i love the sabbath...

especially w/ 1 o'clock church.

i love having a low-key morning to hang out w/ my boys. to make them french toast w/ veggie sausage and yummy smoothies, to play steam roller on the tramp and to pick carrots, broccoli and snap peas out of the garden!

asher gets a full nap.

i have time to iron.

i have time to really get ready (the only time all week).

and when we return from church, it's dinner, a little down time and the bedtime routine. today while i made dinner the boys played ring around the rosie w/ asher and watched planet earth--our favorite sunday show!! hearing the boys laugh and play is like music to my ears and amazingly i hear it a lot on sunday when we have 1 c'clock church.

i love that sunday is a special day!

when all else fails...

post a recipe. i can't think of anything else noteworthy to blog about but food is always a good option in my book. and remember my criteria: fast, easy and delicious. please share yours!

chile verde bowls

in large pot boil:
1 box chicken broth
6-8 raw chicken breasts, cut into pieces (scissors are the best)
1 onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
salt, a good amount (tenderizes chicken)
pinch of sugar
lemon juice
1 can green ortega chilis (rinse can w/ water and add to pot)
1 jar salsa verde (rinse jar w/ water, 1/4-1/2 full and add to pot)
1 cup red salsa

boil 15 min. until chicken is cooked through. reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve. i also like to throw sliced zucchinni into the pot about 5 min. before serving.

serve over this most delicious spanish rice. i finally found the perfect recipe by combining 3 other rice recipes:

saute 1 1/2 c long grain white rice in
4 T olive oil w/ 1 finely chopped onion and 2 cloves minced garlic until rice starts to brown

add:
2 c chicken broth
2 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1/2 t paprika
1 can stewed tomatos, pureed (or 1 can tomato sauce)

bring to boil. then reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 min. turn off heat, let stand additional 5 min. and then remove lid to avoid over cooking rice.

serve w/ warm tortillas or corn chips and garnish w/ cheese and/or sour cream

i did go a fun fieldtrip w/ jaden's class today to the natural history museum. jaden was so cute and cuddly w/ me. i guess he knows he has to take advantage of his mom time and get his cuddles in when he can. i loved it! he was so cute answering lots of questions and has really improved w/ his impulsive nature. he patiently raised his hand every time he had a comment instead of blurting out the answers (even when other kids were). this is really a big improvement.

the docent was showing us two feathers; one from a hawk and one from an owl. when she waved the hawk feather it made a big whoosh sound but when she waved the one from the owl it was silent. she asked the kids why that would be. i couldn't come up w/ a good explanation. then jaden raised his hand. i wondered what he would say. when she called on him, he responded, "because an owl has to sneak up on its prey so it has to be silent." and he was right. uh-oh, i better get back to studying.

really good information for those who want to know....

visit www.mormon.org and/or www.lds.org for more truths about
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

(i think in facebook language now...)

cheryl wants to know if the homemade french toast, 30 min. reading session, batch of cookie dough (for eating), trip to the beach, help cleaning "their" room, apology, bedtime stories, kisses and hugs count when she also did all that screaming? seriously. i think being the mom is hard!

goodnight. and here's to a better day tomorrow.

and if this makes you think about judging me than please just erase it from your memory.

more food...

grilled turkey panini

yummy turkey (costco's columbus brand is good)
yummy cheese (provolone and blue cheese crumbles are good)
yummy bread (sourdough, focaccia, ciabatta are all good)
spring mix salad greens
sliced tomato
thinly sliced purple onion
spreads:
pesto
red pepper and artichoke tapenade (from tj's)
mayo and mustard

pop in the panini maker (or in a pan) and grill

sweet potato fries
(so delish. would i lie to you?!!)

1 - 1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon

preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil

peel sweet potatoes and cut into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on each side.

place the sweet potatoes in large ziplock bag. add oil, salt, paprika and cinnamon. seal the bag and shake well to thoroughly coat the fries. spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

cook 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. transfer immediately to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm.

mix mayo and ketshup w/ a little cayenne pepper for a tasty dip.