Tuesday, November 30, 2010
leftover turkey tacos
Turkey Tacos with Avocado-Corn Salsa
1 pkg corn taco shells
1 1/2 cups chopped avocado
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbs lime juice
1 pkg reduced-sodium taco seasoning mix
12 oz cooked boneless, skinnless turkey breast cut into strips (yummy when you use chicken too)
3/4 cup water
1. Preheat oven to 250'. Place taco shells on baking sheet
2. make salsa; mix avocado, corn tomatoes, and lime juice in medium bowl. Set aside
3. combine taco seasoning, turkey and water in medium skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. heat shells in oven 5 minutes or until warm.
5. Spoon turkey mixture into shells and divide salsa evenly among tacos
The following is the way I did it using leftover turkey rather than having to fully cook the meat, therefor taking some shortcuts.
Make salsa by following direction #2 above. I just cooked the frozen corn in the bowl before adding the remaining ingredients. Set aside.
Put desired amount of meat in a microwaveable bowl, shredding more if needed as you do so. Sprinkle desired amount of taco seasoning, add a sprinkle of water, to keep moist, and stir. Heat in microwave to desired temperature. I believe I did 2 minutes for mine.
I skipped heating the taco shells and went straight to dishing. We did use soft corn tortillas for the girls...I do recommend you lay a wet papertowel over each and warm in the microwave. Feel free to bring on the hot sauce or any other toppings if you desire, although its not needed. They're scrumptious on their own!
Monday, November 15, 2010
yummy fall breakfast
(this makes more than one batch worth so you'll want a one-quart jar to store it in)
Cinnamon Pankcakes w/Cider Syrup
pancakes:
3 c. all-purpose flour 4 1/2 t. cinnamon
3 T. sugar 1 t. salt
2 T. baking powder
gently toss all ingredients together; spoon into a one-quart jar. (attach following instructions on some cute fall paper and its a great gift to give to a friend or teacher!)
instructions:
whisk 3/4 cup milk, one egg and 2 T. oil together in a medium mixing bowl; add 1 1/3 cups mix, stirring until just moistened. Pour by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot, greased skillet; heat until bubbles form along the edge. Flip and heat until both sides are golden. Makes 10.
cider syrup:
1 c. sugar 2 c. apple cider
2 T. cornstarch 2 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice 1/3 c. butter
Place first 3 ingredients in a saucepan; stir in apple cider and lemon juice. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils; boil for one minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Makes about 2 cups.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Training
On a side note, during THE walk they have us walking a full circle which I find very symbolic...I love stuff like that! I'm SO excited to do this walk....I couldn't sleep last night thinking about it which for those of you who don't know me well, that's a BIG deal. I usually can always sleep, anywhere, anytime. I can't wait to meet new people and experience something completely new and foreign to me, I just pray I can raise enough money to get there! I keep getting tempted to lower my goal for fundraising but I just can't bring myself to do it. I have to give it EVERYTHING I can, and if I don't meet it I'll be REALLY bummed but I'll know that I did everything I could to raise as much as I could and I'll have learned a lot of lessons along the way to apply for next year.
For those of you who have donated and are continuing to support me by keeping updated....THANK YOU!!!! For those of you who are just supporting me by keeping updated and giving moral support...THANK YOU! BUT, if you would like to now donate....here's the site again. :) Loves to you all. GO PINK! :)
www.JensPinkWalk.com DONATE HERE!!!!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Enduring Rose
Thank you again Bryson, Katie, and the entire Fish family. Your generosity is touching!
Fix It
Throughout preparing for this walk I have been focusing more so on those directly effected by breast cancer or who will be effected. Today, I can't help but focus more on those who have watched, are watching, or will have to watch their loved one go through the battle of breast cancer. I can only imagine how badly they must wish they could remove their pain, their cancer, their heartache. Instead, they are left to watch and offer as much moral support as they can, meanwhile, inside I'm sure they are feeling they are not doing enough. LIttle do they know their presence in that persons life at that time is probably enough for the fighter. The patient must know that this is their battle to fight but just to have someone by their side while they do this probably means more to them then any of us will ever fully know or understand.
So to those of you fighting with all your strength, know that there are many people out there wishing they could do more to help you...more to "fix you". And to those of you trying to be the fixer, know that your support is probably more of a help then you think.
Here is the video that touched me so much.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Jens Pink Walk
I figured maybe there were other walks out there I would be equally interested in but the more research I did the more I was impressed with the Avon Walk. To find out more about why, you can visit their website...you'll see why.
To be completely honest, I'm not exactly sure why I felt so inspired to want to participate. Ty's grandmother passed away from breast cancer, this was the first thing I thought of when I saw the commercial for the first time and I have to admit it got me choked up. Sad she had to go through that, that her family had to go through that and that I didn't get to meet her in this life. So I guess that was my first inspiration but I was also impressed with the camaraderie Avon showed and that I've already felt since registering. You really feel like you are apart of something great, something that really means something, something that will make a difference. Maybe, in all honesty, that is what has really kept me so motivated to follow through with this. I will admit that I am also attracted to the idea of doing my part now, before it hits someone I know well. That may be selfish but I just feel like if there is an opportunity to take one step closer to finding a cure, maybe one will be here before I am effected or someone I know all too well, that I should take it...now. For those of you who have already been effected, or watched (or are watching) someone be effected, by breast cancer, my condolences go out to you. I can not relate to you in anyway so I don't even know exactly what to say other then our prayers are with you and I admire your courage and strength.
