Just when a day seems the bleakest, in comes the sun.

My husband and I, we are NOT homebodies.

I think I get it from him, mostly. Jason is an EXTREME extrovert. He likes to be out and about or having someone else in. He barely knows how to relax. He doesn’t watch TV. He doesn’t read for fun. He rarely watches movies. (He does play video games.)

He likes to be doing something most of the time. During the last 12 years of marriage, I’ve picked up this affliction. Consequently, we hate quiet weekends!

Now, we’ve given up on weeknights by this point. (It wasn’t pretty though. It was kicking and screaming all the way. I remember when a friend with a 2-year-old told me she hadn’t been out of the house past 8 since he’d been born. I thought, “Oh no, not me. No WAY!” But I hate to admit, boy do I hate to admit, it’s been awhile for me, too.) Our kids need rest for school, there’s so much homework to be done. Pretty much, weeknights during school are shot. We hate this. But we’ve learned to deal with it.

That’s why we LIVE for the weekends. We schedule stuff when we can, but even if we don’t have anything scheduled, we’ll get out of the house. We’ll browse the mall, looking for far-off Christmas presents, we’ll go for a long bike ride (if the weather cooperates), we’ll go to a movie, we’ll take the kids to an indoor playground, we’ll come up with a sudden, desperate need for new throw pillows on the couch. We’ll try to meet up with friends. Our poor kids. But that’s just the way things are at the Beutler house. They’re used to it.

Except … for sick days. Last Saturday, my daughter woke up complaining of a bad headache. As the day progressed, she got wimpier and wimpier, until she asked me to roll the dice for her while we were playing a game. That’s when I realized — my usually very healthy child had a random fever.

No big deal, right? Well, not for most people, I suppose. But for Jason and I … well, you might as well have told us that there would be no sweets for six months. What were we going to DO all day?

We had (pretend) good attitudes for Kinsen, but boy, we moaned and groaned to each other. The day seemed to last FOREVER! We watched a movie. We played games. We made cookies. It was only NOON!

Anyway, we got through the day. Both Jason and I felt like it had been a waste. We both had rotten attitudes. We went to bed early.

Sunday loomed bright and beautiful. My happy, bouncy daughter woke up and asked for breakfast. She seemed healthy, back to her normal self.

As I walked down the stairs to the kitchen, I was greeted with a stunning sight. The bright, radiant sun was streaming in the window, bathing our middle level (we live in a three-story townhouse) with warmth.

Ahhh … a NEW day. A second chance for a good attitude. A second chance to be THANKFUL that our kids are almost always healthy. A second chance to enjoy being alive, instead of begrudging that we’re stuck at home. A new day to be.

Thank God for new days.

The Knoxville News published a great new editorial today. Here’s part of it:

The long-standing truth that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a treasure in our midst was reaffirmed earlier this year when park officials announced that visits to the park for 2011 again eased above the 9 million mark.

Overall, park visitation for 2011 was down 4.8 percent from the previous year. The park, in fact, was on a path to drop below the 9 million mark for the first time since 2003, when 8.95 million people visited.

It is not a contest or a race, but the Smokies, an 800-square-mile park straddling the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, is still America’s most visited national park. And the 9,008,831 visits for 2011 confirms that.

Another amazing stat? The Grand Canyon National Park had slightly less than half of the number of visitors that the Smokies did last year. And it’s the nation’s second most popular park.

Hurray for the Smoky Mountains! Of course, we understand why people want to visit! It’s our number one vacation spot, too!

Picture the scene:

Twelve adults meander around our living room and kitchen, which have been transformed to look like an 1920s nightclub. A speech is made. Then, suddenly, all the lights turn off. A shot is fired (okay, okay, a balloon is popped…), someone screams. When the lights come back on, the speech giver is laying dead. Well, pretend dead. It’s up to the rest of us to figure out who did it.

Jason and I, at last year's Roaring 20s murder mystery.

Oh, yes. My husband and I … we love a good murder mystery game! It’s so fun to have everyone get all dressed up. We go extravagant on the food and decor. Everyone can use a night to get away from it all and be someone else. It’s just good, old-fashioned fun.

