The stars have never really aligned for us to take engagement photos. We scheduled them several several times, and things just kept coming up!… Read More »
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
One of our favorite things to do together is try out new, healthy recipes. Greg and I cook most nights of the week, and we always try and make our dinners yummy but also good for us. We totally love the veggie substitute craze because we can swap them in for some of the heavier, not so good for you ingredients. Zoodles (zuccinni noodles) were our first experiment. We started making those for spaghetti and meatballs and chicken alfredo a while ago, and they were soooo good! We barely missed the noodles! Then, Greg really stepped up the game with eggplant lasagna, and then he found a recipe for cauliflower crust pizza, and we had to try it!
Our cauliflower crust pizza turned out really, really good. It tasted almost exactly like real pizza, and we are definitely going to make it again. Plus, getting to have pizza, eating a bunch, and still feeling good afterwards is a total win, so I thought I’d share our recipe and how we did it.
Here are the steps:
First, Greg chopped up the cauliflower really small. You can do this in a food processor, but if you don’t have one, chopping a way like we did works really well, too.
Next, we steamed the cauliflower so it was soft enough to moosh up. We mooshed it all up in a bowl with an egg, a little cheese, and some Italian seasoning, aregeno, and basil.
Then, we formed the crust on our pizza tray. We had put coconut oil on the tray so that the crust wouldn’t stick, but it still did a little bit. I think next time we’d put parchment paper down to solve that problem, but the main thing is that the cauliflower layer should be thin. (Ours was a little too thick in the middle).
Once this was done we put it in the oven for 35 minutes at 400 degrees. At this point I was dying to see how the crust was going to turn out, and Greg turned the light on in the oven so that I could keep peeking. 🙂
Finally, we took the crust out, put our marinara, cheese, mushrooms, peppers, and pepperoni on it, and popped it back in the oven until the cheese melted. You can use whatever pizza toppings are your favorite, that’s just what we were feeling that night!
…and then we got to eat it! We ate it with forks because the crust is still cauliflower, and our center was a little too soft, but the edges were perfect and tasted exactly like thin crust pizza! If we could’ve gotten the whole pizza to taste like the edges it would’ve been perfect. I was laughing because when I was eating the middle I kinda felt like I was eating cauliflower with pizza toppings on it, but cheese and pepperoni would be good on anything so no big deal! But honestly with that little adjustment, we both feel like the cauliflower pizza is a total winner and a must try!
If you make one, let me know how it turns out, how you liked it and who you shared it with! 🙂
10 Reasons to Marry a Hunter
Recently I saw an article on why you should never marry a hunter. It just totally inspired me to write 10 reasons why you should marry a hunter because Greg and I love sharing this hobby together, and the countdown to our wedding has officially started. Whether it’s a good hunt or a not so successful hunt we always leave our spot feeling so connected, relaxed, and happy. So here it goes:
1. Adventure will always be a big part of your relationship.
Greg is extremely adventurous. He likes finding new spots to hunt, different ways to hunt, and is totally fearless when it comes to the outdoors. He is also really fearless in other parts of his life, too, and it is really inspiring. He’s even jumped out of planes before! We are always on a new adventure or coming up with a new idea to try out. Recently we joined an archery league together.
2.You will get to spend extra quality time together.
Waking up really early or sitting out in a field for a long amount of time might sound difficult, but it is actually really special time. It is uninterrupted hours where you can chat or cuddle together in the chilly weather. Usually phone service is pretty bad so it’s just you and your love. You look forward to your hunting trips because you know it is just going to be a great time for you both, and sometimes you even get to stay in a hotel!
3. You get to wear super stylish camo together.
It is just so perfect because camo is so in right now. Even Kim K is wearing it. 😉
4. You get to develop a skill and work on your hobby together.
One of the best parts about hunting together is also getting to cheer each other on during a hunt or in practice. Hunting is really exciting especially when the animals work the way you want them to. You get to witness the great shots, adrenaline surging, and sometimes you can even get their moment of glory on video!
5.Hunters are relentless when it comes to meeting goals.
Meeting goals is such a big part of success. Greg has hunted since he was little, and every part of hunting also plays a role in other parts of his life. Greg has big goals when it comes to hunting and always puts a plan into action in hopes of being as successful as possible. If a hunt is unsuccessful he will try a new strategy for the next hunt. As a couple, we are able to set goals and work together to meet them just like we do out on a hunt.
