Chile Rellenos

Chile Rellenos....yum!

Ingredients:
12 chile peppers, charred
and peeled
1 pound Cheddar cheese, cut into
strips
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour for coating
Directions:
1.Remove seeds and membranes from peppers. Stuff each pepper with a strip of cheese. (leave some of the seeds if you want more heat)
2.In a small bowl combine milk, the 1 cup flour, egg, baking powder, baking soda, salt and canola oil; mix well to make a batter.
3.Pour enough oil in heavy frying pan to reach 1 inch in depth and heat over medium-high heat. Roll each pepper in the remaining flour and dip in the batter. Fry until lightly browned on both sides.

**** do not fry these in a counter top fryer...they stick to the basket (don't ask how we know that)
**** We usually only eat two per person, but it was just easier to give the original recipe. You can always alter it to make less. We also make things easier by getting our beans and rice at Rosa's Mexican Cafe - sorry we are lazy cooks (plus it gives us an excuse to pick up a piece of their delish carrot cake to share). Ü

**** also - if you have a question about one of my recipes or posts...I have added by e-mail address to my sidebar.

Adventures in Babysitting!

Today was the first day I had Campbell here without my two main helpers (Chesley and Cambry) We have had a great day even without their help. I know they are going to be excited to see him after school. Hope everyone had a great week. The kids all had a wonderful first week of school and are looking forward to the weekend.

*** please note that I am disabling comments on a few posts - I think that will keep me off the computer some and force me to be a little more productive. I have sub jobs starting next week and a ton of activities. I need to make the most of my time. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read my blog and I don't intend to stop comments all together....just when I need a little motivation. Ü

Back To School

Only in my family could a special "back to school" themed dinner turn into a night of laughs and giggles. I fixed homemade spaghetti and meatballs and we had banana fudge sundaes for dessert. I picked a F.R.O.G. theme for our supper discussion.
F stands for FOCUS
R stands for RESPECT
O stands for ORGANIZATION
G stands for GOALS
I just knew that our supper was going to be so inspiring and really get us off to a great start for the new school year. I asked the kids to repeat what the letters stood for and that is when the laughs started. Chesley is going to high school and they have a coffee cart in the commons - she said that the G stands for "Gotta Grab a Coffee). Not to be out done Cutter said he thought the G stood for "Git R Done". He laughed so hard at his own little joke that Chesley choked and we all laughed for 5 minutes. So much for seriously inspirational. LOL

Boating Success

Cutter was up and ready at 7 a.m. for his first fishing trip in his new boat. He was a real trooper when the rain delayed our actually getting on the lake for 2 hours. It was worth the wait...Cutter caught a bass two minutes after dropping his line in the water. His boat floats and runs great too! We had a great time at the prettiest little lake called Lake MacKenzie. It feels like you are surrounded by Palo Duro Canyon and was so calm and peaceful.
I apologize for the yucky camera phone pics...I forgot my camera, extra towels, and Cutter's swimsuit!

Cutter's New Boat

I don't think you could find a more excited little boy on the planet right now. It is not new...not really even new looking...BUT it is new to him and it is his. It has really been joyful to see the "Fish Charmer" a.k.a. Cutter and Chance polish and shine and admire their new toy. It wasn't a great time to make a purchase (back to school is crazy expensive around here) but I think God just helped all the pieces fall into place and it has been a much needed distraction at the Hedger house. I wish you all could have seen Cutter lead me out to see it with my eyes covered. He was soooo proud. It left us all a little verklempt. (The word verklempt used just for Mom and Jill - LOL!)

We couldn't find Cutter the other night and Mom ventured out to the boat and there he was...he just needed to look at the anchor one more time. Ü

Elvis Is In The House

Girls Night Out this past Sunday consisted of an Elvis concert....well, a pretend Elvis would be more accurate. Nanny, Jana, Jill, Mom, Aunt Sharen, and I ventured out to the Civic Center to see the Elvis Impersonator, Kraig Parker. He was fantastic and put on a great show. He had a great sense of humor and made us laugh several times. It was really weird to see all the women going up to the front and swaying and screaming for one of his sweaty scarfs!!!! Hello....a few people must not have gotten the memo that this person was just "impersonating" the King. I kid you not - I am pretty sure a few people thought he was real. We got really tickled about it a few times. It was a fun night to spend with the ladies in the family. We don't do it often enough!

