YUMMY SALSA!

Since I shared my guacamole recipe I figured I should share my Salsa Recipe.

• 4 Serano Chiles (devein and deseed)
• 2 Habaneros (devein and deseed one)
• 4 Green Onions
• 9 Tomatoes (devein and deseed)
• 1 whole clove of garlic (press with garlic press)
• 3 TBS of Chopped Cilantro
• Juice from three limes (less or more depending on taste)
• Salt to taste

Sometimes I will add Banana Chiles for color and maybe one or two jalapenos

You can either blend or chop depending on how you like your salsa.  I personally like chunky salsa so I chop everything.

Have fun making salsa!!!!!!! :)

PRETTY COLOURS EVERY WHERE

Tuesday evening after dinner I got a bug and decided I needed to finish a craft project. 

Now, if you know me, you know that I have about 20 plastic totes in the garage containing various projects; yarn and fabric. 

I opened the garage door (not all the way - because I have paper boxes full of fabric behind the door) my initial idea was to finish a couple more afghans.  Opening the door reminded me that I still had fabric for quilts.  So, I changed my mind and grabbed the two paper boxes full of fabric and sat down on the living room floor.

I began to sort remnants by color scheme, all the while invisioning the beautiful quilts they would make.

After I sorted the two fabric boxes I remembered that I had started two or three quilts that were in totes in the garage.  I asked Vincent to get them down for me (it's wonderful having a very tall son in the house).

I proceded to sort through two totes and find all the pieces to the previously started quilts.  I spent about 3 hours looking at fabric; sorting; organizing and coming up with a game plan to complete the quilt tops this weekend.

Yes.  I am a crazy woman.  I can get these quilt tops done.  My problem is the filler and the backing and the tieing and the sewing of edges.  I am not very good at any of those.  I have thought "I will ask my friend Gwenda to help me.  She is fantastic when it comes to finishing quilts."  Then I thought:  "I could get my other friend Donna to help me too.  I am sure she would gladly help me.  After all, I helped her with many 'Rainbow Girl' grand officer quilts."

So, all of my fabric and patterns are organized on the dining room table to begin production.  It's such a beautiful fabric rainbow.

"I'm so excited!  I just can't hide it!" 

COLOURS, COLOURS EVERY WHERE!

GONZALES FAMILY GUACAMOLE

Ingredients:

1 packet of your favorite guacamole seasoning
2 large avocados
1-2 early girl tomatoes (or other vine tomato)
1-2 limes (depending on how juicy)
sour cream
cream cheese
garlic (fresh or granulated)
salt

For spicy guacamole you can add about a tablespoon of your favorite chile sauce; salsa or finely chopped pepper (serano, habanero, etc.)  My favorite chile pepper is a habanero because they have a sweet flavor beneath the burn.  :)

When adding tomatoes try to remove the seeds and only chop in the fleshy part of the tomato.  This will keep the guacamole from getting to runny.  Limes are very strong and before your decide to add the juice of a whole lime, squeeze it into a dish and add gradually until the flavor is to your liking.  Sour cream adds a nice punch to the guacamole - don't put too much -maybe 1/4 - 1/2 depending on how large your avocados are.

The best part is the cream cheese.  Don't get the whipped cream cheese.  Cream cheese is thick and will help keep your guacamole from becoming soup.

Garlic is another tricky ingredient.  If you use granulated garlic be prepared to season the same way you would salt - less is more.

Fresh garlic can either make your guacamole sweet or very hot.  Taste your pressed garlic before adding it and then gradually add it to the mix.  DO NOT OVER MIX THE GUACAMOLE.  You will have soup.

Enjoy with your favorite chips.

TENDER MERCIES

I hope that each of you will take the time to read my Tender Mercies blog.  This is a project in the works and I hope at some time it will develop into a piece of work that can be published into something great.

Enjoy and let me know what you think.

CHECK IT OUT

Dara made my blog page pretty and she listed my two other blogs.  Let me know what you think.

BELOW IS THE REAL WINNER OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE!

Wouldn't it be fitting if this went completely around the world!......

John Gebhardt's wife, Mindy, said that this little girl's entire family was executed. The insurgents intended to execute the little girl also, and shot her in the head...but they failed to kill her. She was cared for in John's hospital and is healing up, but continues to cry and moan. The nurses said John is the only one who seems to calm her down, so John has spent the last four nights holding her while they both slept in that chair.. The girl is coming along with her healing.

