Here's a new favorite recipe. It's perfect for Sunday nights or when you're craving some warm comfort food.
Slow-Cooker Carne Guisada (serves 8-10)
•2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast or bottom round, cut into 1-inch pieces
•coarse salt and ground pepper
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•1 medium white onion, diced medium
•1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced medium
•1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced small
•5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
•1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
•3/4 teaspoon chili powder
•3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
•6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
•1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
•2 bay leaves
•Flour tortillas, warmed, grated cheddar, and cilantro, for serving
•Season beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over high. In two batches, cook beef until browned on all sides, 5 minutes per batch (add 2 teaspoons more oil for second batch). Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
•In same skillet, cook 2 teaspoons oil, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic over medium, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, and flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly pour broth into skillet, stirring until liquid is smooth. Simmer 2 minutes, then transfer mixture to slow cooker, along with tomatoes and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high 6 hours. Serve in tortillas with cheese and cilantro.
(from Everyday Food, 11/2010)
My thoughts:
-I bought already cut up stew meat...the less I have to handle raw meat, the better.
-Everything tastes even better wrapped up in a Central Market flour tortilla. :)
Monday, November 22, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
battle of the banana breads
While I am far from a baker, I did try out two different banana bread recipes recently. One uses one of my obsessions: Greek yogurt. The other is fairly tradition...I assume, anyway, since I'm no baker.
Cho-nana Bread
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
½ cup natural applesauce (no sugar added)
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large overripe bananas
½ cup Chobani Plain 0% Greek Yogurt
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) *I would use 1/3 cup*
Grease large loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, stir together flours, baking soda, and salt.
Peel bananas. Cut each in half lengthwise and then cut each half into halves. Chop quartered bananas into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar into a smooth paste. Add applesauce and vanilla, and mix until combined. Add eggs on at a time, and beat until incorporated.
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, and mix well. Add chopped bananas, nuts and/or chocolate chips and Chobani.
Fold ingredients in, being careful not to break up banana chunks. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until inserted knife comes out clean when removed from loaf.
Banana-Chocolate-Walnut Bread
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted and divided
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Add sugars; beat until blended.
Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended.
Fold minichips and nuts into batter; pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
The winner (in my opinion, anyway): Cho-nana Bread! I liked the taste better, plus since I consider myself a bit of a health nut, I like the protein factor from the yogurt, plus the use of applesauce instead of oil. Happy baking!
Cho-nana Bread
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
½ cup natural applesauce (no sugar added)
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large overripe bananas
½ cup Chobani Plain 0% Greek Yogurt
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) *I would use 1/3 cup*
Grease large loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, stir together flours, baking soda, and salt.
Peel bananas. Cut each in half lengthwise and then cut each half into halves. Chop quartered bananas into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar into a smooth paste. Add applesauce and vanilla, and mix until combined. Add eggs on at a time, and beat until incorporated.
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, and mix well. Add chopped bananas, nuts and/or chocolate chips and Chobani.
Fold ingredients in, being careful not to break up banana chunks. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until inserted knife comes out clean when removed from loaf.
Banana-Chocolate-Walnut Bread
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted and divided
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Add sugars; beat until blended.
Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended.
