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Ok, I’m aging myself here, but is there anyone else who remembers Schoolhouse Rock on Saturday mornings? The idea was to teach kids with cute little cartoons and catchy songs between Captain Caveman and Josie and the Pussycats. (Yes, my childhood cartoons were very highbrow.)

Well, here’s the one about July 4th. I still remember it. But do I remember the Declaration of Independence, the thing I was supposed to remember from this educational ditty?! Noooooo. I remember some dude chasing a woman throughout the video. That’s what I picked up from that educational video. The pursuit of happiness that the founding fathers declared was the right for a weird guy to chase you during important meetings.

Happy Independence Day. Here’s to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Run.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Now that my baby, my beloved Canon is restored, I thought it was time to get back to photographing actual food and do I have one for you today. If it’s 95­­° in the shade where you live, a salad is really the only thing you can imagine right now. But the meat-and-potatoes eaters in your home think salads are wimpy. Well, this one has a bit of heat to throw them off and confuse them but it’s still healthy. It actually filled up my empty-pit of a husband. He didn’t eat anything else for three (3!!!) hours! That’s a record!

CHICKEN CHIPPOTLE SALAD

Dressing:
1/3 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
2/3 c. light sour cream
1/4-1/3 c. buttermilk (depending on how thick you like your dressing)
2-4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced (more or less varies the heat)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
Juice of one lime plus a little lime zest
1/4 tsp salt

Mix that all up and put it in the fridge to chill while you make the salad.

4 c. shredded romaine lettuce
2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast
(I cooked mine in the microwave and tossed with Southwest seasoning mix but leftover grilled chicken would rock here!)
2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
OPTIONAL:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
Tortilla chips for garnish

You know how to take it from here, right?

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By the way, here’s the updated nest-cam. Remember how cute they were? Well, they’ve entered the awkward teen years. Thus we have a rebel bird who is rejecting his parent’s conservative values. As soon as he can fly, he’s getting a tattoo.

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Congrats to Lauren who won our Strawberry Cookbook giveaway!

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This is the wreath on our front porch. It has the assorted plastic greenery including a fake birdnest and fake flowers.

So a few weeks ago, we found that a bird had discovered the craft-store faux nest and was hanging out in it. Whenever we opened our front door, this bird flew off.

Then my husband told me to take a look in the wreath. Here’s what we found.

Best we can tell there are seven (7!) baby birds jammed into one little 3″ fake wreath. Hence, the following:

Oh…and my camera’s back. (Dancing a little hoedown ala Ashlee Simpson)

(3 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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So my friend, Sandy (who has an excellent blog by the way) designs books for publishing. She heard that I was mourning my camera so she sent me a copy of a great cookbook that she’s just finished working on called Troy Mill Farms Cookbook - Our Favorite Strawberry Recipes. Isn’t she sweet? Strawberries are at their peak now so what better time to whet your whistle by sharing a recipe from it? Excuse my drooling while I show you this photo.

Sandy’s Strawberry Salsa
1 qt strawberries
¼ cup onion
1 cup tomatoes
1-3 jalapeños (depends on how hot you like it!)
2 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro or 1 tsp dried
2 tsp white vinegar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Put all ingredients in food processor. Chop to desired
consistency. Best if made at least 2 hrs before serving.

Sounds good, no? And so I’m giving it away to one fabulous reader. All you have to do is leave a comment and we’ll draw a number for one lucky winner on June 28. Good luck, my chickens!

(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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I’d like your undivided attention for ten minutes. If you never read another post of mine, I hope it’s this one.

The rising cost of food worldwide is impacting us all.

In the United States, we are inconvenienced.
In Haiti, a family is eating dirt.

In the United States, we are using more coupons.
In Nigeria, 76% of a family’s budget is spent on basic food.

In the United States, we take for granted that our children will eat until they are full every day.
In Bangladesh, a child feels guilty for having one meal to herself.

In the United States, families are cutting back on snack foods.
In Uganda, a mother shares her one wish that her children will live to see adulthood.

In America, we are not considered a rich family. We often struggle to make ends meet. We’ve already cut our food budget significantly compared to what we normally buy.

But we’ve realized that we can easily cut more. We’ve decided we are going to eat only rice or beans for dinner once a week. We will eat a meal that is considered meager for us but plenty to much of the world. The bit of money we save will go toward sponsoring a child with Compassion.*

As we eat as a family, we will talk about how the money we save means life for someone else. We will show our children that they can make a difference. We will show our children what it means to be truly rich.

Will you join me? Make a difference in a child’s life forever. I dare you.

*Why we love Compassion
*Charity Navigator 4-Star Rating

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