Easy leftover fajitas.

My family loves fajitas.

LOVES them.

I love them too.  I love having just a little bit left over for my lunch the following day too.

(Don’t care so much for the fact that my hair still smells like them all night though…)

I have tried to find ways to cut down the cooking time on this favorite dish.  Cut down the cooking time, time that I get to babysit a pan on the stove, so I can play more, of course!

I have found a couple of tips recently that have helped me, and I thought I would share.

First off, I started using the left over chicken after we have roasted chicken.  We pick the chicken clean after we are done eating it (usually on a Sunday).  It makes for good quality time with the hubbs. ;)

(But this week, it made for good quality time with my momma.)

The next day (cause I am weird with left overs like that..) is when I use it.

This cuts down on cooking that chicken in the frying pan, and thus, babysitting..  or chicken sitting, I guess.

Then I will start my onions in the pan with just a little canola oil and garlic salt.  Just after I get those on, I take my peppers, cut them in half, de-seed them, and place them cut side down on a cookie sheet.  I put them under the broiler (on high) for just a few minutes until the skin is blackened.

(This cuts down immensely on the stove cook time.)

After those are done, I let them cool and then slice them up and add them to the onions.

Closely following into that pan is the chicken that is already broken up into bite-sized pieces (time saver!!!) to mingle with the peppers and onions.  I add my seasonings and let it simmer and heat the chicken through.

I think we all know what to serve this stuff with (minus the guac for me!).

I have recently found a new favorite way to eat it.  I have to admit that I thought I was a total genius, I even posted my genius on Facebook, only to have a “duh” moment after.

I will take tortilla chips (yellow corn chips please!) and sprinkle grated colby jack on them, microwave them just long enough for the cheese to get gooey, top that with the fajita mixture, then lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.

Yum.

Now for the “duh” moment..

One of my favorite restaurants, Costa Vida, does this same thing!  I have only seen them in person topped with sweet pork, and they are called, helloooo…  “Sweet Pork Nachos”.

I am such a blonde.

(Not that that is a bad thing to all you blondies out there!)

They are tasty nonetheless.

And here is a sneak peek at that fun project I did for my class:

Twinners.

Ashley has been planning for DAYS, what we would wear for our day together on Wednesday.  We have shirts that are similar, and she has wanted us to be twins.

I go to school with Ashley every Wednesday, committed to it at the beginning of the year in hopes that her teacher would get to know me, and that this year of kindergarten would go better than the other year of kindergarten we experienced.

That, and I have always dreamed of being able to help in my kids’ classrooms.  In the past couple of years, it just wasn’t going to happen.  A nursing baby, preschool schedule, etc.  This year was it.  I have to admit, that at the beginning of the year, I was already dreading EVERY Wednesday.  It is one thing to have the two of them ready in time to get to school, it is a whole other thing to have all of us ready.

I have been blessed with my dear mom who has come just about every week to play with Peyton for the two hours that I spend with Ash.  I have also been blessed with a good friend who has always been willing to help as well.

(Thank you!!!)

It has been a good thing for Ashley and me.

So when Ashley had another sleepless night, plagued with coughing and breathing issues, both of which kept her from going to school yesterday, I totally didn’t expect her to want to be my twin for the day.

She still wanted it, and I totally embraced it.  She even wanted twin hair.

(Minus the curls.  She hates it when I curl her hair.  A “flip” sufficed.)

How much longer will she even want to be like this?  Want to look just like her mom?

(And WILLINGLY take pictures with me?  It did help that I let her control the remote…)

So I ate it up.

And she was silly as usual..

It was fun going to the doctor and being twins there.

Ryker & Drake

I had a friend that I ran track with in junior high, and part of high school ask me if I would take pictures of her boys.  It was good to see her and so fun to take pictures of little boys!!

Aren’t they cute?

 

A little inspiration.

I do a lot at the computer.

(Page credits here.  You can download FREE template here.)

Edit pictures, digi scrapbook, blog, create other things digitally..  basically I spend a lot of time in Photoshop.

I have a few choices as to what I can do while I am doing that.  I can listen to music.  I can listen to the girls play.  I can sit in silence.  I can sing to myself.  Before the teenaged DVD player decided to be a grumpy teenager, I could listen to whatever movie (or “ooive” if you are three) the girls were watching, or I can talk on the phone..

I would rather not hear myself sing.  Really.  So that leaves  a few other options.

Around Christmas time, my mom shared a link on her Facebook page to a program on the Mormon Channel. 

Yup.  I am a LDS (aka “Mormon”) and quite happy with my life…

It was an interview with Ed and Lois Smart.  If you don’t remember, or just don’t know, their daughter was kidnapped from their Salt Lake City home in the middle of the night in May of 2000.  I was pregnant with Lynn, and my days were spent watching all the news I could about this horrible situation.  She was found, March of the next year.  Alive.

This interview was one of the first of the series “Enduring it Well”.  It was what got me hooked.

To listen to their story, what life was like while Elizabeth was missing all of those months was awe-inspiring.  I have listened to many of the interviews on that program since, have some to catch up on, and love what it does for me personally.

It gives me strength.  It gives me a positive way to spend my time here.

I have since become addicted (nearly) to another program “Conversations”.  LOVE the stories that are shared by so many. 

