Weekend Kindness
Reaching Others Through Kindness

Words of love are great, but showing your heart says it best.

There’s much to be said for a little consideration and unselfishness. Remember how passionate we all were about every little detail concerning each other in the early days of engagement and newlywed life? We all prefer being seen over being invisible, and being cherished over being taken for granted.

If rescuing the beauty is tantamount to winning the war, then let me remind you that it’s the battles which wage a successful campaign, one bleeding heart at a time!

A few simple ideas:

• Save the last piece of dessert for him
• Warm the car up for her on a cold winter morning, scrape the frost off the windows, etc
• Bring him or her a cold/hot drink when you know it would be appreciated, without asking first
• Remember birthdays and anniversaries
• Bring home his favorite magazine
• Help carry in the groceries
• Help clear off the supper table
• Rinse out the tub after your showers and baths, and the sink after shaving
• Say please and thank-you
• Give an unsolicited shoulder rub
• Grab your wife and waltz her around the house
• Hang out in the kitchen with her
• Hang out in the garage or shop with him

When my husband helps me in the kitchen, I feel so cherished! It says to me: “I’d rather be with you than snoozing in the recliner or surfing the net, etc.” Similarly, when I’m not afraid to dig in and get dirty helping my man with his truck projects, or working cattle, he’s practically giddy. You’d think I was his girlfriend all over again!

When we take a special and unselfish interest in our spouses’ lives it speaks volumes. It’s too easy after several years of marriage and two or three kids to relax and grow almost numb to your partner’s passions and desires. Examine your heart and motives. Could you care less about their interests? If so, chances are good that you’re too immersed in your own.

And don’t forget the main things most men and women want are pretty simple. A little extra love can go a long way. What speaks love to you?

I don’t know when it happened, but sometime between the first time I realized I liked coffee and the time when Starbucks appeared on every street corner in America, coffee changed from just something that I drink to an event to be savored and enjoyed.

Oh, I still drink coffee every morning just as part of the routine (a readily available brand that won’t break the budget), but when I go out for coffee, it’s not just to get coffee, but to enjoy the aroma of the coffee shop, the small tables set up for intimate conversation, and the handful of other folks who are enjoying the experience as much as I.

While the coffee is often too strong at the local coffee shop, I’ve learned that two packs of Sugar in the Raw and a pretty decent serving of half and half will do the trick and gives me a treat that I don’t indulge in at home, where my coffee of choice is generally just black.

For my husband, however, going out for coffee does not have the same appeal. Although he is learning to appreciate the difference between store brands and freshly roasted coffee, he is just as happy most of the time with staying home and brewing Seattle’s Best in our coffee maker and sitting on the front porch as we drink every lost drop.

I know it seems like a very silly thing to get exicted about and to feel loved because of, but on those rare occasions when my husband wakes up on Friday or Saturday morning and says “Let’s go out for coffee and read the newspaper there,” I think that he truly, truly loves me. There is more to this gesture than just saying, “Let’s go somewhere,” because if he just wanted to go somewhere with me it would be hiking or fishing or golfing or some other activity that he really enjoys.

But when he says, “Let’s go out for coffee,” I know that he’s suggesting it because he loves me and because he knows how much I enjoy the experience and how good it makes me feel to savor a cup of coffee that’s a little too strong unless it has just the right amount of cream and sugar.

Hubby and his family are in love with my enchiladas. Which is awesome since his grandma is known for her authentic New Mexican cooking and I’m just a silly gringa.

And the best part? They’re so easy!

AG’s White Girl Enchiladas
Servings: Theoretically, six. Realistically, two. They’re scrumptious.

Ingredients
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts.
1 or 2 26 oz cans green chili. I like Stokes brand a lot and I use about a can and a half, depending on how I’m feeling that day. I think the chili makes or breaks this recipe.

1 or 2 1lb bags pre-shredded mexican style blend cheese. Again, I usually use about a bag and a half, depending on my mood.
6 burrito size white tortillas.
Any hot sauce, salsa, lettuce, tomatos, sour cream, etc., that you’d want to put on top.

Directions (Brace yourself… this is too easy!)
Preheat oven to 350?F. Place oven rack toward the middle of the oven.
Cook chicken in a skillet over medium high heat until outside is cooked. Slice breasts into strips. Cook chicken strips until completely done.
Spread a few tablespoonsful of green chili in the bottom of a 9×13 (I prefer glass) baking dish to prevent sticking.
In each tortilla, spoon about two tablespoonsful of green chili, top with 1/6 of the chicken, and a good-sized handful of cheese.
Roll tortilla and place enchilada with the loose end face-down into the baking dish.
Once all six enchiladas are in the baking dish, spoon the remaining green chili on top. Spread the chili out so no little corners of tortilla are sticking out as they will burn if they don’t have chili on them.
Cover entire dish with cheese – lots of cheese. As much cheese as you dare.
Bake at 350?F until it smells so good you can’t stand it. (Usually between 20 and 35 minutes, depending on the oven. And if you forget about it or not.)

And remember – the meals you eat with your family are automatically only half the calories.