Feliz Navidad!

Feliz Navidad!

Christmas Burner style. Clothing optional. Don't worry - we opted to be clothed. I cant say the same for Strawberry Shortcake and her friends, though.

Highlight of Christmas: Kenadee LOVED her Little People farm. Even better, I found it at D.I. for $2 and bought some animals/farmers for $5. With a little (ok, A LOT) of sanitizing and detergent it looks practically brand new.

Downside of Christmas: Once Kenadee saw the Little People farm, she wanted nothing to do with the rest of the toys. Except her Cabbage Patch doll. The rest of Christmas we spend coaxing her to open the rest of her gifts.

Upside of the Downside of Christmas: We are returning the gifts she doesn't want to play with. Money in our pocket - again! Woot woot!

Downside of the Upside of the..you get the drift: We bought waaaaaaaaay too many gifts for Bicho. Even I was overwhelmed. Even though we stuck to a budget, we set aside too much for her! A new parent mistake, I suppose. Lesson learned!!!!

Hope your Christmas was joyous!

:::: Live simply, live well!::::

"Memories are molecules that make up eternity"

I so needed this little kick in the rear on keeping the eternal perspective in life! Far too often I am running around cleaning messes, doing laundry, cooking, doing dishes, changing diapers, cooking AGAIN, doing dishes AGAIN, and all the other mundane tasks of a housewife that I forget the most important thing: to be there in the moment with my family.

Messes will always be there but little Bicho will not always be little. She will not always be tugging at my pants, asking me to take her around the condo to touch all of the light switches she can't reach. She will realize I am not so funny when I make a silly face or do a funny dance. And it wont be long until she grows out of letting me hold her hand and sing to her as she falls asleep in her crib. Instead of letting these moments frustrate me, I will embrace them and be in the moment with her. Instead of working on my "to-do" list, I will focus more on my "to-be" list. I will BE in the moment!

"Its not so much the major events as the small day-to-day decisions that map the course of our living"

Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

 I love this talk from Oct 2010 conference. I loved it when I first heard it and I love it even more now!

Choo-Choo Your Food

After watching this, I promised myself I would never think (or possibly say - but I would never tell you!) dirty words while waiting in long lines at Costco, Frys, or (bleh) WalMart.

Ok, so maybe I lied about WalMart....

I am shunned (Mexican Lasagna recipe)

My Italian ancestors would shame me for making a faux lasagna that tastes like Mexican food.

:::moment of silence for my sin of omission :::

But truth be told - its freakin' yummy !

 So good that I may give up Italian lasagna forever.

Maybe.

Mexican  Lasagna

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 medium green bell pepper chopped (about 1-1/4 c)

1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced

1.5 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 (15 oz) can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1c corn (fresh or frozen)

1c tomato sauce

Nonstick cooking spray

8 corn tortillas

1c low fat cottage cheese

1/2 to 1c reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded



Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook , stirring until tender - about 5 minutes.  Stir in chili powder and cumin. Cook 1 minute, mixing well.



Add beans, corn, and tomato sauce. Mix until combined and remove from heat.

Spread 4 tortillas in a sprayed 8x8 pan. Spoon 1/2 bean  mixture over the tortillas. Top with 1/2 c of cottage cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 c cheddar cheese over the cottage cheese.

Repeat layers.  Bake until casserole is heated and cheese is melted (approximately 20 minutes).

Served with Spanish rice and a green salad.

Buen Provecho!

The Priviledge of Motherhood

Happy Mothers Day! Let us not forget the sacred responsibility that comes with being a mother – in whatever capacity it may be!

Jake's birthday party and Bicho meets a mouse

Yesterday we went to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate Jake's birthday (Megan's stepson). Bicho had so much fun (as you can tell). She loved Chuck E. until he came near her.  Then she made a beeline straight for me and dug her head into my shoulder until he left. Yes, I guess in reality a human size mouse would be pretty scary.

(Or maybe it was the face I was making in this photo that scared her. It scares me!)