We’re planning a 1930s circus-themed mystery now. And trying to figure out how to make our living room look like the inside of a circus tent. Luckily, we have a few weeks until the big event.

Going all out at home for a murder mystery is really fun. But murder mystery games can be planned at vacation locations, too. We’ve done this twice, and both times have ended up being a really fun way to spend an evening.

Planning a murder mystery at a getaway location

First, decide how many props, etc., you want to bring along.

Our first murder mystery, themed Italian, which took place in a lake cabin in Michigan with very minimal props/costumes.

The first time we planned a murder mystery, Jason and I did it as a surprise at a family Thanksgiving getaway to a lake cabin. One night, after tucking the kids in bed, we announced that we were having a murder mystery. We handed out parts and props, and told everyone to meet in the living room in half an hour. We had looked ahead at the parts and had brought everyone a prop or two that hinted at his/her character. For example, a head scarf and beads for a gypsy; a gangster hat for a head of family. We set out a few Italian-themed snacks and lit some candles. The prep was really minimal, but we still had a great time.

The whole group for the pirate mystery.

The second time, our murder mystery was in Gatlinburg, as a part of a pirate-themed weekend. We were in town for a talk-like-a-pirate contest, so after participating in that, we headed back to the cabin for a piratey murder mystery. That time, our costumes were elaborate, though we still didn’t bring along decorations or anything.

Steps for planning a destination murder

1. First, decide on the theme of your party. You can buy a murder mystery game or download one online. There are tons of themes available. Just be careful — the content can be a bit racy. If kids will be playing, opt for a family-friendly version. For sites where you can download, see the section below. Look carefully at what you decide to purchase. Some games have lines that guests read, while others just have conversations they need to have. I prefer the latter, because it makes everything much freer. I also like mysteries where the murder takes place during the evening. It adds to the drama.

Arggh! Our pirate murder mystery that we had in a Gatlinburg cabin.

2. Read through everything. After having hosted a handful of these guys, I totally recommend having one host read through everything beforehand. Sometimes things can be confusing, and it really helps to have someone that knows exactly where everything should be headed.

3. Find out who will be there. This is really important for a murder mystery, as you need to assign parts beforehand. Get solid R.S.V.P.s.

4. Assign parts. Some games will give you hints, like which parts to assign to couples. After assigning parts, hand them out to guests at least a few weeks in advance, giving them time to get costumes around.

Last year's Roaring 20s murder mystery, which was held at our house. These are some of our good friends, and they had incredible costumes!

5. Decide on props, decor and food. Again, things that just hint can work well. Chips and salsa can make a Mexican fiesta murder mystery come alive. Mood music really helps, too.

6. Have the event! Make sure everyone is loosened up and ready to be silly.

Where to find murder mystery games online

• Night of Mystery.
• Number of guests included: Ranges from 8 to 20+. Prices are based on how many guests you want to include.
• Prices: Start at $40 and increase with number of guests
• Kinds of parties: Lots. A few options: toga, circus, cruise, Vegas, Christmas (love this — called “Ho, Ho, Homicide)
• (Also, this is the one we’re using this time. I’ve been really happy with the game so far.)
• My Mystery Party.
• Number of guests included: Ranges from 8 to 15ish for normal games. Expansion packs available for additional cost.
• Prices: Most are $35.95. Expansion packs cost $19.95 to $39.95, depending on how many guests they add.
• Kinds of parties: Again, lots. A few options: zombies, mobster, Valentine’s Day, masquerade ball, superheros, Mardi Gras
• Merri Mysteries. 
• Number of guests included: from 8 up to 88! Lots of variety offered here.
• Prices: Between $29.95 and $49.95, depending on the number of parts included.
• Kinds of parties: Spanish, celebrity, baseball, outer space, prairie, tropical island, St. Patrick’s Day
• Dinner and a Murder.
• Number of guests included: 8 to 50
• Prices: Both boxed sets and downloads are available here. Downloads start at $49, but are on sale right now for about $10 off. Boxed sets are around $69, but also are on sale now.
• Kinds of parties: 50s class reunion, spa, immortals (this looks very interesting), mobster
• (Also, we used the mobster game for our murder mystery last year. It was GREAT!!!)

Hey, I’m not selfish!

I’ll share my favorite travel blogs with my faithful readers!

