Chick-en Quesadillas

This is what we had for dinner tonight...chicken quesadillas.  They are one of my favorites (and my Boyfriend's too).  They are low fat and great for those who are dieting (just don't add as much cheese).  Here goes:

Chick-en Quesadillas

Boil a whole chicken and take the meat off the bones.

In a mixing bowl, mix together:
1 cup orange juice
2 garlic cloves, smashed
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tsp. oregano
2. tsp. cumin
1 Tbl. lime juice

Mix the chicken into this.  It should look like this:

(I know it looks kinda messy, but I'm not the tidiest cook around.  Just ask my Boyfriend.)

At some point fry up 1/2 - 1 whole onion in a bit of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil).  When the onions are almost carmelized, add the above chicken mixture and cook together until it's simmery. (Is that a word?)

Get out your Panini Grill (if you have one.  If you don't have one of those, just use a skillet.)

Place a flour tortilla on the grill (or skillet), and put some cheese on there.  We like extra sharp cheddar.

Then, add some of the chicken mixture:

Then add some more cheese (optional, but it makes the tortilla stick on):

Then another tortilla:

Cook on the grill for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.  In a skillet, turn it after a few minutes and cook the other side.

When it's done, put it on a cutting board and cut it in quarters with a pizza cutter.

Then, put it on a plate and serve with sour cream and salsa.  Personally, I love this dish with sour cream and jalepeno jelly.  Num Num Num.

And there you have it!

Enjoy!

P.S.  I hope my food photography skills will improve in the future...

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

New Tip

in Chick's Tips.  Check it out!

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

Starbucks Mugs from Around the World!

I am a Starbucks fiend. I really do love everything about Starbucks. But the thing I like most are their "City Mugs". I'm kind of leery sharing about this, because I'm afraid everyone will start collecting them, and then it will be more difficult for me to find them, but I'm going to anyway, because I think it is cool and collecting these mugs is a riot.  Sometimes I pick them up myself on my travels, and some of them are from very dear friends who pick them up for me.  Most of these friends are now collecting them themselves.

Starbucks changes its mug styles every few years. And, they are sold all around the world. Here is my collection:

Here is my first set of Starbucks mugs. These were created somewhere between 2002 and 2005. This is called the "Collector Series". (Please set me straight if I am wrong.)

These particular mugs are from Hawaii, Maui, Kona, Waikiki, and Kauai.

Here are some from Europe and the Middle East:  Paris, Bahrain, Luzerne, Madrid, Freiburg, and Kuwait.  These were given to me by friends.  No, I have not been to all of those places.  Some of them, but not all.

This next set of mugs is called the "Architecture Series".  This is my least favorite of those that I have.  These are from Seattle, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Seattle (hey, I have two!  just discovered that...), Fort Worth, Dallas, San Franscisco, Austin, Philadelphia and Alaska.  You know what is VERY weird to me?  That they have a cup from Fort Worth, but they didn't have one from Florida for forever!  What is up with that???

This set of mugs is the "City Scene Series".  I have cups from Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Seattle. (Man, I have a lot from Seattle.  Could be because I lived there for years and years.  And years.)

 This is called the "Global Series."  This is the newest series, and one of my favorites because of the color (the Collectors Series is also a favorite).  These cups are from Zurich, Taipei (it's purple!) Austria, Berlin (it's red!), Basel, Singapore, Lucerne, Kuala Lumpur, Brussels, Switzerland, Bahamas, and the mini ones are from Germany and Frankfurt.  I've found a lot of the mugs have a variation of blues or greens, and not many with red or other colors.  I have been to 7 of the above places, and bought most of them, but a friend and family brought the ones back from Brussels, Kuala Lumpur, Bahamas, Austria, Singapore, Zurich and Taipei.

These are the Global Series mugs I have from the U.S. and include New Mexico, Houston, Chicago, New Orleans, Denver, California, New York, Florida, San Antonio, Boston, Washington DC, and Colorado.  Friends and family gave me many of them and even though I have been everywhere these cups are from,  I only bought the ones from Houston, New Orleans, Florida, and Boston myself.

