Cooking with LeLe part 1

Several friends over the years have asked me how I make and or cook certain things.. Now that I have to eat completely Gluten free that comes up more often.. So I thought once a week to every few weeks I would share My way of making classic dishes or in some cases classic southern dishes in easy to follow non cook wording. 


FIRST DISH : Fajita Chicken Salad (a spin on traditional)
we all have gone to Mexican restaurants ordered fajitas ate 2-4 and then still found ourselves with tons of meat left.. then take it home and never quite get around to eating it.. here is a simple yummy left over solution..


In a food processor ( I have a little small one that is great for this ) put all the pieces of chicken and grind/chop till size you like.. if you prefer your chicken salad more chunky you can also take out your favorite knife and chopping board..


once the chick is finished.. put it in a bowl.


take out some of the onions and peppers put them also in the food processor or on the board and finely chop  you do not want them to be mush if you use the processor.


add that to the bowl


lastly add mayo, mustard and a tiny bit of honey (all to taste and honey mustard can be substituted for the mustard and honey) and stir up.


Serve with favorite crackers, bread or on as a sandwich


** servings depend on how much chicken you have to start with**
** serves better chilled**


This may be the fastest and easiest left over meal I have found / done next to popping what ever is left over in the micro wave

It's Amazing What Can Inspire

Today I woke up slightly sluggish..jaw or tooth or something felt like it would never stop throbbing due to my wonderful trip to the dentist yesterday.. as I was stretching and attempting to wake up I opted to check my quote of the day.. Being a phone app junky it just takes one quick click.. 

What I found (shown below) hit home. Mainly cause of this new approach I'm trying to do where I finaly become okay in my own skin.. At first it didn't make sense probably cause I was sleepy . However, then it did and just as everything has a purpose so did needing to see the quote. With this new quest which I know will take time and effort and dropping a lot of built up baggage it's nice to see quotes that inspire to do just that rather that's the intent of the author of it or not.

There is non like me, to take it one step forward there is no one just like any of us even twins have differences. People might be "cut from the same cloth" but even with that not one peice is exactly the same .. What Dr. Seuss in his wonderfully whimsy way of seeing the world was saying is just that .. No one does us better then ourselves.  It might of taken nearly 29 years and a hell of a stubborn streak but I think I'm finaly realizing that.  I'm me 100% I have my flaws, insecurities, strengths, weaknesses, regrets, hard life lessons but who doesn't ? Everyone has their share, but that's part of being human. The way I see it as long as anyone of us can face ourselves first then we can face the world. This is the part I'm learnin to work on because I sorta did it in reverse I thought facing the world ment more then facing myself not just outwardly but the inner me to , meanin if peers accepted me I'd accept me yes I know many of my friends reading this wanna slap me lnyhe back of me head for that .. The upside is now that that I've realized how flawed that theory was/is I can change the theory and work on the new concept. Which is waking up in the morning going hello self you are perfect just the way you are , be you for you and the rest will fall into place.   I think deep down everyone of us has to say those words at some point even the ones already ok in their own skin.. 

I'm gonna close simply with the quote as Dr. Seuss says it better then I ever could. 

Bucket Lists

As I did my bi monthly shot of b12 last night I started to think.. I hate doing this what if I just stopped?? Which is a silly question cause if I stopped my shots I'd stop, I would literally not function. It's in essence my life's blood, well that and a slew of other meds that I take which sucks cause an average 28 year old don't take half what I do. It also caused me to flash bsck to the summer I turned 21 knowing something just wasn't quiet right health wise but not knowing what.. After tons of blood work I became a statstic because it's rare that young adults develope pernicious anemia.. I was given this option and that option but regardless I would have to take b12 for the rest of my life.. What majorly woke me up was my dr actually said I do not even know how you are walking on your own power or how you have managed to not be in the hospital.. The answers given by both my mother and my best friend who had been with me every step of the way were almost identical.. Will power. At this point i started going wow I was borderline barely getting to really experience life .

*back from flash back * 

As I was cleanin up from the shot and all I got to thinking what if I had not had that will power all the things that I've dreamed of or wanted to do coulda never  happened granted even now some probably won't but that's because reality is we all have a few un realistic dreams .. That said our dreams our hopes our bucket lists are in away like my shots part of our life's blood ... They keep us on point on our paths marching to our little drums.  I learned a hard lesson this year when I lost my first true big brother, I have often wondered if he had a bucket list but then I laugh and go "hell naw he just did what he wanted no questions asked balls to the wall and take the aftermath later" I envy him in a way ...but then again doing what he wanted was always his number one on his list. 

