Monthly Archives: June 2014

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Posted in extras, main dishes, side dishes, things we like to eat by

My Daughter and I- Chicken Enchilada Casserole 1

I made this the other night and everyone loved it. I haven’t been making as many casseroles lately, so this was a nice change. The enchiladas weren’t overly saucy or cheesy but they had great flavor. We served ours with homemade salsa and black bean and corn relish. We also had some delicious semi-homemade refried beans- recipe listed below.

My Daughter and I- Chicken Enchilada Casserole 2

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients:

3 cups red enchilada sauce

16 corn tortillas, halved

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

8 green onions, thinly sliced

4 cups (about 1.5 pounds) shredded cooked chicken

3 cups shredded Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend cheese

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

1/2 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh cilantro

 

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Pour about 3/4 cup enchilada sauce in the baking dish, and spread until the bottom of the dish is coated. Top with a layer of about 8 tortilla halves so that the entire dish is covered. Sprinkle evenly with about 1 cup black beans, 1/2 cup corn and a fourth of the green onions. Then sprinkle with a heaping cup of the chicken, and about 3/4 cup shredded cheese.

Repeat with a second layer of tortillas, then sauce, then beans, corn, green onions, chicken, and cheese. Then a final layer of tortillas, sauce, beans, corn, green onions, chicken and cheese. Then conclude with a final layer of tortillas and sauce (reserving about 3/4 cup of cheese to add partway through baking).

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan and remove aluminum foil. Sprinkle the top of the enchiladas evenly with the remaining 3/4 cup of cheese, then return to the oven (uncovered) and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Remove pan, and sprinkle with avocado, cilantro, and remaining green onions. Serve warm.

Semi-Homemade Refried Beans
Ingredients:

2 T. Olive oil

1 T garlic, minced

1/4 onion, finely chopped

2 -3 T jalapeño, finely chopped, or more to taste

1/2 tsp cumin, or more to taste

3 corn tortillas, torn or cut into small pieces

2 –  30 ounce cans of whole pinto beans, 1 drained, 1 not drained. Save the liquid from the drained can to be sure you don’t need it.

 

In large sauce pan add olive oil, garlic, onion and jalapeño and cook until onions start to turn translucent. Add in the corn tortilla pieces and mix well. Cook for a few minutes, and if all the oil is absorbed, add a bit of the bean liquid and keep cooking- you want the tortillas to soften up a bit. Pour in the 1 undrained can of beans and the 1 drained can of beans and mix well. I use my potato masher and mix and mash. Continue cooking, mixing and smashing. Add in the cumin and mix some more. Let simmer so the corn tortillas soften up. Continue cooking until beans reach the desired consistency. You may need to add a bit more of the bean liquid depending on how you like your beans. I turned beans off after 15 or so minutes and then turned them back on just before serving. I didn’t need to add any additional salt, but be sure and taste yours. Serve with the delicious chicken enchilada recipe.

 

Cindy

Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted in sweets, things we like to eat by

My Daughter and I- Peanut Butter Cookies 1

I bake cookies all the time but for some reason I don’t normally bake peanut butter cookies. I had a craving for them so I thought I would whip up a batch, however I didn’t read through the recipe completely and realized the dough had to chill in the refrigerator for one hour before baking, so it took quite a bit longer than I had planned. They were worth the wait – next time I might add some chocolate chips but they were delicious just as they were.

My Daughter and I- Peanut Butter Cookies 2

Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:

Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. I sprinkled mine with a bit of sugar. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

 

Cindy 

Fashion Friday- Modcloth’s Uniquely You Campaign

Posted in Fashion Friday, obsessions, other obsessions by
Last week, I got an email from the lovely Amy Hirt, a stylist over at Modcloth– she asked if I would be interested in participating in their Uniquely You campaign by styling an ensemble around a particular ModCloth item. I was absolutely thrilled to be invited, and immediately said yes. In case you haven’t heard of Modcloth, they are a retro-inspired, online clothing company that has adorable clothes, accessories and even home goods. If you’ve read my Fashion Friday posts in the past, then you’ll be familiar with some of their products- I love their stuff! In fact, we bought my mom a pair of leather sandals (only available in cream now) from Modcloth for Mother’s Day that she loves. They are a bit unusual and are great because they have a little bit of a heel and a strap in the back- two things that aren’t normally on cute sandals. Those details make them adorable and comfortable.
All of the their clothes are so fun and totally my style. My personal style tends to be mostly classic cuts with unusual and fun details, and that fits in with Modcloth’s clothes completely.
I particularly love their dresses- as someone who wears a lot of dresses, I really appreciate their amazing selection. Here are just a few of the Modcloth dresses that I’m currently crushing on: modcloth favorite dresses
Aren’t those adorable? Because I love Modcloth’s dresses so much, I was super excited to find out that Modcloth wanted me to design an ensemble around the Abiding Beauty Dress– a classic, simple dress that would make for a great closet staple. The leather belt that comes with the dress is nearly identical to a belt that I own, and the dress itself is something that I would’ve picked out on my own also. I had so much fun picking out different Modcloth accessories and shoes to go with the dress.
The knit fabric that the dress is made out of looks so comfortable- it got me thinking of all the places I would want to wear it. My first thought was that it would be a perfect travel dress- versatile, easily pack-able, and above all, comfortable. That was my jumping off point for creating my outfit- the finished product is something that I could absolutely see myself wearing.
So, here’s my Modcloth Uniquely You ensemble!
My Daughter and I- Modcloth Uniquely You Contest
I can easily imagine wearing this outfit for exploring during a trip- all of the items are versatile and could work with so many different outfits.
Visiting Italy (and all of Europe actually!) is an absolute dream of mine, and this outfit would be exactly what I’d want to wear for a trip like that! It’s my Italy Dreamin’ outfit I suppose 😉
I used Polyvore to create both of these style sets- it was my first time using Polyvore and I had a lot of fun with it. If you want to check out my profile, or follow me, here’s the link.
I hope you enjoyed my outfit for Modcloth! I had a great time putting it together!
Jordan

Pesto Pasta Salad with Arugula

Posted in main dishes, salads, side dishes, things we like to eat by

My Daughter and I Pesto Pasta Salad with Arugula 1

I made this recipe yesterday and it really took only about 15 minutes from start to finish. Crazy fast and delicious! If you aren’t a big fan of arugula, you could substitute baby kale, or spinach, or even chopped romaine lettuce. I loved the addition of the greens to the pasta- it made a giant bowl and I felt like it was much healthier than just eating pasta. This would be a great salad to bring to a BBQ or beach party.

I found this recipe on Gimme Some Oven. I love Ali’s blog and all the recipes I have tried have been amazing. Check it out!

My Daughter and I Pesto Pasta Salad with Arugula 2

Pesto Pasta Salad with Arugula

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound (dry) pasta
1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
1 (6-ounce) jar basil pesto (about 3/4 cup)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced
3 handfuls fresh arugula, 4 ounce package

Method:
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water for about 20-30 seconds until no longer hot.

In a large serving bowl, toss pasta with the remaining ingredients until combined. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Cindy