Tip

A good night's sleep makes everything feel better.


(So Mom was right after all!)

Poem from Bro Halff

Joy

Every year
Christmas
pops up,
whether we are ready
or not:
inconvenient, unrelenting,
always too soon
to arrive --
bringing with it
its flurry
of demands,
and a snowstorm
of unfulfilled perfections;
it tumbles us
forward
into a new year,
and insists
that in the frigid
night sky,
we see
that both the stars
and we
move.

Happy Birthday, Mami!

(photo by Scott Snyder on Mother's Day, 2009)

Today is mi madre's birthday and she is better than ever! Happy birthday to the greatest Mom in the world!

Love, Ally

oxxo

Three Hours of My Life I'll Never Get Back

So apparently someone - we shall call her "JH" - has been using my debit card to purchase their credit report online, and the monthly fees have been coming out of my bank account for three months! [And Merrrry Christmas to you too!]

This resulted in me spending inordinate amounts of time on the phone, at the police department, and at the bank, trying to get the charges reversed. And in lovely holiday fashion, one of the charges this week sucked the last remaining scraps of life out of my account, so I also got a hefty overdraft fee. Ho! Ho! Ho!

When, at the police station, I told my little story to Officer Nice-n-Beefy, he said I would need to pay $12 to get the police statement printed out so I could send it to the online company (blah blah blah). I said, "But that's crazy!"

He replied, "I deal in crazy."

Well, JH, you missed your chance baby. You shoulda bought that flat screen TV or gone to Maui, or at the very least gotten a mani/pedi/wax for the holidays.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

~Ally

p.s. Officer N-n-B said petty thefts are very high this time of year, so hold on to your purses at WallyWorld, gals, and Scottie, don't leave your cell phone in the car!

Grace-full Day

Had many moments of grace fall upon me today. Am grateful for:
1) Call early this morning to walk the two enormous and sweet dogs of our neighbor.
2) Good talk with co-worker.
3) Opportunity to work on and move forward a bankruptcy case I'd like to finish in the next week or so.
4) Good visit with OB/GYN and no new problems.
5) Dr.'s office being cool about me not paying my copay today.
6) Pharmacy coupon and the wonderful woman who let me pay for my prescription with a sad little baggie of rolled pennies and coins, even though what I had wasn't quite enough.
7) Good visit with Dad's "grave" at the cemetery.
8) Energetic and fun walk with the dogs, accompanied by another kind neighbor and two friendly dogs she had with her.
9) An email finally from my sister!
10) Wonderful husband who brought home much-needed groceries unexpectedly!!
11) Relieving talk with NH Unemployment who will probably process my claim without much delay.
12) Time to nap.
13) Free coffee from White Mountain Coffee (thank you TD Banknorth).
14) Beautiful full moon.
15) Sweet, loving family that will not change even as the trials of life continue to appear.

Good life and I am thankful for it.
~Ally

Haiku for Two Black Cats

"Hello. I love you.
"Is there any kibble down?"
Out. In. And repeat.

Over the top and inside out

Thank you Donna at DQ's Windmill for the award! The rules are: thank the person who gave it to you, answer the following questions in one word, and then pass it forward to five other bloggers.

*Where is your phone? CHARGING
*Your hair? WET
*Your Mother? AMAZING
*Your Father? MISSED
*Favorite food? FROZEN
*Your dream last night? FORGOTTEN
*Favorite drink? SODA
*Your dream? EASE
*What room are you in? LIVING
*Your hobby? READING
*Your fear? POVERTY
*Where do you want to be in six years? MOTHERHOOD
*Where were you last night? HOME
*Something you're not? PEACEFUL
*Muffins? BLUEBERRY
*Wish List Item? SECURITY
*Last thing you did? WORRY
*What are you wearing? FARGO
*Your pets? SNUGGLY
*Your friends? BUSY!
*Your life? CHANGING
*Your mood? DEPRESSED
*Missing someone? TIP
*Your vehicle? FAITHFUL
*Something you're not wearing? COMMANDO
*Your favorite color? RED
*When was the last time you laughed? TONIGHT
*Last time you cried? UNSURE
*Your best friend? KITTY
*One place you go over and over? PRAYER
*One person that emails you? BARB
*Favorite place to eat? INDIAN

I tag: anyone who wants to play. Let me know!
~Ally

Bumper Sticker

Tonight as I drove home from Mom's, I was stopped at a red light when I saw the most honest and hilarious bumper sticker on a pick-up truck. It read, simply,

boobies!

