Taco Tuesday.....

Chicken tacos with a chili pepper mayo & Corn Salsa………I thought it was awesome………

Here are the recipe's i used........

Blackening Spice Rub for chicken:
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon freshly crack black pepper
• 2 teaspoons granulated onion
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Rinse and pat dry the chicken breast, trim off any excess fat, and rub with 1 tablespoon of the Blackening Spice. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through

Black Bean Salsa:
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium corn kernels, drained
• 1 can diced tomato, drained
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
• 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Gently mix all of the ingredients in a large container. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Mexican Mayo
½ Cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon Cumin
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Monday Calm

For diner tonight i made a Tofu Soup. Brianna says “In order to make tofu taste good, soak in soy sauce for 1 hour to 3 days” I like it, it has no flavor, but what you put into it. You can do all kinds of stuff with tofu, I am a HUGE fan of it in Chinese soups, egg drop, sweet and sour…..etc……For most people it’s a texture thing but if you can get over that I think you’d be ok. Here's the recipe I did.

• One 32 ounce carton 99% fate free chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp natural granulated sugar
• 2 to 3 tsp minced fresh ginger, to taste (I used a LOT)
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces soft or firm tofu cut into bite size cubes
• Optional: any veggie you want to use ( I used peas, carrots & spinach)
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1. Combine the broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and ginger in a soup pot. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes

2. Stir in the scallions, tofu, & veggies about 3 minutes (or veggies are tender enough for you)

3. You can add two cups additional water, or enough to give the soup a dense but not overly crowded consistency. Season with pepper and additional soy sauce if needed. Heat through and serve at once

If you read this blog today or tomorrow, please send a prayer out for my mom. She just had her yearly mammogram, and the doctor has noticed some discrepancies between her pictures last year and the ones from this year. She has another appt tomorrow and we will know then. Please just send a thought of her when you have a chance.

Love it!

Than with Tbri

Doing the Weight thing.......

I don't think I've mentioned that I am doing weight watchers. I started a couple weeks ago, and so far it's going pretty well. It's forced me to look at food a little differently. On Weight Watchers, your goal is to eat good, well rounded meals, with good potion control. Which, i admit, are not two of my best weight subjects. I like FOOD i like good tasting food, and i usually like a decent portion of it. But, i also like my old clothes, and would love to feel a little bit better health wise. Plus, I have discovered that if I eat better, obviously so does my family. Now, don't get me wrong, we still ate good foods (Aragorn will take a banana over sweets almost any day) but i do not deprive my children of any foods. I limit the intake, but there are not many foods my kids haven't tried, because i love FOOD. So i am using weight watchers as a tool to help me change my lifestyle of eating. That's one of the reasons i chose them was because they teach you lessons and tricks that you will be able to use forever, not a fad diet. So, i think every now and then, to help keep me motivated, i will share with you what i ate, and possibly show you a picture, and maybe a fact about weight loss. I was going to open another blog, but i think everyone i know that already reads this one, could benefit from a new recipe or tip.

So yesterday Bria and i made a TON of food it was good for you and we have leftovers for two days. Here's what we had in pictures.

My 1st Ryoal wedding......

Our invitation must have gotten lost in the mail :-) That's ok though. I didn't really want to buy a new dress, and go through the hassle of customs. So i enjoyed the wedding of Prince William The Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus and his beautiful bride Catherine Middlteon Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge from the comfort of my couch. I was to young to watch Prince Charles and Princess Diana get married, so i missed that massive to-do. But i did get up at 2:45 am and watch this wedding and i am glad i did. It was amazing. Kate was beautiful, William looked so handsome and then they both looked so nervous, and happy and in love. I was able to watch the entire wedding including the Kiss which took place on the balcony of Buckingham palace, just as Charles and Diana's had. I loved Kate's dress, i loved the decor that was used, it made Westminster Abby look a little cozier, more welcoming. I also like that Kate already has a place in the people's heart. I hope she can stand up to all that is ahead of her. I Really Like this article i found about thier relationship
Royal Relationship Rules Marriage experts say this royal marriage may be built to last. Here's how we commoners can steal the couple's healthy relationship secrets.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health-pictures/0324/royal-relationship-rules.aspx