Mama Holli's Avocado Chicken Salad Is Amazing!

Well the Mamas have asked

and

they shall receive!

This recipe is most definitely 

a frequent flyer at our house!

We will pack it up when 

hiking in the mountains

for an easy lunch. We will serve 

it at parties, slap it in a tortilla or 

gobble it up with some greasy, 

salty homemade tortilla chips!

This Christmas, IF I have 

any turkey leftover, 

I will substitute turkey

 for the chicken and I am sure 

I will not have any complaints!

And IF I do.......

Well they can just wash the dishes!

Little Spoiled Brats!

😜😜😜😜

Mama Holli's Avocado Chicken Salad

1 1/2 to 2 pounds of cooked chicken or turkey

2 medium Poblano pepper -broiled, (place on baking sheet and broil, turning until all sides are blistered and slightly brown) sweated, (place peppers in a sealed plastic bag directly from oven to sweat for 10 minutes) and then chopped up discarding seeds, skin and stem.

(Poblano peppers are not hot especially if you make sure all the seeds are rinsed out)

1 medium jalapeño pepper - finely chopped (if you want you can remove the seeds to take some heat out or just leave this pepper out entirely) I like it HOT!

1  Cup of Cilantro loosely diced - no stems!

1 small purple onion - chopped

The juice of 2 large limes

2 Cups of Cilantro (no need to chop as this is for the dressing)

3/4 Cup of olive oil

1 small clove of garlic 

1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar

1 dash of white sugar

sea salt to taste

3 avocados - medium diced (save avocado pit)

Chicken - Here is the easy part! You can use any cooked chicken and or turkey you like.

I love to take leftover chicken from the grill and mix this together for lunch the following day!

You can even buy a rotisserie chicken at the store if you don't have time. It is entirely up to you!

Either way you will want to start with COOKED chicken or turkey, dice it up and throw it in a bowl.

To the chicken in a good size mixing bowl, add your diced purple onion, diced cooked poblano peppers, diced jalapeño if you choose, and 1 Cup of diced cilantro. Set aside for a minute.

In a blender or a food processor ad 2 cups of cilantro, the juice from the limes, and garlic clove. Pulse to get it good and chopped up. It won't be smooth yet but we will fix that. Add the olive oil and vinegar and continue to blend until it is all mixed together. Taste it and add your sea salt. If you taste a slight bitterness you can add the sugar and that usually does the trick. Pour this yummy dressing over the chicken and toss it around to get it all good and coated.

Last you will gently fold in the avocado. Throw a pit or two in the middle to help it stay fresh, cover and refrigerate to get it good and cold until you are ready to chow! 

Serve on a bed of lettuce, in a tortilla, as a dip with chips or super scoop fritoes (oh that is so good) or on your favorite bread. Any way you serve it up it is a huge hit!

Enjoy!

Mama Holli

Here's another 

Chicken Salad Recipe!

Go HERE

Go HERE for a list of all the yummy recipes!

Handmade Christmas Ornaments

Mama is CRAFTY!

Well KINDA....

I finally found a craft that fits my talent level.

It really is pretty easy and very inexpensive.

I used old grocery paper bags,

old buttons, construction paper,

thread and a hot glue gun.

Cut a long stip from the brown bag

and then fold it like an accordion back and forth.

You can trim the ends in a pattern if you like.

Pull it together in a circle and hot glue 

the ends to secure a circle.

Embellish with a cute button and circle of cardboard.

Tie a ribbon, thread or string at the end to hand it on the tree!

So easy and so simple!

Don't forget to sig and date it on the back!

Look at these free Holiday Printables

from the AMAZING

Graphics Fairy!

My absolute go to for graphics!

Karen is so amazingly generous and talented!

World's Best Sugar Cookies

Every once in awhile a mama will come 

across a cookie recipe 

that knocks her slippers off! 

This Sugar Cookie recipe will do just that!

I do not lie my friends!

I received this recipe from Carol Siedhoff!

I was honored to attend a Christmas gathering at her house

many moons ago. I went nuts over her cookies!

So as I helped dry a few of her dishes after the party had 

ended I made my best attempt to get her to 

share this family heirloom recipe!

