Recipes

Ok so here is the deal. I LOVE cooking. I love creating new dishes but I really love trying things that other people love. So, I wanted to get some ideas from anyone on some great recipes! My husband and I eat everything so no holding back! haha.
I will cook them all and share my favorite at the end.
Also, here is my favorite recipe for some delicious, I would even say heavenly baked beans!

Greg's Sweet and Sour Beans

8 Bacon strips, diced
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can (28 ounces) baked beans, undrained
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) lima beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. remove to paper towels. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. In the drippings, saute onions until tender. Add brown sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. In a slow cooker, combine beans and peas. Add onion mixture and bacon, mix well. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until well heated through. Yield: 15-20 servings.

Greg is my mom's boyfriend and let me tell you he is one hell of a cook! Don't let the name fool you. They are nothing like they sound. They are sweet and delicious and absolutely to die for!! They are great if you need a covered dish for a party or just for your backyard bbq!

I hope you enjoy!




And don't forget, I want YOUR recipes! :-)





Semper Fi<3

A little stressed out

Online classes are NOT for those who find motivation to be a virtue they don't have. Normally I would get all of my work done during the week but with my family and friend visiting this past week I could not bring myself to find the time. SO I was stuck doing it all tonight. BUT I did do it! And let me tell you it feels great to get it done.

I have recently discovered intramural volleyball on base. It is absolutely FANTASTIC!! Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11-1 I make my way over to MCAS New River to play volleyball with a bunch of old guy Marines haha. Mostly gunnys so it is kind of stange but I love it! It isn't like college Intramural volleyball where people who have no idea what they are doing play. Every one is good so the level of play is awesome. We have a tournament so I wanted to join a team. Turns out I am now coaching my own team of stragglers haha. Everyone who is not part of a unit that participates is on my team. It is stressing me out because no one has the same schedule so I can't get everyone together.

I was trying for this coming weekend but then I remembered that my mom and little sisters will be here this weekend so that is out of the question for me. I don't know how I am going to get everyone together before games start. Oh which is April 8th!!! AHHH!!!!

i'll figure it out somehow. I might have to skip the weekend with my mom....doubt it. haha.



I hope everyone is doing wonderful. Keeping you in my prayers.




Semper fi<3

Moments

I apologize for not posting in quite a while. I have had company over for the past week and my schedule has been hectic. My post today is about something that happened yesterday that just took my breath away.


I had just finished taking my dog to Onslow beach to have some fun. I say several helicopters flying around which immediately made me think of my husband who was on an HST later that night and would be standing under them. One of my favorite things about being on a marine base is how low the helicopters fly. It's like you can reach out and touch them. It's incredible to see. My walk on the beach was great. It was relaxing. Which I really needed.

On my way home I was doing my usual daydreaming while I drive, just taking in everything around me when I saw it. There was an eagle flying right beside me. I had to blink a couple times to make sure I was really seeing this. It was a breath taker. All the stress and worry about my husband leaving in a month just went away and I felt peace. It was like all it took was that eagle to remind me why I have to be strong. In that second I felt so incredibly proud to be married to one of our countries finest and bravest men. It made everything we go through as wives that much better. It was an "Oh right, that is why we do this. DUH!" moment.

I have chosen, and will always chose, to have one day a year with the man I love than every day with someone else. He is worth every goodbye and ever tear because when I see him again it's like they never happened.








Semper Fi<3

One year down.

One year ago today my husband, then fiance, left for boot camp on Parris Island. I couldn't even say goodbye to him because ironically I was here. All I could think about was how this was going to be. I had done a lot of research and talked to a lot of girls but I was no where prepared for what was up ahead. 3 months of hell is what a lot of girls like to call it. That is a pretty damn good description. I waited for his letters while writing him at least 1 letter a day. He was getting ripped down, thrown around, and built backup into the amazing man he is today.

June 19, 2009 was an extremely special day for us. It was my birthday and from what I hear the year you turn the age of your birthday is supposed to be your luckiest year. Well for me it was. I turned 19 and I watched my husband graduate from boot camp. It was the most amazing birthday present. All through boot camp I worried that I wouldn't get to see him because it is so easy for people to get dropped. But he constantly reassured me that he would never let me down and even if he got hurt he would push through to make sure he graduated on time. He is such an amazing man and sure enough I got my birthday present.

Everyone was telling me all through it that he would change and I would have to learn to deal with it. Well the only thing that changed was he was a little taller and loved me a hell of a lot more than either of us knew was possible. I am sure a lot of the girls who have gone through boot camp with their man knows what I am talking about. You appreciate them more, love them more, and know that nothing will ever tear you apart. It's like at that very moment when your bodies finally touch again after 3 months they form this unbreakable bond.

One year later, one wedding later, and we still feel the exact same way we did when he left for boot camp. Scared, anxious, excited and completely in love.

The man I hold hands with today isn't that recruit anymore. He is one of the finest marines I have ever come across (I'm not just being biased either). He has always been someone to respect and admire but now that he is well on his way to being a corporal in the marine corps there is more to admire.

Congratulations papa bear. I don't know how much longer we have in this crazy life but you know I will be right here every step of the way. I am so proud of you and honored to be your wife.





SEMPER FI<3

Thank you!!

I have received my first blogging award!! How awesome! Thank you Nicole, from Something Beautiful.
She has passed along the "You're going places baby" award to me. Along with receiving the award I have to tell where I see myself in 10 years so here it goes...

In 10 years I will be 30 and my husband will be 33. Hopefully we will have our 3 little ones by then. He wants a JR so we will have little Jonathan Christopher Jr, and then another boy Kale Leon, and our little girl who's name is still in the debate stages. Which is fine if our plan goes right and we get two boys and then a girl (HA). My husband says he is only going to do one term in the military but for some reason I feel as if he will reenlist. Either way is fine with me but I would love to have him home to myself and be past all of this worrying. I will be hopefully working, at what I still haven't fully decided. If Jon is out of the military we will be in South Carolina. That is all I really have planned for that far ahead.
I just know that my husband and hopefully future children will be there with me.

I am supposed to pass this on to 10 more people but I think I am going to start my own giving of awards since so many of your blogs deserve them. I will start this after this weekend though because my family is coming to visit!!!




Semper Fi<3

Give your loved one a hug.

Many of you read Rachel's blog, A little pink in a world of Camo. We are all so heartbroken to hear about the death of her husband while serving our country. He gave his life for our freedom and I will forever be thankful for that. It's difficult to understand why this would happen to such a wonderful person. When I heard I couldn't help but think how I would have reacted if it were my husband. I know that I would be devastated and question many things. Then I started thinking well he would have been taken away from me while giving me the most amazing gift of all, my life. So Rachel, if you are reading this, think of it this way. Your husband died so you could live and so your beautiful baby girl could live. He will forever be an amazing marine, husband and father but now he gets to add guardian angel to that list. God has a plan, he always does. Put your faith in him and he will get you through this.

We all share your tears and heart ache. If there is anything I can do please let me know.





Semper Fi<3

So thankful.

I am extremely thankful for my husband.
Every day I get to see him is a blessing.
I love you so much.







Semper Fi<3