Winner Recipes from my Mom

Tonight I made a Couscous salad for a BBQ and a few people asked for the recipe. Thanks, Mom! It was a hit! Here it is:



Black Bean, Corn, and Couscous Salad

(I doubled this)



1 (10 oz.) box dry plain couscous

1 (16 oz.) bag frozen white or yellow corn, thawed and drained

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 medium green onions, sliced (white and green parts)

1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced (I doubled this, too, but it was a little spicy, so if you double it, I would keep this amt. the same unless you're into spicy)

Juice of two lemons (I didn't have 2 lemons and used lemon juice from the bottle - but I added the juice of a lime I happened to have)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt ( I didn't measure this out, just sprinkled to taste)

Coarsely ground black pepper

cilantro (Optional)

1. Prepare couscous according to pkg. directions. To cool quickly, spread the couscous on a large baking sheet in a thin layer and let stand for 10 minutes. (I just stuck a bowl of it in the 'fridge for about 1/2 hour)


2. Combine cooled couscous, corn, beans, green onions, bell pepper, and garlic in a bowl; Mix gently. Add lemon juice and olive oil; toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 12.


3. I added cilantro, and the recipe also gives these ideas: To enhance the flavor, add a bit of grated lemon rind, minced jalapeno chili, or cilantro.

Also, this is the soup my mom made for my birthday lunch for those that wanted it (Also another hit, thanks, Mom!)



Taco Soup


4 chicken breast halves 1 bunch green onions 1 green pepper
2 cans tomato soup 2 cans enchilada sauce 1 can corn
2 – 4 c. cooked rice 1 c. sour cream 1 c. milk
¼ c. taco seasoning 1 c. grated cheese bunch cilantro
1 can black beans 1 can kidney beans 1 can pinto beans
1 tsp. each chili powder, black pepper, powdered garlic


Stir-fry chicken with sliced green onions & chopped green pepper (or use canned chicken). Cut up cilantro. Combine all ingredients (including liquids in cans) in large pot & simmer on low ~ an hour. Top with tortilla chips & additional cheese.

A First

Today I got a phone call asking if Dr. Martin was available. I told her he was not, and that he is not a doctor. She laughed and told me she had him written down as a med. student, but she knows that he is a future doctor. She was with some job placement company that is sending info. about their program for Jared after he is finished with his residency. Man, they must see something I don't because that seems like forever away! (Jared met them this week during his 4 day trip to Chicago for a medical conference where he met with several residency programs.)
It was fun hearing Jared be called a doctor, even if he isn't. Yet.

4 Months Old!

Taken today for kicks and giggles

It doesn't seem fair that time travels so fast. I'm sad that Cami is already out of the first sizes of her clothes (They were so cute!), and almost is grown out of her 3-6 mo. clothing!

But I'm delighted at how much she is growing. She has gotten strong! She rolls over from her stomach to her back, and almost back to her tummy; Also enjoys sitting up and standing with support. We got the walker out, and Kyle and Lance enjoy playing in it almost as much as she does... when she's awake.

Taken tonight, I guess I didn't realize it was her bedtime already

The sounds she makes when she cannot contain her happiness is so sweet! She is delighted when she is looked at and talked to - loves watching mom talk on the phone. Her big brothers give hugs to her every night and love holding her. She enjoys hearing us sing our bedtime songs and probably can't wait to join soon.

Sweet baby, Camille

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

We celebrated Cinco De Mayo for Family Night last night. Did you know that it actually is the celebration of winning a war against the French that Mexico didn't think they would win because their army was smaller? And I always thought it was their Independence day! (That's actually on Sept. 15th)
So on this night we had Tacos for dinner (Jace shredded the cheese and Lance broke the lettuce into pieces.) and Mexican wedding cookies for desert. The boys loved taking turns chopping the almonds and shaping the dough. Here, Kyle is showing the boys how it's done. It was my first time making these and they were SO YUMMY!

I tried to get Jace to do a Mexican Hat Dance, but he wasn't all that for it.