Trying things out again...not sure if this will stick!

I really liked tracking my books when I was active on this blog....I may try to do that again, along with tracking games I have played.

Hello? Anyone out there?

So..I obviously haven't blogged in the last few years....anyone interested in me starting up again? If so, feel free to comment and I will take that into consideration!

Egg Roll

At book club last night, we had an Asian themed dinner in honor of the book we read- Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. The book was fantastic but the people and conversations were even better! I made eggrolls for the meal and they were yummy. Here is the recipe:

Egg Rolls
Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 green onions, chopped
1-2  12 ounce bags of shredded cabbage and carrots (cole slaw mix)
20 7 inch egg roll wrappers
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons water
peanut oil for frying

Directions
1. Season pork with spices and cook until no longer pink.
2. Add green onions and cabbage to pork mixture and saute until limp.
3. Let mixture cool.
4. In large skillet heat oil until medium high. In small bowl, mix flour and water to make paste.
5. Lay out one egg roll skin with a corner pointed toward you. Place about 1/4-1/3 of a cup of mixture and fold corner up over the mixture. Fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll. Brush a bit of the flour paste on the final corner to help seal egg roll.
6. Place egg rolls in heated oil and fry on both sides until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on paper towels or rack.
7. Enjoy!

Chili Recipe

I entered a chili cookoff and ended up getting second place. A few people have asked for the recipe, so here it is!

Chili a la Hot!

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons oil
1 onion
1 green bell pepper
1 Red bell pepper
2 lbs hot Italian sausage
2 lbs lean ground beef
3-4 Tablespoons chopped garlic
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans dark red kidney beans
2 cans white beans
4 cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
2 cans Italian stewed tomatoes
1 7 oz can chipotle peppers
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons oregano
4 teaspoons basil
2 Tablespoons chili powder

Directions

1. Dice up onion and bell peppers. Saute in skillet with oil, approximately 7 minutes. Remove from skillet for later use.

2. Break sausage into chunks. Remember, we are making chili, not taco meat, we want chunks. Start browning in skillet.

3. Break hamburger into chunks. Add to the sausage. Brown all meat but don’t overcook. Once all meat is cooked, drain grease. Add garlic and sauté another minute.

4. In a large pot, put onions, bell peppers, and meat mixture over medium heat. Cut tomatoes in can with knife to make smaller. Add beans and tomatoes.

5. Chop the chipotle peppers very fine.  Add to pot, along with spices.

6. Cook over low heat as long as possible, at least 1 hour.

Easter

I am just doing a quick post to check out a google feature.... here is a quick picture of Joseph and James....3 months and 23 months. Boy, time sure flies!

Happy Easter!

Maria's Birthday!

Maria is 15 today.

How in the world did 15 years fly by so quickly? I am so blessed to have a daughter like Maria. She is an awesome big sister to her three brothers. She is out and about with one of her best friends, Sonja, to celebrate her birthday. They are going to the movies, eating at Red Robin, hanging out at the mall, and then coming home for a sleepover....not that there will be a lot of sleeping going on!

Here is a picture of her holding Joseph as a newborn....it is amazing that he already looks different in less than 4 weeks.

Rest is good

Life continues. It is amazing what rest does to restore oneself. I find if I am able to get a nap in the middle of the day, the nights are much more bearable. Plus, going to bed earlier when Joseph goes to sleep for the first shift is also good. It is hard though....there are other things that I want to do....but I need to remind myself continually that this is such a short season and I just need to enjoy the time with a newborn. So, resting, reading, relaxing, gazing at Joseph, playing with James, and maintaining the basics of the household are what occupy the bulk of my time nowadays. And, I couldn't do it without the amazing help of Maria and William. They are both so incredibly willing to serve and to either hold Joseph or play with James....it is a wonderful thing to watch.