. . . 10X . . .

. . . about twenty years ago . . .

. . . a little boy in our neighborhood

wore a shirt that said . . .

{on the front}

. . . "the older i get" . . .

{and on the back}

. . . "the better i was" . . .

. . . truer words were never spoken/worn . . .

. . . what started out as 20/15 vision

is fading fast . . .

. . . putting on makeup's

getting trickier and trickier . . .

. . . so this week i treated myself

to a magnifying mirror . . .

. . . BIG mistake . . .

. . . WHOA!!!!!!! . . .

. . . pores . . .

. . . bloodshot eyes . . .

. . . saggy/flaky skin . . .

. . . zits AND wrinkles . . .

{shouldn't one end before the other begins?}

. . . crows feet . . .

. . . grey hairs . . .

. . . ALL TEN TIMES BIGGER THAN BEFORE . . .

. . . i know it's not the mirror's fault,

but may i have a refund, please? . . .

. . . hot & steamy . . .

. . . catching up on

a month's worth of ironing

during monsoon season . . .

. . . seems kind of redundant . . .

. . . pica mucho . . .

. . . this is the time of year when,

if i see someone smoking or drinking hot coffee,

i really don't get it . . .

. . . i mean ~ you know ~

it's already hot hot hot

and then to think of putting extra hot stuff

inside your body . . .

. . . anyway . . .

. . . now, salsa? . . .

. . . that's a completely different story . . .

. . . any time is salsa time . . .

. . . if there's no salsa in the fridge,

i hear about it, too! . . .

. . . sometimes even my neighbors

get a little miffed if i'm out . . .

{hi, sheena!}

. . . i get asked about this recipe a lot . . .

. . . so here goes . . .

. . . but, keep in mind this is more of a method

than exact quantities . . .

. . . much is left up to individual taste . . .

{i must give credit where credit is due.

my amazing neighbor taught me how to do this many years ago.

thanks renee!}

. . . here's the cast of ingredients . . .

• canned tomatoes ~ i like to use one really big can from costco {i forgot to see how many lbs/oz it was, but it's about the size of a gallon of milk ~ if you can picture that} you can use whole peeled or my favorite ~ ready cut/diced {you get more tomatoes per can that way}
• 6 fresh jalapenos {we like it spicy, but jalapenos vary in hotness depending on where they're grown/time of year/size}
• 3 fresh green chilis {these are not spicy ~ they just have great flavor}
• 2 bunches green onions
• 2 bunches cilantro
• 4 cloves garlic
• heaping tablespoon kosher salt

. . . start with a hot skillet . . .

. . . wash the jalapenos and green chilis . . .

. . . roast 'em up . . .

. . . no oil needed . . .

. . . let the skins char and blister . . .

. . . remove from heat . . .

. . . wash and drain cilantro . . .

{easiest way ~ fill your sink with cold water.

dunk and swish the bunches. dirt sinks to the bottom}

. . . trim roots from green onions . . .

. . . give them a rough slice . . .

. . . lop off cilantro

just above the rubber band . . .

{i use leaves, stems and all}

. . . place cilantro

on top of green onion slices . . .

. . . they're blurry,

but they're under there . . .

{it helps to keep those little slices from rolling around ~ try it}

. . . mince onions and cilantro

until desired size . . .

{i have people who do NOT appreciate big chunks}

. . . remove and discard stems

from chilis and peppers . . .

. . . if you can handle the heat {i can} ~

leave the seeds and veins in . . .

. . . peel garlic cloves . . .

{and whatever you do ~ don't wash your cutting board in between steps! :) }

. . . cut chilis and peppers

into one inch slices . . .

. . . toss garlic, chilis and peppers

into blender canister . . .

. . . something like a fancy vitamix

would be fun to use . . .

. . . i have to make do

with my cute red bosch . . .

. . . spoon in tomatoes and juice

until canister is about two-thirds full . . .

. . . blend it up . . .

. . . let it get good and pureed . . .

. . . you don't want to bite into

a big chunk of jalapeno or garlic . . .

. . . pour into a good sized mixing bowl . . .

. . . continue blending

{probably two more blenders full}

tomatoes . . .

. . . stir to combine . . .

. . . add kosher salt . . .

. . . now ~ taste it . . .

. . . see that jar in the windowsill? . . .

. . . i've got two of those in the fridge . . .

. . . leave me a comment

if you want to come pick one up . . .

