Recipe of the week: Delicious, Easy Chicken Quesadillas!

Ok, so quesadillas aren't rocket science. And I am sure if you are any kind of cook, you have made one before. I have made quesadillas more times that I can count. It's a quick easy lunch and one of my favorite foods! This recipe is one that I kind of created on my own. I encourage you to try it and even make it your own!

What you need:

Burrito size tortillas

Boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tsp each Salt & Pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp taco seasoning

Cheese- I used oaxco cheese which comes in a ball shape but pulls apart like string cheese.

What you do:

Cut your chicken into pieces. Sprinkle your chicken with your seasoning mixture and toss to coat.

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Cook the chicken until juices run clear. Now, what you do next is up to you. I throw mine in the food processor and pulse a few times because I don't like huge chunks of chicken in my quesadillas. And also because I think it distributes more evenly on the tortilla.

Next, heat your griddle or pan and lay two tortillas flat on the surface. On one of the tortillas, spread a thin layer of your cheese, chicken and a little more cheese. Sometimes I add in a little cheddar cheese because I like the sharpness of it but I left that out last night. Take the other tortilla that's been heating and put it on top of the one with the meat & cheese. Lay it hot side down on the dressed tortilla. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until your tortilla is lightly browned.

A PIZZA ROLLER!? Yep. It works so well for cutting these. I cut mine into  8ths but you can do it however you please. 

Serve with some queso and salsa or maybe some gucamole. The avacados didn't look very fresh this week at the grocery store so no guac for me! :( Enjoy this quick, delicious weeknight meal!

Recipe of the week: Mexican Style Grilled Corn

This weeks recipe is a side dish! It's actually one of my top three favorites and quite possibly Jeremy's number one. I found this recipe in a magazine and we have made it a million times since. It's so easy and delicious! If you make this, when you make this, USE FRESH CORN! Seriously. The second time we made this Jeremy wanted one extra but I only have two corn on the cobs. But then I remembered that I had some frozen corn on the cob so I pulled one out and it just wasn't as tasty.

What you need:

Fresh corn on the cob

Stick of butter

Parmesan Cheese

Salt & pepper

Chili powder 

Mayonnaise

What you do:

First, shuck your corn. Cut the ends off and then if your corn is quite large, cut in half. The ones I had this week were smaller so I left them whole. Then you want to take the butter and rub it all over the corn. Season it all over with salt & pepper. Grill corn until kernels are lightly charred, about 10 minutes.

Brush your corn lightly with the mayo. The sprinkle the chili powder over the corn. I usually add in some cayenne too cause I like spicy but sadly I was out of it this week.

Sprinkle the parmesan over the corn. You can serve it with lime wedges to make it pretty but I don't :) I just want to dig in and eat it! Yummy! Hope you enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Braden!

Two weeks ago my nephew turned one! The party was in Arkansas at my parents ministry house in Russellville, Arkansas. Kim's (Braden's mommy & my sister in law) family lives in Arkansas so we all took the trip there so her family could be there.

It was such an honor to be able to take these photos and capture these special moments and memories for my brother, sister in law and of course Braden! It was a great day but I seriously can't believe he is one! I love this little boy so much, more than he will ever know. He is so sweet and handsome. Here are a few photos from the day. I hope you enjoy!

March 10, 2011                            March 10, 2012

Happy Birthday, little mister!

25 random questions.

So I left my camera in Arkansas with my parents to bring home so I didn't have to carry it on the plane with me. So I won't be doing a recipe of the week. Instead I thought I would do 25 random questions about me. I would love it if you would copy and paste them into a comment and answer them for yourself. I'd love to learn a little more about you! :)

1. Spell my name as it sounds: La-Ris-Uh

2. Am I a worrier? Definitely.

3. What’s my favorite CD? I don't listen to CD's anymore. But I love country music.

4. Favorite colour(s)? Blue.

5. Does my home have an attic? Yes. And just an extra little fact... I am TERRIFIED of attics. I was convinced at one time that someone was living in my parents attic. Again, see question #2 :)

6. Have I ever been to Canada? Actually, yes! I loved it! My parents preached a camp meeting there back when I was probably 11 or 12. It was a blast. We got to go tubing, jet skiing and camping.

7. Have I ever gone fishing? Yes! Me and Jeremy fish together every time we go to the lake. I love to do it, but I rarely catch anything.

8. Have I ever seen a celebrity? Not that I can think of.

9. Have I ever been on a motorcycle? YES! My dad had one for like 5 months haha. 

10. How much money do I have on me right now? I have zero cash. I never went to the bank last Friday to get my money for the week.

11. How many cars have I owned? 5. Ford escape, Scion tC, Acura MDX, GMC Sierra(which was Jeremy's truck), and my Chevy Tahoe!

12. How many jobs have I had? 3. American Eagle, Nanny and now, a stay at home mommy and wife.

13. How tall am I? 5′8″

14. Last person to call me: My husband.

15. Last thing I yelled out loud: “Rylee, no no." She was about to pull a glass of water off the coffee table :)

16. Last person I was in a car with: Rylee.

17. Last time I ate at McDonald’s: Last Friday. I really don't care for Mcdonalds but it was the only thing close.

18. Last thing I bought: Food coloring & a piping bag. I am going to test out a cupcake recipe for Tamahara's baby shower later today.

