Cooking...

This picture is not of me...but I do look pretty fabulous attempting to cooking.

So I think my least favorite thing about marriage is the whole cooking/food department.  Don't get me wrong, I love food, I love eating good food and I love baking.  But all the responsibilities that come along with making a meal seriously stresses me out.  Don't get me wrong, I've come along way from when we first got married considering that my cooking arsenal consisted of spaghetti, grilled cheese and cake box cookies.  I'm slowly adding new favorites and things that I can cook somewhat easily.  But I worry every time that I try something new that it won't come out right or that Geoff won't like it.  Geoff has been such a trooper.  He will eat literally anything that I cook, even if it is inedible, and he is always so supportive and encouraging.  

Grocery shopping is the worst.  Since I really don't like grocery shopping I try to plan to make a trip every two weeks.  So making sure I plan and buy everything I need for meals takes quite a bit of preparation.  I also feel like it is my responsibility to save us as much money as possible when it comes to groceries.  I'm trying to coupon, but does it give anyone else heart palpitations? I've read all the blogs, scavenged all the web sites, watch all the shows, but somehow it just hasn't clicked like I think it should.  I just don't get how these ladies on TV can save so much and I can only save a little.  Someday maybe I can be like that....

I guess the whole purpose of this post was just to get some things off my chest, and maybe see if anyone else feels this way?  I can't be the only, right? Maybe I'm feeling this way because I'm coming off an almost two week cooking hiatus thanks to my wonderful Family while we were visiting for the holidays.  I am always open for tips so if anyone has any super secret meal planning/grocery shopping/cooking tips they would like to share with this new chef/wife I'd really appreciate.  In all of the marriage counseling we did, I did not get prepared for this! 

Just a little extra: Roscoe has been rrreeeaaallly whiny and stubborn lately.  He turns two on Sunday and I think we are entering the basset hound version of the terrible twos. 

First Christmas as a Karhoff

This was an especially exciting Christmas for Geoff and I since it was our first Christmas as a married couple.  We enjoyed every moment of it!  I had to work at school up until December 22 (yuck!).  This meant that I also had to work on my Birthday, December 21, but it turned out to be a pretty fantastic Birthday.  Geoff woke me up to him and Roscoe singing happy birthday to me with my first Birthday present of the day.  When I got out to my car, some hunky stud had already scraped off the frost from my windows and had a diet coke and another Birthday card waiting for me inside.  School was fun and I got sang to me a times.  I even had one class make me a birthday card, probably my favorite card this year!  Geoff surprised me with Subway for lunch and took me shopping and out to dinner, to Chili's!, that evening.

Geoff and I on my Birthday

We took off to Joplin after I was done with school on December 22 and spend Friday with my parents in Joplin.  Then we took off, yet again, Friday evening to head down to Ada to see my Grandparents and the Brileys.  We were both really excited to see them since we hadn't seen them since the wedding.  I think this was the longest I had gone without seeing them.  I was definitely having Grammy withdraws!  We had a great visit with everyone and wish it was longer.  The only bummer was Papa was put in the hospital on Christmas Eve with an infection in his leg, he is doing better and taking medication, and the doctors do not seem to have concerns with any other serious issues to stem from this, its just a bummer to be in the hospital on Christmas.  Luckily we were able to get to spend some time with him.  For now we just have to pray for a speedy recovery for him from Nebraska.

Celebrating our birthdays with my family.

My cousin Danielle was able to ride back to Joplin with us on December 26th to meet Josh, Geoff's best friend from college.  We were again, super pumped to spend time with the two of them before they took off to Illinois to ring in the New Year.  And of course we had a great time hanging out with them! We also got to see Kirk and Peggy for a little while and hear about their adventures in Florida with Grandma and Aunt Ann.  Definitely a trip Geoff and I want to take very soon!

Sadly, we had to head back to Lincoln on December 29, but we had to get home to get ready to have our good friends Josh and Nicole come visit us for Geoff's Birthday! We spent all day hanging out, going to basketball games, shopping, eating and celebrating Geoff's Birthday and the New Year on December 31st.  This was our second year to ring in the New Year with them and hope that this tradition continues!

Geoff's Birthday Cake: Chocolate Mayonnaise that I made.  I only had 24 birthday candles so I improvised to make 25. 

As you can see, its been a pretty busy week and a half.  Good thing I do not go back to school until Friday for a work day and then kids come on Monday.  I am going to need these next few days to recover from the Holidays!

Happy 2012 from the Karhoffs!