Faking fajitas

Okay.

So I know my posts have been a little food obsessed lately.

But here's another one.

Because my makeshift chicken and black bean fajitas?

Ohmygodtheyweresogood!!!

I'm not gonna lie, I was a little nervous about them. Because I'm not really that throw-random-ingredients-together-and-presto-gourmet-meal kind of cook.

I'm more of a follow-the-recipe-exactly-the-first-few-times-and-eventually-start-perosnalizing-it.

The Husband?

He's like the freaking Iron Chef.

Hand him some random ingredients, give him 20 minutes, and POOF, you have yourself a gourmet meal that always tastes great.

(Well, except for the one time with the homemade steak marinade that ended up tasting like feet and bandaids. But that was a one-off)

I've always been a recipe follower. Except for garlic. I always- ALWAYS- add extra garlic. Because I don't believe there is such a thing as too much garlic.

But I digress.

So last night, I was nervous about the fajitas, and truly had very low expectations for them.

But you know what?!?

I Iron-Chef-ed those bitches!

Sarah's Chicken and Black Bean Fajitas

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Approximately 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used three large ones, I'm guessing they were about one pound)
1 lime
1 medium onion, sliced into strips
2 bell peppers, sliced into strips
1 15 oz can reduced sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
Sea salt (to taste)
Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
Garlic powder (to taste)
Taco seasoning (approx. 1/2 cup seasoning to 1 1/2 cups water- I didn't really measure)

I salted and peppered both sides of the chicken breasts, then sliced them into thin strips. I heated the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat, then added the chicken. I sprinkled the chicken with more sea salt, and ample garlic powder and let it cook, stirring occasionally.

Once the chicken was mostly cooked, I rolled the lime under my palm to release the juices, then cut it in half and squeezed the juice out over the cooking chicken (and added a bit more garlic, because that's how I roll).

Once the chicken was fully cooked, I added the bell peppers and onion, and sautéed it all until the veggies were tender-crisp. Then I poured in the black beans and the mixed taco seasoning, stirred, and let it simmer until it was thick and bubbly.

Et voila!

Serve with a bit of grated cheddar and your favorite toppings as desired. I didn't even add salsa or anything to mine though, because it was that flavorful!

You're doing it wrong

So in my last post I mentioned how I was making roasted chicken and veggies in the crock pot, and I just wanted to say... HOLY CRAP WAS IT DELICIOUS!!!!!

Super yummy.

The recipe calls for chicken thighs because they stay tender throughout the long cooking time, but since they make me gag I went for chicken breasts instead. I was worried they would dry out or something, but nope! Tender, juicy, yummy, all around awesomeness. I've also never cooked with pearl onions before, and I really liked them. They added a good flavor without being too overpowering. That one is definitely going in my usual rotation!

Tonight I'm making chicken and black bean fajitas. I don't really have a specific recipe for it, I'm just kinda winging it. Combining a little bit of this one with a little bit of that one- hopefully it turns out well.

I have extra chicken breasts from the crock pot meal (I bought too many) and I need to do something with them before they spoil, and fajitas are delicious, so why not?!?

Plus, I'm trying to make healthier meals, since with the whole moving brouhaha our eating habits certainly took a hit. Time to get back on track!

So this week has been a busy one for me. We finally have an address for the lot we are building on, which not only makes it seem a little more real, but it also allowed me to finally be able to register the kids for school.

It's been stressing me out, because school starts earlier here than back in Washington, so there was added pressure to get them registered and start the back to school shopping and all that jazz. Plus, having them in school was a major component in starting to feel more settled here. Even though our living situation is in a state of limbo until the house in finished, having the kids' school situated is evidence that we are here to stay, that this is our home now.

It's a good feeling.

I had some errands to run up in Cheyenne yesterday, so I got a chance to swing by our property and check out the progress on the house.

*drumroll please*

We have the beginnings of the basement and the foundation! Whoohoo!

There is a giant hole, several huge dirt piles, a rebar pile, and the beginning framing of the foundation with the first layer of concrete poured.

So, you know, no where near done, but progress nonetheless.

Okay, so now on to the real reason for this post. Music.

