White Chili

White Chili

You will need:
4 whole chicken breasts
3 1/2 cups of water
3 cups of chicken broth
2 tablespoons of oil
1 cup of chopped onion
4 cloves of minced garlic
2 4 ounce cans of chopped green chilis
1/2 teaspoon of Oregano
1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1/4 teaspoon of Cumin
2 16 ounce cans of Great Northern Beans
Salt and Pepper
Monterey Jack Cheese


1. Place Chicken breasts in large pot and cover with the cold water. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and cool slightly; reserve cooking liquid. Shred chicken and add to cooking liquid. Add the chicken broth.

2. Heat oil in a skillet. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the green chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute for about 2 minutes more. Add the vegetable mixture to the pot with the chicken. Add beans, bring to a boil. Lower temperature, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

3. Top each serving with Monterey Jack cheese.

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

You will need:
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree (I roast a pumpkin then puree it myself.)
4 eggs
1 cup of vegetable oil
2/3 cup of water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspooon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 7x3 inch loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, sugar, eggs, oil, and water, until well blended. In a separate bowl, mix together flower, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture, just until blended. Pour into loaf pans.

3. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

You will need:
2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and butter until creamy.
Add the vanilla, then gradually add the confectioners' sugar.
Store in the Refrigerator after use.

You can turn this into Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting
just add 1/4 cup or more of cocoa, depending on how rich you like it.

Crock Pot Lasagna

Crock Pot Lasagna

You will need:
1 lb of lean ground beef
1 23-28 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
1 8 ounce can of no salt added tomato sauce
1 9 ounce package of no-boil lasagna noodles
1 16 ounce jar of Alfredo pasta sauce
3 cups of mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1. Brown ground been in a large skillet until cooked through. Drain.

2. Spray a 4-5 quart crock pot with non stick cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup of spaghetti sauce in bottom of the crock pot. Stir remaining sauce in with the ground beef.

3. Layer 3 lasagna noodles over sauce in the crock pot, breaking if necessary. Top with about an 1/8 of the Alfredo sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Top with 1/8 of the ground beef mixture.

4. Repeat layering until you have no more lasagna noodles. The last layer of noodles should be covered with Alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese, and beef. Top the cheese with the Parmesan cheese.

5. Cover; cook on low setting 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. If desired, cut into wedges to serve.

I sometimes put extra mozzarella cheese on top and bake it in the oven, uncovered, for about 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Sometimes this causes the sides to become very browned. Watch this carefully.

I use Ragu Classic Alfredo Sauce for the Alfredo sauce.
I use Prego Garden Combo Spaghetti sauce for the Spaghetti sauce.
Sometimes I substitute extra Spaghetti sauce, or diced tomatoes for the no salt added tomato sauce.

Many people have told me this is the the best Lasagna they have ever had!

I love it and I think you will too.

Enjoy!

List Update 11/17/2009

My start Date: Thursday, January 29, 2009

My end date: Thursday, October 27, 2011

Key:

