Dinners On!!!

Tonight was another night to sample a Pinterest recipe - Skinny Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas. 

I've made an enchilada recipe in the past which the family likes (and some of you have sampled too) but I'm always looking for new versions especially if they are a healthier. 

This was very easy to make.  It calls for 2 1/2 cups of cooked shredded chicken so earlier today I poached 4 chicken breast (I like poaching in chicken broth - better flavor). When it came out of the oven, it look exactly the same way it looked in the picture on the blog.  That is always a good sign in my book!!!

Emily, Matt and I sat down to eat (Dave was working late) and after a few bites Matt got up from the table, went into the kitchen and to the stove.  I asked him what he was doing and he said, "Umm, mom I'm gonna take another ... this is amazing!"  Now that is a seal of approval.  

This recipe is from the blog called "Skinnymom" and here is the link:

http://skinnymom.com/2012/05/11/skinny-sour-cream-enchiladas/

If you make it, I am sure you will enjoy it!!

It Started 4 Years Ago

I cannot believe it has been 4 years that I've been doing this family blog.  At that time, Emily was 6 and Matt was 3. Many changes have happened since then some good, some bad, some welcomed, some not.... and yet here we are feeling blessed by it all. Here is the first post on the blog -

Welcome to our House

Well, I've decided it is time to become a little more technologically savvy here at the Wessel home and find a new way to keep those we know better informed of what is going on here at home. There have been so many times when things have happened here and I try to make a mental note to tell someone about it the next time we talk and I forget. So with Dave's approval, the Wessel blog has been born. My hope is to use this blog as a means of communicating the happenings of our family. The name of our blog is taken from the infamous Disney world..the happiest place on earth. We definitely aren't Disney world... although we do have our own ups and downs that make for a terrific ride and boy we are busy. We hope you will find the information/stories we post informative and feel free to chime in.

"Is Santa real?"

This has been quite a summer! Little did I know that the kids being home from a camp program would result in so much change.

I knew this question would come one day "is Santa real?" and I have to admit I've been thinking about the whole Santa scenario since last year. There has been some guilt on my part of lying to the kids about a fictional jolly fat man in a red suit. For the last two years, the kids have been advised that Santa only brings them one gift, the rest are from Dave & me, family and friends. Yes, we do put out reindeer food, track Santa on Norad and leave out milk (eggnog) and cookies.  

Last year as the kids were a little older I was wondering if we should tell them the truth about Santa but decided not to broach it at the time.

Last week Matt made the decision to accept Jesus into his heart and Emily informed me that she had done so last year.  Matt has been asking a lot of questions on what being a Christian is and in our explanations we always talk about doing right, doing what God wants us to do and be. As a matter of fact, yesterday he had it set in his mind that we should live on a zoo.  When Emily said she did want to live on a zoo he responded, "If God wants us to live on a zoo, we have to live on a zoo, its what He wants." 

So today when the question came.....the thing that popped in my head, or should I say was spoken was "truth".  I asked them both if they wanted me to tell them the truth. They said yes and I asked again if they wanted the truth.  They insisted they wanted the truth.  

I told them about Saint Nicholas and how he cared and gave to the children (they told me they knew that from Veggie Tales).  I then told them that the Santa at the North Pole wasn't real - he is just a story.  

Immediately, Emily started the questions: "I thought you said he gives us one present, whose it from?"  "Who wrote the from Santa on the presents?" "Who ate the cookies and drank the eggnog?" I admitted to all of them "daddy and me". She seemed most appalled that we ate the cookies and drank the eggnog.  

I asked them if they were okay with knowing the truth and they said "sure".  Matt has decided though that we can still put out a plate of cookies for us all to eat.  

It was the recent talks of spiritual things that made me realize that it was time to be honest with the kids.  How can I teach them to trust in a God who loves them so much, believe in a Savior who died and rose again....all things they've never seen and yet in the season where the focus is on our Savior's birth, I'm telling them to believe in this unseen Santa. How can I lie to them and expect them to be honest with me? This whole Christian parent thing has taken a new turn for me along these last few months.  My gift of them is an honor and I need to gift them with the knowledge of an amazing God and none of that can be done in the midst of a lie.  

Christmas is definitely going to be different this year but better because our focus will be solely on the real reason of Christmas, the blessing we received and the blessing we can bestow upon others through the spirit of giving.  

Sunday Sabbatical

For a while now, I've been thinking about how much time I spend on social media.  I have my two blogs, I'm on Facebook and Pinterest.  

Recently, I made the decision to limit my time on Facebook using it more as a tool for referencing my blogs, which I have made more of my "media" focus.

Earlier last week, Dave told me that he would be needing to using my laptop this past Sunday while at a friend's house.  I took this as a sign that Sunday's should be a day where I am unplugged from all social media, my blogs included.

I'm a Christian, I believe in a God whose love is unfathomable to so many.  Sunday's are a day where I spend a good part of my morning and early afternoon worshipping and learning more about this God who loves me while fellowshipping with fellow believers. Even in creation God took the 7th day to rest and commands that we keep the Sabbath holy.  

I'm blessed that Dave lets me have an afternoon of rest on Sunday's - he basically does daddy duty while I nap.  Usually after my nap I get caught up on the computer.  Not yesterday and not anymore on Sunday's.

I am unplugging myself to keep my focus on God and the family He has so graciously given to me.  So, if you are looking for a new adventure or cute story, you won't find it on a Sunday. You'll have to wait for Monday when I am plugged back in,   

A Sweet Dessert for Dad

Watching the filling get mixed

Today Dave had to work and I was still trying to get as many of my craft projects done as possible seeing I did take yesterday"off".

Emily of course wanted to do "something" fun and was disappointed that our schedules weren't jiving with her desires. 

We did decide that before I got busy with my work, we would make a dessert to go with tonight's dinner. A while ago, I purchased a Jello "No Bake Lemon Meringue Pie mix". Lemon meringue is Dave's favorite pie so that was what we decided to make.  Because of the new learning life skills "program" we are instituting here in the house, I had Emily take the lead on this dessert.  Technically I was her sous chef.  She did well I just had to make some technical corrections and remind her to read her directions.  We had a fun time!

In order to keep it a surprise to Dave, Emily posted a sign on the fridge so he wouldn't see it until the end of dinner. 

We tend not to eat dessert right after dinner but did have Dave close his eyes and brought it out for him to see.  He was very surprised to see lemon meringue.

The pie tasted delicious.....cannot believe it came from a box.  Dave was very surprised at how good it tasted too!! The only one who didn't try it is Matt because he "doesn't like pie". As you can see, we have plenty left if anyone is interested. 

Emily's sign

It tastes good!!