Five on Friday

It's FRIDAY! WOOHOO! Man oh man this week seemed to take forever but at the same time where did it go? Does anyone else have weeks like that?? I'm so looking forward to the weekend even though it's CRAZY hot and humid in San Diego. Praying for some cool air to come our way. Anyways let's get this Five on Friday started! I'm linking up with April, Natasha, Christina, Karli, Erika, Narci, and Andrea :) Happy Friday everyone!

One- Birthday Dinner at Soda & Swine

If you saw my post yesterday you already know how much I loved Soda & Swine. If not scroll down below and check it out! We went there on Monday for Greg's birthday and had a great time. Greg is technically my husband's best friend but he quickly became one of my closest friends several years ago too. Greg has always been there for me especially when Mark was on deployment. I can always count on him to help me or just come hang out and make me laugh. He's such a good person with a huge heart and I'm happy to not only call him a friend, but family too. Love you Greg, Happy birthday!

Mark and the Birthday Boy

Hubby being a goof

Two- Home cookin'

This was such a quick week and since we were out of town until Monday I only cooked Tuesday and Wednesday night. On Tuesday I made buffalo shredded chicken sandwiches and sweet potato fries. The chicken was super easy. On Tuesday morning I put five chicken breasts in the crockpot with Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce, and a dry packet of ranch dressing. **I know, I know the ranch part isn't the healthiest but it gives it great flavor. :) Then I let it cook all day on low. My mom's best friend aka my second mom, Lora, told me about this recipe so I had to try it. It was a BIG hit with Mark and Greg except for the fact that it might have been a tad too spicy. Lora said to use half a bottle and I almost used the entire thing. Whoops! We layered the sandwiches with coleslaw and more barbecue sauce. This was such a quick and easy meal for a busy night! 

Mark likes LOTS of sauce on his plate :)

On Wednesday, I picked up some of Trader Joe's pizza crust, pizza sauce, some veggies, and the Quattro Formaggio (cheese) blend. I love the Trader Joe's pizza crust, it's so easy to work with and tastes perfect every time. Also, if you haven't tried the Quattro Formaggio blend go pick some up asap! It's a blend of asiago, parmesan, mild provolone, and fontina.  It makes the pizza taste so much better, I promise. 

I made two pizzas... the first was tomato, basil, and marinated mozzarella on the garlic herb crust. The second was ham and pineapple on the normal crust. I am a total pizza lover and it's even better when I can make it myself and customize it exactly to my liking... mmmm!

Don't mind the strange shape... I'm not the best pizza-dough-roller lol

Three- Date Night

Mark and I have been super busy lately and haven't had much alone time. Last night we decided to venture out for a date night and of course we went to our favorite place...sushi! We make our way to Sushiya at least once every other week. It's a great price, fast service, and tastes delicious every time! 

We finished our night with a trip to Home Depot and Target to try and look for some kind of air conditioner or fan- we're exciting huh??. We have three fans at our house but it's not cutting it with this crazy heat wave. Unfortunately, everything is sold out. This happens every year and you think we would learn and get an AC unit early. It never seems that bad until the hotness is actually here though. Thank goodness I have a super handy hubby. He decided to make us the "bucket AC unit" that he found on YouTube. We got some of the supplies at Home Depot and Mark made it work with what they had. It's blowing cool air on me as we speak :) So grateful for my man!

Our "AC" unit

Four- Be Brave

I am not what you would call a brave person. I am often scared to do lots of things and I get really anxious. I've really been trying to step out of my comfort zone and relinquish control. I truly believe God is working on my heart, trying to help me in this area. This blog is a prime example of not being afraid to fail. I started it in May but kept it private for several months. I don't really know what I was afraid of but I am so glad that I got that gentle nudge to make it public. It's so fun to have a creative outlet and people have had the nicest things to say. Thank you all for your sweet words and encouragement! :)

Five- Lions v. Chargers game

My parents will be here tonight and I'm so excited! We are going to the Lions v. Chargers game this weekend. We bought my parents tickets for both of their birthdays since they are big Lions fans. Mark and I have never been to a Chargers game because the schedule just never seems to work with Mark's crazy work schedule. So needless to say we are thrilled that we actually have tickets! 

My mom and I have been brainstorming ideas for tailgating food because every good event starts with a good meal, am I right?? :) We've talked burgers, brats, walking tacos, guacamole, salsa, a veggie platter, bacon wrapped jalapeños, and so much more. Here's a couple of ideas I found on pinterest:

Found here.

Wisconsin Beer Dip

Walking Tacos

What are your favorite tailgating dishes?