Zucchini Quiche (Brunch Idea)

Remember that one time when I spent all morning and the previous night preparing for a brunch that I had invited people to come to? And then last minute everyone cancelled and Jeff and I were left alone to scarf down all this delicious food. We kinda high fived each other though, because I mean...bacon! It's a rarity over here. I made a zucchini quiche and thought "why stop with the zucchini?" and made some healthy-ish zucchini bread to go with it.

Then I just whipped up a bowl of fruit salad and made some bacon. (I baked it in the oven with tin foil and I am NEVER going back to a skillet.)

And voila! A perfectly delicious and mostly healthy brunch! I have another brunch idea back here and here. I'm kinda obsessed with brunches...and I have them quite a lot. Last semester I made a brunch nearly every saturday for my husband and his HUNGRY army friends. I can't wait to have an army of teenage sons to feed one day. :)

So here is how you make the Quiche:

You'll need:
2 small zucchini or 1 large one
1 C cheddar/mozzarella cheese
4 Eggs
2 Tablespoons Milk
2 slices of deli turkey (optional)
Salt to tast

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Cut zucchini into thin slices

3. Sprinkle salt all over zucchini, toss with fingers and let sit for 20 minutes

4. With a paper towel, give all the zucchini slices a good squeeze to get out excess moisture

5. Grease the pan with a tiny bit of olive oil or butter.

6. Layer bottom of pan with thinly sliced zucchini

7.  Sprinkle 1/8 C of cheese over zucchini

8. Beat 4 eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk, salt to taste, and cut up deli turkey.

9. Pour egg mixture over layer of zucchini

10.Add another layer of sliced zucchini over egg mixture 

11. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the entire thing. 

12. Pop in the oven for 50-60 minutes until cheese is golden brown.

Dig in and enjoy!

 While I was cooking, I gave jane an apple and it kept her happy and occupied throughout the whole process. My little apple monster!

Healthy Snacks/desserts

Here are my top 5 FAVORITE healthy snacks. I already did my favorite breakfasts and lunches. I'm not one of those people who makes up a healthy recipe and claims it is good just because I don't want to admit that one of my healthy creations was actually gross. Because sometimes I try making a healthy snack and it IS gross. But these ones are not, I promise. Without further ado....

dried apricots

 Okay so I just buy them at Winco. They are also at Sprouts. So, no preparation on my part; but every time I am craving candy or dessert and I eat these- the craving is completely satisfied. (i will admit that sometimes i give into the real craving before i eat these. oops) They really do taste like candy. I love all dried fruits, but these are more fruit snack-ish.

banana ice cream

1 Frozen banana (easiest if sliced before you put in freezer)

3/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

mix in food processor until chunks are gone.

DELICIOUS MILKSHAKE

(in this one i added strawberries, my husband likes adding a touch of cocoa powder because then it tastes like a chocolate milkshake, but i'm not a huge chocolate fan.)

gosh dangit this stuff is so dang delicious. I honestly prefer it to ice cream and, to me, it tastes like a sinful dessert- but it's not!! i cannot recommend this enough! also this may sound weird but it's much easier to drink out of a cup than to eat out of a bowl. 

fruit salad

cut up and mix whatever fruit i have on hand

add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

and 1 tablespoon of melted honey

drizzle over and mix.

sauteed zucchini

just sautee your favorite vegetable. I sautee in Earth Balance Olive Oil butter. (it's vegan; fun fact) i season with garlic salt and a bit of (real) parmesan cheese and it is probably my all-time favorite snack. 

peanut butter balls

1/2 C Peanut butter

1 C oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 C ground flaxseed

3 Tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

mix together and enjoy

 These are so good!

 MUFFINS

i make a batch of muffins pretty much every week. Zucchini muffins, banana muffins, oat bran muffins, and blueberry muffins- but these are my favorite. To make muffins healthier I always use whole wheat flour, add flax seed, sometimes add oats, substitute oil with applesauce, and use either no sugar and just honey or a small amount of sugar with honey. These blueberry muffins are delicious so i'll share my recipe of these with you. email me if you want the recipes to any of my other muffins. 

