Jillien's 2 Sides of Fun May 7, 2012

Hello
15 years ago this week I was engaged and getting married 3 days from now.  My friends and family were coming from all over the country and the world.  My parents lived in Japan at the time. 
We started out the week with a golf tournament, boat rides, happy hours, breakfasts, dinners, a Wonderful Rehearsal Dinner at my inlaws house Yee Haw! etc.... 
It was magical, festival and fun and I had the best wedding with family and friends that any girl could wish for.  My parents are the best! Thank You!

Well,  here we are 15 years later with 3 kids and we are happier than ever still.  Hunter just turned 13, Q is 10 and Ry Brook is 7. 

Our site is called "Two Sides Of Fun" and that is so funny as sometimes as a mom I think 2 different things.  What would I do if my day and night were clear and I did not have a family and what my reality is....

Tonight is Monday Night which happens to be one of the most popular Happy Hour Nights.  My friend Yvette who is a fabulous mom still goes out every Monday and if she does not post about the 3M's my week is not complete.  I love the fact she embraces Mondays like that. 

If I was single or just married with no kids and no responsibilities I would be going to a fabulous restaurant here in Eastlake called Valentinos  http://www.valentinoslounge.com/.  They have such amazing sushi, appetizer and drink specials and we do go there often. 

However, I am married with kids so I  will pick up the kids from school, take Brook to gymnastics and then attend Q's baseball game.  I will eat a hot dog or a hamburger from the snack bar and will count my blessings as I cheer on my Yankees Team. 

I am happy either way- going to Valentinos and or eating a hot dog at the field.  I am and have "Two Sides Of Fun."

Thanks Jillien

Meatless Monday-Graduation

Happy Monday!

I know it is Meatless Monday and I will tell you that I am super busy today as all of my 3 kids have practice on Mondays but love to come home and have fresh stuff ready for yummy burritos.  We are ready for that. 

We have no time to make meat nor do we need to as we can all get our nutrients with a non-meat burrito.  I will be gone all afternoon picking kids up from school but when we get home we will make sure we have fresh pinto beans or beans from a can as those are fine too.  Rosaritos Beans are so yummy.
We also always have shredded cheese and tortillas and tomatoes and lettuce and onions and salsa.  I will also make sure to have tortilla chips in case they want to make NACHOS.


Tomorrow is May 1st and that means Spring is wrapping up and Summer is coming.  Lots of things will happen between now and Summer.  Tons of school activities as well as Graduations are being planned and lots of summer parties as well.  Proms are in full swing and my nieces are going to graduate from high school.  One is going to Santa Barbara and One is going San Diego Sate.  Please stayed tuned as Rachel and I will be posting some super FUN IDEAS for Graduations. 

Thanks Rachel and Jillien

Yummy Appetizer

Here is a Super Yummy Appetizer from one of my bestest friends Kelly.  She brings this to all of our family get togethers.  It is EASY, Pretty HEALTHY and LOVED by everybody at the party. 

Buy and clean and cut Endive Lettuce
Add a little gorgonzola cheese on each leaf
Top with Candied Pecans

You are good to go and a hit at any party you go to.....
Enjoy!
Jillien 

Easy Enchiladas

This Easy Enchilada recipe has earned me lots of compliments and it is Super

Easy and can be made the night before so all you have to do is pop them in the
oven the next day.
What you will need:
12 corn tortillas
1 28oz can of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce (Red or Green)
1 4 cup bag of shredded cheese (I have used shredded cheddar, shredded monterey
jack or any queso blanco)
1 1/2 cups cooked meat (optional) shredded beef, ground beef, ground turkey or
shredded chicken
3-4 tablespoons oil                                                                           

What to do:
Coat each tortilla with oil using your hands or a brush. Place them on a cookie
sheet and bake in a 500 degree oven for about 7 minutes. Take out to cool until
they are not too hot to touch.
Pour just enough sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish to cover the it. Pour
the rest of the sauce in a large bowl. Dip tortillas, one at a time, in the bowl
to coat with sauce.
Lay the tortilla in baking dish and if you're using the meat, put in about 2
tablespoons. Place the cheese on top of the meat or if it is just cheese you are
making put 2-3 tablespoons of cheese in each tortilla. Fold one edge over the
cheese, then the other one, then turn the whole thing over, folded side down, in
baking dish. Do this for every tortilla. Sprinkle any leftover sauce and/or
cheese on top of enchiladas.


Place in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Top with Sour Cream, diced tomatoes, black olives and shredded lettuce and you
can always make a pot of rice and offer El Paso Refried Beans for a side dish.
I like to make 1 dish of "Just Cheese" and 1 of "Meat and Cheese" as this is
very inexpensive to make but very yummy and serves a lot of people.

Enjoy!
Jillien and Rachel

Meatless Monday on Wednesday

For those that gave up meat for Lent or those that don't ever eat 

meat we are doing a special Meatless Monday post today- 

Wednesday.  
It is a great easy pasta recipe that I make quite often for my 

vegetarian friends.  Try it tonight for your Meatless Monday Meal. 

