Good Food Friday-- Enchiladas Personalized

This idea came from my sister- Favorite Aunt- but the best part is it is as you like it- applicable to everyone.

So- the basic concept is to make personal enchiladas like you make tacos. I fed quite a few people on Sunday so the proportions are bigger and I am also a fan of cooking once and eating twice so I try to make enough to guarantee leftovers.

For my filing of choice- 

I cook chicken that I have marinated in some sort of flavoring- while camping I used a package of Mojito Lime from Grillmasters (could have marinated longer-  but it was fine)

Mix 3 cans of Cream of Chicken soup with 1 16 oz of sour cream (or more according to your preference).

Add 1 - 2 cans of chopped green chilis (again according to your taste)

add the chopped up, cooked chicken meat and bake at 350 for 30 min or so- until bubbling in the middle.

Now- get any toppings you might want ready.

We had:
black beans
tomatoes
sliced olives
yellow peppers
whole Green chili's
shredded cheese
sour cream
salsa
red enchilada sauce- heated up.

AND we use freshly cooked (as in raw when we bought them) tortillas.  When the filling was hot hot hot-  start cooking the tortillas and let people assemble their meal themselves.

I just rolled up some of the chicken mix, beans, olives, and cheese, and then topped it with the red enchilada sauce and sour cream.  Youngest only had chicken mix, cheese, and sour cream.  She was happy.  I was happy.  And one of our friends who ate with us had FIVE!!!.

Works well for picky eatin kiddos and adults alike.

Miss Sophie explanation

For Natalie- I will explain about Miss Sophie.

Nearly 7 years ago when we paid a lot of money :)  for Miss Sophie, we planned on breading her at least once so she could "earn her keep".  And mostly- because Outpatient really really really wants a pup out of her. 

She came in heat for the first time at 6 months.  Then- not again for almost about 10 months.  And that is how it goes.  She only comes in heat any where from 8 - 11 months.  We have tried to breed her three times- but now she is too old.

My conversation with the vet about this situation a few years ago now went something like this.

Dr B- ( not to be confused with Dr B who delivered my daughters)- Dr B- Sophie only comes in heat every so often.  We would really like a pup out of her- what do you think?

She hesitated and began to slowly say- well- there are some things we can do...., but I stopped her right there.  I told her I had already been through years of infertility treatments for myself and I wasn't about to go there with my dog.  I would just buy another one- it would most definitely be cheaper. Anyway- at that time we had about one more year to try, age-wise.

She is adorable and I am sad about not being able to breed her.

But leave it to me to pick out a dog who was just as broken as me :)

Well- that is a first for me

Today I had the opportunity to go to the temple for another Living Endowment session.  A couple in our ward that the DR hometeaches went through this afternoon.  If I could share their whole story here- you would be amazed.  It truly is a tale of a 180 turn around.  It was nice to sit and reflect at how the Lord's way has triumphed.  It also makes the 2nd family in our neighborhood to make it to the temple in the past year.

It was really neat to have the invitation to attend with them and to watch them soak it in.

Anyway-  that wasn't the first.  What was the first was the loud ringing of someone's cell phone right during the session.  Now- I am accused rather frequently by some of my family of being judgemental.  I am going to be right now. Fair warning. We don't even take our phones into the temple- let alone put them in the pockets of our temple clothes.  That is a cell phone umbilical cord that needs cutting. I don't think they belong in church either-  baring the occassional doctor or (in our ward) fireman or judge who is on call.  Then the ringer should be turned off. 

The recent doings-

Been really busy.  I know.  Big surprise.  Funniest part is this is supposed to be our slow month- and it has been.  Need to simplify.

We made a trip out to the dentist and then saw HP-took Miss Sophie to the groomers (ugh- she also came in heat this week)  came home- turned around two days later and drove back out to attend the temple with one of our nephews.  He leaves on a mission next month to Boston!  So excited for him.  My inlaws are home and report their mission on Sunday.  A nephew returns in two months, and then by the end of the year- another will return.  Fingers are crossed that we will be sending out another soon too- (really it is prayers instead of fingers you know)  We also had a nephew get engaged!!  So much exciting stuff.

Came home same day and then a day later we hauled the trailer up on the mountain and we just spent the last several days camping with a combo of friends and family- and I am just taking a quick break from hours of entering data into the database to give my brain a break.  So- I will update that stuff later (tomorrow maybe?)