2 C whole wheat flour
(one time i did 1 1/2 C wheat flour, 1/2 C white flour and it made the muffins much more luscious and fluffy. so you decide if it's worth it to you.)
2/3 C brown sugar (get over the sugar, that is like 1 teaspoon or less of sugar per muffin so it's fine)
2 Tablespoons honey
1 large egg
3/4 C plain greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 C unsweetened almond milk
5 Tablespoons apple sauce (can use melted butter if you don't have applesauce)
1 C fresh blueberries (rolled in wheat flour)

and ENJOY! Let me know if you have every to die for healthy desserts/snacks. And let me know if you try any of these! :)

Fast and Healthy Lunches + tips

Ok. So I already gave some fast and healthy breakfast ideas. Now next up is healthy lunches! I LOVE lunch! My most common lunch ingredients are avocado (hi, super food!), zucchini, cottage cheese, and salad. I don't have any pictures of zucchini but some days I just sautee an entire zucchini and that's my lunch! Or i'll eat it with some fruit or a piece of toast. So, without further ado, here are some of my regular lunches!

1. Turkey, cheese, avocado quesadilla.

I use whole wheat tortillas and have found some low carb, low calorie ones that I really like. All tortillas kinda taste the same to me. I do try to only eat tortillas, even if they are whole wheat, a couple times a week, though. I cook these on my George Foreman Grill without butter/oil. To. Die. For.

2. Guacamole on corn tortilla, nuts, and a fruit smoothie.
Hopefully pretty self explanatory. For my fruit smoothies i usually do strawberries, banana, blueberries, and plain greek yogurt. it's kinda like dessert....

3. Chicken Salad on a piece of whole wheat bread.
For Chicken Salad: mix shredded chicken with greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and whatever else you want. I frequently mix in celery, broccoli, craisins, etc. Do with it what you want- it is so versatile!

 4. Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans
Ok. Confession. I hate sweet potatoes. It's awfully sad. But I made this the other day for me and my husband. My husband loves it and its a great idea if you like sweet potato (another super food). I mixed the beans and potatoes with garlic salt, chili powder, and a bit of parmesan cheese.

ALSO can i just say that it's really weird that everyone calls these sweet potatoes, but they are actually yams. Maybe I'll just start calling apples oranges and see if people go along with it. But really, it makes no sense to me.

5. Broccoli and Cheese Quinoa.
I AM OBSESSED WITH QUINOA. It is just like a heaven-sent food. We have some sort of quinoa bowls at least once a week. But when it's lunch time I usually cook the quinoa, mix it with mozzarella, and garlic, and then eat broccoli (or another veggie) with it. It is SO filling and delicious. And it is a COMPLETE protein. Quinoa is my best food friend. mmmmm. If you haven't tried it yet- get on it! (oh and it only takes like 10 minutes to cook. LOVE)

6. Spinach Romaine Salad
I love salads- my favorite leaf mixture is romaine and spinach. I really need to hop onto the kale bandwagon as well, but the stuff is gross! Maybe one day...Anyways, I top my salads with sliced avocados, craisins, carrots, and croutons. MMM. I also use a small amount of ranch dressing. (not the store bought kind- it has all sorts of weird ingredients.)

7. Turkey Taco Soup
I love making a big batch of soup at the beginning of the week so I can eat it for lunches. Turkey taco soup is my favorite. It's just lean ground turkey, black beans, kidney beans, green lentils, and diced tomatoes. Seasoned with ranch dressing powder and taco seasoning. I may need to do a separate recipe post for this stuff. (let me know if you want it) It is heavenly. We often mix in greek yogurt and shredded cheese when we eat it. It would also be very easy to sneak in some more veggies like zucchini (cuz I'm obsessed...)