8 years ago when I learned of my b12 thing I'll admit I did start thinkin of a small list some things have since been marked off.. Either from completion or from realization that that might not be the brightest idea to have on a list and I add stuff randomly . I'm to a point that id like to share some of them. (Gets out notebook that no one knows where it is but me [ ] will be used to indicate done or additionss to)

1. Live long and prosper ( I'll admit I'm a closet Trekkie but this was done before I was ) 

2. Visit Europe [ I've done twice]

3. Find my "prince" [thought I did once still looking ]

4. Learn more about where I come from [learned more recently but not a lot]

5. Overcome my huge fear of heights

6. Write a book 

7. Marry my "prince" or least always have them in my life.. In today's world marriage isn't always everything 

8. Be a mother 

9. Be in two places at once [ was on had Scotland England borders ]

10. Study many different religions [ while at south I got the chance to but want to study more]

11. Learn to play guitar [ kinda realized this might be one of those dreams that won't be]

12. Learn to drive a standard 

13. Also learn to back up a vehicle when a trailer is attached 

14. Be happy with myself [getting there]

15. Travel the world [ I have but not enough giggles] 

16. Taste the world as I travel [ same as 15]

There are more of course and a few I have skipped for personal reasons.. So far though I've done decent..  And there were some that probably woulda been on the list had I made it in highschool for example: take a cruise, spend the night under the stars, see the Statue of Liberty .. By the time I was 21 I had done those and more in retrospect I was pretty lucky growing up.

Despite the fact that some think bucket lists are crazy, I ultimately think reasonable bucket lists aren't always bad.. As stated earlier they allow us to never forget hopes and dreams.. They also give us a inner fight and desire to actually do them granted I serously don't think I'll ever over come my fear of heights but who knows I might. Humans need that desire to do the impossible to be the ones to break down barriers and walls.. My challenge to all of you and also my hope is that no one gives up ever on their own bucket lists that everyone gets a chance to complete some ammend others and add new ones.. Besides what is anyone or anything with out our ability to fight and make things happen. 

I also have a new one to add .. Never give up on myself or my dreams :) 

** Le **

 

Self-view (with more possibly to come on the subject)

It has been over two years since I blogged.. I started the blog while in mobile and then moved home got sidetracked and just today as I sit at my desk in the little quiet home office of my father it randomly hit me that I used to blog and actually liked it, that and a topic has been in my head for over 24 hours that I just had to get out of it




This one is titled "self-view" for many reasons.. mainly cause a wise friend, though I didn't know it at the time nor did he..well take that back knowing him he probably did know his words would eventually sink in and hit hard, said something that hit the nail on the head so well with me that it took an outsider to bring up it. Their point with me was more or less my own personal view of myself is completely and totally whack. And they were completely and totally one hundred percent RIGHT.. however i hate admitting anyone is that right about me but they were.   I can try to blame this and that or this person or that person.. my genetics, being adopted all kinds of things but ultimately its me in my head.  After pondering this, He is absolutely right. My view of myself is whack (my term for it not his).   I know it did start with being different the only naturally tan child in my family, being picked on in school growing up, but I am the one that choose to let that define me. Which I should of never done, I have allowed that to somehow stop me from being me, from knowing my true - self and worth.  I have listened to all the expectations of others rather it be parents, teachers, friends and stopped listening to myself who I want or what I want to be.  I at one time viewed myself as a independent mind one that made my own choices no matter what the outcome but somehow somewhere I lost that.. maybe it was the pressure of being an "adult" oh to be a kid again with not a care in the world, or maybe it was happening all along and I never noticed it no telling really but its perhaps time that changed.


Truth be known my view of myself my real view of myself most don't even know and being as very few have my blog and even fewer read (I did that by design) , I am going to lay it all out on here .. I view myself as in many ways an outcast that comes from years of being that way to others .  I like many others have my insecurities mostly with mine that I am not good enough for a lot of things and in some cases people. I have never seen myself as a beautiful person on the outside.. I do however most of the time view my inner-self as pretty, this one probably comes from and I should never blame this on others but just not hearing that I am pretty (all girls and even most guys love and want and need to hear they are pretty handsome and or appealing to others) . Even one person will comment on how pretty I am or could be if id loose x amount of pounds or did such n such different.. it has always been that way.. with me thinking "good lawd I have lost 30 pounds in 3 months give me a darn break,  I am not and wont be a stick blame that one on my Spanish blood" .. I don't see myself as smart or talented either which according to my wise friend mentioned above I am, therefore on that one ill work on seeing myself that way.  I think ultimately when or rather I should say if I could start viewing myself in better light better self view and worth would happen.. Which I am going to make a effort to do. I think I would be a happier person in general. I was actually asked about that not to long ago.. something to the effect "what would make you happy again".. typical answers came out of my mouth cause honestly I couldn't answer them honestly. But I think its time I do though that person wont ever see me do it.. For me to be happy I'm going to have to be happy with myself, which wont happen over night and wont be easy for me to do but I know that its a must because when that happens then the rest to being happy in theory will fall into place.



My goal is to from now on stop giving a darn about what everyone else expects of me and wants.. and start doing what I want and expect from myself.


I'm choosing to end this with lyrics from one of my favorite musicals of all time .. OK well lets face it every musical I have ever seen on stage I have love and are favorites for many reasons unique to each musical.  So its better said I'm ending with lyrics that hit home with me on this rediscovering myself thing I'm hoping to embark on. :
"Defying Gravity"

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
And you won't bring me down

I'm through accepting limits
'Cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But 'til I try, I'll never know!
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost!

I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you won't bring me down

Unlimited (unlimited)
My future is unlimited (unlimited)
And I've just had a vision
Almost like a prophecy
I know it sounds truly crazy
And true, the vision's hazy
But I swear, someday I'll be...

Flying so high! (defying gravity)
Kiss me goodbye! (defying gravity)

So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky!
As someone told me lately,
"Everyone deserves the chance to fly!"

I'm defying gravity!
And you won't bring me down, bring me down, bring me down!