But I am excited because I just made reservations for a return trip this fall to Moab for the Looney Bin.  We are going with the cousins we went with last time plus a couple of other family groups have said they want to join us-  so kind of family reunionish-  without everyone.  Looking forward to a few things we didn't get to do last time.  Like a few special hikes, maybe a river run, not sure what else but we have a little more time to plan and a better idea what we might be interested in since our last trip.

It is fun to have stuff to look forward to and plan :)

Sunday Moment- Developing Talents

I forgot to report on my last lesson- and now I have already taught again.

Last month my lesson was on Developing Talents.

I shared with the sisters that I can sing pretty well- I have a very hard time doing that in public but that I had recently began working on it by singing in the choir.  I have only managed to perform with the choir once but I had done it. I told them my hives story. My mom made me sing for New Beginnings.  I wore a long, white Gunne Sax dress with tiny purple rosebuds on it.  My skin was bright red with lumps and blotches on it.  The sisters were sympathetic :)

We discussed those talents which are more hidden- or rather- less visible.  One sister raised her hand and said one of her talents was that she could talk to a stump-  and she can talk to anybody.  I shared how this same sister now had my former calling and how much fun Youngest was having learning new skills and doing things that I wouldn't have necessarily done. Her gifts and mine are different and yet they are both able to bless the lives of the young girls in our ward.

Another sister mentioned how years ago she was once called to lead the singing, which she knew very little about, but that she had taken the opportunities available to learn more and more, and now feels very confident in leading music.

We discussed how our talents were given to us for the benefit of others and how we each have certain gifts, and the chance as well as obligation to increase our gifts and add to things by our own work and effort.

I can't remember everything that we discussed- but I handed out a challenge card to list three talents that they could work on improving or that they wanted to gain-  I promised a treat :)

HP DH part 2

I do not like big crowds.  Especially crowds of rude and shoving people.  But I braved that to watch the 12:05 showing (they had lots of different starting times) at the Jordan Commons.

I am glad that:

#1-  I haven't read the 7th book a bunch of times- and therefore do not have large parts of it committed to memory.

#2-  I haven't read it even remotely recently.

The movie- very, very good-  I think I have been able to enjoy the last two more because I didn't have the book already stuck in my head.  That makes it much easier to enjoy it for itself.

Now- I will go back and read them- most likely to/with my patients.

I love the bigger city theaters.  Much more enjoyable to watch movies.  Aside from the shoving, rude people in the crowds.

A funny on that subject.  The DR and I had a tight hold on Middle- and we were in a line waiting outside the particular theater we were going to be in when I felt this HUGE shove (not a mere bump) from behind.  I about threw an elbow-  but it was just my "obnoxious at times" BIL-  but what was super funny was the look on this couple next to us.  Their faces were priceless!  They thought it was for real and they were commenting how rude-  so my BIL had to do some quick 'splaining.  They laughed about it-  but I guess she had just had a similar situation only without the deliberate family involvement.

If you don't like it...

There are times and circumstances that are out of your control.  Things you can't do much about- like the lady I was sitting next to on Tuesday night  that smelled suspiciously like a skunk.  But others over which you have total control.  It never ceases to amaze me that people will comment on blogs or news articles or whatever about how they don't like something.  I usually agree with those who comment back about "then why are you reading this"-  Why, indeed.

EFY report

I know it has taken a while- but here is what I got out of the Oldest patient.

He has a C.O.W.  (Crush Of the Week)-  her name is Kelsey- and unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view) she lives in California.  They are now facebook friends and he gets on several times a day - he did not do that before- maybe a few times a week or so.  He and his cousins had a great experience, and Oldest danced every slow dance (he said on the fast dances they stood around and did stuff) I will give him .90 on that since he did much better than I though he would.

EFY cost him his iTouch.  He had it in his pocket when he shouldn't have, and it fell out and got wet.  The nice lady at the store gave him the rice he went to buy in order to try to dry it out.  But it hadn't worked in a couple of days -  so other people decided that putting it in an oven seemed like a good idea.  As the DR said-  well the rice didn't work, so you decided on a rice cooker?-  Note to all-  something that gets HOT is BAD  for electronic equipment with plastic parts. So he is working on earning money to replace that.

