Pollo Chicken Fajitas

Fast. Easy. Cheap. Healthy. Incredibly TASTY.

Pollo Chicken Fajitas. You must try these! (Picture from Allrecipes.com)

We have been trying to add more fruits and vegetables into our diet lately, which has led me on a search for new, tasty recipes. I tried this one last night and it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Jake raved about it all night; I have been anxiously waiting for him to get home today so we can eat the leftovers for dinner. Simply put, they are delicious!

I found it on Allrecipes.com. A lot of the reviews added a few ingredients to the original recipe. I hesitate to not follow a recipe exactly as it reads (I am a cook in progress) so I was a little nervous to change it up, but it turned out great! I thought I would share it with you. This is my tweaked version of the recipe:


1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 Tsp chili powder (Originally I put this as Tablespoons, it is actually Teaspoons. So sorry for any confusion!)
Little bit of cumin (I used 4 small dashes)
1 lime, juiced 
1-2 cloves of minced garlic (I used 1 1/2 cloves)
4 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1-2 green and/or red peppers, sliced
1 lemon

1. Combine Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, soy sauce, chili powder, cumin, lime and garlic. Place chicken strips in sauce, and turn once to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for several hours.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. (I sprayed skillet with cooking spray and reduced oil to 1/2 Tbsp.) Add chicken strips to the pan, and saute for 5 minutes. Add the onion and green pepper, and saute another 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

A few tips: 
-The veggies weren't quite done after 3 minutes, so I think next time I will put them in the skillet when I put in the chicken.
-Do NOT overcook the chicken. 8 minutes doesn't seem like a lot, but it should be plenty of time.
-I served them in warm tortillas. You could garnish with cheese and sour cream, it just might not be as healthy... but, oh, so much tastier...


Try it. Let me know what you think!

Graduation-- He did it!

Jake is officially an ALUMNUS of USU!

Jake and his best friend, Craig. These guys have done everything in life together, so it seemed fitting they were able to graduate together!

A few weeks ago Jake was able to walk in his graduation ceremony. He technically graduated in December, but the school only has a commencement ceremony in the Spring. Words can't describe the joy I felt to see him walk that day. This has been such a long and hard road for both of us. I am so proud of all that he has accomplished and learned while earning his degree.

It's been a joy to see the progress Jake has made as a student from when we first met to where he is today. He has taught me wonderful lessons about hard work, perseverance, and dedication. He has definitely paid the price to get to where he is today.

When we first got married, we had a "plan" for how the first few years of our marriage would be. Like it often does, our "plan" did not go the way we had in mind, but that is okay. I'm not sure we would have M with us, had it gone as planned! God always has a better way-- usually not easier, but better. I am thankful we decided to push through all of the hard times and sacrifices in order to make both of our schooling a reality. These experiences have stretched us and have caused us to grow in ways that we couldn't have anticipated.

USU Alumni :) 

We are thankful for ALL of the help we have received from up above. There were endless prayers offered for HELP and guidance as we completed our schooling. God answers prayers; miracles do happen! A special thanks to all of our family for your support and prayers as well. We have the best cheerleaders in the world. We love you!

Congrats, Hon! You are quite the academic. I am so proud of you!

Now for graduate school...

God Bless Oklahoma

My heart and prayers go out to the people of Oklahoma affected by the tornadoes this week. I can't wrap my mind around what it must be like for them as their lives have changed instantly.

I was watching some news coverage on the tornadoes yesterday, and it showed an interview with a reporter and one of the teachers from Plaza Elementary, the school that was hit the worst. The reporter asked the teacher exactly what happened as the tornado was coming. The teacher explained that she sent the kids to the bathroom for safety and said she would stay out in the hall. She was told she needed to get in the bathroom with her kids. She did so, placing the kids underneath her.

She said the kids were crying. One of her students said, "I love you, Ms. Crosswhite. I don't want to die with you today."

In response to the student, she firmly said, "Everything is going to be okay. We are not going to die today!"

She then said, "I did the teacher thing to do, that we're probably not supposed to do, and I prayed. And I prayed out loud." 

The reporter asked her, "What did you say?"

"I said, God, please don't take these children today."

***

Bless all of the teachers in the world; especially all of the Ms. Crosswhites, who pray for and protect his/her students. May we all remember to show more gratitude and support for our teachers, and may we all remember it should be in God we trust.

God bless you, Oklahoma.

Clip of Ms. Crosswhite 

My Angel Mother

*I have been working on this post for awhile now, but was gone on Mother's Day, and never got it posted. I know Mother's Day has past, but I still want to share it to honor my Mom.

Abraham Lincoln, whom I love, said "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." 

This statement resonates with me. I would not be the person I am today without my Mom. She has always been there for me. She is such a good, strong woman. She has built her life on the foundation of her faith. I am grateful for the choices she has made that have shaped her into the Mother that she is.
 

Through the years, her and my Dad have taught me innumerable lessons and truths about life. In this post I will focus on my Mom, though. (Remember, this is for Mother's Day!) There is no way I can express all that she has taught me, but today I share some of the lessons I value most from her.

1. She taught me how to work. My Mom is not afraid to work. She is extremely dedicated and detailed in whatever she does. As kids, if we would slack off in our chores or school work, she would always tell us, "You need to take pride in your work!" We would say, "Oh Mom, this doesn't really matter because... (insert an excuse)." In response she would say, "It does matter; how you work says a lot about you! Always work hard in everything you do." Because of her, I know that opportunities come when we do our very best and put in the time to work for something.

