Creamy Chicken Enchiladas.

I love these gringo enchiladas I made last night, enjoy!

6 flour soft taco size tortillas
one chicken breast (grilled and cubed or shredded)
4 oz. cream cheese
1 jar mild or hot salsa (any one you like)
1 small tub of sour cream
mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350
Cube cream cheese in bowl and add just grilled chicken. Blend until cheese become melted. Add half of the salsa. set aside.
Combine sour cream with other half of salsa, you can also add cayenne pepper for extra seasoning.
spread a layer of sour cream mixture on the bottom of a 4x6 baking dish.
heat tortillas.
Spread a handful size of cream cheese mixture in tortilla, roll and place in dish, seam side down.
Repeat for all tortillas.
drizzle the top with left over sour cream mixture. Add a layer of the mexican cheese blend.
Cook in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and you can see bubbling. Serves 2-3 people.

YUM! I also like to dip mine in hot sauce!

i like it alot.

I was pondering how I often go through phases with things, mostly food products, etc. well these are my currents:

Cholula Hot Sauce
I never thought I was much of a hot sauce fan until I tasted this stuff it has aperfect hint of lime...

Diet Mountain Dew
The best diet soda on the planet

ICE.

I LOVE to chew ice after my meals, it's so perfectly refreshing.

Green Bell Peppers
I often crave the crisp first bite into one of these, I can eat them like apples and I'm always at the store when they're on sale.

Carne Asada Tacos

I'm ALWAYS wanting mexican food, more specifically these.

Huntington Beach Cottages

Particularly this one on Crest Ave. next to a park, and 6 blocks from the beach. It's $1.6 million, I really don't understand why Robert hasn't bought it for me yet.

Our new apartment in Newport!

i.e. my new kitchen! this isn't ours, but its the same plan, i've yet to decorate ours!

My Roberto.

I honestly cannot wait.

first things first.

So i started school this week, and so far so OK. Usually I'm all pumped up the first week of school, loving my major and stoked to get smarter...but this year, it's not that I'm unmotivated, I'm just like "meh." My classes are good, and as Karen Kleinfelder put it (my 20th c. art proffessor) "Alot of you are really smart, like really, but nothing has ever been asked of you that's out of your comfort zone." and it's so true, I've always just skated by in school. Part of me says this semester can be different, considering it's my last, and part of me says yea right, it'll be just like the rest. we'll see...I'd like to graduate with at least a 3.8. All in all it should be good I just have to keep my priorities in check telling myself, "NO kari you don't need to go to Target and get a cute shelf to put in your bathroom, you do need to write your term paper though!" argh! so excited to live a normal married life!

In other news we got our apartment! It's in Newport Beach almost to Costa Mesa. Just a little 650 square footer with stainless steel appliances, granite counters and a 42" flat screen TV! I know right?! Needless to say after school yesterday I hurried over there and "read" as I watched Food Network, aaahhh cable I've missed you so...

Also, we're in the process of taking our engagements with Dre! We took some on Monday but ran out of light so we're going back on Saturday! I like them all so far, but here's one from the top of my list

ok ok this one too

bride-to-be. busy bee. that's me.

maybe baby.

DISCLAIMER: we are not going to have kids right away.

but i just couldn't resist showing the world this tender moment between robert and our friends' baby Avery, they lived in Huntington Beach all summer, and Robert and her got pretty close, needless to say, we were pretty sad to see them go...

in other news, i was running on the beach this morning and i saw this bum sleeping on the same bench as he is every morning that i go running, sometimes i see him reading or sitting up, he seems pretty normal. but today as i ran past him a second time on my way home i saw him praying, his head was down, his arms were crossed, there's no doubt in my mind he was saying good morning to his Heavenly Father. and that was a comfort to me.

curious cats.

Here's a better picture of my ring. i had to use the copy machine to get all the details, hence it attached to a rolled up piece of paper...

