This is a new favorite in the Brubaker household. I made it a few weeks ago when I had leftover bell peppers and onions (I was so proud of figuring out how to use them without having to go to the store to buy anything else!!!) and we made it again when Kim was here. It's such an easy recipe, and as long as you have all of the spices in your cupboard already, this meal is a cinch!
♥ 1 teaspoon pure chile powder
♥ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
♥ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
♥ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
♥ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
♥ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
♥ 1/4 cup water
♥ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
♥ 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch strips
♥ 1 green bell pepper—cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
♥ 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
♥ 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Use a ziplock to combine the chile powder with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken, bell pepper and onion, seal and knead gently to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
Serve with tortillas, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and whatever else sounds good, and enjoy!
It's so yummy, I'm going to eat the leftovers for lunch!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Chicken Fajitas
This is a new favorite in the Brubaker household. I made it a few weeks ago when I had leftover bell peppers and onions (I was so proud of figuring out how to use them without having to go to the store to buy anything else!!!) and we made it again when Kim was here. It's such an easy recipe, and as long as you have all of the spices in your cupboard already, this meal is a cinch!
♥ 1 teaspoon pure chile powder
♥ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
♥ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
♥ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
♥ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
♥ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
♥ 1/4 cup water
♥ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
♥ 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch strips
♥ 1 green bell pepper—cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
♥ 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
♥ 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Use a ziplock to combine the chile powder with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken, bell pepper and onion, seal and knead gently to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
Serve with tortillas, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and whatever else sounds good, and enjoy!
It's so yummy, I'm going to eat the leftovers for lunch!
♥ 1 teaspoon pure chile powder
♥ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
♥ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
♥ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
♥ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
♥ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
♥ 1/4 cup water
♥ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
♥ 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch strips
♥ 1 green bell pepper—cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
♥ 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
♥ 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Use a ziplock to combine the chile powder with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken, bell pepper and onion, seal and knead gently to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
Serve with tortillas, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and whatever else sounds good, and enjoy!
It's so yummy, I'm going to eat the leftovers for lunch!
Fun Times with Kim
It was so good to see Kim this week! It's also good to see that two years can go by and our friendship is just the same. "Just with more wrinkles," Kim said. :-P
I picked her up at the airport around 9:30, and was so excited to see her that I didn't want to be responsible for driving back home until we'd actually gotten to visit for a little bit. So we stopped at TGI Friday's and ate a platter of appetizers while we caught up with each other and laughed like old times. It's so good to have her back!
We spent all day on Thursday lounging around the house, talking, eating, talking, and eating. The only thing we actually got out of the house to do was to make a run to Trader Joe's to get what we needed to make dinner that night. By the time Jesse came home from work, we had chicken fajitas hot and ready to go. Yum!
I forgot to charge my camera battery until Thursday, which is why I only have pictures from yesterday.
On Friday, we took Kim to our favorite local sushi restaurant.
I picked her up at the airport around 9:30, and was so excited to see her that I didn't want to be responsible for driving back home until we'd actually gotten to visit for a little bit. So we stopped at TGI Friday's and ate a platter of appetizers while we caught up with each other and laughed like old times. It's so good to have her back!
We spent all day on Thursday lounging around the house, talking, eating, talking, and eating. The only thing we actually got out of the house to do was to make a run to Trader Joe's to get what we needed to make dinner that night. By the time Jesse came home from work, we had chicken fajitas hot and ready to go. Yum!
I forgot to charge my camera battery until Thursday, which is why I only have pictures from yesterday.
On Friday, we took Kim to our favorite local sushi restaurant.
We ordered tons of sushi rolls and then just ate off of each other's plates. Yum!
Friends for five years, and roommates for three!
Kim actually still has a few more months on Jesse :-)
Kim actually still has a few more months on Jesse :-)
I lived with my roommate for longer than I have with my husband. Oh well, he'll catch up!
He's so handsome!
After lunch, Jesse had to head to church for an overnight lock-in with the high schoolers. Kim and I had a few hours to do girly things, so we painted our nails and made some jewelry.
Fun times!
I dropped Kim off to spend the weekend with another friend, but she's going to be spending Monday with us again. I'm just so excited to have her back!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Note to Self:
Next time you decide to do something as ambitious as promise not to buy any more craft items until you make 25 things with what you already own, Bethany Brubaker, CHECK TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT DURING ONE OF THE BIGGEST SALE WEEKS OF THE SEASON!
This is killing me. I've finished 9 things, but I still have a long way to go. And JoAnn's keeps mailing me coupons. I have a stack of 18 coupons...that expire tomorrow.