And she was so sweet and said she would mail it to me!

Below is the original card she sent to me!

There is never a time that I share these cookies that

someone doesn't beg me for the recipe!

YES

They are that good!

These puppies freeze very well and that makes 

them extra dangerous because I can keep a stash 

hidden in the garage freezer which 

allows easy access when I need a fix!

You can decorate them if you like but honestly

they are so good all by themselves!

Santa LOVES these cookies!

Each year I add an extra one to the plate 

and they just disappear like magic!

Thank you Miss Carol for sharing your recipe!

Thank you Karen aka "Graphics Fairy" 

for sharing these amazing Santa Graphics!

Famous Texas Taco Salad

OKAY PEOPLE!

Here ya go!

Mamas have been asking 

so I am giving!

This is our family's favorite 

TACO SALAD RECIPE!

APRON UP

AND

START COOKING

This is SO YUMMY!

It is very simple to make and there are very

specific ingredients that make this combination work 

so pay attention mamas!

You HAVE to purchase 

plain flavored DORITOES

and regular (NOT chunky) Medium

 PACE PICANTE!

No exceptions!

The other ingredients have some flexibility

BUT NOT TOO MUCH! ;)

Check out the specifics below and let me 

know how it goes! 

Ingredients

1 bag of Plain or Original Doritoes (no funky flavors)

1 jar of PACE Picante (no chunky or funky flavors) I use medium

1 bag of shredded iceberg lettuce or one small head of iceberg lettuce thinly sliced

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

1 can of red kidney beans (drained)

1 medium tomato (diced)

1 medium yellow onion (diced)

1 bottle of Thousand Island Salad Dressing (any brand but not fat free)

2 lbs of lean hamburger meat

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Brown the hamburger and season with salt and pepper. Once browned, drain off fat and add the drained and rinsed kidney beans to the meat and heat for just a few minutes. 

Turn off the heat and set aside to cool down.

In a very large pasta bowl or salad bowl add at least half of the bag chips into the bowl and crunch with your CLEAN hands. You won't want crumbs but you do want to break them up with your hands so they are a good bite size in the salad. I then add a good amount of the hamburger meat. I usually use it all if I am feeding the entire crew. If not then I will save some to mix up a quick salad for a late night snack! I like to add the salad dressing at this point as it will really give a good coating to the chips and meat before the salad is added. I like it pretty soggy so I tend to go heavy on the dressing. I would say to start with at least half the bottle for a good size salad. On top of the dressing I like to add the PACE picante sauce. Again I like it soggy so I add about 1/3 of the jar to start with. Now add the lettuce, onions, tomatoes and cheese. Pick up your spoons and start mixing! Taste it and see if you need more dressing or picante. If you like your salads more dry then use less dressing and picante. I like to set additional picante and chips on the table so people can adjust their salads as they like. 

I also have one kiddo that won't eat tomatoes and a hubby that turns his nose up to onions so if they are present I do not add them to the salad and put on the side in bowls for  those who want to can mix them in their individual salads. 

I know this combo sounds a little crazy but I promise you it is so yummy! Any leftovers can be stored in the frig and I have a few children who will pull it out the next day and polish it off soggy and cold!

Leave comments with any questions you may have!

If you need some homemade salsa and or quest recipes see the one's I have posted below.

Happy Eating!

Recipe for Homemade Salsa to be served with chips 

but not to be substituted in the salad!

Go HERE

Go HERE

Young and Perky Catholic Blogger!

I would like to introduce you to Miss Emily Marie!

She is a sweet young lady who is dedicated 

her new blog to the greater glory of God!

How amazing is that!

Emily writes...........................

"As I begin my second year of college, I wanted a way to recount my walk with the Lord as He leads me through this time. I came up with the idea to start a blog when I was talking to my mom  about the struggles modern girls face. So many of us are yearning to be seen as beautiful, yet I believe that society’s definition of beauty, as seen in tabloids, Hollywood, etc., ignores the true beauty of humanity. This beauty comes only through the Father and I want this website to be a place where young girls learn to root their identity, beauty, and authentic femininity in Him."