 1 (16 oz package of pasta- I like farfalle pasta but any kind is fine) 

 2 roma tomatoes diced 
 1/2 cup olive oil 
 1 cup of fresh parmesan cheese                       
 1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves cut into pieces                       
 Salt and Pepper 
 
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and then add in pasta.  

Cook for about 8 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.  

Drain pasta.  
In a large bowl add the pasta al dente and all the ingredients and sprinkle the 
top with some additional shredded parmesan cheese and a little salt and pepper.  
 
Super Yummy!  
This recipe will serve about 6-8 people.  
Enjoy! 
 

Spring Break

Spring Break is either happening now or right around the corner for most of us.  My family still has not decided what do, where to go, or should we stay home for a "Staycation?"

Well, either way we have lots of choices: stay in San Diego and enjoy all the things we have to do here in this beautiful fine city or pack up the car and drive to a destination we have never been to.  The great thing is that with the Internet we can easily create a vacation designed for our family and on the small budget we have available.  With gas being so expensive "Staycations" are becoming more popular but with the deals you can find on hotels, plane tickets, theme park tickets, meals etc., you can still "Get Away" on a modest budget. 

So if you are in the same boat as we are and are still looking for a Spring Break destination or even a place to go for a long weekend utilize the Internet and create a "Dream Trip for You and Your Family” I use websites like expedia.com, orbitz.com, priceline.com, and hotwire.com or kayak.com.  They have all been around for years and helped many people save lots of money on hotels, plane flights and rental cars.

So now where do you go?

Well, according to www.usnews.com here are the Top Destinations for this

Spring Break 2012

South Padre Island is a fabulous Spring Break destination with beautiful resorts and beaches, trails to hike, museums, water parks and a great nature center.  It is ranked #1 in Best Cheap Spring Break Destinations

Miami Beach.  We all know that when it is Spring Break Miami Beach seems to be place you want to be seen.  It is filled with exotic resorts, expensive boutiques and upscale restaurants and nightclubs.  But you can also visit Miami Beach on a budget and have just as much fun.  During the day hang out on the beach at either South Beach or Ocean Beach and remember to pack a cooler for the day. There are museums to visit including the Holocaust Memorial and a place called Jungle Island, which is fun for the kids.  By night live it up and eat a fancy restaurant but plan ahead and get a coupon from restaurant.com.

Cancun has been a favorite for Americans for many years.  Why?  Well, is has managed to keep it's reputation as a place that has cheap accommodations but nice, stretches of gorgeous beaches, and lots to do at night.  The laid-back attitude will help everyone relax on vacation.

Puerto Vallarta is also known for their beautiful beaches and fun places to hike in the mountains and coves and just explore.  There are wonderful Happy Hour deals at almost every restaurant.  So once you have a full belly check out one of the many Nightlife Clubs and dance the night away.

Puerto Rico It has all the features you would expect from an Island like fancy hotels, yummy restaurants, nightlife and the best part is you are in the Caribbean but still on US Soil.

Bahamas is the place to go especially if you live on the East Coast.  The water is crystal clear blue and you can enjoy the gorgeous beaches, hike Lucayan National Park and shop at Port Lucaya Marketplace.  Don't forget to visit the famous Atlantis Resort while you are there or better yet make that

your home during Spring Break.

Cabo San Lucas although it is known for expensive luxury hotels, you can normally find a deal on the airfare and then I suggest you find a nightly Happy Hour.  CSL is the Party Capital of Southern Baja so if you are looking to get away in style, relax party and enjoy the clubs this is the place to go. 

Jamaica if you have always wanted to escape to the Caribbean, Jamaica is the place to go.  You can hang out on the beach all day, enjoy the water sports, eat lunch by the pool and at nighttime visit a club or a restaurant and be sure to check out and enjoy the local steel drum musicians.

Daytona has been a college favorite forever.  They even did a movie about it called Spring Break.  It is the NASCAR capital.  You can drive on the beach and it is filled with clean economical hotels to fit any budget.

These last 2 are not from usnews.com but they are destinations that our family has chosen after reviewing all our options.  We are going to stay here in San Diego for 3 days and enjoy our local beaches, Sea World, Legoland and our famous San Diego Zoo.

Then we are going to head to Phoenix/Scottsdale Arizona to take in a few Spring Training Games.  The Padres as well as the Cubs and many others train in Arizona and it is a great place to try to meet your favorite baseball player and to see a game and the players up close.  Phoenix/Scottsdale offers tons of resorts and hotels at every price range and while we are there we will eat a few of the many tasty restaurants.  Again, I will visit www.restaurant.com and find one that sounds good and suits our budget.

I encourage you all to also utilize these websites when planning your Spring Break Trip and save money where you can as if you do your trip will be 5 Star on a 3 Star budget.

Pack some snacks, have fun and don't forget your sunscreen.

Jillien

Day 36 of 40 Days of Gratitude: My health

I felt kind of crappy earlier this week and today I feel normal.  It's amazing how much we take feeling good for granted, so today I am grateful for good health. 

Salud!

Rachel