Mexican Fiesta!

Salsa Rice bake

• 1# hamburger browned
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 can chili beans

Combine and simmer. Top with grated cheddar cheese. Serve with salsa and sour cream. ( this recipe works GREAT in the crock pot!) I double the recipe.

Chicken tacos
(this is how much I make for us +2)

• 2 full (4 individual) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 green pepper
  
• 1 onion
• 8 oz cheddar cheese

1. Cook whole breasts alone until they are done enough to shred, or chop. (the Pampered Chef meat chopper works great for this)
2. Add chopped onions and pepper. Cook to desired tenderness
3. Drain liquid and add 1 cup water
4. Add taco seasoning. (Our gang doesn't like stuff very spicy, so I only use one package, you may desire 2 packages of seasoning)
5. Simmer
6. Add cheese

Serve with black beans, tortillas, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes and lettuce.

Corn Cake

Blend:

• 1 stick softened butter
• 1/3 cup masa (corn flour)
• 1/4 cup water

Add:

• 1 1/2 cup chopped frozen corn

Add

• 1/4 cup corn meal

In separate bowl combine:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2T heavy cream (or milk)
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/2 t. baking powder

Bake in a 8"x8" pan @ 375 for 50-60 minutes
(technically you are supposed to set the smaller pan inside a 9x13 pan with water in it, but I just use my stone, or a glass pan and it turns out well) I double or triple this recipe

Picture Catch Up

Above: my bed at ladies retreat. It was a great time! VERY challenging messages on conflict resolution.
Below: LouAnn officially lives here in Iowa. There were quite a few items she donated to help our around here, and we are very grateful!

Setting up the dining room table

J is one of the kiddos I have on school days. He is a cutie! Here he is sporting his "dog collar" for 80s day homecoming week.

C, J's brother, wasn't thrilled to be here the first couple of weeks, and he let me know it, but he has since settled into a nice routine. I found out he LOVES pasta!

Delphia FINALLY lost a tooth!

Jon's new glasses. He looks SO much like the grandpa he almost shared a name with. He missed his birthday by 17 minutes!

Don has been trimming and burning a lot of the scrubby lower limbs off our trees. LouAnn has been working VERY hard at dragging them to the burn pile.


A 1 month old and a 1 year old.... Deja Vu!!

Our room... primed.

Don had the primer tinted per the suggestion of one of our drywallers. It was a brilliant idea! You can see where you've been and missed both with the paint and the primer. I just told him to pick a lighter color next time. This was a little scary!

We did end up going with the gray paint. We both REALLY like it!

The orange and aqua bedding won out.

Today, Delphia's 7th birthday!

The traditional birthday donut.

Fruit pizza treats for her class

Don and I on our 11th anniversary!

I wore my paint pants for a week solid. I have a few more days to be wearing them. I end up washing them at night, because they start to take on a life of their own! I love having somewhere to wipe my hands, and I have also found that painting with out flooring is DA BOMB!! You don't have to worry about dripping!!

What if...

This song has been such a challenge/ inspiration to me over the past month.

As I watched the various videos to accompany it on YouTube this one won out. Yes, it is intense, but I represents exactly the war I we are in. All it's ugliness, and seemingly superior strength. BUT the end, the victory is the cry of my heart. I know God can do it! Will I fight? Will you?