Wordless Wednesday-Silly

Being silly. Ask her to pose and she is gonna make a face.

Making Tuesday Tasty-Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos

My disclaimer is that I don't like fish so I haven't really tried this. I know many people that love fish tacos though and I thought this sounded like a tasty version. Of course if you don't want mango or a sweetened version, leave that out. I like spicy flavors and love Mexican food so this looked right up my alley!

Ingredients

1/4 cup canola oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 small or medium red onion, 1/4 finely chopped, the remainder thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced or grated
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/3 palmful
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup mango chutney
2 limes
2 tablespoons hot sauce
3 tablespoons honey
A handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 medium head of red cabbage, shredded
4 mahi mahi fillets, 6 ounces each
1 tablespoon grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
8 corn tortilla taco shells (hard shell)
8 flour tortillas
1 cup creme fraiche

Directions

Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the jalapeno, finely chopped red onion, and garlic. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, then add the beans and cumin and mash together. Season the beans with salt and pepper and fold in the chutney. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm, stirring now and then to keep them from burning. If the beans dry out before you are ready to use them add a splash of water.

Zest one of the limes and set aside. Combine the juice of both limes, the hot sauce, honey, 2 tablespoons of the canola oil, salt, and pepper with the sliced onions, cilantro and shredded cabbage. Toss to combine.

Heat an outdoor grill to medium or preheat the broiler. Season the fish with the remaining tablespoon of oil, 2 teaspoons of lime zest and the grill seasoning. Cook the fish on the grill with the lid closed or under the broiler for 8 minutes total, until cooked through, turning once.

Crisp the taco shells and blister the tortillas on the grill or in the oven. Glue the softened flour tortillas onto the crisp taco shells with a few spoonfuls of mashed black beans. Fill each tortilla-wrapped taco shell with half a piece of fish, flaked, and top with some cabbage slaw and creme fraiche. Serve 2 tortilla-wrapped tacos per person.

*recipe courtesy of Rachel Ray*

Wordless Wednesday-Mother's Day 2010

The end of a long and emotional Mother's Day 2010. I look tired and disheveled that's for sure. Still happy to be with my girl :)

Making Tuesday Tasty-Veggie Fried Rice w/Bacon

My mom used to always make her stir fry with bacon. I think part of it was that bacon was inexpensive for a few slices. I liked the smokiness that went into the other flavors. With fried rice, you can play with the veggie combo and meat and come out loving it! It's versatile and I love flavors. Here's another take on this combination. I really like ginger but, not in my fried rice so edit it to your liking.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 head broccoli, florets and stalks cut into 1/4-inch pieces
5 cups cooked long-grain white rice
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 large eggs
1 bunch watercress, stems removed
Spicy mustard or chili sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions

Place a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and bacon and stir-fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the bacon and toss. Add 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce (watch out-the oil will bubble up) and continue to stir-fry until the bacon is glazed, about 30 seconds. Transfer the bacon to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes to the drippings in the pan and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice, the remaining 2 teaspoons soy sauce, the broth and glazed bacon. Toss to heat through.

Push the fried rice to one side of the pan, crack the eggs into the other side and scramble until set, about 1 minute. Mix the eggs into the rice and stir in the watercress. Divide among bowls and serve with mustard or chili sauce, if desired.

*recipe and photo courtesy of Food Network*

Wordless Wednesday-Checking Out The Mirror

My daughter at 6 months old checking her self out in the mirror.

CSN Stores Coming Soon

Awhile ago, I was given the opportunity to do a giveaway on my blog from CSN rugs and recently Csnstores.com contacted me again with an awesome review opportunity that I will be sharing on my blog soon! CSN has over 200 online stores to find anything you could want from a sofa, to a food processor, a t.v, or a beautiful piece of jewelry. I'm looking forward to looking through all of the goodies in their stores and experiencing what CSN is all about.

Making Tuesday Tasty-Orange Muffins

I made these for our brunch on Sunday. I liked them because they weren't overpowering with orange flavor. A nice hint of orange. To be honest though, they came out a little dry after trying to keep them warm so, I might have taken these out a couple of minutes early. You may have to check them often depending on how hot your oven cooks. This is listed as an old Mennonite recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

2/3 cup orange juice

1/2 cup melted butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup ground walnuts (optional)

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, white sugar and grated orange peel. Stir in orange juice, 1/2 cup melted butter, eggs and chopped nuts.
Pour into 12 muffin cups.
Blend 1 tablespoon melted margarine, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on top of each muffin. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.

