Fist fight with a Noble Fir and giving Weight Watchers a hand

                   Oye vey. We are only 7 days away from Christmas, and I am not feeling the Christmas Spirit at all. It could be any number of things. It's 57˚ outside, with no hint of white Christmas or even chilly weather. Another big factor, this is the first holiday season I will spend away from both the Stewarts and the Robersons. But I've got a special stick in my craw today, the Christmas tree died early.
                   In an effort to get the tree replaced as quickly as possible, I agreed to strip the tree of it's decorations by myself. I am not one to jump into a situation that involves manual labor, in case you didn't know. But I do try to be helpful, so I signed on and it started out fine! The glittering tree bulbs came off easy enough, and I felt like I was making great time. But then it came time to take the lights off the tree. While Donnell & I decorated the tree the first time, I remember thinking "Really? Do we really need six strands of lights?". Again, that comes from my aversion to physical work, but I soldiered on anyway. And when only two strands were left, the lights became tangled in the tree. I pulled this way and that, but nothing. I continued to struggle, and the sweat began to drip from my head. Sweat dripping from my head makes me irrational, so naturally the dogs decided to go ape ****, barking at little children passing by. Between the barking, the sweating, and the tangled lights, I lost my cool and plunged my fist into the tree and tangled wires. If you're wondering what it feels like to a dead evergreen, I can assure you that it is quite unpleasant. As I type this, the flexing action of my hand aggravates the sore spots and reminds me of my bad judgement.
                    Rather than feeling sorry for myself, I am taking time to remind myself to chill out and be grateful. We spend so much time trying to prepare for this time of year, we can allow the distractions to take our focus off the reason for the season. So let's take time to count our blessings, and reflect on all the goodness that is bestowed upon us daily. Oh, and don't punch Christmas trees, it is not a wise thing
to do.

Weight Watchers Chimichanga Recipe 

-Jake Style

This recipe follows the original recipe fairly closely, but I omit the cheese and change up the spices. It's easy, fast and very good. Enjoy!

Ingredients 

1 medium onion

5 cloves of garlic

1 pound ground turkey 

1 packet of lower sodium taco seasoning 

1 can refried black beans

1 tsp ground cumin 

1 tbsp ground black pepper 

1 tbsp sea salt

1 can of refried black beans

1/2 cup of hot salsa

8 whole wheat tortillas 

Sour cream & salsa to add on top when cooked (about a tbsp of each per chimichanga)

Preheat oven to 350˚ 

1- Finely chop onion

2- Using a large sauce pan, coat with 3 tbsp of Olive Oil, and sauté onion, 8 minutes.

3- Using a garlic press, crush garlic. Add to onion, sauté one minute. 

4- Add ground turkey to pan, and break apart with a spatula. 

5- Continue to loosen meat as it cooks, add spices. Cook until browned.

6- Add black beans and salsa, and stir well. Salt & pepper to taste 

7- Open tortillas bag, place in microwave and cook for 45 seconds. 

8- Lay the first tortilla onto plate, ladle 1/8th bean/meat mixture on tortilla, fold in sides and roll up.

9- In 9"x 13" pan place each chimichanga seam down, line up evenly. 

10- Bake for 20- -30 minutes, until edges are browned. 

11- Serve with a dollop of sour cream and salsa on each chimichanga.