Rachel Ray's Thai Lettuce Cups - YUM-O!

I tried this recipe tonight and it was SUPER good! I didn't do the lettuce cups. I roughly chopped romaine lettuce and put the chicken mixture on top of it. Click here is a link to the recipe in case you want to see photos or print it off for yourself. (oh, and of course we omitted the peanuts lol still tasted amazing!)

Thai Lettuce Cups

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
* 1 red bell pepper, cut into to strips
* 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
* 1/4 cup honey
* 2 iceberg lettuce heads, cut in quarters and leaves gently removed for cups
* 1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped
* Juice of 1 lime
* 1 handful basil, chopped

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Season the chicken with salt and ground black pepper, and cook in the pan until golden brown on all sides.

Add in the red pepper, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add in the chili sauce and honey, and reduce to coat the chicken.

To serve, lay the lettuce leaves out onto a platter then scoop some of the chicken mixture onto each leaf. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts, lime juice and basil.

Magnificent

Magnificent is a song of of U2's new CD, No Line on the Horizon. It is definitely one of my favorites on the CD so far. The more I listen to it, the more I understand what it's about.

My analysis is that Magnificent refers to God. The song is about how we are God's creation and born to glorify Him.

Dictionary.com defines Magnificent as " noble; sublime" " (usually initial capital letter) (formerly used as a title of some rulers) great; grand: Lorenzo the Magnificent." After reading the actual definition of Magnificent the meaning of the song really clicked with me.

Of course, this is only my insight. But the song now has a lot of meaning to me. In fact, I am thinking the word Magnificent might be my next tattoo.

Here are the lyrics of the song:

Magnificent
Magnificent



I was born
I was born to be with you

In this space and time

After that and ever after I haven't had a clue

Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue



Only love, only love can leave such a mark

But only love, only love can heal such a scar


I was born
I was born to sing for you

I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise ...

Only love, only love can leave such a mark

But only love, only love can heal such a scar


Justified till we die, you and I will magnify

The Magnificent

Magnificent


Only love, only love can leave such a mark

But only love, only love unites our hearts



Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent

Magnificent

Magnificent


Itchy Chef

I have often wondered if my son (who has a severe food allergy) would be able to become a chef if he so desired. Right now I am watching a challenge show on the Food Network where a chef was allergic to two ingredients that were given to him to work with. He went far in the competition and is actually a chef for the Waldorf Astoria! There is hope for my little man if he wants to enter the culinary world.

Respect

Today I dropped my son off at preschool. I just happened to look at the car next to us and noticed a Hindu symbol hanging from the mirror. I immediately thought of the image I posted above. It is from U2's last concert tour. As you can see the word "Coexist" is spelled out with the Muslim, Jewish and Christian symbols. I have heard several Christians say that this display has shown that U2 is not believers and that all religions are one. I know that Bono is a follower of Christ (discusssion for another day). The word coexist means: " to exist separately or independently but peaceably" (from dictionary.com). I think that the symbols added to the word just make an even louder statment.

It made me think about how we really need to respect other people's beliefs, no matter what they are. Sure, as a Christian you can present them with the story of Jesus and salvation. But being forceful is the fast track to nowhere. I have seen so many times Christians trying to "argue" about their beliefs with someone who believes differently. I wonder how a Christian would feel if someone of a different faith was forcing their beliefs on them. When the shoe is on the other foot it can really make you view things differently.

We are all human. We were all created by God. We were given a mind to think and the ability to decide what we believe. We must have respect for each other.

Quote from Bono

"It's easy for us to find a sound that we can dance to, it's harder to find something that moves us."

Losing the Stiffness

Recently I have started thinking about religion. Honestly, religion is a word that I dislike. It doesn't mean anything personal to me - it just means that you believe what is most likely rules that man created.

I do believe that faith should be personal. It should be something that you believe with your whole heart, yet probably not be able to completely grasp.

For years I followed "rules" and tried to be someone that as of now I look back and wonder what the hell was I thinking! My view of things was that I was better than others because of what I believed and the way I was living my life. Little did I know that I was sheltering myself as well as pushing away those who might have been interested in learning more about Jesus from a non-judgmental and open to the fact that they might not believe the same as me.