There are some really interesting stories represented here, including a handful of people that are traveling for a year or more. Read and be inspired!

PS — We just got back from the Super Bowl Village in downtown Indianapolis. Very fun! Happy Super Bowl Weekend! (Go Giants!)

1. Booked

• Author: Amy Welborn
• In her words: “It won’t be a travel advice or tips blog. I don’t do advice. Every person has different expectations of travel and varied likes and dislikes.  Even though I will spotlight, for example, some of my favorite accomodations,it won’t be because I think everyone will like them or should stay there. It will simply because I enjoyed it and thought it was great and something interesting happened there.  When it comes to things like accommodations and traveling styles – to each his own, really. What Booked will be is a journal of my travel experiences and reflections inspired by travel, all enriched by your input.”

2. Hotel Belle

• Author: Annie Fitzsimmons
• In her words: “I have been completely obsessed with hotels since I can remember, growing up to dress the part and ‘lobby stalk.’  From this obsession grew a career that I have fought for and created for myself, as a freelance travel writer.”

3. The Q Family Adventures

• Author: Amy Q (Blog name)
• In her words: “I love to travel and read about travel and dream about travel so I created this blog as my outlet to my wanderlust soul. I hope this blog can be helpful to other families who want to travel with kids or without kids. I hope to connect with other travelers of all types and expand my world experience.”

4. Snaps and Blabs

• Author: Unnamed
• In her words: “This blog is about the life of two vagabonds and their three children, right now traveling around the world on a shoe-string budget. It is written by me, the female lead character, as I am the only one with enough patience and commitment to do so. Welcome.”

5. WanderMom

• Author: Michelle Duffy
• In her words: “My husband & I are both Irish – as in born-in-Ireland. But we live in Seattle. We have two boys: wild, boisterous, regular boys. So, since becoming a Mom, I’ve been a WanderMom. Given our slightly-unusual family situation, routine ‘visits-to-Grandma’ are international trips requiring passports, 10hr-flights and (oh joy!) airport transfers. I have rants, raves and opinions about how, where & why to travel with kids (start them as young as you can, I say!). I hope to learn even more by researching topics which other wandermoms may be interested in reading about on this blog.”

6. Hip Travel Mama

• Author: Anne Taylor Hartzell
• In her words: “I am a storyteller and Hip Travel Mama is my story. It is my guidebook to share and inspire others with the things that fuel me, and reminder to live each moment as if I am creating my story. HipTravelMama.com is a place to inspire other moms to live an extraordinary life and get out and experience all the world has to offer.”

7. Travel with Teens and Tweens

• Author: Mary Turner
• In her words: “Our best family trips and vacations are the result of lots of research to identify options that everyone will enjoy and letting our teen and tween have a big say in what we do on the trip. The goal of this blog is to share what we learn through our research and travel in order to provide inspiration, reviews and resources for families planning to travel with teens and tweens.”

8. Have Baby Will Travel

• Author: Corinne McDermott
• In her words: “Now with her online guide for travel with babies, toddlers, and small children, founder Corinne has been able to combine her two greatest loves: family and exploring the world. Through her website this mother of two not only shares travel advice, trip reports, and helpful tips, tricks, and resources for traveling with small children, she is also a passionate advocate of the value these experiences can have for everyone in the family.”

9. 1 Dad, 1 Kid, 1 Crazy Adventure

• Author: Unnamed
• In his words: “I’m a single parent, hospice chaplain, Zen monk, ultra runner, snowshoer, endurance cyclist, certified endurance running coach, photographer, and lover of travelling, languages, and cultures.”

10. Six in the World

• Authors: Anne and Tom Andrus
• In their own words: “Sixintheworld is a family of six, ranging in age from 38 to 4, who embarked on an 11-month round the world adventure in August 2006. This blog tracks their preparation, travels, and return to the US.”

According to The Knoxville News Sentinel, there’s a new pie shop in Pigeon Forge. It’s called The Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory.

The new shop is located in the Exxon Zoomerz station beside the Food Lion on the Parkway, and is owned by Roberto Madeira and Tania Beguinati.

The shop was originally in Key West, Fla., where it was voted the best Key Lime Pie in Florida for eight straight years by Florida Monthly Magazine.

