Here comes the monster! ... all Ready for Christmas!

Happy Thursday everyone! It's been a busy and interesting week... First we had family from Mexico - My aunt, her husband and their 2 boys - 13 and 9 yrs. old -  (they just left last night) it was nice! ... My 3 yr. old picked up some new words in Spanish... that's awesome! unfortunately some of the phrases she caught was:

"Ahi viene el monstruo" (here comes the monster) ... LOL! so... you can imagine how much fun she was having playing with her cousins... unfortunately things like that really stick in her mind ... and what sounded like a lot of fun during the day might be frightening at night! KIDS!

Anyway... so... the visit wasn't hard at all on us... they pretty much were out and about most of the time... I am happy they had such a nice family time! Things for most families in Mexico are way harder than they are for families in the USA... my aunt's husband works very hard! His work hours are Monday-Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10 or 11:00 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and this is his first vacation in 16 years!!! so... I was just happy to see them all together having so much fun! They got to enjoy the pool here in our apartment complex and visited many nice places in the area! very well deserved!

My girls and their cousins... Emiliano (the 3rd one from left to right) was very disappointed to have to leave!

 Then... last night... right before they left I had to go to Choir Rehearsal, I almost cancelled because my aunt and her family were about to leave but I had to go because it was the first rehearsal after 1 month off for summer! And I am so glad I did attend! It was soooo nice! There were lots of food and desserts (unfortunately I didn't have the camera with me! I know! Unforgivable!) and everybody seemed excited to be back! Then we had some games to get to know a little more about each other (that was nice because I am a very new member both of the church and the choir!) but later then the best came... we had some time to sing but it was pretty awesome because more than focusing on who's singing what or how it's being sung we just worshiped! I was sooo needing that! It is wonderful to sing praises to our good God who cares for us! and even better to do so in the company of His people! it was great! I felt full not only in my stomach but mostly in my spirit!

And then... they were even drawing names from a bowl with all the names of the people from the choir and mine got picked up... so I won a CD with Christmas music! I was very excited because I never win anything and I just LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Christmas Music!!! so... "Christmas: I AM READY!"

Ok... that's about it for today... sorry my post got long! I will finally have some more time to reply back and visit your blogs! don't forget to leave a comment! ... and don't forget to stop by tomorrow for our "Coffee Friday Party" it will be lots of fun! make sure you add some "coffee" to any of your posts this week and link back to us so you can LINK UP!

Have a great day!

© Paloma K.

Showing off and Pizza Recipe!

Good Wednesday Everyone! How is the week treating you so far? It's been really good to me :) I've had a great time enjoying the pool, time with friends and doing some running last night! but the highlight so far is the sky yesterday! It was AMAZING right before the sun set! There were clouds like towers so tall and fluffy! there was even a rainbow and ... everything was just majestic! I kept wishing I had my camera with me when I was on my way to pick up my friend to go run together... in my car... singing a beautiful song that talks about God and who He is... and the sky was singing along with me! .... ♪♪♪"...Wonderful, Glorious, Holy and Righteous, Victorious, Conqueror, Triumphant and Mighty, Healer, Deliverer, Shield and Defense, Strong Tower and My Best Friend, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Soon Coming King, Alpha, Omega, Lord of Everything..." ♫♫ I was singing this SOOO loud! how wouldn't I, right?

 So... that's been my week so far... But the "showing off" part comes now...as I post a drawing my 3 yr. old made today in paint... she is really good with the computer (which scares me sometimes) she handles the mouse like a true pro, opens the program by herself, makes the space for the drawing bigger and then chooses her tools (lines, triangles, or the colors she needs) ... unfortunately she never has enough room left for the legs of her pictures LOL! but here's what she made today

Left to Right: Natalia (the artist), Karina (the artist's sister) and ... Daddy!

Isn't it neat? I think she does a great job... although I must admit I might be a little biased.

And now... our Pizza... shall we?

Pizza Dough
Adapted from original recipe found at: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole wheat  flour
• 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. italian seasoning

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let sit until creamy; about 10 minutes.
2. Stir the olive oil, whole wheat flour, salt, 4 cups of all purpose flour and italian seasoning into the yeast mixture. Mix in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume; about 1 hour.
3. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into three equal pieces and form into rounds. Cover the rounds and let them rest for about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
4. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into the desired shape and place it on a slightly greased pizza stone or on a baking sheet or round baking pan (the one with little holes in it) , Pre-bake your pizza (without toppings) for about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase the temperature @425F. Now cover the pizza with your favorite toppings (I used spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, green bell peppers, onions and ham) and bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for about 18 minutes or until the crust and cheese are golden brown. 

 You can also make individual pizzas if you'd like... I made one just for my hubby and he loved it!

Linking to:

Simple Lives Thursday
 
and    



 © Paloma King

I'll oversing your praises! - and will eat some chicken!

 Last night I went to choir rehearsal @ church, at some point the worship leader started talking about how we can sing a song basically with more "umph", everybody gave suggestions like "thinking about what you are singing and believing it, etc" well... I guess I got stuck on that... and thinking about the song I got so excited I got goosebumps... So, after discussing all the great tips and ideas to sing with more passion and better transmit the feeling of the song to the congregation we got up and started to sing... at some point, the emotion flooded me and just like I do when I talk and get excited I started yelling (LOL!) that's always been an issue for me when singing... too much emotion! when practicing way back when I learned to better control all that but it's been so long since I last sang in front of others or in a choir that I've lost practice of technique and stuff like that... so here we reached a part in the song that says:

"I am hope, I am peace, I am joy, I am rest, 

 I am your comfort and relief from your stress,

 I am strength, I am faith, I am love, I am power

 I am your freedom this very hour"

I got sooo into the song and not so into the singing that I was yelling! until I heard the leader say "wow! Don't oversing it" LOL! I was a little embarrassed because I had actually forgotten everyone was there....

But then ... by the time everything was done and when I left church look what I saw:

His creation was over-singing with colors just like I was with my voice ... :) I know I have to control my voice if I want to sing in a choir but I am happy I can over-sing for Him any time of the day!

And now... a recipe that's so good and easy it will make you sing:

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa (Perfect S for THM)
Original from Martha Stewart's Recipes

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (6 to 8 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks (to choose the perfect avocado click here )

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne; rub all over chicken.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken, and cook until browned on the outside and opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

© Paloma K.

Ojala que llueva Cafe - May it rain Coffee

I was just watching a video that I should share here... it's a song that was very popular in Mexico and South America in 1990 the singer is Juan Luis Guerra and the name of the song is "May it rain Coffee" it is in Spanish and it would be very hard to translate it into English (and still make sense or sound as poetic as it sounds in Spanish) but I will share the translation of one of the verses of the song:

So that down on the farm, there isn’t so much suffering, oh man,
May it rain coffee in the countryside.
So that in Los Montones they hear this song,
May it rain coffee in the countryside…
So that all the children, sing in the countryside,
May it rain coffee in the countryside.
So that in La Romana they hear this song,
May it rain coffee in the countryside...

Here is the video.... so many memories of my early teen years...