So sad.
But aren't you proud of my will-power?
I'm not even proud yet...I'm shocked and amazed that I haven't caved in!
Keep it up...keep it up!
This is killing me. I've finished 9 things, but I still have a long way to go. And JoAnn's keeps mailing me coupons. I have a stack of 18 coupons...that expire tomorrow.
So sad.
But aren't you proud of my will-power?
I'm not even proud yet...I'm shocked and amazed that I haven't caved in!
Keep it up...keep it up!
Knitting Day!
I just uploaded pictures from my camera to my computer and found a ton of pictures I need to blog about!
Here's a day from the summer that I really enjoyed.
Sarah and Hannah are two sweet girls at our church. We bonded when Jesse and I first came to Hope because of their dedication to the church and also their love for yarn! When they found out that I crocheted but didn't know how to knit, they promised they would teach me. They even gave me a cute bag full of yarn and knitting needles for my first birthday out here.
Fast forward two years: I still hadn't arranged for a time for them to teach me how to knit. Between all of our busy schedules, it kept getting pushed back further and further. I never forgot, though, and always looked forward to the day they could come over for a "crafternoon" and teach me how to knit.
We turned it into a tea party. I served tortilla roll sandwiches and cranberry apple salad, and the girls brought a beautiful fruit salad. My friend Jenny joined us for our crafternoon, and the four of us had the most wonderful time!
Knitting was an interesting experience for me. It's funny to feel so slow and awkward with yarn since I've been able to zip through projects since I was 11. By the end of the afternoon, I had nice, even stitches and was enjoying my new handiwork. I still prefer crochet, but I'm glad to have something new to add to my repertoire!
I'm glad that we finally got to have our knitting day. It was a lot of fun to fellowship with sweet girls from church and learn a new skill. Don't be surprised now if you ever receive a knit gift from me!
Here's a day from the summer that I really enjoyed.
Sarah and Hannah are two sweet girls at our church. We bonded when Jesse and I first came to Hope because of their dedication to the church and also their love for yarn! When they found out that I crocheted but didn't know how to knit, they promised they would teach me. They even gave me a cute bag full of yarn and knitting needles for my first birthday out here.
Fast forward two years: I still hadn't arranged for a time for them to teach me how to knit. Between all of our busy schedules, it kept getting pushed back further and further. I never forgot, though, and always looked forward to the day they could come over for a "crafternoon" and teach me how to knit.
We turned it into a tea party. I served tortilla roll sandwiches and cranberry apple salad, and the girls brought a beautiful fruit salad. My friend Jenny joined us for our crafternoon, and the four of us had the most wonderful time!
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| Hannah and Jenny |
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| Sarah and me It was such a fun afternoon. The way we naturally paired up (Hannah teaching Jenny and Sarah teaching me) totally cracked me up. Hannah and Jenny are the more energetic/extroverted girls out of the four of us, and their couch kept erupting into shrieks and laughter while Hannah tried to teach Jenny how to knit. J: OH NOOOOOOOOOOO! H: What's wroooooooong???? J: I think I dropped a stitch! H: Let me see! I'll fix it for you! J: No! I need to learn how to do it! Show me how! H: Ok! It's gonna be ok! Just let me figure this out. J: Hurry! It's going to get ruined!!! verses the quiet companionship on Sarah and my couch: S: How are you doing over there? B: Pretty well, how does this look? S: It's looking good. I'll show you the next step as soon as you finish that row.  |
Knitting was an interesting experience for me. It's funny to feel so slow and awkward with yarn since I've been able to zip through projects since I was 11. By the end of the afternoon, I had nice, even stitches and was enjoying my new handiwork. I still prefer crochet, but I'm glad to have something new to add to my repertoire!
I'm glad that we finally got to have our knitting day. It was a lot of fun to fellowship with sweet girls from church and learn a new skill. Don't be surprised now if you ever receive a knit gift from me!
♥
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
My Kim is Coming to Town!
I am so so so excited today.
In a couple of hours, I'm driving out to Ontario Airport to pick up my Kimmikins. It's been two years since I've seen her. I can barely contain my joy.
Kim and I were roommates our entire time at Concordia University. She is such a fun, spunky, loveable girl. She brings out the silliness in me, and makes me contemplate things I've never thought of before. She's a world traveller, and she's finally coming home!
