Retold

I’ve been talking about the Chicken Enchiladas, so I that I’d share some pictures and the recipe!  I love them, Matt loves them, and it’s pretty much my own recipe.  If you make it, let me know how it came out and whether you/your spouse/your family liked it!

Chicken Enchiladas
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2c. Shredded Chicken
1c. Chicken Stock
2 cans of Rotel tomatoes, drained and rinsed (16 oz)
1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup (10.5 oz)
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup (10.5 oz)
1 can of Chopped Green Chillies (4 oz)
Corn Tortillas (white or yellow)
Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

In a large, non-stick skillet mix Cream of Mushroom soup, Cream of Chicken soup, and chicken stock. On medium heat, whisk until mixture is completely smooth and bubbly. Add Chopped Green Chillies and both cans of Rotel Tomatoes (I like mild Rotel Tomatoes or Rotel Tomatoes with chillies and lime — Make sure they’re drained and rinsed). Continue cooking over medium heat another 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to bubble again. Add Chicken, cook another 5 minutes, still over medium heat, until completely warm.

Use cooking spray to grease a 8″ x 8″ glass Pyrex baking dish (I use Organic Pam Olive Oil Spray). Layer bottom of the dish with corn tortillas. Add a layer of chicken cream mixture. Add cheese. Continue layering until the dish is completely full (about 3 layers). Cover the top with cheese. Cover with foil, taking care to tent the foil so it’s not laying against the top of the casserole. Bake approximately 30 minutes or until bubbly. Remove foil covering, bake another 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is completely melted and beginning to crisp up.

Let stand 10 to 15 minutes, allowing the casserole to set up, before serving.  Serves 4.

I took a picture of the casserole on a plate, but it looks sort of messy, so I left it out.  Make sure to line your oven if you don’t want a mess, it tends to run over.  Do not, however, place it on a cookie sheet as that could make the bottom layer mushy.  I put a layer of foil on the oven rack below where the enchiladas are cooking.  Saves clean up time and the casserole doesn’t come out soggy.

I boil a whole chicken until the meat falls off the bones and then separate the meat from the rest of the stuff.  One whole chicken will make 3 -4 meals for 4.  So it’s pretty handy to have the meat around to make other meals with.  This is how I get the shredded chicken and the chicken stock.  When I make it out of already cooked chicken, I just use store bought chicken stock or make my own with bullion cubes.  Store bough or home made from bullion cubes are slightly better than the stock from boiling the chicken because they’re not greasy.

Finally, I use Weight Watchers Mexican Blend cheese.  It melts really good, it tastes really good, and it’s much better for you than regular ol’ shredded cheese.  You can add as much or as little cheese as you like, I use about 2 cups in one 4-serving casserole.

As always, click the images above to see them larger.

…(¨`·.·´¨)
…..`·.¸.·Kristyn

A couple quick things…

I broke down and  Twilight.  That’s right.  I bought it.  It was sitting on the shelf at Hastings, staring at me.  I just couldn’t resist.  I didn’t go see it at the theater because I wanted to read the book first.  I still haven’t gotten around to reading the book, too much classwork right now, but I couldn’t resist the temptation to buy the DVD, especially because it was on sale.  I want to read the book when I have time for a new addiction.  I only have Book one right now, but I know when I read it I’m going to want the others, too.  I shouldn’t want to do it, here I am, two books behind on Anita Blake, four books behind on Sookie Stackhouse… I don’t need another vampire addiction.  Do I?

Speaking of which, I found Trinity Blood: The Veridan Collection on sale for a ridiculous price and I bought it.  It’s all 24 episodes and sells online for $37 + shipping.  I got it for substantially less than that at Hastings.  Yay for sales.  The same sale that convinced me I wanted needed Twilight.  My vampire addiction is in full swing right now!

Now for update #3, a completely unrelated note.  I have been so hungry lately.  No, not hungry, that would be a lie.  Let me rephrase, I have been almost compulsively eating lately.  All I want to do is eat, all I think about is food.  I have no idea what’s wrong with me.  It’s not necessarily hunger.  I just want to eat.  I’ve been thinking I should try to take some appetite suppressants because willpower is simply not cutting it.  The problem, of course, is that this is the first time I’ve ever had this particular problem this badly.  Food’s always been a part of my life, but right now, all I want to do is stuff my face.  It’s starting to get chronic.

Oh, and I’m making Chicken Enchiladas for dinner.  Mmmm!!  They’re good for me, they really are, but I want them right now.  All I can think about is the stupid enchiladas.

And WTF is up with Peeps?!  It’s nearly Easter, which means Peeps and other fattening goodies.  Peeps are something I have to have. I don’t eat them any other time of the year because they’re an Easter treat.  I mean really, Halloween peeps, get real!  So, while I was at Wal-Mart earlier, I got myself some Peeps and those damn things are coming in like 50 colors now!  Okay, maybe not 50, but it’s starting to get out of hand.  I picked up Orange Chick Marshmallow Peeps.  They were tasty little chicks, but orange is a first.

One last thing before I go.  I decided to start a CF blog.  If you want to read it, and you don’t have to, it’s at http://by-choice.blogspot.com.  It’s called, ironically, By Choice.  I didn’t feel like this blog was the proper platform for that, so I went over to blogger and opened myself a blog.  I could have made it a sub-domain of this blog, but I really just wanted it to be simple and self-hosting isn’t really simple.  Blogger, they’re simple.