2. She taught me the importance of an education. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that both my parents are teachers, but at a young age my siblings and I knew that gaining an education was important. My mother has always told us that an education will open doors for you in life. She worked diligently to receive her teaching degree with four small kids at home. There were nights where she would study all night and close the books when us kids would wake up. To this day, she still takes any chance she can to further her education.

 3. She taught me how to treat others with charity and to forgive. She taught me to speak kindly about everyone; especially people whom I may find it hard to speak kindly about. I learned the importance of giving people the benefit of the doubt, and to not judge others. Everyone is doing the best they know how to do. She was always quick to jump in to serve others--and she always did it with a happy attitude. Most importantly, she taught me how to have charity towards your husband and children. Seriously, she is so patient with all of us. It is rare to see her lose her temper. She gave us the gift of being raised in a home where our Mom was always happy and kind. (This does so not mean she is a pushover... She could hold her ground as a parent when needed!)

4. She taught me how to create an uplifting home environment. When my siblings and I started entering our teen years, she received a distinct thought to "flood our home with the Gospel." And she did. We had pictures of Christ and temples on our walls. She put quotes from Prophets and Apostles all over our bathroom mirrors. Our background noise in the house was uplifting music. We had books all over the house about uplifting things such as prayer, scripture study, and building relationships. Through her efforts there was, and still is, a tangible Spirit in my parent's home.

5. She taught me how to live and love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All I can say is she exemplifies everything about this statement through her thoughts, words, and actions. She joined the church as a young adult, jumping in with both feet wanting to know everything about it. She still has that same thirst for knowledge today. Applying and discussing the Gospel was part of our everyday conversations at home. She has truly showed me what it looks like to live as a disciple of Christ.

Thanks for all you have done for me, Mom! All that I hope to be I owe to you. I love you and hope to instill these same lessons in my own children. Happy Mother's Day!!!

Bring on the big boy toilet!!!

Tomorrow is a big day for M. Tomorrow he will be learning how to use the big boy toilet!

The supplies are bought and ready to go:

We've got the Mickey Mouse toilet seat M picked out, a new stool (so he can reach the toilet), training undies, and rewards for going #1 (Tootsie rolls) and #2 (Woody Buzz fruit snacks).

I have been putting this day off for awhile. Partly because I have heard it is better to wait until boys are a little older. Partly because of procrastination. I have been researching exactly how to train a child to use the toilet, and this morning I decided tomorrow was the day. No more diapers! I have high hopes. I really think he will catch on fast... at least that is what I am hoping, but I suppose time will tell.

Wish us luck!

Meet Sis. Diamond

This is Sis. Diamond. She is M's nursery leader. Simply put, she is the neatest lady ever! We love her.

M is also in love with cement trucks. Sis. Diamond knows this. Her husband and boys poured cement at their house last week, and she invited us to bring M to watch.

I don't know what M loved more: being at her house, or watching the cement truck. Either way, he LOVED it! Thank you Diamond family!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

We had just a simple, yet so nice, Mom's Day this year. Saturday night, Jake took me to Tucano's. We ate way too much, and it was so yummy. It is always a good time with him. We were home last weekend, so we thought we better stay put this weekend. Early Sunday morning, though, we decided to go home and see our family.

First stop, we surprised Larry and Deanne by showing up to go to church with them. After church they were going to a dinner, but it was nice to spend a few hours with them at church. M is always happy to see them!

Next we went to a bbq at Grandma and Grandpa Pete's house. It was so nice to see all of the family there! We also surprised my parents by being there. They had no clue we were coming! M was thrilled to see everyone, especially the cousins. I am so happy for opportunities he has to get to know them better. I grew up in a family where family was, and is, so important. It makes me happy to see M building relationships with his cousins. His older cousins took the younger kids to go play at the park... and wow, he thought that was awesome!

And, of course, M had to get in some driving time where we were in the country. Jake thoroughly enjoys showing him the ropes of country life...

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers in my life. It is awe-inspiring to think of all the things I have learned from my different mothers. I am humbled for the blessing it is to have the title of 'Mother.' I thank Heavenly Father every day for sending me our little guy to raise. M has taught me more than I could have ever learned on my own. Love you, Little Man!

Tidbits from Women's Conference 2013

Last week I had the chance to attend Women's Conference at the campus of BYU. I was lucky enough to go with my Mom, sisters, and my cousin (which we were so happy to have her...she is awesome!). This was the first time any of us had gone, and we loved it! By the end of the day, we had decided to make the conference an annual tradition. If you want to be uplifted and inspired, this is a great conference to attend.

I just want to share a few insights and things I learned at the conference, so here goes...

* In order to experience the peace that "passes all understanding," we need to know and learn of the source that it comes from--our Savior and His Gospel.

*We show our love and devotion to God through our choices and actions.

* The only things that really MATTER in life our are family, relationships, and our relationship with God.

* We will be judged as we judge others, so HEAP on the MERCY!

* Often times, as we develop our talents, we make it easier for God to help us.

* In marriage, we have to intentionally, purposefully work at strengthening our marriage. Otherwise, we will drift apart.

* Always speak kindly of Jake, which I always strive to do. But also, teach our children to speak highly of their spouses when the time comes for them to be married. Children need to see positive examples of a marriage relationship.

* Men can be taught romance. Not by criticism, but by giving them a vision of it time, and time, and time again.

* God protects His righteous saints from feelings of discouragement through prayer and keeping the commandments.

* I was reassured of the Prophet Joseph Smith's declaration that, "Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it.” God loves each and every one of us so much. Despite heartache and trials, He truly desires us to be HAPPY. With His help, we can be. We just need to do our part and "...pursue the path that leads to it." 


It was a beautiful conference. I was touched by the power women have to influence the world for the better. If you would like to learn more about the messages of the conference, read here. It will change your life!