In my own little garden

Beautiful blue delphinium

This past Saturday, Jeremy and I spent most of the day working the soil in the backyard and planting these:

We have, pictured above: 3 hydrangea bushes, 2 gardenias, 2 carmel creepers, 1 delphinium, and 1 bougainvillea. A veritable bevy of green and lovely things!

It was so fun (although a little warm) to be planting and gardening in our backyard. We've got a LONG ways to go back there before it looks anything like my dream garden straight out of a Cottage Living magazine-- a girl's got to have aspirations, you know-- but it's a start. And the good news is: 4 days later and nothing has died yet! Hooray!

It was fun to buy such cute garden gloves too.

A few days later when I was making my Target trip, I couldn't help but buy myself one of these to plant: I can't wait until this grows into a great big bush so that I can have lavender whenever I want!

To top off our weekend of green and growing things, I was pleasantly surprised and thrilled earlier this week to see that one of the bare-root roses I planted a few months ago in our front yard was blooming. Big, beautiful, yellow roses. Ah, lovely. I must confess I feel like a REAL gardener now!

{tasty tuesdays} Cheesy goodness

Melty, stringy, delicious cheese-- that is the theme for tonight's Tasty Tuesday. As promised I am posting two recipes to tempt you. I'm sorry that I don't have pictures to go with these, but I have made them both in the past (the mac and cheese was dinner last night, actually) and they are some of our favorites. Not only are they quick and easy, they are also kid-friendly! Not healthy, maybe, but definitely worth eating. :) So go get your cheese on!

Campbell's Ooey-Gooey Mac and Cheese

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup

1/2 soup can milk

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups hot cooked large elbow macaroni or large shell pasta

Small amount of salt, to taste

Directions:
Heat soup, milk, black pepper, and cheddar cheese in small saucepan over med-low heat until melted together. Pour over hot cooked pasta (boil the pasta while you are doing the sauce) and stir together. Add salt if you think it needs it. Serve piping hot.

Serves 4.

Heartland Pepper Harvest Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Butter, softened

cracked wheat bread

Monterey Jack Cheese

Provolone Cheese

Thinly-sliced peppered roast beef or pastrami

crisp-cooked bacon

fresh-ground pepper

Stack bread with monterey jack cheese, meats, pepper, and provolone cheese (if you do it with cheese on top and bottom it will hold your sandwich together with it's yummy meltiness, of course). Spread butter on top and bottom of sandwich. Cook sandwiches on med. heat on griddle 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden and cheese is melted.

Isn't it lovely + sneak peek!

Some of you have already commented on my lovely new blog look, so I wanted to make sure that, once again, I give credit where credit is due. While I can have an idea of how I WANT it to look and even go so far as to search out specific things that would work for a header, I come to a complete stand-still when it actually comes to DOING it. Because, well, I don't know how! Here is where my Stephanie comes in. And I think you would all have to agree that she does SUCH a wonderful job at making things cute and lovely. Please notice her attention to detail: that little stamp up on the postcard-- she turned it into a picture of Jeremy and me! Love it.

I especially love my little brown birdie who is gracing my page so in so many different places. He makes me smile. I've decided to name him Percival Sweetfeather (Percy, for short) and shall feed him only the most delectable seeds of wisdom and wit. (Which means he will most likely go hungry more often than not. Sad, but true.)

Now for the sneak peek. There is a lot of catching up for me to do in posting... some I've been meaning to do for quite some time! To inspire me and intrigue you, here are pictures from my next three posts... coming soon, I promise.

Remember when I mentioned a project way back when? The big reveal is FINALLY on it's way.

Take me to TV-Land

here we go! (Pretend that's me there, in the backseat, not Ethel Mertz.)

Tuesday was a day of such busy-ness and hecticity (to me, that should be a word-- if "electricity" works, why not this?) that I felt like I barely had time to think. Notice I did not even post a "tasty tuesday" recipe. I'll make it up by posting two recipes next week!