8. Guacamole Quesadilla & green Smoothie.

Cheese quesadilla on whole wheat tortilla- smothered in guacamole and tomatoes.

(I know, i know- cheese is my weakness!)

Green Smoothie- 1 C spinach, 1/2 Banana, strawberries, blueberries, greek yogurt, and a splash of unsweetened almond milk. 

9. Veggie Plate. I call it "Power Plate"uhhh self explanatory. I steam and sautee broccoli and zucchini (or whatever veggies i have on hand) with a bit of garlic salt....or whatever other seasonings I'm in the mood for. And then I add a raw veggie- usually carrots or cucumber. But seriously, i love this. I crave it. (except for that one burnt zucchini piece- don't crave that.)

Well- there you have it. I hope this gives you all some ideas of yummy, fast, and healthy lunches to make for yourself and/or your family! I'm just amazed at what clean eating can do for your body and energy levels! 

One major tip I have if you are trying to transition into a healthy lifestyle: do NOT try to do it all at once. Start small by eliminating certain things from your diet. (ie. soda, sugary drinks, chips, fast food etc). After you feel like you have eliminated some things from your diet, start replacing certain foods. (i.e. wheat tortillas for white tortillas, quinoa or brown rice for white rice, lean turkey for ground beef, sweet potatoes (YAMS) for white potatoes, etc.) That is how I've gone about this whole process and it is a lot less overwhelming that way. I went from eating basically fruit and candy my entire pregnancy to how i eat now. Just make small little goals for yourself and eventually you will find yourself munching on vegetables and enjoying it! :) 

Recently I've set a goal to eat 6 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. (1 cup of vegetables = 1 serving. 1/2 C fruit = 1 serving. 2 cups of leafy greens = 1 serving) It's been amazing that i've been full all the time and no longer had the desire to reach for a cookie or whatever else it might be. I've changed my mindset to "I can't eat that (cookie)" to "I need to eat that (broccoli)". It doesn't sound like it s a big difference, but it is.  And it has been amazing because I don't even feel like I'm restricting myself really since i love a lot of fruits and vegetables. Now I will say that I don't love ALL fruits or all vegetables, but work with what you got! Anyways, I think that is a long enough rant for today. Hopefully it was somewhat helpful to someone.

(If you are interested in what my normal eating day looks like and/or want some ideas to incorporate all these fruits and vegetables into your diet, I'd be happy to let you know- just ask.) Also let me know if you have any good healthy and easy meal ideas! :)

6 healthy, easy, and delicious breakfast ideas.

I have been slowly transforming to a healthy lifestyle for the past year. I have come to love eating healthy and have many strong opinions on the matter. For instance, I believe in fueling my body with REAL food. But at the same time, i let myself have a treat every once in while. (People who never treat themselves bug me because they are just making their life miserable.) 

Ok I'm going to do a little series of FAST, HEALTHY, AND DELICIOUS meals, each segment including some extra tips and tricks I have learned.

The series will consist of: breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts/snacks

My first segment is: Breakfast.

Here are 6 of my favorite breakfast meals that are on rotation. It is SO important to start your day off right by eating healthy foods. I'm guilty of being a breakfast-skipper in the past. Shame on me!

FAIR WARNING: I may have gone a little over the top on the blueberries. But umm, I'm obsessed. they are so incredibly healthy for you. Seriously, like one of the best things you can put in your body. Oh, and they taste like candy! umm, hello?! why the heck would i not put them on...everything? Yes they are expensive but a small little container can really go a long way. 

 1. Banana Oatmeal: 1/2 coined banana,  3/4 C unsweetened almond milk (or regular milk), 1 Teaspoon raw honey. (emphasis on the raw, the cheap honey that comes in those little bears might as well be straight sugar and doesn't really have any health benefits), 1/4 C pecans, and a small handful of blueberries. Heat the bananas up with oatmeal for 2 minutes, then stir. Add in the honey, nuts, and fruit. (obviously versatile and interchangeable)

 1. Fried Egg Tostado. crisp a corn tortilla on a skillet. set aside while you make the guacamole. (1/2 avocado mashed with 1 T milk, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, and 1 teaspoon lime juice). spread guacamole on tortilla and top with one slice of crisped deli turkey and a fried egg. Top with a bit of cheese.

