menu plan: chicken avocado soup

oh yum.  chicken avocado soup is a definite keeper.  it's similar to my tortilla soup, but different enough to be, well, different.  i loved it, and i'm sure g will like it as long as i only put a teeny bit of avocado and a mountain of cheese and chips in his.

 

i did, of course, modify the recipe a bit.  the chicken and stock was some i had saved back when i made the enchilada soup.  i had gotten a four pack of bone in, skin on chicken breasts and just boiled all of it with onion, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste.  since the chicken was ready to go, the soup came together very quickly this week.  bonus.  i did saute the onion and tomato as the recipe suggests.  i actually forgot to buy green onion, so i used the regular white variety.  once the veggies were sauteed, i added them and the cilantro to the chicken and stock and simmered it for a bit.  oh!  and i used a little garlic salt in the saute and the soup stock.  when it was done, i layered it over the avocado wedges.  the photo doesn't do it justice, but the soup stock was just beautiful after the avocado blended with it for a few minutes.  i ate mine with a squirt of lime and just a few tortilla chips.  mmmmmmm.

 

my ingredients list then:

2 chicken breasts, skin and bone on

salt and pepper to taste

garlic salt to taste

1 medium onion, finely diced (half in boiled chicken and half to saute)

1 large tomato, finely diced

3 tablespoons olive oil

cilantro

avocado

lime

 

this week's menu plan:

sunday - avocado soup

monday - crock pot carnitas

tuesday - bacon, eggs, and french toast

wednesday - dinner at church

thursday - spaghetti a la prego

friday - muffin pan pizzas

saturday - eat out after the parade!

jbs mercantile: it's beginning to look a lot like christmas!

happy december friends!  i hope the month has started out on a lovely note for you.  i have certainly had a wonderful day.  i went to goodwill with a coworker in search of materials for a diy garland and scored two gap jackets (one in aqua corduroy - i die!), i have three layouts going at once and the mojo is flowing freely (hooray!), we had a grand time working on our cub scout christmas float this evening (and i got lots of ever greenery and pine cones for more diy projects - hello pinterest!), and my carnitas turned out even better the second time around!  life is good.  :)

now if you haven't yet had the chance to check it out, the jbs mercantile december gallery is also quite lovely.  the halls are definitely decked out with holiday goodness over there.  i'm definitely excited to share these three layouts as this means my christmas album is now up to date and on display in the living room.  yes!   it's been neat to take a walk down memory lane to watch g grow up on christmas morning and remember all the places we were each year (two in honduras, two in florida, one in texas).  this will be our first christmas morning in the new house as last year we were at grandma and papa's.

2010 appears to be a very good year by the look on g's face.  this was the last year he was into thomas.  this layout is about 96% from the main kit.  i did use the gold glitter paint from the mini-album kit and then some tim holtz distress stain in tumbled glass on the star stencil.  the santa is stamped in cough syrup and then painted with a bit of watered down weather vane ink.

this layout is all from jenni's mini-album kit except for the black patterned paper and red trim from the main kit.  i will also admit to needing an extra "A" to spell "santa jack sparrow."  good thing they are from jenni bowlin, so i had a spare set of those in my stash.

2011 was the year of the lego pirate ship.  his papi and i each got him one.   i, however, had to put them both together.  i'm pretty excited for this christmas as g is suddenly into legos again and now he can put together his own sets.  the best of both worlds.

this one is mostly from the artisan add-on with the extra gold alpha coming from the main kit and the german foil from the mini-album kit.

i went with "christmas blur" for my title, because my sister decided last minute that we should all go to florida for christmas and i still do what my big sister tells me to do.  also, i apparently was camera lazy, so the pictures are all with my phone and somewhat blurry.  i must do better this year!

how about you?  have you started christmas crafties?  i've got so many ideas!  eeps!  it's so exciting!  i definitely have the holiday spirit this year!

P.S.  jbs mercantile members are getting a bonus $25 goodie bag shipped with their december kits!

haiku 1110

late fall blossoms
trimmed in winter white
sparkle on, summer, sparkle on

winner! winner! turkey dinner!

before i forget for another second, the winner of the "your december story" class is:

1. 
   Lori November 19, 2013 at 6:23 AM

   We are excited for our annual evening of Gingerbread house building! Even now that two of my boys are teenagers, they still love this fun, artistic and festive tradition and it certainly provides me with some GREAT photo ops!

   Reply Delete

 

lori, please email me at doris.sander@gmail.com and i'll get your class pass sent to you!

thanksgiving week has been delightful per usual.  g is spending it in arkansas with his tia and primas and having a wonderful time.  they have already sent me a photo for project life and i'm currently awaiting his nightly phone call.  while i miss him, it's also nice to have a little time alone, although i haven't really had much time alone since i have so many wonderful friends.  wednesday i spent chatting with christy and managed to create three christmas layouts with the december jbs mercantile kits (peek below).  she is apparently a good influence on me.  yesterday was spent at sherri's.  in a word, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.  and the thanksgiving mini-album was a big hit with everyone.

