Month: March 2012

This is what happens when your husband is in the field for 3 weeks and has his buddy pick things up from me to bring back to him: your manly stuff gets dolled up. Clearly I’m not afraid to embarrass him… lol 😉

P.S. Don’t worry though, there are some treats in there too. All his friends will actually be jealous…

(Taken with instagram)

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The Race Dialogue in America

I usually don’t speak up when it comes to divisive politics and social issues these days – especially when it comes to race, since I’m a privileged white girl and no one would listen to me anyway (har har.)

But in regards to the firestorm surrounding the unthinkable slaying of Trayvon Martin, I only have one thing to remind people amidst some of the oversimplified commentary I’ve read lately: racism is NOT a uniquely American problem, nor is it a uniquely white problem. Genocide, ethnic/racial/religious cleansing, and hate crimes have been perpetuated all over the world for thousands of years, by people of every color, against people of every color – to include (gasp) white Christian males. I don’t think I need to list examples here because – if you’ve ever picked up a history book – we all know it’s true.

Maybe it’s just the patriot in me getting defensive when I hear racism defined as an “American cancer.” I may not have travelled the world or studied every statistic, but I have been around and met enough very different kinds of people to know that prejudice hides in every corner, including in countries that are supposedly more liberal and progressive than our own (I do speak from experience there – it was surprising.)

Racism is an ugly thing, and maybe one day humanity will finally overcome it, so that tragedies like Trayvon Martin will never happen again. However, I strongly feel that for a country of over 300 million people to manage, America is still the most diverse and least segregated countries in the world. I wish the media wouldn’t pin this on the U.S. so exclusively, and recognize racism as the human problem that it really is.

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Culinary Delight #6: Garden Chicken Enchiladas

This is another easy one that I inherited from my mom. It’s one of my all-time favorite dinners growing up, and it tastes great re-heated, too!

Ingredients

10 oz can cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream (I add a little more because I’m decadent like that)
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast (Usually about 2 large breasts – I shred mine with a fork)
10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2 cups (8 oz) Mexican Blend Cheese (I add a little more, since we are cheese-a-holics)
8” flour tortillas
**If you are used to something a little spicier, a can of your preferred enchilada sauce is a great addition!**
Directions
 
– Combine the soup and sour cream.  Stir well.
– Combine the chicken, half of the soup mixture, broccoli, pepper, onion and 1 cup cheese in a large bowl.  Mix well.
– Spread a heaping 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture on each tortilla
– Roll up and place seam side down in lightly greased 13×9 pan
– Spoon and spread the remaining soup mix over the tortilla wraps. Spread the enchilada sauce over them as well, if desired.
– Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
– Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes.
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Decision Made! For Now…

So, Chuck and I took the plunge and signed on for another assignment with the Marines. It was a grueling decision, and even as Chuck left the house on the morning he had to decide, he still hadn’t fully made up his mind yet.

Of course, as soon as I got the text saying he essentially signed on the dotted line, I felt the strangest mix of relief, excitement, and of course, a whole new round of anxiety. I had made peace with the idea of staying on for another round, and in fact I encouraged him to stick with it, because I think it’s premature for him to leave something he loves so much without exploring more.

I was able to give my blessing mostly because I figured Chuck could diversify his experience with the Marines while a) we move somewhere else, with more opportunity for me than this area has to offer, and b) we would experience a few years deployment-free, and find something that closer resembles a normal, less staccato newlywed life before kids come along. We both win! However…

… This is assuming we get a good b-billet. Something that Chuck enjoys, and also gets us somewhere half-way decent. It’s also assuming his b-billet doesn’t require him to leave home much – they’re not all super stable, as it turns out. Not to mention, there is apparently a rumor going around that the Marines are cutting back on moving people at all, and will keep Marines at their current duty station. Unless something drastic changes, I do NOT want to stay here another 3 years, beach or no beach! Anxieties, incoming…!!

At least I know that, as of March 2013, he is still gainfully employed. We have a paycheck, and healthcare. We don’t have to deal with both of us facing unemployment during a deployment year, when between the frequent away-training and actual deployment, he is barely around to search.

But, there is no time to second-guess ourselves now! It is done. I’m in a I-hate-the-Marines-stage right now only because he’s currently away for three weeks, and I always get antsy when I’m by myself in this joint. It’s just kind of scary to give up all control over your future like that, without having a clue of what’s next…

Anyway, we have to get through this year regardless of the decision we made. As for next year, I will plan for the worst, hope for the best, and continue to keep calm and have my cupcakes.

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Culinary Delight #5: Chocolate-Strawberry Cupcakes

I actually made these for Valentine’s Day and thoroughly screwed them up, but somehow, they still tasted fantabulous – even if they were a huge mess.

I’m a bit sheepish that I failed*, because they are so easy to make they don’t even need a drawn-out recipe. Simply make brownie batter in one bowl (brownie mix + 2 eggs + 1/2 cup canola oil + 1/4 cup water) and strawberry cake batter in another (cake mix + 2 tablespoons canola oil + 1 1/3 cup water + 3 egg whites.) Spoon a small amount of the brownie batter into the muffin tins, and then spoon a slightly larger amount of strawberry batter on top, and bake for 20 minutes at 350. Frost with cream cheese icing once they cool, and voila! 🙂

*I failed because I didn’t have brownie mix, and figured cake mix would suffice. It didn’t! The two cakes just ran all together and made for a very weakly structured cupcake that fell apart easily. That’s what I get for substituting…