What I find so funny is that it is always thought that when you get older that you get more set in your ways. For me I have found that I have let go of those ways and can see what it all looked like from the outside. It was all just silly to follow all the "rules" that churches, organizations or so called leaders told me I had to do in order to really live the Christian life. Most of that junk can not be found anywhere in the Bible...ok, maybe with some personal interpretation from those presenting this "way of life."

I still have my core beliefs. But I no longer think that I am above anyone in any way at all. We are all on the same playing field. We were all shown a "gift" that we can chose to accept or not. Forcing that gift on someone does not make them really want it...it will probably send them running in the other direction.

I'm baaaack!

After a year of pretty much ignoring this blog, I have decided to give it some new life. A new name, a new look, and new randomness (that probably pertains a lot to the band U2).

So there is it!

(new look to follow soon, stay tuned!)

Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO)

WOW!!! (And no, I don’t mean like World of Warcraft because this game doesn’t fan a flame to it!)

Jamie and I were able to get into the stress test this weekend. A select number of people were allowed in to push the servers and make sure everything is working ok. We played a little bit last night after Kian was in bed (and during the little bit of time that Jamie felt ok to be out of bed).

Jamie and I have played different MMORGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games) since we have been dating. I have to say that LOTRO has been the easiest to navigate, has a GREAT tutorial and is BEAUTIFUL!

Today is the last day of the stress test. After that we have to wait for almost a month before we can get in and play for real! I cannot wait!

Trust

Trust is something you earn. At least in my life that’s the way it goes. If that trust is broken you will have to go WAY out of your way to prove to me that you are trustworthy once again.

Does that mean I will be nice to you? Sure. Does that mean I will allow anything to go beyond what is on the surface? No. Does that mean I will hold you at arms length? You bet ya. Does that mean I will forget what you did? No way! I will always remember what you did and keep in the back of my mind as a reminder to myself in case I see signs of it happening again.

Harsh, yes I know, but I have been burned too many times. The main person was one I was born to and was supposed to be able to trust completely and be loved unconditionally by. That person can be sent a thank you note for creating me the way that I am in this respect. Often surrounding my emotional connection with others in steel bars and locks. And for those who have wronged me that means I pretty much throw away the key. That’s really the only way I can protect myself from it happening over and over again - I allowed it over and over again by the above mentioned “nobody” and I refuse to allow strangers or acquaintances to do the same.

Yes, I know this came out of no where – it’s just me thinking outloud so please don’t read into it

Moms don’t get sick days

How do I know? Well, because I’m living it right now. If I had a job that I clocked into every day, I would have called in the last two days. No, I’m not on my deathbed but I sure feel terrible. It’s hard for me to focus because my head is so clouded. I’m forgetting things and really the only thing I have on my mind is climbing into bed after putting Kian in his and its only 4PM…four more hours to go.

One (without kids) might wonder what I am talking about. Maybe wondering what is so hard about caring for a child when you are sick? Well, my two year old has more energy in his little toe than I do in my whole body right now. My ears feel like they are going to explode anytime I bend over which makes playing more difficult. I’m not able to rest, relax nothing unless he is because I need to keep my eye on him to make sure he’s not doing something wrong or that he’s ok in general. He also needs to have a clean diaper, be fed, needs to be played with, needs hugs and kisses…ok some of those are easier than others but really when you should be concentrating on healing yourself you have to be mindful of another human being who needs you in order to survive.

I am only hoping that today is the worst of it and I will start getting better from here on out….and also having the hope that this virus somehow skips the rest of my family.

My Current Favorite Author

So, a few months ago I watched a movie based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks. The movies was The Notebook and it was one of those movies where I wanted to watch it one more time before I sent it back to Netflix. I passed though because it took me two days to attempt to finish this movie since I watched it during Kian's naps and when Jamie wasn't home.

