White Chicken Chili

I love making White Chicken Chili because it is easy and it is one of Scott's favorites. I got the recipe from my sister-in-law, Jennifer, and adapted it just slightly...

White Chicken Chili
4 cans Great Northern Beans, don't drain
3 large cans Swanson Chicken, drained and chopped (or rotisserie chicken chopped up)
1 T olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 med onions, chopped
2 t ground cumin
1 t ground oregano
2 4.5 oz cans mild chopped green chilies
4 cans Swanson chicken broth (I use one box organic chicken broth/stock)
20 oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated (separated-12oz for soup, 8oz for topping)

Sour cream
Tortilla chips
Avocado chunked
Cilantro
a few splashes of Tobasco Green Pepper Sauce (Scott's favorite-it's milder than Tobasco)

Heat oil, add onions- cook until translucent. Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, and oregano. Saute' 2-3 minutes. Add beans, broth and 12 oz cheese. After cheese melts into soup, then add chicken. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve in bowls. Top with toppings that you like: cheese, sour cream, chips, avocado, and/or cilantro.

Enjoy!

It's a GIRL!

That's her little head on the left (Can you see the brain and eye sockets) and her abdomen in the middle. (I had to scan these and then crop them, so they aren't very clear.)

Here she is curled up in the fetal position. Her feet and toes are on the left, then her shins and knees. To the right of the space are her arms and hands...wait, maybe those are her lungs. I need to ask Scott.

Here is her sweet little hand. "Hi baby!"

I was trying so hard not to have a preference, but I am THRILLED that it is a GIRL! I feel so blessed and really did not expect it to turn out so perfectly: boy, girl, boy, girl! (I was also glad I didn't have to break contrary news to the kids who were already convinced that the baby would be a girl since Titus got a baby boy (Justus) and it was Audra's turn to get a baby girl.) I also have to give Scott credit. He has had a confident intuition about the gender of the baby every time and he has been right all four times! (I, on the other hand, never have a clue: this time I dreamed that it was a boy; with Titus I dreamed he was an alien.)

I also felt so relieved to see the baby's heartbeat and to have the midwife say that she looked very healthy and that all of the skeletal system and organs were measuring normally. I've heard so many heartbreaking stories lately of fetuses that couldn't thrive or babies born with abnormalities that caused them to die shortly after birth. I am just so thankful that she is healthy.

When I picked up Audra from Kids' Day Out and told her that the doctor confirmed that the baby is a girl, her entire face lit up! "Oh, Mommy! I'm so happy I'm going to have a sister! Can I have a crib in my room and have her sleep with me just like the boys? Hey, that's two boys and two girls. Mommy, there will be 6 of us: 3 boys and 3 girls!!!"

She asked me questions about the baby "out of the blue" for the rest of the day:

"Mommy, can we name her Abby?"

"I bet Justus will share his toys with our zero baby because babies like to share toys." (I thought it was hilarious that Audra kept referring to her as "zero baby". I'm assuming that it is because a newborn is zero years old.)

"Baby, would you like some milk?" she whispered into my belly tonight. "When you come out I'll get you some milk. Babies like milk"

"Mommy, can you get a little crib for her so I can put her in it next to my bed? Get a little crib the size of my bed. If you get a big one, I might drop her and that would hurt her belly. I'll take very good care of her." (She was very concerned and serious about this one.)

"Mommy, I'm so happy I'm going to have a sister."

On Tuesday night, Audra and I were watching American Idol and she was laying with her head on my hip and rubbing my belly with her hand. All of a sudden, she jumped up and went to get her favorite blanket and laid it across my belly. "Here you go, baby," she said, "I don't want you to be cold." So, so sweet.

My sister-in-law, Jennifer, once told me, "The best gift you can give your child is a sibling." I think she is right. Thank you, God, for the gift of this precious baby girl to our family.

Classic Deviled Eggs

I ate a plate full of deviled eggs today. Twice. I forgot how good they are! I didn't know what else to do with all the dyed Easter eggs in my fridge. Apparently I'm on a recipe kick on my blog, so I thought I'd include this one, too.

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise

¼ cup Mayonnaise (I like Kraft--Miracle Whip is NOT an acceptable substitute)

½ teaspoon dry ground mustard (optional)
½ teaspoon white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Paprika for garnish (optional--not personally a fan)

Pop out (remove) the egg yolks to a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard powder, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Fill the empty egg white shells with the mixture and sprinkle lightly with paprika.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before serving.

