Two Mormons and A Whiskey...

.. let me explain.

Yesterday I celebrated the wonderful date that my husband came into this world.  I am sooo grateful he was created and decided to come to earth at this particular time.  I am grateful for all the hardships we endured as we were preparing and molding ourselves into the persons we would become.  I am grateful for the joyous times we have had that has made us realize how happy we are.  I am grateful for his prayers for me and mine for him, eventhough we didn't know we were praying for each other.  (we both prayed for our future spouses not knowing it who it would be... Blog about that later)  I am so grateful this wonderful man was born and even more blessed to get to spend the rest of my eternity with him!  I'm so glad his parents did what they did and made him the man he is today ( I like to think I've helped with this process as of...oh, the last three years;)

Anyways, yesterday was Mitch's Birthday and what a blast we had!  If you know us, you know it was nothing short of an epic adventure. If you know me, you know that very little went the way I had planned it.  And if you know Mitch, you know he was smiling and encouraging me the whole way... making sure I was happy.

I had this whole elaborate plan that I was going to let him sleep in, for once.  He works so hard all the time, whether it be school, work or Bella and most of the time, ME!  So I think he more than deserved this little treat.  Then I was going to cook him a huge breakfast after he worked out (because that's what he wanted to do, in that order, sleep. work out. eat breakfast.)  And he would come home and there would be this glorious breakfast of sausage gravy and biscuits, eggs, slow cooked bacon and fresh fruit... of course, everything had to be home made AND made from scratch!  Did I mention I have an 11 month old?

Here's how that went...

Well Bella started screaming about 5ish.. and decided she wasn't going to go back to bed, but crawl all over Daddy and talk to him (remember the sleeping in part?)  Around 6am or a little before, I decide to remove the ball of energy so Daddy can sleep in... and go to her room to play.  We've pretty much baby-proofed (but not Bella-proofed) her room.  I curled up on her new play mat and closed my eyes while she practiced parkour (look it up on youtube) on my body.  Somewhere between there and 8 am, she decided to give up and cuddle with me and take a quick snooze as well.  I fully supported that action!

Mitch came in around that time, only to inform me he never went back to sleep, just rested his eyes since he couldn't go back to sleep.... so much for PLAN A! So then he decided to work out, which was great because that gave me time to get breakfast.  I'd already printed off my recipes from food network and I was ready to make Paula Dean's sausage gravy.  *PAY ATTENTION to this part... we've been married almost three years and STILL we cannot effectively communicate... GOOD LUCK to you!* So I ask Mitch when he'll be back so I can have his breakfast hot and ready for him.  He says "10:30" and I said I'll see you at "10:30"  I had some time to kill so I played, or so I "thought"  So around 9:45ish I get started.  I started on the bacon first, and I kid you not, burnt the beejeebeez (its a word) out my arm with bacon grease!  And it's scarred... it kind of looks like a weird smiley face. 

OUCH!

 I'll skip through all the details and tell you the important stuff.  Mitch got home at 10am ( he swore that's when he said he told me he'd be home ...even though he repeated 10:30 back to me... it's his birthday, we'll say he IS right), breakfast wasn't ready until 11, the bacon was cold (eventhough the burns on my arms were still hot), and he thought my biscuits were scones :(  It's one thing to follow a recipe, its a whole different game, to cook different things in a way so that everything is hot at the same time... I'm just not there yet.  


Mitch was wonderful and ate all his breakfast and told me how grateful he was for the gesture... even if my biscuits did look like something the Pilsbury doughboy pooped out and then put in the oven. (my words, not his.)  He told me it was his birthday and I couldn't mope, so I had to be happy.  Next year we are just going to go to chick fill a, they can incur the grease burns while I eat my breakfast hot.  


After Mitch helped me clean up the kitchen (it was a WRECK!).  Don't get excited, I didn't make him clean on his birthday, he insisted because he wanted to spend time with me, vs spending all day cleaning by myself.  After the kitchen was clean, Bella was still asleep so we actually got a chance to cuddle and nap and just be alone together for a good little bit.  It's been forever since that's happened (in the daytime) and it was amazing.  The things you take for granted before children!

