more green chiles {and a recipe}

Boyd and I make a quick run to Central Market this morning.

I smiled to see that it's Hatch Chile Festival time, 

since I still have yummy New Mexico chiles on my mind.

They had these cute cupcakes in their bakery,

decorated with green chiles made out of icing,

and of course we had to get one and split it.

This is our cupcake for the week, just a few days early.

We came home with our groceries and I made this avocado-cilantro dressing,

or dip, or whatever you want it to be.

It's amazing!

Thank you Sealaura for the recipe. 

Laura is one of my sweet and dear blog friends,

who just moved to the Texas coast, from California, and I just adore her.

{I started out using my blender, but had to transfer it all to my food processor,
to get it to blend}.
 When she made it, she made a pasta salad with it, over greens.

I bought a mix of baby spinach and baby arugula,

topped that with quinoa,

then the dressing.

And, since I had a healthy salad, afterwards I dipped a few chips in the bowl of goodness,

and it makes an incredible dip as well.
I will be eating this salad all week long, and I will make this recipe again.

I love it.

..............

While we were out this morning,

Boyd asked me who my mommy was when I was little. 

I told him, Lala was my mommy and she still is.

He asked if I lived with her when I was a little grill {girl}.

I explained to him that I did and then I married his daddy and we live together now,

and one day he will get married and do the same thing.

He started sobbing.

He said, but I will miss you and daddy!

He could barely talk he was crying so hard.

It broke my heart, so I told him he could live with me and daddy forever,

which we all know when he's about 16 or 17 he will feel totally different about,

but at least it relieved his little mind for a while.

Sweet baby boy.

..............

Hope you are having a good day.

love,

nicolle

cupcake friday {and thai red curry chicken}

In an effort to try to eat even better,
I haven't had sweets in 10 days.
I'm trying very hard to go back to just a cupcake on Fridays.
Boyd and I set out to find cupcakes this morning.
We went to the Fort Worth Food Park,
where Red Jett Sweets food truck is set up on the weekends.
Boyd had chocolate {just the frosting of course},
and I had lemon blueberry.
{I ate all of mine}.
delicious.

I thought about swimming today,
but it's so dang hot.
We were able to visit my friend Whitney and her 3 kids,
for a while.
That's always fun to do, because we love hanging out with them.
It just always makes our day better.

..............

I posted this once before, but I tweaked the recipe,

so I just wanted to post the updated version.

We had it last night, and my mouth is still watering for more.
Thai red curry chicken.

7 or 8 chicken tenders

3 cans of unsweetened coconut milk

3 T red curry paste

{it's so much cheaper to buy the jar of this, than the packet}

1 can of shredded bamboo shoots, drained

 about 1/4 of a yellow onion, sliced into slivers

pineapple tidbits, about 1/2 cup

a few shakes of dried basil

Trim and dice and cook your chicken in a little olive oil, and set aside.

Mix your coconut milk and red curry paste in a stovetop pot,

and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add other ingredients.

Simmer, then turn on low.

We serve ours with quinoa,

some cashews,

and Sriracha sauce.

This easily makes 2 meals for us.

heaven.

..............

Last night I was praying with Boyd before bed and I said,
Thank you Jesus for Boyd, mommy and daddy,
our home and for groceries.
Boyd looked at me funny and said,
Jesus didn't give us those groceries,
we got them at the grocery store.

..............

On a more serious note,
I had a hard time going out today and being happy,
while that awful tragedy is taking place in Colorado.
I know bad things happen all the time,
but this just hit me deep down, and breaks my heart.
This world has gone crazy.
It's hard to reconcile all of the beauty in the world,
with a nightmare like this.
In a way I want to stay home and protect my family,
but things like this also make me say,
get out and LIVE,
each day,
to the fullest.
So that is what we are trying to do.

enjoy your weekend.

love,

nicolle

{Here is the video I mentioned to some of you.
Kevin was lucky last night.
Thank you Jesus}.

wednesday

We just got home from the park.

2 1/2 hours of Boyd in a sandbox makes for a very happy and messy boy.

Boyd came down with a stomach bug on monday evening. It wasn't pretty. Thank goodness it passed very quickly. Besides getting a car wash, we hung around the house yesterday. I didn't want to risk it. We owe our sweet friend Shelley a play date. We actually owe several people. Soon, I promise, although next week is going to be crazy with getting ready for Boyd's birthday party and lots of out of town company. We are so excited, but I'm already getting stressed. Breathe in, breathe out.

We stopped and bought some flavored popcorn on the way to the park.
Dill pickle.
Salt and vinegar.
They are both really good.



Oh quinoa, I love you.
Mince and saute' a shallot, a clove of garlic and one fresh jalapeno in a T of olive oil. Then add your quinoa and liquid, and cook as usual. I topped mine with an avocado and some frank's red hot sauce.
{thanks whitney lou for the recipe}.


