Pollo Loco and Rachael

Rachael is in town for a work trip/visit this week and we've enjoyed her being here! Wednesday night I made strombolli's (Daph, you were there in spirit!) and last night I made a new recipe that I am calling Pollo Loco. It was very tasty and very easy because it was from the crock pot!

Pollo Loco:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can of mexicorn
1/2 pkg of taco seasoning
1 jar of salsa
1 8 oz of cream cheese
1 pkg flour tortillas

In a crock pot, place the chicken breasts, taco seasoning, mexicorn, and salsa. Cook on low for about 6 hours. For the last hour (around hour 5) put the pkg of cream cheese on top. The cream cheese will melt in the dish. After it's done cooking, get a tortilla, fill up, and roll into burrito! (The chicken shreds as it cooks) Can be served with black beans, or what we had, Bush's Grillin Beans Black Bean Fiesta..they were good also!

I forgot to get a picture of the dish, but here is Rach eating the dish!

This was dessert. My sweet cousin Dana not only gave me the recipe for Pollo Loco but she made 3 small chocolate chip cake's for us for dessert! Yum! Thanks again!!

Shepherd's Pie

This recipe I found on kraftfood.com and it was so good! I haven't had shepherd's pie in years and thought it would be something different I could try to make. And it wasn't bad nutritionally either! Calories 320, Fat 9 g, and Dietary Fiber 6 g, for a total of 6 Weight Watchers Points for a serving size of 1 and 1/2 cup! I was excited!

Shepherd's Pie:

1-1/4 lb. red potatoes, cut into chunks

3 large cloves garlic, peeled (I used garlic powder)

3/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S Reduced Fat or KNUDSEN Light Sour Cream

1/2 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef

2 Tbsp. flour

4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

3/4 cup fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth

2 Tbsp. ketchup

PLACE potatoes and garlic in large saucepan; add enough water to cover. Bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 20 min. or until potatoes are tender. Drain; return to saucepan. Add sour cream; mash potatoes until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese.

HEAT oven to 375°F. Brown meat in large nonstick skillet. Stir in flour; cook 1 min. Add vegetables, broth and ketchup; cook 5 min. Spoon into 8-inch square baking dish; cover with potatoes.

BAKE 18 min.; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 2 min. or until cheese is melted.

Baked Spaghetti

1 lb ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 box of spaghetti noodles
2 oz of cream cheese
1 1/2 cup of sour cream
1/3 cup of green onions, chopped
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese

Brown the meat and drain. Boil the noodles and drain. Mix sauce in with the meat. Put the cooked noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 dish. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, cream cheese, and green onions. Spread this mixture on top of the noodles. Then spread the meat and sauce mixture over the sour cream mixture. Top with as much cheddar cheese as you want. Cover with foil and bake at 325 for 30 minutes. After that time is up, uncover and bake for additional 5 minutes. Can be served with salad or bread. Tastes good!

Home Sweet Home

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

We are finally in our new house!! We are so excited to have a place of our own! Jay's parents, sister, and uncle came up this weekend and helped move all the big and small stuff. We could not have done this without them! They worked so hard and we are so thankful to them! Words cannot describe how much we appreciate what they did! We are looking forward to their next visit! We love you guys! Here are a few pictures of the house with stuff in it! (some pics are not good quality cause of the lighting..I'm not a pro!)

Front door/foyer area. Mirror will be hung on the wall. Room to the right is office.

This is all that is in the office right now. My cousin Dana gave me this. I love it! The office eventually will have a desk, treadmill, and hopefully a futon sofa or something similar. The office has a high ceiling.

Guest bedroom, a.k.a. Alabama Room: Photography by Tracy L. Taylor
Last night was our first night to stay in our home and Tracy was our first guest to try out the guest bedroom!

Guest Bathroom. There is a nice size linen closet behind the door. And you can't see this in the picture, but the ceiling is also very high.

Inside shot of guest bathroom.

Living room.

Dining area

Kitchen. I'm not used to all the counter space! Thank you Mrs. Terri for organizing the kitchen for me!!
New appliances!


Master Bedroom. I didn't get a picture but there is a big walk in closet that Tracy organized for us! Thanks Tracy!

