from kitchen 1034.

my mom found this recipe and we tried it tonight because it was the fastest thing i could make before my hubby dashed out the door and it was delicious, fast and SUPER easy!!

chicken chili verde

1 28 oz can green enchilada sauce
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
add other spices as desired – lemon pepper, black pepper or chili powder

2 cups cubed cooked chicken (or 1 whole roasted chicken with skin removed, shredded)
shredded cheese for garnish
chopped cilantro for garnish
sour cream for garnish

heat everything except chicken in a large pot for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.  add chicken and cook until everything is heated through (i picked up a rotisserie chicken on the way home from work, so it was still hot – took me 10 minutes to make this meal).

serve with garnishes.  i scooped a little chili on a few tortilla chips and it was yummy!

serves 8.

house update.

aaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!  we’re going crazy!!  it will officially be 5 months on sunday and we STILL don’t know anything!  i’m pretty sure this is what it feels like when you’re 9 months pregnant and you JUST WANT TO HAVE THE BABY ALREADY, but you just have to wait and wait and wait and in the meantime, you’re losing sleep, you’re uncomfortable and anxious!  but the thing about having a baby is that you KNOW it’ll all be worth it in the end – we STILL don’t know if we have a deal or not.  this could all come crashing down any day now.  but we’re staying optimistic!!

we do know that there have been 2 appraisals – however we don’t know those results yet.  we have been told that this is approximately a 7 month process which means we should be on the home stretch SOON! 

we’re keeping our fingers crossed and praying that we will hear SOMETHING – ANYTHING soon!

from kitchen 1034.

our office started the biggest loser-esque challenge again this month which always throws a little wrench in my eating habits.  i’m determined to eat better without having to sacrifice flavor.  i want to crave yummy foods that aren’t necessarily full of calories.  and i found a recipe that is simply marvelous and you can get really creative with it.

check it out here.

i was able to cut the calories down significantly.  i use 2 whole wheat tortillas (110 cals each), a 1/3 cup of ricotta cheese (approx 100 cals) mixed with a little bit of basil (mmm… i heart basil), a little bit of low-fat shredded cheese (1/3 cup for 90 cals) and then i load it up with veggies and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.  last night i did red onion, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes!  (i’ve also tried it with sliced zucchini.)  the total was 450 calories for 2 pizzas for dinner!  and i was stuffed!  you could even serve it with a side salad and only eat one pizza!

words of life or death.

My parents are premarital counselors, so they send along articles or books every so often that I really enjoy or are good reminders about marriage.  Some of it is a little on the cheesy side, but all-in-all there are nuggets of wisdom that can be found. 

January 26, 2010
Words of Life or Death
Melanie Chitwood
“The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” Proverbs 18:21 (NLT)

Devotion: I often hear my husband Scott say something to my sons that brings a smile to my face. “Have you told your mom you love her today? Don’t ever forget you have the best mom in the world.” When I hear him praise me to our sons, I feel encouraged and appreciated. From my husband’s example, I’ve learned to be careful about the words I say not only to my husband but also about my husband.

Today’s verse tells us our words can bring “death or life.” In our marriages, this means our words can either tear down our spouses or build them up. I’ve been noticing lately if I’m more likely to say words such as, “I’m married to the greatest man.” Or do my words tend to be critical, such as, “I told you so,” or “You don’t even try to understand me”? What about you and your words to your husband? When you speak to your husband, do you fill him up with praise or make him feel like he’s not measuring up?

Now let’s consider the words we say about our husbands to others. What kind of things do you say about your husband to your children, best friend, sister, or mother? I tend to be a venter when I am angry or frustrated with my husband. Sometimes I turn to others because I’m seeking validation for my angry feelings. Often I vent when I haven’t taken the time first to deal with the situation with God. I’m learning that if I go to the Lord first in prayer, pouring out my heart to Him, He changes my heart and brings me to a place of repentance and calmness. Then I’m able to let go of my anger and move on or talk to my husband in a loving manner.

Scripture gives plenty of evidence that God’s words have the power of life. In Genesis we’re told God created every inch of the world with His spoken words. John 1:1 tells us that Jesus is the Word. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus heals countless people with the power of His words. In a similar manner, God wants our words to bring life to our marriages. We can choose what we will sow—words of life or words of death—and we will reap the consequences many times over.