 

today i have remained in my jammies while online cropping with more peeps from get it scrapped!  i've had lots of computer-y type work to do, so no scrapping today, but even work is nicer with someone(s) to talk to.  i did manage to leave the house briefly for a walk around the neighborhood.  i'm trying out elise's #mileaday challenge.  i thought it would be good for me as i've been such a slug since the days got shorter and colder.  you can see that i remained in my jammies though.  the neighbors don't care.  maybe you can also see that santa needs to bring me a new pair of running shoes.  ha! 

tomorrow i must tidy the house and then chelle is coming over to scrap.  glad i'm caught up on my computer work!  my little sweet potato comes home tomorrow night!  hooray!  just in time too, as sunday we have to go work on our cub scout float for the christmas parade.  and then lillie is taking me on a goodwill scavenger hunt, so g will have to play minecraft with her boy i suppose.  i don't think he'll mind.

did you catch the little peek of the jbs mercantile papercrafting kit?  i think that santa stamp is fairly irresistible.  but if you need more incentive, if you sign up for a november membership (still available with the mini-album kit and you have one more day) you'll get a bonus add-on kit AND all subscribers will get a bonus $25 goodie bag from jbs with their december kit.  WOW!!! 

jbs mercantile: thanksgiving mini-album

i got my thanksgiving mini-album hostess gift completed with time to spare!  hooray!  my plan with this is to take a photo of all the family units present at our thanksgiving gathering, print a group pic, and have someone from the group journal a gratitude on the facing page.  i think it will work, and i know the hostess will love this reminder of thanksgiving 2013.

i used the november jbs mercantile mini-album kit almost exclusively for this project.  i did add in a few pieces of fancy pants ephemera from the artisan add-on (sold out) and ledger paper and cream cardstock from my stash.

the interior pages all follow this same format.  the back is splatted with tim holtz broken china and mustard seed distress ink.  two 5x5 inch pieces of patterned paper are layered on next.  then on the left is a sheet of 4.5x4.5 inch ledger paper and on the right a piece of 4.5x4.5 inch cream cardstock.  the photo you see here was just thrown on for the photo.  i'll be taking all new photos on thanksgiving day to fill the pages.

it's so fun to have a gift all ready for giving!

there are still a few of the kits available at jbs mercantile, and don't forget about our awesome november membership special!

menu plan: enchilada soup

i made the enchilada soup recipe last weekend.  it was very pretty.  g said it was good and ate two bowls.  it was a little too hot for me.  i had a fine sheen of sweat on my upper lip and could feel the warmth radiating from just behind my sternum.  perhaps i should have followed the recipe exactly instead of using a pack of taco seasoning instead of the spices listed?  or maybe next time i should skip the spices altogether, as surely a little salt and pepper is sufficient with all that bell pepper, onion, rotel, and enchilada sauce?  things to ponder . . .

 

not gonna lie.  i'm having a lazy week in the kitchen.

 

the menu plan:

sunday - leftovers

monday - pork chops, etc.

tuesday - school spirit night at zaxby's

wednesday - dinner at church

thursday - leftovers from international food festival at school

friday - open

saturday - potato soup

 

p.s. i tried the carnita leftovers (with all the broth and veggie goodness) over rice last week and it was amazing!  definitely a keeper!

Your December Story: Blog Hop + Giveaway!

i mentioned in my december goals that i wanted to get christmas layouts done for the "missing years," 2009-2012.  well, 2009 is in the book!  actually, 2003 (the year my son was born) through 2010 are all now in "the book."  i've transferred all my christmas layouts to a jolly red album that i plan on displaying every year at christmas time.  i think it's going to be a great new tradition for remembering all the special moments of the most wonderful time of the year.

I got a peek at "Your December Story" and I'm giving away a free pass
I checked out lesson 1 of Debbie Hodge's Your December Story this weekend, and I want to tell you about the class and give you a peek at how it's inspired me. And I'm giving away one pass to the class. (If you already purchased the class, you'll get a $24 gift card good for any other GIS/MSD classes.)

Your December Story is shaped around the Hero's Journey
This December, like Dorothy dropped into Oz or Alice tumbled into Wonderland, you will receive a call to adventure. You will move from the ordinary world into a one of magic and tests as the holiday season arrives.

Many of the most-loved and best remembered stories play out in a story form described by Joseph Campbell as "the hero's journey." This class has prompts and page ideas for visual storytelling that have you telling Your December Journey, from the heralds, to the challenges, mentors, special tools and the return to the known world and what you take forward.

You can take the journey and get a $10 gift card . . .
but only through midnight Wednesday, November 20th. When you purchase "Your December Story" by midnight PT, Wednesday, November 20, you also get a $10 gift card that you can use for Get It Scrapped and Masterful Scrapbook Design classes. Click here to purchase Your December Story and get the $10 gift card.

This is what I think of the class and how it inspired me
I'm so glad that I got an early read on Debbie's latest class, Your December Story.  It is amazing, as usual.  In fact, I think the only thing that I would change is to let you all have access to it earlier!  It has totally boosted my Christmas spirit up two or three notches.  I actually got my Christmas CDs before Thanksgiving, and have already begun tackling my long list of December goals!  Thanks, Debbie, for the added holiday sparkle and motivation this year!

See how the rest of the blog hoppers are using this class (and get 20+ more chances to win)

• Anna Aspnes
• Betsy Sammarco
• Christy Strickler
• Marie-Pierre Capistran
• Katrina Kennedy
• Carrie Arick
• Doris Sander  <------YOU ARE HERE
• Melissa Shanhun
• Michelle Houghton
• Sue Althouse
• Terry Billman
• Kiki Kougioumtzi
• Susanne Brauer
• Sian Fair
• Jana Morton
• Paula Gilarde
• Kristin Tweedale
• Katie Scott
• Amy Kingsford
• Tami Taylor
• Stefanie Semple
• Katie Nelson

Put your name in the drawing to win the class
Leave a comment telling me a new or old Christmas tradtion that you're excited about this year. I will draw the winner on Thursday, November 21, 2013.  Happy hopping!