 Yogurt & Granola: 1/2 C plain greek yogurt, small handful of almonds, 1/4 C granola (homemade is best- i'll post the recipe another time), and small handful of fruit. Of course this picture is of blueberries, but I switch it up with different fruit every day! This is such a good thing to eat when you are having a sugar craving!

 Grape Nuts & lemon water: Ok I know of so many people who hate on grape nuts, but I'm obsessed and I think you should just give it a try! Shake it up and add fruit like...blueberries. again. guilty. This stuff is just about the best thing you can eat in the morning...loaded with fiber and also a good source of protein and whole grains. Whole grains are the best to eat in the morning because they are slow burning carbs which makes them easier to burn off throughout the day and actually combat against late night sugar cravings. Fiber is good in the morning because it really gets your metabolism going. I also drink lemon water almost every morning. There are so many health benefits to drinking lemon water. It cleanses your system, aids in digestion, and improves your immune system. I feel so refreshed and energized after gulping down a glass of this every morning. See more benefits here.

Turkey and Cheese Omelette: me and my husband have this at least twice a week- it is our favorite breakfast! I start by getting a couple slices of deli turkey and crisping them on a skillet. I then mix, salt, and pour 2 eggs on top of the turkey. let egg cook and then sprinkle with cheese: mozzarella is the best but I sometimes use a bit of cheddar too. Oh and the turkey is great because it tastes like bacon! mm :) Sometimes we add in some green pepper or spinach or other veggies! Omelettes are also very versatile!

picture via

Banana-Egg Pancakes: Oh my gosh it took me so long to finally try these. I was SO skeptical of these pancakes but i LOVED them. I combined 1 banana and 2 eggs together with a mixer. I then added a pinch of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 Tablespoon flax seed (optional), and a pinch of cinnamon. Spray pan and cook on medium-low heat. They taste wonderful, but I still can't figure out how to flip them without destroying them. (they are very delicate). So, i stole this picture because mine usually look extremely undesirable. I ate them with a very light spread of peanut butter and that's it because they already have sweetness. They are DELISH and if you have been hesitant to jump on the no-flour pancakes bandwagon; now is the time to jump on because i'm telling you- you will never look back. These would be a PERFECT post-workout snack as well. 

if any of you have any other good ideas or tips- let me know and leave a comment! Or if you try any of these let me know how they work for you :) 

Skinny Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup & easy breadsticks

So i went to Zupas and had one bite out of their Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup and was blown away. When you realize that you are thoroughly enjoying what is essentially pureed vegetables, you know you've found a winner. So I came up with a slightly healthier/modified version of the Zupas soup. Man it is so good. The main thing you need for this recipe though, is a GOOD blender. (my bosch blender didn't quite cut it) one reason why a good blender is on my wish list. ANYWAYS.

 Here is the recipe. Im going to apologize in advance for the not so great picture i have. Just trust me, it tastes a lot better than it looks :)

SKINNY WISCONSIN CAULIFLOWER SOUP (with zucchini)

  INGREDIENTS
1 zucchini
1 head cauliflower
1 onion
1/4 C flour
3 Tablespoons butter
2 C milk
1 1/2 C water
1 can chicken broth (NO MSG, please&thank you)
1 1/2 C sharp cheddar
1/2 C pepper jack
Salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1.  chop zucchini into small triangles, sprinkle with garlic salt and cook in a separate pan on medium-low heat, covered. you will do everything else while the zucchini cooks
2. saute chopped onion and butter in skillet until onion is a golden brown color
2. add flour  and stir for a couple minutes until it is all mixed together
3. gradually add milk and STIR like your life depends on it. then add water and chicken broth. continue to stir, constantly. (your arms should be sore by now)
4. add chopped cauliflower, heat until boiled
5. reduce heat and cover the skillet, let cauliflower simmer for about 15 minutes until tender.
6. When cauliflower is tender, empty entire skillet into the blender
7. blend until velvety smooth :) let the steam escape from a hole in the top of the blender.
8. add blended cauliflower mixture into a pot, cook on medium heat until hot.
9. reduce heat, then add cheese and salt to taste.
10. Once zucchini is tender, add to the soup.


