Saturday, April 28, 2007

Fake Carne Asada Tacos..

I say fake because real carne is marinated for a while in wine or lemon juice and spices. I take the easy way out with this recipe. I hear you saying... "I can have carne asada tacos made and ready for my family in 30 minutes?" I say.. "Why, yes you can! Oh, and eat your heart out Rachael Ray!!"

You will need 1-2 pounds of skirt steak (think thin cut)
Montreal Steak Seasoning
2-3 Avocados
1-2 ripe tomatoes
1/2 white onion
1 lemon
Tortillas

Cheddar cheese and sour cream go well with these, but those are optional.

First, cut the steak into thin strips and trim the fat... why?? because it is better for you and doesn't taste very good in this recipe. Season with Montreal Steak Seasoning and put into a medium heated pan. (Go easy on the seasoning if you don't like it spicy... it has pepper in it)



Meanwhile, scoop out the insides of the avocados, seed and chop the tomatoes (to seed, cut off the top and gently squeeze out the seeds and don't skip this step because your guacamole will be too runny) and shred, yes, I said shred the onion. This makes great onion flavor without the big chunks of onion that most kiddos hate. Squeeze half the lemon over the bowl. Mix and mush together and add salt and pepper to taste.




The trick with most steak is to either cook it a really long time, or a fairly short time... since this is a cheater's guide to carne, we are taking the short route. The meat should cook for no longer than 3-4 minutes per side. Even if there is a little pink, take it out, place in another bowl and cover. It will continue to cook... you don't want tough carne meat!! Here's the real cheat... we are going to sprinkle the other half of the lemon over the cooked steak, instead of marinating...... same flavor pay off... way less time.

Assemble as you like and enjoy. We usually serve beans, but this is such a filling taco that you really don't need to. My entire family loves this and it is way less expensive and heart attack provoking than Hilberto's!! :)

It's gone...

I only had a two day migraine... Praise the Lord!! Seriously. :)

Thursday, April 26, 2007

The migraine returns...

I have decided that I am not going to eat anymore!! Because I will inevitably eat something that causes a migraine... and suffer for three or more days. Pray for my children today... their mommy is fighting the beast in her head!! :)

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Book clubs...

I love books, love to read, and love to talk about what I have read... don't you think that I should be in a book club??? I do!! When we were up in Washington, I had many friends that were in the same book club, and they all talked about it... in front of me... but I was never invited. Oh, sure, there were promises made that I would be invited, but that dang invite must have been lost in the mail, or... something.

You know what.... I felt like I was back in junior high again, and the popular girls didn't want anything to do with me. Even though I am a 30 year old woman, I still have flashbacks... they scarred me for life. However, since I am a grown up.. I better act like one.

So, I think I will start a book club... what shall we call it?? I don't know?? How about "The Book Club for people who weren't included in THE book club"... That might be too long.. and too flashback-ish (yep.. I made that word up) Well, I will figure out the title later, but if you want to read some books together, then let me know. We can be in the book club that the world forgot. Together. Forever. Oh, I mean until we don't want to read books anymore. :)

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Their favorite breakfast..

What child doesn't love the sugared cereals, the buttered waffles, the pop tarts that are more like a cookie than a breakfast food. And, I too have given in to the little tyrant's pleas for the exciting new breakfast "thing". However, my children are school age, and I don't want them to be flying on a sugar high for their poor teachers. So, we came up with this breakfast. My almost 8 year old is a pro at making this, especially on those mornings when I can't get it together, which is often.. and well, that is a whole other blog entirely.

Are you ready for the ingredients?? Ok... one tortilla, one scoop of peanut butter, and about 15 chocolate chips. That is it. Let me demonstrate.

Spread the peanut butter over the tortilla... oh, and let me state that I usually use almond butter, but since I am living with people, I am at their discretion... and they buy Skippy!!


Sprinkle a few chocolate chips over the pb. Again, I usually use the dark chocolate chips from Trader Joe's... they buy Nestle.



