SWAT widow

Ahhh Spring. Today was a balmy day here in SE Iowa. Humid, hot, windy, amazing.

Nic and I began the day with a horrific measly 10 mile bike ride. We were hoping for 20, but the wind was insane! We did an out and back - the first five miles took us about 35 minutes and the last half took us no longer than 15. Crazy, right?!

We wanted to get the ride in as early as possible because we knew there was a chance for severe weather tonight. Lo and behold, the meteorologists got it right. We are currently under a severe thunderstorm warning and a tornado watch. This thunderstorm is already producing egg size hail, softball size hail and winds up to 50 miles per hour. Thankfully, this hasn't hit us yet....

Nic hates severe weather.

No, he is not scared of it.

Severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings means he has to drop everything and head in to the radio station  for SWAT coverage - Severe Weather Action Team. This often means very long hours and late nights. Sometimes it means heading into the station to cover one thunderstorm until 10PM or so, come home to finally go to bed, only to get another call a few short minutes later because another storm has popped up. These are the worst, especially since he has to be to work before 5AM every morning.

Not fun.

My friend and I joke about being SWAT widows. It is not only my husband who goes in to report on the storm, all of the full time staff have to head in or drive the roads reporting on the storm.

I always tell her I am going to pack up the cat and dog and head over if it ever gets really bad...I don't want to have to ride out a tornado in my basement all alone.

The only time it got really bad was when we lived above the funeral home. I couldn't wait to go downstairs any longer it was so bad, but felt totally awkward as there was a wake happening at the time! The family was nice enough though and invited me to help myself to some of the food that was out.

{What, you didn't know we lived above a funeral home? Sweetest apartment ever!}

Anyway...I am a swat widow right now. Just waiting for the storm to get to Washington. I assume it will be any minute.

{Oop, they just issued another severe thunderstorm warning...looks like Nic will be at work even later!}

In other news, we headed over to our friend's house last night for game night. It's been a while since we've all gotten together for game night, so we were excited to see everyone.

It turned out to be more a a get together and chat night instead of a game night, which worked for the adults.  The kids were a little disappointed, but once the fire was started, they were too busy throwing dead leaves and sticks into the pit to even care. {Note to self, if I ever need my yard cleaned up host a bonfire and invite kids!}

I brought the camera, but of course forgot to take any photos.  I do have photos of the dishes I brought though!  We were supposed to bring a dish to share....I got a little carried away.

Garlic Roasted Chickpeas
Incredibly delicious! Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside.



These were an easy dish to prepare. Three cups of chickpeas, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, a little bit of pepper all tossed with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and roasted in a 325* oven for about 20-30 minutes.

Naked Grilled Veggies
Naked because I grilled these beauties up with no oil and no seasonings. Pure veggies - the best way to eat them.




Grilled Pineapple
...again, naked. The way the natural sugar caramelizes - insane.



Raw "Brownies"
Can you say ridiculious? Fudgey, chocolately, help me. Made with cashews, dates and oatmeal, you won't feel too guilty going back for just one more slice. 



I really need someone to make these and give me their un-biased opinion. Actually, I don't - just make them and tell me what you think. Everyone at game night loved them! I only brought them because I thought it was just going to be us and two other couples that we know well (I really only like to have people I know try my kitchen experiments!).  There was a third couple there whom I'd never met before so I was nervous when they reached for a small square and put the entire thing in their mouth. I quietly asked them if they liked it...and then told them what was in it. Whew...happy they didn't cringe when they heard the ingredients!

In the {delicious} mix::

• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup oats
• 10-15 dates
• 3/4 t salt
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Place the first six ingredients into the bowl of the food processor and 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips. Process until very fine and the dough will stick together when rolled into a ball. Add the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips and pulse a few times to combine.  Press into an 8 x 8 inch pan and store in the fridge until ready to slice and serve.

Raw Date Bars
Adapted from Oh She Glows



Delicious!  I made a few changes which are reflected in my recipe below. These are awesome right out of the freezer - the date filling is cold, but not solid and the crust is perfect.  Again, a big hit at the party.

For the crust:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 t salt
• 15 dates
• 5 apricots

For the filling:

• 30 dates
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 t honey

In the food processor combine all the ingredients for the crust and process until fine and dough will stick together when rolled into a ball.  Press 3/4 of crust into an 8 x 8 inch pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Reserve the remaining 1/4 in another bowl.

For the filling, place all ingredients into the food processor (no need to clean it out!) and process until a thick paste forms. You'll have to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times, and I would add water slowly so it doesn't get too thin.

Spoon the filling evenly over the crust and then press the remaining 1/4 of the crust onto the top. Store in fridge (or freezer) until ready to slice.

{Oop, they just issued another, the third now, severe thunderstorm warning...looks like Nic will be at work even later!}

Our discussions at game night ranged from the joys of having kids (ha!), to work, running, and somehow we got to the topic of hair care and I brought up that earlier in the day I used baking soda and water to wash my hair and a mixture of vinegar and water to condition the tips. Yes, I know...I am taking another huge step into my already very "granola" lifestyle.

Have you tried going shampoo free? Today is my second day and I can already tell a difference in my hair!  It is super soft, shiny and not nearly as frizzy as it normally is. I told Nic he'd better get on board with this idea stat as when we are out of shampoo...we are done. (Unless of course, my hair doesn't continue to like this natural way to cleanse it).

If you want more information on this topic - check out this post.

Thankfully, Nic and I are not the only "granola" types and one of the couples told us how to make our own laundry detergent. Perfect timing as we are out.

Okay...might be time to hit the basement - things are looking a little scary out now.  I tried to snap a few photos, but the crazy lightning sent me running back inside. :)  I love storms.