Two Recipes that Worked

Pinterest inspired me to try these two recipes out this past Saturday.  If you've never heard of Pinterest, you should check it out and just remember that I warned you because it can get really addicting...but also inspiring.

Anyway, to my surprise Justin LOVED both and I thought it may be worth sharing it with you all.  Yes, I was surprised because we can count on one hand how many dishes I've made that he truthfully enjoyed.  If you know me well enough you know that I definitely lack in cooking skills and desire, plus it's hard to beat both of our moms' cooking! 

Here's the first recipe:  

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
submitted by Erin from The Sisters Cafe
http://www.thesisterscafe.com/2008/12/crockpot-chicken-tortilla-soup-2

4 chicken breast halves
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained
2 15-oz cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 cup MEDIUM salsa (not mild)
1 4-oz can chopped green chilies
1 14 ½-oz can tomato sauce
Tortilla chips, not optional :)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp)
Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice or shred into bite-sized pieces. Stir into soup. To serve, put a handful of chips in each individual soup bowl. Ladle soup over chips. Top with cheese.

I'm not sure what the consistency is supposed to be, but mine turned out a little thicker and almost like a chili.  You can also find more info on it from readers' comments at the website I've provided above.

This second one is more like a snack or breakfast.  You may have even already tried it, but it was new to me:

PB&J Banana Burritos
http://www.missionmenus.com/cookbook/PBJBananaBurritos

2 Mission® Medium/Soft Taco Flour Tortillas
4 tablespoons Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter
2 tablespoons Smucker’s® Strawberry Jam, Jelly, or Preserves

2 bananas, peeled

Place tortillas on a paper towel and microwave for 10 seconds.  Spread 2 tablespoons peanut butter on each tortilla.
  Add 1 tablespoon jelly to each tortilla. Place the banana near the edge of the tortilla and fold up the ends of the tortilla.  Roll-up and enjoy!

I didn't do the measurements, used TJ's organic PB, and used guava jelly instead (thanks to you peeps in HI that sent it to us!), but it was still yummy!

I know this isn't our usual post of adventures, but this past Saturday was a different kind of one...an adventure staying in.  It was the first Saturday since we've moved here that we stayed in pretty much all day and relaxed.  I was getting over a cold, it was chilly outside so we lounged around the house doing things we haven't really had time for.  Justin actually planned to go golfing, but when he drove down the street it started drizzling so he came back home.  So instead, we rested, read, finished chores, played cards, made cookie dough, organized the bills, Justin played some video games, and I made these two things.  It seemed like a really long day, but I guess this is what happens when you don't have cable TV.  Isn't that funny?! 

A Welcomed Visit

A former Hickam coworker of mine was attending training in El Segundo for those contracting courses and it turned out to be a perfect opportunity for her to come visit me and Justin!  We knew this was a strong possibility before we moved here, so we were thrilled that the day had finally come to reconnect again!

Meet my friend, Debbie!

Bless her heart for driving through LA with traffic and aggressive drivers to come to Ventura!  We did some of my favorite things:  talk, eat, and shop! 

We went shopping at the Camarillo outlets and the Pacific View Mall...or I should say she watched and helped me get some Christmas shopping done.  She was looking for something specific and ended up not finding it, so she was very good and didn't spend a dime!  I wish I could say I do that all the time. :)

Justin joined us for dinner at Souplantation and it was a real treat on a cold night!  If you've never been to this chain restaurant, you should give it a try.  They have a huge soup/salad bar with farm fresh vegetables and make everything from scratch.  Pasta, breads, muffins, chocolate chip cookies, an ice cream machine are also some other things they have all at a very affordable price.  That place is always yummy!  When we first moved here, we ate here at least 3 times in a month.  I would go there every night if Justin let me. Haha!

Sunday morning we got to take her to church with us.  We've been visiting Community Bible Church of Ventura for a little over a month now and excited we got to share that experience with her!  It was encouraging to hear her say she enjoyed it for the same reasons that has been bringing us back every Sunday.

We dropped Justin off at a park near our home, since he wanted to watch some serious soccer players.  We got to watch Tyler (my cousin's older son) play soccer twice and it's been fun watching little 5 year-olds running around on the field.  So, since then Justin's been wanting to watch serious soccer, if you know what I mean. :)   While he watched these men play soccer Debbie and I went to have brunch at a cafe in Oxnard, Cafe Amri.  Another place that was yummy!  Their cinnamon rolls are to die for!!!  I mean they were so good, I couldn't stop thinking about it.  Of course we brought home all our leftovers for Justin to also enjoy.

This rounded up our time with Debbie.  It was so fun catching up and sharing stories on how much our work environments changed from when we worked together in Hawaii.  She's been such a good co-worker friend and I know that's hard to come by, always smiling and bubbly.  We cried and laughed together about life throughout the short 3 years we've known each other, even though it seems like I knew her longer.  We were grateful that we got to share with her a little bit of how our life here is in Ventura and welcome you too to come visit anytime!

Thanksgiving

While in Hawaii, we met some great friends at FBCPC: Mason and Regina. They are from New Mexico and I remember all sorts of stories Mason would tell about things he would do on the weekend and just talk about his life and family back home. It was hard to fully appreciate some of his stories since it was so different compared to life on the islands. Well, a couple months ago while they were visiting with us in California, Mason invited us to spend Thanksgiving with them in his hometown. Rae and I didn’t want to impose, but he insisted that his family would love to have us over. I started getting really excited about going and the next thing you know I was online searching for the flights. It wasn’t long before the tickets were purchased and the countdown began.

Let the adventure begin...

Flew out of Burbank early Fri. morning with a layover in Vegas. This picture of Lake Mead was taken just as we left Vegas.

It was deer season and Mason and his brother each got a deer. This poor guy's head was frozen and awaiting clean up to get mounted.

It was also quail season. I tagged along with Mason and his two cousins and they got a Blue (left) and a Bobwhite (right).

 Feeding time...These cows belong to their family and live out in their back yard. Mason called them "Rae's kids" because Rae fell in love with them. She could just stand there for hours and watch them (and they don't do anything except eat and poop). In a few months, unfortunately for these cows, they'll end up being supper :) The beef will be able to feed the family for the year.

NM has been experiencing a drought and was very dry, but the sunsets were spectacular.

Land is plentiful here. We spent the day riding four-wheelers across thousands of acres of land owned by a family friend. We got to drive through herds of cattle and had to maneuver around cow pies and be careful not to run over any thorns that could flatten our tire.

Out clay shooting on a friends ranch. Growing up on a small island like Hawaii, owning a gun was pretty much unheard of and used only for self-defense or as a weapon . However, out in the country it's more of a tool.

Mason, Regina and his entire family were so friendly and hospitable. Their home was always open for people to drop by and "visit" (a.k.a. talk story). They made us feel at home and welcomed us into their family. We really enjoyed getting to know them.

This was truly a unique and enjoyable experience for Rae and I. Not only was the scenery different, but the lifestyle was so laid back and easy going. I loved it! Nobody was in a big rush. Everything slowed down and the days even seemed longer. This was made strikingly apparent to me when I decided to check my work email one day. My blood pressure shot through the roof and I was starting to get really warm.

Of course when Friday rolled around, that meant we had to say good-bye. It was really sad to have to leave especially since we didn't know when we would see Mason and Regina again. We really felt blessed and thankful that we were able to be a part of their extended family for the week.