6. Hunters are innovaters.
Whether we are in a sticky situation in water or in the woods, Greg has a solution! He also uses these skills to help me when I get into one of those positions… like that one time I couldn’t get these silly fake eyelashes off! He did not give up until they were removed, and I felt better! 🙂
7. Sharing hunting as a hobby can lead to bonding in so many other areas.
Greg and I love to do absolutely everything together. We’re into each other and love to share our interests. We love to take part in what makes the other one happy. We shop together, cook together, we watch the same tv shows together, and we spend every free moment we can together. I think sharing such a exhilarating hobby makes us connected and in sync.
8. The post hunt/ adventure naps and cuddles are heaven on earth!
After each early morning hunt Greg and I usually hop in the shower, and then snuggle and take a nap together! It is one of the best feelings because you’re so sleepy, and you both zonk out instantly in each other’s arms. 🙂
9. So many memories are made out in the wild!
Whether it’s slipping in the mud, killing out in an hour, or getting lost in the woods (I always get worried we’re lost in the woods, and we never do lol) you can look back at those hunts together and laugh and talk about all of the fun parts or reminisque about when I was just learning how to hunt.
10. You’ll always feel safe and loved.
It’s the toughness, certainty in all situations, ability to shoot a gun super accurately, and preserverence that make you feel like you can overcome anything. Also, Greg knows first aid, and his kisses and hugs make even the slippery, dark hunts feel easy and safe. Plus, the passion is just the best.
A Christmas Goose
Duck season is officially over in central Illinois, but Greg and I have started field hunting for geese! I absolutely love field hunting. It is super comfortable, and you can get all cozy in your layout blind. I even bring a sleeping bag and blankie with me so that I stay extra warm. They’re camo, too, of course! Hunting on the water for duck is not always the warmest or most comfortable experience because it’s wet, but in a field you can hide well and just stay warmer. If you are a new hunter or want to try waterfowl hunting I would recommend field hunting first because sometimes the lack of comfort while hunting can be shocking, and field hunting is the perfect way to ease into the sport.
At first we weren’t sure if we were going to get to field hunt this year because we didn’t have an official spot once duck hunting was coming to an end, but one of Greg’s super sweet coworkers knew of a farmer who had land with water, field, and geese, and the farmer is letting us hunt it. I am just super excited about this because field hunting is my favorite.
These pictures are from two hunts from this weekend. We hunted the eve of Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve. It was merry and bright (lol) to be able to hunt those two days together! We would have also hunted Christmas morning, but Greg and I hosted Christmas day for our families (totally magical and fun and more about that tomorrow). Plus,the weather was beautiful. Setting up decoys, Greg and I even got a little sweaty and had to take off our jackets.
This is also a really sweet spot. Driving to the field the geese were swimming on the water. We didn’t harvest anything either day because we’re still kind of scouting the land, but we did see a TON of birds! Watching the sky while hunting is one of our favorite parts. Geese flew over us and we could just hear and see them so clearly. It is honestly fascinating watching animals in nature like that, and I always leave our hunting spot feeling a deeper connection to Greg and nature. It is a total endorphin high because your heart just gets pumping as the birds get closer to you!
We’re going to go hunt this spot again this Thursday, and hopefully have some better luck. We learned some lessons like hiding our layout blinds better, and we think we have the feeding times for when birds get to the field nailed down. We are just itching to get out again because of how many birds we did see on those 2 hunts!
My hunting gear: jacket – overalls/bibs – boots – sweatshirt
Greg’s hunting gear: jacket similar here – pants – boots – shirt similar here
Snow Storm Hunters
Snow, snow, snow! I love snow. It just makes winter so pretty! This hunt started with the perfect duck hunting weather. It was chilly, but not too windy. We totally expected a really good hunt, but then all of a sudden, the snow started coming faster and faster. The visibility wasn’t great, but we did stay out for quite a while hoping that the snow would stop falling and that we could see some birds come in. They didn’t, but we had so much fun hanging out on the water even in the chilly temperatures!
My favorite part of this hunt was the blind that we hunted out of. We had to drive the boat out to the blind and we sat above right above the water. The best part of all was that the blind had a heater in it! We didn’t know that it would have a heater in it; so we didn’t have a lighter. Greg and our friend Pat played around with it, and Pat was able to get it to light using a battery and some paper towel. It was super cool and totally felt like Survivor or something lol. That really helped me stay out really long in the chilly weather which made Greg super happy! Hopefully, we’ll get one more kinda snowy hunt in before the season ends (but this time maybe we’ll see some birds)! 🙂