The thing I look forward to most about this experience is the learning/growing process I know is inevitable to take place. I don't want to do the walk with ear plugs in my ears the whole time...I want to talk to other people, hear their story, learn how they had/have the strength to be faced with such a trial and gracefully make it through. I will definitely be leaving my comfort zone, but I'm eager to take up that challenge and know that my faith, confidence, knowledge, compassion, respect and so much more will grow as a result!
As for the training, I wonder if I'm taking it as seriously as I should. I mean, I go to the gym just about everyday. Do I run (or even walk) anything CLOSE to a marathon? NO WAY! I keep just figuring I'm in pretty decent shape and I am just walking after all, no jogging or running required, so surely I'll be fine, yet I know if I don't practice walking longer distances being in shape isn't going to matter much....my feet will be so blistered and my legs so sore from walking non-stop I'll probably wish I had broke in my shoes a little more. :) So that is my new goal...focus more on the "training" and less on the fundraising. The fundraising, although important and necessary, will all fall into place, I know it will, but the training is completely up to me. No one can really help me with that one.
I'm going to continue to update this blog on a regular basis with my progress along with my thoughts and feelings on this whole process. I hope you'll continue to check in and hold me to all my goals!
Thank you in advance for all of your support!
If you are interested in donating (I have a minimum of $1800 I have to raise but have made a personal goal of $2500) you can visit this site. Thanks again in advance!
loves <3
jenny
Krud Kutter. Again.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
eyebrows
* you should never pluck above your eyebrow when shaping your eyebrow...just some stray hairs here and there
* always use slant edge tweezers for better precision
* try to pluck right after your shower. The heat from the shower helps loosen hair follicles by opening your pores, making plucking easier and less painful
* always comb your eyebrows upward and outward
(I'll go over trimming eyebrows another time when I can take some good pictures to help demonstrate proper eyebrow trimming technique)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Being a Mom
12 Reasons to Love Being a Mom
Babyhood goes by fast. Stop and appreciate the lovely, funny, or just plain crazy little moments that happen every day.
By Jen Singer
1. You receive a reception worthy of the next American Idol even though you'd only left the room for a minute to get more wipes
2. There's no better exercise program than chasing a toddler through a good-size mall ~ except maybe chasing two of them
3. When was the last time a grown-up hugged you simply for buying cookies?
4. You can't very well put videos of your husband dancing to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" on YouTube. But the baby? Upload away.
5. Babies don't accidentally butt-call your cell phone and they never hog the remote
6. Nothing's sexier than a man holding a baby ~ except for a man changing a diaper.
7. The 100th reading of Goodnight Moon is every bit as good as the first.
8. You no longer look quite as silly dressing up for Halloween. In fact, not dressing up might make you odd mom out.
9. You've got a built-in excuse for RSVP'ing "no" whenever you feel like it
10. Somebody loves you no matter what you're wearing (strained peas on your shirt), what you're doing (prepping yet another birthday party), or how long it's been since you showered (uh, Tuesday? Nah, Monday!)
11. Naptime
12. Alarm clocks are more appealing when they're wearing foot pajamas.
chicken marinade
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice (I actually used lime)
2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced
Marinate chicken in fridge for at least 3 hours before grilling/cooking
Enjoy! {yum yum!}
another Krud Kutter miracle
bathroom cleaning
Here are some cleaning tips I have used and have found helpful and productive. Hope they help you too!
First and foremost always keep disinfectant wipes in the bathroom for quick, easy cleaning.
Sink:
For light stains, rub w/fresh cut lemon
For dark stains (like rust) scrub with a paste of borax and lemon juice
To freshen drain, pour 1/4-1/2 box of baking soda down the drain, add 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Pull up drain plug and let sit for a fee minutes. Flush with cold water
Toilet bowl:
Keep toilet bowl ring-free by pouring a half-gallon of white vinegar in it once a month. Let it soak overnight before flushing
Pour 1/4 cup bleach in toilet before leaving. Let sit while you're gone (don't forget to NOT use bleach when cleaning if you have a tank-held cleaner that's released when flushed. The two may react chemically)
To help w/odors, pour one cup of baking soda down the bowl weekly
Smell/odors:
Place fabric softener sheet in the trash can or a dab of fragrance on a light bulb for immediate fragrance boost
Shower curtain:
Before hanging shower curtain, soak in salt water solution to prevent mildew
For plastic curtains, spray with pre-wash spray at the top & let drip/run down to cover curtain. Allow to sit for a few minutes, then rinse it off.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Orzo w/Feta & Tomatoes
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (I just chopped up Roma tomatoes)
1/2 cup chopped dill (this would be yummy but I left it out because I didn't have it on hand)
1 tsp grated lemon zest (I used lemon juice instead)
1 cup orzo (I used angel hair)
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta (6oz)
Toss together oil, tomatoes, dill, zest and 1/2 tsp of salt & pepper each in a large serving bowl. Let stand at least ten minutes.