Fold minichips and nuts into batter; pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
The winner (in my opinion, anyway): Cho-nana Bread! I liked the taste better, plus since I consider myself a bit of a health nut, I like the protein factor from the yogurt, plus the use of applesauce instead of oil. Happy baking!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
words to ponder
Some really great lyrics about forgiveness that make you think. If you can find the video of TSwift performing this song on the VMA's, I highly recommend checking it out. And yes, in case you've been wondering if the hype was worth it, let me reassure you: her new CD is that good. :)
An Innocent
Guess you really did it this time
Left yourself in your war path
Lost your balance on a tightrope
Lost your mind trying to get it back
Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days
Always a bigger bed to crawl into
Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything
And everybody believed in you
It's alright just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
Still an innocent
Did some things you can't speak of
But at night you live it all again
You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now
If only you had seen what you know now then
Wasn't it easier in your firefly catching days
When everything out of reach someone bigger brought down to you
Wasn't it beautiful running wild till you fell asleep
Before the monsters caught up to you
It's alright just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me
Oh who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
It's okay, life is a tough crowd
32 and still growing up now
Who you are is not what you did
You're still an innocent
Time turns flames to embers
You'll have new Septembers
Every one of us has messed up too
Minds change like the weather
I hope you remember
Today is never too late to
Be brand new
It's alright just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
It's okay, life is a tough crowd
32 and still growing up now
Who you are is not what you did
You're still an innocent
You're still an innocent
Lost your balance on the tight rope
It's never too late to get it back
An Innocent
Guess you really did it this time
Left yourself in your war path
Lost your balance on a tightrope
Lost your mind trying to get it back
Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days
Always a bigger bed to crawl into
Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything
And everybody believed in you
It's alright just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
Still an innocent
Did some things you can't speak of
But at night you live it all again
You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now
If only you had seen what you know now then
Wasn't it easier in your firefly catching days
When everything out of reach someone bigger brought down to you
Wasn't it beautiful running wild till you fell asleep
Before the monsters caught up to you
It's alright just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me
Oh who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
It's okay, life is a tough crowd
32 and still growing up now
Who you are is not what you did
You're still an innocent
Time turns flames to embers
You'll have new Septembers
Every one of us has messed up too
Minds change like the weather
I hope you remember
Today is never too late to
Be brand new
It's alright just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
It's okay, life is a tough crowd
32 and still growing up now
Who you are is not what you did
You're still an innocent
You're still an innocent
Lost your balance on the tight rope
It's never too late to get it back
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
human-ness
So, my mind and my heart have recently been focused on how unkindly and unfairly some groups of people are treated.
1. I read The Help and although it's fiction, it's historical fiction and you can bet those stories really occurred between some white women and their "help." The segregation laws were very much real.
2.I recently watched an Oprah episode where she returned to a small town 20 years later after doing an episode about a young gay man with AIDS and the city's reaction to him jumping into a public pool. It was shocking to me to hear a man say "they should all be shipped to their own island so they can whittle down their own kind." Seriously?! What was almost more appalling was that views in that town hadn't changed much in 20 years.
3.I have heard bits and pieces of the debate over the Muslim center being built near Ground Zero...I listen until I get frustrated, which isn't too long.
I'm thankful to live in a time where people can drink out of whatever water fountain they want, people with AIDS (or cancer or even a prosthetic leg) can swim in a public pool without being ridiculed on national TV.
I'm sad and baffled that some people forget or don't want to remember that when we all lay down at night to go to bed, that we're someone's daughter, sister, father, uncle, or friend. We're human beings and we're way more alike than we are different. We all eat food, we all like to be comfortable, we all want to belong, to be valued, and to count.
Someone posted the Washington Post article below on Facebook and I think I read it about 4 times while simultaneously clapping. It made me think back to my graduate classes, and one in particular: Diversity. I loved this class. I loved how it pushed everyone's boundaries. I loved how it made me think and rethink and rethink again. I loved how it opened my eyes to other people's lives and struggles. I loved that it made me want to do better. The article inspired me to look back at my own "journal" entries from that class. We had readings each night and several guest speakers throughout the course of the class. Our assignment each night was to write a journal entry (for a grade) about the day's class discussions and readings. I have put one of my journal entries below the WP article.
Here's the Washington Post article:
Dear Muslims, let's all agree to reject hatred
By Kathleen Parker
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Dear Muslim World,
I am writing you today as an American citizen who is deeply embarrassed by current events in my country.
First, let me say that I am not representing anyone. I can't claim to speak for anyone but myself, though I am certain that many others feel as I do.
I want to address the current controversy over the proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero and the so-called "pastor" in Florida who had been threatening to burn a Koran.
I'll begin with the easier of the two: Please ignore Pastor Terry Jones. I wish we had. He may live in the United States. He may have a building with a cross on it and call it a church. And he may know 50 or so people who care what he says, but he's nobody. His threat to burn a Koran was a desperate attempt to get attention and nothing more.
Anyone can call himself a pastor, but there's a reason Jones leads such a tiny congregation. We have a long tradition in this country of letting people speak their thoughts in public, but we don't take many of them very seriously. We laugh at characters like Jones but figure it's better to let fools reveal themselves in the light of day than to let them fester in the dark.
I know this is hard to understand. We have trouble with it sometimes, too. Freedom is a messy affair, and sometimes people get their feelings hurt but we think the trade-off is worth the aggravation.
What we hope you understand is that most Americans were appalled by Jones's proposal, too. Many of us would like for him to crawl back under his rock and stay there, never to be heard from again. Alas, our laws do not forbid stupidity. A few decades ago, Jones would be standing on a fruit crate on a street corner, where children would point at him and be scolded by their parents: "It's not nice to make fun of crazy people." Today, thanks to the miracle of mass communication, he can command a broad, if undeserved, audience.
