Crock-Pot Pork Chalupas

If you know anything about me you know I'm not much of a cook....but I can follow a recipe quite well. My all time favorite recipes for dinner are crock-pot recipes. Personally I think as a wife and mother it is the best invention possible. The fact that you can put your meal in this pot, come home from a long day of work and your dinner is cook. All you have to do is make a salad, maybe a side, and cut some fresh fruit and dinner is ready.

I'm always blog searching for the next "new recipe." I think I make my husband, Billy, nervous when I announce, "New recipe tonight." Of course, if you know my husband he is very generous because he is naturally that way, but I know inside he is thinking, "OH CRAP!" Really I think he is just happy that he has dinner and not eating a sorry sandwich.

So last night was Crock-Pot Chalupas. If I have not told you I signed up to do boot camp in the evenings and I have been arriving home a little late. So, when I did make it home Billy met me at the garage door and stated, "That was so good. I ate so much I don't think I left any for you." I thought, "IT'S A KEEPER."

So my recipe:

1lb pinto beans, soaked overnight

3lb pork roast

1/2 cup chop onion

2 minced garlic cloves

1 tbs salt

2 tbs chili powder

1 tbs cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1-4 oz can green chilies, chopped

7 cups of water

Cover and cook on low in a crock pot for 10 hours or until meat falls apart.

That is what the recipe stated. This is how I cooked it: poor a little of this, that and lots of salt. I did include most the ingredients. I did not use the cumin because my mother has always told me how much she dislikes cumin, and my mother can cook, so I do what she says.

Another thing I come from a huge Mexican family. Everything taste better with tortillas, topped with a little guacamole, fresh onion and sour cream. YUMMM!

By the way my husband did not eat it all. We had enough for my lunch after a long TAKS morning and pulled pork sandwiches for dinner.

If you think this is good wait till you try one of my Rachel Ray recipe, Yellow Chicken and Rice.

By the way I did check to make sure it was okay to eat pork with the swine flu problem. It is as long as it's cooked thoroughly and this simmers for 10 hours.

Screaming Babies and Pacifiers

This evening I was trying to get all my nightly duties done (clean kitchen, house, clothes, ready for the next day). Around that time Chase started to cry. It was about time for bed, so he was pretty upset. I was running around the house trying to complete my jobs before I sat down to give Chase his last bottle.

As I pass through the living I see my sweet boy Blake holding a pacifier in Chase's mouth (now he was screaming so loud he was not very interested, but it was a nice try. Plus, he doesn't like the pacifier.) I praised Blake on and on..."your such a wonderful brother, I am so proud of you, thanks for helping mommy." Blake says, "Mommy I was holding the pacifier in his mouth so he would not scream to loud and I would not have to hold my ears." What a thought out solution!!

First Pick...

of radishes.

Straight from the garden...

first pick by Blake...
first cut by mommy and first wash by Blake...

first taste for Blake....

first sting for Blake...they were a little hot!

It was so funny! I was proud of him for trying them!

We Wish for Rain....

we get a monsoon. I have learned living on a ranch that you are suppose to love and want rain. I can understand that - you can't burn trash, it's easier to grow your garden and hay, and fill the new pond. So, we can now stop hoping for rain and prepare for some nice spring weather. I am ready for cook-outs, swimming, playing with the kids outside, and NO SCHOOL!

My canopy I got on my 30th birthday! It is now ruined from all the rain and wind this past month. You can get a glimpse of my poor garden behind the canopy. I'm sure my tomato plants have floated away!

The big puddle out our back door! Blake can't wait to jump in it!
Back door!
Looking out our front door!
My father-in-law decided to check out the pond -

look in the distance you can see his truck....

As you can tell he did not make it back in!

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS!

My brother, Brock, captured his son, Brantley, first moments in a short video. It is a sweet clip, hope you enjoy! The song says it all!

This is what I found while I was doing laundry....

I asked Blake, "Why is Spiderman in the hamper?" He looks at me and answers me like I should know, "He's dirty!" Good enough for me!