Then, yesterday, I woke up feeling like crud: my throat was on fire, my head ached, I had a fever and chills, I was congested-- the works. Not fun. (I feel MUCH better today, thankfully!) So, I did something I haven't done since the last time I was really sick, which I think was quite some time ago: I laid around on the couch ALL DAY. Of course, my children did need to be taken care of, but other than that, I was a complete vegetable. And while it was not pleasant not feeling well, in some ways it was a welcome break. As a mom, I almost never allow myself to just lay around during the day, even during their naptimes. There is always something else that could be done, it seems, and it is hard not to feel guilty or lazy just relaxing in the middle of the day-- even though we all need to do that every once in a while. (I know you other moms and stay-at-home girls can most likely identify with this!) Being sick forced me to be lazy, and I would be lying if I said a small part of my sick little self did not enjoy having a valid excuse to do just that.

So what did I do to pass the hours on our comfy blue couch? I watched TV. I thought about reading and feeling somewhat productive, but my head hurt too much to think. Instead, I found myself in a world of black and white, with mothers in house-dresses and kids who say things like "Gee, that's swell!". The time flew by with episode after episode of Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy, Beverly Hillbillies, and Bewitched. Old TV is so fun to watch; I just love it, for lots of different reasons. The clothes, the lovable characters, the settings, the wholesomeness, the funny storylines-- it's a perfect combination. Of course, I am a sucker for anything vintage, and I guess that carries over into TV and movies as well.

Between sleeping and the old TV shows, my sick day actually went by pretty quickly. And today I am back to my regular duties...Which is a very good thing, considering how messy my house got after just one lazy do-nothing day. Isn't it amazing how quickly that can happen?

Sun-Kisses

freckles:

they make me think of innocent childhood days bathed in sunshine and backyard adventures.

they bring to mind bare little arms and legs running through sprinklers in the heat of the summer.

they scatter softly across button noses and rosy cheeks, begging to be kissed and caressed.

they multiply daily as she plays outside, her imgaination aglow with the endless possiblities found in her small yet spacious world.

look closely, they are there, on the sweet face of this daughter of mine who is growing and changing each day.

they make me smile.

Aaaalll by myseeeeeelf....

That's right. No kids. No husband. It's weird!
The girls are spending the night at Grandma Net's house, and the hubby is off having a "guy's night" at our friends' house, no doubt sitting on the patio, drinking scotch and talking about whatever it is a group of guys talk about. Theology, beer, computer games, sports, their wives....??
So here I am.... what's a girl to do to enjoy this extremely RARE occasion??

I think I'll paint my toenails and watch girly TV!

Colorado, Part One: Estes Park

Here we've been home from our trip for over a week, and I've not posted one single Colorado picture! That is about to change. In fact, you will probably be tired of Colorado when I am through. I've decided, since we did so many fun things and I have so many pictures, to divide it up into several posts. I get overwhelmed writing really loooong posts. Besides, this will give all of you, my dear readers, a little bit of a break in between.

We must start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. The girls, especially Emma, had been anxiously awaiting our trip for what must have seemed like forever to them. One day, Emma kept asking when we were leaving for Grandpa and Grandma's, and when I told her we wouldn't be leaving until Tuesday, this was her response: "Well, then I am going to go put my Tuesday panties on RIGHT NOW!" Apparently time is controlled by the type of underwear she has on! I love the way little kids think.

The big day finally arrived and we were all so excited. The kids loved getting on the airplane and taking off. They were all smiles for the trip, and were great little well-behaved travelers.

We arrived with no problems at all, actually getting into Denver a tad early. It was such a joy to see our family coming toward us at the airport and greet them with hugs and kisses.

On Wednesday, Jeremy and I left for our anniversary get-away in Estes Park, leaving the girls with the grandparents, aunties, and uncle. I know they had a wonderful three days together, but this post happens to be about the wonderful, amazing three days that Jeremy and I had together!

As we drove up into the mountains toward Estes Park the snow because more frequent and the air colder. But oh, it was so beautiful. We arrived at our place of lodging, The Woodlands on Fall River, and were very pleased with what we saw. It was a lovely suite, complete with jacuzzi tub and a real wood-burning fireplace in the little sitting room. However, one of my favorite things about it was that if we looked out the big windows in the front, this is what we saw right outside our door:

Look, a mountain stream, complete with evergreens and snow!

Another amazing fact? This place cost us all of $89 a night. Wow.

We didn't do very much that first day we were there. Just walked around downtown where we bought some fudge, taffy, cinnamon chews, and fresh-baked cookies from some of the many little candy shops. One must have something to nibble on later when cuddling in front of the fire, after all. We held hands, we laughed, we talked, we drunk in the beauty of the mountains. It was delightful.