The owners chose to move to Pigeon Forge with the hope of expanding the company by entering into franchise agreements and selling their products through wholesalers.

The Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory sells more than just pie. It also specializes in Key Lime Pie Cookies, Key Lime Pie on a Stick, and Rum Cake.

Mystic Ridge -- it's truly a gorgeous cabin! You won't be disappointed.

This is it — our very first Official CabinConnection Cabin Inspection! We’ve been wanting to do this for awhile now, but it’s taken some time to come to fruition.

Know what I always wonder before we rent a cabin?

LOTS OF THINGS!

Like … how many people can sit in the living room? Are there enough dishes for everyone in our party? How big is the hot tub? Is there enough floor space in one bedroom for an air mattress? Well, that’s the reason behind CabinConnection Cabin Inspections! We’re planning to take our cabins, one-by-one, and write DETAILED descriptions for you, room by room.

We started with Mystic Ridge, a GORGEOUS cabin far off the main drag in Pigeon Forge. It’s managed by our friends at Great Cabins in the Smokies. Here are all the details:

Mystic Ridge Cabin Inspection

Overall

The view is absolutely breathtaking!

Well, first off, this cabin has a GORGEOUS location! It is literally the very last cabin on the road at the top of a mountain. It is secluded and has a view that doesn’t quit. However, you pay for that view.

The cabin is DIFFICULT to find. And it will take you a good 15 minutes from Wears Valley Road, at least 25 minutes from Pigeon Forge. It’s actually closer to Townsend and Wears Valley, which are both very small. So if you’re planning to run into Pigeon Forge every day, this may not be the place for you. It just plain takes too long. And it will make a weak stomach car sick.

But it’s close to the back entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And it’s a great spot to settle in, if you’re only planning to leave a few times.

There are other considerations. Don’t even think of trying to get to this one during snowy weather without 4-wheel-drive. While we were there, it was really windy, too. So outdoor picnics, etc, were difficult.

But remember, the view is worth it!

We visited Mystic Ridge during the holiday season, and I was SUPER impressed with the decorations! There was a full-size tree, fully decorated. There were lights lining the cabin all the way around on the main porch. And inside, the staircase banister and loft were lined with greenery and lights. It was beautiful. There were other small touches, too.

One thing I really like about this cabin is that every room has a ceiling fan. Even some of the bathrooms have them!

Also, the cabin is very tastefully decorated. It’s not cluttery at all!

Main floor great room

Table with nice, solid chairs. Seats 8.

You walk into the cabin right into the main floor living room, which is really a great room, attached to the kitchen. The stairs are on your right. Here are the high points of the living room:

• Comfortably sits five people on sofas and a chair. We pulled over dining chairs to provide extra seating. Sofas are comfortable and in good shape.
• Gas fireplace on a timer
• Small, but nice flat screen TV, with appropriate A/V equipment (including DVD player)
• 

  Living room area on the main floor.

  Deck access through three doors out of the great room.

• Nice, solid table seats 8 (more seating available at island in kitchen) with plenty of room
• Room is bright and airy with lots of windows

Kitchen

The kitchen is really nice, though it would be hard for more than 3 people to work in at once. Here are some specifics:

• Table service for only 8, but there are a variety of plate sizes. We used the small plates for the kids. The plates are heavy stoneware. Very nice.
• Pots and pans are AMAZING! Some cabins stock sub-par cookware, but this stuff was top-of-the-line. If you need it, you’ll find it. No worries.
• 

  Kitchen and island view. Island seats four additional people.

  I doubt there’s much you’ll need that’s not here, as far as dishes, cookie sheets, and bake ware go. It’s very well-stocked.

• Dishwasher, toaster, coffeemaker, microwave, all available and in good shape. All worked nicely.
• Island seats four additional people at stools, and also provides additional workspace.
• Water is available on the outside of the refrigerator. We all thought the tap water tasted good! But of course, that’s a matter of opinion.

Master bedroom

It’s huge! And beautiful!

• Porch access
• Treadmill
• Huge! Plenty of space for an air mattress.
• Enormous closet — I think it would be easily big enough for a Pack-n-play for a baby.
• Lots of dresser drawers
• Jacuzzi
• Flat screen television

Master bathroom

Very nice! The most important thing to know — it has one of those separate little rooms for the toilet. I love that!