19. Last person I saw: Besides Rylee? My husband.

20. Last time I cried: Yesterday when Jeremy left for work. He's been working nights and it's been tough for me.

21. Last time I laughed: Earlier today. Rylee was making the funniest faces.

22. What is the temperature outside? 80 degrees.

23. What time of the day did I get married? 5pm. It was the PERFECT time of day.

24. What did I do two nights ago? Monday night... I fed Rylee dinner, ate my dinner, bathed her and got her ready for bed.

25. Who’s birthday is coming up next? My mother in law's is Saturday. Random fact... Between my family and my husbands family there is a birthday every month except for November & December. 

January- Me

Febuarary- My brother in law, Freddie.

March- My mother in law, Debbie and my nephew Braden

April- My brother, Jason

May- My sister in law, Tamahara and Rylee

June- My momma, Susan

July- My sister in law, Kim and my nephew, Luke

August-My daddy, Don and my nephew, Elijah 

September- My father in law, Fred

October- My husband, Jeremy

November- No birthdays but we have Thanksgiving

December- No birthdays but we have December

Crazy huh??

Recipe of the week: GUMBO!

So I have always hated Gumbo. Never been a fan. That is until I started hanging around Jeremy's family. See, I never realized that there was a tomato sauce based gumbo. I just thought all gumbo was rue-based. I was wrong. My mother-in-law, Debbie, made this one night a few months after we had been married and I loved it. I loved it so much that I got the recipe from her and made it later that week! Its such a simple recipe but the gumbo has such big and bold flavors that people will think you have really been slavin' all day to make this. 

What you need:

1/2 onion, chopped

2-3 pieces of bacon, chopped

1 small bag of frozen cut okra

2 T Worcestershire 

1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)

1 cup water

1 cup ketchup

1/2 lb shrimp (you can do more if you love shrimp but I am not a huge fan. Jeremy loves it though so I put enough in to please him :)

Salt & Pepper to taste

I add in a few dashes of hot sauce but you can leave that out if you don't like heat! :)

What you do:

Chop your onion & bacon up. Heat about a teaspoon of oil in your pot and then saute your onion & bacon until tender. The bacon doesn't need to get crispy. It will cook completely thru during the simmering process at the end.

Add in the okra and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in tomato sauce, ketchup, water, Worcestershire, shrimp, salt & pepper. Cover and let simmer for up to an hour. 

I serve over white rice and Jeremy likes to eat it with Ritz crackers. Enjoy!

Honoring our husbands...

I went to Tuesday Bible study at my church this week and Nycol Mealer was teaching on "The In Home Experience." This week the topic was honoring our husbands. I personally feel that I do a great job of making sure Jeremy knows he is loved and appreciated. I tell him constantly how much he means to me and that I appreciate his hardwork. But on Tuesday Nycol shared something that really made me think. She told us to go home and put on our husbands shoes. She said to just stand in them and just feel how big they are and how each and every day he has to fill them and live up to those expectations. 

Tonight as I was picking everything up so I could sweep and mop, I found Jeremy's work shoes by the front door. I've seen those shoes a million times. I saw them before they were in the shape they are currently in. I remember buying this particular pair of shoes. But tonight, looking at this pair of shoes hit me like a ton of bricks. I had tears in my eyes as I carried them to our closet to put them away. 

For the first time I really noticed how beaten up and worn out these shoes were. A lot like Jeremy is sometimes after a long day at work. My husband is the hardest worker I've ever met. I know you're sitting there thinking "Well, my husband is more of a hard worker." But I can assure you, he's not :) Not only is my Jeremy a hardworker but he NEVER complains. He never says "I hate going to work" or "I wish I didn't have to work" even though I know the thoughts have crossed his mind. In fact, he is at work right now. He went in this morning at about 6:30 and will probably be out working until well past midnight. He's exhausted and I am sure would rather be in bed with me asleep right now but he's not because he is committed to providing for his family. Before I put the shoes away in the closet, I put them on. I immediately felt the weight and pressure he feels on a daily basis. The pressure to provide alone is a huge burden I know he feels. 

I am definitely old fashioned when it comes to marriage. I believe the woman should cook a meal every night, keep the house clean and raise the kids and the husband should go to work and provide for the family. That's exactly what our household looks like. I take pride in the up-keep of our house & having a hot meal on the table every night because it's my way of saying thank you for your hard work to my husband on a daily basis. Life gets in the way and especially with kids added to the mix, sometimes we forget to say thank you or really take the time to appreciate our spouses. I encourage you to take the time this weekend to do what I did... Step into your spouse's shoes and literally feel the daily burdens they feel. Make it a point to stand in their shoes and pray for them daily. 

Jeremy, I love you so very much and appreciate all that you do for your girls. Your hard work never goes unnoticed with me. I am always so thankful that God picked you for me and that I have you to lean on and enjoy our journey in life. You're my favorite ;)