New Items are starred: **********

Red= Completed

Orange = in progress

1 Get a 2nd and/or 3rd job. (not Lifetouch or JSPhoto) Currently employed at Lifetouch, JSPhoto, M.L. Photography, and DHL.
2nd 4/25/09 3rd 5/19/09
Currently laid off at Lifetouch.
2 Learn a second language.
3 Learn to play at least 3 songs correctly on the piano
4 Volunteer with Murdok at Fidos for Freedom.
5 Read 10 ‘New to Me’ books in 10 weeks. **edited** Read each book in less than a week instead of reading 10 books in 10 consecutive weeks.(4/10)
1. Alice in Wonderland
2. Da Vinci Code
3. Angels & Demons
4. The Lost Symbol
********6 Get pregnant and have a child. (1/2) Baby Boy Stew is Due March 8, 2010
7 Photograph a wedding outside the United States
8 Get a clear photograph of President Obama. (in person)
9 Open a studio/office space.
10 Purchase a set of studio lights completed: 04/06/2009
11 Learn more about my sister-in-law, Erica Stewart.
12 Learn more about my sister, Jamie Solvey’s, serious boyfriend, Burch Stokes.
13 Snap a portrait of myself everyday in the month of July. (0/31)
14 Snap a full-length portrait of myself once a week for a year. (0/52)
15 Install a patio out in front of our house.
16 Take Murdok out of the yard to use the potty. 4/12/2009
17 Apprentice with a professional photographer.
18 Be published for my photographs and/or artwork. 6/01/2009
19 Go back to college.
20 Try a new type of cuisine once a week for 8 weeks. (0/8)
21 Lose 65 pounds. So far I have lost 36 pounds.
22 Get out of Credit Card Debt.
23 Complete DMB works for Devin Stewart. (0/4)
24 Finish ‘Tree’ painting for Kate Andrews. 06/13/09.
25 Throw a murder mystery type dinner party for at least 8 guests
26 Go camping in the dead of winter.
27 Go to the Renaissance Festival every weekend it is open.
(1 time/weekend)(0/3)
28 Submit photos to istockphoto.com and shutterstock.com
29 Create a budget and stick to it.
30 Keep my house presentable at ALL times.
31 Save $400.00/month for 6 consecutive months.
32 Watch that $400.00/month grow in ING acct. for at least 6 consecutive months following last $400.00 deposit.
33 Buy a fisheye lens
34 Buy a lensbaby. Lensbaby
35 Devise a way to store and organize my Lifetouch equipment. Ideally out of sight.2/28/09-I no longer need to worry about this because I no longer photograph for Lifetouch. I am now the Satellite Office Coordinator in the office.
********36 Learn to knit and crochet. My friend Jamie has given me a couple lessons but I am by no means a knitter. lol
37 Own and be efficient with photoshop. (Latest edition.)
38 Get a tax ID number and fill out form for Smugmug tax purposes.
39 Make more time for my marriage.
40 Get rid of my ‘I might wear that someday’ Collection, and donate the clothing to charity. 3/04/09. I
41 Donate blood 5 times. (0/5)
42 Get paid for giving plasma
43 Learn and play around with my D200 so that I know it like the back of my hand.
44 List all of the items in my eBay room on eBay.
45 Learn more about politics. (Attended a telephone town hall meeting, with John Sarbanes (D). It was very interesting. Currently reading Confessions of a Former Dittohead
46 Visit the White House.
47 Compile a list of my top 25 favorite recipes and share them with friends/family. (25/25)
Just need to put them all together.
48 Take 2 photography classes. (2/2) 2 Nikon School classes 4/4-4/5/09
49 Work on other branches of family history.
(Don’t focus on Argento)
50 Paint the 1st floor walls.
51 Study 5 different religions (Buddism, Judism, Catholicism, Fundamental Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), Scientology (1/5)
********52 Install a toilet and sink in the 1st floor rough-in.
53 Buy new countertops and double sink for the kitchen.
54 Install hardwood floors on 1st floor and stairs.
55 Finish the garden timber install around the flowerbeds.
56 Copy all of Sue Stewart’s genealogy information so that I can return it to her. 11/17/09 Copied and will return to her when she visits next time.
57 Minimize the amount of furniture in our house. (Does not count toward 101 things to liberate myself from)
58 Replace the light bulb outside with a CFL. 1/31/09
59 Purchase a Samsung Eternity cell phone 2/18/09, Returned phone, and changed mind to iPhone. Love the iPhone!!
60 Give a compliment/praise to a different person/day for 30 days. (0/30)
61 Extend the wick on my anger fuse.
62 Learn to do my own taxes.
63 Go ice skating.
64 Visit 1 of the Wonders of the World. (medieval, modern, ancient, natural….)
65 Buy the yearly pass at Quiet Waters Park. (1/3)
66 Adopt a friend for Murdok.
(Miniature Schnauzer, I have in mind!)
67 Liberate myself from 101 material possessions. (3/101) (does not count toward clothing donation or minimizing furniture.) 1. calla lily centerpiece 2. green glass vase 3. 4 water bottles 4. 32" TV
68 Do my laundry before the hamper is overflowing.
69 Keep the shoe basket downstairs to a max. of 11 pair.
70 Become CPR/first aid/Heimlich certified.
71 Get 4 ‘stair baskets’
72 Enter and win a photo competition.
73 Stay in touch. 1 phone call/week to a different friend. (11/143)
74 Make a business model for JSPhoto
********75 Wear my hair down at least 3 days/week, every week. I'm considering this complete. I have made this a habit and wear it down at least 3 days a week sometimes more.(11/143) This no longer applies I guess since I chopped off all my hair, I can no longer wear it up. lol 11/13/09
76 Throw a Halloween party like in previous years! Nightmare on Sprite Way!
77 Limit my internet surfing time to 1 hr/day. (e.g. myspace/facebook…etc)
78 Limit total computer time to 5 hrs/day. Esp. on days I’m editing photos.
79 Go floatin’ down the riva’ with Rich and Rhonda Solvey.
80 Learn how to process film in a darkroom.
81 Work with Murdok on ‘heel’, ‘come’(when other dogs are around) and *******‘release’; Murdok now releases when we say so 11/17/09, and he has learned to crawl and we are also teaching him roll over but he doesn't quite get it yet!.
82 Participate in a Bridal Fair.
83 Ride my bike twice a week, every week, for at least 20 mins. (2/143)
84 Buy an iMac or iMac Pro.
********85 Learn how to photograph water so that it looks ‘misty and smoky’ I will consider this complete when I have a photo to prove it! Just need to post some photos!!!
86 Go to 5 national parks and take photographs. (0/5)
87 Paint the 2nd floor landing and 3rd floor steps and landing
88 Paint the 3rd floor bathroom and final wall in 3rd floor bedroom
*******89 Archive the information, Lesa Burke has on the Kohler/Shull side of family. I picked up her info when I was in town a couple weeks ago. I just need to return it.11/17/09
90 Take my camera anytime I visit family and friends.
91 Research options for making a Will and disposal of my body.
92 Limit TV time to 3 hrs/day maximum.
********93 Create a way to organize and store, more efficiently, the tools and supplies under 1st floor stairs. 11/15/09
94 Photograph my best friend, her husband, and their puppy. (You know who you are =P! Let’s do it!)
95 Create and sell art and/or photos specifically for resale.
96 Post a blog on each of my blog sites at least once/week. ***edited***Post 143 blogs the equivalent to a blog each week. (16/143)
97 Don’t go more than 5mph over the speed limit.
98 Get a yearly physical exam. (0/3)
99 Go to Riverfest/WEBN Fireworks in Cincinnati (0/3)
100 Upgrade to Pictage. www.pictage.com
101 Cook dinner at least 4 nights per week. (8/143)

I will donate
$20.00/task
for every task not complete,
to The American Cancer Society.

When I do complete every task,
I will donate
$2.00/task
to The American Cancer Society.