The Three Hundred Dollar Braclet

Last Friday, my washing machine stopped draining. We've all been through it, so what can you do? Luckily, I was caught up on my laundry for a brief moment, so I wasn't too stressed about waiting until Tuesday to call a repair man b/c of the holiday weekend. Again, what can you do?

The repair man came on Tuesday and took apart the washer. He said it was the pump and we had him fix it. We paid him the $300 and I was back in laundry mode. (Which was just in the nick of time since my laundry was piling up by this time at an alarming rate...)

You know, up until that point I was accepting of the fact that things break and you have to fix them. I was peace, love, and light.

And then we found the bracelet.

Wednesday morning Matt came upstairs and went into the laundry room. The old pump was lying on top of the washer so he picked it up to look at it. And then he walked into the kitchen and said, "Hey dad, I think a bracelet is stuck in that pump." Seriously. THAT BRACELET WAS STUCK IN THE PUMP! What are the odds? And why didn't anyone (a.k.a. the repair man) think to look in the pump to see why it wasn't working. And more importantly, WHY ARE MY CHILDREN NOT EMPTYING OUT THEIR POCKETS WHEN I TELL THEM TO? WHY? WHY? I think they must sincerely believe that I am talking to myself when I give them such directions.

Anyway, the bracelet made an excellent object lesson for my children that morning. Yet again I can say to them, "Do not doubt that your mother knows it."

Now that school is out I am hoping that this is not a foreshadowing of things to come. And I want my money back!!!!

This One's for Kirst

Ok, so I'm a really bad friend and it takes me a long time to post on this blog. But, I have my garden to blame for that. (A post on that later...)

Nonetheless, I promised Kirst this recipe, so I thought I would share it with everyone.

Beef and Chicken Fajitas with Peppers and Onions
(Cooking Light, June 2001)

marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp grated lime rind
2 1/2 tbl fresh lime juice
2 tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.25 oz. can) beef broth

Fajitas:
2 pounds flank steak, boneless chicken breast, or a mix of both
2 red bell peppers, sliced(or cut in larger wedges if you would like to grill them)
2 green bell peppers, sliced or cut in wedges
1 large onion, sliced or cut in wedges
tortillas
salsa
sour cream
cilantro

Combine the marinade in a bowl. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the marinade into a ziplock bag and add your beef or chicken. Pour the remaining marinade in a separate ziplock bag with the vegetables. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Grill meat to desired doneness. Grill your vegetables or saute them in a hot skillet until caramelized. When the meat is done, place it on a platter and cover with foil for about ten minutes. Cut the meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

Serve with tortillas, salsa, sour cream and cilantro.

There you go! Easy as pie....