My favorite of all time (so far) is with Herbert Klopfer. He grew up in Nazi Germany.  His story gives me chills!!  His life was full of miracles throughout that time.  I dare you to listen to his interview and not cry..

Member or not, these stories will uplift and inspire.  They truly testify that there is a God, and He loves us all.

The coolest part, you can listen to them on your computer, or download them and listen to them wherever you want!  Makes other chores so much more enjoyable..

So while I try to fill my time doing good things, I also try to find ways to edify myself in the process.

I love Mondays, don’t you?

There is just so much good on Monday!  Some people frown down on Monday, I look at it as a new to-do list, more fun to be had.

Oh, and “More In Store”..

See, good!

Just a couple of the new items for today over at Jessica Sprague:

First up, liv.eDesigns with her Needs + Wants: Eyelets Galore.

There are two sets of these babies, 24 different colors, four different sizes of each color.  These red guys are from set number 2.

Now for a confession:

I have SO many of these guys in real life.  I am talking drawers, keepers, and a bunch of packages in a big bowl of other goodies.  So the digi versions of these guys are perfect for me.

Another plus, no hammering!!

Credits for this page:

Eyelets: Needs + Wants: Eyelets Galore liv.edesigns

paper: Warm Wuv & Sofy Hugs - The Kit Papers liv.edesigns

overlay: EZ-PZ Template 06 - Fotocentric No.1 liv.edesigns

frame: Tape It Up! Frames liv.edesigns
border: Squiggle Borders liv.edesigns
stitching: Sew Crafty - messy stitches vol 1 Splendid Fiins

And then there’s those eyelets!
Needs + Wants: Eyelets Galore no. 2

font: my type of font

Next up is a sample for my recent (and strong) love of hybrid..

I already mentioned a bit about the “Mouse Paper Scissors” Class.  Get ready to sign up for this one the next time it comes around!!

I created this card and envelope set with the templates from the class, and goodness from Echo Park.

papers: flower pattern & solid purple- Echo Park Digitals Sprintime Element/Paper Pack #2 , light blue dot & multi-colored dot- Echo Park Digitals Springtime Element/Paper Pack #1

elements: yellow scalloped border, butterfly, circles, & label- Echo Park Digitals Springtime Element/Paper Pack #2 cloud- Echo Park Digitals  Springtime Elements/Paper Pack #1

Other items used to put this card together:

- Tombow dimensional foam adhesive.

- Tombow mulit adhesive.

- Glue Dots memory and craft dots.

- Emery board (to distress).

- Thread & sewing machine.

- Circle punches: 1 inch and 3/4 inch.

- Fiskars “Threading Water” border punch.

Now go and enjoy your Monday!!

Mouse Paper Scissors

Holy lovefest!

I signed up for this class, needing to get my butt  back in my craft room, and oooh howdy!  Has it ever!

I am loving it!

(Hence the lovefest..)

It is so much more than just creating the assignments, it is getting me back in touch with me.  It is about loving what I can do, learning how to do it better, and learning how to do more.

It has even gotten me excited to do things that have been on my list (on my table or in my sewing bin) for months.

Good, creative energy.

LOVE IT.

(Have I said that yet?)

Just a little of what we have been doing:

I have been a crazy card making lady..

They provided us with this darling template that I have been using digitally, but plan to use traditionally as well.

We also have fun envelope templates.

This card was made with all Crystal Wilkerson’s “Sweet Summertime” stuff. 

I used “Lobster” font on the little label there.

Add in some sanding, “Broken China” distress ink (that I hunted all over for..  helloooo, it is turquoise..), staples, dimensional foam adhesive and good old glue dots.

Isn’t it cute?

Then there’s my cute observations notebook..

We made the cover in class using Daily Junque paper by House of Three for Pink Paislee.

(Early release of this paper just for this class = I feel cool.)

I also fell in love with glimmer mist from Tattered Angels.

(I went and bought three more bottles of it.)

(One of those colors are turquoise.)

(It is an obsession.)

I love how it says “Think Positive Today”.

I so need that!

And then there’s my newest, most favorite tool..

The Martha Stewart scoring board.

AWESOME.

If you love making cards, or paper crafts of any type, get yourself a coupon, go to JoAnn’s or Michaels and buy one.

Today.

 

It really does make life easier. 

I have always used my Fiskars trimmer with the scoring blade on it, I love this so much more!!  I haven’t torn paper once scoring it.  That bone folder comes in handy too.

Right now I am working on a fun (but secret) project, and loving every minute of it!

When this class comes around again (because it had better, it is that good!) jump on it.  Register for it the second you can.  You do not want to miss out on this!

More ink, I think.

Hey, look at that!  I am a poet and didn’t know it!

(Cheesy, I know, but that is what I do best.)

Lynn decided she wanted to be a leprechaun, or maybe a small hobo, I still haven’t decided.  The pink be-jeweled leotard really is throwing me off..

So is the hot pink nail polish.

Shortly after this picture was taken, she went and added a moustache.

I wonder where Peyton has been getting her ideas?

Lynn assured me that the little girls don’t think what she did was a good idea.

Ashley assured me that she thought it wasn’t a very good idea.

Peyton remained silent.