A Halloween Story

Class, I want you to write...a theme. Not really.

But, I did just win a major award! Do you want to see it? Here it is:

(in case you can't tell...it's a bowl of beans with a spoon painted white)

Last night was our ward's Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook Off. I won 3rd place with my White Chicken Chili recipe, so I guess the white award fits (they didn't have bronze colored spray paint).

I adapted the recipe from a Chef Meg recipe from SparksPeople:

White Chicken Chili

1 T olive oil
2 lbs (32 oz) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, diced into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 t salt
1 t ground cumin
1/4-1/2 t chili powder (mine was closer to the 1/4 t measurement)
1/8 t cloves, ground
(1/8 t cayenne pepper--optional...and I opted out)
4 (15.5 oz cans) cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
1-14 oz can chicken stock, low sodium (less if you don't want it as sloppy)
2 (4 oz cans) green chilis
1-16 oz container light sour cream (or more)

DIRECTIONS
If using frozen chicken like I did:
Put oil and onion in pot and cooked for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and frozen chicken breast and simmer until the chicken is done. Take chicken out, chop it up, and put it back in the pot. Add beans, garlic cloves, chilis, and spices. Stir and simmer for as long as you have. Add sour cream and heat through.


If using fresh or thawed chicken:

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken and onion. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic cloves and spices, continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Add beans and stock. Stir and simmer for 25 minutes. Add green chilis , continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Add sour cream and heat through before serving.



Alex went as Link from The Legend of Zelda. His elvish ears came out great, I thought:

Now, for those of you who saw Eric. Did you figure out who he was? When I dropped him off at WNC for his 4 pm class I didn't even realize he had brought a costume with him. When I picked him up, I wasn't sure at first it was Eric walking toward the car. Dressed in black, with his sunglasses, and a black bowler hat he was...

Bob Fossey

A bit obscure, but that's my Eric! I don't have a picture of Eric dressed up, however.

you know you've had an uneventful week when...

...the biggest thing you can think of to say is that you finally got the computer mouse cleaned well enough that it works smoothly now. Big thrill. Really, it is (though it's not really post-worthy, is it?).

Other pieces of news:

Eric made a 90% on his personal finance mid-term.

Ryan says he made a 34 on his ACT. Hannah believed him for a few minutes (results won't be in for a few weeks--he didn't get a 34).

Alex went to his first boy scout district-wide activity and had an absolute blast.

Yep. Big news week around here. I love a quiet week.

good week had by all

Well, since we haven't heard from Andrew, maybe he didn't have a good week, but I think the rest of us did (well, except for when I left Eric stranded because I had forgotten to call the CART bus for him...thanks Dad P for rescuing him and getting him to class on time!).

[Since posting the above, we have heard from Andrew. He, too, had  a good week.]

Starting from today and moving backwards:

Today was our Children's Sacrament Meeting Presentation. I think the children were amazing. Of course, I had one of the best seats in the house (next to the podium to prompt them when needed), but they sounded great. I kept tearing up during the songs. I was worried we hadn't practiced enough, but it went smoothly. Even the little ones who were too shy to participate added a sweet feeling to the program, in my opinion. Our music people, Jackie and Annalee, did a fabulous job preparing the children. And my counselors, Nicole and Rayanne, pulled it all together. I'm just really pleased (and not just pleased that it's over).

Yesterday was our Stake Temple Day. Glen was there all day, most of it in the baptistry as part of his calling in the Stake Young Men's. Hannah, Ryan, and Eric were able to be baptized for some names I had researched and were doing that while I was in an endowment session. I remembered to bring my camera, but am said to say, didn't actually get it out to take a photo of my children in front of the temple. We will go with one from my files:

Alex, Glen, Ryan, Eric, Jake, Zach, and Hannah April 2009

Friday was my Dad's birthday (happy birthday Dad!)...

I wasn't there for his birthday, so I'll post when we visited him this summer

 ...as well as Stamping Night at Michelle's. Our normally wonderful assortment of snacks turned out to be heavy on the treat/chocolate side this time around, but we didn't mind. (I made the chocolate dipped s'mores that's my new latest go-to recipe). We had a full group for the first time in a long time. It was great.

chocolate covered s'more on a stick

Tina's card

Becky's card

Toni's card

my card

Tami's card

Michelle's card

Then there were the normal activities: play practice, piano lessons, the Psych season premier (which I still haven't seen, but the kids did), sporting events (to watch, not to play), projects worked on, etc.

 And of course, Monday was Alex's 11th birthday (now I can't say I wasn't there for Alex's birthday like I said for my Dad's...I took pictures at his party, but not on his actual birthday, so I'm going to post a picture from our trip to Grandma and Grandpa's this summer).

Alex insisted I take a photo of him with this dead crab...oh, joy...

Alex's birthday party and other happenings

Fun week at school for Ryan and Hannah as it was homecoming week with lots of extra activities. Didn't think to get photos of the kids dressed up for the different days. On Thursday, Ryan and Michael (and a few others) won The Clue competition. They guessed who done it, in which room, with which weapon. As it turns out, they didn't follow the clues, but totally guessed and were close enough to win. Silly boys.

Hannah was just "upgraded" to the role of Zebulon's wife in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as two other girls had to back out. She has a lot to learn in these next few weeks. The musical goes on November 10-12th and 17-19th.

It's time for weather extremes in Nevada. We went from being 15º over the average (and record-breaking) to being 15º below average in a few days. I was at the Temple on Wednesday and it snowed on me while I was leaving. This next week is supposed to be really nice. Good. I still have tomatoes to deal with (and peppers and eggplant) from my garden.

I hosted "Intervention" Friday night. How wonderful it is to be able to gather with other woman and sit and talk (and eat). It's only been in the last few years that I've realized how much being around other women inspires and strengthens me. I used to think I didn't need social interactions. I've changed my mind on that. I'm really blessed to know some terrific women.

Funny thing this week. At church, we've been having to do a little bit of rearranging in the callings in Primary. Several of the changes we were looking at haven't worked out. The Bishopric member counseling with me said something like, "We don't want you to think that you haven't been receiving inspiration about these callings, because you have. It just hasn't worked out." Ha! I hadn't "doubted" my inspiration until he said that.But, I do know it'll all work out. It always does.

I picked up my repaired camera this week...just in time for Alex's birthday. He had his party on Saturday, but turns 11 on Monday.

Christian, Alex, Thomas, and Joseph

Ryan, Hannah, Thomas, and Ben surround Alex

Alex loves to have water balloon fights for his birthday...here he's chasing Christian

And bobbing for apples is another "must" on Alex's party list

Alex, Glen, and I played his new game--Sequence States and Capitols (Alex won)

 Happy Birthday Alex!