Pop in the microwave for 15 seconds to melt together and you have one kid-friendly, lower sugar, and healthy breakfast. My son would eat this every day. We serve ours with a banana and milk (Almond for us) and I can feel good about at least one meal!
Tortillas are a wonderful invention for mothers. Fill them with whatever and kids will eat them... well, mine will. I have used them for pizza pockets, and just now Hannah had one for lunch with turkey and cheese and veggies. Let's all give thanks for the tortilla!!

P.S. My picky husband loves this breakfast too!

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Need more blogs to read..

Then go check out www.bloggerschoiceawards.com for hundreds of blogs and their descriptions. I am sure you can find something you like. Happy reading.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Ooo...it's sparkly!


So, over a year ago, I took my ring in to get it cleaned. They couldn't clean it because there was a loose diamond. Because funds were tight, we couldn't get it fixed right away, and my husband requested that I not wear it... so we wouldn't lose the diamond.
When we moved to California, I was thrilled to be able to get it polished and cleaned and fixed. Well, my warranty had expired and they were going to charge a lot... well a lot for someone who is unemployed, so we had to leave it there until we could pay for it. However, my studly husband surprised me and picked it up last week. I know it is not the biggest, or the brightest, but it is mine, and it represents a lot!! Thanks for looking. :)

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

A Cool site...

I love having new blogs to read.. and gaining new information from them. I found this vegan lunch box spot and was intrigued. Not because I want to be a vegan, but because I am sure that there is something I can get my kids to eat!! I want them to be exposed to all sorts of real foods and they can form their own opinions about them. So... I wanted to share it with you because I hope you can find something your kids like too... and hey, if not, there is always McDonald's... uh I mean, salad, or um.. hmm did I really say that?? :)


The site is in my links under Healthy lunches! Let me know if you find anything good.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Try this...




Thanks Tara! This was fun.

Yay!!!

MY WEBSITE IS UP!!!!

Can you tell I am excited??? I have prayed that God will bless my business.. and I think He has. Todd did a great job designing it for me... The boy gots some skills!!

My Website

Easter!

What a difference a year makes. Last year, Todd and I went to a very formal, very joy-less service and came home depressed. This year, we got to go (and be a part of) Journey's service. It was amazing.... filled with life and the wonder of what Easter is really all about. The part that hit me was the video of the veil ripping. I am a very visual person so seeing a video about how Jesus PAID IN FULL for me... it was overwhelming. I saw it 4 times and teared up every time. My son, whom I made sit in service just to see the video, said, "That was a cool video, but the light from the cross was too bright to look at!" Yep... Jesus is too bright to look at, but wants to be with us and have a relationship with us. Doesn't that just knock your socks off?!!

Friday, April 06, 2007

Cheddar Isn't Better....

Has anyone ever had a migraine? I have suffered with migraines since I was a little child. I can remember my first migraine at the age of 6. Over the years they have fluctuated in intensity, and medicine has done nothing to improve them.

As a child, I couldn't have corn, (among many others including sour cream, lunch meat, MSG, aspartame, chocolate...etc) because it will give me a instant migraine. As an adult, I didn't realize so many things were made with corn. I gave up everything with corn, and yes that includes the tortilla chips, rolled tacos, umm and everything!! I was getting about 2-3 migraines a week, and since I gave up the corn, I have only had a few. Hallelujah.

So... imagine my surprise when I got a raging migraine last night!!! I went to bed at 8:30... before my kids were even asleep. I kept mumbling to Hannah in my migraine-induced coma to lay down and be quiet and mercifully she finally konked out.

I still have a residual headache today and have wanted loads of Pepsi (but no.. I haven't had any because it is made with..... high fructose CORN syrup) My whole point to this posting.... I had cheddar cheese last night with the yummy steak tacos I made for the family. So.. mental note.. add cheddar cheese to the list. Cheddar is definitely not better for me. :)

Hands up if you get migraine... let's bang our heads on the wall together. :)

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Fake Carne Asada Tacos..

