Recipe: Quick-Fix Beef Burrito Skillet

I tried a new recipe tonight and it was quite good, so thought I would share it with you.

I got the recipe from http://www.kraftfoods.com/. Their website is full of recipes. I like them because most of the ingredients are in my fridge and pantry anyway and they are usually quick and easy to make. If you sign up for their newsletter, you will get recipes sent to your email on a regular basis. That was how I found this recipe. I made a few subsititions that I have noted below.

Quick-Fix Beef Burrito Skillet

1 lb lean ground beef

1 pkg Taco Bell Home Originals Taco Seasoning Mix

1 Can Kidney Beans, drained, rinsed

1 Cup Taco Bell Home Originals Thick N Chunky Salsa

1 Cup water

4 Flour Tortillas (6 inch), cut into 1 1/2 inch squares

1 Cup Kraft Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese

1/3 Cup Sour Cream

1/3 Cup green onions

Brown meat in large skillet on medium-high heat: drain.

Add seasoning mix, beans, salsa, and water; stir. Bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 5 minutes.

Stir in tortillas; top with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and onions.

Note: I substituted the kidney beans for corn that I drained. I also made black beans on the side to add separately for those that like them. I just used half the package of seasoning and used finely shredded cheddar cheese. I did not add the onions.

This was very easy to make and was ready in 20 minutes from start to finish. I think it would also be good with fresh tomatoes and maybe even chips crumbled on top. Enjoy!

The Old Hymns

Before I became a mom over 9 years ago, I worked as a social worker for Hospice. I absolutely loved my job, but knew that once I became a mom, that job was more important and I left Hospice behind. I did volunteer for them for awhile, but found my home life made it difficult for me to continue doing that....until recently. I refreshed my training and became a Hospice volunteer once again. I have had a few patients since I have started back up and I realized again how much I believe in this service. To be able to be a part of someones final journey is truly a privilege and I cherish every moment of it.

Last week I met my newest patient for the very first time as well as her daughter. My newest friend is 97 and lives in a nursing home. She is blind, hard of hearing, and has no short term memory. My first thought was "great...how am I going to visit with her?" But, last week, I had a nice visit with the daughter who was able to give me some background on her mom, while I sat and held the mother's hand. In our conversation the daughter shared that her mom is a Christian and loved going to church and singing the "old hymns". So, I decided that the next visit I would bring a hymnal and read the old hymns to her. Because she is so hard of hearing I thought it would be easier to read them loudly than to sing them loudly! :) So, today, that is just what I did.

When I walked in I told her who I was and chatted a little bit, then I told her what I had brought to read to her today. Her face lit up and she smiled! I started right in with "Sweet, Sweet Spirit", then "Sweet Hour of Prayer", and moved on to "The Old Rugged Cross". I read 15 different hymns to her today. I had never READ a hymn. So many of them I could sing by heart and know them instantly by the melody. But, I had never READ them. The words are beautiful and carry such meaning and lessons. I saw her mouthing the words several times and both of us had tears in our eyes throughout the visit. I am so grateful that God brought us together and gave me the idea to read these hymns to her. I am anxious to go back next week and read them again. She is such a blessing to me and I pray that God stays with her during her final days on this Earth and makes those days comfortable and pain free for her.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in doing, contact your local Hospice program and find out about their next volunteer training. There are many ways you can offer support to the families, like running errands for the caregiver, mowing the lawn, washing dishes, or staying with the patient while the caregiver goes to the store, church, or just out for a walk. You will not regret the time you spend with a family in Hospice.

Labor Day Weekend

As many other families, we closed out our summer (even though the kids have been in school since August 20th) with a great weekend. God certainly blessed us with perfect weather this weekend and allowed us to recharge our batteries and get ready for a busy schedule ahead. This was our last free weekend for a long time as soccer starts Saturday and football starts Sunday. Free weekends are a thing of the past for awhile.

Friday night we spent the evening at a local winery with Pat's sister Julie and husband Bill and our friends Mike and Tina. We laughed A LOT, had great wine and enjoyed the music of the Silver Wings playing the oldies. It was a great evening! The kids had fun too, playing with their cousins that night!

Then Saturday we attended the neighboring towns annual "Sauerkraut Days". It starts with a parade and then all the free hotdogs and sauerkraut you can eat, carnival rides for the kids, a car show, and various other food items for sale. Our nephews were in the parade, driving their tractors. We enjoyed our dogs and kraut. I even gave in and had a funnel cake. The kids had fun riding the carvial rides. By the time we got home we were all exhausted and had naps!

Saturday night we had a bonfire in our backyard and Pat and the kids slept in a tent in our backyard. Dad didn't get much sleep, but the memories made were worth it!

Sunday we enjoyed a day at home, picking up, cleaning and organizing rooms, playing catch outside, and playing games inside. Today we slept in. Then we had a picnic, played at the park, fed the geese and ducks, went to Chuck E Cheese to play the games, went out for ice cream.

