Tremendous Friday Ten - Blessings

I know it's been a long time.  I'm sorry....I've been busy.  Travelling to and from Wisconsin, cleaning and cooking for Thanksgiving dinner, hosting Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas and birthday shopping, and two physical therapy sessions a week makes for a very busy me!

I made two new things for Thanksgiving this year....pumpkin pie with gingersnap crust and honey maple roasted carrots.  Let me tell you...those two things were AMAZING!  I'd make a few changes for next year, though.  The gingersnap crust called for additional ground ginger...to me, the crust was a little strong in flavor, so I'd probably leave out the additional ginger.  And the carrots...I think I'll add a little more coriander...I couldn't really taste it.

As we're heading into the Christmas season (seriously, it's in three weeks, folks!!), it's got me thinking about "feeling blessed."  That saying means something to everyone.  To me, it's nothing religious...religion doesn't have a thing to do with the things I have that I'm thankful for, in my opinion.  Sometimes a blessing can be acquiring the essentials to life.....a shelter, warm food, clean water to drink, and good health.  Sometimes it can be rooted in such things as family (pets included) and friends and the ability to spend time with those people. And, of course, blessings can be objects, such as a new car, clothes, or jewelry.

What are you blessed with?  Take some time this Christmas season to think about the things you have in your life that, when broken down to the very core of it, are truly blessings.  Also try to think of others who have so much less than you do...consider donating some items, money, or your time to help those less fortunate.

I'm blessed with a beautiful daughter
A healthy, loving husband who provides everything he can for us
Three pets that let me hug and snuggle them when I'm feeling down
A wonderful family to cook for and laugh with,
A best friend who's the best best friend anybody could ever have
Flowers in my yard to bring beauty to the world
The most amazing coworkers I couldn't do my job without
And a brand new career opportunity to grow in! 

Fab Friday Five - MEXICAN

Hey y'all, I'm back!

It was a nice trip...Will and I got along the whole time...I don't think I cried for any reason other than the funeral itself.  The weather was frigid, to say the least, but we did get to see some snow flurries!  I came home with cheese, sausage, and more cheese.  I saw some family that I haven't seen in nearly 10 years.  Aria can totally spend 16 hours riding in a car and be nearly perfectly behaved....well, as long you put a screen in front of her face, that is!  She used up half of our data plan on the way up watching Netflix, but she was quiet, so it was worth it.

While up there, my aunt and cousins were talking about Thanksgiving.  They don't do typical Thanksgiving...they do it a day or so afterwards, so everybody can manage to get to their in-laws on the holiday, and then gather together in the next few days.  Not only do they do it a different day, but they don't have typical Thanksgiving food, either...they're having Mexican night!

Now, you know me...our family LOVES Mexican food.  We love having taco night for any occasion, we have chimichangas for Halloween, and we have Mexican Monday every Monday night.  Everybody can find something to eat at Mexican!  Even Aria loves it....the guacamole, the sour cream....and she almost always get's the same thing:  grilled shrimp and a cheese quesadilla.

Anyway, that got me thinking about the tasty Mexican things I have on my Pinterest boards :)

Enchilada Casserole >> recipe HERE

Dave asks for this often.  He just loves it.  I love it, also...it's easy, only uses three dishes (two if you use a disposable foil pan), and is easily adaptable to meet your tastes.  I alter the recipe, of course.  I use ground turkey instead of beef, 2 cans of corn, 1 block of cream cheese, 1 cup of sour cream, no green chilies, and I put it under the broiler when it's finished to get nice and brown and bubbly.  It's amazing and easy and cooks in less than 30 minutes from start to finish.  Leftovers are great also!

Tex Mex Margarita Chicken Salad >> recipe HERE

Some people don't like salad...but I LOVE salad!  I'm not always too crazy about it as a side dish or an appetizer, but I'm totally on board with a wonderful salad for my meal!  Dave likes this one, too...which I, of course, alter to fit my needs.  I use BBQ sauce on my chicken, I 86 the avocado and beans.  I mix up a whole can of corn, store-bought pico from the produce aisle, and lime juice in a skillet until it's nice and warm and maybe even getting a few char-marks on the corn.  I use a LOT of cucumber and a LOT of cilantro.  And cheese, of course...and ranch.  So I guess, in all actuality, it's not really the salad pictured here at all.  Oh well.  I blame Kroger for being out of Margarita mix the day I went shopping for ingredients.