Main floor bathroom

There’s a bathroom right outside the master suite, too. We actually used this bathroom for a baby’s room, since there was another bathroom just a few steps away. It’s not huge, but big enough.

Loft

Loft area with comfy chair and pull-out sofa.

Upstairs, there’s a loft that’s open below. It’s really just a seating area with a comfy chair and a pull-out couch. Works well as another conversation area — my daughter and her cousin used it as a karaoke studio!

Guest bedroom #1

Upstairs, there are two guest bedrooms. The first has a queen-sized bed, along with an attached bathroom. There are plenty of drawers and space in the room, along with a flat screen TV.

Guest bedroom #2

Two single beds in a smaller room. Ideal for kids.

Right next door is another bedroom. It is smaller, with two single beds. There’s a small flat-screen TV, a small closet and a few very small drawers. We managed to wedge a queen-sized mattress between the two beds and it JUST fit. But it makes the room REALLY crowded. This room would best be used as a kids room, with adults in guest bedroom #1.

Upstairs bathroom

Outside the two upstairs bedrooms, there is a small full bathroom, with a tub and shower. Again, it’s perfectly adequate! Lots of storage for bathroom stuff!

Game room (basement)

Game room in the basement.

The game room is really fabulous in this cabin! It’s the perfect hang-out area. One thing to take note of: it’s right outside guest bedroom #3, which is the biggest guest bedroom. If you put small kids to bed in there, you will have to be pretty quiet in the game room.

• Foosball table
• Pool table (very nice and sturdy)
• Bar, with small refrigerator and freezer, sink, microwave, and counter space
• Two stools at the bar
• Darts
• Entertainment area with large flat-screen TV, A/V equipment, DVD player, and a Wii (!)
• Fire pit access
• Seats six comfortably, but plenty of extra space. We pulled over bar stools to play games. The downstairs is carpeted, so it’s comfy to sit on the floor, too.

Guest room #3

Two queen beds in the basement room. Lots of space in here.

The downstairs guest room is the best one. It has two queen beds, plus PLENTY of extra space. There’s a huge closet, lots of drawers, and lots of floor space. Oh, and there’s this great barn toy with horses. It’s enormous! Any kid would love to get their hands on it. This room has a nice flat-screen TV too.

Downstairs bathroom

The downstairs bathroom is perfectly adequate! It has only a shower, but otherwise it’s perfect. The downstairs bathroom is across the hallway from guest room #3, with easy access from the game room.

Outside

Hot tub -- I LOVE the little deck alcove it's built into.

The outside of this cabin is my favorite part. It’s gorgeous. Here are the highlights:

• Two-story deck that wraps around the cabin
• Top level has a great view spot, where you can see 200 degrees of mountains.
• Lots of rocking chairs
• Nice gas grill with small table for preparation (right outside kitchen)
• Large metal fire pit. We made a great fire and enjoyed sitting by it.
• Hot tub, fits four people comfortably, though we had six adults at one point (I wouldn’t recommend it…). The hot tub is in a perfectly-sized covered alcove of the top deck with optimal views. My favorite little touch? There are hooks nearby for hanging towels.

Did I make you want to go stay? Click here to rent this cabin!

Any questions? If we missed something, leave me a comment, and I’ll see if we can find the answer.

Overall, I give would have no problem whole-heartedly endorsing this cabin. I’ve stayed in a lot of cabins, but it’s easily in my top two all-time favorites. But keep in mind the long drive.

The Cherokee One Feather recently wrote an article about the Smoky Mountain Roller Girls. Oh yes, this does sound like fun!

Here’s a quote from the article:

By day, Blythe S. Winchester, MD is a doctor at the Cherokee Indian Hospital.

But, several nights a month, the EBCI tribal member dons skates and takes to the roller derby rink under the name “Sesamean Streak.”

Joining her teammates on the Smoky Mountain Roller Girls including “Butternut Squash,” “Honey Smack,” and “Trainwrecka Becca” among others, Winchester and the other ladies are bringing a unique and fun sport to this part of the Smoky Mountains.