Beautiful downtown Estes Park. It's a quaint and charming place, with a very homey and quiet feel to it. I love it.

At this time of year in Estes Park, almost all of the shops close at 5, since it is still the "off-season". So, when things closed down and we were beginning to get a bit chilled from the brisk mountain air, we went to an early dinner at a charming Italian restaurant called Mama Rose's. I loved everything about this place: the vintage feel to the decor, the beautiful woodwork, our funny little waiter, the birch trees and stream right outside the window by which we were sitting, the fact that we were the only ones in there (again, off-season), the food. Oh, the food! It was to die for. I'm sure I gained 5 pounds that night, but it was well worth it.

Inside Mama Rose's. Isn't the woodwork fantastic?
My hot dinner date enjoying his glass of Cabernet.
I prefer white.

Over the next few days we did some really fun things, such as taking a tour of the Stanley Hotel and going on a hike in the Rocky Mountains. Those shall be posts of their own. And while doing those sorts of things was amazing and memorable, I don't think they were any more memorable for me than the evenings we spent in our little suite, cozied up on the couch sharing a blanket, warmed by a crackling fire as we watched movies and hung out together, just the two of us. There is something so refreshing and much-needed in spending time with each other as JUST husband and wife, as two people in love, as best friends. I can so easily forget just how much I enjoy this man's company and the things we love to do together (even if it just to be goofy and carefree) in the day-to-day busy-ness and our roles as parents. This get-away proved to be a wonderful reminder. I love my honey-bunches more now than I ever have, and I love seeing how we have grown closer in these 5 years. Sometimes, on or near our anniversaries, I like to go through our "love-letter box" and read some of the things we have written to each other throughout our relationship. The other day I came across this little poem I wrote for Jeremy a mere two weeks after we were an official couple. I remember I was so excited that I could finally call him my boyfriend! We had just said "I love you" to each other for the first time, if I remember right. The poem is incredibly cheesy, especially when it comes to the poetry (gah!), but I love it because of the perspective. I was simply goo-goo-ga-ga back then, lovey-dovey and infatuated, and it so amazing that 6 years later these things are still true in an even better and more wonderful way-- a truer way.

"A Just-to-tell-you Poem" written May 16, 2002

One of God's greatest gifts is that of someone true

He's blessed me with that; Jeremy, I find it in you

Beauty has so many shapes, so many ways of showing

And one of its greatest is the way that we are growing

Everyday there's new appreciation; a deeper, true respect

And the care that you are giving is more than I could expect

I pray I will be worthy to look deep into your eyes

And hear you say "I love you" , at which my heart smiles and flies

Oh how wonderful it is, to know that you are you

And that we are together... I'm grateful for all you do

God has made you so good, and I always want you to know

Of my respect and love; May my joy for you always show

The future is there to anticipate, and whatever God may send

I'm so thankful and so glad... always, my blessing, my boyfriend

There, I will subject you to such things no longer. :)

Friday was our last day to ourselves, and we ended our trip by spending two hours riding horseback through the mountains. It was amazing!! The whole experience was wonderful, and I especially loved getting to ride horses. I'm not very good at it yet, but I could definitely get used to it. I thought of you, Ashley, since I know how you love to ride, and I decided I am coming to SF so you can teach me all you know and then we can go horse-back riding together.

These were the sorts of views we were blessed with on our ride. There was something so beautiful about the whole experience: sitting atop a horse feeling the rhythm of the ride, out in the peace and quiet high above town, surrounded by such awesome beauty. I felt like a real American-- if that makes any sense.
This is the only shot I got of our guide. It's very difficult to take pictures while riding horse! But look at those mountains...
Meet Jay. He was very gentle and submissive, a fact I was eternally grateful for. See, Ashley, don't I look ready for our ride?
Ride 'em cowboy! This is Macaroni, out on the trail with my hubby. Don't all cowboys wear black leather jackets and baseball caps??
Thanks for an amazing and wonderful anniversary trip, darling husband. I love you. Now, which way is the sunset??

(you know, so we can ride off into it together.... did you all get that? And here I thought I was so clever....)

{tasty tuesdays} Mmm, Pie!