This was such a great family weekend for us. It was just what we needed. Our family has been blessed and we had such a beautiful weekend to enjoy and be thankful for. The memories we made this weekend will carry us through our next several busy weekends.

Mondays Matter: Week 36

Taken from the book Every Monday Matters: 52 Ways To Make A Difference by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza

BE NEIGHBORLY

-The average dual-career couple works away from their home a combined 18.2 hours/day.

-People spend less than 15 minutes/day doing outside chores and gardening compared to over 3 hours watching TV or movies and surfing the internet.

-The average person or family has friends over for dinner about 45% less often than they did in the 70's.

-In 1926, the first electric automated garage door opener was invented by C.G. Johnson beginning the drive-in-and-shut-the-door method of entering your home.

-The increased number of fenced backyards, coupled with the disappearance of front proches and verandas, has privatized residences more than ever.

ACTION STEPS

1. Meet a neighbor you have never met before. Simply knock on the door and introduce yourself. Take some produce from your garden or something you have baked, or invite them over for a beverage and a snack.

2. Make yourself more available and approachable to your neighbors.

3. Mow your lawn, wash your car, go for a walk, or play with your children outside, and if you see your neighbors doing the same...go outside and visit.

4. Plan a neighborhood yard sale or block party.

5. Write a quarterly neighborhood newsletter.

I know that we are fortunate to live in a very small town, around 700 people. So, we know every one of our neighbors and you can frequently find us standing in someone's driving sharing stories and swapping garden produce or beverages! My neighbors call me if they need sugar, I call them if I need someone to watch my kids for a few minutes. We have "Porch Fridays" with snacks and beverages and the kids all play in the backyards. We have town-wide garage sales, town-wide celebrations, school events, etc. I am so proud to live where we do and I just love all of our neighbors.

Does your mailman know your neighbors better than you do? Change your daily routine, just walk out your front door, visit with your neighbor. Remember, you have to be a good neighbor to have a good neighbor!

God's Light

Tonight I have the devotions for my church's Circle meeting. I thought I would share it to remind you that God is always with you.

The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. Psalm 121:8 NLT

A mother and her four-year-old daughter were preparing for bed one night. The child was afraid of the dark, and the mother, on this occasion, felt fearful also.

When the light was out, the child caught a glimpse of the moon outside the window. "Mother," she asked, "is the moon God's light?" "Yes," said the mother.

The next question was, "Will God put out his light and go to sleep?" The mother replied, "No, my child, God never goes to sleep."

Then out of the simplicity of a child's faith, she said these words which gave reassurance to the fearful mother: "Well, as long as God's light in on, he's awake, and we might as well go to sleep."

I would rather walk with God in the dark than go alone in the light. Mary Gardiner Brainard

Taken from the book "What A Wonderful Life for Moms".

Another Political Win!

Nearly a year ago at this time, our family entered the "political arena" with our son Patrick winning the title of Room Representative for the student council. Well, today, after much stress and work on speeches, our son Bennett won his election for Room Representative!

A tradition in our home is using the "Star Plate". When you have something exciting happen, have a birthday, etc, you get to use the "Star Plate" at dinner. I made it a few years ago at a local make-your-own pottery place. So, the kids like it because there is no other plate like it...special just to our family, and of course, because I made it! I am sure when they are adults and I am gone, there will be fights over who gets to keep the "Star Plate"! It is a great idea for any family and it doesn't have to be a plate you make, you can just go and buy a brightly colored or striped or fancy plate and use that as your family "Star Plate". It is just another small way that I make our kids feel special.

So, tonight was a "Star Plate" meal for Bennett....and he cleaned his plate!

Review: Softlips Organic Lip Conditioner and Giveaway!

Thanks to Mom Select, for sending me the Softlips to review.

Softlips is a 95% organic lip conditioner. It is 100% natural. It contains a blend of organic oils, beeswax and shea butter. It also has Vitamin E to protect the lips. This product is free of pesticides, harsh chemicals, and parabens. It is gluten-free and cruelty-free which means is does not test its products on animals. It comes in a variety of flavors, but I tried the Pure Peppermint kind.

I liked the long skinny tube because it fit easily in my pocket. I liked the minty smell as it kind of gave me a little wake up when I put it on. The product went on very smoothly and stayed on. My lips have felt soft all week. Once it was on, I liked to keep applying it throughout the day. I would like to try their raspberry flavored lip conditioner or their tinted varieties.

Lucky for you, I have a Softlips Pure Pepperment to giveaway to one of you. All you have to do is go to http://www.softlips.com/ and then come back here and leave me a comment telling me which product you would like to try if you could. Be sure to leave me an email address to contact you. The contest is open until 11:59pm Monday, Sept 14. I will choose the winner using random.org on Tuesday, Sept. 15.