Easter 2009

Well it was an early morning today. It all started about 5:30 a.m. I had to make sure the Easter bunny made a stop and sure enough he did. We did quite well...got Chase fed (bottle and food), Blake breakfast, both boys dressed, myself dressed and Billy (got himself dress), diaper bag ready, checked out what the bunny brought, and out the door by 7:40 (only 10 minutes later then planned) for mass.

When we returned from mass we had an Easter egg hunt, cooked, ate and ate and ate, watched Bolt, took a nap, played outside, put a puzzle together, went on golf cart rides, watched the Masters, and finished the evening with a nice, cold Corona. It was an Easter fulfilled with family, love, fun, and beautiful weather.

The Easter bunny was good to Chase on his very 1st Easter. He got diapers, baby food, drop-ins, socks, baby powder, book, and a puzzle. Blake received a baseball glove and ball, transformer shirt, book, puzzle frisbee, dart gun, etc.
Blake checking out his goodies.

My little family! I love my boys!


The Graff grandchildren

The guys watching the Masters. For a minute they thought Tiger was going to pull through, but they were disappointed.

Easter Eve

Blake's green fingers, which leads us to black fingernails for church tomorrow.My beautiful niece Kourtney!

Kolby and his girlfriend, Mora (spelling..sorry)




The before unboiled (uh..oh) Easter eggs!



Finished product!

It was an exciting evening of food, family and competitive Easter egg dying. Of course, I have to say mine turned out the best. I'm sure my brother-in-law and husband would differ with me. Blake definitely enjoyed dying Easter eggs, he went to bed with black fingernails.

We dyed all the Easter eggs and then realized the eggs had not been boiled. My mother-in-law grabbed the wrong batched. Well, at least we got to dye more eggs. I bet my in-laws will have colorful scramble eggs tomorrow morning.

Circus

Blake and Kourtney enjoying the circus!
When she started doing flips Blake said, "Mommy, she is not being very safe."

It was nice spending time alone with Blake. Since, the arrival of Chase there

is not much time for just us two.


My big boy!

Blake's Easter Party

Blake getting ready to hunt Easter eggs!

His teacher wrote their names on the eggs and they had to hunt for their name.

He can recognize his name quite well.

Blake's teacher, Mrs. Ramsey, has been wondeful this year. We could not have asked for a better "first" teacher for Blake.

Blake's transformer buddy, Caden. What cute boys!

Easter Bunny Picture

One of our clubs at the high school needs to have a fundraiser where they offer CHEAP pictures with the Easter Bunny.

Thursday I paid $21.64 for 2 5x7 pictures with the Easter Bunny. The cheapest package on the list. To me that is a little much considering Blake is not going to hang around and visit. I think anything in costume freaks him out (Easter Bunny, Santa Clause, Chucky Cheese, etc.)

Well Saturday I was at Super Wal-Mart doing my weekly shopping and over the speaker I hear, "FREE Easter Bunny pictures in the back."

Note to self call Super Wal-Mart before I bring them to take any picture with Santa or the Easter Bunny.

2008-2009 School Picture

This is Blake's first official school picture. I asked him to tell me something about each student. As you can tell he tends to lose focus. The mind of a 4 year old.

Starting from the left:

Andrew: "He always play with me. I tell him not to go to the car center cause there are two people. You can't play three people cause you might get in trouble. When Justin goes potty he let me go to the car center. You don't play pirates at school cause you don't."

Justin: "I like to play with Justin at the car center, at home center, at the rock center, at the book. We always play outside and we always play on the playground. He goes home before lunch. We have to go in the gym."

Mrs. Ramsey: "When we come in the morning we have to sing song and read a book. Her class is fun."

Haley: "Mrs. Ramsey has a new telephone. She always wants to go to another center. She talks Spanish at school and that is not English." Me: "I don't think it's Spanish."

I can't believe this school year is about to wrap up. Only one more year before Blake starts kindergarten. On the first day of school I dropped off this shy, timid, little boy. When the teacher would ask him to play on the playground he told them, "I don't like to play." Seven months later he has matured into a confident, social-butterfly, big brother. The other day I went to pick him up and he told me, "Mommy it's about time I start going to school everyday."