I am proud of this yummy little pie. Proud because I decided on the spur of the moment at the grocery store to throw this and that together, and it actually came out tasting really good! (It doesn't always work out that way-- just ask my husband.) I made it for a family dinner we had at our house on Saturday. Did anyone else happen to notice how very WARM it was that day? This fact is where the idea for the pie came from-- I wanted something cool, refreshing, and light. Anything that would cool me down and help me forget the fact that it felt like summer already. I'm not ready for our Bakersfield heat yet, thankyouverymuch. Another bonus-- no oven required!

Has anyone seen the movie Waitress? You know how she names all the many different pies things like "I Hate My Husband Pie", or "I Can't Have No Affair Because It's Wrong and I Don't Want Earl to Kill Me Pie"? Well, after the same fashion, I have decided to name my creation:

Why Is It So Dang Hot Already in April Pie

1 graham cracker crust

1 small box instant white chocolate pudding

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

2 3/4 cup milk

1 small can mandarin oranges, thoroughly drained

5-6 fudge-covered vanilla sugar wafers, crushed

1 tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 teaspoons orange juice

freshly grated orange zest

In medium bowl, whisk together milk and the two different kinds of pudding for one minute, until slightly thickened and smooth. Pour immediately into graham cracker crust and make sure it is spread evenly. Arrange mandarin oranges on top of pudding mixture in pie crust. Top evenly with crushed cookies. It will look like this:

Next, gently stir orange juice into whipped topping. (Note: I don't know exactly how much I used, so if 2 tsp seems like too much, use less. just enough to give the topping slight orange flavor. You do not want to make your topping too thin! A bit of orange extract would also work very well instead.) Add orange zest (chop it as fine as you wish, or leave it coarse) and gently mix. Using a small spatula, place all of whipped topping on top of pie. Spread evenly and make some pretty spatula swirlies. Refrigerate for at least a couple hours before serving.

To serve-- there should be some fudge-covered sugar wafers left in the package (unless you ate the rest, in which case you might not have room for pie, tsk tsk.) I sliced a few in half lengthwise and used them as a garnish for the sliced and plated pie. An orange peel curl would be beautiful too, only I didn't happen to think of that until after the fact.
This particular piece did not hold it's shape coming out, but doesn't it look tasty?



Note: I actually used fat-free/ sugar-free puddings as well as fat-free whipped topping. I'm sure fat-free milk would be fine too. The end result might not be as creamy as it would have been if I had used regular ingredients, but it did not harm the taste at all!

If any of you try this and find the ingredients are off, or I forgot some important step, please let me know. And please.... ENJOY!

please pray.

One of the wonderful things that I love about blogging is the great sense of community and friendship. People can write about good news, happiness and accomplishments and they receive outpourings of rejoicing and camaraderie. Or, for those times when we are struggling, worried, confused or given some hardship to deal with, our blogs and those who read it can be a great source of comfort, advice, empathy, and prayers. I've seen this time and again, as well as experienced it myself, and I think it is just such a blessing. Especially when I think about the fact that many of these people have never even met in real life-- yet there is still such a connection.

Today, I am asking for prayers-- not for me, but for a dear friend. And I know that I can count on all of you to give of yourselves in this way, because I've seen how wonderful you are.

My very good friend Kourtni, who has two lovely children (her youngest is almost exactly Emma's age), has been hoping for a third child for some time. And thankfully, her and her husband have had no problems with getting pregnant. However, since November of '06, she has suffered three miscarriages. After the third one happened, she and her husband went and had done almost every test you could think of for this sort of thing. We were all pretty certain that something had changed since she was pregnant with their youngest, since both her first pregnancies were perfectly normal and complication-free. However, every single test came back negative! As far as doctors can tell, there is nothing actually amiss with her. This is a good thing, but at the same time very frustrating, since it does nothing to explain why three times a miscarriage took place, and also does not present a solution to fix whatever went wrong.

Kourtni just found out she is pregnant again, and here is where the prayers come in. Scripture tells us that "the prayers of a righteous man availeth much", so I want to completely bathe this baby and her pregnancy in prayers. She is telling absolutely everyone and asking for prayers, and I told her "I'm going to put it on my blog!" She gave me the ok. So, please pray for her, for her baby, for this pregnancy. We know those first three babies were meant to be taken home to the Lord instead of being here on earth, and God gave her and her family amazing grace to deal with it in a very godly way. But now that we know that technically there is nothing to prevent a healthy pregnancy, we are praying with all our hearts that THIS baby will be joining their family in 9 months time. It's completely and totally in the Lord's hands, and all we can do is trust, hope, and pray. Even though I know God would give her grace yet again if it doesn't work out, I also know how HARD it was for her the other times, and that it would be just heartbreaking for something to go wrong again. She is doing great, and thinking positive right now, but I know it is a very stressful and uncertain time for her as she wonders what will happen this time. She needs our prayers as well. The more prayers, the better!! With God, all things are possible-- praise Him for that hope!

