Our Favorite Date

This is the second year in a row that one of Matt's coworkers has given Matt a gift card for Matt and I to go out to dinner at Taste of Texas. It is the yummiest steakhouse I have ever been to, but quite pricey. We were so excited to get the gift cards again this year and looked forward to the night we could use them with great anticipation. Saturday night Matt's mom agreed to watch Caleb so we could enjoy a fun night out. The restaurant did not disappoint!

Our steaks (the garlic butter on the steaks makes them look less appetizing, but trust me, they were good)

Matt and I after our bellies were full to the max (and the baby in my tummy was very happy as well!)

My Sweet Hubby

Thanks to some gift cards from Matt's co-worker, Matt and I were able to have a ritzy night out at the Taste of Texas. This restaurant is usually too rich for our blood as the steaks average around $40 a plate. It was a very fun experience as you get to select the actual steak that you will be eating that night (pre-cooked obviously) then head off to the salad bar. The salad bar was AMAZING with lots of different options for dressings and toppings and some yummy homemade bread. The steaks were probably the best I've ever had...so tender. The whole evening was fabulous...any date that involves delicious food wins my vote as a favorite! The only downfall was that there was an hour plus wait at the restaurant, but that was understandable as soon as we knew how good the food was! They also gave away free popcorn, chips 'n salsa, and soft drinks while you waited, so that was a nice bonus.

Matt also stayed busy this weekend working on the brakes of our van. Our brakes starting squealing a few months ago, so I took it into a car shop just to see what was wrong and see the cost etc. We needed new back brake pads and rotors, which they were going to charge around $500 for parts and labor. With my nagging, Matt finally got to fixing it this weekend (weekends tend to get busy so quickly and Matt needed to set aside a good 4 hours to do it). He did it much quicker than that and the brakes work fabulously, and he saved us a ton of money! I love being married to a handy-man! No one likes to quit in the middle of a project, but an hour into the job, he got a call to come help someone move. Matt says it was the worst move he's ever done because there was so much...so 4 1/2 hour later, he comes home sweaty and tired and drained and still finished the van. (I think he was worried about his wife's wrath if he didn't finish!) He had such a long day yesterday, and I just want him to know how much I appreciate his willingness to serve and how he takes care of our family. I love him so much!

Cooking Blunder!

Matt is very easy to cook for because he is not a picky eater. The downside to that, however, is that whenever I ask him how a meal tastes and whether he likes it, his common response is, "It's good." We've talked about varying this response a little. The only thing Matt doesn't like is really spicy food because it doesn't sit well with his stomach.

The other night I was making a casserole that required approximately 3/4 of a packet of taco seasoning. Last time I made the meal, I decided that it was too bland, so I just added the whole packet of seasoning this time. When we start eating, I take a bite of my dinner first and have to drink some water immediately after. I caution Matt that it is a bit spicier than last time, and perhaps he might want to add some sour cream to help tone down the spiciness. He adds some sour cream, takes a bite, swallows. Then he adds some more sour cream, takes a bite, and swallows again. This process continues for fear of hurting my feelings, until Matt admits that it is just too spicy for him, and he can't eat it. (It was burning my tongue too, but I hate to waste food!)

I consider myself a decent cook, and so my pride was a bit wounded that I had ruined a meal and Plan B would have to be cereal. I couldn't believe that another tablespoon or so of taco seasoning could make the meal so spicy! Matt thought the whole thing was funny as we started dumping the meal in the garbage. He happened to see the empty seasoning packet in the garbage during this process and pulled it out. It turns out that I had accidentally purchased a "Hot" Taco Seasoning instead of the "Original" kind. (I now know to check the packets more carefully at the grocery store!) Instead, we had a fun night of Frosted Mini Wheats and Cheerios while we watched American Idol.