ENJOY!

I served this soup with some delicious garlic parmesan breadsticks.

EASY GARLIC PARMESAN BREADSTICKS

INGREDIENTS
rhodes rolls
3 T garlic salt
3 T parmesan cheese (the real kind, not the powder-y stuff)
2 T butter

DIRECTIONS
1. let rhodes rolls thaw for 4 hours
2. once soft, roll into long breadstick-like worms.
3. Melt butter
4. spread tiny bit of butter on each breadstick
5. sprinkle garlic salt over each breadstick
6. sprinkle parmesan cheese over each breadstick.
7. cook in oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, or until golden brown on the bottom.

obviously it was so delicious that i didn't remember to take a picture until it was halfway gone....

PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps

oh my goodness. jeffrey and i have dropped $50 eating out at PF Changs a time or two. (okay, once) And guess what- it was worth it! We love that restaurant, and one of our very favorite things to eat there is the chicken lettuce wraps. Obsessed.

So i decided to give it a try at home- where it wouldn't cost $50...I'm always apprehensive to attempt a "copycat" recipe because if it doesn't taste like the real thing, you feel like a dud.

IT TASTED LIKE THE REAL THING. (totally not a dud today.) We stuffed ourselves with lettuce rolls and didn't even feel too guilty because- if something has lettuce in the title, it's impossible to feel guilty.

it was actually really easy. the only thing that took forever was cutting up the chicken breasts into minuscule pieces. i would recommend getting the pre-cut chicken to save time because after that it takes about 15 minutes! fast, easy, healthy, and delicious = 10 star recipe for me!

(this is really making me want more...mmmm)

aaaaand this entire skillet was empty 20 minutes later. (no, we did not have company.)

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breast (or pre-cut/ground)

1 can water chestnuts

3 cloves minced garlic

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1/4 C peanuts, chopped

1/4 C hoison sauce

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

1 1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons ground ginger (i used the powder)

3 teaspoons sriracha sauce 

1 Tablespoon rice whine vinegar (confession, i used white wine vinegar and couldn't tell the difference)

1 head of iceberg lettuce

if you want dipping sauce with it mix hoison sauce and soy sauce- 

we opted out of the sauce because it was plenty saucy already...ha.

Directions:

1. cut up chicken into small pieces

2. heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil on skillet and put chicken in- toss until cooked.

3. while chicken is cooking, cut onion, garlic, peanuts, and water chestnuts

4. toss garlic and onion into skillet and mix with chicken for 5 minutes

5. add the hoison sauce, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha sauce,vinegar, and ginger 

6. once chicken is coated evenly, add water chestnuts, and peanuts. stir for 5-10 minutes until everything is coated and warm.

7. take a scoop of the chicken mixture and put it on a big piece of lettuce- ENJOY!!

(YOU'LL THANK ME LATER)

bacon egg and cheese breakfast muffins.

Ok so...it seems like every time i post a recipe on here, it is like extremely unhealthy.
well, here is a disclaimer: I usually eat quite healthy, but i do like to bake treats.
and...those are the recipes that usually make it on here.

