Enchiladas...Yummy!

I have used either the canned stuff or the packets that you add to the tomato paste and water, in the past. Needless to say, I have not made enchiladas in a long time.  I hate all the msg and other yucky ingredients.  Today I searched online for recipes and this one had awesome reviews.  I added a couple of ingredients and decreased the salt.  It is delish!!!  

After making the sauce...I poured a thin layer of sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan. Then I cooked up about 2 pounds of chicken along with some onion and bell pepper in some canola oil.  Once the chicken was cooked through I added the Enchilada sauce to the meat mixture.  I scooped about 1/4-1/3 cup of the mixture into a small taco size tortilla, sprinkled on some cheese and laid it, seam side down, in the prepared pan.  Once the pan is full, pour more sauce over the top to coat.  Then sprinkle more cheese on.  Bake @ 375 degrees until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.  Enjoy!!! 

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8-1/4 cup chili powder, to taste with more chili powder the spicier ( I used 3Tbsp)

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt (1/4 tsp)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons sugar

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

cayenne, to taste if you want more spice (I didn't use this.  My kids don't like spicy foods at all!) 

Directions:  Heat oil with cornstarch in saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute.  Add in chili powder and cook for another minute.  Gradually stir in the broth, mixing well with a whisk to make sure you get out the lumps.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Simmer until thickened on low.
http://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-enchilada-sauce-222519?oc=linkback

Job Description

Some of the things you NEVER hear about being a stay-at-home mom would make some turn quickly on their heels and run away screaming in hysterics.  I think it's one of life's best kept secrets.  Being a stay-at-home mom is one of the most rewarding jobs that exists.  AND at the same time the HARDEST, most challenging career any woman could choose to pursue.  The blessings greatly outweigh the costs, but at times I can easily see why women might want to quit...and run away screaming!

The paycheck stinks...let's be honest now.  LOL!
The hours are horrific.
The job description is scary.

I mean WHAT would it say, if it were listed in the classifieds?

In need of good, strong courageous women who are willing to be up at all hours of the night; becoming sleep deprived beyond compare.
Willing to clean up after little people again and again and again...and even yet again!
Willing to clean up ANY bodily fluid at a moments notice.
Able to clean crayon and marker off the walls.
Needs to be good at cooking, cleaning, doing mounds and mounds of stinky laundry,wiping tears, kissing booboos, wiping boogers, stopping fights, reading bedtime stories, playing pretend, giggling and being silly, getting dirty, being creative, consoling a crying child...

It's is an overwhelming task that without the help of my Heavenly Father, I wouldn't be able to do it.  But somehow the positive outweighs all of those negatives.  There are days when I want to rip all my hair out...but then I'd be bald and that just wouldn't be very flattering!  So, I choose an alternative.  I fall to my knees and ask for help.  I don't have a clue how to do it all.  But Father in Heaven does!

So, even though this job is the hardest I have ever had, it is the best job too.  I am so thankful to be able to see the good things that come.  What trials we thought we could never get through have a way of passing and then we look back and see how far we have come; what we have learned that we might not have learned otherwise; we see the blessings.  I love the tiny things...the firsts.  The first smile, laugh, belly laughs, sitting up, crawling, the wonder of discovering their hands, the first words.  I love when they want to be "BIG" just like me.  I love when they find joy in Heavenly Father's creations; and no matter how often they see them they bring wonder and happiness to their eyes.

The first day of Nursery is sometimes scary and eventually they learn to love it.  The first day of school is terrifying and exciting and I learn to let go a little.  Now TJ is 14 and has had his first dance.  He'll start High School in a few short weeks...along with early morning seminary. Before I know it he'll be heading off on his mission.  When I think about it that way, I enjoy the sitting and holding the baby even more.  I soak up every moment with them.  We don't have to be perfect house keepers or perfect at making fabulous dinners.  We have to try our best.  One moment at a time.

I think peanut butter and jelly for supper is a wonderful idea!!!

Mending

There are those things that we put off until we have time to do them. And eventually we find a free moment and we remember that thing that needs doing and we finally get it done.

I have been meaning to fix Alex's winter jacket for about 8 or 9 months now.  We bought it new last year. After a short time wearing it Alex came to me and showed me how frustrating it was to zip. You see...the way it is made, there is a flap of material that is supposed to lay flat behind the zipper. I'm still unsure of it's purpose. I'm sure someone in the sewing world would know this random piece of information right off the top of their heads. But not me.

This lovely little flap kept getting caught in the teeth of the zipper EVERY time he tried to zip it up. Even though I tried to show him how to protect the fabric by putting his finger behind the zipper as he zipped up, the material began to tear. Finally,after there were a few small tears plus a larger, more noticeable one, he decided he didn't want to wear it anymore and we found an old coat of TJ's that was stashed somewhere, forgotten, and he wore that instead.

So today, while folding laundry, I finally found the determination to get this job completed. I took the flap, folded in half toward the zipper, while tucking the torn part inside, and sewed it down with a quick whip stitch (thanks to Cheryl Helm for teaching me that lovely little stitch!). It was a bit tedious and time consuming, to say the least. Once the hand stitching was complete I took that lovely flat and layed it flat, against the inner lining of the jacket, away from the zipper.

Then I used the sewing machine and did a simple, but effective, straight stitch from the inside of the jacket with a color that matched the jacket. Once complete, I put the jacket onto Alex and showed him how smoothly it glided up and down because that silly little flat was effectively tucked away. It didn't seem to impress him all that much, but it put a smile on my face! I just saved myself some money. :) That ALWAYS makes me smile!!

Now, when I purchase a jacket that has one of those flaps, I am going to take it home and sew the flap back against the inside of the jacket.