Food people...

The ticket to getting kids to eat their fruits and vegetables...

I introduce to you: Lucy-girl and Sarah-girl.

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Chimichangas

We call them Chimis, perhaps because we are so fond of them that we have to give them a nickname. My mom doesn't like to make them without me; she says I have the magic burrito rolling touch...whatever that means...so when I have time, I gladly make them for my family because, secretly, they are my favorite, too!

Yes, technically they are "fried"...but get over it. "Fried" or not, they are fabulous.

Chimichangas:

Brown 3/4 pound of ground turkey; set aside.

Saute 1 bell pepper (diced) and 1 onion (diced); add 1 clove diced garlic and saute until pepper and onion are soft.

Mix turkey, onion/pepper, 1 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1 can refried beans, and 1 Tbsp. chili powder in a bowl.

Warm 7-8 tortillas in the microwave and place filling evenly among the tortillas. Roll tortillas into right burritos (fold sides in, then wrap up).

Place 1/2 inch oil into a pan and heat until it sizzles. Place 2 or 3 burritos in the oil and fry until golden brown, then flip to brown the other side. Take chimis out of oil, pat with paper towel and either serve immediately or place in a warm oven until you are ready to eat!

Serve with sour cream, avocado, and/or lime!!

Ageless.

Surely, these people do not age:
1) Mrs. Beckstead

2) Diane Sawyer

3) Eddie Murphy

4) Vanna White

Laughter, the best medicine.

With report cards looming and a broken toe throbbing, I take advantage of any chance I can get to laugh. Tonight, I spewed food at dinner because my brother's concern over the pasta being whole wheat was apparently really funny...yes, long days with 1st graders just might be taking a toll on my sanity.

Jokes for the day:

-A man is in a club and he asks a girl to dance. "Would you like to dance?" She says, "No." He replies, "Sorry, you must have misheard me. I said 'You look fat in those pants'."

-Doctor: Have you taken my advice and slept with the window open? Patient: Yes. Doctor: So your asthma disappeared completely? Patient: No, but my watch, TV, iPod, and laptop have.

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Francis Chan

Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don't have to trust God if something unexpected happens - they have their savings account. They don't need God to help them - they have their retirement plan in place. They don't genuinely seek out what life God would have them live - they have life figured and mapped out. They don't depend on God on a daily basis - their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.

Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum, to be "good enough" without it requiring too much of them.

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I feel safe, structured, and comfortable. Honestly, I feel quite lukewarm...and it does not feel right. I want to live by faith. I want to live radically, for God. I am not always sure what this looks like, but I want this to be the desire of my heart and what spurs me on.
Lord, turn my lukewarm into hot.
Do not spit me out.

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Countdown to PI day!

I love making pie, I love eating pie, and I love sharing pie. It's my favorite dessert.
March 14th is 3/14 or 3.14, which is the same as the mathematical pi term sooooo we make and eat pie! It's pretty much tradition. Gather a group together, everyone brings a pie, hungry boys are judges, and everyone eats pie. It is delightful.
I know it isn't quite March 14th, but I want to share one of my favorite pie recipes with you so you can make it for March 14th. I mean, come on, I would feel bad if I posted after the fact and you missed out on "Pie Day" and this apple pie!

Brown Bag Apple Pie
6 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (be generous)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix the sugar and spices, sprinkle over the apples, and stir to coat. Pour apples into pastry shell (I am a strong advocate for home-made crust!) and top with oatmeal topping. Slide the pie into a paper bag, fold the end of the bag and secure with a paper clip, and bake at 400 degrees for 55 minutes.

Oatmeal Topping (make 1 1/2 recipe)
1 cups oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of salt
1/3 cups butter, melted

Mix topping ingredients together with a fork until combined. Sprinkle over apples.

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Freedom: the condition of being free.
Freedom: the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints.
Freedom: something I crave and yet do not seem to have the willpower to obtain.

Frustration: the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals.
Frustration: an emotion I do not often outwardly show.
Frustration: a feeling that has consistently filled my soul for quite some time.

Oh, the joy (and pain) of "new days" and fresh starts.
What will my tomorrow be?
A new day to conquer or a day with which to feel conquered.
A new day to change or a day to procrastinate change.
A new day to right some wrong or a day to add to the wrong.
I know what I think I want, but I need the strength, discipline, and willpower to actually get what I want.
I can "go for it" and think that I am trying, but until I succeed, I haven't done anything.

Here's to succeeding and gaining my freedom from (insert the "unspoken" topic).