Ahh, there are so many things in this world to be thankful for! :) So tonight, I give you my list:

1) boobies!
2) wide, graceful hips
3) sincere kisses on the back of my husband's neck
4) cat snuggling on my chest, while I sit in the cold night air in my leather jacket
5) the spot at the bottom of the spine, where the hand wants to caress
6) pudding in a cloud (thank you, Bill Cosby)
7) laughing at each other, together
8) a quiet house at 11 p.m.
9) my page-turner book that i will soon devour
10) and other sensual pleasures that keep us delighted day after day

This life is hard enough. Find some pleasure. Drink it in. And if all else fails, thank God for boobies. Everybody loves boobies.

~Ally

Opossum

I saw a possum tonight, right at our neighbor's porch, a mere fifteen feet from me. Judy went to investigate (though I told her not to). He stood there for a while, then ambled, wobbly, away. He ducked under the part of the fence that's bent up, which our cats use many times a day to explore the neighborhood behind our condo. He was beautiful. These photos are from the Web. My possum looked most like the first picture.

What a rare sight and a blessing to me.
~Ally

For Donna

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid
and self-contain'd,
I stand and look at them long and long.

They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of
owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands
of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.

~Walt Whitman

(loon photo by Larry Cox)

New African Ocean?

(photo from the Web)

From Yahoo News:

Giant Crack in Africa May Create New Ocean

Wow.

What we've been up to

I processed some of my photos tonight and wanted to show you what Scott and I have been doing.

This is Bear Brook State Park, where we went in October. It's so beautiful there.


On the anniversary of our wedding, we went to the apple orchard in Canterbury, and saw these little chickens in the road~
At the orchard...

I saw this tree at Bear Brook and thought it was so stunning and comforting.
This is Sarge, my friend from Concord. We visited his sister's grave.

And you know this guy.
Here are a few great shots by Scott that you may have missed:

The spotted newt, New Hampshire's state amphibian~







Which was your favorite?

~Ally

Possibilitarian

Marie, at A Year From Oak Cottage, encourages us all to be Possibilitarians!
Here's a short excerpt from her post...

"Well, the word possibilitarian was invented by a man called Norman Vincent Peale, who I am sure most of you will have heard of. This wonderful man rose from poverty to become one of the world's most loved and best selling authors, and this word means . . . A person, who, no matter how dark things are . . . raises his sights."

Read on...

~Ally

This Very Moment

Things that are right and good in my life:

1) I am finally starting to get over this hideous cold.
2) Said cold caused me to decide, again, that I do not want to smoke.
3) The cold also caused me to lose 2 pounds. Go, cold!
4) I have a beautiful husband who is so good to me.
5) I have a warm home, with a well used guest room.
6) My mom is close by and did NOT, unlike my horrible dream this morning, have a stroke.
7) Lauren and Co. are doing okay and even have puppies!
8) Hillary and Matthew are over the swine flu.
9) I have one good job.
10) My freelance editing is turning up some jobs here and there.

For all of these things I am very, very grateful.
~Ally

A few of the MANY great things about New Hampshire

1. First stop on the political campaign trail: our town!! (Yeehaw!)
2. The WOLF - 93.3 FM
3. Crazy big-draw events like Bike Week and Nascar Races
4. Multiple yoga studios to choose from in Concord

5. Shaker Village, Canterbury
6. Great children's museums in Meredith and Concord, plus the cool old-timey store for kids in the NH History Museum
7. The Krista McAuliffe Museum
8. Waterfalls, rivers, and hiking trails everywhere!

9. Franconia Notch
10. Trains that go up mountains in fall

11. Pine barrens and Karner Blue Butterflies
12. Eighteen miles of prime coastline with great swimming, rock hunting, AND surfing beaches
13. Polly's Pancakes and maple syrup making farms
14. Castle in the Clouds, Moultonborough
15. Lupine Festival every June in Sugar Hill
16. Mount Monadnock, our highest peak, that can be climbed by children and old people and experienced rock climbers
17. Mount Wantastiquet, Hinsdale

18. Pisgah State Park and Bear Brook State Park
19. Madame Sherri Forrest and castle ruins in Chesterfield
20. Spofford Lake
21. Winnisquam Lake
22. Pittsfield Balloon Rally
23. Sled dog races! Supposedly there's even a sled dog run you can pay to join for the day.
24. Snow, glorious snow
25. Concord's Audubon Society trails and nature center
26. Winnipesaukee!
27. Laconia, small town home of the greatest fireworks! (Though the Pittsfield Balloon Rally this year did the biggest, most dramatic show we have ever seen, second only to the sesquicentennial blowout in Lancaster, PA several years ago.)
28. The Flume Gorge
29. Mount Washington
30. Borders on Canada, Vermont, and Maine - what more could you want?

