Sopa Azteca

2-3 chicken breast halves
1/2 Tbsp. crushed garlic
1/2 med. onion, diced
1-29 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 c. chicken broth (use water from boiling chicken + 2 tsp. chicken bouillon powder)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 Tbsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 celery ribs, sliced
1-4 oz. can diced chiles
1-2 halved and sliced zucchini
1-2 halved and sliced summer squash

Directions:
Boil chicken and shred. Set aside. Saute garlic and onion together. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and spices. Bring to a boil. Add chicken, carrots, celery and chiles; let simmer until vegetables are tender. Add zucchini and summer squash and simmer until tender. Add more chicken broth if soup is too thick.
May serve over fried corn tortilla strips or crushed Fritos. Top with shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro--whatever sounds good to you. This is a great soup to use up summer vegetables.

Zion National Park, April 2011

A friend of mine asked me today if Kenji ever stops moving. I told her that Taylor said once that we'd know if Kenji was dead, because he would stop moving. He even moves in his sleep. He is a mover and shaker, that one. But how can I complain? I've seen a few children with feeding tubes over the last month or so, lying listless and quiet; my heart breaks for their parents. So, even if my baby climbs me like I'm a mountain or bounces incessantly, I'll take it.
Tonight I read the talk by Elder Scott (one of Kenji Scott's namesakes) from this last General Conference (April 2011). It was called "The Eternal Blessings of Marriage". He related several touching experiences about his wife and his family, but one in particular stands out to me.
He said, "One night our little son Richard, who had a heart problem, awoke crying. The two of us heard it. Normally my wife always got up to take care of a crying baby, but this time I said, “I’ll take care of him.”
"Because of his problem, when he began to cry, his little heart would pound very rapidly. He would throw up and soil the bed clothing. That night I held him very close to try to calm his racing heart and stop his crying as I changed his clothes and put on new bedsheets. I held him until he went to sleep. I didn’t know then that just a few months later he would pass away. I will always remember holding him in my arms in the middle of that night."
I can't imagine the hole that losing a child must leave, or having no control but to watch or to struggle to comfort an ailing child, but I am grateful for Elder Scott's example of faith in the Plan of Salvation and the peace he exudes.
I am so utterly grateful for the health and growth of my children.
Three of Kenji's top front teeth broke through this weekend, with the fourth close behind. He will have sprouted six teeth in a matter of days! It is a relief to him and to me that they have finally cut through; he was miserable for a week or so there.
Taylor is maturing so well. It will only be a matter of weeks before he is taller than I am. He has a good handle on things--turning 12 and entering sixth grade has brought him many extra responsibilities, but he is adapting well. He often cares for Kenji when I need help--without being asked. He even got him to sleep this afternoon when Troy and I couldn't get him to calm down.
Gabrielle is also growing up to be such a young lady. She has a great blend of beauty and kindness. She is a great student and diligent with her work at school and at home. She is now working on a project of Japan for her school's fourth grade "Around the World" presentations. She has also created a fictional land with its own language, clothing, geography, plants, and natural resources as a project for her GATE class. It is pretty impressive. She even made up an alphabet and numbering system for her country.
Troy is still team roping. He won a little bit of money Thursday night at the Las Vegas "Helldorado Days" roping with Dell. He works hard at everything he does. He is my best friend and I am grateful for him. He is loyal to me and he loves our children deeply.
I'm mostly grateful for the way the Lord has guided and continues to guide my life. I'm glad He protects me from myself (making stupid choices) and I'm glad He doesn't give me my way when I don't need what I think I need. He has helped me to change, to be more positive and happy; I hope I can continue to have the courage to allow Him to keep working with me. I have a long way to go, I know, but it doesn't worry me anymore. I am just grateful for each new day because I get to start again.
Took the kids to Salt Lake to see Mom and Dad off on their mission and to visit with Cindy and family. Had a great weekend there. On the way home we stayed over in Cedar City and then headed up to Zion National Park for part of a day. So this is the picture I'm posting today: the kids at Zion.

Comfort Food

Troy and Taylor love this. I enjoy it as well. I think I could make it every week and they would be happy. Not low fat, but many of my recipes aren't. Just serve it with a green salad and fill up on that first. :-)

Chicken Pot Pie

4 chicken breast halves, boiled and diced
2 potatoes, peeled,diced, and cooked (leftover baked potatoes work great)
2 c. frozen vegetables--peas and carrots, corn, or a combination of all
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 sm. or 1/2 lg. onion,chopped
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
2 c. chicken broth (use 2 c. water from boiling chicken and 2 tsp. chicken bouillon)
1 c. milk (I use skim and it works great)
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

In a 9" x 13" pan, combine chicken, potatoes, and vegetables. Set aside.
Melt butter in large saucepan. Add celery and onion, cook over medium heat until soft. Add flour, salt and pepper; blend well. Stir in chicken broth and milk. Whisk constantly over medium heat until sauce thickens, abt. 2-3 minutes.
Pour sauce evenly over chicken and vegetables. Run a rubber scraper around the edges of the pan to allow sauce to run down between the chicken mixture and the sides of the pan. Cover with crust.