I'm still afraid to wear it to bed, i have no idea why but i have this nightmare of losing it in my sheets, even though losing it in your bed is probably one of the safest places to lose it, as compared to the first time my mom saw it in a dumpy gas station in the garment district of downtown LA. let's just say i wore it upside down for the rest of the day after all the creepy looks i got.

details: the band is only 1mm wide with diamonds have the way down, the center stone is 1.1 carats, and it is 14k yellow gold!

now i just can't wait to have my solid yellow gold band to go with it, because that means i'll be married! (and almost done with college :))

spoony.

Robert's word of the day a few days back was spoony:

spoony \SPOO-nee\, adjective:

1. Foolish; silly; excessively sentimental.
2. Foolishly or sentimentally in love.

that's us in a nutshell. well i'm sure you all already know but WE'RE ENGAGED! that's right, on Friday August 1st, 2008 Robert finally popped the question! eek!

what started out as simply our first road trip together, turned into the trip i will never ever forget! i love him and he loves me, and now its forever, gosh i love that man!

so as you can imagine these past two weeks i have been scrambling to get things done before i go back to school, and might i say i'm pretty proud of our progress...we have a temple date, my dress is being made, we have a reception location, we almost have a caterer, we have a cupcake lady, we have our honeymoon booked and after debating over invitations for a week, i've decided i don't care anymore so we're just using the ones that i originally liked long before marriage was actually in the picture. only 91 more days! woohooo!!

on another note, today is the first day since the engagement that i find myself bored at work, but i'm sure it won't last long. this being the case i found myself thinking this...

on my way to work i stopped by Pavillions to get cream cheese for bagels and i saw tree trimmers climbing up trees with the spike boots and everything and i was reminded of a story my good friend Zach once told me about a man who actually died from suffocation of being inside an old palm tree and choking on the dust and i thought...hmm that's kinda an ideal way to go. it was a pure accident, not saying it wasn't tragic and sad. but i think at my funeral i would like people to be saying "what a dork, she went and died on us." i want a good life, and i want it to be my time to go, but i would like people to be happy for me and laugh at my idiocy in accidental death. strange but it would be ideal for me.

this is the day after the engagement when we met up with practically his whole family at the Sacramento Temple for his nephew's wedding...I half felt bad for stealing the thunder of the wedding that day and half loved the fact that ours will be the next one!

We deserve each other.

So friday night Robert and I had been planning on doing a double date in Hollywood with our summer friends Mike and Carly. So we head down there for what i think will be dinner, seeing the stars and taking lots of dorky pictures. i was even kinda looking forward to the chance to see a star homes tour...so we get there and eat at this cool place called UWink, it was established by the same guy that did Chuck 'e' Cheese and Atari. it was fun because we played trivia and pictionary-esque games the whole time we ate

So we're sitting there for forever enjoying our games, and i start to get ancy to go see the sites. so we leave and start walking down Hollywood blvd away from grauman's and the el capitan and most importantly the Disney Soda Fountain! so i'm just goin' with the flow and occasionally mention to Rob, "where are we going? we're walking reallly far." but he just makes up some excuse and i was having fun reading all the stars with him so i kinda shrugg it off. so then, we get right in front of the Pantages theatre and Carly says, "Rob i have to use the restroom." and then there's talk of wondering if the Pantages will let us use theirs even though we don't have tickets and i'm just like "yea right don't be silly guys." and then rob says "Well, you wanna go in there?" and my heart starts to race, and honestly from there on it was kinda a blur. all i remember is walking into this beautiful room with people trying to sell me programs and rob handing me a ticket. and i wanted to take pictures i was just in so much shock! i had been bugging him about wanting to see it since we started dating, and here he had bought the tickets forever ago and was able to keep it a surprise! what a great man i've grabbed...