I say fake because real carne is marinated for a while in wine or lemon juice and spices. I take the easy way out with this recipe. I hear you saying... "I can have carne asada tacos made and ready for my family in 30 minutes?" I say.. "Why, yes you can! Oh, and eat your heart out Rachael Ray!!"

You will need 1-2 pounds of skirt steak (think thin cut)
Montreal Steak Seasoning
2-3 Avocados
1-2 ripe tomatoes
1/2 white onion
1 lemon
Tortillas

Cheddar cheese and sour cream go well with these, but those are optional.

First, cut the steak into thin strips and trim the fat... why?? because it is better for you and doesn't taste very good in this recipe. Season with Montreal Steak Seasoning and put into a medium heated pan. (Go easy on the seasoning if you don't like it spicy... it has pepper in it)



Meanwhile, scoop out the insides of the avocados, seed and chop the tomatoes (to seed, cut off the top and gently squeeze out the seeds and don't skip this step because your guacamole will be too runny) and shred, yes, I said shred the onion. This makes great onion flavor without the big chunks of onion that most kiddos hate. Squeeze half the lemon over the bowl. Mix and mush together and add salt and pepper to taste.




The trick with most steak is to either cook it a really long time, or a fairly short time... since this is a cheater's guide to carne, we are taking the short route. The meat should cook for no longer than 3-4 minutes per side. Even if there is a little pink, take it out, place in another bowl and cover. It will continue to cook... you don't want tough carne meat!! Here's the real cheat... we are going to sprinkle the other half of the lemon over the cooked steak, instead of marinating...... same flavor pay off... way less time.

Assemble as you like and enjoy. We usually serve beans, but this is such a filling taco that you really don't need to. My entire family loves this and it is way less expensive and heart attack provoking than Hilberto's!! :)

It's gone...

I only had a two day migraine... Praise the Lord!! Seriously. :)

Thursday, April 26, 2007

The migraine returns...

I have decided that I am not going to eat anymore!! Because I will inevitably eat something that causes a migraine... and suffer for three or more days. Pray for my children today... their mommy is fighting the beast in her head!! :)

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Book clubs...

I love books, love to read, and love to talk about what I have read... don't you think that I should be in a book club??? I do!! When we were up in Washington, I had many friends that were in the same book club, and they all talked about it... in front of me... but I was never invited. Oh, sure, there were promises made that I would be invited, but that dang invite must have been lost in the mail, or... something.

You know what.... I felt like I was back in junior high again, and the popular girls didn't want anything to do with me. Even though I am a 30 year old woman, I still have flashbacks... they scarred me for life. However, since I am a grown up.. I better act like one.

So, I think I will start a book club... what shall we call it?? I don't know?? How about "The Book Club for people who weren't included in THE book club"... That might be too long.. and too flashback-ish (yep.. I made that word up) Well, I will figure out the title later, but if you want to read some books together, then let me know. We can be in the book club that the world forgot. Together. Forever. Oh, I mean until we don't want to read books anymore. :)

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Their favorite breakfast..

What child doesn't love the sugared cereals, the buttered waffles, the pop tarts that are more like a cookie than a breakfast food. And, I too have given in to the little tyrant's pleas for the exciting new breakfast "thing". However, my children are school age, and I don't want them to be flying on a sugar high for their poor teachers. So, we came up with this breakfast. My almost 8 year old is a pro at making this, especially on those mornings when I can't get it together, which is often.. and well, that is a whole other blog entirely.

Are you ready for the ingredients?? Ok... one tortilla, one scoop of peanut butter, and about 15 chocolate chips. That is it. Let me demonstrate.

Spread the peanut butter over the tortilla... oh, and let me state that I usually use almond butter, but since I am living with people, I am at their discretion... and they buy Skippy!!


Sprinkle a few chocolate chips over the pb. Again, I usually use the dark chocolate chips from Trader Joe's... they buy Nestle.



