Fajitas are simple, fast, and healthy meals. We LOVE vegetable fajitas at our house. This seasoning is extremely easy and cheaper than buying pre-mixed seasoning from the store. What's better? You can tailor it to your taste, and you probably have most if not all of the ingredients in your cupboard!
Warning: I never measure ingredients unless I am baking. This recipe will not include amounts. You adjust seasoning amounts to fit your taste buds.
Fajita Guts:
We used about a pounds of sweet peppers, and 1 large yellow onion for this batch. I also had some leftover salad (spinach ,green pepper, & radish) in the fridge, so I threw that in.
Just enough oil to barely coat the bottom of the pan. Whatever oil you prefer, go with it. I use olive oil in my fajitas.
Fajita Seasoning:
Chili Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Cumin
Garlic
Salt
Chop desired vegetables. (If using meat, cook meat thoroughly first). Pour a small amount of oil over the vegetables. Mix together seasoning and sprinkle it over veggies. Cook on Medium-High heat until vegetables are softened to your desired texture.
Serve with tortillas or over rice.
Great sides: Cilantro Lime Rice, Black Beans, Refried Beans, Lettuce
When was the last time someone asked what they could do to help you out? How did you respond? Did you think about 37 things you really could use help with and then say something like "Oh, I've got it pretty well covered"?
BE A BURDEN!
I've been there. I don't want to "be a burden" to my friends or family, but maybe I really could use some help. Because... just maybe... I'm human. I'm frail. I need help sometimes. It is so hard to admit that I need help. I don't want to feel like a burden. I don't want others to have to go out of their way to help me out.
I've been on the other side too. I really want to help out a friend, who I know is having a hard time with something: pregnancy, illness, business, life in general. I ask what I can do to help. I've asked specific things, "can I bring you a meal?" or "can I watch your kids for a while?" It seems almost inevitable that my loved ones "have it all under control."
Here's the thing. Some of us are wired to express love through serving others. Some of us truly desire to help others out, because that is how we show our best caring. When I turn away a friend or family member who asks to help out - I am not allowing them to bless me. When a someone turns away an offer to help, it hurts. Honestly, I feel as though my attempts to love on someone have been kicked in the guts. Ouch.
So be a burden. Let other people serve you. Allow your loved ones to love on you. It's good for your health to let others help you out - allow yourself time to de-stress.
If you're a servant, like me, know that sometimes others just don't understand you want to show them love. Be patient with them, and keep offering to let them "be a burden" in your life. Keep serving, it's good for your health too.
How do you best show love? How do you feel when others offer to do things to help you out?
He claimed to be a Super Hero. It's true, that was his "profession" when I first saw his profile on the dating website 6 years ago. I found out that what he really did for a living was somewhat less noble, but still qualified for superhero status on many accounts. You see, he made buckets for ice cream. In my book - anyone that helps ice cream has a supreme status.
We met for the first time at a coffee shop in my home town. We sat under the moon and sipped a bit of brew. He was wonderful, we had such a great time over coffee that we decided to take a walk. We walked from the coffee shop to the dam pond (where months later he proposed to me). There was still a little time to kill before I had to go to work, so we went to lunch at a nearby Chinese buffet.
Coffee, hiking, and Chinese food were marks of our short dating relationship. We were engaged after 4 months and married 3 months later. It's true, we moved quickly. I guess, sometimes you just know it is right.
Today we have 3 beautiful boys and he is still a super hero. He does not make ice cream buckets anymore, instead he helps turn books into ebook formats. He helps care for our children. When things are tough, he helps care for me. He has learned to fix a variety of household troubles. Randy is helping the boys learn how to live honorably as gentlemen who follow God's prompting.
I am so glad to be married to Randy. I am truly a blessed woman.
I have my first "sports" injury in a very long time and I don't even know how it happened. On Saturday when we did our Chilly Chili Run, my calves hurt a bit after only a very short time, but I didn't think anything of it.
Last night, as I was putting some things into my van, I leaned over the front seat and felt a *pop, pop* in my left calf followed by immense pain. I drove home and my dear husband helped me get inside. I cannot put any pressure on my leg without excruciating pain. I've had it wrapped and elevated all night and iced off and on. I've taken pain reliever, but it doesn't seem to help.
Any great suggestions? It's hard being laid up with little boys around. My hero of a husband has been amazing, running to the store, finding all the things I need, and even taking time off of work to get the boys to their appointment.
