The End of 2011

Another year is almost out the door. It seems like just yesterday, we were preparing for 2011 to begin. So much has happened this year...I believe every day is a chance to start fresh but with a new year on the horizon, it seems to fit more. Time for resolutions to be made and for new beginnings to take place. In my case, I want the blessings to continue on into 2012. 

Christmas came and passed. I made the mistake of not taking pictures of the siblings and I hanging out and opening presents. I vow to not make that mistake again next year. Next year, we will be at my mom's house so I am excited to fully decorate an entire house along with delicious aromas from various recipes filling our home. A house you ask? Our lease is up in April so Artie and I will be moving into mom's house then. We came to the conclusion that there is no sense in paying both rent and a mortgage on a house. It is just a temporary situation until we figure out what school Artie gets accepted to or what our future holds. An added bonus is that it will help us save for the future as well. 

Artie and I did manage to take a "family" Christmas photo though. <3

Christmas 2011

Artie's birthday happens to fall on December 26. Yes, I know?!? Horrible but I personally want to always make it a point to separate Christmas and his birthday. I wanted to make it a "man" day so I thought a day of rock climbing and steaks for dinner would be ideal. We went to Texas Rock Gym first. It was AWESOME!!! I totally had a freak out moment during my initial climb. I was just past the midpoint and I started getting very nervous. The instructor told me it was all a mental game and to not let my mind win. Artie was so amazing!! He has always been a great support system and pushes me to be a better person. He did not let me come down rather encouraged me to keep climbing. Needless to say, I REACHED THE TOP!!! 

Bouldering the smallest wall

Artie tackling a very high wall 

Bouldering the small wall

Making the small climb

For dinner, I wanted to try one of Houston's finest steak houses so I decided to treat my honey to Taste of Texas and it was beyond amazing!!! Everything exceeded our expectations!! From the knowledgeable waitstaff to the most delicious food ever!! We got a chance to go back into the butcher shop and choose our steaks. Artie went with a T-bone steak and I ordered a 6 oz center cut filet. 

Can you tell I am ready to devour?! lol

 Because it was a special occasion, the waiter took our picture and printed us a copy hence the bad resolution on this one but it was still a nice memento of our special night. 

Birthday dinner 2011

Now for Artie's birthday present. On his bucket list, he had mentioned that going to a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert is a must. Luckily for me, they are touring in 2012 and Houston is a destination!!! I was ecstatic!! ESPECIALLY when tickets went on sale and he forgot to purchase tickets. He was so bummed but we agreed we would see if we could still make it. Sneakingly I bought us tickets.

Cross it off the list baby!!! 

To make it a bit more suspenseful, on his birthday card, I wrote out his birthday message using nothing but title songs written in another color. He was so puzzled. I concluded the message with "P.S. Can you guess what your birthday present is?" He read and reread the card numerous times. Finally, it seemed like a lightbulb went off and I wish I had been recording him as he realized what his gift was. It was so rewarding to see his expression become so excited. Priceless, I tell you!! 

Our little family <3

In other news, little Chauncy had his second puppy appointment and he has gained 2 pounds!! I thought he was the same size but when we bought him a new sweater, his usual x-small was no longer suitable for him. At nine weeks, he is up to 5.3 pounds. He is so lovable and make Artie and I smile for hours!! 

Another One Bites the Dust

Another semester is now under my belt and by far was one of the most challenging ones to overcome. Mom went into the hospital on October 13, 2011. We entered hospice on the 18th for what we knew was going to be a difficult time ahead of us. Never in our wildest dreams or thoughts, were we expecting what was to come. I made a decision to email my professors on the 13th and let them know what was going on. I would not be returning to class until Mom got better. I did not want to miss a moment without her and knew she needed me...us...by her side. My professors were all understanding which was a blessing. At the beginning of November, mom did not seem to be making progress so hesitantly, I emailed all my professors and asked if an incomplete was possible. Again, I was blessed with their continued understanding and was granted permission of an incomplete. Unfortunately, mom passed away on that Thursday, November 10, 2011. 