Best Thing:::

He has been very sure to read his scriptures and prayers even more than before.  And he is willing to earn the money to pay to go again.

Successful experience?  Yes.

Happy Birthday Dear Baby Sister....

Happy Birthday to you!

I didn't set this to post right- so I get to post it late.

 Been up on the mountain- not even in cell phone service range (yeah!!!!!)  Camped without TV even.  (Middle cheated and watched a movie on her ipod).  Wished you guys had been out here with us. It poured rain like crazy a couple of times.  Rode 4-wheelers. Roasted the giant marshmallows for the first time- woah- they get really big. (I only had one smore- are you proud?) Sophie was a mess going through all the wet folliage and with the black mud.  Patients went to a cave.  You need to come out camping again.  We will be happier.  promise.

Anyhooo- 

Hope you had a good day. 

Love you!

Your pseudo mommy of a sister.

One for the record books

We traveled to Cougar Country for the Independence Day Celebrations and arrived Sunday evening.  My mom and two nephews were staking our claim to the front part of Outpatient and LOL's house.  Can I just say- there is not a parade worth this?  And parade attendee people, you are very rude to butt in on people who have bothered to stay up and out all night for their places.  And all night savers- you are just crazy.  I was the crazy one this year.  And- yes, I stayed awake all night and morning and basically was awake from 7:00 Sunday morning until 12:30 pm on Monday afternoon- then I slept for 2 hours.

Middle and my niece Am stayed out with me the whole time, only going in for potty breaks. My nephew Gav- came out periodically, Oldest came out even less, and the other nephews went to a dance/concert until 2 ish and then they only came back out when the police were coming. 

You read that right.  We had to call the police.  There was a place next to the apartment that was selling food and drinks, and they also had a giant blowup screen set up with movies and then hours of Just Dance going on-  it was my entertainment- so I would watch them for awhile, or read my book.  The later it got, the creepier the people still walking around were.  We had a couple of different guys sit down in our chairs for who knows what reason,  and there was at least one incident where at least nine police cars went flying by to the library (guess people were shooting fireworks AT each other).  Noisy all night- firecrackers, fireworks, yelling, singing, motorcycles and loud cars and loud trucks up and down and up and down.  By the way- WHY???? 

Anyway- I noticed a lady over watching the dancing, and only because she was standing a bit crookedly and I just wondered if she had scoliosis.  Finally at about 3:00- 3:30- the Just Dance group broke up and people started drifting back to their places by the curb.  Well, this lady come over, and proceeded to put her stuff on the curb right with us.  I very nicely said- excuse me, we have this area saved because we have a large group coming in the morning.  She turned and said she just wanted to sit for a minute, so I said that was fine.  THEN she went a bit nuts.  I wish I could tell you the whole deal but that would take forever, but she told me I was illegal and that I couldn't save space (keep in mind that both sides of the street everywhere were covered with people doing exactly that), she yelled about if I wanted her to vote for the guy whose political posters were staked in the yard, she told me I was a horrible example, and then she told me she was going to go get the police- so I told her that was fine, please do.  She finally walked off, and I watched her start going slower and less angrily.  I chalked up her reaction to the very early hour and figured we were done.

Not so.  She came back about 20 minutes later.  She threw her stuff down in front and immediately started in- she swore at me, flipped me off, told me "I am not Hispanic- I am Hawaiian"- which had me wondering if she thought I was being racist- turns out she was being totally racist- she said that she paid her taxes so she owned the street and Hispanics don't pay taxes- anyway- she said many many things- and was getting more and more belligerent-  I got up closer to her to try and talk sensibly, and she told me she had talked to the police and they said for me to "bring it"- and then she told me she had a bodyguard- at which point I did reply- "where? in your back pocket???"  obviously by this time I realized she wasn't playing with a full deck and that made me nervous for the kids.

Earlier, the guys sitting down were making Middle nervous so she wanted to get Outpatient, and I told her to relax, I had my phone and I could call 911 if I needed to, but I doubted I would need to.  Famous last words.  The girls ran into the apt to get the cousins and I decided I had had enough and called the police- one of the questions the operator asked me was if we had been drinking or doing drugs-  I could vouch for my group- but not for her, but I thought she was just a little nuts.  I explained that what had happened and said she was getting more and more belligerent to which she started yelling at me that I was a liar- which of course the 911 operator could hear.