{I want to tell this story, but it's not for a pat on the back. It just made my heart smile today}.
I took Boyd to McDonald's on sunday to play for a while. It was so crowded, everyone was sharing tables. There was a man next to me in a large booth. He had a kid there playing, but that was all. A lady came in and asked if they could share a couple of seats. He was ugly to her, he was awkward and rude. She started saying no, no that's ok. He said something like fine I'll just leave. He left in a huff. She sat down. She started crying. I so badly wanted to say something to her {and to him as well, I'm not shy}. I wanted to hug her or something. I didn't do anything.
I have thought about her for 4 days now. It seems like such a small incident, but my heart was hurting for her. I was sitting on a bench today at the park, and a lady walked by and asked if she could sit with me. I looked up AND it was the lady from McDonald's. She is very recognizable. I said yes, please sit.
Now, I know today has nothing to do with sunday.
Today can't fix what made her sad.
But, we talked and laughed and I really wanted to say something about what had happened, but I didn't want to embarrass her.
She was so sweet and thanked me when she left and said it was so nice chatting.
It kind of came full circle, and she really touched my heart today.
I love how the world works like that.
Thank you Jesus for letting me cross paths with this sweet stranger again.

This little guy has a scratch on his foot from the park. It's no bigger than a hair. He didn't seem to notice it walking to the car, or at the grocery store, or for 30 minutes at home, but the second I put him in the tub and he saw it, he started boohooing.
I would have shown a picture of him whooping and hollering in the tub, but my grandma doesn't like the crying pictures.
{hi grandma}.
All I know is, bedtime is going to be extra early tonight.



xo.

more thai food and a little snow

I made thai red curry chicken for dinner Sunday night.
Very easy, and almost as good as the restaurant we went to on Saturday.

2 packages of thai red curry paste {I bought at Kroger}
2 cans of coconut milk {unsweetened}
1 1/4 lb chicken tenders, I cut up and pre-cooked
1 small can bamboo shoots, drained
a couple shakes of dried basil
{optional add-ins are onion strips, chunks of bell pepper, pineapple chunks}.

Follow directions on the packages of curry paste. We ate ours with quinoa instead of rice, and I topped mine with Sriracha hot chili sauce. The spicier, the better. So good!

And, this is what you do at 5:50 am when your child is an early riser, and the first tiny snow of the season is about to be melted away. Probably our only snow this year.



My sweet friends up North will laugh, but yes, we get excited about the snow here in Texas. It started falling last night about 7 pm, but we knew it wouldn't last long. I'm glad Boyd got to see a little of it.

Off to brew some coffee.

have a great week.

tuesday things

I am convinced that boys are just as moody/dramatic as girls.
Or, maybe it's just 3 year old boys named Boyd.
He was cold, and upset that his friend Todd was not home.

Texas grapefruit is so good.


I've been eating yogurt with granola and adding ground flax seed. I love flax and just thinking about how healthy it is makes me happy. I've been taking my vitamins and drinking water. I feel good.

Tonight for dinner we had stir fry. Instead of rice, we had quinoa. It was delicious. I mean, really delicious.

This morning I vacuumed the house, we met some dear friends for taco tuesday {thanks Whitney, HG and Harper. It was great fun!}, then I came home and shampooed carpets. I love freshly shampooed carpets. Mentally I feel so good, and I know it's because I'm taking my vitamins regularly {a woman's multi and a b complex}. Maybe it's the flax too? I don't know, but I like the feeling.

And then I have more energy to keep up with Boyd, which is always a good thing.


Boyd likes blue tic tacs. And, he likes to wear mismatched shoes. We let him.


This sweet face makes me smile.


Boyd really wants a baby sister. The other day he said we could make one out of paper mache'. ha.

good night.

new years and a recipe

Here are a few things I would like to do, or improve on, for the New Year.

1. take my daily vitamins.
2. drink lots of water.
3. walk around our large block once a day with boyd, no matter the weather.
4. less time on the computer.
5. buy less, get rid of more.
6. buy food for the local food pantry every time i grocery shop.
7. send more surprise happy mail to friends and family.
8. don't raise my voice to boyd. i don't want him to remember me as the mama who yelled a lot.
9. eat a lot of fruit. {and cupcakes}.


10. breathe in, breathe out, move on.

My beautiful friend Kim inspired me with this recipe, here. The night I wanted to make this chicken and quinoa stew, I didn't have all of the ingredients that she had. I improvised. I love it. I am sure I would love her recipe too. Thanks Kim for the inspiration.

I'm not good with writing down or following measurements, but here goes. Brown a pound of chicken tenders with olive oil, black pepper, onion, minced garlic. Tear apart the chicken, and add a can of diced tomatoes, and one can of water. Cook 1 cup of raw quinoa separately and add to stew when done. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

The other day Boyd was playing with his 7 year old friend Todd. Boyd was saying something about if you are bad you will go to jail. Todd said, no Boyd you will go to juvie.

