I put my thing down, flip it and reverse it

Something pretty cool happened this morning. I stepped on the scale, and what did I see? 149.8. First time in the 140s since high school (!), I think. I was sticking around 153 for a couple of months, but now I’m finally goin’ down again. YIPPIE!!!!!!!!!

And now for the rewindyness I promised :)

I was visiting Morgan in Iowa on October 31. We woke up that morning and headed to Target for our Halloween costumes. After we got what we needed there and the party store, we drove back to Morgan’s and were in our newly purchased outfits by 1:30 pm. We sang and recorded songs all afternoon. We’re cool like that. (The songs included, but were not limited to, “Like a Prayer” by Madonna, “I Could Not Ask for More” by Edwin McCain, and “Alone” by Heart. We sure know how to rock.)

Here’s a taste … keep reading to see the whole ensemble ;)

After singing our hearts out for hours, we hit the kitchen and made a fab dinner. Here’s a pic of the entrée … and the recipeeeee!

Penne with Spinach,
Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

12 oz whole-wheat penne
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 package grape tomatoes
½ cup water
6 cups stemmed fresh spinach
1 Tbsp dried basil leaves
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Salt and pepper

1. Prepare the pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half or in quarters and remove the insides.
3. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat oil then add garlic, water, tomatoes, spinach, vinegar, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until spinach is just wilted (about 5 minutes).
4. Stir in feta and pasta, heating until cheese begins to melt.

Makes 4-6 servings, about 322 calories per serving (That's what it said in the cookbook. Probably basing it on six servings?)

Yum yum yum yum yum. I’m salivating just thinking about it. It tastes like something straight from Noodles & Company … only better because we made it.

We also made a fruit parfait for dessert!

We couldn’t find the parfait dish I got Morgan and Mike for their wedding, so we just made it in the top of the angel food cake container. We layered ripped-up pieces of angel food cake, fruit (strawberries, bananas, kiwi fruit and blackberries) and fat-free Cool Whip. Then more cake, fruit and Cool Whip. Then cake and fruit. Voila! It’s even better after it’s had a chance to set. The fruit juices soak into the angel food cake and create ambrosia. (Thank you, Grandma, for that gem in my vocabulary.) This dessert is pretty guilt-free and tastes soooooo good. Try it :)

After dinner, Morgan and I put on the accessories to our Halloween costumes and showed Mike what he was about to wear for the rest of the evening. He wasn’t too jazzed right away, but I know he secretly loved it.

And now for the reveal …

We were bedbugs!Get it!? Like, bugs ... in pajamas ... bedbugs!
Cute little antennae and everything.
(We’re showing off our pajama-covered feet, if you’re wondering.)

Mike might win Husband of the Year for this.
What a good sport!

We headed to the bowling alley for a game and some drinks. Let me tell you, fleece onesie pajamas are superduper comfy! The only problem was that these are Girls XL, and apparently the designers weren’t expecting a 5’6” child.

I had a permawedgie.

After bowling the worst game of my life (those wings were huge and threw off my balance!), we went to a little bar and found an amazing surprise. KARAOKE! Good thing Morgan and I had been practicing all day, right??

So into it. Eyes closed and everything.

Of all the people in the bar (MAYBE 15 total), there were four in costume. Us and one other woman. But we weren’t ashamed! Although the townies probably thought we were a questionable bunch when we first walked in, we soon became the life of the party. We spent the rest of the night singing, dancing, drinking and laughing up a storm. The DJ even let us close out the night!

We really brought the house down :)

Last pic of the night. We rock!

Looking back, that night was definitely one for the books. We have THE MOST fun together! But that onesie made it an even bigger deal for me.

For one, Morgan weighs like 25 pounds less than I do, but we wore the same size. And from the childrens’ department for crying out loud!!!! It was tighter on me, but the fact that I basically wore a fleece bodysuit is a banner occasion! I never would have done that a year ago. Heck, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing it even a few months ago. We hung out in our little onesies aaaaaaall day, and I felt on top of the world. Who knew footie pajamas could mean so much? :)

As a closing image, I’ll leave you with this, a surprising sight for me:

My butt

Obviously I know I have a butt, BUT this was an eye-opener. Even with a wedgie, it’s not lookin’ too shabby if I do say so myself! Cheers!