This recipe is a favorite for sure. Whenever I invite a big group of people over for breakfast or something, I make these little puppies. They are ALWAYS a huge hit. I decided this was going to be my semiannual conference breakfast food. And you know that general conference weekend requires a lot of good, usually unhealthy food.

anyways, here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
8 pieces bacon
6 eggs
1 roll of crescent roll biscuits
1 Cup of shredded cheddar cheese

helpful hint: this recipe is best completed with an adorable sidekick as your supervisor

DIRECTIONS:
- flatten out the biscuits (i tear each biscuit into two separate pieces, they easily rip apart) and put in muffin pan cup.
- beat eggs in a bowl until well mixed. pour egg mixture into the biscuit cup. do NOT fill up biscuit cups more than half way full. they will look kinda empty, but if you put any more than the eggs will overflow in the oven.
- after you have put the egg mixture in the biscuit cups, put a sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top.

- cook bacon, and then rip it into small bite sized pieces and stick about 5-6 pieces of torn up bacon into the biscuit cups.
- cook in oven for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.
- enjoy your breakfast deliciousness!
- invite friends over to enjoy them with you
- receive praise from everyone who has the pleasure to eat them.
:)

you can make healthier versions too

ie..add vegetables

use egg whites, turkey bacon....

the biscuits? yeah you are just going to have to deal with the calories that come from that..

homemade bread and a funny husband

So one of our neighbors brought us a loaf of homemade bread a couple weeks ago. It took all of our self control to not eat the whole loaf in one sitting. Jeff and I couldn't get enough. And even though i LOVE my mom's recipe and I've used that in the past, I got the recipe from them because i wanted to see if i could recreate it. Let me tell you it is the BEST homemade bread ever. AND it's wholewheat!

Anyways, I found out that it was my neighbor's husband who made the bread. She informed me that her husband makes bread EVERY WEEK! lucky girl! So i turned to jeff and said:

"JEFF. her husband makes bread every week! I would die and go to heaven if you did that."
"well yeah duh, THAT'S why i don't do it. I don't want you to die. That would be dumb!"

haha. tousche.
Anyways, here is the recipe. (by the way I'm going to start posting more recipes on this blog)
 I've always had a fear of baking with yeast. It stresses me out. yeastaphobia, i like to call it. But I'm getting braver, and I'm  happy to say this bread turned out pretty good (not perfect though) on my first attempt!

WHOLE-WHEAT HOMEMADE BREAD
Ingredients:

6 cups warm water

2 tablespoons yeast

2/3 Cup sugar

2/3 Cup oil

2 Tablespoons salt

13-14 Cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

-Put 6 cups of warm water into the bosch (or whatever mixing device you have) with 2 Tablespoons of yeast and 1 T of sugar. mix slightly. Let sit until the yeast reacts. 

- Once the yeast has reacted, add the rest of the sugar, oil, salt, and HALF of the flour.

- Mix in the bosch (or other food mixer) until all clumps are out.

- Add the rest of the flour 

- Mix on high speed for a long time (5-7 minutes) until the dough is sticky but it cleans the sides of the bowl.

- Spray table with Pam, and put the dough on the table to rise. Place a thin towel over the top to prevent drying out of the dough. Let it rise until it doubles in size.

- Once it has risen, cut dough into 4 large, even pieces. 

- Form the 4 pieces of dough into loaves and put them into sprayed bread pans

- Let bread rise in pan for 20-25 minutes.

- Put in an non pre-heated oven at 350 and bake for 35 minutes. (it may be less or more time depending on the oven and climate, just check it occasionally to make sure it isn't burning)

and voila! you've got delicious homemade bread, a happy tummy, and a happier husband.
and also your apartment will smell like heaven.

even though this bread is perfect the way it is, i might be brave try using raw honey instead of sugar next time just to make it a little bit healthier. still trying to decide if it's worth the risk...

he hates when i disrupt his bread eating by taking a picture. poor fella...