Kim and her husband Nathan (I introduced them! Inadvertently...) have been living in Hanoi, Vietnam since September 2008, and have finally made their return to America. I'm so excited to have her back! Even though they will be living in Northern California when they finally get settled, knowing that I can drive to see her (versus swim? fly?) is huge, and being in the same time zone is even better! We made do with the 14 hour time difference between California and Vietnam, but know that I won't have to do the math and add 14 to whatever time it is on my end will be so nice. Whenever we called each other, it seemed like one of us was always waking up the other one!
I found my external hard drive and wanted to upload some pics. I'm sure we've changed since these days!
I had so many more pictures before the computer I used at Concordia was stolen...but these ones get me by. I'll have many more new pictures to add next week!
In a couple of hours, I'm driving out to Ontario Airport to pick up my Kimmikins. It's been two years since I've seen her. I can barely contain my joy.
Kim and I were roommates our entire time at Concordia University. She is such a fun, spunky, loveable girl. She brings out the silliness in me, and makes me contemplate things I've never thought of before. She's a world traveller, and she's finally coming home!
Kim and her husband Nathan (I introduced them! Inadvertently...) have been living in Hanoi, Vietnam since September 2008, and have finally made their return to America. I'm so excited to have her back! Even though they will be living in Northern California when they finally get settled, knowing that I can drive to see her (versus swim? fly?) is huge, and being in the same time zone is even better! We made do with the 14 hour time difference between California and Vietnam, but know that I won't have to do the math and add 14 to whatever time it is on my end will be so nice. Whenever we called each other, it seemed like one of us was always waking up the other one!
I found my external hard drive and wanted to upload some pics. I'm sure we've changed since these days!
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| 4:30am on our way to an orphanage in Tijuana, 2006 |
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| Tiny Kim and her ridiculously huge shirts! |
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| Goofing off in front our of dorm door, 2007 |
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| At my bridal shower, 2008 |
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| My wedding, June 2008 |
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| Kim's wedding, July 2008 |
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| Kim and Nathan came to say goodbye before flying to Vietnam |
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| The last time I saw Kimmi |
I had so many more pictures before the computer I used at Concordia was stolen...but these ones get me by. I'll have many more new pictures to add next week!
Happy First Day of Fall!
Today is the beginning of my favorite season.
Today, I'm thinking happy thoughts...
of leaf piles...
and picture-perfect pies...
yummy autumn yarns to crochet...
the return of Starbuck's Carmel Apple Spice...
bringing out all of my favorite candles...
and cute little pumpkins just for the heck of it...
cuddling around the fire...
simple autumn wreaths...
enough frost to cover the ground...(but no snow)
going apple picking with Jesse in Oak Glen...
These are a few of my favorite things...
What makes you excited about Autumn?
Friday, September 17, 2010
My Challenge
I have a sickness.
Really, truly, definitely.
No matter how I try to avoid it, I can't help but want to try every craft on the face of the planet.
Our guest room/craft room has turned into a craft junkie's heaven.
There is more scrapbook paper in that room than I could ever use, rubber stamps for every occasion, stickers, glitter, embroidery floss, every color of yarn and fabric I can think of, sewing patterns, cross-stitch books, embroidery books, applique books, crochet books, knitting books (yes, I finally did hunker down and learn!), quilting books, calligraphy sets, wooden dowels/shapes, paint, felt markers, 9 different kinds of glue, glass beads, wooden beads, jewelry-making gadgets, decorative paper punches, collections of colored threads, stencils, scores of fancy scissors...buttons...idea sketches...
The point is, I have enough things in this house to keep me busy for a long time. But whenever I get a new idea in my head, I run out to buy what I need. Understandably, if I'm trying one of the project's in Martha's most recent addition of Living, I'm not going to have everything in my craft closet that the queen of craft has in one of her studios. BUT, I can improvise with what I have, or I can finish one of my other projects before jumping into a new one.
I just bought two new crochet books that I've been wanting for a while (God bless JoAnn's for having 50% crochet books this week!) and my first impulse is to dash back to the store to buy beautiful new yarns for the great projects inside each book. But doing so only keeps this crazy cycle going!
My challenge to myself is to make 25 things out of what I already have before I allow myself to buy anything for a new project.
There are so many things that I can make using what I already have. The trouble is, I just get bored with them. Self-control and a challenge to complete will help me get my creative thoughts going to come up with some new and exciting things to make straight from my craft closet.
I'll keep you updated and post pictures of the things that I make. I'm not creating any huge requirements for myself; the only parameter I've given myself is that whatever I make during this challenge needs to be marketable for the craft fair I'm doing with Momma B in November. We'll have an entire table to put our items on, so I need to work on having enough things to fill it with!