The play was really good! it was Rob's first real Broadway play and it was like no other i've ever seen! the story was so good that intermission was long because i wanted to know what happens next! Now i just need to buy the soundtrack! This night i will never forget!

this is outside after the play, i think i was smiling that big all night.

on our way down the Blvd. everyone knew but me!

p.s. you all should make a point to go, it's ending this year!

hippo-crates.

i remember the first time i read the word "hippocrates" in 8th grade i pronounced it "hippo-crates" and giggled for about an hour during SURE reading...

so i'm a hypcrite. i have not said a thing lately, but yet as i sit incredibly bored at work counting down the minutes until 2pm...i feel angsty when someone has not updated their blog. and most of them have children, so really, i'm just not nice.

anyways, the 4th was great! Instead of paying the $40 some bucks to run in the HB 4th of July 5k, i ran my own 5k, and the best part was PCH was closed so i got to run in the street on a beautiful cloudy Independence day morning. Then it was off to the parade/breakfast extravaganza

let's just say i ran for the table when the maple bars came out.

And we saw Ruby!

That night the fireworks were so good!

only in HB.

Since then it feels like the summer is flying by so fast! every week Rob and i have something planned! and during the week i feel like i live for the weekend! so i'm trying to make the best of my free time, what i have left of it that is.

Did you know today is Disneylands 53rd birthday?? yes, it is true, maybe i should make it a cake.

the other day my coworker/roommate asked a bunch of us "if you could be anything, do any profession and skills were not a matter you would just automatically have the skills and means to do it, what would it be?" at first i answered photographer, because i would love to be the person to make memories like this:

and don't get me wrong, that really is a serious dream of mine. but the more i considered the "means" being included, i decided i'd run a bakery. Not too posh like sprinkles, but not too ho-dunky hippy either, just right with shabby chic furniture and big multi-pane windows...i'd give out free mini-cupcakes every friday morning and i'd make maple everything and lots of sprinkles. and eventually it'd turn into a catering business and we'd do all those infamous mormon weddings where they don't serve dinner, just lots and lots of pastries. and when i have kids, they'd grow up there and help me decorate cup cakes, and those ones would be cheaper so more people would buy them and my kids would feel so needed. and we'd be successful and happy and everyone would love our shop. that's what i'd do.

Bob Marley is slowly becoming my anthem this summer, maybe its from all the fun times by the pool with him playing...either way, this is a summer for the record books.

nostalgic.

ok so i wasn't tagged...but i kinda miss myspace for my bored times at work, so enjoy!

Attached or Single? Attached.
Best Friend? Roberto. and mofo.
Cake or Pie? rainbow chip.
Day of Choice? March 8th.
Essential Items? chap stick, gum, phone, Robert.
Favorite Color? yellow.
Gummy Bears or Worms? sour gummy worms.
Home Town? Oxnard/Newbury Park
Indulgences? eating out, rite aid ice cream, thrift stores.
January or July? July.
Kids? for sure.
Like or Love? love <3
Marriage Date? I'll keep you posted...
Number of Siblings? five. Julie, mike, Erica and Trev.
Phobias/fears? the dark, and losing someone close to me.
Quotes? "let the beauty of what you love, be what you do."
Reason to Smile? summer time and silly robertito...
Season? Summer.
Tag Four: Mel, Natalie/David, josh/Kim, and Bethany
Unknown fact about me? i really like the smell of air conditioning.
Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? i often order carne asada at Mexican restaurants these days.
X-Rays or Ultrasounds? ultrasounds because that means I'm married and pregnant.
Your Favorite Food? peanut butter, ice creams, oreos, breads.
Zodiac? Pisces.

mickey hats.

well let me start my introducing the newest member to the 23 club, Ms. Melanie Bean, ATC.

yes, that is cheese toast and yes we did have her birthday dinner at Sizzler, and YES i am going to try to convince Rob to let me go back there tonight.

They also have really good steak-sicles there.

it was really hot that weekend...Happy Birthday Mofo, hope you had as much fun as i did.

Robert and i also went to hike with my momma, i love those mountains, it's home.

on that trip to momma's i found my mickey hat, i was so excited to wear it last night

a bug family.

hope you enjoyed this, i sure did.

precious.