A Taste of New Mexico

Some may or may not know that when Chance and I had been married just 11 months, he took a local job with his company in Roswell, NM. I am sure my parents wanted to hang him out to dry for moving their 21 year old daughter to another state almost 4 hours away.

It was hard and yet I think it bonded us in a very special way. We only had each other to depend on and we had two cute schnauzers that depended on us.

We often talk about Roswell as being the place we miss the most - not for the town itself...LOL. It is a little lackluster...but, for the wonderful friends we had there, the wonderful church and Sunday school we attended (still have never found one that compares), the people we worked with, just the fellowship in general. Roswell has always been the keeper of some of our favorite memories. We also became addicted to Hatch green chile...the "real" stuff...not from a can...not frozen...REAL!

So, Thursday my sister and I made it over to Fiesta Foods, the local mexican grocery store, and picked us up a bag of chiles roasted nice and toasty black! It took Chance and I an hour to peel, sort, and freezer bag these New Mexico delicacies. It has been two years since we had some in our freezer and we were like two kids in a candy store. Soon, I will post my recipe for chile rellanos....uummmm uuuummmm gooood!

A Must Read, Some Fishing, and a Plane Ride

This is a post of many subjects - kind of the equivalent of cleaning out a closet.

First, I want to tell everyone about a very meaningful book I just finished reading . I had suggested it to my friend Shannon and she bought it and read it first. I gave it as a gift to my Papa and then waited for my turn to read it. I loved this book - I loved the history of the modern slave (sharecroppers) that I had no idea truly existed. I loved the story of the climb towards success of a determined art dealer and his humble and thoughtful wife. The part of the story that brings the two main subjects together is truly beautiful. This book will leave you with a renewed desire to help others, to honor God by loving and caring for all people and to realize the many things you have to be thankful for in this world. My favorite lesson in the book has to do with the phrase "catch and release" . You will have to read it to find out what I am taking about.....so very moving!

Last night I joined Cutter and Chance on one of their fishing excursions. We had lots of fun and they caught 12-15 small fish. I played on my Ipod touch and listened to one of my audible books. Afterwards, we went for a coke and Cutter had to have a HUGE Hershey bar. We told him he could only eat half of it. He makes us laugh because he calls them Wonka bars and I am pretty sure he looks inside each one of them for a "golden ticket". Ü

Cutter on a quest to catch a few minnows

We have learned with Cutter that no catch is too small!

My two favorite boys!

Last, I am once again missing one of my flock. We dropped Chesley off at the airport earlier this week so that she could go spend 10 days with Nana and Papa. I can't wait to hear about everything she is doing - I know she is having so much fun. I have heard mention of the Broadway musical, Legally Blonde, swimming at the lake, Six Flags, and tracking down the famous Sprinkles Cupcakes in Dallas. So much fun and a great way to finish out the summer. I must say though, she owes me a few chores when she gets back for even daring to mention a plane crash on the WAY to the airport...of all the mean things to do to her mother!

Coffee Cake

Just sharing a recipe that I have had for years. The yummy smell of cinnamon spice that wafts through the house while it is baking always reminds me of the very special friend that gave it to me. I hate what time and distance sometimes does to a friendship. The promises to always call and keep up stay strong for years, but eventually turn into rushed and hurried answering machine messages and then eventually just a signed Christmas card. The end result leaves you with a handful of special memories and if your lucky....some recipes too!

This coffee cake is so moist and yummy and just gets better the longer you have it. It freezes wonderfully too!

Camp Broadway Production

Chesley and her Camp Broadway group put on a GREAT show last night. We just couldn't stop talking about it at dinner. None of us could believe that they could put together such an awesome performance in just two weeks. A big THANK YOU to Jason Crespin and all of his teachers/helpers. You did a super job and Chesley had the best time. Thanks to Aunt Jill, Lulu, Rebecca, and Nanny and Papa Hedger for coming out to support Chesley. It was very much appreciated.

You will have to turn up your volume until I learn how to transfer straight from my video camera.