. . . really . . .

. . . let's hear it for the pioneers . . .

. . . the 24th of july 1847 . . .

. . . the day the first group of mormon pioneers

entered the salt lake valley . . .

. . . after spending months crossing

{i.e. walking across}

the plains . . .

. . . i'm grateful for my ancestors

who sacrificed much

for that in which they believed . . .

. . . they are my heroes . . .

. . . now ~ in the worst segue ever . . .

. . . and since we don't live in utah ~

where pioneer day celebrations

are a really big deal

{and lots of fun} . . .

. . . we commemorated the day

by whipping up our own version

of one of pioneer woman's recipes . . .

{pioneer woman is in no way associated with the mormon pioneers.

her blogs and photography, however, are amazing}

. . . this sandwich is ALL about the sauce . . .

. . . mix up equal parts:

•best foods mayonnaise

•dijon mustard

•raspberry chipotle sauce . . .

{thanks, costco}

. . . then eat it with a spoon . . .

. . . i kid . . .

. . . spread it generously

on two pieces of sour dough bread . . .

{i like the inhouse bakery at safeway, but i'm still bitter that my bashas' closed}

. . . slice grilled chicken breasts

and place on both sides of sandwich . . .

{i have a thing about trying to wrestle a sandwich

with an entire grilled chicken breast inside ~

i prefer mine sliced ~ you can do whatever you want!}

. . . top with sliced sharp cheddar cheese . . .

{pepper jack is awesome, too ~ we were out}

. . . thinly sliced purple onion . . .

. . . and a handful of baby spinach leaves . . .

. . . grill it up . . .

. . . or use a panini press . . .

{i'm too lazy to wash mine if i only need two sandwiches}

. . . two words . . .

. . . yum yum . . .

. . . then remember the pioneers

and be grateful

for your air conditioned home . . .

. . . plenty to go around . . .

. . . back in stock . . .

. . . in a color that reminds me

of crayola's "carnation pink" . . .

. . . white on white . . .

. . . perfect for blessing or christening day . . .

{bonus ~ it matches any outfit!}

. . . two new flavors include . . .

. . . this ~ the softest baby pink

you can imagine . . .

. . . and bubble gum polka dot vintage chenille . . .

. . . thank heaven for little girls! . . .

{background fabric ~ bliss ~ sneak peek of upcoming quilt}

. . . did you feel it? . . .

. . . there was actually a raindrop tonight . . .

. . . see it? . . .

. . . there ~ on halleigh's shirt . . .

. . . oh ~ and another on addi's face . . .

. . . not too much success catching them on tongues, though . . .

. . . tate was really concerned . . .

. . . after two seconds outside in the "rain" . . .

. . . he said, "i need my jacket!" . . .

{you know ~ what with the thermometer reading a chilly 108 degrees at 8 pm and all}

{i'm not giving up on a real storm yet ~ lightning's still flashing and thunder's still crashing}

. . . i belong . . .

. . . today was all about addi . . .

. . . a very important day indeed . . .

. . . baptized and confirmed . . .

. . . officially a member of

the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints . . .

. . . and i think she likes her comforter, too . . .

{has so much mileage ever been gotten out of one project?

last time you'll see it ~ i promise}

. . . rules of engagement . . .

. . . boy returns from mission . . .

. . . boy tells mother

on the way home

from the airport . . .

. . . "it'll be years before i get married" . . .

. . . which, apparently, is "code" for . . .

. . . "i'm meeting her in five weeks" . . .

. . . it quickly becomes clear . . .

. . . that she's the perfect girl for him . . .

. . . boy commissions

friendly neighborhood jeweler

to craft beautiful diamond ring . . .

. . . boy waits patiently . . .

{fyi: boy did not wait patiently!}

. . . boy gets down on one knee with shaking hands . . .

. . . girl must have said yes . . .

{i wasn't there}

. . . boy and girl are very happy . . .

. . . so is mother/future mother-in-law . . .

. . . congratulations to drew and jessalyn . . .

. . . so much circles ~ part two . . .

. . . "bubbles everywhere"

quilting is finished . . .

. . . green polka dot binding's

been stitched down . . .

. . . the snuggliest pink minky backing's

been chosen . . .

. . . there's even a special message from me . . .

. . . it's been washed and dried

to a crinkly goodness . . .

. . . i hope she'll love it . . .

{shhh! don't tell ~ saturday's the big day}