Next Stop: Our Litte Urban Homestead

I'm usually a pretty optimistic person. But when 5 pm rolled around today, and we hadn't heard a thing about our home loan application, I figured our mortgage counselor was sparing us a shitty weekend and waiting until Monday to let us know we hadn't been approved. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best, right? I mean, I'm not necessarily used to things working out in my favor, especially when it comes to financial matters.

Maybe it's time to get used to a new normal.

While I was out talking food blogs and bad photography with some friends after work, I missed a call from Kyle, followed by a text that said, "Check your email!"

Like emoticons, exclamation marks don't really exist (at least earnestly) in our communications, so I knew exactly what it meant: we got a true pre-approval. Yes, we are "conditionally approved" for a mortgage. I think that means unless we majorly screw something up in the next 30 days, we're getting our old house with new windows on a double lot after all.

I was eager to get home (er, what will be our home for another month or so) but on the way back to my car, I had to stop when I saw the above sign taped to a light pole. It felt incredibly appropriate. This life is pretty amazing. Though even if we'd been rejected, it would be hard to deny that fact.

I won't feel 100% relaxed until we close, but I'm sure as hell enjoying some cheap celebratory wine.

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(Not) Recipe: Eggs in Tomato Sauce

This isn't really a recipe, and that's exactly what the person I stole (er, adapted) it from said, too. But it is delicious, and easy, and affordable, so I wanted to share.

I posted yesterday about my failure to plan meals, and got some great tips from my friend Ruth. One was to keep frozen shrimp in the freezer. Always. The other was to make eggs in a quick tomato sauce. Because Ruth is usually right about most things, and because I love eggs and tomato sauce, I tried it.

Here's what I used: 

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large, white onion, chopped

A pinch of crushed red pepper

1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes

About a teaspoon of honey

A few pinches of dried basil (because I didn't have any fresh basil handy)

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 large, brown eggs

A handful of shredded Parmesan cheese 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Here's what I did: 

I sauteed the onion in the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. When the onions became translucent, I added the tomatoes, garlic, honey and spices, and cooked everything down until what was in the pot resembled a red sauce. I then salted and peppered it to taste and (tried to) gently crack three eggs into sauce. I let the eggs poach for a few minutes — until the whites were cooked and the yolks were still runny. Then, I transferred it all to a bowl and sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on top.

Then, I put it in my mouth. I expected it to be good, but it was even better than I imagined. The white Two Buck Chuck I had in the fridge didn't hurt the situation.

I still had about half of the red sauce left over, and since I bought two cans of tomatoes and a dozen eggs, that makes four easy, affordable meals. Definitely not a great option for when I'm cooking for Kyle and myself, but a wonderful naturally gluten-free dinner for one (or for two who don't require a meat and a starch every night).