out.  What a great guy.  It's a shame he's not around more often.  Now, who wants to come over for a Glee marathon?

Skinny Jack

I hadn't seen Jack in a few weeks so I was shocked at the waif of a two year old that was at our Valentine's Dinner last night.  He's so skinny!  All traces of chunk are gone.  I asked him how he got so skinny, but then I saw his dinner and decided it must be the new diet.

Salad & Fruit Smoothie.

 But, it turns out he was saving himself for dessert.  He fits into this dessert-loving family just like I do. 

***Disclaimer:  the following is a ridiculous amount of photos of Jack eating dessert.  That's all.  You've been warned.

Cheryl made a cheesecake with a ganache topping (!!!) so to keep Skinny Jack entertained while she cut into it, we gave him the tin foil that was covered in chocolate. 

"Nom nom nom"

"My fingers are delish!"

"I feel like there's a quicker way to get this chocolate in my mouth."

"Yep.  This is way better."

"MMMM!"

"Is there something on my face?"

"Did I get it???"

"I am so cute and hilarious."

"I need sweets or I'll get grumpy!"

"Oh hey, Grandma left lots of good stuff in this spring form pan."

"Of course I know what a spring form pan is!  I love to bake with mom."

"Oh please oh please give me some cheesecake!"

"This is so good.  I wish our basketball team was as good as this cheesecake."

"What?  I'm just sayin'..."

Finally he finished off the spring form pan and got his very own piece of cheesecake.  Unfortunately the thought-process was already there...

"Cheesecake!!!"

"Huh.  Seems like this would be easier to eat if I..."

"Slurp slurp slurp!"

Can I just say that I am so happy to have someone around who has worse table manners than me?  This kid takes all the attention away from me spilling wine down the front of me or dropping salad in my lap. 

Also fun:  If you ask Jack what the Jayhawks say, he rubs his eyes and cries, "Wah wah wah!"  It is hilarious.