Where are the birds?

Longing to hear chirping

at my bird feeder again!

Soon enough they will come!

Mama's In The Kitchen!

Do you like what you see?

Made it last night!

Ate it last night!

Then I

ate it for breakfast!

Yes I did!

With a big fat glass

of milk!

YUMMMM!

Let's name this dish

Mama Holli's 

Eggplant & Chicken Parmesan

So here is the recipe!

2 pounds of skinless/boneless chicken breasts (cut up in cubes)

1 medium sized eggplant

1- 8 oz package of shredded mozzarella cheese

2 pounds gravy (Italian Red Sauce)

1 cup of flour

1 cup of milk

salt and pepper
2 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 cup Olive oil

garlic powder

First you need your gravy!  I usually make my own but you may use any store brands Prego, Ragu, Paul Newman, you get the picture! If using store bought get the flavor you like best.  Get that heating up in a pot!  If using store brand you might want to add some fresh garlic and a splash of red wine to spruce it up a bit!  Wine makes everything better!  Next you will peel the eggplant.  Take the purple skin off with a knife.  Slice the eggplant in 1/4 inch round slices.  Spread the slices out on a kitchen towel.  Lightly salt each slice let it sweat for 5 minutes then flip and repeat on the other side.

Heat up about 1 cup of olive oil in a skillet.  Take each slice of eggplant and dip into milk and then flour.  Fry the eggplant about 4 slices at a time until slightly brown on each side then place on a plate with paper towels to drain.  In a separate skillet add 2 Tbs. of olive oil and heat on medium high.  Add the cubed chicken to the pan and cook until done. Season with garlic powder and pepper. Take a baking dish about 9 x 13 and spread about 1 cup of the gravy in the dish.  Layer the bottom of the dish with half of the fried eggplant.

Add the chicken on top of the eggplant and cover with half of the remaining gravy.  Add half of the cheese and evenly spread over the gravy.  Layer remaining eggplant, gravy and cheese.  Bake uncovered 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Serve hot with salad and bread! Don't forget top eat any leftovers for breakfast!  With most Italian dishes it is usually even better the second day!

Hearts For You!

So we are making our own

Valentine's Day Cards 

this year!

It is fun!

We are proud!

Pretty Paper!

Number! Get it?

Paper from the Phone Directory!

Clever!

First Sight! Get it?

Pages from a book!

Once again!

CLEVER!

Pretty In Pink!

Make some cards!
Have fun!

HOLLI HOT SAUCE

In Texas we call the yummy dip

served with tortilla chips in all

Mexican restaurants

HOT SAUCE!

In Colorado it is called

SALSA!

This Mama LOVES

HOT SAUCE!

Usually I make my own as I

am pretty picky about my

HOT SAUCE!

Starting at a very young age,

5 years old to be exact,

my mom would pack

HOT SAUCE

in my metal

Scooby Doo

 lunchbox!

I remember very vividly

sitting at the cafeteria table

dipping my Fritos into my

HOT SAUCE!

  Of course every single child at my

table wanted a taste!

One can only imagine the

GERMS

we

shared!

YUM!

News spread fast!

I became very popular!

I'm sure I felt pretty good about

my new fame and notoriety

as I marched through

the halls of

Hobby Elementary

with my crooked bangs

and

knobby knees!

I can just hear the chatter in the hall!

"Hey Holli! Did you bring your

hot sauce today?"

"You betcha!" was Holli's perky reply.

Then a loud cheer and a sudden

commotion as children argue

about who gets to sit at

"Holli Hot Sauce's" table today!

WOW!

I owe it all to

HOT SAUCE!

So I am going to bestow upon

you all a very easy

HOT SAUCE

recipe!

I have many

HOT SAUCE

recipes but here is the easiest

one from my recipe box.

Once again you will need this

This is a "cheater" recipe!
So let's name it......
Cheater HOT SAUCE

In a blender put 2 cloves of garlic

1 cup of cilantro and

the juice from 1 can of Rotel.

Blend on high about 20 seconds.

Add the remaining can of Rotel

to the blender and blend another

20 seconds.  Do not blend too long

or it will become foamy!

There you go!

Easy Peasy 
40 Second 
Cheater
Hot Sauce!

This is great on eggs, tacos,

quesadillas, you name it!

