Spring Has Sprung!

I truly do love to see the season change.

It is the one thing that we can know will come to pass.

With each season brings new life and hope.

We can start anew even in the smallest of ways.

Plant some seeds.

Pick up a new book.

Start a long awaited project.

Visit an old friend.

Try a new recipe.

Help someone in need.

Share a smile.

Just as the birds come back to their homes after 

migrating from the cold we too can come back home.

This spring I will walk more.

When I walk I will listen and look around me.

I will take it all in.

I love to pray when I walk alone especially 

when I am walking in the mountains.

I feel so blessed to live in Colorado and 

be able to witness God's handiwork.

I never want to take this for granted.

One of my favorite prayers is one that my 

Granny always prayed.

In this prayer it announces.....

I fly unto thee

We may always fly to our mother Mary.

She will always greet us with open arms and wrap us in her

complete and unconditional love.

The Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. 

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come,before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate,despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. 

Amen.

How will you start anew this spring?

I would love to know!

Shut Your Ears

 

I would like to offer some beautiful advice during 
what has played out to be a very

 turbulent time in our country as of late.

I have chosen to follow the advice of this 
intelligent and insightful young lady.

She just happens to be my daughter! 

She is the baby of the family by birth order 
but wise beyond her years.

She has a magical way of loving and 
serving others on a daily basis.

She loves unconditionally, wholeheartedly and completely.

She is my Mooshka and I could not possibly love her more.

So sip your tea and soak these words of wisdom into your heart and mind.

I choose to shut my ears a bit these days, and I’d hope you would too.

I choose to shut my ears a bit these days. There is a lot going on, a lot to feel, to decide, to side with, to criticize. And what does it all amount to? A lot of negativity and a bit of sadness, maybe even a touch of fear. It’s heartbreaking to see people feeling forced to state opinions that they deep down don’t know if they are qualified to make. So I choose to shut my ears a bit these days, but note that my eyes are still open. I’m not looking away from the mayhem around me but I’m also not listening to it. I’m not choosing ignorance by refusing to listen but I am also not choosing blind obedience. All of the words flying out of the mouths of others can pollute a head that deserves to be free, to be free of criticism and instead be spacious, making room for creativity and growth.

All of those words can be screamed so loud that they drown out the words that used to fly off the shelf rather than slinking off the web. The words that would leap from pages and spark life to a story, give life to an image. But now, these days those words on those pages belong to dusted shelves that remain stagnant rather than flying, their wings have been clipped at the price of refreshing our feed and click-clacking on our keys. The scary people of our storybooks have become the people who hide behind screens that shout words and opinions louder than the songs in the choir.

People are rallying behind causes they didn’t know they should believe in but only assume they are supposed to believe in, they kept their ears open too long and everything else was drowned out but the sound of screams, negative screams. So I look on, I see it all, I see it all fall, but I keep my ears shut. I let the negativity drown amidst other things and be careful that it doesn’t drown my own thoughts. Because all too quickly if you keep your ears open the thoughts of others can infiltrate that pretty little mind of yours. So keep your ears shut I beg so that your thoughts can remain yours and yours only while you look on. You will see it all, you may see it fall, but the ideas that spring up in your head, the thoughts the rise from the ashes, you can promise to be your own, and not a product of the screams but rather a response. By looking instead of listening your thoughts can spark change just like the words on the pages used to. I choose to shut my ears a bit these days, and I’d hope you would too.  Isabella Nucci

If you would like to read more from this amazing and beautiful author of this article please go here!

Mama's Guacamole

This Texas Mama loves her some good tortilla chips.
What she loves more is a good batch of fresh 
guacamole!
guac!
avocado mash!
avocado mush!
= YUM!
However you mash this combo up it will 
always come up tasting delicious!
This is an easy, fresh and delicious recipe.

2 avocados
juice of 1 lime
sea salt to taste
2 Tbls finely chopped onion
1/2 Cup chopped cilantro

In your favorite bowl, mash up 2 ripe avocados.
Mix in all the other ingredients.
Add one avocado pit to the dip, cover and chill 
for about 30 minutes before serving.

I love my Guac all by itself or with some 
really good tortilla chips.
Serve it up with your tacos, fajitas, sandwich, burrito,
salad, and or grilled protein. You can not go wrong
serving it up with any of the above.
Share your favorite guacamole sidekick with me!
Adios Mamas! 

Don't mind me. I'm just in my kitchen
doing my guacamole dance!
Next up......
the SALSA!



Go HERE!



or HERE!

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!