Longest... week... ever!

Tomorrow is one week of deployment down, and for some reason - this week as felt like an eternity. This deployment really snuck up on me, so the fact that it's only been a week makes it even harder to grasp the fact that it's happening. The first month is always the longest, but as time goes on and you start getting busier time seems to speed up a little. I know that will be the case this time around, but I guess my heart is still hurting from him being away. My hubby and I were saying how time feels like it's going so slow when we are apart, but when we are together again it's like no time has passed at all. I am so lucky to hear from him when I do, and I cherish every word he sends me. I know that will help make the time we are apart that much easier. 

I also went back to work this week. I was fortunate enough to have some time off to spend with my husband while he was on leave and before he left. So getting back into the swing of things is always hard. However I love my job and I am so blessed to have a place I can be creative, meet people, and give people something to be proud of. When they sit in my chair I know that they are coming to me to make them look and feel beautiful! And my guests are the best guests in the whole world, so they make everyday fun! :) 

I am spending this St Patty's day at HOME, and it's just what I need. Some time to relax, veg out and eat corned beef and cabbage. I put it in the crockpot before I left for work this morning so I came home to my house smelling awesome! Crockpot cooking is something I love and you can do SO many things with a crockpot. I found a recipe for potato soup in the crockpot that I might try out this week! 

Everyone have a fun (and safe!) St Patrick's Day! I have a date with my furbabies, cookies, and my couch!

- Laura

Deployment, Day 1

I can't believe I am writing about first day of deployment again but, here we are folks. Part of me is a little angry. He just got home not long ago and this is way too soon for another one. I understand that this is his job, this is part of the territory. We came out of  last deployment just fine and I know this time we will too. Most of me is sad. As we were saying goodbye at the pier this morning, before the sun was even up, I felt my heart ripping from my chest as he walked away. We hugged for a long time and gave each other plenty of kisses, and while I will cherish them until the moment he gets home - I was still hoping we could have stood there forever. I know tomorrow and each day after will get a little bit easier, and I know that I will stay as busy as I can to make the time fly by. Every email will be a special gift and every phonecall will be a treasure I will hold dear to my heart. I love that man with everything I am, and I am so proud of him and to be his wife. To all my fellow "Big E" wives, I am thinking of you today and through this deployment. We can kick this deployment's booty! 

I want to leave off with some lyrics to a song that I consider "our song". I feel like it really speaks volumes, especially today. It is "us" (and it's the second song on my playlist below)

"Lucky" by Jason Mraz (feat. Colbie Caillat)

Do you hear me,
I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying
 

Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair
Though the breezes through trees
Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I'm lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooooh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh 

- Laura

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Good morning, dolls!

Is anyone else sick and tired of this weather? Beautiful and sunny one day and then the next day it's rainy and cold. Not to mention it's completely doing in my sinuses. I always can tell it's gonna rain by the headache I get right beforehand and sure enough I woke up to rain and gloom. Ick. It does make it perfect weather for cleaning, baking, and cuddling with the hubby when he gets home. I only have a few more days before my man has to leave for awhile, so I plan on spending every moment I can with him. I can't believe we are here again, I feel like he just got home. But, more on that another day...

Speaking of BAKING! One of my all time favorite things to do. I bake when I'm happy about something (in celebration if you will), when I'm upset, stressed - because at the end you always have a sweet treat to make you feel just a little bit better. With this deployment coming up I have a feeling I will be in the kitchen alot, and I find alot of my recipes on pinterest. The homemade oreos I made the the other day was a pinterest recipe. First of all, if you aren't on pinterest yet, you are crazy. Go over there right now and sign up. Seriously. I thought the whole idea of pinterest was ridiculous and pointless but it is SO NOT. And you'll see why. If you want to make the homemade oreos, here is the recipe! It is from Sugar Cooking. There are alot of other great recipes too so check out the rest of the blogs! (My notes are with the *) Enjoy!

Recipe: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients:
For the chocolate wafers:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa *I used hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder and it was great!
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar *I used a little less than 1 1/2 cups
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
• 1 large egg

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

- Laura

My name is Laura and I'm a couponaholic

First off I wanna give a HUGE shout out to one of my friends, Shannon, for helping me with my blog last night. I wanted to make it all pretty and of course, not having a clue what I was doing, messed it up royally. However she came in and saved the day for me and now it's all beautiful again! Shannon has a blog as well, Bit of Blue Sky, and she has awesome recipes, crafts, and alot of helpful advice when it comes to deployments and how to deal. The link to her blog is on this page, go on over and check her out! 

I have discovered a new love for couponing. I have watched Extreme Couponing, and while most of the people on that show take it to the extreme, I have always secretly wanted to know how to save money on groceries and home good products. Clothes and makeup even. I am not a numbers person, so the thought of doubling and buy one get one and all the rules really made me nervous. But after clipping a few coupons and my hubby talking about it with me I decided to give it a try. My first time I saved close to $10.00. And while that doesn't seem like much, I was floored. You mean to tell me that these little pieces of paper, is basically $10.00 worth of cash back in my pocket? From then I was hooked! I went again today, and they doubled all my $1 coupons as well as everything up to .99 cents. My total was originally $31.23 before taxes and at the end my total came to $18.54 after taxes! So I saved 43% (or so my receipt tells me)! I can't believe all this time it was THAT easy. I kick myself now at the large groceries bills I was spending money on. Never again will I do that! I am already planning my trip for next week and I am hoping each time I learn (and save!) even more. I'm curious, do you coupon or know anyone who does?

Well after a long, but beautiful day (the weather was AMAZING), I am going to relax and eat a homemade oreo I whipped up yesterday. Oh yeah, they are as incredible as they sound. Thanks to Pinterest for the recipe! I just might have to post it tomorrow (hint hint)

- Laura

P.S... Are you diggin' the playlist I put on here this afternoon?! It's just a few of my favorite songs. Hope you are jammin' in your computer chairs! ;)

banana pancakes?!

Hey there!

A long time ago, I decided to make a blog to write in while my husband was deployed. And because of my busy schedule, and my procrastination/laziness, I never wrote in it. I think I had two entries. I even forgot the login information, so my two lonely entries are floating around in cyberspace somewhere. Sad emoticon. Anywho, we are getting ready for deployment again and I am determined this time to stick with it! I love reading my friends and families blogs, and I get so many great tips and ideas from them! I want to do the same with my blog, as well. I have always loved being in the kitchen, whether it's cooking or baking, so I am excited to share with you some amazing recipes and great tips. I am also really into crafts, I love making something and displaying it in our home. Be on the lookout for my craft projects and tips and secrets I discover along the way.

The reason why I named my blog "banana pancakes" is - well, aside from my passion for food - after the Jack Johnson song. I am personally a fan and whenever I hear this song, I think of my husband. The song talks about how he wishes they can be together all day without any interruptions and as long as they are together everything would be okay. They didn't need anything else but each other. The military is a hard lifestyle, and while I often wish we could shut the world off and have all the time in the world together, I understand what his job means and his responsibilities. I am proud to be a sailor's wife and it makes me happy to support him any way I can. But that songs always holds a special place in my heart, because even if him and I can't be together every single day, I still feel like we can conquer the world together no matter what. 

Thanks in advance for reading my blog, both past and present. Looking forward to sharing it with you (and I promise I will not be such a slacker this time around!)

- Laura