Long story shortened from here, the police came, also determined the lady was a brick or two short, and told her she had to leave.  By then, the adrenaline was cruising- my knees were shaking and the girls began bouncing off the walls.  No sleep for us :)  I did keep a close eye out for her just in case she came back.

The parade- too long- but the floats were beautiful-  Small Town doesn't have floats- but the parade is 20-25- minutes.  We made breakfast and cleaned up after.  Then I took my nap :). 

We had a great time swimming and having a BBQ at my SIL and BIL's house with lots from both the DR's family and mine. 

Then we did some fireworks- after my niece Am and I went and bought some of the pop its (snaps- whatever you call them)- and that became an adventure because they rang me up for 2,423 of them. 

All in all- what a day.  Next year I think we will stick to camping.



(PS-  I hope you know that I am very sympathetic to people with mental illness of any sort especially because I can personally relate- I truly felt bad for this woman- but I was worried she was going to start swinging at me- and her language was not nice.)

Happy CeLeBrAtIoNs!

Emmalee

Ashleigh

Chris

SmAsh

McKay

Xander
Gavin

Elsie

Teri

Jake

Sarah

Lindi

Laci

Michael

Brent

Julie
Calvin

And- we have a few extended family members who will be tying the knot this month-  Best Wishes to you all on your fresh start at your new lives/

Side Order of Drama

For those out of the immediate loop-  here is what has been going on.

Last March- I found a letter in the mail from a law firm for Outpatient.  I don't know what prompted me to open it rather than just throw it away-  okay- I do know now, but then, instead of just assuming it was junk mail and throwing it away, I opened it to see for sure.  It was trying to collect almost 12,000.00 for an insurance company for a wreck that occurred in August in the State of California.  I freaked a little bit- and called the DR- and the company that sent the letter.  Talked to a guy- told him they had the wrong Outpatient (name was a tiny bit off- but not that much) and told him that Outpatient had not stepped foot in CA since 2007- and that was on a Senior trip on a bus that went straight to Walt's backyard, and straight back.  He said he would look into it and call me back on Monday-  oh- I forgot to mention I was getting ready to get in the car to head out of town for hockey.  Monday- no word-  and so on.  End of story- so I thought.

A couple of months ago- I had a really rude woman call for Outpatient- and the hair on my neck stood on end. She was calling for collections for a hospital bill in CA.  She wouldn't talk to me because he was over 18-  even though he didn't live here and there was no way I was giving her his number-  I told her the same thing I told the law office- he had not been in CA for almost 4 years.  She was not nice. Still is not nice, actually.  A few days later, a bill came in the mail.  Now- we were looking at almost 20,000.00.  NOT KIDDING.

Now- I assumed the bill from the hospital was in conjunction to the wreck-  NOPE- completely different time frame. This happened in DEC- the exact dates were when Outpatient and LOL were here in Small Town and easily verified by many other people than family-   including the fact that he played hockey with the Adult League and scored a hat trick in one game.    She wanted Outpatient to send her a copy of his drivers license and handwriting.  Well- we did not fall off a turnip truck yesterday- no how- no way was that going to happen.  We were suspecting ID theft and we weren't about to help out.  Anyway-  the names and birthday matched- but not the social- thank goodness.  But with that dollar figure involved, we called an attorney.  The "lady" won't talk to him either.  I am about to go ballistic with her boss, I am telling you.

Okay- so lawyer is dealing with whatever- focusing more on the lady than the first deal because it seems most likely that the law office one isn't coming after him- at least right now.

So- now, here comes yet another collection agency bill in the mail.  Hospital bills again-  but different agency and seems like a different hospital- although the info on it is very vague and NO Dates.  this one is ONLY 5,500.00.

So- I didn't call that one, yet.  Turned it over to the lawyer first off and we will have to talk with him next week after the holiday to see what else we should maybe be pursuing-  like calling the CA Attorney General's Office or something.

So- over 25,000.00.  And that is just what we know about.

My personal theories are:

More than one perpetrator?  But I really am wondering if this is a drug issue-  emergency rooms visits to get drugs.  I almost feel like getting on the phone and calling as many hospitals as I can find in the general area where these things have occurred.