31. The capital is a mere hour from beaches, mountains, and Boston! And only 35 minutes from a great regional airport in Manchester.
32. Carter's Apple Orchard and country store
33. We live here.


I could go on and on. The Curious George Museum, a tram ride up Cannon Mountain, the Androscoggin River, fantastic and affordable antiquing, cottage industries of every sort, farms, great fishing and hunting, Harman's Cheese, camping, diners, Beech Hill Farm, outlet shopping, sacred Native American land (like Kearsarge Mountain and the wonderful Native Indian Museum), New England's Stonehenge in Salem, gemstone mining, moose! Come for a visit! There's something for everyone.

~Ally

Laurel & Ally's Sleep In Cafe: Sausage Quiche #1

(photo by Scott Snyder)

L&A's Sausage Quiche #1

Ingredients:

1 Pillsbury pie crust shell
1/2 lb chicken apple sausage
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 cps grated cheddar cheese
2 T flour
2 t parsley flakes, or 1 T chopped fresh parsley if possible
3 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cps milk
1/4 tsp salt
coarse grated black pepper to taste
dash ground nutmeg
red and green pepper, chopped
olive oil

Directions:

Prepare pie crust: Line the unpricked pastry shell with double thickness of aluminum foil. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 4-5 minutes more until pastry is set and dry. Remove from oven.

Turn oven down to 350 degrees. Put in a cookie sheet on the middle rack to preheat.

Cook sausage, onion, and green and red peppers in pan in a bit of olive oil. Drain excess grease if any.

In large bowl, combine sausage mixture with cheese, flour and parsley. Mix well. Spread into pie crust.

Mix together in separate bowl eggs, milk, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Pour over sausage mixture.

Bake on a preheated cookie sheet for 30-40 minutes, uncovered at 350 degrees, or until eggs are set and top is golden.

Serving suggestions:

Breakfast - serve with toast and jam, orange juice, and fresh fruit like watermelon or berries.
Lunch/Dinner - serve with green tossed salad with balsamic vinaigrette, champagne or white wine, and crusty French bread with butter.

Enjoy!

And remember: Always cook with love and good music!

~Ally

"Just cut the moldy parts off...that cheese is fine!"

Ever wondered how long you can leave that mystery meat in the fridge, or whether you should eat the week old pumpkin pie (I wondered both of these things just today!)...

Well check out Still Tasty.com a great website my faithful mom just sent me.

Thanks Ma!

~Ally

I'm sorry - it's just not fair!

The pregnant woman gets pregnant...again!

Check out http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/

-9/25/09 Today's Brew
-"Expecting two but not twins"

These are the things that get my goat. Baaa.

~Ally

An old friend

Sometimes a visit from an old friend is just what I need to get back on track, gain some perspective, laugh it off, and turn my cobwebbed heart around.

My oldest friend Dave came for a visit this weekend. In my mind, he is Dave from Texas, but it has been eight years now...he's really Davy from New York City. He is all Manhattan now and I love seeing the many transformations. We stayed up late each night talking about everything and anything. We told stories, secrets, hopes and dreams, troubles, sorrows, and ideas. We talked faith, sex, politics, grief, and relationships. We remembered events together back in church youth group and talks we had in college, visits in other states. We remembered the ways we had hurt each other over time, the falling out and coming back together.

He got along so well with Scott and also my mom, who came for dinner on Saturday night. It was just a wonderful time and I really needed that.

Ready to start fresh, make some good choices, share some love, and have my birthday.

How are you?

~Al

I love my phone but seriously, yes!

Chile Chews tells it like it is in her post "Hang Up Your Phone Already!"

Yes, yes, yes.

Worst sin of all: taking unnecessary calls and texts while we are talking, eating together, or supposed to be catching up. NOT OKAY people.