Beef Enchilada Dip >> recipe HERE

I'm not going to lie, I can't remember if I've made this dip yet or not.  But it's basically just cheese, ground beef, corn, and enchilada sauce baked to a gooey wonderfulness.  Get some good dipping tortilla chips and have at it!  It looks so warm and inviting :)

Mexican Stuffed Shells >> recipe HERE

I've got a love for stuffed shells.  To be honest, I used to NEVER like them when mom made them.  I didn't like the ricotta cheese mixture inside of them...I always said "I don't like crumbly cheese...it looks like it came from a goat!" and I refused to eat it.  No stuffed shells, no ravioli, no lasagna....nothing.  But then, I grew up.  I learned to taste things, even if I was pretty sure I wouldn't like them.  Turns out, I LOVE ricotta cheese!  And, oddly enough, I also really appreciate a good melted goat cheese (it's tangy and delicious).  Mom brought these Mexican stuffed shells for lunch one day, and I was sad when they were all gone....they were SOO good!  And I like that you can make them your own...use sour cream, use enchilada sauce, include corn in the meat, add more cheese (so much cheese).  They were simply amazing!

Chicken Fajita Pasta >> recipe HERE

I've made this.  And y'all...it's phenomenal!!  I love fajitas.  I love to make them.  I love the chicken, the peppers, the seasoning, the sour cream you pile on top...I just love them.  But this pasta....it's legit!  It's creamy and flavorful....easy to make...and so scrumptious!  Give this one a try. Seriously.  You'll definitely thank me for it!

I forgot to mention....I've started my physical therapy.  Folks...physical therapy ain't no joke!  That foam roller.....it hurts my leg, but more so, it hurts my upper body.  I've got a lot of weight to hold up on top of a roll of extremely hard styrofoam!  And I'm supposed to use a rolling pin on my leg at home to work it out.  I've got Dave helping me with that.  Ouch.  Today, my calves hurt...my glutes hurt...my quads hurt.  And, of course, my upper body hurts from that stupid foam roller.  Twice a week for two more weeks (at least).  Ugh.

Nothing Better

There's a lot of people on Facebook posting daily things they're thankful for (because it's November and it's the month for giving thanks, of course).  I'm thankful for a lot things and don't often say it.  In fact, I tend to do more complaining than giving thanks.  But that doesn't mean I'm not grateful for what I've got.  The big things, the small things...I'm thankful for everything I have and everything I am.  And sometimes, it's the little things that really make a difference.

There's nothing better than....

The first bite of a still warm, fresh-baked brownie

Sweet puppy snuggles (and kisses)...really, the age of the dog is not important

Hearing "you make the best dinners, mommy"

Brushing your teeth in the morning after you know you've been mouth-snoring all night

Knowing where you are after getting lost

Sticking your spoon in the still-cooking pot of soup to taste it and tastes like bacon and cheese

Finding out you're not the only mom who is at a loss with how to discipline a strong-willed child

Hot chocolate after a cold and rainy day

The sweet relief of Sudafed

Licking the brownie batter off the spatula (after you're done with it, of course!)

Hitting all the green lights on the way to work

Handlettering perfect names on an envelope

Looking through old family photos, even if it's just to find pictures for the board at the funeral, and laughing at the memories

Finally finding the wine that pairs best with your life

Mint chocolate chip ice cream (this one is THE BEST)

Hearing a coworker tell you how much they appreciate you and everything you do

Feeling the relief of knowing a bad dream wasn't real

A cozy blanket in a cold room

Hearing your kid say "I'm sorry for being disrespectful" when all you told her was that she was being naughty

Buying presents for other people and seeing how happy they are when opening said presents

Getting the car seat out of the car all by yourself

A good book and lots of time to read it (like, say, 16 hours in the car on the way to Wisconsin)

Seeing something you cook/bake come out EXACTLY like the picture

Finally being able to breathe after a week of environmental-mold-spore-induced sinus congestion

Finding something to wear (that fits) to a funeral at the first store you try

Biting into the PERFECT s'more

Finding the one magical spot where spooning is actually comfortable for both people

Watching your dog roll over in trust and present her belly (for scratching, no doubt) to your daughter for the very first time (it only took four and a half years!)

Mexican Monday with ALL of your southern extended family

Knowing you'll be with distant family in 48 hours

Leaving for Wisconsin in the morning.

Have a good rest of the week and I'll catch back up with y'all when I return.

Before we know it, it'll be Thanksgiving....and then Christmas....and then it'll be the new year.

Not going to lie I'm ready.

2015 has sort of sucked almost as bad as 2014.