Cheesy GF Enchiladas

1 pkg (6) GF tortillas (I used brown rice), or you can make homemade.
1 lb ground beef
1 cup cooked white rice
salsa of choice
3 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese - shredded
mexican seasoning and cinnamon to taste
sliced black olives (small can)


Prepare a 9x13" glass pan with olive oil. Preheat oven to 350.

Brown ground beef, drain.  Mix in the rice, seasoning to taste, about 2 tbsp salsa, and half of the olives.

Soften the tortillas if you're using refrigerated, or they will tear when you fill them.  I layer them with damp paper towels and microwave for about a minute.

Fill the tortillas with approximately 1/4-1/2 cup filling, and about 2 tbsp cheese.  Roll up and place in baking pan. Top with salsa, the rest of the cheese, and the rest of the olives.

Cover with foil, bake 10 minutes. Remove foil, bake 5 more minutes.

Serve with your favorite GF tortillas chips!

Sometimes You Just Have To Laugh

According to the "blog rules" this should be Wordless Wednesday. Meaning, I shouldn't say anything, should just convey my thoughts via photograph.  Considering the fact that my brain has disengaged from my mouth almost entirely, that would likely be a wise choice.  Which is probably why I'm not doing it.

One may be surprised by this statement, but it turns out that there are disadvantages to not having a single full night of sleep in a 2 week period.  Shocking, I know.  It would appear that the canines in my life have devised a plot to keep me awake forever.  Here are the usual suspects:

"DA BRAINS"

                                                                  
The face-squishing 90 lb Altman who CANNOT sleep unless he's touching me or completely on top of me (tell me again why we spent our tax return on a king sized bed?) wasn't able to keep me conscious all by himself anymore. I learned to just sleep in an awkward half ball with one hand over my face to protect it. So he had to call in reinforcements.

"CUTER IN PERSON...BUT JUST BARELY"

                                           
The little yapper (who they claimed was a pomchi but looks, and sounds, more like a hyena bat) does her part.  Her favorite trick is to whine and scratch at the bed til I pick her up and put her on it beside me, only to jump off and do it again in 5 minutes.  Yes, she has stairs, but what would be the fun in her using THEM?

"DA HENCHMAN"

                                                            
If Petey is the brains behind the operation, Max is definitely the muscle.  110 lbs of pure stubborn.  No amount of scolding, water squirting, smothering myself beneath a pillow or crying will deter him once he's decided it's time to get up.  Be it 2 am, 4, am, or 3 minutes before my alarm goes off, he WILL have his way.  He starts with panting heavily 2 inches from my face.  I know most girls might like that sort of thing, but I'm really more of a "just let me sleep!" kind of lady.  When that doesn't work, he shakes his head to jingle his tags.  Then we progress to the low-growl, the whine, and finally the bark (which could rival a freight train in a silent room in the middle of the night).  Yes, you WILL rise.

  "DA CHEERLEADER"

                                                         
Don't be fooled by the sweet face, this culprit is likely the most nefarious of all.  He plays innocent and cuddly, and rarely instigates any trouble.   However the second one of the others gets any ideas, he's right behind them going "yeah, yeah, what he said!"  Not only does he egg them on, he literally jumps up and down with joy and yelps with excitement.  One is tempted to give him a sidelong look and ask "et tu, Brute'?" 


So far their sleep-deprivation experiment has had interesting results.  Last night after my son's band concert, I complimented my son's teacher by telling him he'd "incensed a still of confidence" in my boy.  Then? I said it again.  You know, for effect.  I'm a little surprised the man let me put my child in the van and drive home.

Also, the "Stop Talking Now" signal in my brain seems to be malfunctioning.  Not that it ever worked all that great to begin with.  But at least in the past, I knew what the mouth was saying before the ears heard it.  Now I'm just as surprised as the person I'm talking to.  Which is also sometimes me.

I find myself concocting schemes that might sound preposterous to a well-rested and/or sane person.  For instance, today I am considering canceling all my plans so I can stay home and watch the dogs for any sign of sleepiness.  As soon as they close their eyes I can pester them awake again.  All day.  Maybe even pant in their faces.

By the way, of course every creature in my house is sound asleep as I write this.  It's almost time to get my youngest up for school, but the house is practically silent.  Or, would be, if Max wasn't snoring (note to self: invent Breathe Right strips for dogs, make millions) and chasing something in his sleep.

If you'll excuse me,  think it might be time to test the smoke alarm...

It's Mother's Day! You matter!

Today is Mother's Day, a bittersweet day for some of us.  So many of us have lost our mothers too soon, or have difficult relationships with them. Some have been abused, neglected or abandoned by the woman who was supposed to love us most, some of us never even knew her.  Some of us are mothers who've lost children, or had them taken from us. Some of us have longed to have a child.

Yes, today can be a tough day for some of us, but I am praying blessings over us all.  Every woman can make a difference in someone else's life, every one of us can show love, nurture, teach and support younger people and be like a mom to them.  And I hope that all of us have someone in our lives that we can look up to a depend on, whether or not she is the woman who gave birth to us.

I know I am very richly blessed with three amazing stepdaughters (who have all grown into wonderful young women, and one of whom is now a terrific mom in her own right), and two precious little boys who are becoming young men faster than I would like.  I am also blessed with a lot of God-given "like-a-mom" ladies in my life who fill a void that I spent a long time denying was there.  I am so thankful for all of them, and also for a husband who appreciates me and friends that take time to bless me and make me feel special when I'm having trouble remembering that I matter.

So I want to say something to every woman reading this right now - YOU MATTER.  Whether or not you have a relationship with your mother, you matter.  Whether or not you have children of your own, you matter.  Whether or not you have someone in your life to make you feel loved and appreciated and important, you matter.  You matter to God, and you matter to me.  I hope you'll reach out to others, make a difference in their lives, and let them know that they matter, too.

Any men who might be reading this - celebrate the ladies in your life.  Show them that you appreciate them and love them...because sometimes we forget.

Be blessed today, and take any opportunity you can find to bless others.  It will matter.