~Ally

This is so true

TEN THINGS YOUR CHILD WILL LEARN IN THE FIRST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE:
by Stephen (of Shoeboxblog)

• Beer before liquor, never sicker.
• Guidance counselors don’t care if you graduate in four years.
• R.A.’s are pointless authority figures.
• Those 7:30 classes totally blow.
• That the government lies about everything, man.
• The really friendly people in the student union are part of a Christian group.
• The star basketball player didn’t pay for his $50,000 SUV.
• Ramen noodles + stolen cafeteria silverware = Dinner Party!
• The Human Sexuality course has a long waiting list, and so does the class on the Lord of The Rings trilogy.
• All the music you liked in high school actually sucks.
• That it’s never, ever too late to change majors.

-~-~-~-~
Make sure to read down Shoeboxblog and catch "Links That Amuse Us" from September 2 - tightie whities...Handerpants! ha ha ha Hysterical stuff!

~Al

Barrister Dandelion

Today I got an email from Barrister Dandalo Dansuleman offering me great sums of money if only I would wire him some first. Then I got an email from Emmanuel Klein saying I could "lose weight without starving yourself." Thanks to Acai Slim, whoever that is.

I am SO. LUCKY. these people found my email address!!

~Ally

heh heh

Water Slide!

Okay, if you need a laugh or a high or a sense of adventure, watch this:

10 Most Frugal Cars to Own

And for anyone considering trading down or utilizing the famous "Cash for Clunkers Program," which ends this week btw, read this. Yahoo Finance has put together a list of the ten cheapest cars to own over a five year period, taking into account base price and maintenance, gas, etc. Good to know!

~Ally

Check this out, you employed folks

This is a very good article on How to Not Get Laid Off, written by the folks at Yahoo Finance. For anyone who has a job, it's worth a read. Short and to the point.

~Ally

Need a Lift?

A little visit from our friends at Shoeboxblog (god love 'em):


Quote of the Day:

“You’d think ‘because it comes from goats’ would be a good enough reason for not liking goat cheese.” – Mark



(An August) Quote of the Day:

“Save electricity! Bake biscuits in your car!” - Scott

~~~~
And one tasteless [sic] joke passed along by Scott:

"If God wanted us all to be vegetarians, why did He make animals out of meat?"

Sick. Wrong. Delightful. Relaxxxx, they're jokes!
~Ally

Things That Are Great About an Old Friend Visiting

1. She wants to look at my wedding albums...again. :)

2. She brings her children, who are beautiful, creative mixtures of her and her husband's personality. Yet they are also unique, interesting, and delightful in their own rights.

3. Wilbur Chocolate Buds. Mmm.

4. She knew me when. (And still comes to visit.)

5. She remembers the context for all my stories. So when we stay up until 1 a.m. talking each night, we cover a lot of ground!

6. She stopped judging me years ago. She just loves me.

7. I can confess my deep darks, like baby insanity and grief stories and how I accidentally got fat.

8. I remember when she was several different variations of herself and have perspective on how far she's come and how much she's grown.

9. I remember when she was heavier, so I always like to remark on her beautiful, svelte looks! And her new post-baby, sexy curly hair. Who doesn't love those compliments?

10. When she leaves, I know she'll be back. And she knows I really want to come visit her house too.

The best thing is how we can jump right in, as if a year hasn't passed.

(photo not taken by me)

Good, good friend. So glad for the visit.

~Ally

Travel Tip: Route 28 in Alton is NOT a good place to run out of gas

Ahem. You can see where this is going...

So on Wednesday night, after a very, very long and arduous day, two things happened to me. Two things that I did not believe really exist happened to me.

1) I ran out of gas. Yes, actually ran OUT of gas. As in, the car would not move another inch. And after then turning it off, magically restarting it, and miraculously going another two or three miles on literal fumes, it stopped again. This time, no dice. Thus, I got out of the car in my now-sweaty (as it was 90+ degrees) work outfit, and started walking down the road toward the elusive gas station. At which point,

2) An actual honest-to-god Knight in Shining Armor (a big honking Chevy Silverado of armor to be exact) rescued me, the Damsel in Distress. (!!!!) I was on the cell phone wailing my woes to Mom, who frankly sounded too preoccupied to come help me, when he drove up, slowed down the truck alongside me, and said out the window, "I have gas in my truck if you need it."

???

Who does that? And who, but my Knight in Shining Armor All, keeps gas in the back of their truck??

GOD. BLESS. MY. KNIGHT.

I hesitated for the wee-est of seconds, and then decided to take a leap of faith, hopped (scrabbled) up into his mondo truck, and was driven back to my vehicle where said Knight put two gallons of beautiful life-affirming unleaded gas - not even diesel! - in my car. I said, "How do you have gas in your truck?" He said, "My old girlfriend used to run out of gas twice a week."

I then tried to give my Knight a fiver, to which he said, "No, no," and I said, "Take it!" and he said, "No way." He then smiled a beautiful shy smile at me, watched me start up the car, and I drove away. I may have fallen in love just the littlest bit. ;)

Needless to say, DO NOT run out of gas in Alton because it is miles and miles between gas stations. And above all, always hold out hope because fairy tales do sometimes come true.

***

~Ally

Some pics to amuse you

This is how I've been feeling (and acting) lately:

This is Laurel at Grape Island in Maine:

This is where Scott and I stayed for the weekend:

This is Baby Nora and New Mom Erin.

(photos not by me)

I'm Writing Again

...on Rock, Water and Light. Scott is doing some amazing new photographs. Come visit us. Leave your "two cents."

I am also writing on my private Yahoo blog. More details on life and thoughts, and the blow-by-blow of my search to have a baby. [I will send you an invite you if you want to read along. Will need your email address.]

~Ally

Gratitude

...for being given a sweet award by someone I respect and admire - Donna at DQ's Windmill. Donna is a Yoga teacher, philosophy teacher, and Zen practitioner who is wise beyond her years and yet down to earth. What a joy to get an award from such a great person!


I will pass this award on to:

Michele at The Squawkery, a mom who is working on conceiving her second baby. With truthfulness and courage to ask all the tough questions, she has written a blog in which I love to get lost.

Tascha at Time With Tascha, an artist who posts the most delightful videos of making art, painting, and following the paths of her endless creativity.

Denise from Eat, Play, Love, who always has something interesting to say about family, life, or modern culture, and who has also bravely started vlogging.

Kelly from Kelly Johnson Photography, who has recently come back into my life (we used to be Chicago neighbors!) and inspired me with her keen sense of kindness and the way she captures humanity on film. Check out Kelly Johnson Photography on Facebook too.

And if she hadn't already received the award herself, I would definitely give it to Donna. She invigorates my life with her honest writing and spiritual clarity.

Good company. Get to know them too!

~Ally

On a dusty road to Mexico

We're getting ready for Mom to go to Mexico on Thursday, to visit with Lauren and Co. for a month. I don't want her to go, though I know Lauren needs her and the time will be good for them. I guess what I mean is, I don't want to be away from Mom for that long. I need her so much right now and feel more attached to her than ever. Thursday will be the anniversary of Dad's death - I guess an appropriate day for Mom to see both daughters in one day. The loss of Dad snuck up on me like a ton of bricks yesterday as I was driving to a friend's baby shower in Mass. Thinking about the lack of Dad when/if I get pregnant and how much I wish he were still here, how much we all still had to talk about and do together. And no, this is not a case of, "If only I had said" or opportunities lost. This is a case of "It sucks that I have to live the rest of my life without my father." And I miss him terribly.