 
And, last but not least:  These three mugs are (from left to right), the 08 Series Photo Mug with London, the Coffee Origin Series with Kenya, and the City Gate Series with the Golden Gate Park.  The Kenya one and the Golden Gate one are among my favorites.

You can find more information about Starbucks mugs, and even trading those you have for others at www.fredorange.com.  A fun website to see what's out there!

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

How to Get Skinny (WORKS!)

Don't put so much food in your pie hole.

The End.

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

Chick in Action and Chick That Bytes....

Go to Chick That Bytes and Chick in Action to find out how I created this blog, and how you can help your kids!

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

SKINS

As a mom, I am terribly concerned with what is shown on TV that our children can possibly get a hold of, even accidently.  That's why I joined up with Parents Television Council (PTC) and am their Associate Director of the Houston Chapter.

Right now, there is a show on MTV called "Skins" that maybe you have been hearing about on the news programs.  This show consists of teens as young as 15 engaging in sexual content which could be considered pornographic.

Please go to this website www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/emailalerts/2011/0122.htm if you are concerned as I am.  You may want to write to the advertisers involved with your concern, because once the show has no sponsors it cannot continue.

The PTC is not a religious organization, and is not an organization that wants to censor.  What they ARE concerned about are shows that are shown during times that children may have a chance of watching.  You can go to their website for more information:  www.parentstv.org.

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

New Entry

...under "Chick's Tips".

Find out how to SCARE the grease off your pans....

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

What WORKS: SKELETOR!

SCARE the grease off your pans!

Okay, so THIS is one of my most favorite things.  I call it "Skeletor".  My friend, Lynne, and I found it at Tuesday morning and were laughing our faces off, thinking we would buy them as a gag gifts for our friends.

Needless to say, it ended up on my kitchen counter.  And I've never had so much fun washing pots. 

Oh, and I have one in my shower.   That I use for my feet.  Makes that task a little more tolerable...

So, if you are going to have a kitchen or foot scrubber, find one that is fun...that way you might actually enjoy those pesky tasks.

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

Work in Progress!

I'm glad you came to my blog. I hope you are. I realize that some of my links are not completed yet, but they will be soon. My Boyfriend says that I am obsessed and I need to get off the computer. O.K.

But before I do, please take a look at all of my pages. I will keep those that people "like" the most or that have the most hits. I will remove those that people don't find too interesting. Well, maybe I won't because I find them interesting. We'll see.

I HAVE added a new page called "Chick's Tips." This will be things that I've found in life that WORK and things that DON'T WORK. This could be in regard to stuff around the house, etc., or in relationships. I think this will be a fun one.

So, again, ENJOY and God bless!

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

Is it Vacation YET???

This Chick and her fam LOVE to vacation! And even better, we LOVE to go to Destin, Florida for vacation.

If anyone has been there, you know how great the white sand is (it doesn't burn your feet!) and how beautiful the turquoise blue water is. LOVELY.

If anyone is wanting to try out a remarkable unit in Destin, this spring or summer, check out this condo: www.vrbo.com/38539. It's a 1700 s.f. unit on the top floor (11th floor). Great views and amenities!

Go to www.pogottproperties.com for more photos and information about Destin!

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

You know what makes me sad...?

Yellow doesn't make me sad. But when my son, J-GQ, is sick, I feel sad. My child is sick today.

You wouldn't think I was sad, though, because today at the doctor's office he was the one acting like the adult. I was texting some old friends I worked with at Continental Singers, and I was laughing my head off while he was sitting there on the table being miserable. He kept shaking his head. And rolling his eyes. As the friend I was texting said, "That's what teens do." Even when the doctor came in, I was finishing up my text and he probably thought I was the most disengaged mom.

So, my son has the flu. Yuck. But, he's handling it like a man (which isn't really saying a whole lot, because most men are little babies when they are sick. Except my Chump. He's not a woosy baby when he's sick -- he just wants everyone to stay away from him.)

J-GQ is not whining or complaining. He's a tough kid (but not of heart). And that makes me glad.