Master Bathroom. The "love" sign will be hung on the wall. There is also a walk in shower and a double vanity.

And this picture is for Sonny. Yes Dad, we watered the plants today!

So that's our new home! It's still a work in progress but we love it and are thankful for it! We are blessed! The Lord gave us this house and we give it back to Him! He is the reason we have this house. We give God the glory! Thanks again Mr. Jeff, Mrs. Terri, Tracy, and Uncle Brad!!! You all did SO much and we still can't tell you thank you enough!!

Short and Sweet

It's been awhile since a post, but I'll just give a summary of what's been going on! We FINALLY closed on the house Friday and ever since then, we have been in high gear! We have been moving a few stuff here and there. My parents came up for a short but sweet visit and they helped us get started on the house! My parents and I cleaned the whole house! It's cloroxed and pin soled from top to bottom! They also gave us a house warming gift...a lawn mower! We are so thankful to them for all things they have done for us! We worked them hard so I'm sure they were ready to get home! haha! In the middle of the cleaning, we did get to go out for lunch to Jim 'N Nicks with my aunt and cousin. It was also a short but sweet visit!

Dad, Aunt R, Me, Dana (your eyes are closed!), and Mom

Dad and his oldest sister, Aunt Royuallyn

I didn't get pictures of the cleaning process but pictures were just not on my mind at the time! Jay's family will be coming up today and will be here through Saturday to help us move, so more pictures to come! Thanks again Mom and Dad for coming up and helping! We love you!

EASTER COOKIES!

OK, these aren't really Easter cookies, but I made them on Easter! I got this recipe from my friend Kara and they were VERY good!

1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup of oil
Mix those ingredients together until well blended.
1/2 bag of Heath toffee bits
1/2 bag of chocolate chips
Mix those into the mixture
Roll into half dollar size balls and bake at 325 for 12 minutes

"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." Luke 11:9-10

HAPPY EASTER!!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!

I pray you all have a wonderful Easter and go to church! The church we attend has had services all weekend long so we actually attended one last night. The preacher gave his testimony, which we had never heard before and asked us "What is your story?". It was a great service that included praise and worship, the sermon, and followed with the Lord's supper. He touched on several verses but I'll share just a few with you.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ." 1 Peter 1:3-5

"knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:18-19

"This is MY story, this is MY song. Praising MY Saviour, all the day long!"

"Blessed assurance, Jesus is MINE!"

Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe!! God is alive! This is the reason we celebrate Easter! Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for our sins! I am alive because I'm alive in You! It's all because of Jesus I'm alive! And it's all because the blood of Jesus Christ! It cover's me and makes this dead man rise!

If you have a few minutes...

Take a look at this:

Easter - New Again - Brad Paisley and Sara Evans


I got it from another blog and thought I would share. I hope everyone has a blessed Easter and remember the real reason for this Easter weekend!!

Stuffed Taco Shells

HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY!!!!!

It wasn't a good Friday for Jesus but I thank Him for dying on the cross that day for our sins! "Amazing love, how can it be? That You my King would die for me? Amazing love, I know it's true! And it's my joy to honor You! In all I do, I honor You!"

"Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant- I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but You? I desire You more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever. Those who desert him will perish, for You destroy those who abandon You. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things You do." Psalm 73:21-28


STUFFED TACO SHELLS: Thanks Dana!!

1 box of Jumbo Pasta Shells, ccoked and sprayed with butter (butter optional)
1 lb ground meat (beef or turkey, I used lean beef)
1 pkg cream cheese
chives (optional, I did not use because I did not have them. I seasoned my meat with taco seasoning instead)
1 can of enchilada sauce (green or red, I used red)
1 pkg shredded mexican cheese

Cook the shells and set aside. Brown the meat, drain. Then I seasoned with a taco seasoning package. After seasoned, mix the meat with cream cheese. (If you are using chives instead of taco seasoning, you would mix the cream cheese and chives together into the meat). Put a teaspoon of this meat mixture in each shell. Place in a baking dish. Cover with enchilada sauce. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, covered. After time is up, uncover and sprinkle with mexican cheese (however much you want) and you can put crushed tortilla chips on top (I did not because I didn't have any, but I'm sure it would be good too!) and heat for another 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.