Archive for January, 2011

January 27th, 2011

Tasty Chicken Enchilada Stoup

My fab friend Lindzee over at Cordon Pink came up with this incredible recipe.  I have stolen it and adapted it slightly to my fam’s tastebuds and wanted to share.  It is perfectly simple to cook and tastes INCREDIBLE!

Soupendous Chicken Enchilada Stoup: Serves 8-10

1 lb Skinless/Boneless Chicken breast chopped into 1” pieces
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 cup white onion diced
1 Green Pepper diced
1 Red Pepper diced
4 teaspoons of minced garlic
14.5oz can of Chopped Tomatoes
14.5oz can of Black Beans
½ Bag of Frozen Petite White Corn
14.5oz can of Red Enchilada Sauce
3 tsp Chipotle Chile Powder
2 tsp Chile Powder
1 cup of water
2 cups Jalapeño Cheese or Pepper Jack
½ cup of 2% Milk

Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Toss in the onion and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add the chicken and peppers and cook until browned.  Throw the chicken mixture into the slow cooker on low heat.

Then add the tomatoes, black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, spices and water.  If you set your slow cooker to low, allow around 8 hours.  If you are in a time crunch, crank the heat up to high and let it cook for about 4 hours.  I have made this both ways and cannot tell a difference.  It is super yummy regardless.

Once you are about ready to serve, add the cheese then milk.  Stir and let it cook for about 10 more minutes.  Whirl around a final stir and enjoy!  Thank you Lindz for such a fab recipe!

PS- Don’t forget to make the bad boys below to go along with the stoup.  Hubby and I are addicted to them and they do not last more than 1 day at our house.  Yes people, I admit to eating 6 corn bread muffins in one day.  They are that good.

Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins

1 box of Jiffy Cornbread muffin mix 
2 cups shredded Jalapeño Cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup milk (I have used skim and 2%)
1.5 Tablespoons of Honey
Pinch of Kosher Salt

Mix all ingredients together and pour into your favorite size muffin tin.  I have tried making them in all sizes, mini-normal-jumbo, and found that the normal muffin size works best for my fam.  Bake according to the instructions on the box. Yum.

CategoryRecipes | Comment2 Comments »

January 25th, 2011

My buddy

Look how big my nephew is getting!  At 3 1/2 years old he is so much fun.  I love that he carries on full conversations with me and could give George a run for his money in curiosity department.  Fun, fun, fun!

CategoryFamily | Comment2 Comments »

January 23rd, 2011

Rosette Wreath

I have decided to explore my crafty side in my newly found free time.  Back in November I made an awesome acorn wreath, but now that Fall and the holidays are over, I need a new wreath that will get me through the next few winter months.

Luckily I stumbled across this fantastic post by Domestifluff and it is exactly what I was looking for!  A beautiful white fluffy wreath it is.

Supplies:
– a 14 inch circle Styrofoam wreath form
– approximately 2.5 yards of white felt  (I ended up using 350 circles to be exact and still have felt leftover)
– white glass ball straight pins (I recommend getting the white glass ball pins to save your fingers–they also blend well so you can be a little lazy)
– scissors
– a 3 inch circle template  (I used a Ball jar lid)
– a pencil
– wreath hanger

For detailed, step by step instructions click here.

I did spruce up my wreath hanger by adding Valentine felt hearts.  Then I can switch it out with some St. Patty’s love here in a month or so.

I was able to get the wreath form at Michael’s for half price at $5.29, the felt at Joann’s half price  for $7.90, and 2 boxes of pins (480 total) 40% off for $8.  So all in all, the wreath cost $21.19.  And a WHOLE lotta time.  From start to finish it took me 9 hours.  But I have to say I am happy with the way it turned out.  What do you think?

Chloe likes it.

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January 17th, 2011

Redeemed

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January 9th, 2011

Change Your Words

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January 5th, 2011

Sugar & Spice

I have to say I wasn’t thrilled with Sugar & Spice.  I give it a C.  I have read the first two books in the series, LA Candy and Sweet Little Lies as well so my expectations for this novel weren’t too high.  You may wonder why I read it then — and to that I say —  for a mental break.  I love to read and sometimes you just need a filler book that is easy, lighthearted and doesn’t make you think too much.  So, I figured this book fit that bill.  And it did, but I was just hoping for a little more spice.

The book does wrap up the series but I thought the ending was a little lackluster.  Come on, it’s Hollywood! So, roll the dice with this one, it may or may not be the book for you.

CategoryBooks | CommentNo Comments »

January 5th, 2011

Heaven is for Real

After finishing up all the books in my queue from over the holidays, I needed a new one to start.  That is one of the fantastic things I love about my nook —  1:30am and I can still browse and purchase my book, no need to wait.  And am I glad I stumbled on this little gem.

I started reading right away and could not put this book down!  I read straight through the night/morning.  Heaven is for Real was truly inspiring read.  I give it an A. I am sure there are those out there who will find this book unbelievable or flat out fiction, I however enjoyed it completely.

The story is based on a young boy, Colton, who emerges from a life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to Heaven.  His story proves to be a wonderful and innocent way to view what awaits us in Heaven.  Enjoy!

CategoryBooks | Comment2 Comments »

January 3rd, 2011

When all else fails, read the directions

This past Sunday Dr. Kratzer gave a great sermon on the power of prayer.  I loved the title to his sermon, “When all else fails, read the directions.”  So true.  I am guilty of that for sure on so many levels.  Directions?  Who needs them?  I dive head first into trying to put together my project and only after I am super frustrated do I turn to the directions to see where I went wrong.  Now sure, there are a few times I sneak through without having to read them and have success, but that is a rare occasion.

The same is true in the bigger picture of our lives.  We can plow through our triumphs and trials on our own, but the majority of the time we need help.  And unfortunately, in more cases than not, we only turn to God and His word once we are trying to right our wrongs.  How much easier would it be to just read the directions from the beginning and not have to backtrack?  Loads.  My prayer life is very new, but I am a firm believer in its power.  Knowing that I can  unload my burdens is an incredible gift, as is the power of His written word.  One of my resolutions this year is to read the Bible and begin to digest all that is there for us to learn from.

One line of Dr. Kratzer’s sermon really hit home for me, “If God isn’t answering your prayer in your timetable, look up.  God is at work.”  And I know this to be true.  I have prayed day and night for a healthy baby and while I have been blessed with two pregnancies, I have also suffered the loss of them.  But I  have faith that when it is time in God’s eyes, we will have our little bundle.  There is no amount of planning or charting that I can do if it is not in His plan for us right now.

So I leave you with a quote from General Booth.  I hope that if your light is out or flickering in the wind that you light it with prayer.

“The tendency of fire is to go out, so watch very
closely the fire on the altar of your heart.”

CategoryChurch | Comment3 Comments »

January 2nd, 2011

Matched

My first book of the New Year, MATCHED, was great.  I give it a B.  It is set in the future and from the point of view of a young 17 year old girl, Cassia.  It is similar to the style of The Hunger Games which I also enjoyed.

Cassia’s life is dictated by The Society which determines what she eats, what she studies, how much she works out, who she marries and when she dies.  Life is perfect, cancers are cured and everyone goes with the flow, or so they thought.

I was happy to read today that there will be two following books in the series, the next one Crossed will be out in November and the final book November 2012.  Can’t wait to see how Cassia grows up!

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