We laid her to rest on Monday, November 14, 2011. Wednesday, I was back in class and determined to be done on time this semester. All of my professors were willing to work with me and allow me to catch up on the missed assignments. Needless to say, I have NEVER written more papers, taken more quizzes, or exams in such a short period of time. However, with much support from my "media naranja" and family, I did IT!!! 

I did not get my A's like I was aiming for but all considering, I am happy with it all. I have a mini-mester coming up with 6 classes in the spring. Why you ask?! Because I am determined to graduate in June, no ifs, ands, or buts!!

In other news, I was off of work today and excited to see my Texans play. I never have Sundays off so I went and bought items to make chili. Football and chili, in my book, go hand and hand. :-) Threw everything in the crock-pot and in 4 hours was eating the most yummiest chili! Unfortunately, we did not toast to a Texan's win. :-/ 

My honey and I are off to enjoy Sunday Night Football, gym, and take some Christmas pictures later. Those will be posted later :-) GO CHARGERS!!! (not because I am a fan but because my Texans need the Ravens to lose lol)

Hope everyone has a blessed week!!! 

"So let's not get tired of going what is good. At just the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up" 

Galatians 6:9

Taco Night with a Twist

So, I have never been one to be the "stay at home" kind, however, with the introduction of Pinterest a couple of months ago, that is quickly changing. All I want is to own a sewing machine, do arts and crafts, and cook ALL DAY LONG!!!! The cooking is very much appreciated by my honey so on that part he is all on board! :-) I love finding recipes amongst all kinds of treasures. I stumbled upon a recipe called Taco Ring on a fantastic website http://kendallandkeith.blogspot.com/ and I was ecstatic to try this recipe. Her website is so much fun so definitely check it out if you have a chance. I have to invest in a battery charger so bear with me. These pictures come from my phone but you can go over to Kendall's website. My results look identical to hers just pictures are bad. Artie and I devoured it and it made awesome leftovers. 

Taco Ring

Ingredients:

2 cans crescent rolls

1 egg white, lightly whisked

1-1.5 lbs lean ground beef

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I always keep Mexican in the fridge so I used that)

2 Tbsp water

optional: refried beans of your choice

Taco toppings of your choosing

        -lettuce

        -sour cream

        -guacamole

        -salsa

        -you get the picture :-)

The grocery shopping is the hard part!! Trust me...

First preheat your over to 375 degrees. Brown your meat while the oven preheats. 

While the meat browns away, pull your crescent rolls apart and fan them out on a sprayed cookie sheet or sprayed pizza pan. 

Depending on the type of ground beef, once it is done, drain it. I bought 93/7 so I had almost nothing to drain. I am going to use turkey next time I decide to make this. Mix in your taco seasoning with your ground beef. 

Add about 1 & 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese. I just took handfuls until it looks like it was cheesy enough for our liking. 

Also add about 2 tbsp of water to the meat and mix up everything well. 

I added refried beans to the recipe. Next time, I may use refried black beans instead. I spread about a little less than half around making sure to leave a little bit of the dough visible on the inside for when you have to seal it later. 

Then spread the meat mixture on top of the beans. 

Bring the dough over the meat and press down to seal on the inside. 

Brush the outside of the dough with the egg whites. It will give it a delicious golden color. 

Spread the rest of the cheese along the top of the ring. YUM!!! 

  

Bake for 25 minutes :-)

Some parts look dark but it was such a beautiful golden color. Top with the taco toppings of your choice. I decided to cut them up and leave them on the side so my honey could top his with whatever he wanted. This was my plate. The corn salsa was an amazing addition as a side dish. 

ENJOY!!!

Corn Salsa

(courtesy of: http://mcconkiemenu.blogspot.com/2011/09/corn-salsa.html#links)

6 large tomatoes, diced
3 cans corn, drained
2 cans black eyed peas, drained
1 can black beans, drained
3 large avacados, diced
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch cilantro
1 large bottle fat free Zesty Italian dressing

I cut this recipe in half and still made A HUGE BATCH!! 

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss. That is it!!! Easy isn't it?!?!? AND SOOOO YUMMY!! 

Tis the Season

Our little Chauncy had his first puppy vet visit yesterday!!  