Then, right after my birthday, we headed on our monthly Costco run and there were 4 books written by Nicholas Sparks. They were all less than $8 each! I decided to scoop them up with some my birthday money. I have been slowly reading through them. I am trying to savor the words but I want to DEVOUR them. Sparks is a writer whose words grab you by the shoulders firmly and your mind demands that you keep reading!

I finished A Walk to Remember (have a Kleenex box for this one!) and watched the movie. Although the movie is loosely based on the novel I still felt it was really good - not to mention, Shane West is definitely not a hard actor to watch!

I just finished reading The Notebook. Very good book...slightly different from the movie in quite a few scenes (but then again what movie isn't!) but the book had me hanging on every last word again. Even though I knew the outcome of the story I was still captivated on how it would all come about.

So anyway, if you are looking for a good read pick up Sparks.

My Neglected Blog

I know no one probably reads this thing anyway, but I know I have really been neglecting it. I found MySpace this fall and started posting on my blog there. Well, for some reason I was reminded of this blog and decided to breath some new life into it. A reminder though. This Blog is for me to plant some of my more random thoughts and insights so buckle your seat belts ;)

Conveniences of the Day

Sometimes I wonder how my mom did things when I was a kid…well maybe even before that! I was thinking the other day of what in the world did people do without a microwave! We were lucky and had a HUGE microwave in our house – I don’t remember a time when we didn’t have one…but I know that was one of the first microwaves out there so before that what the heck did mom’s do at lunch time! Man, talk about having to really time things out! Usually it takes me two minutes to put a meal together for my little guy weather it’s warming something up or it’s putting some bread and cheese in the toaster oven.

Then there are washable crayons and markers. At first I thought that I didn’t need to wash crayon out of my son’s clothes but he does get marks on the table with them when he really gets into coloring and goes off the page. For me it takes two seconds to run some warm water over a dishcloth and wipe it off – easy as pie!

It’s just amazing how many conveniences we have these days….touch tone phones connected through the internet for phone service and portable phones that fit in your pocket. Much has changed since the rotary dial phones my parents had in the house I grew up in and the bag phone my parents had in their car! I probably could go on for days with the things I remember as a kid and how much they have changed now….sometimes I wonder what we did without some of these inventions but apparently we all made it through a time before they existed :)

Desire to mend what was lost....

Why do people hold grudges? I mean, yeah, I can see when someone is wronged you – you shouldn’t forget it so you can protect yourself in the future from that person…but forgiveness should be extended. I have been on both sides of this coin…where I have grudges held against me and where I have had the opportunity to hold one myself. I’m not perfect, but I would like to think I don’t have any grudges against anyone. I have not forgotten some wrongs and won’t allow for things to ever go there again with those people. And I don’t throw the ill behavior in the face of that person over and over again.

Also, sometimes there is more than one side to a story. The current grudge I am thinking about is one held against me – one that is a very hurtful because it has made a relationship with this person near impossible. This said person has a made up story behind what happened and has decided to believe. They also haven’t even heard my side of the story because, well, they refused to even talk to me about it. I can’t even speak to this person without feeling attacked in a very personal way. The funny thing is that the event occurred about a year and a half ago and the hurt is still there like it was the day it happened.

Part of me wants to try to “kiss this person’s feet” so to speak and make things right. The other part of me doesn’t want to play that game because, well, I did nothing wrong and actually tried to call and apologize for what happened right when it happened. I’m not this person’s you-know-what list with no way of coming off unless they decide to extend some mercy my way. Although, I believe that’s very doubtful.

Man, why do I have to think about this junk today! Bleh….I wish it would just go away….

Check out this link

http://www.worldonfire.ca/

New view...

In the midst of crisis, say “thank you” because there is always something better on the other side. ~ Maya Angelo

This quote is so true….it has helped me to see how temporary a crisis can be and how things are so much better on the other side.

Houseidous, Get Behind Me!!

Yes, I said it….Houseidous. My beloved Dave Ramsey has coined that term as a disease people get when the move somewhere new. It’s a disease where you consider pulling out your credit card so you can get things you think would make your house look nice instead of saving up to buy it. I’ve had it before – although not too bad – but I fear it will rear its ugly head now that my husband and I have purchased our first home (ok, it’s in escrow right now, so God willing we will purchase it).