I've realized that I was pretty spoiled back in Seattle when it came to radio stations to listen to. I discussed my musical tastes and radio station preferences awhile back, and how between the four stations I was able to satisfy all my musical tastes.

Suffice it to say that I am not so lucky down here.

So far I have only found one, yes ONE, rock station. Tons of country, tons of Christian, a few Spanish stations, and a few pop stations that seem to combine anything from 1995 on- R&B, boy bands, hip hop, girl groups, etc- into a "new music" station.

But their crappy tastes in pop music don't concern me, as I don't listen to it.

What concerns me is what seems to constitute "classic rock" in northern Colorado.

While, yes, they play plenty of good stuff- Ozzy, Metallica, Zeppelin, The Who, all the ones you'd expect (and actually a few that I've not heard before, which is cool)- they also throw in random bands too. And therein lies the issue.

Because Stone Temple Pilots? Alice in Chains? Green Day? Nirvana? I love them all...

BUT THEY ARE NOT CLASSIC ROCK!!!!!

Apparently the division between classic rock, heavy metal, and alternative rock does not exist here.

And it's killing me.

Every time I hear Man In The Box, Basketcase, Creep, or Come As You Are, I just shake my head and think "You're doing it wrong!!!"

Come on Denver, don't let me down.

You need to add two more radio stations to your repertoire: alt rock, and metal.

Because they're different than classic rock.

Still awesome.

Just different.

Culinary creativity

So lately... as in the past several months... I've been in somewhat of a cooking rut.

Like, big time.

Between the kids' school schedule, my school demands, and the daily comings and goings of life in general, creative cooking gave way to old favorites. Same ol' same ol'. Yummy, but boring and predictable!

But since it is summer time, and since I lack much else to do since moving to a new state and not yet feeling established here, I have branched out and began experimenting with some new recipes.

Last week, I made jambalaya for the first time.

Mine didn't look this good :-(

To be honest, I didn't like it. The Husband, and my two boys did. My daughter and I... not so much.

It wasn't that it tasted bad or anything. For my daughter, I think she just found it too spicy. For me, I found it a little dry, and it was lacking something- something I couldn't put my finger on. So I'm going to find a new recipe and try again.

Yesterday was much different. I made a Four-Cheese Penne, and holy crap balls it was delicious!!!

Granted, for someone who is sensitive to dairy, it wasn't the smartest choice, per se. But it was super yummy all the same. It just requires a little portion control- both for the extreme amount of cheese in it, and for the simple fact that it is crazy high in calories and sodium. I made steamed broccoli to go with it, in an attempt to beef up the health factor of the meal. And I just have a deep love of steamed broccoli!

Crazy delicious!!!

Tonight, I'm going for something quite a bit healthier. Chicken and Roasted Veggies. In the crock pot! (I haven't used my crock pot in... years)

I feel like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight

I'm using chicken breasts, rather than thighs, because I find chicken thighs repulsive. I also added extra gravy to it, because I added extra potatoes, so I figured it should balance out (hopefully). This recipe has less than half the calories of the penne dish, as well as less than half the sodium content. And the addition of veggies is always a plus in my book!

I may make some homemade bread to go with it, but I haven't decided yet.

I'll let you know how it turns out!

Both the chicken and penne recipes came from this little Casserole & Slow Cooker cookbook I grabbed one day in the check-out line at the grocery store. And then proceeded to forget about. For years.

Upon moving, I rediscovered it in my stacks of cookbooks, and the rest is history!

Yummy, easy, cheap, and family-friendly recipes? Score!

Showing 'em up, classical style

I just wanted to share this clip from Conan O'Brian. Retta was on, and was discussing, in an indirect way, the prejudice and stereotypes that come with being a black person listening to music with a heavy bass...

Hilarity (and amazing singing) ensues.

Navigating the parent trap

My last post shared an article about that moment when you see your kids as they are; when you realize where you are in life, and you have that singular, acute moment of parental and personal clarity.

The thing that article didn't mention, though, is that this happens far more frequently. These little moments are not a once-per-decade occurrence. Hell, I have them a couple times a week, at least!

