Easy Peasy White Chicken Chili Recipe

5.27.2015

I am by no means a good cook. I know I can cook, but I prefer the easiest of recipes, the most basics of food, and I tend to stick to chicken. I’m from the Midwest, can you blame me? At least I don’t make tater-tot casserole on a regular basis. Or ever. Mainly because I have no idea how to do it, not because it looks like the most disgusting dish you’ve ever seen (to be fair, looks can be deceiving, because it actually is pretty damn good).

Growing up, I ate everything and anything that my mom put on a plate in front of me. That is, as long as she also put a plate in front of my imaginary friend Jessica as well. And believe me, Jessica was ALWAYS hungry, so there better be a full plate of food at her seat. There was one food that Jessica and I both hated (pardon my french): Shit on a Shingle. If you’ve ever been unfortunate enough to have heard of this disgusting dish, then you feel my pain. Don’t believe me? Just Google it. The one time my mom tried to make us eat Shit on a Shingle (I mean, couldn’t they have called it something a little more appealing?), I refused to eat it. I sat at the dinner table until midnight (probably 8pm), and had to go to bed without dinner. Don’t feel sad for me, Jessica had to go to bed without dinner too.

So why did I tell you that little child-abuse story? Because I learned a life lesson. If I ever procreate, my children will eat everything I make. I will name my dishes things like, “Amazing Bubbles from Heaven” (brussel sprouts) or “Rainbows and Unicorns” (meatloaf). How could they refuse?

I will also feed them my famous White-Chicken Chili. Only I won’t need to call it anything other than what it is, because it’s already fabulous. Not only is it ridiculously amazing, it’s also really easy. Which is why they will love it as much as I do.

So what do you think? Are my imaginary children going to be great or what?

Birthday's, DIY

Let’s Eat Cake: Easy Cupcake Treats

5.26.2015

Happy Day After Memorial Day! I hope you all had a wonderful free day off, followed by an excruciating morning of coming back to work. Or was that just me? Why is it so much harder to come in on a Tuesday morning after a Monday holiday? All I wanted was a cup of coffee and some mindless work. Which never happens. Of course there are a million things that need to be done now. So just in case you had a morning like mine, I’m going to do you a favor and give you an incredibly simple birthday gift project. Just in case you have a friend that has the audacity to have a birthday around a holiday. No one has time for that. But just between us, I already remembered to send my friend a card (point for me!).

Buy a pack of Hostess cupcakes, save and print this tag, and tie it with two candles (one for each cupcake) around the package. As fast as it will take you to put together, it’s really one of those “the thought that counts” gifts. At least that’s what you’ll tell your friends. And if they don’t appreciate it, send it my way. Lucy’s been itching to get her paws on some cupcakes.

Hope you all have a relaxing remainder of your day. Put your feet up and relax a little. Unless you’re still at work. That might be frowned upon.

Birthday's, Lifestyle

A Very Sparkle Birthday Celebration

5.20.2015

Sparkle’s thirty first birthday celebration has officially commenced, and I’m feeling a little deflated. Do I really have to wait another three hundred and sixty days until I get another one? It just seems so far away. How will I ever make it? I think I will start celebrating half birthdays. November 15th, here I come.

I think my sparkle has rubbed off on a lot of people in my life, because this birthday was full of everything amazing. I started with a house filled with thirty-one pink balloons, thirty-one love notes, and a pile of cards and gifts from friends and family. I got some of the most amazing things, and I was able to connect with most of my loved ones. Does it get any better? Of course it does….take a look:

I woke up on Friday morning with cuddles from my favorite cat. Could she be any cuter?! Tip: If you say yes, you might as well just stop reading now. We are not friends.

I had to get my free Starbucks birthday latte (even if they spell my name wrong. Free is free).

Then, in what I refuse to believe is a coincidence, Pitch Perfect 2 was released. We had to go. It was a no-brainer. A sign from God.

After all my smack-talk last week, I have to introduce you to my favorite part of the day. I mean, I clearly loved all my new gifts, cards, and well-wishes. But does any of that compare to this:

I didn’t think so. The Birthday Cheeseburger with Avocado wins every time. With a side of fries. And a nice cold beverage to wash it down with. I could eat one of these every day.

We met up with some friends for a night out on the town, enjoying what is arguably the nicest area of San Jose: Santana Row. We had dinner, drinks, more drinks, some food, and more drinks. I could not have asked for a better birthday.

Since my mom flew out for the weekend (and because I made her eat a birthday cheeseburger with me), I thought I’d take her hiking in the hills by my house. We almost did not make it out alive, it was a little more intense than we anticipated. We didn’t realize we were climbing the clone of Mt. Everest. Don’t let these peaceful photos fool you. It was a monster. It absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that we may have drank too much the night before.

Birthday's, DIY, Home Decor

DIY Chalkboard Sign

5.15.2015

Happy Birthday to ME! I’m turning the big 3-1 today, and I’m really excited about it. While it isn’t a monumental birthday year, it’s still another year on this glorious planet (okay, so semi-glorious – if I was on a beach sipping a cocktail, it would be much more glorious). In real life, I will be on a beach in a few short weeks, so I won’t complain (too much).

After I hand out all my birthday blessing bags (see this post from last year), I will have a cheeseburger on a patio somewhere, while drinking a beer, and thanking God for another wonderful year. While you may not appreciate birthdays as much as I do, the alternative is pretty grim. So try to take a second to appreciate that you have been blessed with another year on Earth, and do something crazy. After all, you only get one life. And because I only get one year to be 31, I’m going to make it great. I’ll start with a trip to Mexico in a few short weeks. Tacos and tequila here I come!

For those of you that don’t want to spend your dinero on a trip to Mexico, you can start with making a simple chalkboard sign to bring in your birthday. Or your friend’s birthday, or your cat’s birthday, or even your stuffed animal’s; I don’t judge. Start with the dollar store, and a pizza pan. Use chalkboard paint of any kind to spray and cover the whole pan (about 3 coats). And you’re done.

The only thing missing is the “chalkboard writing” class that someone should offer. Clearly my handwriting is horrible. But since it’s my birthday, you’ll give me a pass right?

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Easy Peasy White Chicken Chili Recipe

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Let’s Eat Cake: Easy Cupcake Treats

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