Gwenevier

Meet Gwenevier.

This little lady morphed from one thing to another as I drew her. Honestly I had no idea what she was when I began. In the beginning I planned to make her a fairy, then she changed to be an angel, then a water nymph. When all said and done I made her to be a star.
So I happily introduce Gwenevier the star.
I drew her in colored pencil then plopped her into photoshop to help blend the pencil marks in the background and make her glow a bit. She needed to shine. I drew her for the sole purpose of creating business cards that had my own artwork displayed on it. I think it turned out splendidly, don't you?

Macaroni Rosa

Looking for a meal to feed a large family or two growing teenage boys? You've come to the right place. Macaroni Rosa is a dish they serve at Buca Di Beppo, one of my favorite Italian restaurants. If you've never been there, then when you get a chance, go. They serve their food family style, which is great if you have small children with squirrel size stomachs and can share one meal with them. Be warned. . . if you order the garlic bread it can feed an army.
This is a knock off recipe that my husband created after eating at Buca Di Beppo for the first time. It's a meal the whole family can love.

First. . .
Chop chicken into bite size pieces and put in large sauce pan with a tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle Italian seasoning over chicken.

 While cooking chicken start boiling pasta as directed on package. Chop broccoli into small bite size pieces.

By this time your chicken should be almost done. Add broccoli to the last five minutes of cooking your pasta.

 Chop cheese into bite size pieces.

When chicken is finished add frozen peas to chicken and cook for one minute. Drain pasta and broccoli. Add chicken and peas in large pot with pasta. Add pasta sauce and stir until sauce is warm (about 2 minutes). Add cream and stir for one minute.

Add mozzarella cheese last. You want the cheese to melt, but not too much. Having clumps of cheese is the best part.

Macaroni Rosa
3 chicken breast
1 tablespoon oil
Italian seasoning
1 pound macaroni pasta
2 to 3 cups small pieces of broccoli
1 1/2 cups peas
1 bottle of pasta sauce (I use organic sauce without sugar (the fewer ingredients, the better it is for you))
1 small container of cream or half and half (no more than 1 cup)
2 to 3 cups mozzarella (cut into bite size pieces)
 Chop chicken into bite size pieces and put in large sauce pan with a tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle Italian seasoning over chicken. While cooking chicken start boiling pasta as directed on package. Chop broccoli into small bite size pieces. By this time your chicken should be almost done. Add broccoli to the last five minutes of cooking time with your pasta. Chop cheese into bite size pieces. When chicken is finished add frozen peas to chicken and cook for one minute. Drain pasta and broccoli. Add chicken and peas in large pot with pasta. Add pasta sauce and stir until sauce is warm (about 2 minutes). Add cream and stir for one minute. Add mozzarella cheese last. You want the cheese to melt, but not too much. Having clumps of cheese is the best part.
*You can add a pinch of cayenne to pasta sauce to give it a kick and/or chopped tomatoes.

Special thanks to my friend Annette for taking the pictures for me while we cooked and to her family for eating it with us.
To see Annette's blog visit http://www.tipsfromatypicalmomblog.com/

Chicken Enchiladas

This next recipe is made from the leftovers of another recipe for Cafe Rio's Chicken. If you'd like to make it without using the leftover chicken then I will give instructions for that as well.
If you'd like the Cafe Rio recipe then click here for the full recipe. The Rio recipe was given to me by my buddy, Annette. Thanks Annette.
The following recipe is something I threw together a few days after making the Rio chicken. The container of shredded chicken sat in my fridge begging me to make it into something other than nachos or chicken quesadillas. So I did.

Chicken Enchiladas
About 10 uncooked tortillas--why uncooked? They are tastier, that's why
About 4 cups leftover Cafe Rio chicken *
3/4 to 1 cup sour cream
3 Tablespoons chopped canned green chilies
4 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1 bottle of green taco sauce (I found one without sugar)
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese for top

*If you don't have leftover chicken then use canned cooked chicken or boil and shred 3 to 4 chicken breasts. You'll want to add the entire can of chilies to the recipe and a sprinkle of chili powder and cumin powder.

In large bowl mix together chicken, sour cream, green chilies, and 4 cups monterey jack cheese.
On a large flat pan, cook tortillas on both sides.

When each side is cooked add a large spoonful of chicken mixture and roll. Line each roll into a 9x13 inch pan. You will use around 10 tortillas until you've run out of chicken and pan space. Pour green taco sauce over all the enchiladas then add cheese to top. Cover with tin foil and bake for 35 min at 350.

Enjoy!
(You can make this earlier in the day then throw it in the oven in the evening.)