Oh yeah, I forgot!  So I wanted Mitch to get a massage by his favorite massage person (I can't spell massoose... and I'm not looking it up) but she is booked out SIX WEEKS.  So fail on that one, next best thing is the quickie massage people at Columbiana mall.  They know us well from my pregnant days with all of my foot massages!  So to the mall we went and while Mitch was getting a massage, Bella and I booked it to the new "FOREVER 21" store.  I really liked their stuff because you can actually find cute modest clothes (sometimes). When I walked into this store (I've been waiting months for this thing to be open) I was overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time.  There was SO MUCH STUFF and nothing really caught my eye.  Good and bad.  Good because I didn't buy anything and Bad because I'd been building up this retail orgasm for months and it was very anticlimactic.  On that note, Mitch came back to the store with me (because he is sweet like that and wanted to get me something I'd like even though it was his birthday... which I didn't see anything)  we found this pair of stiletto's that screamed "exotic dancer" or "escort"  They were 6 inches high and had the little furry stuff on top of the strap that covers your toes... do you know what I'm talking about?  I think every VS model or Playboy Bunny has a pair.  I contemplated buying them just because, but I couldn't stop laughing when I put them on.  Me?  Stripper shoes?  I think not.  But it was pretty funny.

These aren't the ones from FOREVER 21, they only have them in stores, guess they don't want to advertise this kind of thing online, lest someone get the wrong idea about the company!  Plus the ones in the store were much higher!

So after a sprint back home to get Bella bathed and ready for bed and then get ourselves dressed too... we hopped out the door to head to our dinner destination!

RUTH'S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE!

I know, extremely overpriced for a piece of steak.  We spent more on our tab than we do on two weeks worth of groceries?  Why this madness?  Because my husband works his booty off in all aspects of our life, work... school... Bella... ME and NEVER asks for anything.  Ever.  SO I completely feel justified in splurging to celebrate his birthday.  It's really the least of things I can do for this man.  He enjoys a good steak and had never been so this is where I took him.

Our magical evening began with the nicest hostess staff ever,they made you feel so welcome! Not to mention, a very nice lady wearing jeans commented on how beautiful I looked!  I normally wouldn't boast this fact, BUT I was wearing the same dress I wore on our honeymoon! WOOT WOOT, even if didn't fit exactly the same way, I weigh just the same as I did then and after having a baby, that's something to brag about! When we were seated, there was a very prompt waiter by our side who actually referred to us as "Mr. and Mrs. Howe".   I felt so old and important at the same time.  I was sure they were going to scream "POSER" or "FAKE" and kick us out at any moment, but they didn't.   The customer service was outstanding (then again, for the price we paid, it better be!)  We declined the customary alcoholic beverages and settled for coke out of glass bottles  :)  Very cute detail and I believe it did actually taste better that way.  Normally we would just order a water, but this was a big night out so we splurged.  But had we chose to stick with water, there were 3 different kinds to choose from.  We chose the complimentary one... which was water from an ice pitcher... tasted just fine to me!  I wasn't gung-ho about ordering an appetizer, but we did, with the agreement of no salad... honestly who wants to fill up on salad when your about to eat a $40 dollar steak?!?!?!  We did order the 

SIZZLIN’ BLUE CRAB CAKES 

Two jumbo lump crab cakes served sizzling with lemon butter.

$18.00 for two small but heavenly little ball of yummy crab goodness!  Unlike some crab cakes that are mostly breading, these were all meat and euphoria!  Is that even legal to add euphoria in your food?  

And yes... I'm going to be reckless and show you exactly how much we indulged by labeling all the prices... you always knew I was crazy, anyway!

Then it was time for the main course, STEAK.  You know your at an expensive resturaunt when the cheapest cut of steak is the filet.  Yea.. which was fine with us because a filet is quite the treat for us.  I ordered the 

PETITE FILETA smaller, but equally tender filet.

$32.00 (which was so thick and it was the size of my fist)  

I couldn't eat it all.  Mitch got the

FILETThe most tender cut of corn-fed Midwestern beef. Broiled expertly to melt in your mouth.

$36.00 topped with 

BLUE CHEESE CRUSTBlue cheese, roasted garlic and a touch of breadcrumbs.

 $3.00

...totaling a whoppin $71 dollars on meat!  

But then you have your sides...

We ordered

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE, with pecan crust. $7.50

***THIS WAS MY FAVORITE... I woke up craving it the next day (which was okay, because we had left overs!).... I am tempted to go back and just order that and YES, I would pay $8 for a small dish of this sweet potato casserole... it was soooo good.  ****

FRESH BROCCOLI $7.50

So... this was just steamed broccoli, we paid $8 for some steamed broccoli florets... not worth the investment.  I could buy FOUR heads of broccoli for this price, so I consider this a FAIL

SAUTEED MUSHROOMS $7.50

Again. not worth the money on this one, but more of a necessity because I'm not a huge steak fan BUT I had to order a steak, its RUTH'S CHRIS, who goes there and doesn't order a steak?  Not this girl!  But I felt asking for A1 sauce would be sacrilege and I needed something to add to the flavor of just butter, salt and pepper.  It was truly a Catch 22

So this was our meal... about $120 ish worth of food, but the desert was free.  Any quesses what they brought us?