Thanks so much, everyone, for listening to her story. I know it would mean so much to her to know that others care and will be supporting her in prayer, even though they are strangers. I'll keep all you lovely people posted.

The Purse Game

aka, Look At How Much Junk I Carry Around!

I was tagged twice to do this-- first by my good friend Lisa, and then by the lovely Morgan. It's kind of fun to see what other people are carrying around in their purses-- it's like a little window into their lives, I guess you could say.

To make my post about it more interesting, I thought I would wait and do it when I clean my purse out on Monday. Sunday always leaves my big ol' purse an interesting mess of things, due to church and other goings-ons. So here it is, my post-Sunday purse contents:

*Song-sheet copy from our church bulletin. I saved it because it was such a pretty song and I wanted to be able to play it at home.

*Vacation Bible School flyer

*Wipes case and one diaper (who needs a diaper bag with today's huge purses? Yay!)

*Birthday candles. I baked a birthday cake for my step-father-in-laws birthday gathering yesterday, and what is a birthday cake without candles? Just a cake, after all.

*Fruit Snacks

*Tissues

*My adorable wallet that I just love-- and though I forgot to put it in the picture it had, of course, a Target receipt tucked inside. When do I NOT have one of those?

*Neutrogena Hand Cream

*My make-up case (I know, not very cute), which holds all the things below it: a few bobby pins and a ponytailer, Victoria's Secret Pink Perfume, Estee Lauder Pleasures Perfume, Botanics powder compact, C.O. Bigelow Cinna-mint Lip Gloss, Botanics lip gloss, Arbonne lip liner, Burt's Bees lip balm, Burt's Bees lemon butter cuticle cream, and Arbonne lipstick.

*My glasses and their boring black Target Optical case

*Cell phone (black again!)

*Neiman Marcus peppermints. I have no clue where I got those, as I don't usually buy designer mints...

*pack of Orbit gum

*Pen

*a Princess Jasmine trading card

Also in my purse, but not pictured because there was only so much stuff I could fit in the picture:

Two pink pencil bags filled with crayons, two church bulletins with drawing on them, and one stuffed bunny.

No one would EVER be able to guess I'm a mom from all this stuff, right? :)

I guess I'm supposed to tag a few people, so I will say:

Lorie

Ashley

and Davi

I feel sheepish.

Today, I made a fundamental mistake that no serious blogger should ever, EVER make. I left my camera at home on the desk when I left the house to go meet a friend for lunch. And oh my, I had not gotten more than 50 feet down the street in my car before I was seriously regretting that fact.

There, in our neighbors yard and milling out into the street, was a HERD OF SHEEP.

Seriously. I'm not kidding. A real, live, herd of sheep roaming the streets and yards of our neighborhood. There was at least 15 of them, if not 20. Big, fluffy sheep. The funny thing is that I was so preoccupied that I almost drove by without this preposterous fact really registering in my mind. Then, just as I steered around a sheep, it was like "HOLD THE PHONE, THERE'S A SHEEP IN THE STREET!!!!" Complete double take, I tell ya. It didn't take me too long after that to notice the herd.

If I hadn't been running ridiculously late already, I would have turned my car around, grabbed my camera from my house, and gotten that picture I so desperately wish I had to show you all. Please don't think I'm a crazy lady who imagines farm animals taking over the neighborhood. I promise, it happened. :)

As funny and unlikely as this story sounds, it does actually make sense. We live on what you could call the edge of town, and there is a man who breeds and keeps sheep living not too far away from us. They must have gotten out somehow. What I found amusing was that they chose to enter our neighborhood instead of frolicking (that's right, I said "frolicking") in the field that is RIGHT behind their pens.

At least they didn't eat my brand-new tulips.

Thoughts.