What our laws do not require, of course, is that we give him our attention, and that's where we have failed each other and ourselves. As a member of the news media, I am sorry that we handed him a megaphone, and I apologize. Please be patient. In a few days, he will be forgotten.
Of more pressing concern, and less easily resolved, is the controversy in this country about the proposed Islamic cultural center in Manhattan. I understand the sensitivity, as I'm sure many of you do. When we were attacked by terrorists nine years ago, our hearts were broken. They still are.
Nevertheless, we don't hold all Muslims responsible for what happened any more than all Christians should be held responsible for what Pastor Jones has been saying. Muslims also died when the World Trade Center towers collapsed. To say that an Islamic center can't be built near Ground Zero is to say that all Muslims are to blame. I don't think that most Americans believe this, even though a majority now say that they would prefer the center be built elsewhere.
This can't be explained rationally because this is purely an emotional response. Obviously, Muslims have the same right to worship when and where they please, just as any other group in America. The same rules of tolerance that allow a Florida pastor to preach his message also allow Muslims to preach theirs.
We may never be able to agree on some things. That is life. But let us all agree to some terms. Let's agree not to tolerate hatred -- toward Muslims, Jews, Christians, atheists or any others. Let's agree not to use inflammatory language. Let's agree to call out and condemn those who would incite riot, whether it's an imam who orders the death of a cartoonist or the preacher who wants to burn another man's holy book.
Let's agree that sometimes we will disagree but that none of this makes any sense if worshiping the creator means we must destroy each other in the process. Anyone who believes in God can't also believe that his divine plan included his creation's mutual destruction.
Peace be upon us all. Or as we say around here, God bless.
Sincerely,
An American
My journal entry
6.23.08
Well I am just eating up the information I’m learning about other religions, particularly the Muslim faith that I read about tonight. I knew a few bits of trivia about it, but feel so much more informed having read two different pieces about the faith. I did not know that Islam believed any parts of Christianity, let alone that the two religions share quite a bit of history. I can’t help but wonder how many Christians are aware of this…
In reading and reflecting, I thought a lot about the current state of politics and prejudices against Muslims. I find it sad, and honestly a bit ignorant, that people can hold an entire group of people accountable for something done by a handful of individuals who happened to be members of their faith…or claimed to be. There is no arguing that since 9/11 Muslim people have been the targets of profiling by officials and also citizens. The last time I was at the airport, I watched as an older couple, who I presumed to be Muslim, remove their shoes and had their bags searched. I remember feeling sorry for them…they were suffering the consequences of people’s actions they had never met.
I realize I’m coming at this journal entry with more of a racial/cultural discussion than a religious one. But as I read about the history and practice of Islam, no where did I read that followers were expected to fly planes into buildings, carry out suicide bombings, or plot to kill mass amounts of people-usually Americans. I don’t-but I do-understand why an entire religious culture is essentially punished for the crimes and malevolence of a small number of people. Is it just easier to place blame that way? Is it easier to make sense of tragedy when you can blame someone or a group of people that is still alive; that way you can fight the enemy? And is America really all that more protected by having all, although racial profiling “doesn’t exist”, Muslim-looking people go through intense scrutiny? Does anyone think to ask what religion they are affiliated with? I think a lot of religious assumptions are made, and are made based on looks. I am positive that there are white Americans who practice Islam, but are they made to go through extra security measures at airports? Who’s to say they are any less likely than the next Muslim to cause mass harm and panic to a group of people?
With all the disappointment behind those questions, there is hope after reading the article about Reza Aslan. As the author says, he is one of the “great hopes for Muslims to take back the faith…” This article brings about the question; can one person really change the world? Well, most likely, the answer is no. But, he can bring some awareness, advocacy, and education to people who are willing to listen. And he can encourage others like him to follow in his footsteps.
Do I think the Muslim faith will ever be fairly judged again? Not in my lifetime. But I can hope that when people allow their eyes to be opened a little bit, and their minds challenged even just slightly, that the followers of Islam may get a little bit more of a fair chance to practice their faith and be members of the human race.
1. I read The Help and although it's fiction, it's historical fiction and you can bet those stories really occurred between some white women and their "help." The segregation laws were very much real.