This is a photo from one of the first times rob and i ever went to disneyland as a real "couple" about 1 week into dating....

and here's one from the last time we went, about a year and a half of silliness later...

it's good to know some things haven't changed much.

running and graduating.

last week was a pretty crazy week. it started the friday before with carbo-loading to the extreme, well on whole wheat pasta and toast and raisins. boringggg.

then monday was race day, i couldn't sleep! i woke up at 4:45am! when we got down to the race it was raining! i was so scared!

of course i had to use the restroom...

then i got all stretched out

momma came too, here's me and her as i drink up my electrolytes

and here's proof that i finished...as if you were doubting me

then just a few days later it was fake-graduation time! yep, i "graduated" because i still have about 18 units left that will all be done as of this summer and fall, but they only have one ceremony a year, so the fam made it down for one eventful and super fun morning...

and now for the cutest baby palazuelos ever....

after nap-time, and i mean for me, rob, trev, and daniaelle not for nadia, it was down to laguna! the tide was high but it was beautiful as always...

i love that handsome beast.

ouch!

my half marathon is only 11 days away...i'm excited to accomplish it but i'm also excited to be able to walk down a flight of stairs and not have to grasp the hand rail for dear life in fear that my sore muscles will give way and i'll fall down and break a hip or something.

just finished my last week of classes and now finals this next week. i'm excited about my creative project for my 20th cetury art class that will depict all thats influenced me as i studied art from 1950-1990. just envision alot of mark rothko influence combined with a jenny holzer-like quote that says "the natural man is in a state contrary to natural happiness" i got the quote from the scriptures, somewhere in alma to be exact. and i think it describes how i feel about being almost subjected to so much banality and de-sensitizing truths through studying post-modern art. my question is, if THAT was post-modern...what are people producing now?

why didn't anyone warn me of all this when i signed up to have my emphasis in 20th c. art? that's def being switched to 19th c. with pretty monet's and renoir's! because at the end of the day when people out there are stuck in their world of over analyzation (which i end up being subjected to to get a good grade) i come home to my wonderful house, and wonderful trinckettes that bring smiles to my face. and maybe i'll sit and talk on the phone for an hour or so with my mom. make some dinner. or go excercise and spend the evening relaxing with my boyfriend who is my bestest friend in the whole world. you tell me then, when does all the questioning of banality or the surface deep structures of the media, when does that all matter in the grand scheme of things? when does that all matter when all i really want in life is to raise a family strong in the church and consume myself with that. my knowledge that i obtain through school will not be about over-analyzing the world around me, but analyzing a way to better live the life i have and therefore grow into a stronger person, who will help others grow someday as well.

that's why i think the natural man really is in a state contrary to natural happiness.

i will not be a part of the art world in that way. i'm so sorry karen.

a portfolio of sorts.

sometimes i chew so much gum that my jaw aches for days. that's been happening alot lately with my latest obsession with strawberry-banana gum.

on that note, here's some photos from over the years...i hope what they say is the truth, dreams do come true.

long distance memories.

so i've decided to delete my myspace. kinda strange. i've had the thing since i was 18 i believe it was...but now it's like i'm keeping it just to keep it, so it's leaving the realm of existence as of friday.

but in its honor i thought i'd pay tribute to some of my best memories by having one:

-many back and forth emails with melanie, the only way i stayed up to date with her provo life.

-getting to know my real life friends all that much better

-hours of stalking people we know with mel

-meeting the fenn's

-the day natalie asked me for my address, her way of telling me she was engaged

-meeting alex martinez, one of my favorite photographers of all time

-finally becoming un-addicted so i could love myself for who i was, not for my myspace

so there it is. adios myspace.

i ate chips and salsa and about 6 scoops of peanut butter for dinner tonight, let's just say i'm under alot of stress.

with the trip down memory lane i thought i'd pull out some old pictures for your enjoyment:

why did ANYONE ever let me dye my hair black?

who can forget grace's photoshoot...the night her myspace was born.
this shot was created during my about 4 week 80s streak.

ventura, black hair, pink sweatshirt and mega, the epitomy of 2004

oh momo nights, one of the many highlights of summer 2005.