Two Cheese Enchiladas

We had these for dinner tonight right before Kevin went out to see Sevendust with Darren and John. I've been making this recipe for a few years now. I think I got it from an issue of Health magazine. It's always been a hit. You can adjust the heat of the dish with your choices of cheese and salsa. Kevin hates the corn tortillas, so I always make a few flour ones for him.



Ingredients

• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed


• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed


• 1/2 cup shredded jalepeno jack cheese (or a different kind for less kick)


• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro


• 1 large can enchilada sauce


• 1 small can green salsa (again, choose your spice level) I buy the imported cheap Mexican salsa from Save-A-Lot, but any salsa will do.


• 1/3 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese OR 1/3 cup queso fresco, crumbled.


• 8 corn tortillas (the small kind)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. In a large bowl, partially mash beans with a potato masher.


3. Add corn, jalepeno jack cheese, 1/4 cup enchilada sauce, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro.


4. Mix to combine.


5. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.


6. In a medium bowl, whisk together the entire can of salsa (about 1/2 cup) and the rest of the enchilada sauce. (I don't always use all of the enchilada sauce, but the original recipe says to)


7. Spread 1/2 cup sauce/salsa mixture over the bottom of the pan.


8. Wrap tortillas in a towel and microwave for about 1 minute.


9. Fill each tortilla with a scant 1/4 cup of the filling, placing seam-side down in the pan.


10. Spoon the remaining sauce/salso mix over the entire pan of enchiladas.


11. Top with shredded cheese/queso fresco.


12. Bake until cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 30 minutes.


13. Garnesh with remaining cilantro.

youtube video

Okay, I know this isn't Wade, but I found this on youtube and really got a kick out of it.

School n' stuff

Well, this semester is coming to a close.  I am actually feeling pretty good about all my classes.  I have been working harder than a hamster in a greased wheel to get everything done on time, and so far, I have succeeded.  Sort of.  I just turned in a "wearable art" piece for my final in fibers.  I put a lot of work into it...sewing a rough draft, sewing the actual dress, dyeing the fabric etc.  I ended up with this dress that is hand sewn and hand dyed, but the dye looks awful.  I would never wear this piece.  In some ways, it's interesting...it looks like a cinch trash bag filled with bloody body parts.  Or maybe just like the wearer has gushing gunshot wounds.  Anyhow, I can't shake the feeling that I really let my teacher down.  I should have done more extensive dye testing and planning etc.  I think that she was pretty disappointed in the class' work in general.  I have to say that I don't blame her.  A lot of the students sewed stuff with poor craftsmanship...and they didn't even incorporate the dyeing/felting/papermaking that we did in class.  There's also a tiny voice in my head that thinks I did just fine and will get an A for this project.  I mean, just because I don't like the final product doesn't undo the work that went into it.  I'll be sure to post pictures of my semester's work once I have my final critiques over with.
On an up note, I am quite pleased with my current drawing.  I am making myself into an icon painting of sorts; lifting up and showing appreciation for the mundane tasks that make up most of our lives.  Go me.  Sometimes, I just need to give myself pats on the back for making my bed and picking up after myself.  Amen.

gp pix!

playing with mama and ahpa!

Car video

Here's Wade playing with his shake & go car:

Beef & Veggie Fajitas

(totally unrelated picture, but how can I resist?)

Ok, so this recipe is fast and easy, just like Kevin. It's from Cook's Country magazine's 30 minute dinners. I used cheaper cuts of steak, and they do come out tougher than the recommended (*expensive*) flank steak. Word to the wise. Word to your motha. Word.





To warm tortillas, stack them on a plate, wrap the plate with plastic, and microwave it on high power for about 1 minute. (or microwave tortillas in the bag they came in, leaving a small opening to vent steam) Serve with guacamole, shredded cheese, salsa and/or sour cream. Serves 4 (If you have big eaters, multiply recipe by 1.5 or 2)





Ingredients

• 1 flank steak (about 1.5 lb)


• s&p


• 2 T vegetable oil


• 4 T juice from 2-3 limes


• 1 red onion, halved and sliced thin


• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin


• 1.5 t chili powder (be generous)


• 1 c frozen corn


• 8 (6 inch) flour tortillas


• 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro (this makes this meal for me, but if you don't like cilantro, you can leave it out)

Directions

1. Pat steak dry with paper towels and season with s&p. Heat 1 T oil in large skillet over med/high heat until just smoking. Cook steak until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and drizzle with 2 T lime juice. Tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes.


2. Add remaining oil to empty skillet and heat until shimmering (you may have to wipe out skillet first, depending on if any steak bits burned). Add onion, bell pepper, and chili powder and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn and remaining lime juice and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer to serving platter.


3. Slice steak thinly on the bias and against the grain.(I actually chop the steak into smaller bits, otherwise the strips can be hard to chew through in the tortilla) Transfer to platter with vegetable mixture. Serve with tortillas, passing cilantro at the table.

Mama & Ahpa

Wade has had an eventful time with his "Mamas and Ahpas" lately. Last Thursday, he had a fun sleepover with Gma & Gpa Kirkpatrick. Aunt Megan came into town on Friday, so he also got to see her for a little bit. Then he got to spend the weekend with Gma & Gpa Kohl when they came to visit. He showed off all his speaking skills, and was especially good at asking for bites of Mama's ice cream sandwich (see photo...). He is pretty hard to refuse when he says "pea?" (that's please). We had a fun visit with my parents. We all went to the History Museum on Saturday and saw the exhibit on flight in Missouri. Wade ran around and named anything he recognized, including a car, a plane and teeth (painted on a plane). We had a yummy lunch at Penn Station and then Wade was about ready for a nap. He wore out Gma & Gpa with the "jumping game," grabbing their hands and jumping on the BOSU ball. Of course, they were doing most of the work, there. Had steak and veggie fajitas for dinner (recipe to follow), and went to church together Sunday before Mama and Ahpa had to go home to Chicago. Of course Wade has been "on the phone" with Mama and Ahpa all week. Very cool to see how he remembers them even when he doesn't see them every day.

