Adversity

So I have a new goal to read one conference talk every day, maybe it's cuz I'm so excited about conference this weekend. Anyway...so I chose to read one on adversity today since that seems to be the suject of my family right now. I read a talk by Elder Rafael E. Pino called "Faith in Adversity." Wow what a great talk. It really made me look at everything going on around me and in my family and made me realize just like the Lord said to Joseph Smith...“My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

“And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” What great a great promise.


This quote also really stuck out to me: “If our lives and our faith are centered on Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right”- President Howard W. Hunter.


We will always have adversity in life but what truly determines who we are and who we will become is how we react to it, will we have faith and trust in the Lord and his plan? Will we still follow him and center our lives on Christ? I hope I can be more like the Prophet Joseph Smith. What a great man he was. I'm so grateful he restored the gospel so I can be a part of something so wonderful and have the Lord's comfort through adversity.


My favorite mormon messages video on adversity is above. I love watching this video it really puts things into perspective.

FIVE of my FAVORITE RECIPES!

So I love love love trying new recipes especially when they turn out to be a favorite of mine. I thought I'd share five of my favorite recipes that I have recently tried and fell in love with. All of these five recipes are pretty easy and most of them are so quick! What recipes are your favorites? ENJOY!

ITALIAN CHICKEN WRAPS

So simple but such good flavor!

1 package (16 ounces) frozen stir-fry vegetable blend
2 packages (6 ounces each) ready-to-use grilled chicken breast strips
1/2 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing
3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
6 flour tortillas (8 inches), room temperature

Directions:
In a large saucepan, cook vegetables according to package directions; drain. Stir in the chicken, salad dressing and cheese. Simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Spoon about 3/4 cup down the center of each tortilla; roll up tightly. Yield: 6 servings.


GRILLED BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN

THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE NEW FAVORITE RECIPE EVER! LOVE IT! AND SO EASY!

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato dressing, divided (we couldn't find this dressing so we used a roasted red pepper dressing and it was sooo good!!)
2 tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves

Place a large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; heatgrill to medium heat. Meanwhile, place chicken in resealable plasticbag. Add 1/4 cup dressing and seal bag. Turn bag over several times toevenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 10 minutes (I marinate it all day if I remember in time). Remove chicken from bag; discard bag and dressing.

Grill chicken on uncovered side of grill for about 6 minutes.Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil.

Turn the chicken over and place cooked-side up, on foil on the grill.Top with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill 8 minutes or until chicken is done.

*Add a splash of balsalmic vinegar to give it a bit more zip.

BAKED CREAMY CHICKEN TAQUITOS

I had never made homemade taquitos before and these turned out so great! Oh my they were so yummy!

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese
small corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt
cooking spray

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you
find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges
Then roll it up as tight as you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on
the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.
Dip em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or the rest of your green salsa

HAM AND BROCCOLI CASSAROLE

LOVE THIS ONE TOO- GREAT WAY TO GET THAT BROCCOLI IN!

1-1/2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1-1/2 cups cooked rice
1-1/2 cups diced fully cooked ham
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 slices bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring 1 in. water, broccoli and onion to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender; drain.

In a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer the rice, ham and broccoli mixture. Combine the soup, cheese and milk; spoon over broccoli. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, coarsely crumble bread. In a small skillet, cook crumbs in butter over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Yield: 4 servings.

BAKED CHEESY CHICKEN PENNE

OH THE SAUCE IN THIS RECIPE IS DIVINE!

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
6 cups whole milk
10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone* (6 ounces) you could also make that 1/2 mozzarella
1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)
Preheat oven to 400. Butter baking dish. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.

While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Use a little extra olive oil if needed.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot (I just use the pot I cooked my pasta in), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer. Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more.

Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste.sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese on top.

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Goodbye Big Sky....Hello Home

So we are finally heading back to Boise Friday morning and have one more day here in Montana. We just got back from a BBQ at one of Keith's co-workers house. We had a great time and ate way too much. We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather while we've been here but after three weeks I'm definitely ready to head back. Here's a few more pictures of our adventures here in Helena....

Beautiful day in Helena going downtown

Playin' at the park

Pizza at the park

Breakfast as a fammaweee

Dinner at the Staggering Ox...it's supposed to be the best sandwhich place in Montana. They cook your sandwhich in a can that's why it's shaped all cool, but it makes it very hard to eat.

Watching the Boise State V. Toledo game! So fun!

I didn't get pics of my day out with my friend Sharlynn and her little boy Hunter but we went downtown and walked around to all these cute little stores and ate at a place called Creperie. They had really yummy crepes and tomorrow we are taking Carson to ride the carousel for the first time :)

I'm excited to get back home though for a few reasons:

make-up shopping time!

I cannot wait to cook again! Never thought I'd say that but I miss cooking, trying new recipes, and eating at home. I love this recipe- grilled bruchetta chicken. (go to brownsbest.blogspot.com for the recipe)

Projects- I have so many home and craft projects that are calling my name (thank you pinterest). Project number 1: my picture wall. I will do a blog post on it when it's done! I'm so excited for this one.