The roller derby league is located in Bryson City, NC. The first inter-league meet is planned for St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, March 17 at 5 p.m. at the Swain County Recreation Center.

For more information, visit The Cherokee One Feather.

Right now, it feels like it will be forever until spring is in the air. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait!

Springtime in Gatlinburg is great — there’s so much going on! Here are 3 springtime events that you should plan now to attend.

3 spring events in Gatlinburg

1. 

   Ribest at Gatlinburg. Don't miss it!

   Ribfest, Wings & BBQ
   

• What it is: “The downtown Gatlinburg area will transform into a street fair on Thursday, April 26 when Gatlinburg hosts Ribest, Wings & BBQ. Come out and enjoy live entertainment, hot wing eating contests, and ice cream eating contests, each promising a wonderfully good time!”
• When: Thursday, April 26
• Where: Downtown Gatlinburg, on the Parkway
• Entry fee? You purchase an armband for unlimited food sampling
2. Great Smoky Easter Arts & Crafts Show
• What it is: “Unique handcrafted gifts and products produced by members of the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community are placed on display and offered for sale as they host their annual show.”
• When: April 4-7
• Where: Gatlinburg Convention Center
• Entry fee: free
3. Smoky Mountain SpringFest
• What it is: “During the three-month Springfest celebration that begins in early March and continues through the first week of June, visitors witness Gatlinburg’s transformation into spring when the city’s streets overflow with baskets of beautiful blooming flowers and plants. Pansies, daffodils, tulips, mandevillas, bougainvilleas, lantanas, scaveolas and wave petunias are among the many varieties of flowers seen throughout the city. Live entertainment can frequently be found along sidewalks, adding a festive flair to the time-honored Downtown Parkway stroll.”
• When: March 9-June 3
• Where: Downtown Gatlinbug
• Entry fee: free.

Editor’s Note: This is the sixth in a series written by my sister-in-law Stephanie. Hope you enjoy learning from her experiences. She’ll be back on the occasional Friday to make you smile as you dream of the weekend.

Notes from a Dummy Queen

I’m a dummy.

Yeah, that’s me. I admit it.
Which is why I’m writing this to you.
I’m here to relay important information to you in an attempt to defend your reputation, in an attempt to save your face.
I figure I might as well spare you those inexcusable moments when you think: “Duh…I should have known that,” or “Ugh…why did I say that?”

I am known as a dummy; there’s really no need for you to sport that title, too. It’s not that great.

Have you ever had a bad night? You know, the kind when you wake up in the morning next to your brother-in-law instead of your husband? No? Come on – these kinds of things surly don’t only happen to me.

Lesson #6 : Don’t sleep with your brother-in-law

Take it from the Dummy Queen. Life is better when you have less explaining to do.

We were on a family vacation to Italy. Brother, Sister, Mom, Dad, all the spouses, even my Aunts and Grandparents were along with us. And Isola Bella Island was absolutely beautiful. When we arrived, we all opened our hotel windows and looked out over the mountains and water – breath taking! Perfect weather. Perfect hotel. Perfect location.

My husband and I immediately noticed when we opened our window that you could climb out onto the roof of the hotel – so we did. And for the rest of our stay there, we climbed from our window to our family members’ windows instead of using the doors. It was great fun.

But, we made one little mistake. My husband and I forgot to close our window.

When we got back later that night we found lots of little crawly friends making themselves comfortable in our room. Lots meaning more like THOUSANDS. Some were small and grouped together in little black specks all over the ceiling; some were huge cockroach thingys that just about put me over the edge; and some were in our sheets – which DID put me over the edge. I refused to sleep.

But my husband had a great idea based on the fact that bugs are attracted to light. I mean, it was how they all ended up in our room in the first place…

“Let’s hide in the bathroom,” he says, “and let’s open the door to the hallway. After a while the bugs should all migrate into the hotel hallway, right?”

Sounded good to me – anything sounded better than the idea of sleeping in the room with them. So we shut off all the lights in the room, propped open the room door, and hid ourselves in the bathroom. We even rolled up towels and covered the crack under the bathroom door to make sure none of the bugs would crawl their way in with us during their migration out of the room. After twenty minutes we hear knocking outside.

“You guys okay??”