So will you take some time today to consider the words you use to and about your spouse? Use today’s application steps to fill up your husband with words of life.

Dear Lord, let my words to my spouse and about my spouse draw us closer to one another. Teach me to communicate in ways that build my husband up. Help me hold my tongue when I’m about to say something that will tear him down. If pride, stubbornness, selfishness, or any other sin is preventing me from speaking words of life in our marriage, Lord, I confess that right now. Make me aware of any words of death I’ve spoken in our marriage, and as the Holy Spirit brings those to my mind, help me confess and turn from them, especially any words of divorce. Break any curse on our marriage from hurtful, angry, or destructive words. Guided by Your wisdom and love, may our words to and about one another build a protective wall around our marriage. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources: What a Husband Needs from His Wife by Melanie Chitwood

Today’s devotion is adapted from Melanie’s new book What a Wife Needs from Her Husband

For more marriage encouragement visit Melanie’s blog – What Matters Most
30 Days to Taming Your Tongue and accompanying Workbook by Deborah Smith Pegues

**I haven’t read these resources for myself – I just simply copied and pasted.

Application Steps: Considering the list below, which words do you speak most frequently to your husband, “words of life” or “words of death”? Plan on blessing your husband with at least one phrase from the “words of life” suggestions.

Words of Life
I appreciate how hard you work.
You are an incredible husband.
You have great insight.
I’m really looking forward to going out with you.
I’m sorry.
I was wrong.
Will you forgive me?
Thank you.
I understand.

Words of Death
You never listen to me.
You just don’t get it.
I told you so.
You should have…
I wish you could just try to understand me for once.
How could you think that?
Why did I ever marry you?
We’d be better off divorced.

Reflections: What situations tend to cause you to speak “words of death” to your husband?  What’s a different way to handle these situations? Are there certain words you need to make off-limits in your marriage? In what other relationships do you need to practice speaking “words of life”?

Power Verses: 
Ephesians 4:29, “Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.” (MSG)

Psalm 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (NLT)

don’t worry. i’m alive.

yeah, so i’ve been in a hole for the past week or so, but not alone.  i had my 4 boxes of kleenex, muxinex, sudafed, cough syrup, chicken noodle soup and gatorade to keep me company - oh and HGTV and a little super mario bros when i had enough energy.  but i’m back and feeling about 95% – still coughing at night, but overall feeling good and ready to take on the week and then looking forward to a 3-day work week next week and a long weekend with the portland fam!  it’s been awhile and i can’t wait!

and i think the recipes are on hiatus for now – i’ve run out of good ones to post.  if i come up with new things, i’ll post them as i go.  but for now, i start a 12-week biggest loser-esque challenge at work.  hundreds of dollars are on the line and i could really use a new pair of designer jeans (once i can fit into them again that is)!

from kitchen 1034.

here’s another one of my go-to-while-home-alone recipes   i tried it with the tortillas and it was actually quite messy (because of the lime juice), so i usually go lo-carb and just omit the tortillas altogether.  i also half this recipe if it’s just for me.  i like zucchini, so i still keep 2 medium or 1 large zucchini in my half portion.

shrimp and zucchini tostadas

• 4 burrito-size flour tortillas (8-inch)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (4 ounces)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced

preheat oven to 475 degrees. place tortillas on two large baking sheets. brush with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with cheese. bake until cheese is melted and tortillas are crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.

in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. add garlic and zucchini; season with salt and pepper. cook, stirring frequently, until zucchini is crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. add shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. stir in lime juice. spoon shrimp mixture over tortillas and top with sour cream and scallions.

makes 4 servings.

recipe found here.

from kitchen 1034.

this is one of my favorite recipes to make for myself (since matt isn’t a seafood eater).  i’ll usually half the recipe and eat one serving for dinner and the next serving for lunch the next day.  i fell in love with the flavor of fresh lemon juice based off of this recipe – bottled lemon juice totally doesn’t compare!!  i will admit that i haven’t tried it with fresh parsley.

lemon pepper shrimp scampi

1  cup  uncooked orzo
2  tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2  teaspoon salt, divided
7  teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2  pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
2  teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2  tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4  teaspoon black pepper

1. cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. drain. place orzo in a medium bowl. stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover and keep warm.