Happy Mother's Day!

I want to wish each of you Mother's out there a very happy Mother's Day! The greatest gift I've ever received was my little daughter. She tests me, she keeps me grounded, she loves me unconditionally, she renews my faith at times, and she makes me laugh. My Mom is gone this year but, I still remember all the wonderful times we shared and blessing she was in my life.

Hug your mama's today and tell them how much they mean to you. Don't just hand them their gift or their card and say it. Tell them just how much they've helped shape the person you are!

Giveaways!

Raising My 4 Sons is giving away an Ababy toddler bed! This would be awesome for anyone with little ones. Check it out!-Ends May 23

I Miss You!

Your Birthday is coming up. So is Mother's Day. There's been a few times where the two were on the same day or right next to each other. Today my heart is heavy. I found your ID in my wallet. I forgot that I put it there. I saw your face and I broke into tears. I have one of those photo booth pictures, just one not the whole strip. I'm about Kaia's age and it's cute to see us being goofy together. We didn't have a traditional Mother/Daughter relationship. It was much more than that. Sometimes the roles were reversed.

I don't know how to do this mourning thing. I just do what comes. I feel what I feel. Sometimes I don't know what my problem is until it comes to the surface. You and Dad were too young. Your grand kids don't know you. I also believe you would have made the most awesome Grandma and I was right when I saw how you were with Z man. He adored you!

My heart right now is more broken than it was the day I found out you were gone. Perhaps the real grieving has begun. I'm not shy to put this out there, maybe because other people are going through grief, there's someone grieving every single day. Another blogger posted a recipe for German chocolate cake. She said she had to make it for her husband for his Birthday. It reminded me of how much you loved it. Your Birthday was May 13, maybe I'll have some and think of you.

I'm thankful for the memories, I'm thankful that you and I made a pact to never regret having something left unsaid. We tried to be as honest as possible with each other and we both loved each other fiercely. I'm grateful for the wonderful memories that I play like movies in my mind. I haven't however, been able to cope with the fact that I can't call you anymore. I can't tell you about my happiness, your granddaughter, my struggles. God knew my friends would fill the void as much as they could though and it's been a help to me.

The flight to come see you is still fresh in my mind. The agony of knowing I wouldn't get say goodbye before you were gone. The messages when I got off the plane that confirmed you were. The numbness. Saying goodbye to you while looking down at the water. The funeral home handing my mother to me in a velveteen box, the weight of it taking me aback. The happiness I felt knowing you were in our Father's presence and no longer in pain.

All of these things run through me tonight. I just wanted to say I miss you...

Do You Think Your Child Is Having Sex?

OK, I know I'm gonna touch on a very touchy subject anyways but, oh man I'm just still a little bit in shock about this article I was reading on MSNBC online. It was based on a study by a professor at North Carolina State University.

I am from a Christian background. I also had parents that strayed from going to church regularly, etc. I had a Mother that age appropriately, at least in the beginning, went over sexuality with me. I list this background because I'm just one of many, even God fearing people, who know that young people of all backgrounds and faiths are having sex!

As a basic overview, the study shows that many parents(mostly Mother's) believed their child to be "naive", "immature", and almost asexual. Their position on if their child became pregnant or if they found out they were sexually active was that of a victim. Meaning, their child was a victim of a predatory person and not a willing participant. Another subject in the article, speaks about the parent's opinions about other teenagers. They believed that many were sexually promiscuous and that they were ready and willing for almost anything. Really? I just wonder how a parent can lump so many other young people into a category and not think for a second that their child could be part of it?

I'm not stupid here folks, the last thing I EVER want to think about when considering my little girl is her having sex!! I repeat, that it's even a little gross to think about her maturing and being an adult. But, and here's the big but, my husband and I are responsible in teaching her our belief systems on her sexuality and about her body! I know that America is no longer puritanical. We can no longer say that we are sheltered like children were in the 1950's. We can't deny the fact that sex is smeared in our faces on a daily basis. We can't forget that it's in magazines, media of all types, on billboards, spoken about in schools, libraries, the streets. It's spoken about amongst Christian, Atheist's, Jews, etc alike.

The reason I'm bringing this subject up is because it's really gotta change! Why? I think the primary reason is for the safety of our children's physical well being, spiritual, and emotional well being. Statistics show that most kids are on the same paths as their parent's in many ways. If a parent was a teen parent, a drug addict, a smoker, a drinker, etc., odds are at least one child is going to follow in their footsteps. But what about the parents that don't fall into that category? Do you think they're exempt because they didn't show the same bad examples? Nope!