2.I recently watched an Oprah episode where she returned to a small town 20 years later after doing an episode about a young gay man with AIDS and the city's reaction to him jumping into a public pool. It was shocking to me to hear a man say "they should all be shipped to their own island so they can whittle down their own kind." Seriously?! What was almost more appalling was that views in that town hadn't changed much in 20 years.
3.I have heard bits and pieces of the debate over the Muslim center being built near Ground Zero...I listen until I get frustrated, which isn't too long.
I'm thankful to live in a time where people can drink out of whatever water fountain they want, people with AIDS (or cancer or even a prosthetic leg) can swim in a public pool without being ridiculed on national TV.
I'm sad and baffled that some people forget or don't want to remember that when we all lay down at night to go to bed, that we're someone's daughter, sister, father, uncle, or friend. We're human beings and we're way more alike than we are different. We all eat food, we all like to be comfortable, we all want to belong, to be valued, and to count.
Someone posted the Washington Post article below on Facebook and I think I read it about 4 times while simultaneously clapping. It made me think back to my graduate classes, and one in particular: Diversity. I loved this class. I loved how it pushed everyone's boundaries. I loved how it made me think and rethink and rethink again. I loved how it opened my eyes to other people's lives and struggles. I loved that it made me want to do better. The article inspired me to look back at my own "journal" entries from that class. We had readings each night and several guest speakers throughout the course of the class. Our assignment each night was to write a journal entry (for a grade) about the day's class discussions and readings. I have put one of my journal entries below the WP article.
Here's the Washington Post article:
Dear Muslims, let's all agree to reject hatred
By Kathleen Parker
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Dear Muslim World,
I am writing you today as an American citizen who is deeply embarrassed by current events in my country.
First, let me say that I am not representing anyone. I can't claim to speak for anyone but myself, though I am certain that many others feel as I do.
I want to address the current controversy over the proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero and the so-called "pastor" in Florida who had been threatening to burn a Koran.
I'll begin with the easier of the two: Please ignore Pastor Terry Jones. I wish we had. He may live in the United States. He may have a building with a cross on it and call it a church. And he may know 50 or so people who care what he says, but he's nobody. His threat to burn a Koran was a desperate attempt to get attention and nothing more.
Anyone can call himself a pastor, but there's a reason Jones leads such a tiny congregation. We have a long tradition in this country of letting people speak their thoughts in public, but we don't take many of them very seriously. We laugh at characters like Jones but figure it's better to let fools reveal themselves in the light of day than to let them fester in the dark.
I know this is hard to understand. We have trouble with it sometimes, too. Freedom is a messy affair, and sometimes people get their feelings hurt but we think the trade-off is worth the aggravation.
What we hope you understand is that most Americans were appalled by Jones's proposal, too. Many of us would like for him to crawl back under his rock and stay there, never to be heard from again. Alas, our laws do not forbid stupidity. A few decades ago, Jones would be standing on a fruit crate on a street corner, where children would point at him and be scolded by their parents: "It's not nice to make fun of crazy people." Today, thanks to the miracle of mass communication, he can command a broad, if undeserved, audience.
What our laws do not require, of course, is that we give him our attention, and that's where we have failed each other and ourselves. As a member of the news media, I am sorry that we handed him a megaphone, and I apologize. Please be patient. In a few days, he will be forgotten.
Of more pressing concern, and less easily resolved, is the controversy in this country about the proposed Islamic cultural center in Manhattan. I understand the sensitivity, as I'm sure many of you do. When we were attacked by terrorists nine years ago, our hearts were broken. They still are.
Nevertheless, we don't hold all Muslims responsible for what happened any more than all Christians should be held responsible for what Pastor Jones has been saying. Muslims also died when the World Trade Center towers collapsed. To say that an Islamic center can't be built near Ground Zero is to say that all Muslims are to blame. I don't think that most Americans believe this, even though a majority now say that they would prefer the center be built elsewhere.
This can't be explained rationally because this is purely an emotional response. Obviously, Muslims have the same right to worship when and where they please, just as any other group in America. The same rules of tolerance that allow a Florida pastor to preach his message also allow Muslims to preach theirs.
We may never be able to agree on some things. That is life. But let us all agree to some terms. Let's agree not to tolerate hatred -- toward Muslims, Jews, Christians, atheists or any others. Let's agree not to use inflammatory language. Let's agree to call out and condemn those who would incite riot, whether it's an imam who orders the death of a cartoonist or the preacher who wants to burn another man's holy book.