Pie Crust (for double 9" pie or for 9" x 13" pan)

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. shortening (chilled and cubed)
4-8 Tbsp. ice cold water or seltzer water

Blend flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture using pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 4 Tbsp. water or seltzer over crumbs and continue to blend. Add more water as needed, until dough holds together but is not sticky. Form dough into a ball. Cut two 15" long pieces of wax or parchment paper. Lay dough on one piece, flatten with hands, then lay second piece on top. Roll into a rectangle, approx. 10" x 14" or so and abt. 1/8" thick. Remove top layer of wax paper, carefully invert dough, and lay over the top of the pie filling. Peel bottom layer of wax paper off and discard. Flute edges of crust or tuck down the sides of the pan. Cut long slits in the top for air to escape.
Brush top of crust w/ milk, if desired. This will help the crust to brown.

Bake pie at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Spring Training

Had a great weekend! Troy got some tickets for a Diamondbacks Spring Training ball game for us on Saturday--Kenji's first baseball game. The weather was perfect, we had a nice room in Phoenix, travel was easy (of course, that's me talking--Troy did all the driving... ;-)) But I thoroughly enjoyed Troy and the kids and just getting away for a day or two. Best of all, baby Stitch slept for almost 8 hours in his car seat in the hotel room!!! It was the first time I've slept that many hours in a row since I can remember! So nice. I am grateful that life is good, but I am learning to be grateful for for my challenges as well, because that is how strength and character are developed. I am learning to have hope because of the atonement; if not for that it would be so easy to give up, particularly when my own progress seems so slow, or even non-existent. Again, I am grateful for second chances, grateful for the times the Lord cares enough to show me my weaknesses and to chasten me. I'm so grateful to be a wife and mother. I feel more complete now than I ever have, even though I know I have much more to do; I am where I am supposed to be. I'm so grateful for our children, and especially for Stitcher, right now, because he has been the one missing for so long. It feels so right to finally have him here with us!

Okay, not sure if I've shared this recipe with anyone before, but I like this one quite a bit, plus it is quick and easy. So here goes:

Mexican Lasagna
16 oz. sour cream
2/3 cans cream of chicken soup
2-12.5 oz. cans chicken breast
2-4 oz. cans diced green chiles
1 sm. pkg. corn tortillas
1-1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar or co-jack cheese

Mix together sour cream, chicken soup, chicken breast, and chiles. Spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom of 9 x 9 or 11 x 7 pan. Cut tortillas into quarters and layer over sauce. Alternate layers of sauce and tortillas until all are used up. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.

Creamy Chicken Italiano (for the crockpot)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 c. water
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese (can be low-fat Neufchatel)
1 10 3/4 oz. cream of chicken soup

Place chicken in crockpot. Combine salad dressing mix and water. Pour over chicken. Cover. Cook on low for 3 hours (add 1 hour for frozen chicken). Combine cream cheese and soup until well blended. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour more or until chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice.

Easy and tasty, hope you like it. Got it from a good friend here in Logandale--Dottie Adams.

Life is good here: Taylor and Gabrielle had their last basketball games on Tuesday. They both had a good season. It was great fun to watch Taylor play when he really decided to show up for the games. Poor kid is too much like his mother; he has to turn off his brain and let instinct take over in order to perform. He does a better job of it than I do, however. Both kids are defensive menaces, but not foulers, in general (right, Taylor? :-))
We live in a windy, dusty, barren, hot-in-the-summer-and-cold-in-the-winter place, where I don't think anyone would choose to live based on anything like an educated decision. Most of us who live here do it because of the feelings we have about the place and about living here. Such a community, so many wonderful friends and neighbors, so much support. I'm finally to the place that if and when we move on, it will be with fond regret. (But I won't miss the wind. Or summer.) ;-P

Today's Recipe

Got this recipe from my sweet mother while visiting her over the Christmas break. It was a sweet, calm, relaxing visit, and I enjoyed my parents thoroughly. I feasted on this bread every morning, since Mom had made plenty. I copied it down to enjoy at home, as well as to keep the memories of my visit in my mind. Of course, since it was me making the recipe, I changed it--as always--but I like it. See what you think!

Round Whole Wheat Loaves

3 c. all-purpose flour
3 c. whole wheat flour
2 pkgs. (or 4 1/2 tsp.) active dry yeast
3/4 c. warm water
1 c. warm milk
3/4 c. shortening
1/2 c. honey
2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
melted butter

1. In a large bowl, combine the flours; set aside. Ina large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, shortening, honey, salt and eggs. Beat in half of the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour mixture to form a soft dough.
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Shape into round loaves. Place each loaf on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 35 min.
4. With a sharp knife, make a deep "x" in top of each loaf. Bake @ 375 for 30-35 min. or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks; brush w/ melted butter.

My variation: After punching dough down, separate into three equal parts, covering two while working with one. Roll each section into a flat circle and cut into 8 equally-sized wedges. Roll each into a crescent and put onto greased cookie sheet, pointed side down. Cover crescents and let raise 15-20 min. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Brush with melted butter.

Today we had a fifth-Sunday combined meeting wherein we discussed the relevance of the Personal Progress and Scouting programs for the youth, as well as some of the issues they face which may keep them from achieving their potentials. I was once again reminded what a blessing it is to have the Gospel, to have others who are working with me to guide my children and help them to be spiritually and physically safe. I know that my responsibility to teach and guide them at home is paramount, and must not be left to others, but I am grateful for those who serve in their callings willingly, and who may influence my children in ways that I might not. My greatest desire is that my children will grow up in peace because they have followed the voice of the Spirit throughout their lives. I know that they must develop mastery of self in order to achieve this end--if one has no self-mastery, his agency is lost. The only thing we truly have to give to our Father is our will, and if we don't develop self-mastery, we are not capable of giving that gift to Him, and we cannot progress. My goal is to find an take more opportunities to teach my children gospel principles in every day life.