Green Chile Chicken Stew

What are you making for dinner this weekend?  Here is a great Green Chile Chicken Stew from NY Daily News. This is a great meal that is from Albuquerque.  This spicy meal is easy to make and will be great for your friends and family.   You can learn more here.

Green Chile Chicken Stew

Ingredients:
• 1 pound chicken tender or chicken breast meat cut into 1/4 pieces
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 3 cups medium size red potatoes cut into 1/2 cubes
• 1 16 oz jar green chile sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cup whole kernel corn
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Pre-cook potatoes in boiling water for 10 minutes, then cool. Heat oil in 1 gallon pot or larger. Add chicken and stir until completely cooked. Add flour and stir well. Add chicken broth and stir well. Bring to a boil. Add garlic, corn, green chile sauce and potatoes. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 8 servings.
Recipe courtesy of El Pinto Restaurant, www.elpinto.com/recipes

Key Tips for 20-30 Year Olds

Finding a job, finding a home, and being able to survive on what you make is hard for anyone in today's economy. However, 20-30 year olds are trying to find their way for the first time without their parents.  We have some great advice for everyone going through this major life transition.  These tips are good and really anyone can learn from them.

These tips will teach you how to relax, but also be productive to make progress for your future.   Have you ever thought about taking a vacation day or just learning how to relax by yourself?  Keep reading to learn more insightful tips.

1. Be active. Whether you're going to the gym twice a day every day or you're taking walks around your neighborhood three times a week, make sure you are doing some sort of physical activity on the regular. Don't say you're too busy for it... we're all busy. You just need to make time for it (especially if you sit at a desk all week long). Whether that time is on the weekend, at 5:00 a.m. every day, or right before you go to bed, make it happen. Five minutes of crunches is better than nothing.

2. Take a vacation. We are given mandatory vacation days for a reason. Don't use them all on days for appointments and visiting home. Go somewhere warm! Go somewhere romantic! Go somewhere exotic and different. You have your own money now. And you certainly deserve it.

3. Have a crazy night(s) out. No, you don't have to get wasted every time you go out. You don't even have to drink every time you go out. In fact, you don't even need to go out that much. But make sure you have at least one wild night this year when you do go out (preferably more than one). 

4. Think. Think before you spend. Think before you eat. Think before you tweet. Think before you drink. A problem with us 20-somethings is that we rarely think -- we just DO. We have (barely any) money, so we spend it. We hate saying no, so we constantly find ourselves eating poorly and drinking way too often. We are under pressure by Instagram and feel the need to add a filter to every single picture we take and then post it on all social media sites we use. We tweet whatever is on our mind. And we post things on Facebook in the heat of the moment. This year, think before you do any of the above. Please.

5. Cook something. As a 20-something, you need to learn to cook. You should already know how to cook pasta and eggs -- and know how to use the oven. Now, spice up your pasta and eggs with new recipes... and of course learn what to do with meat, whether it's in a crock pot, the oven, the stove, or on a grill. Of course, microwavable meals are nice when you worked late or are just way too busy. But to be healthy, you must cook! I'm not saying turn into a chef... but look easy recipes up online. Cooking is really not that bad.

6. Get rid of fake friends. And stop being fake yourself! You graduated college. You're in the real world. There's no need to keep pretending you like so-and-so just because they're friends with your friends and you feel you have to. But there's also no need to be mean to people. You're too old for that. Be cordial, but don't go out of your way to make a friendship happen that's just not going to happen. Focus that energy on new friendships with people you actually like. Don't exclude people, don't be cliquey, and ignore any drama that attempts to come your way. Do YOU and don't worry about anyone else.

7. Binge watch a TV show. Or just start watching good TV (it's out there). Pay your 20-something dues and watch HBO's Girls. See what the buzz was about this year and check out Breaking Bad. Dabble in Homeland. Put on a pair of sweatpants and Netflix Orange is the New Black for an entire weekend. You might feel useless, but it's okay to be a waste of space sometimes.

8. Buy something valuable. Whether it be a phone, a computer, a TV, a tablet, or a designer bag, treat yourself. Embrace your inner responsible adult by buying something you could never afford in college and then be responsible for that item. It will be good practice for having a child. Okay, not really, but whatever.

9. Call friends and family. No one calls people anymore. We just tweet, text, and... well that's about it since Facebook wall writing is now a thing of the past. We don't listen to people anymore, so our conversations are completely impersonal. When someone is being nice, we sometimes mistake them for being rude and of course never say anything because it's just a text. This year, take a few minutes every week (or couple of weeks) to call people. Of course face to face communication is ideal, but if you have to resort to something else and you really want to catch up with someone -- or keep up with someone -- give them a call.