Meanwhile, cook orzo in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (1 1/2 Tbs salt for 4 quarts water) until al dente.
Drain orzo and toss with tomato mixture. Add feta and toss again.
The tomatoes in this photo are from this recipe.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Hair Straightener + ironing =
Some smaller items such as childrens' clothes can be more difficult to iron. Yes, I iron my girls clothes. Not all of them but there are a couple dresses that I prefer the ties to be flat or the front flips up which drives me crazy. I have recently discovered a great way to get the job done without having to break out the ironing board and iron every time. Use a hair straightener! This has made my ironing SO much more simple and fast!
I still use the big iron for the few shirts and skirts that need ironing between Ty and I but I break out the straightener for the girls clothes and use it to get in-between the buttons on any button up shirt.
Hope this helps some of you obsessive ironers the same way it helped me!
Monday, April 5, 2010
H.E.Y!!!!
Broiled Tomatoes w/feta cheese
Cut desired number of roma tomatoes in half lengthwise. Season each half with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and crumbled Feta cheese. Drizzle with Fat Free Catalina Dressing. Last, top it with dried or fresh basil. Broil it 3 in from the bottom for 3 minutes or until cheese starts to brown. Remove and let stand for 1-2 minutes and ENJOY!!!!!
Other items you can use to top tomatoes: bacon bits, diced cucumber, black olives, fresh cilantro, whatever your heart desires!!!!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
i am a mother. i am me.
so many thoughts are going through my head, some that contradict the next, that i can hardly keep them straight.
i love being a mother. the book "i am a mother" is a favorite of mine. i read it often and it always helps remind me how blessed i am. i wouldn't trade it for the world....but there are moments when i wish i was more than just a mother. i wish when the girls were tucked away in their beds that i could turn into someone else for a bit. a wonderful writer, a phenomenal cook, an excellent blogger, a brilliant seamstress, etc. what is stopping me really? i certainly have the support from my AMAZING husband. i have the ability to learn a talent and begin to perfect it but i suppose it is the determination i lack. or the fear of failure. yes, i think that is it more than anything else. why is it that fear can be so paralyzing? stopping you in your tracks from accomplishing something worth your while?
i like to blame not accomplishing things on lack of time, that seems to be my choice of excuse, but in all actuality i suppose it is fear far more than time. i could make the time. i will make the time.
first, i must organize myself. there is nothing i hate more than feeling unorganized. i have a hard time working or enjoying myself in a messy environment. (this may come as a shock to some who have seen my house, but none the less, it is true) :)
yes, i will focus on organization for awhile. and continue to blog. whether people are reading or not is not relevant, what is important is that i feel accomplished. i have an escape from reality for a bit. and that i feel i am not ONLY a mother. but oh so much more. i'm still....me.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Quote
than you can by what others say about him.
~Leo Aikman
a kind act
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Modest Bathing Suits
these are THE CUTEST modest bathing suits!!!! <3 i'm in love <3
i picked two. and i couldn't be happier!
i dare you to not want to buy one. :) enjoy!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
nail polish in carpet
use vinegar or krud kutter FIRST to try to lift as much as possible. then use windex to get the rest out. if you don't have vinegar or another stain remover product to use first, windex will work all on its own, it just takes a little bit more dabbing/scrubbing.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Brown Sugar Meatloaf
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs (about 10)
1. preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 5x9 loaf pan
2. press the brown sugar into the bottom of pan and spread with ketchup
3. in a mixing bowl thoroughly mix all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf
4. place loaf on top of ketchup
5. bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices run clear
6. serve with mashed potatoes, buttered corn and brown-n-serve dinner rolls.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Dusting
Don't forget to dust the ceiling, especially the corners and blinds. Attach a cloth or sock over a broom stick and use it to reach high places.
Baseboards collect a lot of dust and are often forgotten during the dusting process. Take an extra couple minutes in each room and wipe those baseboards down today. You'll just might be surprised at the difference it makes!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
hiding vegetables
Chili Coke Roast
1 can of coca cola
1 package onion soup mix
1 bottle chili sauce
1. place all ingredients in crock-pot and cook for 7-10 hours depending on size of roast
2. the beat will flake apart when done
3. serve over mashed potatoes
Friday, February 12, 2010
Frugalicious Giveaway!!!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Pace Picante sauce
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups shredded chicken
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 flour tortillas (6in), warmed
1 small tomato, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 green onion, sliced (about 2 Tbs)
1. Heat the oven to 350'F Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce & chili powder in a medium bowl
2. Stir 1 cup soup mixture, chicken & cheese in a large bowl
3. Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place seam side up in a 2 qt shallow baking dish. Pour remaining mixture over filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish
4. Bake for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top w/tomato & onion
yum yum! enjoy!
tip: if you want your enchiladas slightly more spicy add a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies to your meat mixture or on top