Healthy Fruit Smoothies

Here is my post that I've dedicated to a few of my favorite fruit smoothies. These recipes are healthy because they don't have added sugar, other than the natural sugars you find in fruits. It's all good for you. :)
The first is my version of a mango lassi. Most recipes I found had sugar, but not mine.

Mango Lassi
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut off seed
2 to 3 Tablespoons of honey
1 cup of plain yogurt
Ice-optional

Mix ingredients in smoothie blender until smooth. If you'd like, you can add ice. When I don't add ice is thicker, smoother and you can let it sit in the fridge without the water and juice separating. If you don't add ice it won't be as cold, but putting it in the fridge for thirty minutes will make it cold enough.

Tropical Mango
1/2 cup chopped pinapple
1/2 banana
1 mango, peeled and cut off seed
2 slices of lime with peel
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Ice

Mix ingredient with a handful of ice until smooth. You may add more yogurt, banana or any ingredient you wish. It's up to you.

Lemon Coconut Macaroons

A friend shared a delectable treat with me not long ago and I begged her to share the recipe with me. My husband tried these cookies and stated that they are on his top five favorite cookie list. He's been begging me to make them. The best part of all of this is they are sugar free yet full of flavor.

 The recipe can be found by clicking here at Mommypotamus
 These cookies have few ingredients and are gluten free and sugar free.
When I made them I did not have the same lemon flavoring she used, so I added some of the not so flavorful lemon extract I had, plus the juice of half a lime and lime zest. Because I added more liquid than what the recipe called for I had to add a bit more shredded coconut and almond flour.
I also had to bake it for fifteen minutes longer than the time allotted and that could be because of altitude difference.
In my opinion, they are best eaten cold. :)

Who's in Charge?

My husband loves to read inspirational books--especially when church related. A couple days ago he read to me a section from John Pontius' Journey to the Veil. John wrote about our spirit and the way to overcome the natural man, and that our spirits are not just on a joy ride in our bodies.  We must learn to control the desires of our physical bodies.
We talked a little about the spiritual side of this point, then we began a more general discussion of our eating habits. This is what I learned and a little of the discussion my husband and I shared...

We all struggle with weight. It's part of being human--and mostly American. The food we eat begins the viscous cycle of weight and health problems. They go hand in hand.
But you have to stop yourself and ask... Who's in charge?
When I reach for the peanut butter M&M's do I think about anything other than, "Well hey howdy hey, these look good. I love peanut butter. I'm going to eat some." Then we end up eating the whole bag. Okay, maybe you don't say hey howdy hey a lot like I do, but you get the point.
This my friends is the natural man, taking over our spirit. This is the natural man taking dominance. With each decision we make following the desires of the natural man we loose a bit of our spiritual control.
Who is in charge?
Now ask yourself this... Who do I want in charge?
When I tell people that I've quit eating sugar just about everyone will say the same thing... "How did you do it? How is it even possible? I could never do such a thing."
I started this journey long before my husband and I read this book, but looking back at my choices I made to take my first steps of no sugar I can nod and say, "Yep, That's what I did."
I would look at a sweet and ask myself (and this is where I think my spiritual side would stand up and make itself known), "Do I really need this? Will it make my situation better? Will it make me happy? Is there something better I can eat?"
Now I'm not saying that I've mastered my natural man. I haven't. By my choices I have given my spirit greater control over this small portion of my life, but still have many more struggles to overcome.
Everyone tells me they have no willpower and can't do something as hard as getting rid of sugar. I'm here to say, yes you do. Isn't willpower just another way to refer to our spirit? Don't we all have a spirit? If we could have a conversation between our natural man and our spirit do you think our spirit would be happy with the choices we've made? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
EVERYONE has the willpower to overcome anything. And the first step is to give your spiritual side the chance to raise its voice. Let your spiritual side take dominance and see what happens. The more we do this, the easier it will be for our spirit to be heard over the natural man in each of us.
While this example is specific to food and diet, the principle of our spirit overcoming the natural man is applicable in every aspects of our lives.
So my challenge to you; Pick an area of your life where you'll benefit from your spirit having greater control and work on it, little by little. And don't give up.

Mosiah 3:19 "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit..."

My Valentine

This drawing is from a photo that my husband has had kicking around the house since we were married. (He's the hunky blond guy.) In high school he played on the football team and wrestling team, and from what I understand he was pretty stinkin' good too. He loves to play both sports and looks forward until our son is big enough to pin his Daddy.
So, I drew this for him for Valentines to remind him of the good times he had and the fun times he will have wrestling with his family.