That's My King!

The truth in this short video made me cry. It is an excerpt from a powerful prayer delivered in 1976 by Dr. S. M. Lockridge (1913-2000) entitled "That's My King":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzqTFNfeDnE&feature=player_embedded

Happy Resurrection Day! My King is Risen!

Boy or Girl?

If the baby will cooperate, we'll find out Thursday morning if Baby #4 is a boy or a girl! In the meantime, I posted a poll here on the blog so you can vote and I'll keep you posted on Thursday. (Look to the right of this post to see the poll.)

It's Friday Night, But Sunday's Comin'

A Conversation with Death on Good Friday
April 10, 2009 By: John Piper

CHRISTIAN: Hello, Death, my old enemy. My old slave-master. Have you come to talk to me again? To frighten me?I am not the person you think I am. I am not the one you used to talk to. Something has happened. Let me ask you a question, Death. Where is your sting?

DEATH, sneeringly: My sting is your sin.

CHRISTIAN: I know that, Death. But that’s not what I asked you. I asked, where is your sting? I know what it is. But tell me where it is. Why are you fidgeting, Death? Why are you looking away? Why are you turning to go? Wait, Death, you have not answered my question. Where is your sting?Where is, my sin? What? You have no answer? But, Death, why do you have no answer? How will you terrify me, if you have no answer?

O Death, I will tell you the answer. Where is your sting? Where is my sin? It is hanging on that tree. God made Christ to be sin—my sin. When he died, the penalty of my sin was paid. The power of it was broken. I bear it no more. Farewell, Death. You need not show up here again to frighten me. God will tell you when to come next time. And when you come, you will be his servant. For me, you will have no sting.

O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

Gramps' Potato Salad

I made my Dad's pototo salad for Finley Neufeld's Backyard Birthday Party this afternoon. It also happens to be the best potato salad on the planet. In my family my Dad is famous for five things: his homegrown tomatoes, his fabulous breakfasts, his homemade ice cream, his mashed potatoes, and this potato salad recipe:

Gramps’ Potato Salad
Serves 15-20 Adults

5 lbs. red potatoes
6-8 eggs
1 red onion
1 lemon, juiced
6-8 large kosher pickles
¼ cup Italian Dressing
2-3 cups Kraft mayonnaise
2 T. salt
1-2 T. pepper

Directions:
Wash potatoes. Put potatoes and eggs in large pot. Cover with water. Bring to boil. Turn down and simmer for about 20 minutes. Test potatoes with fork to be sure they are tender. While this is cooking, dice onions and pickles and marinate in the Italian Dressing and lemon juice (I add 1-2 T of pickly juice, too) in the same bowl that the salad is to be mixed. Dice potatoes and eggs and add to top of vegetables. Salt and pepper generously, then stir. Add mayo and stir all ingredients together. Taste to decide amount of mayonnaise. Refrigerate. (I think it tastes best if you can refrigerate it for a couple of hours before you serve it.) Enjoy!

Pistachio Pesto Pasta

Tonight I tried my friend K.C.'s Pistachio Pesto Pasta. I served it with a Caprese Salad (mozzarella, tomato, basil, and onion drizzled with olive oil and salt & pepper). It was yummolicious! Even my kids liked the pasta! Thank you, K.C.! We ate it too fast to take a picture, but here is the recipe:

Pummill’s Pistachio Pesto Pasta

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup crushed pistachios
5 cloves freshly minced garlic (double if you LOVE garlic)
½ cup olive oil
1 cup firmly packed basil leaves (stems removed)
¼ cup firmly packed parsley sprigs (stems removed)
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 package farfalle (bowtie) pasta
4 chicken breasts, diced and marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar & garlic salt (I marinated it for 2 hours in the fridge, but I found out later that isn't what K.C. meant. It tasted good, though.)


1. In food processor, add ingredients in order specified above. The food processor will take care of all the mincing, chopping, grating and crushing. Blend to form a thick paste.

2. While pesto is blending, put pasta on to boil. Boil pasta until al dente.

3. While pasta is boiling, sauté chicken in marinade of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic salt.

4. When pasta and chicken are ready, combine the two. Then, mix in ½ cup pesto. Stir and serve.

5. Freeze remaining ½ cup pesto in zip loc bag. Then, for your next meal, simply thaw pesto, cook pasta and sautee chicken.

