Whimsical September

A Family + Lifestyle Blog

Military Life · Uncategorized 0 Comments

Saying Goodbyes

Goodbyes, goodbyes, and more goodbyes! It seems like that’s all we’ve been saying the last few months.

I didn’t write a post about my thoughts on leaving Fort Campbell because I’m still just kind of a basket case about it! Okay, not really, but leaving behind the incredible life we’d built there was a lot harder than I expected it to be.

We knew when we moved there that we’d only be there a few years, but I never expected for it to feel like home, like my city. The people made it that way for me. Saying goodbye to our best friends was hilariously one of the most dramatic nights of my adulthood. I did a really great ugly cry as I read a letter from one of my friends and boohooed into others’ shoulders.

We laughed about it the next day and we laugh about it now, but saying “see ya later” was just hard for all of us. Daily texting and weekly phone calls make the distance easier, but it’s still not the same. Womp womp.

We’ve only been in Arizona for a little over two months, but we’ve already had to say some goodbyes again! I reconnected with my high school friend Rosalyn when we got out here, and we’ve had a great time hanging out with her and her husband Bret. Their packers and movers come today and tomorrow and then they’re off to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas this weekend to be stationed for a few years. Even though we’ve only spent a little bit of time together lately, it’s really just been a tease! They are so great with Hadley, and we just click with them well.

But so the army life goes. We will miss you Beavers a ton! Thanks for helping make our transition to Sierra Vista that much easier. We’ve appreciated your friendship.

We’ve had friends over the last couple of nights for dinner, but one meal needed some tweaking while the other was a huge hit!

On Monday, Eric and Alli Lamb joined us for homemade pizza. We’ve made these pizzas a zillion times, but it figures that the night we invite others over that the pizza just didn’t come out right. The crust was just off, but I know now that it’s because I’d accidentally left the whole wheat flour exposed to the air for a while and it hardened it up. Normally this crust is absolutely FABULOUS. Trust me.

This crust recipe makes two 10″ pizzas. We topped one with pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese and the other with pesto sauce (from a packet), sliced tomatoes (thin slices from half a tomato), caramelized onions (recipe in yesterday’s post), and finally mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (Fleischmann’s Dry Active Yeast is our go-to)
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • cornmeal

    • Instructions
    1. Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let sit for five minutes.
    2. In large bowl, combine flour and salt.
    3. Stir in olive oil to wet mixture and then pour wet mixture into dry mixture.
    4. Use a hand mixture and knead on small speed (you can also knead by hand).
    5. If mixture is still wet and sticky, slowly add more flour.
    6. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
    7. Divide dough in half. Shape into 2 balls. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly dust pan (preferably a pizza stone) with cornmeal. Take each dough ball and using your fingers, pat it out from the center to the edge, leaving the outer edge a bit thick. Top with favorite toppings. Brush crust with olive oil and dust with garlic salt. Bake 10-15 minutes until edges are golden brown.
    Last night Rosalyn and Bret joined us for some ground turkey taco bowls. If you’re looking for something to throw together for your family or friends, a big batch of this is inexpensive and super quick and easy to make.

    Ground Turkey Taco Bowl
    Ingredients (for 4-6 servings):
    1 pack of ground turkey
    1 low-sodium taco seasoning packet
    2-3 bags of Brown Rice
    2 cans of drained and rinsed black beans
    1 diced onion
    chopped romaine lettuce
    salsa
    sour cream
    shredded cheese
    olive oil
    Directions:
    1. Begin sauteing diced onion in skillet with olive oil on medium heat. Stir often.
    2. Begin cooking rice and set aside when finished.
    3. When onion appears softened (about 10 minutes), turn heat to low and add black beans. Stir often.
    4. In separate skillet, cook ground turkey. When no more pink is left, stir in packet of taco seasoning. Set ground turkey aside.
    5. Begin layering each bowl with rice, ground turkey, onion/bean mixture, salsa, and then toppings of choice (sour cream, cheese, lettuce, etc.)
    Enjoy! You’ll be stuffed soon. 🙂

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