If we take an honest look at the reality of the situation, it's not the norm to abstain until marriage anymore. I don't care what faith you have. Our children, and that's exactly what they are, are not going to know how to handle these situations unless we prepare them. They're also not going to know how to deal with their spiritual struggles if we don't teach them. They're not going to know how to deal with the emotional connections that are formed with their partners, or on the other spectrum how to form a good, solid, loving relationship. They're not going to know what the scriptures say, and why they say them. And, they're almost never prepared to be told they have a STD or STI, or that they are pregnant.

I think I've covered the basics. I know in reality, we know what to do. I know we want to cherish our children as if they're going to be children forever but, we can't. Waiting until they've almost graduated is too late. We have to start instilling in them as young children what we want them to carry through their lives. I'm not trying to preach, I'm stating the facts. If you choose to live in ignorance, don't call it bliss!

*article MSNBC* *photo borrowed from fortroubledteens.com*

Wordless Wednesday-Poppy

My Sister in Law took this last Summer along the Oregon coast. It was a difficult reason to be there but, this rich color and the dusting of pollen makes me happy! Plus, she has a camera that's way more amazing than mine. Both her DSLR and her point and shoot ha ha.

Making Tuesday Tasty-Classic Flan

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I am posting this recipe I found on Epicurious.com. I LOVE flan, I guess I love custards and puddings because there's few I will turn away. :) This is a sweet, creamy treat to finish off a meal, or have by itself.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar, divided

1/4 cup water

2 cups whole milk

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Divide caramel among six 3/4-cup custard cups. Working quickly, tilt cups, coating bottoms and part of sides.
Stir milk and 1/2 cup sugar in medium saucepan over low heat just until sugar dissolves (milk will be lukewarm). Whisk eggs in medium bowl until blended. Slowly whisk in milk mixture. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Strain custard into prepared cups.
Arrange cups in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake flans until just set in center, about 50 minutes. Remove cups from water and let stand 30 minutes. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. Cut around sides of each cup to loosen flan; turn out onto plate.

*recipe and photo courtesy of epicurious.com*

Things That Made Me Happy This Week!

I know it sounds silly but, I love the time just before I go to bed and I get my little daughter up to go potty. She is always half asleep, sometimes in the middle of dreaming, and she tells me her dreams. She is easy to cuddle and give kisses too, all warm from sleep. I say "I love you" and in her sleepy voice she says, "love you too, mommy".

My friends and family, remembering my Birthday and sending me messages and cooking for me. It's always nice to know that you're loved! :)

My hubby who cleaned up for me some for my Birthday. Ha ha. He's not a house cleaner, just sayin'.

My home and my life. Even though there are struggles, I know God is there for me and watching over my little family.

Giveaways!

On The Search For Hidden Treasure is giving away a Poppy Dip handmade dress! All the material is awesome. Check it out, all proceeds go to helping with an adoption.-Ends May 13

Experimental mommy is giving away an awesome Guidecraft moon and stars take along storage system. Check it out, Ends May 20!

Book Room Reviews is giving away a Kodak EasyShare Digital camera in conjunction with the release of the new BABIES documentary coming soon! Ends May 21st

TicTacDough is giving away a Guidecraft Tea Party Kitchen! My daughter would LOVE this! Ends May 10 hurry up

My mom was a great mom in so many ways but, she passed away last Summer. My Mother in law has been amazing too in the 4.5 years of our marriage. She has been there for us as a sounding board, helped financially when we didn’t know what we would do, and she’s done something that most women envy and that’s to stay out of our business! ha ha. She has been a major blessing these last four years and that’s no lie! Mom start is giving away a pair of diamond earrings from Kohl's as a way to say thank you. Ends-5/9

Over 30 mommy is giving away a Halo sleepsack in winners choice of size. Ends May 14

There are three car seat giveaways celebrating first Birthday's. The giveaway is for a Safety 1st Air protect car seat. Please check out Our Ordinary Life, The JAKA files, and Monkey Mayhem. This ends May 25

Uprinting Poster Winner!

And the winner of teh 18x24 Uprinting.com poster is...

Chip April 13, 2010 6:38 PM 3
I have a wonderful picture of my three kids that I would love to have enlarged. It's the 3 of them hanging out in the pool. Their smiles are just huge. It's a great picture.

chipdip2010(at)hotmail(dot)com

Congratulations. An email is being sent and you have 48 hours to respond. Thanks to all who entered!