It's true, most of your parenting time consists of something akin to herding cats. You're running around in circles, trying to keep the peace; reminding the youngest one to keep their hands to themselves and use their words and not their fists; reminding the oldest one to speak kindly and stop bossing the others around like they're minions; and keeping the middle one from using her pillow as a weapon when her brothers piss her off for the zillionth time today.

In short, daily life is chaos. It's hectic. It's challenging. And some days you feel like an utter failure and want nothing more than to crawl back in bed, curl up in a ball under the blankets, and imagine yourself on a sandy beach sipping a very strong tropical cocktail (or three).

But in between those moments of Are-You-Freaking-Kidding-Me-What-Made-You-Think-Climbing-The-Refridgerater-Was-A-Good-Idea, there are moments of joy, beauty, and utter parental pride.

And yes, that occasional clarity where you see your children as individuals with unique personalities and relatable stages in life (as opposed to vindictive hell spawns seeking to make you crazy one "quit touching my Legos" argument at a time).

I have three children- Bug, Sweet Pea, and Monkey.

(Not their real names, obviously. I'm a hippie, yes, but not quite to that level!)

Bug is my oldest. In terms of personality, he is the most like me. He's very sensitive and academic. He loves to read, he has an insatiable appetite for knowledge, and dreams of being an architect or engineer when he grows up. He loves nature and being outdoors. He has a very high intellect, and he knows it, which makes for confidence and success in the advanced classes, as well as an insufferable know-it-all tendency (we're working on that). Lately, it's like he has suddenly become this childlike grown-up. I find myself being able to relate to him on a more mature level. We can have full conversations about geology or recycling or global warming or the sneaky intentions of marketing. Certain things he says, as well as certain actions and characteristics, floor me on a regular basis because they make him seem so grown up. At times he is all child. Other moments, total teenager. It's weird and heartbreaking and fun and emotionally trying all at the same time.

Oh yeah, and he started puberty. And that's been a real hoot...

Sweet Pea is my middle child. She was born premature, but is now the picture of health and vitality, though I still worry sometimes. She loves animals (like, straight up Little Miss Dr. Doolittle). She is funny, goofy, a show-off, and very artistic. She loves to draw and craft and create. She possesses a sheer joy for life that I admire and hope she holds on to as she grows up. She is athletic (she gets that from her daddy!) and confident in her physical abilities, but is also very timid and sensitive. She is wicked smart but still questions her academic abilities. We are working to build her up in that manner, but she still compares herself to her brother and has a hard time understanding that he is older and therefore farther along in school. She dreams of being a paleontologist and a veterinarian, simultaneously. She is also sassy as all hell. And beautiful. Daddy is going to need to invest in a shotgun as she approaches middle school! She is still young, yet I occasionally see glimpses of who she will be when she is older. Certain things she says and does are so teen-like that it freaks me out. She and I are also the most different in terms of personality, so I know that we will have our mother-daughter struggles as she gets older. I dread her teen years...

Monkey is my baby. Only he's not a baby anymore. It feels like he is growing up too quickly- I think he's trying to catch up to his older siblings. He is all boy- rambunctious, wild, physical. He loves to run and jump and climb and yell and tumble and explore. He has no fear, which of course instills fear in me! He looks the most like me, to an eerie degree. I can't yet tell whose personality he takes after the most, but he is very sweet and loving and kind. He loves animals just as much as his sister. He is intelligent and sensitive, but also adventurous and a little crazy. I think he'll be the one to end up spending a night or two in jail! But for something silly, like streaking through a football game, or tagging a building with an invite to prom, or some other impulsive dare-type stunt. He's also a ladies man already. I'm already working on my best glowering stare for the hordes of chicks he'll bring home that I will inevitably disapprove of.

Like any parent, I have my fears for my children. Besides the obvious fears of illness, injury, and outside threats, I also have individualized concerns for each of them. For my oldest, I worry about his social interactions. It's not easy being the smartest kid in the class, and I worry about him being picked on, teased, or bullied. For my daughter, I worry because she is very pretty, and also has the makings of the "popular girl". Girls are cruel, and I know firsthand just how murky and twisty Girl World is. I hope my sensitive baby girl doesn't get crushed by that world. For my youngest, I worry for his safety, as he is still very young. I also worry because he is so impulsive and outgoing- I don't want him getting hurt, getting in trouble, or getting into the wrong crowd.

