A taste of yummy Indian cuisine when in a hurry- aka Tandoori Chicken

So, two weeks ago, I got inspired via Facebook to make Tandoori Chicken.  It is one of may favorite dishes.  Sadly, the last time I had enjoyed it was my last trip to Cape Canaveral for work.  So, I decided to research it, find and easy recipe, and make it.  Luck was on my side.  The second recipe I looked at was easy, had ingredients I can get in Butte (via Hennessy Market), and didn't take much time to cook.  The ctch was, I had to make it the night before we were to have it.  But, oh my, it was worth it!  I have to give credit to the recipe to http://eclecticrecipes.com/  I love food blogs by moms.  I will post the recipe as found on her blog at the close of this entry. 

When I was preparing the spices, I was shocked at the amount a dash of this and a touch of that can end up being.

But, I mixed it all and let it marinate over night.  The recipe called for baking it, but I chose to grill it.  Because I was so excited about this endeavor, the husband allowed (ha, allowed) me to "man" the grill.  The chicken was a beautiful sight to behold.

It was amazing!  It was kid approved!  That's right, it was picky eater (Connor) approved.  We will be keeping this recipe.  I hope you all give it a go.  Enjoy!


Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half

1 cup full fat Greek Yogurt

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method
Prepare chicken by pricking it with a fork to create holes for the marinade to get into the chicken breasts. Then combine all ingredients, except chicken in a large bowl. Mix well. Add chicken and marinate for 2-3 hours, or overnight, refrigerated.

Preheat oven to highest temperature, for me that’s 550 degrees. Bake chicken on wire rack over baking dish until golden and internal temperature is 165 degrees. You can also prepare this chicken on the grill.

To get the chicken a little more charred, I turned the broiler on high in the last few minutes of cooking, while watching carefully, so I didn’t burn it.

Fighting Adultitis!

Last weekend at the District 5 Engaged Encounter conference in Reno, NV, Tom and I accepted the challenge to fight Adultitis. Tonight, we began the battle with Barbarian Spaghetti! We heard the message delivered by Kim and Jason at http://www.kimandjason.com/ and http://www.adultitis.org/ and the epidemic of adultitis in the world. Tom and I realized we were beginning to suffer from this affliction. So, we decided to start implementing some of the ideas presented. We began with Barbarian Spaghetti.


What is Barbarian Spaghetti? Well, we chose plain ol’ spaghetti and meat balls.

We draped the table in a plastic tablecloth from the dollar store.

Then, we put some old t-shirts on the kids to protect their good clothes.

We decided to fight the good fight and made cherry Kool-Aid.

Then, we dumped the spaghetti on the table.

This is the point in time that the kids were shocked. The questions of what were we doing and where were the plates began. Once we pulled a pile of the yummy spaghetti to their spot at the table (with a fork), Aidan dived in.

It took Connor a few more minutes to really buy in. However, when he did, he LOVED it!

Aidan declared it the best dinner ever.

Connor decided it was fun to eat!

I have to say, I really enjoyed it. So did Tom!

Our spaghetti was not fancy. Nope, Barilla spaghetti sauce and frozen turkey meatballs. The best part was the clean up!

So, that was Barbarian Spaghetti! We loved it! I think it is a keeper and we will be doing it again. We fought Adultitis and won tonight 

Now for something completely different...

I am a working mom.  My readers probabally know that.  I cook dinner almost everynight.  ALMOST...let's face it, some days Little Ceaser's pizza is a life saver.  I have always cooked dinner in the span of Toma nd I dating and through our marriage.  I learned to cook from my mother and grandmothers.  I watch Food Network.  I love to cook.  Now, you may be wondering where I am going with this.  I thought I might share some of my "Workin/Busy Mom" recipes that have gotten the husband and children seal of approval.  This isn't a rant about the Working Mom vs. Non-working Mom debate.  Nope.  Many SAHM are completely swampped.  They are just as busy.  Three of my favorite SAHM home-school moms are some of my favorite people to do recipe swap meets with.  (Oh look, a hanging preposition!).  Anyhow, so I have decided to share some of the yummy time savers I have concocted or come across.  Today's recipe was a tweak on a recipe I use for Sunday breakfast and didn't have all the ingredients for.  Enjoy!

