Taking it slow...

One thing I always have a tendency to do is jump in too deep! I have so much passion for so many things that I can get carried away with ideas of grandeur! When I found out about Disney having a Princess Half-Marathon, I thought I have to do this now! But what I am trying to realize is that I don't have to run it now, but I can start by at least training for it, so when registration comes I know I will have done my part, BUT (and this is a BIG but) if God has bigger and better plans for me, I will happily decline! I am praying that God's bigger and better plans are becoming a Mother for the second time, which is more important to me right now than goals of running in a half-marathon because I can have that opportunity again but right now is the time for motherhood! And I want to embrace it wholeheartedly with no regrets! So we shall see what comes next in my future... baby or half-marathon! I am ready for either one, and I consider both victories!

Curried Shrimp-and-Corn Chowder

From Southern Living Magazine
Patricia Gleason

Curried Shrimp-and-Corn Chowder
Makes 8 servings
Hands-on time: 1 hr
Total time: 1hr., 25min.



Ingredients:
1 med onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about five ears)
1 (14oz) can chicken broth
1 (13.5) can coconut milk
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. peeled, large raw shrimp (26/30 count)

toppings: (optional) toasted coconut, thinly sliced green onions, coarsely chopped roasted peanuts

Directions:
Saute onion in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender; add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Add Yukon gold potatoes and next 7 ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionaly, approx 25 minutes until potatoes are tender. Stir in shrimp; cook 4 to 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.

This was very good! It is a soup that is good in winter or summer because it is hearty with potates, but also light because of the shrimp.

What makes a Mother...

forget-me-not flower

I thought of you and closed my eyes
And prayed to God today,
I asked, "What makes a Mother?"
And I know I heard him say:
A Mother has a baby,
This we know is true
But, God, can you be a mother
When your baby's not with you?

Yes, you can, he replied
With confidence in his voice,
I give many women babies,
When they leave it is not their choice.
Some I send for a lifetime,
And others for the day,
And some I send to feel your womb,
But there's no need to stay.

I just don't understand this God,
I want my baby here.

He took a breath,
and cleared his throat,
And then I saw a tear.
I wish I could show you,
What your child is doing Here...

If you could see your child smile
With other children and say,
"We go to earth to learn our lessons
of love and life and fear,
but My mommy loved me so much
I got to come straight here!"
I feel so lucky to have a Mom who had so much love for me,
I learned my lessons very quickly,
My Mommy set me free.
I miss my Mommy oh so much
But I visit her each day.
When she goes to sleep,
On her pillow is where I lay.
I stroke her hair and kiss her cheek,
And whisper in her ear,
"Mommy, Please don't be sad today,
I'm your baby and I am here"

So you see my dear sweet one,
Your children are okay.
Your babies are here in My home,
And this is where they'll stay.
They'll wait for you with Me,
Until your lessons there are through,
And on the day that you come home,
they'll be at the gates waiting for you
So now you see
What makes a Mother,
It's the feeling in your heart,
It's the love you had so much of
Right from the very start!

Found this poem from a friend!

A Tea Party!

Not that I really care about the big Royal Wedding coming up on Friday, but I do love learning about new cultures and like to take any occasion to educate myself about them. In high school, I especially loved British monarchy. But to get to the point, I am going to utilize this occasion to have a Full English breakfast complete with tea and scones. I am quite excited about this because really it is no different from what most people in America would eat for breakfast, aside from the black pudding and baked beans, I think I will skip those! :-/~ I may be having a little too much fun with this but I LOVE breakfast and weddings! So I can't wait to enjoy both together, a delicious breakfast and a beautiful wedding!

I only wish that Sophia is older so she could participate with me! I would really do a lot more. Like play Princess dress up with her and teach her about England and their culture! I can't wait to still do those things with her when she is older!

My Version of Southern Living’s Island Chicken and Rice

I have been making the dish for a long time now. The first time I made it, Patrick and I were living in our first apartment, and he has loved it ever since! I like it too, because it is pretty easy and everything cooks in one large skillet, which makes clean-up easy!

Ingredients:

2 or 3 boneless skinless chicken breast
Salt
Pepper
Crushed red pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1 (13.5oz) can coconut milk
¾ cup pineapple juice from pineapple slices or chunks

Directions:

Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.
Brown chicken in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes each side. You just want to brown chicken not cook it through, or it will be over done later.
Remove chicken from skillet and drain extra oil from pan .
Add butter to skillet and melt, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet; add 1 chopped onion, and sauté approx 4mins or until soft. Add rice, sauté 4mins; add garlic, and sauté 1min. Stir in chicken broth and next 3 ingredients and additional salt pepper, and crushed red pepper if using; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 35mins or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
Uncover and fluff rice and let stand 5mins before serving. Garnish with pineapple slices or chunks and chopped parsley.

***The original recipe used bone-in chicken, which needs to cook longer per side 8-10 minutes. And garnished with chopped macadamia nuts with the pineapple slices.

Chicken and rice burritos

I made these Chicken and rice burritos a couple times and they are so good. I should definitely make them more! I am posting the recipe if anyone wants to try them. They are easy to make and good reheated for lunch the next day. If you try them, tell me how you liked them!



Ingredients:

1/2 cup long grain rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 7oz can chopped or diced tomatoes in juice
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 1/4 cups grated Monterey Jack
4 tablespoons sour cream (optional)
6 grande-size flour tortillas

Directions:

1. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the rice and cook for 8 minutes. Drain, rinse and then drain again.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, with the ground cloves and oregano, and fry 2-3 minutes. Stir in the rice and tomatoes and cook over low heat until all the tomato juice has been absorbed. Set pan aside.
3. Put chicken breasts in a large saucepan, pour in enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. You can tell by cutting into chicken. Lift chicken out of the pan onto a plate and cool slightly.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Shred chicken by pulling apart with two forks, then add the chicken to rice mixture, with the grated cheese. Stir in sour cream, if using.
5. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place them on a plate. Stand the plate over boiling water for about 5 minutes . OR, wrap in plastic wrap and heat in a microwave for 1 minute.
6. Spoon one-sixth of the filling into the center of a tortilla and fold in both sides. Fold the bottom up and the top down. You can secure with a toothpick, or lay it seam side down in shallow dish. Cover with foil and keep warm in oven while you make the rest.

The story of a Lifetime

So for Christmas, my wonderful husband gave me a beautiful and thoughtful gift of a book titled "The Story of a Lifetime" and its pages are empty. I have the great task and duty of telling my and my family's story to my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren! I am excited to learn things that I never thought to ask my grandparents and parents. I wish I had my great grandparents here to ask questions about their lives, but now it is too late. I don't want my great grandchildren to feel the same way. So now by filling the blank lines of this book they will know all about the time in which I lived. And if you think about, we have had many technological advances, some that we could not possibly picture our lives without but just a few years ago were unheard of. I can't wait to see Sophia's expression when she learns of a time before cell phones or better yet cordless phones and computers!

The only down fall to this book is it includes the good and... the bad! As with every family we all have good and bad memories, but do I really what to dig back into the place in my mind where I have buried them? There are many things that I feel I may not be able to write about from my childhood not because I don't want anyone to know but because after suppressing those memories for so many years you forget because you want to forget! But if I write what I remember I guess the bright side is that they can learn what not to do, and ultimately isn't that the point?