Let's agree that sometimes we will disagree but that none of this makes any sense if worshiping the creator means we must destroy each other in the process. Anyone who believes in God can't also believe that his divine plan included his creation's mutual destruction.
Peace be upon us all. Or as we say around here, God bless.
Sincerely,
An American
My journal entry
6.23.08
Well I am just eating up the information I’m learning about other religions, particularly the Muslim faith that I read about tonight. I knew a few bits of trivia about it, but feel so much more informed having read two different pieces about the faith. I did not know that Islam believed any parts of Christianity, let alone that the two religions share quite a bit of history. I can’t help but wonder how many Christians are aware of this…
In reading and reflecting, I thought a lot about the current state of politics and prejudices against Muslims. I find it sad, and honestly a bit ignorant, that people can hold an entire group of people accountable for something done by a handful of individuals who happened to be members of their faith…or claimed to be. There is no arguing that since 9/11 Muslim people have been the targets of profiling by officials and also citizens. The last time I was at the airport, I watched as an older couple, who I presumed to be Muslim, remove their shoes and had their bags searched. I remember feeling sorry for them…they were suffering the consequences of people’s actions they had never met.
I realize I’m coming at this journal entry with more of a racial/cultural discussion than a religious one. But as I read about the history and practice of Islam, no where did I read that followers were expected to fly planes into buildings, carry out suicide bombings, or plot to kill mass amounts of people-usually Americans. I don’t-but I do-understand why an entire religious culture is essentially punished for the crimes and malevolence of a small number of people. Is it just easier to place blame that way? Is it easier to make sense of tragedy when you can blame someone or a group of people that is still alive; that way you can fight the enemy? And is America really all that more protected by having all, although racial profiling “doesn’t exist”, Muslim-looking people go through intense scrutiny? Does anyone think to ask what religion they are affiliated with? I think a lot of religious assumptions are made, and are made based on looks. I am positive that there are white Americans who practice Islam, but are they made to go through extra security measures at airports? Who’s to say they are any less likely than the next Muslim to cause mass harm and panic to a group of people?
With all the disappointment behind those questions, there is hope after reading the article about Reza Aslan. As the author says, he is one of the “great hopes for Muslims to take back the faith…” This article brings about the question; can one person really change the world? Well, most likely, the answer is no. But, he can bring some awareness, advocacy, and education to people who are willing to listen. And he can encourage others like him to follow in his footsteps.
Do I think the Muslim faith will ever be fairly judged again? Not in my lifetime. But I can hope that when people allow their eyes to be opened a little bit, and their minds challenged even just slightly, that the followers of Islam may get a little bit more of a fair chance to practice their faith and be members of the human race.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
must read
Read this book:
It just might change your life. Or at least make you think a little more about life and people and kindness and relationships and what you didn't learn in history classes. It will run you through the gamut of emotions, all for the better.
Best of luck putting it down once you start.
It just might change your life. Or at least make you think a little more about life and people and kindness and relationships and what you didn't learn in history classes. It will run you through the gamut of emotions, all for the better.
Best of luck putting it down once you start.
Monday, September 6, 2010
(more) lyrics i like
...I need more than a truth to believe
I need a truth that lives, moves, and breathes
To sweep me off my feet
Its gotta be
More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance...
(Just a snippit of the song "More Like Falling In Love" by Jason Gray)
I need a truth that lives, moves, and breathes
To sweep me off my feet
Its gotta be
More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance...
(Just a snippit of the song "More Like Falling In Love" by Jason Gray)
Monday, August 23, 2010
just in case you've been wondering
This house:
Was even cuter and better in person. I know, I know...how is that even possible??? A-the living room set up was better and cozier than the pictures were able to show. B-the kitchen was way bigger (and has a huge pantry) than in the picture. C-the owners had lit a little candle on the porch for ambiance...cute! D-I got to go inside and dream.
Was even cuter and better in person. I know, I know...how is that even possible??? A-the living room set up was better and cozier than the pictures were able to show. B-the kitchen was way bigger (and has a huge pantry) than in the picture. C-the owners had lit a little candle on the porch for ambiance...cute! D-I got to go inside and dream.
must.make.now.
Thanks to the wonderful world of blog stalking, I can keep up with the lives of complete strangers as well as old friends from middle school. This recipe come from latter (here's her blog: http://immeasurablymoore.blogspot.com).