Store in the refrigerator for

up to 5 days.

I double dare you 
to put it in
your child's lunchbox!

Are you a Queso Lover?
Then go HERE!




7 Layer Tex Mex Dip Lover?
Then go HERE!

Mama Holli's Texas Tortilla Soup

Since the weather is a little chilly....

how about some nice

HOT

Tortilla

Soup!

Are you in?

I thought so!

Listen up Mexican Cooking Mamas!

Holli Tamale 

is in

la cocina!

She is cooking up

some

Texas

Tortilla

Soup

Here we go amigos!

Don Your Sombrero

Texas Tortilla Soup

1 small chopped onion

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup oil

4 garlic cloves minced

3 large carrots sliced

4 ribs of celery diced

1 lb diced raw chicken breasts

4 chicken bouillon cubes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 can of Rotel tomatoes

1/2 cup flour

1 can diced tomatoes

4 cans of chicken broth

1 cup of chopped cilantro

sour cream and tortilla chips to garnish

Heat butter and oil in a large soup pot.  Add to the pot onions, celery, carrots, garlic and chicken.  Let that simmer on medium heat for 8 minutes.  Next add cumin, chili powder, salt, rotel, and flour.  Stir well.  Slowly add all remaining ingredients and simmer on low for 1 hour.  Stir every 10-15 minutes to prevent sticking as the broth will become thicker as it cooks.  Ladle in bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips and sour cream if so desired.

I can honestly say I have concocted many

a tortilla soup recipes over the years

and this by far is my favorite!

Not only is it my favorite but

it is the easiest to prepare!

Last note!

In case you are not familiar

with

ROTEL

I have provided a photo!

This is a staple in every

Texas Mama's Pantry!

Look for it near the canned tomatoes

at your grocery store!
Some of my Tree Hugging Colorado friends
did not know what this was!
So don't let anyone stop you
from  enjoying
 a big bowl of
simmering soup!
Not even.....

The Soup Nazi!
"No soup for you!
You come back in 
one year!"

Adios Amigos!

I Spy

I am minding my own business

doing dishes at the sink

and look what I spy

through my window!

I want to sit in the sun!

 I quickly reach for the knob

on my faucet.

Switching from COLD to HOT!

That feels good!

Hot water running over my hands!

I can at least pretend

I am sitting in the sun!

My daughter announced a few

days ago that she was so ready

for

SUMMER!

Well I have to agree.

I am COLD!

As much as I love the beauty

of

WINTER,

today

I

am

COLD!

So I will crank up the

heater

and

brew

me

up

some

coffee

and

dream

of 

warmer 

days 

ahead!

Every Mama Deserves a Great Haircut!

Every Mama remembers with great

JOY 

the day they found their Hairdresser!

It is such an important milestone

in a Mama's life!

For if Mama's hair

is not perky.....

then Mama's not PERKY!

When one finds that talented being

who makes them into a 
beauty queen

every 4-6 weeks,
 it is a bond for eternity!

The perfect Hairdresser can

plunk you in a chair,

survey the damage,

visualize the transformation,

and execute her craft perfectly

while graciously listening 

to

 your every word!

She is magical

in every sense of the word!

Here is my stylist and friend of

12 years!

Kelly Welly is what I call her!

She is FAB!

I mean FAB!!!

The only problem is she is in Texas!

SO SAD For Me!

I am in Colorado now!

So when I go back to visit we all

line up to get our hair "fixed"!

She calls me a

"Tree Hugging Mama"

and

"FIXES" my granola hair

once a year!

Here she is making us purty!

I told you everything

is bigger in

TEXAS!

Big hair needs 

BIG 

scissors!

So if you are lucky enough

to be near The Woodlands, Texas,

give Kelly a call!

She will fix you up

and make you

real purty!

Total Image Salon

Kelly Drebert

25710 Budde Road,

Spring, TX 77380

(281) 362-7966 

In My Own Little Corner!

In my own little corner 

in my own little room 

I can be 

whatever I want to be.........

I have always told my children

they can be anything they

choose to be!

That there is nothing that

they can't do

if they set their mind

to do it!

When they were young I would

sing to them the song,

In My Own Little Corner,

from the musical, Cinderella.

I would change the words

to fit what they were

magically imagining

themselves to be at that

time in their young little lives!