Shopping- I'm dying to go shopping, Helena kinda deprived me of that. New clothes and Home Decor here I come!

Saturday- We're going to The Museum Comes to Life. cool I know. My mom used to take us to this every year growing up and I haven't been in years. I hope it's still as cool as it was 10 years ago.

Anywayyyy just some random thoughts.

Paraguay's Favorite Missionary

HAPPY 22ND BIRTHDAY to my BEST FRIEND and LITTLE SIS HERMANA LEWIS! (a.k.a. Paraguay's favorite missionary)  I miss this girl probably more than anyone else I know. I write her every week cuz I love hearing from her and can't stand not to talk to her. I remember the day my parents and I dropped her off at the MTC, I didn't think it would be that hard until we acutally got there and had to say goodbye, on the outside I was strong but on the inside I was a mess, my best friend of 21 years was leaving for 18 months "what was I going to do without her?" and the worst  part was that I would be having my first child in a little over a month and she wouldn't be there. It was a surreal day and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it even though it was extremely hard to let her go.

We have so many memories together, we are just two years apart and such close sisters. I can't believe this girl is all grown up and on a mission speaking spanish. I was just thinking the other day about how we used to play school and church with all our dolls and barbies (we seriously had like 50 of them), I knew all their names and Misti would always have to ask me "what's her name again?" There were many nights we stayed up talking and talking, or watching "what a girl wants" while eating red vines, cleaning the house on saturdays then ordering dominos and pigging out cuz we were exhausted, waking up super early on school mornings so I could do her hair and she could do mine, I used to have the "cute clothes" that she would borrow now it's the reverse I covet her wardrobe, everyone at eagle elementary called me misti and her kara they always mixed us up, summers at cascade w/her, chelsea, and shae, us doing the "candy dance," many sledding nights down our hill (we named all the different trails), our march 1st diet that never happened- we called ourselves large and massive, calling her many times a day just to talk cuz she was the only person I felt like talking to, we got our first cell phones together when we figured out how to text we were like two kids in a candy store, more recently before she left calling her to talk about certain things and we'd just laugh and laugh instead of cry about it cuz it was too depressing, her telling me about the first boy she liked and I was so stoked to hear about it (if anyone knows misti they know she doesn't talk about the boys she likes), and I would tell her about all the boys I liked and my b/fs she probably got bored of that, her hanging out w/me and all my high school friends they all love her, her deciding to go to ByuI even though she really wanted to go to Utah State- (I'm glad that was the Lord's plan for her)....I was so happy cuz I got to spend 3 years with her in Rexburg. When I was dating Keith and I came home for the summer I would play this one cd he gave me over and over and over and over again a billion times on her cd player cuz I was staying in her room w/her and she was like "why do you keep playing that? cuz of Keith?" and I just laughed  she ended up loving the cd later on hahaha. making muddy buddies and enchiladas and having girls nights w/misti's roommates in Rexburg, monkey rock, many trips from Rexburg to Boise on one of them Keith wouldn't stop saying "no hay signal"  over and over again misti and I couldn't get that out of our heads! misti's vocab consisted of words like nast, what the junk and random, and a few more that I can't think of at the moment, so many many memories with this girl these are just a few and boy are they random....

This is an old pic I believe I was 18 and she was 16 but it's one of my favorites. (I miss my long hair)

At my wedding reception (one of my bridesmaids)

I love this girl like I love muddy buddies (well maybe a little more) it's funny that she is younger than me because I have always looked up to her, anyone that knows her knows that she is beautiful, incredibly smart, and so spiritual. She has a heart of gold. I miss her so much. June can't come fast enough!

Love you Hermana Misti Lewis!

Big SKY Country

So this past week (and next) we've been in Helena, Montana for Keith's work. I must say it is very very gorgeous here. The 8 hour drive didn't seem like it took 8 hours (thank goodness) and Carson did so well the whole trip! I don't think I'd ever live here (maybe cuz I love Boise too much) but it sure has its own beauty. We've been mostly just hanging out at the hotel during the days cuz Keith works nights and sleeps days. Can I just say how much I love the Hampton hotels! Seriously they've been my favorite, we've stayed in Best Westerns, Marriotts, The Point, and The Hilton and the Hampton has by far been my fav, they leave you candy when they clean your room and they even left fruit snacks for Carson (course they didn't know he's only 7 months they just saw that we had diapers and a pack n play so they left a little treat for the "little one" in their words, course once I saw them I gobbled them up they were my fav ones.) Anyway....hanging out here has given me a lot of pinterest time :) I've mastered like 4 new hairstyles and have so many craft ideas I wanna do sooo bad! Especially with fall coming up. Keith always has the weekends off so today we went to two different lakes they were soo pretty and the weather has been perfect like high 70s low 80s here. I thought it would be cold but it's actually been pretty hot. So we've been having fun just chillin and exploring new places just our little fam and our cam (ry). Here a a few pics we took at the lake and on the way to the lake. (they are phone pics so they aren't the best)

Isn't Carson getting so big??! He's so much fun. 

Sportin' the hubs sunglasses since Carson broke mine :(

Headed to one of the lakes in the mtns.