We watched the American Idol special Idol Gives Back the other night (because yes, we are American Idol watchers, and I admit that without any shame). Some of the performances are kind of cheesy, and some of it is a little over the top, but all-in-all it really was quite eye-opening. The mini-documentaries that they play throughout the show of various parts of Africa and even our own country are nothing short of heartbreaking. As we were climbing into bed I told my husband, "It really does put things into perspective." And it does! Here we are in our nice home, with nice things, all of our wonderful family surrounding us, never hungry, never wanting-- God has granted us so, so, so, so much more than we deserve or than we even need. Sure, we're not rich, and we have to scrimp and save from time to time, and there are certainly things in life that we can't afford yet, but that is nothing. Nothing at all compared to the conditions some of these people live in. It was a wonderful reminder-- to be so grateful and never take our blessings for granted, as well as to remember to use these blessings God has given us so graciously for the good of others.

But there was something else about that show that struck me even more than seeing all the poverty. I couldn't figure out quite what I was feeling, and then I happened over to Karen's blog this morning, and she had this quote as one of her "great thoughts":

"Becoming a mother makes you the mother of all children. From now on each wounded, abandoned, frightened child is yours. You live in the suffering mothers of every race and creed and weep with them. You long to comfort all who are desolate." ~ Charlotte Gray

That's it. Right there. Seeing all those poor children, especially in Africa, left without home, food, or family and living on the streets or in a tiny hut in unimaginable conditions just breaks my mother-heart. They are sick and hungry, and sleeping on the streets, and all alone. At one time, they must have had mothers who loved them, even if she could not properly care for them. And what must that mother have thought as she lay dying, knowing that her babies would be orphaned and left to a hopeless state? I know if anything happened to Jeremy or me, or both of us, there would be many loving and willing family members to care for and love them in our stead. So many of these little children in Africa have no one once their parents are gone -- because everyone else is already dead. I can't even bear to think of my own two little darlings in such a state as so many of these precious children are living in.

As a Christian, I know and am very well aware that we do not live in a perfect world, and I know that is for a reason. But it is still hard to see things like this, and know that they exist. However, being made more aware of these sorts of conditions serves a good purpose. It gets me outside my own little protected place and spurs me on to prayer for the world around me. It reminds me to give where I can to those who are less fortunate than us. And it makes me grateful-- so grateful that my little ones are safe and sound here with us, happy, healthy, cared-for, and surrounded by love. I pray I will never take any of these things for granted.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits...." ~Psalm 103 (read it all!)

***Edited to add: One thing I thought was very interesting was that last night, the song the top 8 sang happened to be "Shout to the Lord". I must commend whoever made that decision, because it was the perfect song and message after seeing all those horrible things. "Nothing compares to the promise we have in You!" And we can praise Him even in the midst of a world that is filled with such things they showed.

Home Sweet Home again

Two weary (and grumpy!) travelers watching morning cartoons on our own comfy couch.

We're back! We had a wonderful, busy, fun, special, memory-filled visit that we all enjoyed oh-so-much. The trip home yesterday, however, was not so spectacular.... thanks to one missed flight due to a stupid booking mistake (you rock, travelocity.com... NOT), one even further delayed flight, and no luggage (including two very important car seats!) when we finally did arrive at our own little airport close to 10:30 last night. Needless to say, we were all quite exhasted and worn out when we reached home at almost midnight. The girls are not themselves today, after a week of later bedtimes and not enough naps, followed by a long day of traveling-- but I think a good nap this afternoon in their own beds will fix that.

It is so good to be home again, even though we already miss the dear family we left. We are excited to see our loved ones here again and get back into our normal routine. And I have 40 blog posts waiting to be read in my google reader (or was it 60?), so it'll be good to catch up with you all again! Of course, I have about a million and one pictures to share with you all, as well as fun stories and neat places. That might not happen today, as laundry requires my attention as soon as we actually do get our luggage, but they will be coming soon.

I must thank my wonderful cousin Stephanie for her fabulous Tasty Tuesdays posts. What a great job you did as my little guest blogger! :) I am so thrilled, and appreciate that you took the time to grace us all with your culinary ideas. My work is cut out for me next Tuesday... you set the bar high.

Hugs, my blogger dears-- I missed you all!

