Spring is in the Air!

The weather has finally turned around I think.  The snow is almost gone.  You know, I bought a bunch of seeds a month ago since the weather was so nice all winter and THEN we got 2 whopper snow storms.  Figures, huh?  I jinxed myself.  I did start a bunch of seeds in flats and they are positioned in front of my living room windows.  No sprouts yet but they should be there any day.  I am so ready for a garden.

I'm being really lazy these days or shall I say domestic, and the designs are on the back burner again.  Maybe it's my old age or maybe just the winter blahs - I must be ready to get outside.  I decided to go through my recipes.  I have piles and piles of paper printouts with great recipes on them, some from Martha Stewart, some from food.com- you know the routine - before you make something, you search it and print out what you find.  Most have been tested and the pages are no longer clean anymore, if you know what I mean.  So, I decided to retype them and put them in page protectors in a binder.  It's a huge undertaking but moving right along.  Someday I will have a great, organized binder full of favorite recipes.

Here s a favorite for Chicken Taquitos (from Chevy's Tex Mex)-

Chevy’s Salsa Chicken 

5 tomatoes, cored & halved

1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, halved

1 yellow onion, peeled & quartered

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp Fuego Spice Mix (see below)

3-4lb cooked chicken, skinned & chopped

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Broiler: half an onion, tomatoes & jalapenos cut side down, roast 8-10 min or until almost blackened.  Transfer with liquid to blender, pulse until thick & chunky.

Dice remaining onion, garlic & sauté for 5 min. Add spices mix & sauté 4 min longer.  Add chicken & sauté until chicken is heated.  Add tomato mixture & cook. Add cilantro & simmer 10 min.

To make the Chicken Taquitos

16 corn tortillas                      Make the Salsa Chicken above

*** Preheat oven to 375°.  Heat tortillas for 3-4 min.  Put ¼ cup of chicken mix down center in a line.  Roll up into tight cylinders and line up parallel.  Cut skewers in half and use to attach four cylinders together.  Do not let them touch each other.   Heavy skillet: heat 3” oil to 350°, place one set of skewered cylinders in pan,  deep fry 2-3 min until crisp.  Remove, drain on paper towel.  Serve with jalapeno jelly.  YUM!

Chevy’s  Fuego Dry Spice Mix/ Rub

¼ cup paprika

2 tsp cayenne

2 tsp ground white pepper

2 tbsp salt

2 tbsp black pepper

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp chile powder

2 tbsp oregano

**Combine, mix well. Stores airtight for 6 months

This weekend I'm hanging out with my sister in KC.  We are visiting the Ancestry Days Conference and taking a few classes on genealogy.  It should be a fun time.  This is her birthday gift from her husband so I get to go and enjoy also!

I've had trouble getting Steam-A-Seam light- Warm Company is completely out and don't have a date for receiving more.  I have a few of the regular 4 yard cuts left but I'm completely out of the light.  The fabrics are just about gone now also.  Thanks to our regular customers, we are moving out a lot of quilts and runners.  

It's like spring cleaning around here.  I actually wake up thinking about what to clean! Next I'll want to paint the house.  Actually, I'm thinking about those kitchen walls.  Hmmm.  Any suggestions?