It was my sister and her husband. They were worried we forgot to shut our bedroom door and had fallen asleep. Duh! Come on – do they really think we’re THAT dumb??? Of course we didn’t forget to shut our door!

After explaining, they invited us to sleep with them. So we crawled into bed…Dan on one end, me and Sara in the middle, and Chris (Sara’s husband) on the other end. We fell asleep.

… the next morning …

“Stephanie – where is Sara?”

“Huh?”

“Stephanie – WHAT is going on?”

I rub my eyes.

My aunt is standing in front of me at the end of the bed. Chris is stretching beside me. My husband is gone, my sister is gone; it’s just me and my brother–in–law. Boy, this looks bad.

Take it from the Dummy Queen – life is better when you have less explaining to do.

Jayna's Wet Burrito. Oh, it is so good!

Theme dinners are always fun and festive. What better time to enjoy one than on a cabin getaway? Here are two fun ideas for a Mexican fiesta in the cabin. The first, Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, is great to make ahead and freeze, then just bake at the cabin. The second is more involved, but oh so worth it! Yum! Jayna’s Wet Burrito tastes JUST like the ones you order in a restaurant.

Setting the stage

First, you have to set the stage for a Mexican fiesta. Some ideas:

• Get fun Mexican music
• Bring props — sombreros to pass around or Mexican blankets to drape across the table
• Make your own tissue paper flowers to decorate with — here’s a link to a video showing you how!
• Look for strands of chili pepper lights
• Whether or not you really plan to use them or just use them for decoration, buy some bottles of hot sauce to sit around

Sides and dessert

Both of these entrees pair well with some re-fried beans and Mexican rice. You can buy a package to make Mexican rice quickly and easily at the grocery store. Of course, serving tortilla chips and salsa is perfect, too.

A great ending for the meal could be Fried Ice Cream! I have to admit, I’ve never actually made it, but I’ve tasted it, and it’s so good! Here’s a link to a popular fried rice recipe on AllRecipes.com.

Now, just decide which entree to make from the two below, and you’re all set for your cabin Mexican Fiesta!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

For this recipe, I recommend making it ahead, freezing it, sticking it in a cooler and taking it along. Dinner is a snap! Oh, and my kids LOVE this recipe! When I make it at home, they request leftovers in their thermoses for lunch the next day. This recipe serves about 10 people. But it’s easy to halve for a smaller group.

Ingredients:
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 TBS water
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
5 cups cooked, diced chicken
10 large tortillas
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups (16 ounces each) sour cream
1 cup milk
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, water, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth. Stir in the chicken. Place about a half cup of the mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll them up and place seam side down in 2 greased 9 X 13 baking dishes.

In a bowl, combine soup, sour cream, milk, and chilies. Pour over the enchiladas. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar and bake 5 minutes longer.

From frozen: Add at least 20 minutes to baking time or until heated through.

Jayna’s Wet Burritos

Oh boy, these are good. My husband LOVES the wet burritos served at some Mexican restaurants. My mother-in-law became determined to learn to make them at home. She fiddled with recipes until she came up with this. Now, they are family lore. We love them!

Note: To melt the cheese properly, individual plates need to be placed in the oven with the burrito on them. If you do not know if your plates (or the cabin’s plates) are oven safe, melt the cheese in the microwave instead. Or bring plates from home.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 diced onion
1 envelope taco seasoning
packet to make beef gravy
1 jar salsa
4 large tortillas
1 can black re-fried beans
shredded lettuce
1 diced tomato
lots of shredded cheddar cheese

Cooke beef and onion in skillet until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Add taco seasoning, with the amount of water suggested on the seasoning envelope. Simmer for a few minutes to mix the flavors.

In a small saucepan, make gravy according to package instructions. Stir in 1/2 cup of salsa. Keep warm on stove top.

Spread each tortilla with re-fried beans. Down the middle, layer lettuce and tomatoes. Top with 1/4 the beef mixture. Wrap tortilla burrito-style and place in the center of oven-proof plate.

Drench each wrapped burrito in plenty of gravy mixture, topped with lots of cheddar cheese. Stick these in a warm oven for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve on heavy-duty place mats, so the plates don’t burn the table.

And then call and thank me. Because these burritos are THAT good.