My children can be mentally and emotionally trying, but they are also my greatest source of joy. Their spontaneous creativity, their joie de vivre, their genuine and unconditional love- they are amazing. I'm proud to be their mommy. And like any parent, I just hope I don't screw them up too badly!

Any parent can relate to this...

The Sweet Spot of parenting. That place where your children are big and little all at the same time. Big enough to participate in the daily goings on of life, but little enough to still want you around!

It's wonderful, and fleeting, and frustrating, and sad, and full of joy and laughter and fun.

Hold on while you can, it doesn't last long!

What are you willing to do?

So it has been an... interesting few days, to say the least.

Interesting mostly in a crawl-in-a-hole kind of way, but also a little bit in a good way too.

First, we went to visit the State Capitol last week, which was really cool. I plan on posting some of my pics once I finally get around to synching my phone. Clearly I'm totally on top of that... or not.

Anyway, I had never been to that kind of government building before, and the history/political geek in me was in absolute heaven! Beautiful building, cool history, good times.

Front grounds of the Capitol Building

Main Capitol rotunda. So beautiful!

The view from Capitol Street

After the visit to the Capitol, we drove out to where our property is to meet the builders and go over some specifics for our house. In a way it was good, because we finally got moving on all that stuff (they broke ground the next day) and we finally started feeling like progress was being made. On the other hand, we realized that the timeline our agent had given us was not realistic, and that we will likely not be in the house before the lease ends on this apartment. That means that we will probably have to pay more rent (on an apartment we barely like to begin with), and that we will also be cutting it close to have Thanksgiving in our new home. Sigh...

But oh well! At least it means being in a brand new dream home, right?

Well we thought so.

Until Friday.

We had an appointment to meet with a notary public and close on the sale of our Washington house. We were super excited until we started signing the docs, and saw that we would only be getting back half- yes, HALF- of what we had been told.

*cue the panic*

See, even though we knew we weren't going to be pulling in a huge profit on the sale of our house- after all, we had only owned it for 21 months- we were expecting to get back a fairly decent amount, and had based our purchase of the house and land here in Wyoming on that money. We were going to use it as a chunk of the down payment. Without that money, suddenly our down payment, and therefore the house itself, was in jeopardy.

We went from picking out features of our house to watching our dreams crumble in less than a week.

Needless to say Friday was a bad day. Bad, bad, bad day.

Major suckitude.

And lots of tears (on my part, obviously).

Saturday we nursed our emotional wounds. We went up to Cheyenne to celebrate my son's birthday. It was nice to get out of the apartment and put the whole down payment debacle out of our minds for a few hours. We let our son pick out what he wanted to do, and so the plan was to go to the Wyoming State Museum, go to the botanical gardens and outdoor children's museum/water park, eat dinner at Red Lobster (his favorite!), and then go to another park and open presents and have cake.

However, on the drive up to Cheyenne, several emergency broadcasts came on the radio announcing severe thunder storms, rain, hail, lightening strikes, and flash flood warnings for northern Colorado, the foothills, and the Cheyenne area.

That essentially cancelled all of our outdoor plans!

We hit up the museum, then went to dinner and opened presents. We decided to do the botanical gardens and children's museum/water park another day, and we're going to have my aunt and cousins over tomorrow (his actual birthday) for cake and more presents. It didn't go as planned, but it was still fun, and he enjoyed it, which is all that matters.

After dinner, we decided to drive out to our property, kind of as a motivation/inspiration thing. It was amazing how far they've already gotten! The entire basement is almost dug up, and it looks like they'll be ready to pour the foundation pretty soon.

Seeing it in person, seeing the dream start coming to life, made us determined to make it work, even with the lesser profit amount we have to work with. We started crunching numbers, and it looks like we may be able to squeak it out after all.

Hopefully.

We decided that it basically comes down to this: How hard are you willing to fight for your dreams?

Me? I'm not giving up yet.