23 Days 'till Christmas - Chicken Chilada's

I've previously posted this recipe. To make a freezer meal: Cook cut up chicken - cool and put in freezer ziplock. Mix soup, milk, sour cream and green chilies, ( if using only half a can of green chilies, freeze the remainder in an additional bag for use in another recipe - or................. make TWO chilada recipes.) Put in freezer bag and label. Tear flour tortillas and bag. Measure and bag the shredded cheese. Assemble all in an XL freezer bag and label. Put a happy smile on your face when December comes and meal time is easy!!!

24 Days Till Christmas - Chicken Fajita's

By the time I get dinner fixed and another meal in the freezer I am too tired to take a picture. Trust me - it's yummy!


Fajitas like Chili's®

Serves: 4
For the freezer: Prepare the raw chicken in the marinade and seal in ziplock.
Cut onions and peppers. Seal in another ziplock.
Prepare additional flavoring and ziplock.
Count # of tortilla's and put in another ziplock.
Put all the bags in a X large ziplock and label. Freeze.

Marinade:
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbls. olive oil OR vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic - crushed
2 tsp. soy sauce - divided
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 lb. boned, skinned chicken breasts OR skirt steak

2 Tbls. water
1/2 tsp. lime juice
1 dash salt
1 dash black pepper

1 lrg. Spanish onion - sliced thin
1/2 med. green bell pepper - seeded, sliced thin
1/2 med. red bell pepper - seeded, sliced thin
1/2 med. yellow bell pepper - seeded, sliced thin

-Combine 1/4 cup lime juice, 2 Tbls. oil, garlic, 2 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. salt, liquid smoke, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper in a sealable plastic ziplock bag, add chicken/steak to container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight (preferred).

-Combine water, 1 tsp. soy sauce, 1/2 tsp. lime juice, and a dash of salt and pepper; set aside.

-Grill meat over a medium-high flame for 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

-Cut meat into thin strips; set aside and keep warm.
( I actually cut my meat into strips and cook in a skillet sprayed with Pam.)

-In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook onion and peppers in 1 Tbls. oil until brown; remove from heat; pour reserved liquid mixture over onions and peppers.
-Toss together meat, onions, and peppers.

Notes: Serve with warm tortillas, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.

25 Days 'Til Christmas

I've decided to try and be better prepared for Christmas. I've come up with a cooking plan called the "25 Days 'Til Christmas" plan. (Hence the name of my post.)

I am going to make freezer meals and hopefully by the beginning of December I will have 25 meals waiting for me. The cool part of the plan (no pun intended), is that I will just double meals that I make in the next couple of months. Brilliant you say? I hope so.

Freezer meals will last 3-6 months in the freezer.

Meal # 25

Chicken Stroganoff

12 chicken tenderloins - boiled in salted water and cut into thirds
(Frozen tenderloins will boil in approx. 15-20 minutes. Do not overcook or they will be tough.)

Saute in small amount EVOO and butter:
1/4 large onion - finely chopped
4 mushrooms - finely chopped
Lightly season with salt and pepper

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can milk
1/4 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
½ pkg onion soup mix
1 teaspoon paprika

Mix altogether. Put in baking dish.
Bake 350̊ for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Add ½ cup sour cream.
Serve over pasta or rice.

Serves 6.

If freezing - double freezer bag and label. Remove from freezer the night before or the morning that it is to eaten and defrost in fridge.

10 Reasons I Love October Conference

10. We get to go to Grandma's.




9. A good night sleep on a comfy bed.





8. Sharing a meal three times a day.




7. My hands can stay busy while I listen, cutting out a quilt.





6. A MooMoo can be worn to church.






5. We get to go to grandma's.





4. Hearing the announcement of five new temples in --Rome, Italy; Calgary, Canada;
Cordoba, Argentina; Philadelphia and in the greater Kansas City, Mo. area.





3. Our wonderful prophet and his counselor.






2. Stepping outside the back door and feeding swans.







1. We get to go to Grandma's.

My Princess - August 27, 2008

Reagan had a Princess Party for her 4th birthday. The little princesses came dressed in their fancy gowns and then Korianne gave them updo's (or at least a 'do') and a little makeover. They learned how to walk and curtsy like a princess. There was a castle bounce house and the girls had a blast! Then like any good princess party they ate chocolate. Korianne sure knows how to throw a party!

Monet to Picasso or Where did the summer go?

Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926). The Red Kerchief: Portrait of Mrs. Monet (La capeline rouge, portrait de Madame Monet), 1868–78. Oil on fabric; 99 x 79.8 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna Jr. 1958.39. © The Cleveland Museum of Art

The U of U sponsored an art collection exhibition. Stacie, Malorie, Steph and I went. It was very fascinating . I did not realize that Monet was alive when my mother was born (1924).
The paintings stirred my soul just knowing they were originals.

Some of the interpretations of art critics made me giggle. How do they know?




"Breathless"

This piece called "Breathless" was in the permanent collection where photo's were allowed.
(also no one but us went to see - gee it was FREE )

Let's see - since I am now a trained art critic - I say the artist portrayed the man always in a hurry, henceforth, he became breathless, henceforth he turned blue!

Don't we all feel this way sometimes?

1-2-3-exhale...............................




"Sticks and Sticks" - interpret that anyway you want!

Blog-o-licious FRESH CORN SALSA

Fresh Corn Salsa

1-1/2 lb. tomatoes, chopped

1 cup fresh corn kernels

1/4 cup finely chopped red onions

1/4 cup chopped cilantro or fresh parsley

1/2 medium jalapeño pepper, chopped
1 avocado, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

COMBINE all ingredients except dressing in large bowl.

ADD dressing; mix lightly.

Optional - Add one can of black beans - rinsed and drained

Kraft Foods Summer 2008 - with a few changes :)