He is a real Star of the war, and represents what America is trying to do.

This, my friends, is worth sharing. Go for it!! You'll never see things like this in the news. Please keep this going. Nothing will happen if you don't, but the American public needs to see pictures like this and needs to realize that what we're doing over there is making a difference.. Even if it is just one little girl at a time.

James Gates U. S. Navy

FROM ONE BLONDE TO ANOTHER BLONDE

During a recent password audit at a local business, it was found that a employee [with blonde hair] was using the following password:

 

MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofySacramento

When asked why such a long password, she said she was told that it had to be at least 8 characters long and include at least one capital.

WHAT?

If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.

Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936)

I hope this quote was taken out of context.  Why would you do anything if not to do it well?

Does anyone know why Gilbert Chesterton said this?

Personally, if I am going to commit time and effort to something I am going to do the best that I can.  Why waste the time and energy on doing something poorly?

I am quite certain that Heavenly Father expects us to pursue our endeavors with confidence; strength of character and with a desire to do it well.  I believe the expectation is to pursue excellence.  Whatever we chose to do it should bring joy and happiness to others.  I don't ever remember him saying that we should do things badly; halfway or with contempt or disdain.  This would just breed disappointment and sorrow.

That's my opinion.  What do you think?

FOOLISH OR WISE?

'Tis an old maxim in the schools,

That flattery's the food of fools;

Yet now and then your men of wit

Will condescend to take a bit.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

Is accepting a compliment gracefully the same as condescending to flattery? 

If we receive recognition for individual accomplishments in school; work or church are we wrong to accept them without acknowledging the true source of our gifts and talents?

When we are inspired to act and as a result we have accomplished something great how do we accept the thanks and gratitude of others knowing that the inspiration was divine?

WHAT IS YOUR TREASURE?

"He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses a friend loses more; but he that loses his courage loses all."


 - Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)

When I read this quote today a reflected on the many past events in my life.  Events that have shaped who I am and what I value most.  Those things are my treasures.

In the past 15 years I have experienced the joy of life; the sorrow of life lost; prosperity and abundance; loss of material possessions and jobs; and many other normal day to day events. 

Yet during those 15 years I also experienced the awakening moments of the birth of each child; the baptism of my husband; the blessed sealing ordinances in the temple and the prospect of losing my husband to illness.  These awaking moments of helped me to understand what is truly important to me and that is my family.  I would not be who I am without my husband or my children.  In the eternal scheme of things none of us are complete without our families.

So, I guess what I am trying to say is that no matter what life throws at us our perspective should remain on the ultimate goal and that is the blessing of eternal life with our families.  If we end up like Job without nothing and we have arrived there never waivering from our trust and belief in God and Jesus Christ we will have everything.

Miguel de Cervantes almost had it right.  It is true that we lose much when material possessions are lost and we have lost even more when we lose a friend.  We lose a great deal more when we lose sight of our goal of eternal families and have lost faith in Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness.

I hope that part of your New Year's Resolution was to improve your relationships within your families and to learn to love one another more deeply and learn to value what great treasures each of your children; siblings; parents and spouses are. 

TO MUTE OR NOT TO MUTE

Well I have been back to work since Tuesday and have been trying to work without a voice.

It has been kind of liberating.  The phone is ringing off the hook and rolling into voice mail.  I check it every hour or so and then send e-mails to my stores in response.

My co-workers find it extremely entertaining when I try to whisper loud enough to be heard and then I start coughing.  One remarkable side effect is the great attention that I am being given.  Usually there is gibing going on during dept meetings and only half of what I say is heard or even acknowledged.  The last couple days everyone leans in and listens intently.  I feel so special.  It is so nice to be heard!!! :)

Any way, I fear that I have lost my voice for good.  I don't want to try talking because it is sometimes painful and other times it is just irritating.

When I am home the kids continue to ask open ended questions - which I can't answer.  I just look at them an blink.

Funny - Victor had the TV on MUTE last night with captioning.  I sat there thinking "You know, I'm not deaf.  I can still hear.  My voice just doesn't work."  I think he was trying to use the remote control to fix my voice... :) 

KIDS:  remember, just because you saw it on TV doesn't mean it is real or that you should attempt any of the stunts.  Adam Sandler is such a good actor and his fancy remote use to fast forward in life and to mute out arguments was just a story.  YOUR universal remote control only works on the media equipment in your house.