Now, let me tell you, for a girl who really doesn't like to eat things that come from a can, and for a girl who likes creamy white foods almost less, this recipe ROCKS! Definitely a good Sunday night, eat off of it all week keeper. Thanks, Sarah!
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
4-5 chicken breasts
1 can RoTel
2 cans cream soup (I use 1 mushroom & 1 chicken)
3 Cups grated cheese
1 tsp. ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder
salt & pepper
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Serrano pepper, seeded, de-veined and chopped (optional)
1/2 onion, chopped
12+ flour tortillas
1. Cook thawed chicken breasts in the crockpot with RoTel & seasonings on low for 4-6 hours. (or until cooked through & very tender.) Drain excess liquid and using 2 forks, shred chicken.
2. While chicken cooks, saute peppers & onion.
3. Mix shredded chicken with remaining ingredients, reserving 1 cup cheese.
4. Spoon mixture into tortillas, roll them up and place seam side down into a greased 9x13 pan. Spread remaining mixture over tortillas and top with cheese.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
*Because Bobby's more adventurous than me, he wanted to add some of the RoTel "juice and tomatoes" from the Crock Pot to the shredded chicken/cream/cheese mixture. I stepped aside from my OCD, recipe-following self and let him. It was a good adventure.
*I used 4 chicken breasts and had plenty-our enchiladas were huge!
Now, let me tell you, for a girl who really doesn't like to eat things that come from a can, and for a girl who likes creamy white foods almost less, this recipe ROCKS! Definitely a good Sunday night, eat off of it all week keeper. Thanks, Sarah!
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
4-5 chicken breasts
1 can RoTel
2 cans cream soup (I use 1 mushroom & 1 chicken)
3 Cups grated cheese
1 tsp. ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder
salt & pepper
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Serrano pepper, seeded, de-veined and chopped (optional)
1/2 onion, chopped
12+ flour tortillas
1. Cook thawed chicken breasts in the crockpot with RoTel & seasonings on low for 4-6 hours. (or until cooked through & very tender.) Drain excess liquid and using 2 forks, shred chicken.
2. While chicken cooks, saute peppers & onion.
3. Mix shredded chicken with remaining ingredients, reserving 1 cup cheese.
4. Spoon mixture into tortillas, roll them up and place seam side down into a greased 9x13 pan. Spread remaining mixture over tortillas and top with cheese.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
*Because Bobby's more adventurous than me, he wanted to add some of the RoTel "juice and tomatoes" from the Crock Pot to the shredded chicken/cream/cheese mixture. I stepped aside from my OCD, recipe-following self and let him. It was a good adventure.
*I used 4 chicken breasts and had plenty-our enchiladas were huge!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
very superstitious
Yesterday was Friday the 13th. Never before have I believed in bad luck on this day or been the least bit superstitious...however, after yesterday I might be a bit swayed. Like they say about deaths, my bad luck came in threes.
1. My blow dryer died about 5 seconds after turning it on yesterday morning. It just so happened that I'd gotten my hair cut the day before, by a brand new person, and I had a lot of new layers that needed to be fiddled with and styled. Scratch that plan; my hair spent the day in a ponytail with bobbypins. Luckily it was a super casual day at work.
2. Once I got to work with my semi-wet, semi-dry hair, I realized I'd left my phone at home. Obviously I knew I'd survive just fine without it, but I couldn't help but feel a bit off until I got home. On the upside, I was way productive because I had no phone to play with.
3. We stopped by Target on the way to dinner so that I could replace my deceased blow dryer. While in the checkout line I realized my wallet was not in my purse and was instead at my house. Luckily my sugar daddy was there to pick up the tab.
I ended this less than stellar day with a highly tasty frozen margarita, which helped everything.
1. My blow dryer died about 5 seconds after turning it on yesterday morning. It just so happened that I'd gotten my hair cut the day before, by a brand new person, and I had a lot of new layers that needed to be fiddled with and styled. Scratch that plan; my hair spent the day in a ponytail with bobbypins. Luckily it was a super casual day at work.
2. Once I got to work with my semi-wet, semi-dry hair, I realized I'd left my phone at home. Obviously I knew I'd survive just fine without it, but I couldn't help but feel a bit off until I got home. On the upside, I was way productive because I had no phone to play with.
3. We stopped by Target on the way to dinner so that I could replace my deceased blow dryer. While in the checkout line I realized my wallet was not in my purse and was instead at my house. Luckily my sugar daddy was there to pick up the tab.
I ended this less than stellar day with a highly tasty frozen margarita, which helped everything.
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