Pop in the microwave for 15 seconds to melt together and you have one kid-friendly, lower sugar, and healthy breakfast. My son would eat this every day. We serve ours with a banana and milk (Almond for us) and I can feel good about at least one meal!
Tortillas are a wonderful invention for mothers. Fill them with whatever and kids will eat them... well, mine will. I have used them for pizza pockets, and just now Hannah had one for lunch with turkey and cheese and veggies. Let's all give thanks for the tortilla!!

P.S. My picky husband loves this breakfast too!

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Need more blogs to read..

Then go check out www.bloggerschoiceawards.com for hundreds of blogs and their descriptions. I am sure you can find something you like. Happy reading.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Ooo...it's sparkly!


So, over a year ago, I took my ring in to get it cleaned. They couldn't clean it because there was a loose diamond. Because funds were tight, we couldn't get it fixed right away, and my husband requested that I not wear it... so we wouldn't lose the diamond.
When we moved to California, I was thrilled to be able to get it polished and cleaned and fixed. Well, my warranty had expired and they were going to charge a lot... well a lot for someone who is unemployed, so we had to leave it there until we could pay for it. However, my studly husband surprised me and picked it up last week. I know it is not the biggest, or the brightest, but it is mine, and it represents a lot!! Thanks for looking. :)

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

A Cool site...

I love having new blogs to read.. and gaining new information from them. I found this vegan lunch box spot and was intrigued. Not because I want to be a vegan, but because I am sure that there is something I can get my kids to eat!! I want them to be exposed to all sorts of real foods and they can form their own opinions about them. So... I wanted to share it with you because I hope you can find something your kids like too... and hey, if not, there is always McDonald's... uh I mean, salad, or um.. hmm did I really say that?? :)


The site is in my links under Healthy lunches! Let me know if you find anything good.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Try this...




Thanks Tara! This was fun.

Yay!!!

MY WEBSITE IS UP!!!!

Can you tell I am excited??? I have prayed that God will bless my business.. and I think He has. Todd did a great job designing it for me... The boy gots some skills!!

My Website

Easter!

What a difference a year makes. Last year, Todd and I went to a very formal, very joy-less service and came home depressed. This year, we got to go (and be a part of) Journey's service. It was amazing.... filled with life and the wonder of what Easter is really all about. The part that hit me was the video of the veil ripping. I am a very visual person so seeing a video about how Jesus PAID IN FULL for me... it was overwhelming. I saw it 4 times and teared up every time. My son, whom I made sit in service just to see the video, said, "That was a cool video, but the light from the cross was too bright to look at!" Yep... Jesus is too bright to look at, but wants to be with us and have a relationship with us. Doesn't that just knock your socks off?!!

Friday, April 06, 2007

Cheddar Isn't Better....

Has anyone ever had a migraine? I have suffered with migraines since I was a little child. I can remember my first migraine at the age of 6. Over the years they have fluctuated in intensity, and medicine has done nothing to improve them.

As a child, I couldn't have corn, (among many others including sour cream, lunch meat, MSG, aspartame, chocolate...etc) because it will give me a instant migraine. As an adult, I didn't realize so many things were made with corn. I gave up everything with corn, and yes that includes the tortilla chips, rolled tacos, umm and everything!! I was getting about 2-3 migraines a week, and since I gave up the corn, I have only had a few. Hallelujah.

So... imagine my surprise when I got a raging migraine last night!!! I went to bed at 8:30... before my kids were even asleep. I kept mumbling to Hannah in my migraine-induced coma to lay down and be quiet and mercifully she finally konked out.

I still have a residual headache today and have wanted loads of Pepsi (but no.. I haven't had any because it is made with..... high fructose CORN syrup) My whole point to this posting.... I had cheddar cheese last night with the yummy steak tacos I made for the family. So.. mental note.. add cheddar cheese to the list. Cheddar is definitely not better for me. :)

Hands up if you get migraine... let's bang our heads on the wall together. :)
 

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