Happy Birthday Valerie!!

Valerie (Don's daughter) and her husband Tony came by for her birthday dinner.  It was so fun to visit with them for a while.  I made my Provincial Chicken with brown rice for her birthday dinner.  We had the chance to talk all about her job as an OB Labor and Delivery Nurse and Tony's sub teaching plans.  We both really enjoyed spending time with them.  

Lime Chicken Fajitas - Aimee Roberts

The last Sunday before we left Louisiana our friends Aimee and Scott Roberts had us over for dinner.  We had the best food.  Very yummy and no headache.  Here's her recipes.

LIME CHICKEN FAJITAS

1 ½ lb chicken breast tenders or strips

1 recipe Lime Vinaigrette (see below)

4 plum tomatoes

1 c. corn (canned or thawed)

¾ c. peeled, chopped mango (about 1 mango)

1 Tbsp. dried cilantro (may use 1 tsp. fresh cilantro)

½ c. chopped red onion

2 to 3 Tbsp. canola oil

Shredded cheddar cheese

Flour tortillas

Sour Cream 

Lime Vinaigrette

Combine: 1Tbsp shredded lime peel, 1 c. lime juice, 3 Tbsp canola oil, 2 tsp. ground cumin, and ¼ tsp. salt

In bowl combine tomatoes, mango, cilantro, onion, corn. Add in ¼ cup of the lime vinaigrette. Cover and chill 2-4 hours. Place the remaining lime vinaigrette and raw chicken strips into a Ziploc bag. Cover and chill for at least 2-4 hours so it can marinate. Later, drain vinaigrette from chicken and grill. Serve warm chicken on tortillas with mango mixture and shredded cheese /sour cream on top. 

BLACK BEANS AND YELLOW RICE

1 (10 oz.) pkg. yellow rice mix

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 oz.) can Mexican-style diced tomatoes

1 (4.5 oz.) can chopped green chiles

1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers

Prepare rice according to directions. Heat beans, tomatoes, and chiles over medium heat. Add rice and cheese, stirring until cheese melts. This goes great as a Mexican side dish. 

THE BEST DIP EVER 
1 can black eyed peas (drained & rinsed) 
1 can white shopeg corn (drained & rinsed) 
3 diced avocados 
5 diced Roma tomatoes 
3 Tablespoons chopped green onions 
1 package Good Seasonings Italian 
4 Tablespoons white vinegar 
3 Tablespoons water 
2 Tablespoons oil 
*Mix together and serve with tortilla chips. May refrigerate if needed. 

Home

We have been home for a week and I have been cleaning for most of it. We both have repeated over and over how much we like this house.  It's small, but perfect in so many ways.

We went to the Newport Beach Temple this week and I was thrilled to be there again.  It is so beautiful and it will always hold a special place in our hearts. We were dating during the open house and since Don was on the VIP committee we both went to the VIP events together.  

We gave our mission report to the High Council on Thursday and received our honorable release certificates. We also met with Bishop Wooten and received callings in the ward.  Since we spoke in December we won't be giving homecoming talks, just bearing our testimonies.