Well, I'm off to join Jesse on the couch, curl up with him and a spool of crochet thread, and make little flower hairclips while we watch Up.
Have I mentioned that it's a great movie?
Really, truly, definitely.
No matter how I try to avoid it, I can't help but want to try every craft on the face of the planet.
Our guest room/craft room has turned into a craft junkie's heaven.
There is more scrapbook paper in that room than I could ever use, rubber stamps for every occasion, stickers, glitter, embroidery floss, every color of yarn and fabric I can think of, sewing patterns, cross-stitch books, embroidery books, applique books, crochet books, knitting books (yes, I finally did hunker down and learn!), quilting books, calligraphy sets, wooden dowels/shapes, paint, felt markers, 9 different kinds of glue, glass beads, wooden beads, jewelry-making gadgets, decorative paper punches, collections of colored threads, stencils, scores of fancy scissors...buttons...idea sketches...
The point is, I have enough things in this house to keep me busy for a long time. But whenever I get a new idea in my head, I run out to buy what I need. Understandably, if I'm trying one of the project's in Martha's most recent addition of Living, I'm not going to have everything in my craft closet that the queen of craft has in one of her studios. BUT, I can improvise with what I have, or I can finish one of my other projects before jumping into a new one.
I just bought two new crochet books that I've been wanting for a while (God bless JoAnn's for having 50% crochet books this week!) and my first impulse is to dash back to the store to buy beautiful new yarns for the great projects inside each book. But doing so only keeps this crazy cycle going!
My challenge to myself is to make 25 things out of what I already have before I allow myself to buy anything for a new project.
There are so many things that I can make using what I already have. The trouble is, I just get bored with them. Self-control and a challenge to complete will help me get my creative thoughts going to come up with some new and exciting things to make straight from my craft closet.
I'll keep you updated and post pictures of the things that I make. I'm not creating any huge requirements for myself; the only parameter I've given myself is that whatever I make during this challenge needs to be marketable for the craft fair I'm doing with Momma B in November. We'll have an entire table to put our items on, so I need to work on having enough things to fill it with!
Well, I'm off to join Jesse on the couch, curl up with him and a spool of crochet thread, and make little flower hairclips while we watch Up.
Have I mentioned that it's a great movie?
Monday, September 13, 2010
Start Wearing Purple
About two years ago, my sister Kate introduced me to this music video:
Start Wearing Purple
Yes, it's strange, decrepit, and a little creepy, but for a while, it was Kate's theme song, and once it got stuck in your head, you danced around like a crazy person singing "all your sanity and wits, they will all vanish, I promise. It's just a matter of time!"
It wasn't long before my friend Emily heard the song too, and it's become a loving sisterly joke between the three of us that whenever we find ourselves wearing purple, we'll call, text, or message each other with something like "Wearing purple and thinking of you!"
Well, yesterday on our way to church, I looked down at myself and laughed. I was wearing purple shoes, purple jewelry, a purple rose in my hair that I had crocheted, was holding my purple water bottle on my lap, and had my purple cellphone in my hand. Jesse snapped a phone picture of his purple girly and sent it to Kate and Em with a note from me: "Start wearing purple! Love you!"
Two minutes later, I got a picture message from Emily that showed her wearing a purple dress and laughing. "No joke!" She wrote, "I was already wearing this and thinking of YOU!"
Start Wearing Purple
Yes, it's strange, decrepit, and a little creepy, but for a while, it was Kate's theme song, and once it got stuck in your head, you danced around like a crazy person singing "all your sanity and wits, they will all vanish, I promise. It's just a matter of time!"
It wasn't long before my friend Emily heard the song too, and it's become a loving sisterly joke between the three of us that whenever we find ourselves wearing purple, we'll call, text, or message each other with something like "Wearing purple and thinking of you!"
Well, yesterday on our way to church, I looked down at myself and laughed. I was wearing purple shoes, purple jewelry, a purple rose in my hair that I had crocheted, was holding my purple water bottle on my lap, and had my purple cellphone in my hand. Jesse snapped a phone picture of his purple girly and sent it to Kate and Em with a note from me: "Start wearing purple! Love you!"
Two minutes later, I got a picture message from Emily that showed her wearing a purple dress and laughing. "No joke!" She wrote, "I was already wearing this and thinking of YOU!"
I love that 18 years of friendship has made us so lovably predictable that we still surprise each other every once in a while. I smiled for the rest of the day knowing that somewhere out in San Diego, there was another girl on her way to church singing about vanishing sanity and wits...and thinking of me ♥