So, just remember that, and be good.

monday

over the weekend i had 8 glorious hours alone.
boyd played at his memaw's,
and kevin helped his mom with stuff at her new house.
i thought i was in for about 2 hours alone,
so 8 hours was a huge bonus.


i've been eating lots of quinoa.
i love it with butter, splenda and cinnamon.


my friend keri p. tipped me off on these candies.
i had to get some immediately.
pumpkin spice caramels from central market.
heaven.
{i trashed those weird candy corns from the other day}.


my mom knitted this cute hat for boyd.
we've had it a while,
but i keep forgetting to get a photo.
it's a fish hat but you probably can't tell from these pictures.
boyd was not very cooperative.



my car is at the shop,
with a list of issues.
probably for a few days.
i would say it's 10 years old and still going strong,
but i'm not so sure anymore.
i'm very thankful we don't have car payments.
but, still.

boyd and i spent most of today with my mom.
dropped off my car, esperanza's for mexican brunch,
central market, hobby lobby.
then home.
we all tried to nap, but that was a flop.
i did get to soak in the tub and relax.
that is always a treat in the middle of the day.

have a good week!

today

i had quinoa.
are you surprised?!
i had it with a tiny bit of butter,
cinnamon and splenda.
yum.


i just asked boyd what he wanted to do today,
he said,
wet me fink.
(let me think).
we have fun stuff planned,
thursday and friday.
chuck e cheese with friends,
and seeing our old neighbors.
but i'm not telling him ahead of time.
i've learned my lesson on that.


i have to be honest.
i'm feeling like crap.
i have a large cyst on my back.
i won't go into the yucky details.
i've had it for years.
it's infected and painful,
and all kinds of other good stuff.
it looks so bad.
{gross, huh?!}.
i was nauseous all of yesterday,
just thinking about it.
i can't get into the dermatologist,
until monday.
this is just to look at it and treat it,
then schedule the removal.
yesterday i was in tears,
and just anxious over it.
i should have had it removed,
a long time ago.
i'm trying to be positive,
but it's really gotten me in a funk.
i really struggled yesterday,
because i didn't want boyd seeing me upset.
as moms and wives,
we have to put ourselves first sometimes.
and i have not done that,
for the past few years.
i've taken care of everyone else,
and acted like i didn't need to be taken care of.
this reminds me,
that my health is important too.

more quinoa

good morning.
i'm addicted to quinoa.
have i mentioned that lately?!
you have to try it.
it's so delicious,
and so good for you.
so good.
you can eat it with everything.
this morning i had it with 2 eggs,
half an avocado,
and some frank's red hot sauce.


it has a nutty flavor,
a bit of a crunch,
and is a good filler for anything,
or substitute for rice,
potatoes,
etc.
and it's so full of nutrition.
it's low on the glycemic index,
and has a very low glycemic load,
so it's healthy for diabetics too.

i had a couple of weeks of bad eating,
it made me feel so yucky,
mentally and physically.
this was just the push i needed,
to get back on track.
{thank you whit s.}!

if you go to sam's or costco,
they sell a large bag of it.
this is the most inexpensive way to buy it.
i just cooked a bunch of it last night,
in water,
and put it in the fridge.
it's easy to add to any meal.

ok.
enough about that.
we're off to swim,
before the heat starts to sizzle.
have a good day.

ps.
a couple of good reads about quinoa,
here and here.

the last few days

i finally made quinoa.
i've been skeptical.
i love it.
here is what i did.
cooked the quinoa in chicken broth.
cooked a fresh ear of corn in a skillet,
with a dab of butter.
let the quinoa cool.
quinoa, grape tomatoes, corn, avocado,
fresh lime juice squeezed all over.
yum. yum. yum.


we've been downtown.


we filled up the BIG pool.


and then we put the pool,
at the end of the slide.
it didn't really work there,
but boyd had fun.
i love that he's airborne in this first picture.



i've been reading unbroken.
i can't put it down.
wow.

i got to have a fun girl day,
shopping with my friend,
for baby stuff.
for her, not me.
no more babies here.
i LOVE the one i got,
but he's a handful.

i made kevin one of his favorite things.
ham salad, that's not really ham.
i use 2 cans of low sodium spam.
{yes, we are spam lovers}.
a large package of bologna works well too.
{this is all much cheaper than buying canned ham,
or pre-made ham salad at the grocery store}.
run it through a food processor.
transfer to bowl and add,
black pepper, onion powder, sweet relish,
bit of miracle whip for taste, then mayo.
so delicious.


we ate really cold popsicles.
{this picture makes me laugh out loud}.



and really red popsicles.

i put this new cars tshirt on boyd.
{from old navy.
i love it}.
took him outside in 102 degree heat.
gave him a red popsicle.
then said,
don't get red on your shirt.
don't get red on your shirt.
don't get red on your shirt!
ha.

i am loving these summer days,
unbearable heat and all.