Wonder when the grief will let go of its death grip (pun intended). It still affects everything. My son-in-law is struggling right now and I want to say to him,"It's the fucking grief!" He lost his brother a few months ago. The grief takes hold forever, it seems, but eventually, things do get a little easier, a little more normal.

This is going to be a hard week. Scott and I seem to be living like ships passing in the night - emotionally anyway. Sometimes we looked at each other this past week with the look of, "Who the heck are you and what are you doing in my living room?" Marriage, another long and dusty road. If one partner doesn't feel well, no one does. I wish things didn't feel like work so much for us right now. Nothing coming easily.

That's not true. I did make a spontaneous friend and pint-sized friend at the baby shower - a delightful Chinese woman and her daughter (who latched onto me like I was Aunty Ally). I feel in love with the both of them. They are heading back to China to live soon though and I probably will never see them again. Still, I am grateful for that beautiful feeling when you meet someone and like them instantly, knowing you could be friends. Rare and wonderful.

How are you, reader? What's new?

~Ally
p.s. Lauren, I wish Scott and I could come to Mexico too! That would be the best of all scenarios! Have enough fun for all of us. xoxo

Bet you wish you knew if I really LOL

The Wall Street Journal published an interesting article about the common use and (sometimes funny) misuse of popular texting phrases. Thought you'd appreciate knowing, once and for all, what these quips really mean:

* UG2BK . . . . . . . You've got to be kidding
* GBTW. . . . . . . . Get back to work
* NMP . . . . . . . . . Not my problem
* PIR . . . . . . . . . . Parent in room
* GFTD. . . . . . . . . Gone for the day
* FYEO. . . . . . . . . For your eyes only
* BI5 . . . . . . . . . . Back in five minutes
* DEGT . . . . . . . . Don’t even go there
* BIL . . . . . Boss is listening
* PAW. . . . Parents are watching
* 99 . . . . . . Parents are no longer watching
* PCM . . . . Please call me
* IMS. . . . . I am sorry
* TOY. . . . . Thinking of you
* KUTGW. . Keep up the good work
* CID . . . . . Consider it done
* FWIW. . . For what it’s worth
* HAND . . . Have a nice day
* IAT . . . . . I am tired
* NRN . . . . No response necessary
* 4COL. . . . For crying out loud
* WRUD. . . What are you doing
* LMIRL. . . Let’s meet in real life
* ^5 . . . . . . High five
* NSFW.....Not safe for work
* LOL...Laugh out loud
* OMG.....Oh my god
* WOMBAT....Waste of money, brains, and time
* TTYL....Talk to you later
* WTF....What the #$&@
* IMO....In my opinion
* BFN....Bye for now
* ROFL....Rolling on the floor laughing
* LMAO....Laughing my @%$ off
* BFF....Best friends forever
* SWDYT....So what do you think
* WDYM....What do you mean
* GNOC....Get naked on camera
* POS....Parent over shoulder
* IWSN....I want sex now
* HBU....How 'bout you
* CIL....Check in later

Have another to share? Put it in comments and I'll add it.

TTFN (ta ta for now!)

~Ally

Changes

1. My friend had a baby! A preemie and both she and mom are doing fine.

2. I am on vacation this week. Not "vacation from my problems," just vacation from my job! :)

3. I watched the movie Trust the Man twice last week and it was hilarious both times! Rent it!

4. This month, I am taking a baby making drug that will hopefully help us get pregnant.

5. Did not get the job I interviewed for last week - sorry about that. Will keep trying.

6. It is August.

7. Mom is leaving soon for Mexico. I am gathering goodies for the various birthdays they will celebrate there.

8. Mom's house is on the market. It's a winner so check it out!

9. We got to see fireworks at the Pittsfield Balloon Rally on Saturday night, and they were spectacular - like no other fireworks!

10. I am planning a beach day this week if the weather cooperates (and maybe even if it doesn't).

~Ally

Take a Vacation From To-Do-ing

says Karen at Cheerio Road. You really must read her profound thoughts...

Allison's Aztec Casserole

Aztec Casserole
~Pastel o Budin Azteca~
adapted from the traditional Mexican cookbook Lauren made for me

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breast, cooked, shredded or cubed
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes (with spices added)
1 11-oz. can Super Sweet Yellow & White corn
1 small can salsa verde (green salsa made from jalapenos)
1/2 lb. shredded cheese (Cheddar or Mexi-blend)
2 flour tortillas, burrito-sized
boil-in-bag white rice, cooked according to package
1/2 green pepper, diced
olive or Canola oil for frying
spices: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic salt, basil, lemon pepper
(sour cream optional)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit). Lightly grease a 9x9 baking pan.

Cook chicken - lightly salt, pepper, and lemon pepper.
Cook rice - season with onion powder, garlic salt, and basil.

Use skillet to lightly fry two tortillas, not to the point of crispy.
Then add oil and saute green pepper.



Cut each tortilla in half; use two halves as the first layer of the casserole.

Add half the tomatoes and corn.

Add half the diced chicken and rice.


Add half the green peppers and dot with spoonfuls of salsa verde.

Cover with half the cheese.

Repeat each layer. Cheese should top the casserole. (Can add sour cream to top if desired.)


Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. (You may have leftover tomatoes and will have extra salsa verde.)


ENJOY!

~Ally