I already have a short list in my mind of things that need to be bought – some absolutely have to be purchased like gates for the stairs and shelving in the laundry/pantry area so Costco can fit in our house (or at least the portion of it I bring home monthly).

The credit cards will remain locked up in our safe – where they have been for years. I have had evil, evil thoughts of using them and confessed this sin to my husband already. Thankfully we don’t make any purchases without the other knowing – well, anything that is not put into one of our budget categories and thoughtfully spent on paper before the month even starts. This might sound anal to some, but it’s helped us pay off thousands of dollars in debt and saved us from really ever fighting about money (which, btw, is one of the top reasons people get divorced).

So, houseidous – get behind me!

Bono in Africa and NBC Nightly News Broadcasting LIVE - WATCH TONIGHT!!!!

Bono is touring through Africa now and he will be on NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams. Set your TiVo's peeps and learn more about the ONE campaign and how it's helping or how you can help!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12916501/
http://www.one.org/blog/

My Space - Can I Hug You?!?!

Wow! I can’t believe how awesome My Space is becoming for an oldie like me…I say that because mainly it’s used by high school students…but more and more people my age and even older are using it to reconnect with friends from the past!

Some people I know online shared they had a page and then a friend that I knew from a few years ago and kept in touch with emailed me with updates to her blog on there and what not (Hi Season!)…so I decided to make my own page. I thought that there might be an off chance of reconnecting with some old friends. WELL, in the last few weeks I found a friend of mine from high school and just this last weekend I found a good friend of mine I went to college with and reconnected with a few others through him….I also did a search this morning to find two of my other close friends from college! I am just AMAZED at how many people I have been able to find! Some of them I have always wondered what they were up to! This is so very exciting!

Thank you My Space!!! XOXOXOXOX

One of the hardest jobs

The hardest yet most rewarding job I have ever had was becoming a mother. It requires no interview, no prerequisites (besides having a uterus), and comes with no instructions.

Before Kian was born I think I read every book I could get my hands on about pregnancy. I did the same with babies, but babies don’t fit into nice neat little boxes - like if he’s screaming he’s hungry….yeah, that could be one of the things he’s needing but it could also mean he’s bored, he’s tired, he’s wet….you get the picture. A lot of mothering is done by feel and by how well you know your baby. It takes time, using trial and error, and making mistakes – those mistakes are the hardest for a mom to take…believe I know first hand.

All three of us had a rocky start. When I was pregnant I thought I would have a med free birth – all natural. Well, it didn’t end up that way. Kian was stuck and I had to have a c-section. The road was bumpy one for us from the start – I almost died two days after giving birth, Kian had problems breastfeeding, and I soon found out that the crying he was doing all the time wasn’t “normal” after attending a class with other mom’s and newborns and getting a lot of stares because I wasn’t able to calm Kian down. Talk about feeling helpless! At least we found some things that worked for Kian but it was still pretty colicky or irritable for the first 7 months of his life (which is 4 months past the colic stage). Who knows why he was that way, but let me tell you that if I told someone that who only knew him today they would not believe me! Kian is a very happy toddler – well he has his moments but don’t we all.

Apart of being a mom is not only the caring and giving of yourself to this little person but it also means that you need to be willing to let them fly on their own. A few weeks ago Kian turned two and I have to say those two years have flown by so fast! A while ago I was putting away some of Kian’s clothes from when he was a baby and it was so hard to believe that he fit in them! I’m happy my little guy is growing up but at the same time I’m sad too!

Somedays cleaning and cooking calls my name and the day gets away from me. It’s those days that I realize I haven’t spent a lot of time with Kian….it’s also those days that I need to remind myself that two-years-old only happens once in his lifetime and I need to cherish every moment. No one will remember that my kitchen was clean on May 19, 2006 but I know that I will remember the laughter and fun me and Kian had on that day – I think I choose Kian over my dirty kitchen :)