{Southwestern Eggrolls}

In cleaning out my email (YAY for January and wanting to clean, clean, clean) I stumbled across this recipe that I made for a friends wedding shower that we hosted at our house in 2008. It was my first time making Southwestern Eggrolls but we were having a FIESTA so I thought they would be perfect -  they did not disappoint. I had several people ask for the recipe when the shower was over. Try them – I think you will be pleased, like a little Fiesta in your tummy! I couldn’t make up my mind on what sauce to make so I made them both – they were both great but anything with avocado in it can’t go wrong in my book!

Southwestern Eggrolls

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 can of chicken

2 tablespoons minced green onion

2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper

1/3 cup frozen corn kernels

1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

2 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers

1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/3 teaspoon salt

1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

5 (6 inch) raw flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in green onion and red pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until tender.
2. Add chicken and mix into the pan with onion and red pepper. Mix in corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in Monterey Jack cheese so that it melts.
3. Wet the raw tortillas and then spoon even amounts of the mixture into each tortilla. Fold ends of tortillas, then roll tightly around mixture. Place seam side down. Arrange in a medium dish. Brush the tortillas with olive oil (or spray with baking spray) and bake in the oven at 425 for 20 minutes or until the tops are a golden brown.
4. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting them in half and serving.

 

Cilantro Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 (7 ounce) can tomatillo salsa

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, pepper, celery salt, cumin, garlic powder, cilantro and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Place in a serving bowl.

 

Avocado-Ranch Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup smashed, fresh avocado (about half of an avocado)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon buttermilk

1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon dried parsley

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

dash dried dill weed

dash garlic powder

dash pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all of the ingredients  - you can either blend until smooth and creamy or smash up the avocados with a fork and leave it chunkier. Place in a serving bowl.

{Project 52:2}

I do want to raise an independent thinking woman who can stand up for herself, take care of herself and mostly love herself but I find myself having the internal struggle, too often than I care to admit, on the right way to do that. She is most certainly capable of making a bunch of different decisions. What she eats? Not.so.much. This child would turn into a cookie, sucker, cupcake or piece of gum – we do have to set boundaries there but what about other parenting “issues”?

It never fails that she walks out of her room dressed for church is ratty shorts, a “strap shirt” (her phrase for a tank top) and flip flops – 20 degrees outside, doesn’t matter. Her choice of clothing to go spend the day at my mom’s house? A 2 year old Christmas dress and patent shoes. I’m trying to get better about the “control” that I feel I need to have on the way she dresses. Purple dress with tulle, turquoise leggings with big white daisies all over and black shoes? Great – let’s roll, we are going to be late for Church! Hiding what I had picked out the night before and then walking out in 57  7 shades of pepto? Ok, you have a coat on – those are “kind of” leggings and at least they are all from the same color family – Perfect, now go get in the car – we are going to be late. (see a pattern here? we move slower than a pack of worms) I do want her to know that she does need to obey and follow the rules but I don’t know if staring up World War 3 at 7:00 in the morning over what SHE wants to wear is the way to do it. I want her to be dressed for the temperature (we are wearing a LOT of leggings under skirts right now) and I want her to be comfortable, but is it me who is uncomfortable - What are other going to think about her, about me as a mom, etc. ?

I think in the end it was me who learned the biggest lesson Tuesday morning. You are beautiful, you are independent and you are just FABULOUS – even in 7 different shades of pink! I do have my hands full with you but so is my heart.

{Wordless Wednesday}

MMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

{Project 52:1}

 

Styleberry is once again doing Project 52. The challenge is to take a photo every week for the entire year and the photos should revolve around a theme. It’s a new year and a great time to start a project so I’m joining in on Project 52 (because Project 365 sounds WAY scarier!) and my theme will be Motherhood. One of my goals this year is to work on my photography – little saved snapshots where time stood still. It’s going to be an exciting journey that I hope to put it into a book at the end of the year – a record of my 2012.  Let’s get this party started…

{Happy NEW Year}

 

{Our Stinker Binker}

I love  taking pictures and capturing the everyday and the personalities of my children. I have two different pictures of Ella Grace that I do love that shows exactly who she is as a young child. I hope to be able to look back at them one day and remember again.

I haven’t really captured a picture like that of Blake yet until recently – this sums him up to a T! The smile, the wrinkled nose the eyes that just light up – that’s my precious boy…The Stinker Binker (lovingly named by his big sister)!

I love this little man!

{Halloween 2011}

Can you guess what they were ?

    

 

Get your GUNS UP!

 

His best attempt at getting his Guns Up!