What's for Dinner?

Here's what we had for dinner tonight! SO delish!

Enchilada Casserole- Crockpot recipe!

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
28oz can enchilada sauce (I used red)
1 can black beans- drained and rinsed
6 corn tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever other cheese you prefer :)  )

Lightly spray crockpot w/Pam
Combine chicken and enchilada sauce
Starting with corn tortillas, layer ingredients into crockpot
I did:
-tortillas
-chicken/sauce
-beans
-cheese
repeat layers and finish with cheese. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.. No peeking or stirring! This one needs to stay covered!
Does it get any easier than this???
Enjoy!!

Flashback Friday

One year ago today......   We said goodbye for a LONG 7 months!                                  

I'm FOREVER grateful that he was brought home safely and I'm SO glad he's not leaving again anytime soon!! 

Progress

 I've been in a little funk lately as far as my weight loss goes so, I thought I would post a few older pics (mostly for myself) just so I can see my progress and how far I really have come!

It's been about 11 months since I decided I needed to make the change.. Not only for myself but for James and the kids too.

December 2009 (YIKES!!!)

 In March, shortly after James left on his deployment, I started working out twice a week with a trainer at the gym. I also went on a 1200 calorie diet.

                                                                   March 2010

 Slowly but surely, I started making progress. It's AMAZING what a little MORE exercising and a lot LESS eating will do!
                                                                      April 2010

 By May, I was down about 15 pounds and feeling much more energetic and confident.
                                                                         May 2010

                                                                      July 2010

                                                      August 2010     ( finally got some sense and got rid of my black hair!!!!!)

 

By September, I was down 45 pounds!!!!         

                                                                   September

Along comes "The funk". Here we are, about 5 months since James came home and I have not lost another pound! SOOO frustrating!!!

December

But, I HAVE made progress!

I HAVE lost 45 pounds!

I HAVE made it halfway to my goal!

I HAVE joined Crossfit and LOVING it!

and,

I KNOW that I can do ALL things through CHRIST who strengthens me!!

Valentine Playdate

 Earlier this week, we had a little Valentine playdate with my table from MOPS and our sister table. Only 3 moms from my table showed up, but we still had a great time and the kids loved every minute of it!

They did a little coloring...

 (Can you tell Styler was less than thrilled to be surrounded by girls?!?)

 And then it was time to frost and decorate some heart shaped cookies! YUM!

 Despite the look on Paige's face here, she really did have a lot of fun. Thanks Jennifer for hosting.. can't wait to do it again!

A day with the ducks!

Last weekend, we took a drive to Oceanside and made a stop at the Duck park out there. Paige and Luke had a BLAST! Next time, we will definitely be taking along a picnic lunch and making a day out of it!

 It didn't take long for Luke to end up on Daddy's shoulders... those crazy ducks are serious about their bread!

 Daddy The kids then thought it would be fun to run and scream and scare the ducks away... Boy did Daddy the kids enjoy that :)

A great family day!

23 months!!

So here I go getting all sentimental with my baby.. again! I cannot believe that in ONE month my little Luke-man will be TWO!!! Which means I will have a 2 year old AND a 3 year old... YIKES!! I thought I'd document a few things my baby boy is up to these days. So here's a little spotlight on Luke :)

At 23 months you are.....

CRAZY, hilarious, talkative, cuddly, VERY temperamental, smart, adventurous, stubborn, loving, sweet and definitely ALL boy!!

 Your favorite movie is Toy Story 3. We watch it everyday, sometimes twice!

Your favorite cartoon is Mickey Mouse clubhouse.

Your favorite part of the day is when your Daddy gets home from work. I LOVE your bond with your Daddy. You ADORE him!

You are an AWESOME eater! I think you would eat all day if we let you! Some of your favorites are KETCHUP, bananas, avocados, strawberries, apples, green beans,cinnamon cheerios, tuna, pizza, french fries (are you like your momma or what??) the list could go on and on!!

Your nicknames are Lukey and Luke-Man

You are a talking machine..it's adorable! Your newest phrase is "I yub yoooouuu" (I love you) but when you say "you" your lips are all puckered up for a kiss. You've also perfected "thank you" "what's this?" and "why?"

 You LOVE to dance. It's hilarious. If there's any kind of music on, you're shakin your booty!

 You can throw some pretty massive tantrums! You are very passionate.. and dramatic! You love your paci and your rag...enjoy that paci baby, you won't have it much longer :)

You love to be held, especially just before bed with your head on my shoulder. LOVE. THAT.

You have an excessive drooling problem... even if you're not teething...

 You love to climb on things and then jump off of them. Can you say heart attack for Mommy?!

 I LOVE that you are getting better about walking and holding my hand...you prefer that over the stroller anyday!

Most of all I LOVE the fact that you're MINE!! You are the most precious little boy in the whole wide world and we love you SO much! Happy 23 months baby boy! xoxoxo

1 Samuel 1:27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.

A recipe- Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos!!

I made these a few nights ago and they were a BIG hit! They were super easy and SO yummy! I kinda tweaked the recipe just a little.. a little less garlic, low-fat cream cheese, no cilantro (not a big cilantro fan)- stuff like that. If you try this recipe out, let me know what you think!
                                                       photo and recipe from ourbestbites.com  :)

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1Tbsp fresh lime juice (like half of a lime)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1tsp chili powder
1/2tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded mexican flavored cheese
small flour or corn tortillas ( I used flour)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Preheat your over to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between 2 paper towels until they are soft enough to roll- about 20-30 seconds.

Spoon 2-3 Tbsp of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.

Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until mixture is gone. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

Enjoy!!

What I'm LOVING today

   I heard this song the other day and I LOVE it! It spoke directly to me! I think everyone can relate to the lyrics of this song on some level. It makes you realize that these little annoying or frustrating things happen to everyone and they really are opportunities to grow closer to God and become more patient! The song is "This is the Stuff" by Francesca Battistelli (love her!)

                                                                       I lost my keys

In the great unknown

And call me please

Cause I can't find my phone

This is the stuff that drives me crazy.

This is the stuff that's getting to me lately.

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I've got to trust You know exactly what You're doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff you use

45 in a 35

Sirens and fines

 While I'm running behind

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff that's getting to me lately

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I've got to trust You know exactly what You're doing

It might not be what I would choose but this is the stuff You use

To break me of impatience

Conquer my frustrations

I've got a new appreciation

It's not the end of the world

This is the stuff that drives me crazy.

This is the stuff

Someone save me

In the middle of little my mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

And I've got to trust you know exactly what You're doing

Might not be what I would choose but this is the stuff You use

This is the stuff You use

LOVE is in the air!

So here we are, February 1st.. I can't believe it! I LOVE this month! I love the pink and red colors, the hearts, the valentines, the CHOCOLATES (duh!) but most of all I LOVE the fact that this is the perfect time to share with my kids (and others) about our perfect God and his perfect love for us! Loving our families and friends comes easily for most people but what about others? Lets face it, the only way to LOVE others is to love God first and with all of our hearts! So during this month, I'm going to be posting about the things I LOVE! I pray that God lays upon my heart better ways to love my family and that God's love can be seen through me by serving others. Happy LOVE month.. what are you loving today??

Today i'm loving this man!!!

I love that he is such a great provider for our family, I love that he loves our kids, I love that he is getting stronger in his relationship with the Lord, I love that I can make him laugh, I love that he can make me laugh :) I love that he lets me hold the remote ;) but most of all I love that he loves ME!

1 John 4:19 "We love because he first loved us."