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

About This Chick

Hi!  I'm a chick. And I can't sit still.

I am a wife (to my Boyfriend), a mom (of J-GQ), a teacher, an author, a photographer, a gardener, a baker, a candy maker, a reluctant cook, a traveler, a singer,a Starbucks-grande-mocha-no-foam-no-whip fiend, an activist, a soul sister, and a lover of God -- who gives us all good things to enjoy!

This is a blog about what I like and my life's adventures as a Chick (as opposed to a "Chump", as my Boyfriend and I call ourselves).  If there is something on here you can use for your life, please do! 

Have fun!

T.K. Goforth

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

The Suzuki Method for Piano???

I have never been a "fan" of what I had seen  regarding Suzuki Piano, and had somewhat ignored it, believing it to be a one-dimensional series that only taught memorization.    But, when I spoke with an adult student who learned piano with the Suzuki method and showed me the songs she was playing after six months, I started paying attention.

I'm looking very seriously into this method for some of my students.  I bought the book Studying Suzuki Piano-More Than Music along with Volume 1 of the Suzuki Piano School, just to see what it was about.

Studying Suzuki Piano: More Than Music : A Handbook for Teachers, Parents, and Students (Suzuki Piano Reference)Studying Suzuki Piano-More Than Music is essential for starting the Suzuki method, and it is recommended that you even get "certification" for this method, but I found some GREAT stuff in here.  It gives suggestions for all aspects of learning the piano, from the first lesson through the more difficult pieces in each Volume of the Suzuki Method.

After reading through some of the book today, I followed its suggestions and tried this method on my newest student, who is a wonderful 16 year old with ADHD and mild autism.  She took to the first lesson famously.  Because she wants to write music and play quickly, I had introduced the construction of scales and chords to her in her first few lessons from Chord Piano Is Fun.  When I opened the book to the first lesson, and showed her which "C" the song began on (Twinkle Twinkle), it was easy for her to follow and read.  She was excited that she was able to play Twinkle Twinkle with several rhythms (this is discussed in the Studying Suzuki Piano), so I gave her a quick overview of the rhythms with their useful phrases such a "Mississippi Hot Dog", and "Peanut Butter Sandwich" (for four 16th notes and two 8th notes). 

Suzuki does not include note reading, so that is something to do in addition to this, but they give suggestions as to which method is good for doing so.  Since the methods they suggest are too "young" for her, I will be using the The Complete Piano Player: Omnibus Edition (Complete Piano Player Series for her.  I plan on looking at the Music Tree series for the younger students, but may decide to stick with the Alfred method books, which have worked well for me.


In addition, I will use Chord Piano Is Fun, which will provide a wonderful, well-rounded musical education for her, as well as my other students.  She will be hearing, playing, and writing her own music in no time!

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

The Alexander Technique and Piano Playing

The Alexander Technique and Piano Playing

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

New Year!

It's the start of a new year, and new things will come! I love New Year's in that I often need times of "refreshment" to put things back into perspective and start anew.

This year some of my New Years' Resolutions for piano lessons will be:

Incorporating site-reading "games" into lessons and even combining lessons for students with classes next to each other.

• Incorporating a Hanon "contest" for the students, with a reward for those who have mastered the most Hanons per quarter, based on ability.

• Making sure that each of my students truly understand the minor keys and their relationship with the major keys (Lesson 18 of Chord Piano Is Fun!.) 

• Have each student write a song in a minor key to perform at recital (Lessons 25 of Chord Piano Is Fun.)

• Planning another performance for the retirement center.

• Planning more "outings" to watch a piano performance.

• Making "piano dates" with my other piano teacher friends in the area to talk about new ideas, what works, what doesn't, etc.

• Connect with more piano teachers and their blogs and on facebook and twitter...what a great way to resource!

Would love comments on other ideas piano teachers might have for this new year!

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.

"Chord Piano Is Fun" is mentioned....

on Erfurt's Music Resources!



Check it out!

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T.K. Goforth is a musician and author of the well-received book "Chord Piano is Fun!" She also writes a music blog called "Chord Piano Chick's Mostly Musical Musings.