UGH!  This weather is a major bummer.  The whole weekend has been drizzly and windy and cold and gloomy and just… BLAH.

But I don’t want to sit here and complain because that is making me grumpier than the cruddy weather.  Instead, I’m going to talk about things that make me happy.  That should make Monday (and this nutty weather) a little bit better! 

Time with my husband

Yeah, I know.  This one is cliche but it’s also true.  This weekend it just so happened that I didn’t have to work Saturday morning, which hasn’t happened in a while.  I got to spend the whole day with Adam and I loved every minute.  While we might not have done anything super exciting the entire time, it was nice to just be in the same room together.

Live music 

One exciting thing we DID do on Saturday was go to a concert.  We found out that our community has a symphonic band and they held a concert Saturday evening.  The band played some of my favorite pieces (Overture to Candide, Hindemith, Finlandia, selections from Les Mis…) and we got to check out the Athenaeum Theater.  I’m a music major and I had forgotten how much I missed listening too live music.  And if I’m honest, I might have yearned to play my horn a little too! 

Cooking new things 

I know I just wrote last week that I haven’t spent much time trying out new recipes but because I had a little extra free time this weekend, I was able to experiment a bit in the kitchen.  Some things worked out and some didn’t but it was all fun.  And now I have some interesting and new recipes to share on the blog so you win too!

The hope of Spring 

Yes, I’m still hopeful for the warmer weather.  Even if we only get one nice Spring day before the brutal heat of the summer, it will still be worth it.  I guess I’m just a hopeless (hopeful?) dreamer at heart. 

Meal prep & menu planning

What can I say? I’m a nerd and I like making sure I’m ready for the week ahead! So what is on the menu for this week?  I’m so glad you asked!

• Monday- Simple Mustard Chicken because it’s simple AND delicious.  And I still have a ton of chicken boobs in my freezer.
• Tuesday- Chorizo sausages with fajita peppers.  This is one of my favorite simple meals.  I get these sausages from Whole Foods and they are the BEST.  Smoky and delicious.
• Wednesday- Crispy chicken thighs.  I know this has been Wednesday dinner for like ever now, but that’s because it’s really, really good.
• Thursday- Seared ahi tuna and vegetables.  Why mess with a good thing?
• Friday- Last Friday Adam took the day off and he took charge of dinner.  We had skirt steak, seared in the cast iron skillet with a garlic butter sauce.  Simple but pretty tasty.

What’s keeping your spirits up while this weather is so crummy?  And what are you planning on making this week?