 

(Please disregard the complete and utter chaos on my kitchen counter. I would like to say it was because I spent all morning cooking, but that would be fibbing...)

I found a recipe for a rainbow cake and begged my sister to let me do it for Jake's birthday. I didn't get a picture of the inside of the cake, but it looked pretty much like this...

(Picture courtsey of : http://thefoodieandthefamily.blogspot.com/)

It was super yummy and most of all, fun to eat! Making the cake was SO easy, but very time consuming. Someone please have a birthday soon so I can make it again!

(If you want an awesomely yummy cake made for any occasion, check this girl out!)

Happy 6th Birthday, Jake!!!

Toddler Friendly Vegetarian Tacos

Bicho loves her morning oatmeal!

If I could do college all over again, I would have double majored. I loved my major -Child and Family Studies. But I REALLY love science and chemistry and figuring out how the body works. Yes indeed, I was a science nerd. In fact, when I graduated I was only a science class or two away from a minor in Biology. I wanted to go to dental school SOOO bad until I realized I could not be a super-rockin' orthodontist and a super-rockin' mom at the same time...so I chose the latter - and no regrets about it!!

What would I choose as my second major, you ask? Dietetics (aka become a Registered Dietician). I am seriously facinated at what wholesome foods can do to help heal your body, fight off diseases or even lose weight! But don't cry for me Argentina... with access to the library and world wide web, I can learn all I want about the subject and not have to pay a hefty tuition!

 After reading about how many servings of vegetables children should have daily, I came to the conclusion  we are seriously lacking in the veggie department at our house. So I ran down to my local library and found some clever recipes that incorporate vegetables into everyday, kid-friendly meals. Here's one that we enjoy!

(Confession: we never have hard taco shells at our house. I make our tortillas - if I remember in time... but honestly we have these on tostada flats most of the time.)

VEGETARIAN TACOS (makes 18 taco shells/ tostada flats)

1 (16 oz.) can refried beans (we used food storage refried beans from the cannery and it worked well)

1 (2 1/4 oz.) can sliced ripe olives, drained

1 onion, chopped

2 med. tomatoes

Shredded lettuce

1/2 pkg. taco seasoning

1/2 c. to 1 c grated Cheddar cheese

1 lg. zucchini, grated

Taco shells ( or flour tortillas - or Tostada flats)

If you do tacos:
In a saucepan, combine refried beans, onion, taco seasoning, and half of zucchini; blend well.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered, 3 minutes. Fill each taco shell with 2-3 tablespoons of the bean mixture. Place filled shells on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Top with olives, tomatoes, lettuce, remaining zucchini, and cheese. Serve with a mixture of salsa and diced avocado.

If you do tortillas or Tostada flats:
 
In a saucepan, combine refried beans, onion, taco seasoning, and all of zucchini; blend well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered, 3 minutes or until throughly heated. Place bean mixture in a tortilla or on a tostada flat. Top with olives, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, salsa, diced avocado - or whatever pleases your tastebuds! (Sidenote: If you are feeding babies or toddlers tostada flats, be right by their side the whole time they eat!!! They are crunchy and a choking hazard if not chewed properly.)

Super easy, fast and fun! It was a hit with Bicho, who is not a big fan of veggies at this moment. Unfortunately, I did not get a photo of this delish dinner and happy baby.

:::hanging my head in shame:::

Buen Provecho!

 

(P.S. Babies and toddlers have a hard time digesting onions and can cause them to have some really bad gas. Feel free to leave them out!)

