Enchilada's

1 can of enchilada sauce
2-3 cups of cooked, diced chicken
2 cups of Monterey Jack Cheese
2 cups of Cheddar Cheese
1 can of refried beans
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of salsa
8 soft shell tacos

Pour enchilada sauce into dish. Mix chicken, beans, garlic and salsa together and warm. Dip shells into enchilada sauce, place of spoon full of chicken mixture and top with cheese then roll the taco shell and place into 9x13 inch pan, repeat 7 times and then top with remain cheese and place in oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until cheese is melted on top.

Chicken Noodle Soup

A friend of mine has asked me to come up with a chicken noodle soup recipe, so in the next few days I am going to compile what I know and make the best soup recipe possible. More to come. Any suggestions would be great.

White Bean Chili

This is so wonderful and smells heavenly. I have made it for years and have seen numerous websites prepare a dish very similar.

3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 can of corn
3 cups of white beans, I prepare my from the dried version
1 can of green chilies
1 can of hominy
2 t cumin
4 T. garlic
salt and pepper
3 cups of chicken broth
1 small onion diced

Place all in a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Or high 3-4 hours.

Laundry

What do all of you use? I seem to have so many problems with what looks like grease stains on our clothes. I have no idea what is causing it, why the was doesn't get it out, ect.

Ham and Beans, Crockpot

2 cups of cooked ham
1 cup of onions, chopped
Garlic seasoning
Pepper
1 bag of soaked Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained

Put all the contents into a crockpot, cover with twice as much water, cook on low for 8 hours


Serve with sour cream, cheese and j-peppers for extra zing.

YUMMMMM.

Carbonara

Fat on a Plate

1 pound of bacon chopped
1 large onion chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic minced
3-4 T. minced parsley
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups Parmesan Cheese
1/3 cup of butter
1 cup of chicken broth
1 cup of white wine


Cook bacon until crisp, add onion, cook until translucent, add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add the white wine and chicken broth, bring to a boil. All the while cook a helping of Spaghetti. In a separate bowl combine eggs, Parmesan cheese and parsley. When spaghetti is cooked, drain, return to pot, add the bacon mixture, then quickly add the egg mixture while mixing around. Add butter and stir until melted. EAT!

Waffles: No flour

Yummy Yummy Waffles, that are so good you can eat them without maple syrup
1 1/3 Cups milk (soy, rice, cow)
1 egg
2 T honey
2 t. vanilla
2 T oil
1/2 Cup raw brown rice
1/2 Cup wheat berries
1/2 Cup steel cut oats

Blend above ingredients in a blender until smooth and thin, approximately 4 minutes. The mixture should be thin.

Then after rice, berries and oats are turned into liquid powder (ie thin mixture) add in:
2 t. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 t. salt

Pour 1/4 or less into each waffle iron square and cook according to waffle directions. I have not tried this recipe for pancakes, but I bet it will work just the same.

Custard

What do you do with the extra eggs, well...

4 cups scalded milk, ie hot but not boiling
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
6 eggs
1/4 t. salt

Cream eggs, sugar and salt.

Scald milk, add vanilla when removed from heat. Slowly add milk to egg, while tempering (ie. bring the eggs to the temp of the milk, continue to slow add milk, while stirring constantly. After the milk and egg mixture has been combined, pour into pan. (Make sure that you have a pan larger than the one with the mixture, because you have to put the dish into a water bath to bake.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until knife inserted into middle comes out clean.

Around the home

When I look around the house and see the mess and dust that needs to be taken care of, I have a hard time deciding where to start. I look at the laundry, the carpet, the tile and the toys everywhere and am amazed that so much can get dirty and pile up on a daily basis.

I vaccummed the house today and it took close to an hour with all the steps that needed to be done. The couches need to be moved yet and I know that the coushens need attention.

The floors need mopped but I will have to do this when the kids are in bed tonight.

What do you do to keep the house kept up, even with the busy schedule I know that you all have?

Wild Child

What to do with a 2.5 year old that constantly is keeping me on my toes. I turn my head his is attacking the baby, I turn around he has taken or hit his older brother. Man oh man.....

All my parenting techniques that were good for the first two do not even touch his approaches to learning. On any given day he tackles a new object, idea, way to get into something, make a bigger mess, attack someone new, rearrange his room, pull all the books out of the bookshelf, oh the list could go on and on. I typically take a deep breath and count to 10 but 20 is more beneficial, now.

Explanation as to where I have truly been

In recent weeks I have felt lost in my day, unable to focus on as many things as I have in the past. I was easily frustrated with the kids, which is very abnormal, I can handle the noise volume beyond what my husband can on a daily basis, but not recently. I would read something, have a conversation with someone, put something somewhere, but was not able to recall.... anything.... I found myself very frustrated at my husband, for nothing.... For 3 weeks or so this is what my life was like... until two weeks ago... I had a breakdown....from the DOG barking. I called the doctor and was seen and evaluated for Postpartum Depression. Yes Postpartum depression, with a side of agitation. Wow, I was surprised, but ok with this, as treatment for PPD was going to make me function better and feel better. I was given the medication Zoloft, funny side effects? Just the strong desire to drink all the water in site........