Taco Egg Pie


3 corn tortillas
4 eggs (or 1c egg substitute)
¼ c sour cream
¼ c Spicy (salsa) Ranch salad dressing
¼ tsp cumin
1 tsp Johnny’s Garlic Bread seasoning
2 ½ c. co-jack cheese, shredded (divided)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 in. pie plate. Cut 2 of the tortilla in half. Place the whole corn tortilla in the center of the pie plate. Use the 4-half tortillas to complete the edging and creation of the bottom crust of the pie. Cover the tortillas with 2 c of the cheese. In a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, ranch, cumin, and Johnny’s Garlic Bread seasoning. Mix until well blended. Pour over the cheese in the pie plate. Top with the remaining ½ c of cheese. Bake at 350°F for 50 min, or until eggs are set. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting. Serve with the fixings of your liking.

A rant on texting and the internet

During this day of being plugged into everything, I wonder if something has been lost.  We are plugged into our phones through texting and searching the internet.  We are plugged into Facebook and consider it to be face to face interaction.  I am not innocent of these acts.  But, I wonder, if somewhere along the way, we have forgotten the meaning of human to human interaction.  I wonder if he we have forgotten the importance of hearing a voice on the other end of the phone wishing us well or telling us some momentous news.  Have we forgotten how to be human?  I am reminded of an Outer Limits episode, "The Haven," where there is no human to human interaction. 

I am the first to admit that I am a text junkie.  However, I think I have limits on to what I will text.  I think big announcements to family members need to be person to person or by a phone call.  Not the "congrats, guess what?" text.  Also, I think that a phone call to wish someone something such as Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, or even Happy Mother's Day is better than a post on Facebook, especially if it is to a family member.  Recently I have received those texts and even gotten into "hot water" for not making those posts on Facebook.  I felt a little bit of myself wither each time.  I felt as if I wasn't worthy of that person's one on one communication.  Those moments have left me feeling a bit bitter.  Who am I kidding?  Those moments have really irked me.  A bit of my naiviety and optimistic outlook died.  So, if I am a bit bitter, I apologize.  I am just dealing with the fact that impersonal faceless communication has become the norm.

I am being a December Outcast

I know that I am not the only one.  I know that everyone suffers emotional slumps.  These past few weeks/months I have been in an emotional slump/funk.  I know my husband is starting to get concerned.  They usually only last about a week and I am over it for a bit.  I have no idea why it is sticking this time.  Family drama has been playing out on both sides of the family that has me ready to scream and start cursing like a sailor.  But, that would get me no where.  But, even in this smotional slump, I am finding joy and reasons to laugh.  My husband and children.  So, maybe this slump is lasting a little longer because I haven't sone the shut down, wallow, and sleep 14 hours a day.  I don't have the time or inkling this time.  I suppose that is a good sign.  I just do not like being a depressive person.  But, let me tell you, I am as joyous as a fart in a car full of boys this month.  You know something is amiss you just can't pinpoint the source.  The drama laama's continuos visits have helped me decide to shutdown(i.e. deactivate) my Facebook account for two months, at least, begining Feb 1.  I am not removing myself from the world, I am just distancing myself from the Facebook drama.  So, I will not go down and wallow in self pity without a fight.  It is not productive and a waste of time.  I think it maybe time to find some sunlamps, up the Vitamin D dose, and play Polly Pockets a bit more.  Nope, not going to go down to stinky wallowing without kicking and screaming.  To those that bring the drama, I am happy being an outcast.

Quotes, Adventures, and Answered Prayers

Lately I have been posting on Facebook what I am calling "Life in Three Year Old Boy Land!"  It is often quotes or something that Connor (aka Bubba or Mac) comes up with.  I thought that maybe I would share some of those things on here:

08/23/10: Today's quote from "Three Year Old Boy Land" came at dinner tonight. "Mom, my ice cubes are little-ing. I need new ones." Today's quote was brought to you by the ice cube maker and sun tea :)


08/22/10: Today's quote from "Three Year Old Boy Land," is "Mom, can I tickle your teeth?" Today's quote is brought to you by your dentist and Crest Pro Health.
 
08/19/10: Today's quote from "Three Year Old Boy Land" is "I am not Connor! I am Big Boy that is Three!" Personally, I will just keep calling him Connor, the other name is to hard to yell. Today's name change has been brough to you by A Big Boy That is Three!
 