I'd like to end this post with another funny Jeff quote.
"Ya know? Some people are just born a good person. Well, Im a bad person being good. I should get more presents."
- he used this as an argument to convince me to let him buy a gun.
hahahahaha.
aaaand it worked. mostly just because im so grateful to have a husband that makes me laugh so hard. we both have a really quirky and exclusive sense of humor and we are always cracking each other up.
i love being married to that "bad boy turned good" ;)

mission: czech surprise. check!

so yesterday was jeff's anniversary (yes, another anniversary) of being home from his mission for 2 years.
he has been home for as long as he was there! i know this is an emotional thing for him.
his mission means SO much to him and he still misses it all the time.
so i decided to have a quaint little celebration for it.
and to make it a surprise.

let me just tell you- he is the hardest person to surprise. because he hates surprises.
he wants to pick out his own gifts to ensure they are exactly what he wants.
i've never been able to surprise him with something he loves, because I'm always hesitant.
i can NEVER predict whether or not he will like something.
but i figured recreating memories from his mission would make him happy. foolproof idea, right?

so i got in contact with some of his old mission buddies, and some people he taught on the mission.
i got a few of them to write letters to him.
i ordered a czech republic onesie for jane.
i found 2 czech recipes that can be recreated in the united states. (one of his old companions was kind enough to give me the recipes and be SO helpful. i would've been done for if it weren't for him!)
i got him his favorite chocolate he used to eat all the time as a missionary.
i decorated with old mission stuff.

so i was scared out of my mind to try to recreate 2 of his favorite recipes that he always raves about.
first of all, i had no idea how they were supposed to taste. NONE.
also, since this was a surprise, jeff wasn't there to correct my mistakes.
i decided to give it a try anyways.
i was fully expecting to give it my best effort, end up destroying the recipes, and finally just resorting to picking up a $5 pizza from little caesars.

conveniently, jeff had to leave for about 5 hours for an army thing.
the second he walked out of the door i started getting ready, running around the house and trying to find anything mission related to put up.
i made the halusky and jahodove knedliky.
it took a LONG time.
i have never been so precise, exact, and paranoid when following a recipe in my life.
i finally finished making the halusky (kind of like potato noodles with a creamy cheese sauce & bacon)
after sweating up a storm, cutting my thumb, and stopping to soothe/feed/change a baby every ten minutes, i tasted the cheese sauce.
almost threw up. it was so gross.
i started to panic- there is no way that his favorite czech dish that he raves about tastes like a mix between feet and B.O.

but i trudged on.  

i finished the knedliky

 (basically just strawberries wrapped in homemade dough, boiled in water, then drenched in powdered sugar. seriously. it was a powdered sugar AVALANCH.)

i wanted it all to be warm and delicious and beautiful. and i wanted it to be done right before he got home.

only problem was i had no idea when he would be home.

ten minutes before he got home though, he called me to tell me he was on his way.

so i did the last minute things and right as i set the last plate on the table, i heard the key turn.

the timing literally could not have been more perfect.

it was a miracle.

so everything was done and i put it all out on the table.

he came home to this little set up.

 he saw it and went crazy. his eyes got big, his voice got loud, and his smile stretched across his whole face.

HE WAS SO HAPPY.

now...the food just needed to taste right.

i was so worried.

he ate it, and i winced while crossing my fingers.

"YUMMMMM!!!!!" he loved it.

he then scarfed down two big plates of halusky and 3 of the knedliky.
(when i tasted the final product it wasn't bad, just the cheese mix by itself was nasty)

my life was made and i had a very happy husband.

he read the letter (3 pages long) from his dear friend tomas whom he met, baptized, and became best friends with on the mission. his whole countenance was lit up and i don't know if i've ever seen him so happy. it made my heart swell.

and of course jane had to get in on some of the action.

 some jeff quotes later that night:

"my eyes almost EXPLODED when i saw halusky!"

"you are the best wife EVER" (i'd blush, but I'm also the only wife ever- in his life anyway)

"how did you do this?!?!" (about 17 different times)

"let's go to kim's house (his sister) so she can try it"

"jane, don't poop on this onesie so all your other brothers and sisters can wear it too"

i'd say it was a success!

and my life long goal of surprising jeff with something he LOVES has finally been achieved :)