March on!

Congratulations to my nephew, Alex, and the Broken Arrow Marching Band for winning the state marching contest!  Nationals here we come!

Brrr....it's getting cold outside!

I love cold weather, mostly because I love comfort food.  Who wants to eat warm, cozy food when it's a 100 degrees outside?  So many of my favorite foods are winter-weather food.

I could eat soup pretty much every day.  I LOVE soups of all kinds.

Here is a recipe I plan on trying to make tonight.  It sounds amazing.

Chicken-Lime-Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb chicken breast, boneless and skinless
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Juice of 3 limes
• 1/2 cup of tomato juice
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 tsp. chopped green chilies
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup rice
• 1/4 cup corn
• 1 avacado per each bowl (diced small)
• 1 cup Mexican cheese (shredded)
• 1 tsp. minced garlie
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• Salt to taste
• Tortilla strips

Directions:

• Simmer chicken stock, tomato, Worcestershire, and lime juices with the jalapeno, cilantro for 45 minutes.
• While simmering, grill the chicken until cooked all the way through, then dice into small cubes or strips.
• Strain soup and add the chicken, green onion, chilies, red bell pepper, rice corn, garlic, to the broth and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Place the tortilla strips, diced avocado, and shredded cheese on the side to be added by guests as desired.

Life is Short

I got heartbreaking news today.  One of my freshmen lost her brother that was a senior in high school. 

It is a very real reminder of how short life is.  Make the most of the time you're given. 

Eating an Elephant

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

This is something I share with my students.  Many times we can get overwhelmed with the elephant in the room (all that needs to be done).....so much so that we stop doing anything at all.  We leave the elephant there....and he sits just getting bigger and bigger.

Who can eat a whole elephant in one setting?  That's the point.  We have to take it one bite at a time.

Life has picked up and I can get overwhelmed if I look at the big picture of all that needs to get done.  Instead I am going to choose to take it one day at a time, one task at a time.  One bite at a time. 

Happy 10/10/10 Day!

In celebration of 10/10/10, I am going to indulge in my favorite things......chips and salsa.  I LOVE Chili's chips and salsa.  The chips are super thin and extra salty.  The salsa is the right amount of heat for the masses. 

I think chips and salsa is my love language. 

Here is a favorite recipe that is a lot like Chili's salsa.

Ingredients:

• 1 (14.5 oz) can of tomatoes and green chilies
• 1 (14.5 oz) can whole canned tomatoes (plus the juice)
• 4 teaspoons jalapenos (canned, diced not pickled)
• 1/4 cup yellow onion (diced) 
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoon garlic salt 
•  1/2 teaspoon cumin 
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar

Directions:

• In food processor, place jalapenos and onions.  
• Process for just a few seconds
• Add both cans of tomatoes, salt, sugar, and cumin
• Process all ingredients until well blended but do not puree.
• Place in container and chill
• Serve with favorite thin chips (I like Tia Rosa Mega Thin chips)

Everything is for me!

It's it the Monday after and OU-Texas weekend, and we won.  FREE Panara for breakfast.  Life is good.

Did I mention that I LOVE Panara's Everything bagel?  YUM.

I love the topping on the bagels so much, I found a recipe for it!  It's super easy and when made in bulk, is cheaper than buying pre-made spices.  It's great on sandwiches, fried or baked potatoes, salads, chicken, add to Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a bread dip--whatever you like!

Ingredients: 
1 Cup Fried Garlic (find this at an Asian Market)
1/2 Cup Onion Flakes
1/4 Cup of Sea Salt
1/4 Cup White Sesame Seeds (find this at an Asian Market)
1/4 Cup Black Sesame Seeds (find this at an Asian Market)
1/4 Cup Poppy Seeds
1/4 Cup Caraway Seeds

Direction:
In a Food Processor, grind the fried garlic, onion flakes, and sea salt for approximately 10-30 seconds (or until fine enough to pour out of shaker).  Add the white and black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and caraway seeds and mix.  Add to a shaker and enjoy!