Anyway, I’m off to go watch some TV.  Trinity Blood & Twilight call.

…(¨`·.·´¨)
…..`·.¸.·Kristyn

Could someone please tell me why faucets are so expensive? I mean, there’s almost nothing to them, two knobs and a spout. Really, is it necessary that they cost $150 and up? Somehow I doubt it. I love to window shop for them, which is weird, I know. I can’t afford them, but I totally stalk websites that sell faucets online. I’m a freak. Most people window shop for things like handbags or shoes or computers. I window shop for pretty, shiny faucets. One of these days, I’d like to replace all the faucets in the house.

Of course, I have no idea how to install said faucet, so I haven’t the foggiest idea how they would be installed. Matt isn’t very technical. Maybe they come with an installation manual?

…(¨`·.·´¨)
…..`·.¸.·Kristyn

I keep saying I’m going to graduate in December, but deep down, I really don’t believe it.  Initially, I should have been done in May 2008 at the very latest.  I took a year off, you see.  May 2008 came and went with no graduation and a stack of classes left to take.  Then I should have been done in May 2009, but May will come and go this year without graduation.  I’m starting to think the light at the end of the tunnel’s a lie (sort of like the cake).  My friends graduated, but here I am.  It’s very discouraging.

This semester, I signed up for 12 hours of classes but I’ll only pass 6 hours.  I’m about to fail geology, again, and I’m dropping one of the history classes because it’s just too much reading.  The professor’s just being unreasonable about the amount of reading he’s requiring.  I simply cannot read and comprehend that much in such a short time span.  Three books, plus the 20+ page hand outs every other day.  No, I have other work to do, so I’m dropping it.  To make matters worse, though I’m doing well in one of those classes I’m going to pass, I’m not doing so well in the other.  I made a 65, which is a D, on the first test in my Creating a Nation class because the professor decided to change the format of the test, on test day.  I went prepared to write two essays, she decided to make it one essay and a bunch of short answer, and I just wasn’t prepared for that.  This semester is turning out to be horrible which is not helping my drowning feeling at all.

So today, when I got up, I sat down and looked at what I have left.  After this semester, I have 19 hours before I’m done.  19 hours is 6 classes.  6 classes isn’t much.  Of course, I can’t help thinking that if I’d actually passed all the classes I signed up for this semester, I could finish in the summer.  It’s a lie, I couldn’t finish in the summer because one of the classes I need is only offered in the fall, but my brain doesn’t work that way, I constantly see the what-if or woulda-been of my failures.  It’s one of my failings.

I’m going to attempt 12 hours in the summer.  If I succeed at those 12 hours in the summer, I’ll just have 7 hours left to take in the fall.  If I pass everything over those two semesters, and I have to pass all my summer classes to keep my financial aid, then I’ll be done come Christmas.  Thank the maker!  Ah, but I know what you’re thinking, I can feel it through the tips of my fingers as I type this.  You’re thinking, “Why the hell are you going to attempt 12 hours over the summer, that’s 4 classes!!”  Yes, yes it is.  I’m going to attempt it because I have no other choice, that’s why.  I have two science classes left to go, which is all I ever had to begin with.  Every single time I’ve attempted science, I’ve failed.  Every single time.  I had the same problem with Algebra until I took it in the summer.  One intense summer class and it was over, and guess what, I actually made a B.  Not only did I pass, I did well.  That’s what I’m hoping for in the summer with science.  The other classes are speech, history, and English.  All classes I need, all of which aren’t offered in the fall.  I have no other choice… well, okay, that’s not entirely true.

The English and history I’m taking are not offered in the fall, that part’s true.  Speech is offered every semester, but this summer its being offered… get this… ONLINE.  Yes, you read that right.  Fundamentals of Speech Communications is being offered online over the summer.  Anyone care to guess why I’m taking it in the summer?  You got it, speech online is a dream come true for me.  Of course, it’ll probably have on campus requirements, like, going to campus two or three times to give a speech or something, but I don’t care.  Speech online.  I love you, Tarleton.

In the fall I’m taking my last science class, Historical Geology, and one history class and that’s it.  Frankly, I need a light semester after the full load in the summer.

Of course, with all that planned out, now I need to focus on taking the Writing Proficiency Exam and the GRE.  The WPE has to be taken to get out of school and I’ve been avoiding it like the plague.  I’m an English student, true, and there’s no earthly way I could fail it, true, but that doesn’t mean I want to take it.  I just checked to see when it would be offered and it was already given this semester.  Gah.  I’m running out of chances and if I don’t graduate in the fall because I failed to take the WPE, I’m going to scream.  The GRE is the General Requirements Exam required to get into grad school.  Because my GPA is sort of sad, I have to turn in my GRE scores when I apply.  I won’t be going to grad school until next fall (fall 2010 semester), so I have time, but I want to take it in enough time that should I do poorly, I can retake it for a better score.

All in all, I have a lot to do and my summer is going to be utter hell.  Hot and unpleasant and busy.  Once it’s over, though, it’s almost smooth sailing to the end.  Wish me much luck and willpower, that’s what it’s going to take for me to finish all those courses in the summer.  I’ll be 31 in July, with any luck, I’ll have my bachelor’s degree before I’m 32!  Also, if you managed to get through all of that without falling asleep or getting lost, thank you.  Sometimes I just need to get it all out so I can see it in print.  I’m a little neurotic, I know.

…(¨`·.·´¨)
…..`·.¸.·Kristyn