Good Things to Eat...

Thought I'd share some of the good and easy things I've cooked this week:

Fiesta Chicken
(almost like Marcia's El Palacio Chicken in Pass the Plate)

4-5 chicken breasts
bag of Doritoes
1 can Cream of Chicken
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1 can Rotel tomatoes
2 cups cheddar cheese (I bet Velveeta would be tasty too)
onion/bell pepper chopped

Layer the bottom with Doritoes (crush up a little). Put chicken breasts on top. In a separate bowl (or I think I just dumped it all on top), mix Rotel and cream of mushroom & chicken, onions adn bell peppers. Spread over chicken. Top with cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or a little longer. Serve with Mexican rice. YUMMM!!!!

Tomato Pie
1 deep dish pie shell crust (bake according to directions)
4-5 large tomatoes (slice and place on paper towels to soak up juice--otherwise your crust will be soggy)
1 Vidalia onion, sliced and sauteed a bit to tenderize
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 c. Parmesan or Cheddar cheese (I mix the two)
1 c. Mayo
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumpled

Bake the pie crust. Cool. Cut up the tomatoes into 1/8 inch slices. Drain them on paper towel or you'll end up with a soggy crust. Then mix together tomatoes, onion, basil, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper. Let it sit in the fridge for about an hour to marinate. Mix together grated cheese and mayo. Then using a slotted spoon, put tomato mixture into pie crust and spread mayo/cheese mix on top of it. Sprinkle bacon crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-50 minutes. GOODNESS!

And from my Four Ingredient Cookbook:

Chicken Rice
2-3 cups cooked chicken (I boil mine)
1 box Uncle Ben's Wile Rice mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup can of milk.

Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased (yumm melted butter) 2-quart dish. Cover and bake on 350 degrees for around 30 minutes. Super easy and good!

Sour Cream Muffins (from Mrs. Margaret Phillips whom I teach with)
2 cups self-rising flour
1 stick butter, melted
8 oz. sour cream

Melt butter in a large mixing bowl. Add flour and sour cream and mix. (the mixture will not be smooth). Drop into greased mini-muffin tins (1/2 full) and bake on 375 for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Bon Appetit!

Mr. and Mrs. Troy Curtis Stinson

We did it! Troy and I were married June 8 at sunset at the Valley of Fire, Nevada. That's about an hour north of Las Vegas. It was so beautiful there. Very calm and peaceful. I was nervous at the hotel getting ready, but completely calm and relaxed when the actual time came! Troy looked so handsome in his new suit and tie (please note how well it matches our surroundings).

Our driver picked us up around 5:00 and of course I forgot the marriage license. But we were still in L.V. so he turned around (not easy in all that construction) and we ran back up to the room to get it. The driver, Dave, talked NONSTOP all the way there, which was about an hour's drive. Once we arrived, it was very laid back! We signed everything and then made a few pictures and began the ceremony!

The Valley of Fire is a Nevada state park. It is so beautiful. We were the only ones out there, so it was a very private ceremony. Reverend Ralph performed the ceremony. He talked a lot about love and even about his mama! As we said our vows and were looking at each other, we both teared up. It was so sweet! And now I have the most wonderful husband and we are very happy!

Wedding Dress

I just bought a wedding dress on eBay! Can you believe it? I wanted something really sleek and simple and found this one and just took a chance bidding. I didn't really check up on it a lot and just put in one maximum bid and actually won. eBay is fun, I want to win more!

Anyway, the dress is by Dessy and the front is simple. But the back is beautiful. When it arrives, I'm going to get it altered (assumimg I can even squeeze into it) and see if she can turn the square neckline into a sweetheart neckline and add some beading or a diamond brooch (broach?).

Wedding Bells Will Be Ringing Soon!

I booked our wedding! We're actually going to the Valley of Fire, which is outside of Las Vegas. We booked it through the Las Vegas Wedding Company and they will pick us up at the hotel and take us there in a Hummer ;) We're getting married June 8 at sunset and I can't wait! It is really beautiful there--all natural and the canyons are breath-taking.

Things to take care of this week:

• book hotel at MGM Grand ($71/night! How great is that? And there are much better deals out there)
• book shows--we're going to Zumanity, the sensual side of Cirque de Soleil
• Book spa day for my honey and me
• Find a wedding dress (going Saturday, or maybe the next so I can wait on Liv)
• Buy Troy a new shirt and tie to wear with his suit
• Look for a responsible renter for my house
• Start packing up things from my little house :( I will miss it.
• Keep Ann from getting preggo (Troy's ho-dog who goes into heat like every three months) She's staying at my house in my backyard since it's fenced. But she's whining to the neighbor dog.

Shine! 2009

Whew! We have wrapped up our 2009 production, Shine! It was a great show featuring numbers from Chicago, Billy Elliot, Motown, The Wiz, Wizard of Oz, and Wicked. I in All That Jazz (on the back row), Motown as a Supreme, and a dancer in Ease on Down the Road and Brand New Day (both from the Wiz, the "soul" version of The Wizard of Oz). We had a great time putting the show, but I am exhausted! Glad to get back to normal. Troy told me he'd be glad when I started cooking supper again. (he will soon get to enjoy my superb cuisine every night after we say our I Dos!).

Garden of Paradise 2

Garden of Paradise II

Last weekend Troy and I planted our garden! We planted tomatoes, okra, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, and peppers. I cannot WAIT for summer when they are ripe and ready to eat! YUMMY! Last year we put up tons of squash and okra. And we cooked with tomatoes almost every day. I'm proud of our little garden of paradise 2 (Kay has the rights to the original Garden of Paradise). Coco loves to run through the garden and get filthy.

Soon-To-Be Mrs. Troy Stinson!

Troy proposed to me the night before Easter! I was so excited! We have been talking about getting married for some time and he finally popped the question! He put the ring in a "Golden Prize Egg" and kept on at me to put something in it. I was in the middle of cooking casseroles for Easter dinner, but paused to do it for him. When I opened it, there was the ring! I just jumped up and hugged him and he asked me!

I am so happy to be marrying this wonderful man. I couldn't ask for anyone better! He is sweet, caring, and hard-working and I love him so much! I have NO doubts that this marriage will last forever. We have never even had a fight! Now we have disagreed, but we always talk things out and both realize that we are our own individuals and can't change (or want to change) each other. I honestly have never been happier.

We decided to go to Las Vegas to get married! Whoo hoo! I am so excited, too. We are going June 7-10 and will be married on June 8. Maybe we'll get Elvis to marry us. I don't care, I just can't wait to be his wife!

Here is a blurry picture of my ring. He got me exactly what I wanted! He actually asked me about six months ago what kind of ring I would like and I told him that I wanted one exactly like the Tiffany's Classic six-prong solitaire. He did a great job. I love it!