Monday, September 26, 2011

It's Fall, yall!

Happy Fall!
To celebrate the new season,
SBJ had a fall muffin tin lunch.
Leaf and Acorn PB&J
Pumpkin seeds
Bugles (horns of plenty)
Autumn M&Ms with candy corn
Apple shaped apple slices


Muffin Tin Monday at Muffintinmom.com

Friday, September 23, 2011

I haven't forgotten

Ah, my organizing challenge. 
It certainly took a back seat to my summer fun...
I haven't forgotten...although I did just have to go back and re-check my list.
It turns out that I have several projects that I have started, I just haven't completed for one excuse reason or another...with SBJ in school, I am getting back into the swing of working on and completing projects! I am still determined to finish my list of projects by the end of the year!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Tortilla Soup

It is starting to feel like Fall!
I love the cooler temperatures,
the time spent outside,
the football games,
and THE SOUP!
 Here is a family fave...
 Uncle Marty's Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
2 whole roasted chickens (I like the Mesquite flavored rotisserie but any will do) - can be bought @ grocery store already cooked
6 cans 14 oz Butterball Chicken broth
5 cans 14 oz Del Monte Mexican Style or Fire Roasted w/ garlic Diced Tomatoes (Hunt’s)
2 cans Rotel Festival Diced Tomatoes w/ Lime Juice & Cilantro (3 if you want)
1 cup of Joe T. Garcia's Green Tomatillo Sauce (can be bought @ Kroger)
4 tsp fresh minced garlic (5 tsp if you like garlic)
4 tsp ground cumin
Ground chili powder
5 tbsp butter or margarine
1 bunch Cilantro (if you like cilantro get 2 bunches)
2 large white onions
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
Bag of Limes (usually 6-8 depending on how many you are feeding)
1 bag of Monterrey Jack Shredded Cheese
1 bag of Corn Tortillas (12 ct )

    Cook garlic in the butter in dutch oven or like container on med - high heat for 2 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent garlic from burning. Add 3 tsp cumin into garlic butter mixture and stir for about 1 minute. Add broth, diced tomatoes, rotel, tomatillo sauce, onions (chopped or sliced), bell peppers (chopped or sliced), 1 tbsp chili powder, 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves chopped w/o stems; 
    As the soup begins to cook, separate all the meat from the chickens and hand shred into soup; Bring to boil. Stir often. Reduce heat, add another 1 tbsp chili powder (optional), add 1 tsp cumin, cover for 30 - 45 minutes but stir often.
    Cut corn tortillas into 1/4" strips w/ knife (3 at a time works well for me), Slice limes into 4 quarters (hand roll each one before cutting to increase the juices). If you have a juicer use it w/ the limes. It creates more fresh lime juice.
    Remove from heat, ladle soup into bowl of your choice (I like a big one), squeeze 1 - 2 lime quarters into soup or pour fresh lime juice from the juicer (as much as you want to your taste), place tortilla strips on top of soup, sprinkle cilantro and cheese on top of soup ( as much as you like of each) and EAT EAT EAT!
Jalapeno cornbread is a great compliment   NO crackers allowed!

This will serve 15-20+ depending on the size of your bowls.

Note: I do a few things differently...I bake chicken breasts and shred them, I buy the "Hint of Lime" tortilla chips, I do not sprinkle cilantro on top of mine--but I do have it available...ENJOY!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Muffin Tin Monday: Breakfast

We are not big breakfast eaters around here.
But I finally made SBJ a 
Breakfast Muffin Tin
before school last week!
Strawberry Vanilla Yogurt,
Blueberries,
Vitamin

Muffin Tin Monday at Muffintinmom.com

Friday, September 16, 2011

Forgetting the Before: Spicy

I have a confession.
When I showed you my pantry re-organization, I didn't show you the box of spices that I moved out of the photo! Ha!
 
I finally decided how to organize them...and I am so excited. I have seen all sorts of posts using the over the door/shoe organizer for things other than shoes! This works wonderfully!
I am thinking I will find more ways in other rooms to use this space-saving tool! 
Have you organized with one? What do you put in it?  



This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Unofficial End

I suppose that with 
SBJ starting preschool,
it is the 
Unofficial End of Summer.
Goodbye, Sweet Summertime...
*sigh*
It was busy, 
but fabulous...
we didn't get to everything
on our Summer Bucket List
but we did have tons of fun!

I am working on our
Fall Wagon List...
in fact, some of the things 
we didn't get to this summer
will be bumped over to it! :)


FALL WAGON LIST
Zoo
Aquarium
Marbles Childrens Museum
Rocky Mount Childrens Museum
Treehouse
Apple picking
Corn Maze
Pumpkin Patch
Visit Fire Station
S'mores










Monday, September 12, 2011

Muffin Tin Monday: Back to...

SBJ started Preschool last week!
When he got home from his 1st day,
he had a special muffin tin lunch.

ABC gummy candy,
ABC cheezits, chocolate chip cookie, pepperoni,
papaya, ABC pasta, mandarin oranges

I am excited to start 
Back to School traditions...
{like a special lunch/meal on the 1st day}
and get Back to Routine,
it has been a crazy summer!

Muffin Tin Monday at Muffintinmom.com

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Thankful Thursday: Ready to learn

*attention: I JUST realized that 
I titled this a Thankful Thursday...
but it is Wednesday, duh.

Today was SBJ's
first day of preschool!
School gear: Backpack, Folder, Lunch box, Sign for photos
From what I can tell,
he had an awesome day.
At drop off, he made one sad face
but then gave kisses and said good bye.
 He was excited at pick up
and told us all about his day!

After nap we are going to do a
It will include:
-piece of yarn to measure his height
-photo from this morning
-paper we will trace his hand and foot
(as he gets older we will start adding a Q/A section of current favorites)
...we will do the same thing on the last day of school 
to see how much he has grown!