We went to the park this morning and had it all to ourselves. Wade was more interested in stepping up and down the curbs than playing on the slides. That was still pretty fun, though. He only had one fall where Mommy had to kiss his hands and knees to fix the boo boos. Otherwise, he just picked himself up and brushed off his hands before charging off to the next curb.

Here's another video for your viewing pleasure. I love it because Wade runs (or at least walks really fast) with one arm swinging away, while the other one just kind of sits there. You can also see our yard pre-garden makeover. All the grass is officially dead, and Kevin is going to borrow his parent's tiller and till it next week. Then the fun will begin. I'll post pictures of our progress.

More videos!

Going through some recent video footage - found this one! Wade is so fun now that he is running and climbing and figuring stuff out. Once he got the concept of candy in eggs, he was an egg-opening-jellybean-eating-machine.

Here he is practicing his barkeep skills. Or maybe wac-a-mol.

Gardening & video

We had a great Saturday. The weather cooperated all day, and I think we all had a case of spring fever. We had a fun morning at Carondelet park. Kevin and Wade hung out at the playground while I jogged Nugget around the trail. It's a short trail, but just long enough for me to lose any motivation to go twice around the loop. Oh well, some exercise is better than none. Anyhow, I wouldn't want to give Nugs a heart attack. He has no cardiovascular endurance. Herding dog my ass. Just who is in charge of exercising him, anyway?

Kev and I got some yardwork done (big pats on back). Our *small* beds from last season are now tilled, composted, have all dead plants replaced, and have been fenced to prevent Nugget from trampeling them to death. Kevin also sprayed to kill our lawn so we can do start the rest of the yard next week. I will put some before/after photos up once we get started on the major planting. I am very proud of myself for planting annuals, which have always seemed like a pain in the drain to me. I mean, you have to re-do them Every Year? sheesh. hasheesh. But do them I did. In pots, not in the ground. I'm starting small.

Pizza & beer (water for Wade) for dinner. Wade got a bath, and went to bed with nary a peep. *sigh* what a nice end to a nice day. Now if I could just get some homework done before we go to bed....

Here's another video of Wade for your viewing pleasure:

April Bakin'

It's April 3rd, and I only have four more weeks of school.  I have about a million projects due in this short time span.  I really should be working on them, but instead, I am baking a cake this afternoon and screwing around on the internet.  I have an excuse for baking.  My mil's birthday was yesterday, and we're having her and fil over for dinner.  So I have to bake a cake.  I have to say I am a rock star cook today - the cake is aready done and setting up in the fridge.

Happy birthday to Brian April 1st and to Casey April 2nd. 
In honor of birthdays and the cakes they inspire, I am including my favorite chocolate cake 
recipe today.  I topped this with marshmallow fluff and chocolate glaze today, but this cake holds up well to a variety of frostings.  I also love to make this as a "crazy ho cake," topping it with white filling and chocolate glaze.(ho ho filling/topping)  

Crazy Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
  
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 t. soda
• 1 t. salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa (dutch processed if you can find it)
• 3/4 cup oil (I use canola.  Vegetable would also work well)
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 2 cups water
• 2 T white vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray/grease & flour 9x13 pan (or 2 rounds if you are getting fancy)
   
3. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients well.
4. Make a well in the center and add wet ingredients, adding vinegar last.
5. Mix well and immediately spread batter into pan.
6. Bake 35 - 40 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. If topping with marshmallow fluff, top while still hot.  For all other toppings, allow cake to cool first.  A simple powder sugar dusting is also lovely on this cake.

Sausage and Peppers

This is a fast and easy dinner.  It is also healthy, and can easily be doubled to feed a large group.  You can control the heat and flavors by choosing different types of canned tomatoes to add.  Use whatever you like.  I have tried plain, fire roasted, Rotel, onions & peppers, garlic & basil.  All are good.  If you're going for a spicy dish, you can add a jalepeno pepper to this recipe.  Leave the seeds and ribs in for extra heat, or remove them for a milder kick.  serves 2 hearty portions with plenty of leftovers

Ingredients

• 1 monstrous onion, or 2 medium onions
• 2 colored bell peppers (red/orange/yellow, but you can use green in a pinch)
• optional - 1 jalepeno pepper, seeded or not
• 1 package lowfat turkey sausage (These come 2 large sausages to a package.  I find them by the lunch meat and hot dogs at the grocery store.  They come already cooked.)
• 1 or 2 cans diced tomatoes (see note above)

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat about 1 T vegetable/canola oil to shimmering over high heat.
2. While pan is heating, slice or roughly chop the onion.  Add to pan.
3. Let onion become slightly softened - about 3-5 minutes.  While onion cooks, seed and roughly chop peppers.  Add peppers to pan as you chop them.
4. Salt veggies to taste.
5. Allow onion to caramelize a bit while you slice sausage thinly on the bias.  Add sausage to pan.
6. Once onions are translucent and lightly browned, add tomatoes to pan and reduce heat to medium low.  Cover and heat through.
7. Serve alone or with rice/pasta etc.  If using pasta, I love Rozoni whole grain fettucini.  Lovely dish with a salad.