Sunday, November 20, 2011

Getting Ready For Thanksgiving!

Norman Rockwell painting, Freedom From Want, that appeared in the
Saturday Evening Post, March 6, 1943.


Thanksgiving is almost upon us and I've been busy picking up some last minute items this week, hoping I've remembered everything and impatiently awaiting a wonderful dinner that everyone looks forward to...including me!
I love cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family, which generally means getting up early to start getting the stuffing ready so I can get the turkey in the oven and by the time the kids get up, they're rushing into the kitchen telling me how good everything smells and asking when it'll be done so we can eat! I have to admit that I'm just as impatient and love when everything's on the table and I can finally sit down and relax.
As much as our holidays have become such a big commercial business, I find that most people don't think about taking time to give thanks for what they have. Maybe they've been struggling financially, or they've dealt with health issues, or maybe their marriage isn't so happy. We live in a challenging time for sure, but if we let the problems we suffer from completely overshadow our lives, then I can understand why some folks don't feel so grateful.
But I find that I've been so very blessed in my life. I have a wonderful husband who (by the grace of God), survived and recovered from a brain aneurysm and a stroke several years ago, and who I adore and love with all my heart. I have six wonderful children and two grandchildren that I love dearly. My husband has a job, we have a roof over our heads and food on the table every day, so I'm VERY grateful that God has blessed me with so much! I won't tell you that everything's been perfect over the years, but I know God hasn't made me go through anything He feels I can't handle and I never lost my spirit of thankfulness because of any hard times I've experienced. Life can certainly be a humbling learning experience for sure!
I know everyone's busy this week and I probably won't post again until the weekend, but I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving full of family, laughter, and love.
Thanks for stopping by and hope you'll visit again real soon.
Happy Thanksgiving, and God bless!

~Denise~
 

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Breakfast Burritos

A while back when my husband and I were in Arizona for a General Manager's conference he was attending, we stopped at a little place in the airport on our way home and bought a couple breakfast burritos. I'd really never had one before and didn't know if I'd like it but we were so hungry and for $5.00 we figured it was worth trying. I'm not sure about everything that was in them, but I do know there was scrambled eggs, chorizo sausage, rice, and maybe some onions or bell pepper. They were absolutely delicious!
I've fixed something similar a few times after that and everyone liked them, so I thought maybe if I make a few up and freeze them, it would be a quick and yummy breakfast break from cereal, especially now that the weather is getting cooler. So last night I made up a batch and I'd like to share the recipe with you.
These aren't expensive or hard to make, and the most time you'll spend on them is cooking the ingredients and letting it cool.

Breakfast Burritos

2 packages small tortillas or wraps (you might just need one package, but it's good to have extra)
1 small package of frozen hash brown potatoes, plain or with added onion and bell pepper
2 small tubes of beef chorizo sausage, our Walmart has these over in the refrigerated section with other Mexican foods.
8 eggs, beaten
1 package shredded cheese (mild, sharp, pepper jack.......whatever you like)
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

In a separate pan, cook the chorizo sausage. Drain in a fine-mesh strainer, and set aside. Just a quickie note: I say use a fine-mesh strainer because when the chorizo is cooked it's very fine and if you use a regular colander, you'll lose a lot of meat! If you don't have a strainer, just put a paper towel in your colander and that'll work just fine.


In a second pan, add a couple tablespoons or so of vegetable oil and a couple pats of butter. Let the pan heat up, then add your potatoes. Add seasonings.


Allow to cook and brown, then turn the potatoes over to brown slightly on the other side. After a few minutes, add beaten eggs. Just before the eggs are fully cooked, mix in the chorizo sausage.


Remove the pan from the heat and allow everything to cool completely.
Once the filling has cooled, put a couple good-sized spoons of filling onto a small tortilla or wrap, Add some shredded cheese, then fold both sides in, and roll up.


Wrap the burritos in saran wrap or foil, place in a freezer bag and store in the freezer until you're ready to eat them.


When you're ready to eat them, unwrap and place in the microwave or in the oven until heated through. If reheating in the oven, you can leave the foil on.......just not in the microwave!
You can also use leftover rice and add to this if you don't have potatoes, or anything else you might want in these. Really, there's no rules to this so make them with what YOU like!
As I said earlier, these are a big hit in my house, so I hope you'll give them a try sometime.
Thanks for stopping by!

  This post is part of the "On My Mind" feature over at Down To Earth.