10. Relax. Stop planning something for every second of every day and take a break. It's okay to sit on the couch and watch trashy TV once in a while. It's okay to go to bed early to catch up on sleep on a weekend night. It's okay to do absolutely nothing for an entire weekend once in a while. In fact, it's almost necessary at this point in our lives. Take a minute or two to sit down and not think every once in a while. You'll appreciate the lack of stress in your life a lot more than you did back in college.

You can learn more at Huffington Post.

Cleaning and Allergies

Are you an allergy sufferer?  Apartment Therapy has some great cleaning tips to help reduce the reactions you have to some allergens.  A simple daily cleaning of certain items in your home can help with relief and comfort.   These tips will also help with the discomfort of the cleaning itself.

What to Clean:

If you suffer from allergies, pay attention to these areas of your home when you undertake a bigger spring clean.

1) Mold in bathrooms. While you may not usually be affected by mold, the combination of spring pollen and dust in addition to mold may overload your system, and you could find yourself reacting to mold. In any case, you probably want to clean any mold or mildew in the bathroom, where humid conditions often encourage their growth.

2) Curtains are giant allergen collectors, and they should definitely be cleaned periodically. Make sure to read care instructions. Some curtains you can throw in the wash. Others you might be able to steam clean. If you have to take them to the dry cleaners, try to air them out before you put them back in order to minimize exposure to the dry cleaning chemicals, which could also induce an allergic reaction.

3) Ceiling fans. I try to clean mine every month, but sometimes I just don't get to it. Like any flat surface, however, the blades accumulate dust — which gets introduced into your breathing zone when the fan is turned on. Use a microfiber duster, which will "grab" dust rather than just stirring it around. Or try using a pillow case.

4) Upholstered furniture. While the most allergen-resistant furniture is made from leather or other materials that can't harbor allergens (like wood), most of us have at least some upholstered pieces in our homes. Vacuuming or steam cleaning are great ways to drastically reduce the amount of allergens in furniture.

5) Under things. If you're not the type to move furniture and get thoroughly under, behind, and around every crevice every time you vacuum, now's the time. Getting rid of hidden dust bunnies will definitely help you breathe easier.

6) Blinds and shutters. While these types of window treatments tend to be better than curtains when it comes to harboring allergens, they still need to be dusted or wiped down.

How to Clean:

Many allergy sufferers would start sneezing just at the thought of the cleaning mentioned above. Indeed, cleaning often kicks up allergens that are present but not necessarily in our breathing zone. Following are some cleaning principles to stick to in order to minimize allergy attacks while cleaning.

1) Wear a dust mask.

2) Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

3) Clean "top to bottom" so that you make sure to clean any stirred-up dust and other debris that settles on the floor.

4) Avoid harsh cleaning chemicals, which can exacerbate sensitive nasal passages and airways.

UNM Student Helping Solve Albuquerque’s Storm Water Problem

Adrienne Martinez is working so solve a problem in Albuquerque. This engineering graduate student is trying to figure out a plan to have storm water run safely through Albuquerque into the Rio Grande. This storm water could damage the railroad bridge. Martinez along with the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority are working to find a new solution to this problem. You can learn more at UNM.

UNM Civil Engineering graduate student Adrienne Martinez is working to solve a potentially big problem in Albuquerque’s North Diversion Channel. Martinez is an engineering intern at the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority where engineers spend a lot of time worrying about how storm water runoff can travel safely through Albuquerque on its journey to the Rio Grande.

Storm water from Albuquerque’s northeast heights travels to the Rio Grande through a series of arroyos to the North Diversion Channel. The very large concrete channel that flows north along I-25 then turns west and enters the river near the Bernalillo county line. Storm water engineers are particularly concerned about the railroad bridge over the channel and its vulnerability to damage from summer thunderstorms.

The bathtub is a concrete structure that dissipates energy from the fast moving water and channels it into the Rio Grande. AMAFCA has already adopted some of the ideas demonstrated in the model. They have removed the tiger teeth from the channel and are now considering whether to reconfigure the channel bottom downstream from the bridge and remove the bathtub.

UNM has worked with AMAFCA for more than 20 years. Each year graduate students are hired to solve problems associated with storm water flow in the channels. Over the years students have tested structures to catch the enormous amounts of trash and debris that are swept down the various arroyos and flood channels. Many of the structures designed and tested in the hydrology lab have been built and are performing their function in the diversion channels today.

For Martinez, this is just the beginning. She was able to participate in reducing the threat to the bridge, but her big interest is the trash and debris that flow down the diversion channel. She is now completing her master’s thesis on metals and their effect on plants in the channel. She says she is interested in working professionally on that problem in the future.


You can learn more here.

Green Chile’s Great, But Don’t Forget the Red!