08/16/10: The word of the day from "Three Year Old Boy Land" is "hooker." As in "Daddy has a hooker on his four leeler(yes leeler). It pulls the camp trailer." Todays word was brought to you by Tow Balls, Camp Trailers, and a giggling mommy drinking her coffee.
 
08/14/10: Todays life lesson in "Three Year Old Boy Land": Remote Control trucks inside make Mom wonder WTF Dad was thinking by letting him play with it inside. Today's lesson brought to you by Advil and Dove Dark Chocolate :)
 
08/13/10: When things are advertised as "indestructable," you know it is a lie. If they want things to be truly indestructable it need to be advertised as "3-year old boy proof, proven to survive a little boy's TLC."
 
I don't know how many people read this blog, so some of my readers may not know that I have only one sister and was not raised around little boys.  Connor is an adventure for me.  I never know what to expect from him.  Aidan is also an adventure for me.  This past week I realized that this is the best adventure I have EVER been on.  I am blessed to see my children growing up.  I have also come to realize, that throught them God answers most of my prayers.  If I pray for patience, God gives me ample opportunity to practice patience.  If I pray for wisdom, Aidan will want to stay up late talking tp me about things I would never have thought to cross her mind.  These discussions make me stop and think.  They also give me insight into the depth of my daughter.  I am not ashamed to say how proud I am to be her mother.  When I pray for guidance, I had to guide Aidan through an emotionally painful moment.  I cried with her during that time.  I cried because it was something that I remember going through and if I could, I would shelter her from it.  I cried because of her strength.  When I pray for God to give me time to stop and smell the roses, Connor is not easily motivated and I have to slow down and stop and watch the ant crawl across the patio with him. 
 
So, my adventures with my children have included rediscovering the wonder of everything, mooing at cows, running through the sprinkler, and sometimes just sitting and hugging and giggling.  My adventures are not grand adventures.  However, they are the best ones I have experienced.  Tonight Aidan and I made muffins and sat on the floor and watched them bake.   I prayed for God to give me a slow down so I could catch my breath.  Tonight he gave me muffin time.  Today I prayed for a giggle.  Tonight he game me little-ing ice cubes.  Today I prayed for my son to continue to be like his father.  Tonight Connor told me he loved meatloaf.  Today I prayed for strength for Aidan as we start school and dance.  Tonight we got her ears pierced and she did not even flinch.  My simple prayer for a slow down today gave me a chance to see that God is answering my smallest of prayers.  Even if he is aying "No," or "Not at this time."  So, tonight I go to bed with a thankful heart.
 
A happy heart makes the face cheerful,

but heartache crushes the spirit.
The discerning heart seeks knowledge,

but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

All the days of the oppressed are wretched,

but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.


Proverbs 15: 13-15 (NIV)

Comfortably Numb

Hello?



Is there anybody in there?


Just nod if you can hear me


Is there anyone at home?

When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse



Out of the corner of my eye


I turned to look but it was gone


I cannot put my finger on it now


The child is grown the dream is gone

I have become comfortably numb


There was a point in time that I prayed to be numb.  Numb to my inner struggles.  Numb to the world.  Numb to my husband.  Numb to turmoil.  Numb to pain.  Numb to my "negative" feelings.  You know what they say, be careful what you pray for.  I did become numb.  Numb to happiness.  Numb to my inner struggle.  Numb to love.  Numb to God.  Just plain numb.  During that time, I often drank myself numb. Emotionally I shutdown.  I was a shell.  Just going through the motions.  I still can't pinpoint the moment that I realized that I didn't want to be numb anymore. 
 
I am no longer numb.  Tonight I realized that I never want to be numb again.  If it hurts, then I need to feel all the raw pain (emotional or physical).  I need those up and downs to define me.  When you are numb, there is no color to be seen and no laughter to be heard.  There is no spice in life.  There is no joy and love in that gray fog. 
 
I do know my children and husband drive away any lingering desire to be numb.  As I weather the storm that is life, I want to feel the cold hard rain and the blistering sun.  I know that in all of that I will find my true purpose.  I can continue to dream a new dream.  So, I am no longer comfortably numb and I am thankful for that.