Are you ready to win the Kings and Queens of the Forest CD? Kira Willey is giving a CD to one of my readers. Please make sure to check out my review of her fantastic music, and enter using the Rafflecopter form below.
This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18 or older. The winner will be randomly chosen by Rafflecopter. Giveaway ends at midnight EST on February 26.
***Disclosure: I have received a product or products in exchange for this review and giveaway. All opinions are my own.***
I shared last week that one of the struggles we have in our house full of little boys, is relaxation. As we have worked on tweaking our rest-time routines over the past several months, one thing has risen to the top of the boy's lists as a must-have in order to be ready for relaxing. That thing? Yoga. That's right. We do 1 song with yoga before nap and bed - right now it is the same song every time, because it is simple and slow. The boys like the "dance" moves and it makes their transition to the bed much simpler.
This is Manasseh during "Mama Nature" about a week ago. Although he does not look thrilled, both boys love the stretching routine as they slow their muscles down for a while.
Personal story: the very first time I tried this with the boys at nap time, Cassius climbed into his bed without any argument and was asleep within 10 minutes, he lay silent and still listening to the other songs on the CD as he drifted to sleep. Usually, Cassius tosses and turns, singing and playing for 1-2 HOURS before falling asleep. You had better believe that I took note of this!
"Lay down like a stick, straight and tall, put your hands to your sides and stretch out your legs long"... I try to convince them. Manasseh, however grows branches every time. Cassius is starting to get branches too.
They love that they can be creative with their bodies during these quiet, focused moments.
We fell in love with Kira Willey's music when Manasseh was an infant. The first time he heard a clip of the "Dance for the Sun" CD, he was crying (like a baby). Immediately he stopped crying and looked at the computer monitor. When it finished, he went back to crying. He did this multiple times. We decided that this must be his first favorite music - we bought the CD that day.
Now we listen to both "Dance for the Sun" and "Kings and Queens of the Forest". The boys love the variety of sounds in her music almost as much as they love dancing to it. They enjoy trying the many yoga moves that Kira has published in the booklet that comes with the CD. I enjoy watching them try new things. Randy and I frequently find ourselves singing the catchy tunes even when we are away from the music for a little while.
Have you heard of Fireflies Musical Yoga for Kids or Kira Willey? Make sure that you check them out. Consider these CDs, complete with instruction, as a way to help create calm in your home or preschool class. You can get one of each (that's 2 CDs) for just $22 right now on the website! Click HERE to listen to some samples of her songs and consider a purchase. It was worth it for us 4 years ago, and is worth it for us today!
***Disclosure: I have received a product or products in exchange for this review and giveaway. All opinions are my own.***
Creating Calm Linky
Link up below with your ideas about creating calm space in your life and family. Please add the linky code (found on the right column of the page) to your post or blog.
I have been working on the Couch to 5K training program, and honestly I've been stuck on week 1. It is hard for me to really get much beyond that while I'm stuck trying to do it inside. Also, I just feel old, overweight, and out of breath so much of the time. Still, I am pushing myself at home and at the gym to at least get okay with the first week of this program (it's been at least a month of week 1).
This weekend, Mr. Crum and I put on our running shoes and sweats and headed to a neighboring city for their first ever "Chilly Chili Run". It was not officially a 5k, it was closer to 3.5 miles - good enough, right? I loved it that we did this together. He was kind enough to stick with me on the icy/muddy trails for the entire thing. We loved our adventure through the state park together!
We started out at a jog. That lasted a minute or two - the real actual ground hurts my legs a WHOLE LOT more than the treadmill or the trampoline. I'll keep working on that. We walked at a brisk pace for the rest of the "run". Then we enjoyed a bowl of chili and a corn muffin together before heading to pick up our boys.
My thoughts about it? I had a great time. I wish I had the stamina to actually RUN in this event. Maybe it was the cold weather (after all, it is February in northern Indiana); maybe it was my need for more conditioning. I don't feel bad about the fact that we did not run. I will continue to work on it. I am already making plans for a women's run this fall with my sister and mother. (We maybe haven't told my mom that she's planning to run a 5k with us yet).
We are getting fitter and continue to work toward health goals.
What new things have you tried this week to point you in the direction of better health? What tips do you have for new runners? I never thought I would WANT to run - that's another story though.
