November 30, 2011

Not out of a can? Wow for me! (quick turkey chili)

This is how I made it:
2 tbs cooking oil
2 poblano peppers
1 yellow onion
1 clove garlic
2 lbs ground turkey
2 tbs cumin
6 tbs chili powder
1/2 tbs cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
3-4 (14oz) cans of tomatoes
2-3 (14oz) cans of kidney beans

(actual recipe I started with:   http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,161,152191-240194,00.html)
heat oil (medium high).  saute the chopped onions, minced garlic, and poblano pepper.

add the meat.  mix it in well, letting the meat cook only slightly, and then add all the seasonings/spices.
add the tomatoes -mix well.

cover and lower to a simmer for approx. 45 mins (I let it cook for 30 mins).
add the beans and cover and let cook for 15 mins.  Then enjoy!

November 15, 2011

A little of this and a little of that

TTC:
Not pregnant.  my body teased me for a good week and a half.  :(  I guess I've just been under enough stress to throw my body off.  I'm supposed to go back to my doc this month but I'm just not sure if I feel ready to take the next step.  I believe we are going to be referred to the fertility clinic and I just don't feel ready for that --injections, frequent appointments, getting blood drawn . . . needles, needles and more needles.  I think I feel better ttc using ovulation tests this time around.  I've not tried that yet and I feel that is a more comfortable step for me.

KJ:
Growing, growing, growing... She FINALLY gained weight and kept it.  haha.  She just hit 42lbs, which for her, is a great milestone :).  She teeter-tottered between 36 and 38 since she was 4 or 5 years old.  Also, she is super excited that she got taller too :) --a whole 44 inches (3ft 8in)!  She's definitely catching up to me (I'm 5' 1").  KJ has lost a total of 4 baby teeth —with one more almost out.  Two adult teeth have grown in; we're still waiting on her two top front teeth.

Homeschooling is definitely more challenging.  I'm hoping to find some co-ops or something for her to get involved in.  She really needs to learn classroom etiquette.  It's been tough for me to implement "classroom rules"  here at home because I can't always give her my undivided attention during our school hours.  I would also love to get some online curriculum for her.  I feel so lost when it comes to local and online resources.  If you have any info or suggestions, please share.

A little bit of everything else:
I sprained my back last Wednesday.  How?  I have no idea.  I didn't do any one particular thing or movement that made me say "OH!  I just hurt my back...".  Nope.  All I did was my normal daily activities and slowly but surely it froze up and I couldn't even walk.  It had been hurting and feeling stiff for about 2 weeks but nothing compared to how I felt on Wednesday.  I went to the ER on Thursday, thinking they might need to make sure that I didn't break, fracture, tear, or mess anything up around my spine.  I got some really nice medicine (two injections and two pills), which included a sedative —pretty funny how I really don't remember much after leaving the hospital.  I was on bed-rest until today, Tuesday.  It's my first day working since last wednesday.  Today is definitely not easy, I'm still in a great amount of pain; however, I am happy to be able to walk slowly and function better than I did the last few days.  Oh, and Chris was an amazing husband and daddy :)  It started off kind of rough (I think he felt as though I was over exaggerating —as I crawled from the bathroom to the living room, crying...).  Once he picked me up from the hospital, Thursday evening, I noticed how much he really cared and how well he took care of me.  He cleaned, cooked, took KJ out and about, served me in bed, and got anything for me that was out of my reach.

I'm looking forward to our vacation days (black friday through the following wednesday).  I don't know that we have anything specific planned yet.  But I do know that I'm going to love having some time for the family :).

I feel as though there is much much more to update on -or just randomness to share.  But this entry seems long enough . . . a scattered concoction of my life.  So, until next time! :)