Green Chili Soup

Because it is suppose to be -3 tonight,
Because I love it,
Because I miss being at home in Oregon with my family,
Because a little boy in the produce section of the store looked up at me with his big brown eyes and said "it's like Antarctica outside",
Because it is spicy,
Because it is Thursday night,
Because I need to eat,
Because I love it (oh I think I mentioned that already),
I made Green Chili Soup. And I promise if you like a little slice of Mexico in your soups you will love this low calorie high flavor put a zip in your step soup.



You will need:

8 cups Vegetarian No Chicken Chicken broth (if you choose the carnivore way of life feel free to use regular chicken broth)

1 onion, finely chopped

2 packages Roasted Chicken Gray Mix

3 cans (7 oz each) mild chopped green chilies

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

2 can (28 oz) white hominy, drained


Optional Additional Ingredients:

1 can Ro-Tel

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Cheese

How to:

In a large pot, combine vegetarian broth (or chicken broth) and onion. Over high heat bring to boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 mins.




Use a whisk to blend gravy mix into the broth.



Once completely blended add chilies,



garlic,



cilantro,



cumin,



jalapenos,



and hominy.



Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; once to boil reduce heat to low.

Scoop into a soup bowl, add a garnish of sour cream, cheese, or whatever your little heart desires, serve, and enjoy!!!!

B2

Following the pool tournament Meegan, my bro, and I headed to a local dive where we met up with Shimmy and Paul (also a high school classmate). After the initial “how have you been for the past year” conversation, we had the show down of all show downs at the Shuffle Board table.



My bro (I am missing a picture of him, so my mug will have to do for our team picture) and I against..



Meegan and Paul



Check out that red puck, yes we were the red team and my brother hit this money shot. Chad and I kicked some serious tail.



Meegan, we will call her Coach Meegan; then paired up with Shimmy for what they hoped would be a better match against B2.



But again they were no match against this power house.

B2 was triumphant in all the Shuffle Board games played. There is no match for this brother sister team.

After many drinks by some, we won’t mention any names Meegan, we headed home for the night. We closed down the Peacock, when was the last time this old lady stayed awake long enough to close down a bar?

Annual Christmas pool tournament.

Three years ago four wild hooligans descended on McMenamin’s to duel it out in a pool tournament.


My brother


Shimmy ( a high school friend)


Meegan ( my high school best friend)


Myself

Came with pool sticks blazzn’ ready for the contest placed before them.

This year while at home for Christmas we met up for the third time, and the girls were going to conquer the battle this year. We won’t mention that Shimmy was unable to make it, so my brother was carrying the weight for the guy’s team, which is not relevant, right?







The girls prevailed at least on one game.



Okay, okay, so the only reason we won is because my brother scratched on the 8 ball. But it is still a ‘W’ nonetheless, sorry bro!

The night continued with a true competition at the shuffle board table inside the Peacock. I will reveal those fun and tenses details tomorrow.

It is certainly a new year!!

Anyone that may not be certain it is in fact January 4, 2010 simply stop by any local gym in your area. You don’t really need to go into the gym, driving by the parking lot will be sufficient. I tend to arrive between 4:30-5pm, never having a problem finding a place to park or locating a vacant treadmill to execute my daily running. Today however, was a completely different story. Traveling up the hill to my gym I knew immediately there was a problem……….cars lining the street, what is going on? Oh there must be a party at the apartment complex across the street. I was proven extremely wrong when I topped the hill and noticed the parking lot at the gym was overflowing into the street. People have fallen out of the woodwork and landed in my gym, which is wonderful. I am always super duper excited when people exercise it is phenomenal for the mind, body, and soul. I love all my great friends at the gym; my life is so enriched by their addition to my daily life. However, all of the consistent members would be greatly blessed if our new gym friends would stay past February, and the newbies would be blessed to experience the amazing effects exercising and working out does for one’s self. Nonetheless, being a gym member for as long as I have, I know that come February we will be back to not fighting for treadmills, not eyeing weight machines waiting for someone to complete their set, and not casually trying to beat another member to the bench press.

May you all find this new year to be one that provides you with strength to stick with your resolutions; determination to persevere during times of discouragement and doubt; and pillars of encouragement to hold those around you accountable.

Love Ya,
Jen

Just call me wilderness girl.

Following Christmas my brother and I hit the slopes and had the best time. The snow was good, the weather was amazing, and the most fabulous part was, we had the mountain more or less to ourselves. There were no out of control snowboarders to dodge, no beginner skiers to keep a close eye on, and no young children taking up the entire mountain. This was a new type of skiing for me, typically I have all the above to hurdle plus much more.

When we left my parent's house to go over the river and through the wood up the winding road to Willamette Pass it was crummy weather. Spitting rain and super foggy, but as we got closer to the mountain the weather improved, and when we rounded the corner into the parking lot this is what we saw.



And when we got to the top of lift we saw this….



And this….



And this….



I felt as though I was on top of the world. The blue sky above me, the snow below, and way below me the clouds that were dropping rain on Corvallis.



We did a lot of skiing and enjoyed the peaceful tranquility that was Willamette Pass following the Christmas weekend.



I also pulled out my wildness skills. While traveling up the lift, I turned to my brother and asked "do you know what time it is". His response of yes was interrupted when I said “oh wait let me guess”........Pointing to my left I said "that is North, and if we pretend a clock is on the ground with noon pointing north, than from the shadow of the lift it appears to be about 1pm". I am pretty sure my brother was shocked, because it was in fact 1pm and the shadows on the ground represented my analysis. He said "wow, I am impressed", I said with a smile on my face "oh that’s nothing……. just call me wilderness girl".



My bro lived it up, taking jumps………





and tossing tricks, he was like a kid in a candy store.