2. while orzo cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. add half of shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. transfer shrimp to a plate. melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan. add remaining shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. transfer to plate.

3. melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. stir in shrimp, juice, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.

makes 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup orzo mixture and about 7 shrimp)

recipe and nutrition information found here.

from kitchen 1034.

i don’t know how many of you are into crockpot or slow-cooker recipes.  there are a few things i do in the crockpot, but not a lot.  here is one crockpot chicken recipe that we enjoy.

creamy southwest chicken burritos
this is one of those “open cans and dump into crockpot” recipes.  so easy and great for leftovers.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen)
1 16 oz jar of your favorite salsa
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with no salt (optional)
1 tsp ground cumin

3 oz cream cheese

place first 6 ingredients into a crockpot and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours.

after chicken is cooked all the way through, shred with 2 forks and place back in the crockpot .  note: once the chicken has cooked for 6-8 hours the mixture can be fairly watery.  you don’t want it to be too “soupy”, so i will laddle some of the liquid out of the crockpot after i’ve shredded the chicken. add cream cheese and let cook for another 20 minutes or until cream cheese is melted.  stir.

serve in flour tortillas for southwest burritos or serve with tortilla chips for southwest nachos.  you could also serve it over rice or pasta.  it’s even good if you’re on a low-carb diet to just eat by itself.

makes 8 servings.

goodies under the tree.

i have to share a few of my favorite gifts that i got this year - because i think there might be a strange coincidence between them all – i’m just not sure what, yet. 

first of all, i bought matt a new set of pillowcases (for us to share) that we opened on christmas eve.  and this is no ordinary set of pillowcases – they are THE softest, snuggliest pillowcases EVER!  when i worked at pottery barn kids during the christmas of 2005, i discovered them and bought a baby blue one (for him) and a baby pink one (for me) because pb kids doesn’t sell “adult” colors and the regular pb doesn’t sell them at all.  but we didn’t care – they are fabulous!  and we have used them ever since.  when i wash them, i put them right back on – i love them!  so i decided after 4 years, we should get two more – navy (for him) and barbie pink (for me)!  i heart my pillow!  even the website says “exceptionally soft and oh-so-snuggly, our sheet collection is made of plush chamois.”  they can be found here.  they even have full/queen sheets and duvets which i would totally buy, but we have a king bed. 

 
(matt has the 2 middle ones)

(i have the first and last ones)

secondly, i got a new stainless steel kettle that boils water in like 30 seconds and then has a feature where it will stay hot until you turn the kettle off!  it’s fabulous!  i use it at least twice a day!

AND i got some new tea that i use with the kettle – REAL tea (not lipton tea bags)!  and it’s delicious!  you can get some here!  this one is the raspberry riot lemon mate tea!

and then, i got some FABULOUS ugg slippers!  only problem, they were too small and are a VERY hot commodity at nordstrom (especially around christmas), so they were near impossible to exchange for my size.  so i returned them and used the cash to buy these beauties!  they are like heaven for my feet!  despite my husband’s pleadings to PLEASE not wear slippers in public - you might see me wearing them around town just because i can hardly bear to take them off!!

do you sense a theme maybe?  with warm/snuggly/sweet things??  maybe i need a puppy next year

i also received many other wonderful gifts from “santa” including a MAC makeup gift card, 2 new sweatshirts, a new canon camera, a DVD, a new case for my iPhone, a new cutting board and two whole days with just my husband to play super mario bros on the wii, drink hot tea and hot cocoa, eat take-out chinese food and leftovers for 2 days after, make christmas cookies, watch christmas movies and just hang together!  it was a fabulous christmas!

from kitchen 1034.

in honor of my friend jeni, who suggested i start posting recipes, i’m going to post one of her recipes that we LOVE and is a great and easy thing for a crowd!  like for new year’s eve!  :)

jeni’s chili cheese dip

1 can hormel chili (with or without beans)
1 package philadelphia 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 bag of tortilla chips – tostitos jalapeno are the best!

place chili and block of cream cheese in a saucepan on a low-medium heat.  stir until cheese is completely melted.  serve in your favorite party dip bowl with chips!