With my oldest daughter

I would sing......

"I'm a ballerina dancing on the stage

you can see me in my pretty pink dress!"

We even have video of her

belting this song out while

standing on the kitchen table!

Here she is today

A ballerina dancing on the stage!

                                  

Encourage the ones you love

to dream BIG!

For You REALLY can be 

whatever you want to be!

We are proud of you

little ballerina girl!

Madre Loves A Good Mexican Dip!

Oh Yes Mama Holli Loves Dip!

She could live on it actually!

Breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Muy Bueno!

So do you want the recipe?

I think SO!

Black Bean and Pico Dip

2 cans of drained black beans ( I use organic)

1 can of drained organic white corn or 2 ears of fresh cooked corn

1 16 oz container of pico de gallo if you can't make your own

(I find the pico in the deli section of my grocery store when I am too lazy to make my own)

1 avocado diced

1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

3/4 cup of Italian Salad Dressing

2 Tbs of Red Wine Vinegar

2 Tbs of Olive Oil

1/4 tsp of Tabasco

2 minced garlic cloves

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  In a small bowl whisk dressing, oil, vinegar, garlic, Tabasco and lime juice.  Pour over bean mixture.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate one hour before serving.  Stir to distribute dressing.  Serve with tortilla chips and Big Scoop Fritos!

This is also yummy wrapped up in a flour tortilla!  So healthy and yummy!

Once A Child Always A Child!

I feel the need for 

SPEED!

In Formation!

What A Crew!

Let The Inner Child In You

Escape Every Once 

In 

Awhile!

It Will Keep You

Young

and 

Happy!

Dump Cake For Mama!

Here is the scenario.......
Hubby calls Mama at 4:00

in the afternoon!

"Hi Honey, I've invited Wilbur

for dinner!"

Mama say's......"Are you kidding me?"

Mama hangs up the phone.

Mama SCREAMS!

Mama says a few choice words!

Mama grabs the car keys and RUNS to the grocery store!

This is where the DUMP CAKE comes in!

So Listen Up Clever Mama's!

This is What You Do.......

1.  Go to the store and purchase a plain

angel food cake.

2.  Bring it home and plop it on a pretty cake platter!

3.  Make your way to the pantry!

4.  Grab the chocolate syrup and or caramel syrup.  Grab chocolate chips and nuts of any kind.

5.  Dump syrup over cake.  Dump nuts and chocolate on top of syrup.  Dump more syrup.  Dump more chocolate.

6.  ALL DONE!

There you go!

Mama is so Clever 

and 

Hubby

is

in

so

MUCH

TROUBLE!

OUCH!
It won't be pretty!

You can just see it 
in her eyes!
She is plotting her 
sweet
revenge!
He won't even
know what hit him!
It could have been the 
cast iron skillet, the meat cleaver,
the 20 lb sack of potatoes......
so many weapons in a kitchen
a mama can choose from!
One may never know!

Sometimes........

Sometimes one just 
has to.....

Go to the farm

Go to the city

Go to the bay

Go to the ocean

Go to the mountains

Go to the beach

Go to the park

Go to the lake

In 2010 

may you make the time 

to 

go to your 

special place!


Photography courtesy 
of 
Mama Holli

Introducing Kendall Payne

I want you to meet a special lady,
Kendall Payne.
She is the daughter of Craig and Susan Tschudi,
sister to Jordan and wife to Tyler.
The first time I heard Kendall sing
was in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
She grabbed the mike during a Tom James
Company Karaoke Session!
She was probably about 16
at the time. She belted out Patsy Clines's
famous song, Crazy!
I knew at that moment she was destined
for greater things!
She has recorded several wonderful
albums. Her songs have appeared on numerous
movies and television shows.
Here is a sample of her work!
Enjoy!
Visit her website for more music!
http://www.kendallpayne.com/

2010 Ready Or Not!

Take a good look at this talented

New Year Mama!

She is proudly perched

on

a

bottle

of

champagne!

WOW!

MAGIC!

I hope your year is full

of

MAGICAL

MOMENTS

Thank you to the most gracious

Graphics Fairy

for this happy graphic!

I Hope You Had Yourself A Very Merry Christmas!

Memories
Shape 
Us

I 

Hope

You

Made

Beautiful

Christmas

Memories