Can I just add that cooking totally wears me out? I know some people love to cook. I'm not one of them. I just love good food. I'd gladly (and possibly unashamedly) have a cook. It just seems like a lot of work to spend an hour+ cooking, for my kids to cry about it, Scott to eat it in 7 seconds (and always enjoy it and compliment it), and then have an hour's worth of cleaning to do afterwards. Then I'm worthless and ready for bed at 8:00. It just doesn't seem worth it. No wonder I love to eat out. Hmmm. That pesto and caprese salad were really yummy, though. Maybe, it was worth it...

(Adding this 15 minutes later...) I'm sorry if that sounded negative. I'm obviously tired. On a bright note, next time I'll already have the pesto done since the other half is already in the freezer. :)

Quote of the Day (On Allergies)

Titus walked into my room this morning and proclaimed, "Mom, I'm having a heart attack of sneeezing!"

Interview With Titus and Audra

Several of my friends on Facebook did this interview with their kids and I was curious how Titus and Audra would respond. Their answers were pretty amusing:

1) What is something mom always says to you?
Audra: "I love you very much."
Titus: "Almost always you say, 'I love you.'"

2) What makes mom happy?
Audra: "Preferring other people, obeying Mommy, and obeying God."
Titus: "When we clean our room for you and when we surprise you."

3) What makes your mom sad?
Audra: "When we say bad things."
Titus: "When you slip and fall on the wet, soapy water that Audra spilled. Remember that?"
"When we don't be nice to each other."

4) How does your mom make you laugh?
Audra: "Tickle me."
Titus: "Tickle me. I'm very ticklish."

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Audra: "I don't know....Remember, you liked to play with your friend, Natalie. You guys liked to dance and play dress up."
Titus: "I don't know. You were very good as a child." (Apparently he didn't ask Richard or Rhea Lana their opinion on this one.)

6. How old is your mom?
Audra: "3 1/2 years old"
Titus: "21"

7.How tall is your mom?
Audra: "11 years old"
Titus: "Probably about to here!" (He said as he jumped and raised his hand as high as he could.)

8.What is your moms favorite thing to do?
Audra: "You like to...well, let's see here...go to the mall, and you like to love me and hug me."
Titus: "Be with me."

9. What does your mom do when you are not around?
Audra: "You like to stay where you are."
Titus: "Probably just go somewhere else."

10.If your mom becomes famous what will it be for?
Audra: "I don't know what famous means."
Titus: "Probably for taking care of your kids very well."

11. What is your mom really good at?
Audra: "You are good at getting exercise, and jumping on the trampoline, playing with me. You're good at fixing things."
Titus: "Cleaning the house." (Awesome. Just what I always wanted to be good at.)

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Audra: "Well, you're not very good at riding my bicycle." (True.)
Titus: "Playing video games because you've never played them before." (Also true.)

13. What does your mom do for a job?
Audra: "I don't know."
Titus: "Umm...working? Sometimes you work at FAC." (FAC is Fayetteville Athletic Club. I think he means "working out.") :)

14. What is your moms favorite food?
Audra: "You like salad. When you were a little girl you liked pizza, just like me."
Titus: "I'm going to guess pizza or teriyaki chicken. It has a really good taste. I'm glad they made that in Japan. Maybe, we should move to Japan. It's very far away, but we could go in an airplane."

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Audra: "Well, you always serve me."
Titus: "When you do a really good job...like when you ride go-carts at Locomotion." (???)

16. If your mom was a cartoon character, who would she be?
Audra: "Mrs. Flintstone"
Titus: "Dora because she helps every animal in the forest."

17.What do you and your mom do together?
Audra: "Well, we always play with each other."
Titus: "Sometimes we ride go-carts together or read together." (I think he is talking about the go-cart I just bought for him at the sale. We've been taking walks around the neighborhood and they take turns riding the go-cart.)

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Audra: "We both have curly hair, Silly!" "We always love and kiss each other."
Titus: "We both like peperoni pizza." "Do you like to do crab races?" ("yes") "Then we both like to do crab races. We both like to go hiking."

19. How are you and your Mom different?
Audra: "Well, I don't spank you, but you spank me."
Titus: "You fall asleep quicker than I do."

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Audra: "You always tell me."
Titus: "Because you hug me and kiss and you say, "I love you" to me.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Audra: "Cause yesterday you kissed Daddy and I saw you. Remember?"
Titus: "That he likes to play with me."

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Audra: "Marketplace Grill and probably the park"
Titus: "The mall. In the summer you like to go to the pool."