"My goal is to help young girls fall in love with Him through not only their prayer and faith experiences, but also in their respect for themselves and their bodies. I absolutely love fashion and beauty especially when it brings glory to the Lord. I strongly believe that to be modest does not mean you have to be frumpy and to be cute and fashionable does not mean you have to show everything to the world. Hopefully more girls will come to realize this truth and we can turn around a culture that puts so much attention on bodily, earthly, and over-sexualized things."

Glorify will share posts about;

• 
  
• Beauty
• Catholic
• Fashion
• Lifestyle

• 
  

I highly recommend that you pass this blog along to all

of the beautiful young women you know!

Emily is such a lovely young lady who will continue to lead others to God through her works. 

What an amazing mentor she is to so many young women attempting to navigate 

through this crazy and confusing world we live in today.

Bravo Emily!

Keep up the good work and may God continue to bless you!

Find your way over to GLORIFY by clicking HERE!

or HERE

or HERE

or HERE!

• If you are a collector of prayer cards 
• then you have to see these beautiful pieces of art!
• Go HERE!

Twins!

I was so blessed to be able to spend the morning 

with these two sweet baby girls!

Oh what fun I had!

These two could not be more different 

and yet so alike at the same time!

Sweetest baby girls!

Enjoy a few of the photos from 

this shoot.

PRECIOUS!

Sharing

Seriously Can't Stand It!

Dreamy!

Mama Danielle and her girls!

Beautiful!

Mimi and her girls!

Mimi's lap is full!

I wasn't kidding you when I said they were precious!

What a beautiful family and such a joy to

be able to capture on film.

Happy Birthday Brookie Bear

and Meggie Moo!

Organic Tomato, Onion and Mushroom Sauce

You are

FRESH

says

Big Nana!

When Big Nana said this she meant 

you were being sassy or feisty! 

So this recipe is just that!

FRESH

It isn't complicated nor time consuming 

but instead easy and quick.

While on a family vacation in San Diego the girls and I cooked up quite a few new recipes to share. The house we rented had a beautiful kitchen with the most amazing light from it's cute antique windows overlooking a quaint garden full of roses and visiting hummingbirds.

Instead of eating out we decided to stay in and take advantage of our special kitchen.

Below are just a few photos I took of the house and of course of my grown babies.

If you get bored just scroll down really fast 

to the bottom until you see STOP to get the recipe! ;)

My kitchen for the week!

View from my kitchen window!

One of my grown babies sitting on the patio reading a book!

That cute country green door

is right off the kitchen!

 Flowers from my hubby!

Oh how I love these windows!

Fresh ocean air coming flooding in early in the morning.

Upstairs dreamy window letting light into the bedroom.

Another grown baby perched in the kitchen window.

A rose from the backyard garden.

I forgot to mention the LEMONS growing in the front yard!

Oh how I love the sea glass.

Me feeling artsy!

Each night we made it down to the beach to view the magic.

My Boy!

 The Sutton House in all it's glory!

STOP!

And now for the recipe!

As my three kids would say.....

Land the plane mama!

LAND THE PLANE!

FRESH Organic Pasta Sauce

3 large organic tomatoes 

1 small organic red onion 

1 and 1/2 cups of organic mushrooms of your choice 

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup of red wine

sea salt and crushed pepper to taste

2 large cloves of garlic

Grab your favorite cutting board and your best knife.  Chop up the onion into small but not fine pieces. Cut the mushrooms in quarters. Cut the tomatoes in half and then into quarters. Dice up the garlic as well. In your best saucepan add the olive oil and heat it up under a medium heat just until hot. Throw in the onion first. Sure the onion for a few minutes but stirring often so it doesn't turn brown or burn. Once the onions start to cook add the tomatoes and the mushrooms. Once the heat comes up again the tomatoes will start to break down and the mushrooms will soften. Continue to heat on medium heat covered for about 4 minutes.

Next add the garlic,wine, salt and pepper to the sauce, stir and cover.  Turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 5 minutes or until desired consistency. Serve it over your favorite pasta, garlic toast, and or grilled chicken. I like to serve it over rigatoni and garnish it with fresh basil and shaved parmesan. This is so FRESH and healthy. It is easy and fast! 

Enjoy!