Belated Easter Thought

Christus Consolator

by Carl Heinrich Bloch

He was born in an obscure village

The child of a peasant woman

He grew up in another obscure village

Where he worked in a carpenter shop

Until he was thirty

He never wrote a book

He never held an office

He never went to college

He never visited a big city

He never travelled more than two hundred miles

From the place where he was born

He did none of the things

Usually associated with greatness

He had no credentials but himself

He was only thirty three

His friends ran away

One of them denied him

He was turned over to his enemies

And went through the mockery of a trial

He was nailed to a cross between two thieves

While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing

The only property he had on earth

When he was dead

He was laid in a borrowed grave

Through the pity of a friend

Nineteen centuries have come and gone

And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race

And the leader of mankind's progress

All the armies that have ever marched

All the navies that have ever sailed

All the parliaments that have ever sat

All the kings that ever reigned put together

Have not affected the life of mankind on earth

As powerfully as that one solitary life

SPLASH!

Little Bicho LOVED the splash pad, despite the fact the water shooting from the ground was FREEZING cold!

(A little known fact: Bicho is our little daredevil.  Has been since the day she became mobile.)

Cousin Dy Dy,on the other hand, wasn't too sure what to think about it.

 Looks like I found a new thrill for those long summer days!

(P.S. Are you from Arizona? Because maybe you didnt know in the summer its 90 degrees by 8am....)

*-*-* Being Rich *-*-*

(We are working on smiling for photos while grocery shopping)

Last night Terbear and I were talking about what it means to be rich (monitary wise - we are rich so many other ways, but that is for another post). Because lets face it, we all want to be rich. Maybe not "wipe-your-bum-with-twenty-dollar-bills" rich, but maybe wealthy enough to own really, really nice stuff that has not been previously owned or worn by someone else.

 We are big dreamers - sky is the limit, no holds barred, give it your all, dream big or go home - you get the drift. So of course we were talking about fun cars, a decent size home with a huge backyard and a savings/investment account that would put Warren Buffet to shame.

But as we were talking, we talked about what being rich REALLY means and the responsibility that goes with it. With credit anybody can own REALLY nice things and have the REALLY not-so-nice payments to go with it. As we thought about it more, we came up with some ideas on what being rich is to the Burner family.

(You can be dirty, filthy rich and spend the money however you like....we will still love you and hope that you will give us some...)

Being Rich is:

1.Going to WalMart, picking the longest line and telling the cashier that you will be paying for everybody's groceries in that line.

2. Not only purchasing your own home with cash, but secretly paying your parents and in-laws home mortgage off as well. While we are at it, lets make sure good ole ma and pa can retire comfortably.

3. Buying your siblings a home and paying their bills for a year.

4. Writing out a fast offering check with four or five zeros behind your favorite number.

5. Purchasing a years worth of baby clothing/diapers for all the new mothers in the labor unit on any given day and wishing them luck on their new journey.

6. Making sure our "family" in South America are well taken care of - for the rest of their life.

7. Donating a large amount to a temple being built in the country you served your mission anonamously (Argentina, anyone?).

8. Purchasing a year supply of food for yourself, your family, your in-law family, your neighbors and pretty much anybody else that you would like.

(ok so I totally get that the blessing come from presonally preparing, but I'm dreaming BIG peeps)

9. Picking your favorite number (again), add five or six zeros at the end and donating that amount to the Missionary Fund and Perpetual Education fund.

10. Taking all the Christmas Angels off one tree at the mall, with the request they replace them with more needy children. Have fun shopping your heart out and wrapping tons-o-gifts. While you are at it, go to several malls and do the same thing.

11. Hearing a story on the news, feeling the need to help and having the money to "get'er done".

12. Retiring early, and serving missions with your schmoopy bum until the day you die.

13. Inviting all of your close family and friends to go on a cruise around the world and pay for their fare (and monthly income they would miss from not working for 3 or 4 months straight). Oh and of course YOU are invited - duh!

These are just some of the BIG dreams that us Burners dreamed last night from our 900 sqft rented condo. We also have lots of personal dreams for our family (that is saved for personal journal - sorry folks!). It doesnt cost you anything to dream, and it certainly doesnt cost you more to dream BIG, so why not?

So - if you were dirty-filthy-could-wipe-your-bum-with-twenty-dollar-bills-but-ewww-because-seriously-who-knows-where-it-has-been rich, what sort of things would you do with your money?