I am not the thrill seeker that my brother is, you are not going to see me “catching air” off of a jump.



I enjoyed my time on the mountain, don’t get me wrong I still love the tricky runs….blues and blacks, but I am more cautious than my snowboarding buddy.



Wowzer it looks like I am creeping down the mountain in that pix, I promise I was not.

We had a blast, a memory that will forever be etched in my mind and heart….three things I love a lot, my brother, skiing, and the sun. I had them all wrapped up in a pretty package just for me.








More fun thrill seeking adventures....on a non slippery surfaces, heading your way soon.

Love ya,
Jen

The friendly skies?

I set out today to share some of my fun /crazy stories and pictures from the past week…….my ski trip with my brother, to karaoke, to an annual pool tournament and much much more. However, that post will have to wait while I share my experience with the friendly skies.

Amidst the frustration that yesterday provided I do have to sit here and smile. Isn’t life all about the adventures we take, if so I have truly lived life the past week with yesterday being no exception.

Being the over organized and particular person I am I like to check-in online for all my flights. Not only does this save time it also saves a buck or two and who is not interested in that? Yesterday morning was like any other morning prior to catching a departing flight….oh wait a min, let me fill you in on little piece of information that will sooner rather than later become critical to this adventure, I didn’t go to bed on Friday night. There I said it, and anyone that knows me well knows I need my sleep to function in a dignified and classy manner. But I do have a good reason for not going to bed, however that story will just have to wait as well.

Sooooooo, back to checking in online, for some reason the United Airlines website would not let me check-in. I tried every angle spending at least 30 mins trying to make the website work to my advantage. It was no use, I was going to have to surrender to checking my bags through at the airport, I can’t quite remember the last time I did that, but this was going to be fun right? Upon arriving at the airport I heaved my bags out of the car. I was only gone for a week nonetheless I have yet to figure out how to pack on the light side, so I had two 50lbs bags I was lugging around. I stepped up to curb side check-in and the case was cracked wide open!!!! I was not able to check in online because………drum roll please………….I, Miss. Jennifer Barrington reside on a federal watch list. Yes, the girl who’s motto is “rules are meant to be followed if they weren’t they would be called suggestions” is on a federal terrorist watch list, WHAT!!!! Well let me be more specific, I personally am not, but a name close to mine is on this “list”. So the reason I was not able to check-in online is because I had to get clearance to travel the friendly skies. While I was not sweating bullets thinking they are going to find out I drove 2 miles over the speed limit this morning driving home, but I was thinking this is crazy I could have saved $10 by checking in online. Oh well, an adventure right? For any of you that may be wondering......I was given clearance to board my flight from Portland to Denver.

I really thought “this is the hiccup for the day, the rest of the day will be smooth sailing”. I should learn that I really know nothing and that when I start to think things are going to go smoothly I am typically proven wrong and yesterday was a great example. Let the adventure begin………………

The following will provide a slice of the adventure I was so blessed to be a part of on 1.2.10:

1) My flight was delayed out of Portland by 45 mins.

2) Our Flight Attendant went through the cabin in route to Denver stopping at everyone’s set to let each individual know where their connecting gate was. At her stop on row 17 I hear this……….."there is no way you are going to make your connecting flight, and your flight is the last one out of Denver to Tulsa tonight, you might want to prepare yourself to spend the night in Denver".

3) This is where that sleepy part comes in………..I didn’t get frustrated. Yes, your ears are cleaned out and working just fine, you heard me correctly. Not an ounce of anger, frustration, annoyance, or any other negative feeling surged through my body. This little baby is growing up, and becoming a lot more laid back, let the trumpets sound!!! I learned a very valuable lesson about rolling with the punches, my lessons from this past week will come your way in days ahead.

4) We landed, I ran, and I barely made my connecting flight. I think that was the same routine which played out In Houston last week. How did you make your flight you may ask……….prayer, running, prayer, sweating and battling high heels (which I swear I will never wear to fly again, it will be tenis shoes from here on out baby), and more prayer. I am certain prayer was the biggy, for I had 15 mins, from touchdown to take off, God willing I made my connecting flight.

What a journey……….I made it back to Tulsa with just a slight glitch………..my bags didn’t join me. It is 3:15 the day following this great adventure and I still do not have a large chunk of my bathroom and closet. Let the journey continue........

Love ya,
Jen

P.S. I was able to retrieve my bags this afternoon. I now can shower, apply make-up, and dress. I am sure anyone I would have come in contact with is very thankful for the speedy work on the part of United to get my bags to me.

Hello 2010!!!

Happy New Year!!

Oh what a year 2009 was, filled with LOTS o’ fun, even more adventures, extraordinary blessings, and a few frustrated tears along the way. Despite all the excitement that was 2009, I have to say I am not sad to see it go; I welcomed 2010 with open arms, excitement in my heart, and a handful of great friends. A quick snap shot of my little ordinary life during the past year…………….



No better way to spend a birthday than feeling the wind in your hair, sun on your face, skies on your feet, and your best friend by your side.



An extraordinary friend....love you Nicole!!



This Is how I spent my 30th birthday in Breckenridge last February.



I trained, I ran, and I conquered the Oklahoma City Memorial ½ Marathon in April.



I took on the amazing opportunity of being a small group co-leader at my church for 6 (only 5 of them pictured above) extraordinary 8th grade girls during September.






In September mother and I headed to D.C. to visit Chad, Ashley and some family.







New Year's Eve 2009



Closing out 2009 and ringing in 2010 with some wonderful people in Oregon.

As 2009 comes to an end, my prayer is that you and your loved ones are blessed with abounding happiness and extraordinary adventures in the year ahead. That 2010 brings you promises of new dreams to fulfill, new goals to reach, and new joys to discover!

Love ya,
Jen