Although green chile is a New Mexican staple, it’s easy to forget how darn good some red chile can be. Indeed, red chile has a rich history in our region and there are lots of different kinds.

For hundreds of years, farmers in New Mexico have grown a more distinctive kind of red chile: known as Chimayo pods, these small, wrinkly chiles need to be matured for a bit longer, but it’s worth the wait. They’re delightfully sweet and mellow, unlike green chile, but they’re ideal for making a red chile sauce that’ll go with almost anything you put on your dinner table.

New Mexico Magazine published a great recipe for an authentic red chile sauce - we couldn’t help but share:

Makes approximately 4 cups

¾ cup ground dried New Mexican red chile, preferably Chimayó (available from santafeschoolofcooking.com)

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 teaspoon garlic salt, or more to taste

4 cups vegetable broth, preferably, or water

2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in an additional 2 tablespoons water

Combine chile, onion, and garlic salt in a large, heavy saucepan. Slowly add broth, mixing carefully. Break up any lumps of chile. Cook mixture over medium heat and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cornstarch mixture and cook about 5 minutes more. Completed sauce should be reduced by about one-quarter, coat a spoon thickly, and no longer taste of raw cornstarch. Add more garlic salt if you wish. Serve sauce warm with tortas, enchiladas, burritos, or other dishes.

Ahead-of-time note: Red chile sauce keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. It also freezes well.

Click here for the full recipe, along with a recipe for bread pudding, from New Mexico Magazine. 

Get Around: Get a Round, Sweet, Donut

While Albuquerque might be most known for its Mexican-American cuisine, don’t underestimate the sweets! There are a ton of amazing bakeries in the area and one classic, American item you can find virtually anywhere is the good old donut.

Last week, ABQ Newscastic put together an awesome list of the best places to get a donut and a great bonus is that they’re all local and independently owned. So why don’t you support these local shops and satisfy that sweet tooth?

Lovin Oven Bakery (Espanola)

At this small family bakery, Dino hand cuts the donuts himself, because he believes hands on and fresh are best. "If a customer is going to pay for something, I'm going to make it fresh," he says. The daily assortment is not big, but if a customer wants something special, a call to Dino will see it made the next day. Classic donuts include the popular cherry glazed and chocolate chocolate, which typically sell out before the noon closing time.

West End Donut & Deli (Gallup)

Fans of West End Donuts swear by their blueberry donuts and buttermilk bars. It's a little out of the way, as in, is it really out there? Should I turn around? Doubt not. Your donuts will be crumbs in the box in no time.

Bosa Donuts (Las Cruces)

Las Cruces fans love Bosa Donuts for their classic fare. Glazed, cream, jelly-filled, turnovers and donut holes are popular, but their apple fritters have fans clamoring for more.

Sarina's (Carlsbad)

The small, family business in Carlsbad brings in fans from across the Texas border. Sarina's offers classic bear claws, filled and cake donuts and cinnamon rolls the size of your face. Their apple fritters are a standout.

Mama Tuckers Donut & Cake Shop (Roswell)

The sign for this no-frills shop claims "Best Donuts in the Universe," making it hard to pass by. There's a nice assortment of donuts, but you better get there before the farmers and ranchers do, as they sell out fast.

Click here for the full article from ABQ Newscastic!

Host an Exchange Student and Share Our Culture

If you happen to have an extra room or two in your apartment, you’ve probably thrown around some ideas in your head as to what to do with them. Sure, you can turn that spare room into a den or game room, but there’s a wonderfully fulfilling opportunity for extremely dedicated individuals.

The ASSE International Student Exchange programs are currently looking for homes in the Albuquerque area to house international high school boys and girls between the ages of 15 and 17. All students selected will be conversant in English, bright, and anxious to learn about the United States and study at local universities.

In addition, all ASSE students are fully insured and will have their own personal spending money to contribute towards household expenses. Families will even have the opportunities to choose students from a variety of backgrounds, nationalities, and interests.

Here’s some more information on ASSE, courtesy of the organization’s website:

When you host a foreign exchange student, your entire family will discover a world of fun and enlightening adventure. Simply by sharing your home for as little as three months, a semester or a school year, you will be giving an exceptional young person from another country the opportunity of a lifetime—to live with your family and experience the language, customs and culture of our country. In return, your exchange student will bring to your family a bit of his or her homeland. Students come from Europe, Asia/Pacific, the Middle East, the Americas and Africa.

Each year, ASSE and its affiliates place several thousand students, ages 15 to 18, in host families like yours throughout the world. ASSE International Student Exchange Programs invites you and your family to join all the families in our country and throughout the world in this memorable and valued cultural experience.

If you’re interested in more information about becoming a host family, contact Cindy at ASSE, at cindy@asse.com or 1-800-733-2773