Bread Pudding... with a little candle in it and they even offered to take and print our picture for free.  I'm not going to post that one, because the one our waiter took with my iphone was better, but it's the thought that counts right!  We didn't get to pick the desert but it was free, so what can we say.  PLUS the story I am about to tell you is PRiCeLess...

Okay... so maybe not the best picture but you can see the consistency of the "pudding" very well.

So they bring out the bread pudding, we smile and giggle for the camera and he blows out the candle.  We've never had bread pudding before.  It looks like a bowl of cinnamon bread with some yellow runny liquid.  Not like any pudding I've ever seen and (not like the picture they show on the menu either)  So we start to dig in and then I realize there is a very strong taste in this pudding... it almost burns your throat and cools your tongue at the same time and it had the taste of alcohol, but surely its not in there.  So we take another bite and I mention it to Mitch who also recognizes a difference but brushes it off (he's never tasted alcohol)  but I ( have tasted it and do not condone it at all)  brought it up once more because it wasn't just a cooking wine alcohol, it was a very strong liquer.  NOW before you're like, the alcohol cooks out, I know that.  I cook with wine, it gives it a different taste, but you can't taste the alcohol.  THIS WAS DIFFERENT.

  You could distinctly taste the alcohol in this.  I guess they just figured we were some young 20-ish people who needed to have a good time and decided to spike our desert with a little extra kick of the good stuff.  After our next bite ( and they were small bites) we both confirmed there was definitely alcohol in it and we stopped eating it.  Mitch was upset (not really) that I had ruined his perfect record.  He was 27 and had never tasted alcohol before and I had corrupted him.  Of course, me, his humble innocent wife, corrupted him... Haha..  I know how Eve felt.  

Anyways, we had quite the laugh over that one! I joked with him I was tipsy and he might just get lucky tonight! (since I was so wasted)  We were very eager to find out what exactly was in that desert or if it was all in our head... however, this is what we found ( I googled this on my iPhone)

Our Pudding was no where near this consistency!

BREAD PUDDING WITH WHISKEY SAUCE Our definitive version of a traditional New Orleans favorite. $7.50

That's right... WHISKEY!  I guess if you're going to be a bear, be a GRIZZLY!  My poor husband, I hope he can only forgive me someday!  In all actuality,t's really not a huge deal, especially if you're not LDS, you're probably thinking...." and so the big deal is...!?!?!?"  But if you are LDS, then you know all about WOW or the Word of Wisdom.  Which basically states we abstain from alcohol, tobacco, tea or coffee... any drug that alters our mind or bodies, plus its a commandment.  Pretty much stay away from the bad stuff... its more than just that, but its what its more commonly recognized for.  You read more about it at that link :)  It's just kind of ironic, that you have two faithful Mormons eating a desert infused with hard liquor!  You know us, never a dull moment with Mitch & Ashley!  I guess in retrospect, we could have complained to management about corrupting a couple of Mormons and getting our meal for free BUT we're aren't those people and I doubt this incident is going to cause us to burn in hell.  However, if this does, I will totally be contacting management and referring my damnation to them ;)

SO you are probably wondering if it was worth it to walk out $154 poorer?  Mitch said having his steak cooked correctly was priceless but he still preferred Longhorn steak seasoning better.  I think the whole desert disaster was priceless.  ALL in all, some things were worth the money and others, not so much.  I honestly don't think we can justify that kind of money on food ever again, but I'm very tempted to go back just for the sweet potato casserole, but most likely I'll just try to google the recipe and make it at home.  The joy of treating my husband, was totally worth it!  I know it was his birthday, but I had the most amazing day ever!


After dinner, we came home and ate funfetti (sans Whiskey) cake that I'd made earlier in the day.  He does like funfetti cake, but that's not what he requested.  He wanted my famous, made from scratch poundcake cupcakes with homemade whipped cream topped with fresh strawberries.  There is method to this madness...


BECAUSE that Saturday I threw a SURPRISE party for the man that cannot be surprised!  Literally, I've tried our whole relationship to surprise and he either finds out, I tell him (haha) or he finds a way to surprise me!  So you can only imagine the planning and sneakiness that went into this!  I promise to post later and that's why this post is so late.  I didn't want to risk him possibly reading my blog and finding out.


ANYWAYS....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST HUSBAND EVER!  I love you, Mitch :)