{tasty tuesdays} Fiery Taquitos con Ensalada

Los Corwins are going Mexican tonight! Talia is still away on vacation, so once again I am filling in for Tasty Tuesdays. There are a couple of reasons for this recipe tonight: we had leftover tortillas, tortilla chips, and salsa from this weekend's taco night, and I could not think of anything else to make that would not take forever or require a million ingredients. So tonight you all are getting a treat of Cale's and my other stand-by dinner, with a twist!

Usually we will make a taco salad, but tonight I added something I've never tried before, but now this will definitely become a standard addition to taco salad night.

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 taco seasoning packet (We used HOT!)
• Mexican blend shredded cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 onion (chopped)
• 1 can corn
• 1 can black beans
• Guacamole (either store bought or home made. I went the store bought route and got "Wholly Guacamole," again: Spicy! Hence the Fiery part of the Fiery Taquitos)
• 4 tortillas
• Lettuce
• Dressing (either Ranch or our choice Thousand Island)
• Pam or other cooking oil spray
  

First we prepared the ground turkey by browning it along with half of the chopped onions and then following the instructions on the seasoning packet (by adding 3/4 cup of water and the seasoning, let simmer for 5 minutes).
Preheat the oven at 450 degrees, and heat up the corn and black beans on the stove.
Prepare the taquitos by making a line of cheese and the chopped green onions down the middle of the tortilla. Top with the meat (I put about two tablespoons on each), roll the taquito, and place on a baking sheet. Once all four taquitos are on the sheet, spray the top with the cooking oil and bake in the oven until crispy (about five minutes, check often).


While the taquitos are baking, you can put together the taco salad. Fill the bottom of the bowl with lettuce, the remaining chopped onions, corn, black beans, and your choice of dressing. Toss until everything is evenly coated. Once plated you can top with the shredded cheese.
The taquitos can be dipped in the guacamole (which we did and really liked) or sour cream and salsa.

The thing that I like the most about this is how adaptable it is. If you don't have an ingredient or you want to try something else, go for it! We sometimes put crushed tortilla chips in the salad, or sliced olives. It is a really simple weeknight meal that you can stuff as many vegetables in as you want to. I'm sure it would be really great with green or red bell peppers.

Of course it can't be Mexican night without a nice big margarita! Enjoy the recipe and make it your own. Either way they sure beat those store bought taquitos anyday.


we were out of margarita salt. oh well.

{tasty tuesdays} Turkey Burgers

I will not pretend. This is not Talia. She is off with the hubby probably freezing their tootsies off. I am her cousin Stephanie of Those Corwins. She asked me to guest blog so that you all would not go starving without her tasty tuesdays. I was so delighted! Me a guest blogger! I feel pretty honored. And after Sunday when after I forced him my husband recreated her last tasty tuesdays meal, I was ready to share the love and post a recipe we love to make.

So in honor of the warm weather we are having in California while Talia and the family are gallivanting in Colorado, I am sharing Cale's and my tried and true turkey burgers. So get outside, clean off the patio table, fire up the grill, and get cookin'!

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup crushed crackers (We use Club Multigrain)
• diced onions (optional)


• Mix together and form four patties. Grill! (Cale adds: grill on medium heat for five minutes on each side. I don't touch the grill, so I wouldn't know that stuff).

Why do we love this recipe? The burgers come out nice and moist, which is good for turkey, since it can tend to dry out easily. Also, it's turkey! Less fat and good for those who don't eat red meat (me). Some recipes call for bread crumbs, which I never have in the kitchen, so when I found a recipe using crackers, I was ecstatic because we are cheese and crackers people. That is something I always have on hand. The red pepper flakes add just a touch of heat. Usually we put cheddar cheese slices on top while the burgers are almost finished on the grill, but tonight we tried pepper jack, which was equally as delicious. Cale toasts the whole wheat hamburger buns on the grill as well. Top with lettuce, onion, tomato, ketchup, thousand island, whatever your heart desires.


hoping for a falling piece of meat.


goes wonderfully with Cale's Dad's family's macaroni salad. Thought about sharing that as well, but that recipe doesn't belong to me. But had to show that I did contribute something to this meal

I encourage you all to get outside, enjoy this spring weather. It was such a wonderful evening sitting out on the patio watching the birds fly around, noticing the leaves coming back on the trees, and admiring all that spring brings us. Also, let's be sure to show Talia how she was missed! And show that I didn't completely fail as a guest blogger and bore you all to death.