Little Chauncy thinking "wtf is going on?!"

sooooooo sleepy

Poor baby started a part of his vaccines..such a brave little one!! They gave him Benedryl to help him not have an allergic reaction (which btw cost 20 bucks!!! I was like, um, may I run to CVS for a second?!?! lol) so he was SUPER sleepy within minutes. 

Overall he did well and is recovering very well. I did not blog about it but little Chauncy-bear gave me a heart attack on Monday evening!! We had our first ER visit and it was not fun!! Chauncy has confirmed my fear of parenting perhaps tenfold so holding off the idea of a kid...permanently!! Yes, I know what you all are thinking!! "We shall see Claudia" ;-)

Yes, I was aware my four legged kiddo was going to be an investment but after an ER visit and his first puppy exam, holy moly, Momma has to work!!! LOL Artie thinks it is hilarious btw <3

After our pet visit and a much needed nap, we decided we should put the Christmas decor up sometime soon before the month flies by, as it is already doing so. Let the tackling of our tree begin!! 

Snowmen are my thing <3

We have an apartment which I think Artie is thankful for because I LOVE decorating especially for the holidays. Space is limited in any apartment and for that, I am sure Artie is happy. I do not go overboard by any means but I most def could ;-) 

Can't really see my awesome reindeer 

Hers

His 

Last, but most def not least...

Our beautiful tree

Red garland beads were not up yet but hey :-)

Finals are looming ahead so I am off to stimulate the body (pilates, you pervs!! hehe), study, study, study, find Chauncy a stocking, and cook dinner. Artie is in class for work all day so I am thinking BBQ Crockpot Chicken, mashed 'taters, along with a delicious corn salsa...we shall see!! Happy Thursday world!!

Chauncy Rojas

I would like to announce the arrival of our first boy!!! :-) 

Chauncy Rojas is a 6 week old minature Dachshund. Friday (12-02) I was asked to find him a home so I volunteered to foster him for a few days. I know I have a pretty solid Facebook network and would surely be able to find him a home. Upon seeing his adorable little face, I was instantly in love. 

He was so precious. I secretly then wanted to keep him and I knew that Artie, being the animal lover that he is, would find no reason to object for us to foster him. I secretly wished that Artie would fall in love with him, as I had, and he would suggest on us keeping him instead.

I have no poker face of any kind so when I got home from work, he immediately knew something was stirring in my brain. I tried to play it off but eventually just told him about the foster idea. He was very much on board with the idea. ::SCORE:: first part of my plan had worked!!! I showed him the picture of him and Artie was immediately excited. I mean how could one say no to this precious little face?!?!

Chauncy Rojas

 He then got a grin on his face and was like "You little shit!!" ;-) A look of alleged innocence came over my face with a "I have no clue what you are talking about?"

As I shrugged my shoulders in attempted confusion, I knew I had been discovered but the picture worked its magic and Artie was in love as well. We left to Walmart to go and buy little Chauncy some supplies. Now we are proud parents and could not be happier to be embarking on this adventure!!!

Christmas Decor

What is Christmas without some decorations to adorn the home? Thursday, the siblings and I met at Captain Tom aka The Boat for some delicious oysters, gumbo, and micheladas before we tackled this project. Well worth the forty dollars I must say :-)

After dinner, we headed back to mom's house to finally put up the Christmas tree. As the Seahawks tore into the Eagles in the background, Homer climbed into the attic and brought down all of our decorations. Thank you cards have yet to be mailed out so I decided to start at least making a list of individuals while Homer and Lucy began on assembling the tree. 

Lucy and Tequila

It was so nice to see the Christmas tree being put up. Something about the holiday spirit that just seems to automatically warm my heart. We decided to stay with the traditional colors of red and gold with a splash of purple thrown in for mom. I did not recognize Homer's choosing of the purple but it all makes sense to me now. Her favorite color was purple.

Adding the purple <3

Clearly we were goofing around after the tree was assembled by posing in front of it. LOL yes, Homer and I "tebowed" in front of the tree. I find it hilarious that I am wearing my Texans attire while I am "tebowing" :-)