BBQ Chicken Enchiladas

I made a batch of BBQ chicken in the Crock-Pot to have some tasty protein on hand to add to salads. I found a great deal on chicken, so I bought a ton. I only used 4 breasts, but they were huge, so I got a ton of BBQ chicken out of it. I could only eat BBQ chicken salads for so many days before getting sick of it, so I started brainstorming some alternatives.

I've been wanting to try this Thai Chicken Pizza, but I'm trying to stick to a food budget this month (ugh) and was missing too many ingredients to make it. After a pantry & fridge check, enchiladas were the way to go.

Want to make 'em? Here's how.

Lightly fry your corn tortillas.

Mix one part red enchilada sauce with one part barbecue sauce.

Dip your softened tortillas in the sauce pool.

Try not to be jealous of my chipped, glittery, New Years manicure!

Combine shredded chicken, cheese, and corn in a bowl.

Check me out! I'm artistic!

Add some extras to your chicken mix. Diced jalapenos and crushed black olives sounded like a plan to me.

Place chicken mixture into a dipped tortilla.

Roll that bad boy up and continue with his buddies.

Sprinkle some extra cheese on top. Add corn or jalapenos, if you have some left.

Pop 'em in the oven at 350 degrees for around 25 minutes. They'll come out looking like this.

Serve them alongside some of Mark Bittman's Black Beans with Orange, as I did, or choose whichever side dish tickles your fancy.

If you're a giant crazyface, make a batch of these Three Chip Oatmeal cookies at the same time.

I wanted to exhibit some self-control, so I only made a half batch. That half batch turned out 25 cookies. Oops. I guess I'm just meant to eat cookies. The universe says so, so it's okay.

BBQ Chicken Enchiladas

• 8 corn tortillas
• canola oil
• 3/4 c red enchilada sauce
• 3/4 c BBQ sauce (I used the leftover sauce from the Crock-Pot recipe, so it was really a combination of Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory & Brown Sugar, pineapple vinegar, crushed red pepper, brown sugar, and garlic powder.)
• 3 c shredded chicken
• 1 c sharp cheddar
• 1 can corn
• 1 small can diced jalapenos
• 1 can black olives

Lightly fry the corn tortillas in the canola oil. Mix BBQ & enchilada sauces together. Dip softened tortillas in the combined sauces. Combine chicken, cheese, corn, jalapenos, and black olives in a bowl. Reserve a bit of cheese, jalapenos, and corn to sprinkle over the top of the enchiladas. Place about a quarter cup of the chicken mixture into a tortilla and roll. Place in an ungreased pan. Fill and roll the remaining tortillas and add to the pan. Sprinkle enchiladas with reserved cheese, jalapenos, and corn. Place in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

The enchiladas are spicy and delicious. The cookies are divine. Enjoy!

Elfin Forest

My manfriend and I, on a recommendation from a coworker, hiked Elfin Forest in Escondido yesterday. I think we agree that it's now our favorite hike in San Diego County. There are so many different paths to take that it could be different every time you go. It's challenging, but not so difficult as to be discouraging. There are plenty of shaded areas mixed in with the sunshine-y bits. There are also some pretty incredible views along the way.

Dylan checks out the land we've conquered at the beginning of the hike. I dig his conquering pose.

I'm sort of adorable. This is my pre-red-face-sweaty-body look.

Overlooking Lake Hodges.

We ended up hiking nearly 5.5 miles in a little over 2 hours.

We kicked up a lot of dust. As evidenced here:

I can't wait to get back and try another path.

Bonus pic from Friday night! We did a quick sunset hike up Cowles Mountain and used the new hats that Mama Barr gave us to help us along the way.

That's me at the peak. Always a lovely view of San Diego up top.

While I couldn't force myself to the gym three times this week as planned, two hikes in two days alleviates the guilt.

Happy Sunday all!

New Years Goals (NOT RESOLUTIONS!)

Not. Resolutions. I don't make them because I don't keep them.

I thought to myself toward the end of December that it would be nice to have monthly goals. I'd like to better myself. Always want to be improving and growing. Wouldn't it be nice to make new mind, body, and spirit goals each month? Of course it would!

January came with the following goals:

Mind: Complete 4 crosswords per week

Body: Complete my gym strength training workout 3 times per week.

Spirit: Learn to keep a plant alive.

Full disclosure: None of these goals is going very well.

Let me tell you something. New York Times crosswords are hard, friend. It's like they're written in some alien language. I should have, as mom suggested, started with the People Magazine crosswords. Those I can handle. You may show me a picture of Bradley Cooper for 1-across & I can fill in his name. I'm talented like that. But " 29-down: They're fed at the side of the road"? Um...pardon? Tigers? Astronauts? Weeds? Your mom? Couldn't that be anything that fits in the boxes? Anything?

I'll keep trying to complete them and perhaps they'll become easier with practice, but this week, I'm just frustrated.

My body goal has not even been attempted. I know what I need to do at the gym & had been doing it until this month. I also know what I can do at home on the days I don't go to the gym. But, this week, my fitness attempts have consisted of a few sets of triceps extensions, a few sets of one-arm dumbbell rows (heavier that I've ever attempted before, btw!), and a walk to the post office. Sad.

The worst part about it is not that I've missed my goal, but that I love working out & feel great afterward, but have been unable to push myself to do it. When I get home, I just need to put my gym clothes on and, if I still can't manage to exercise after that, then fine. I can lie in bed watching Morning Glory and No Strings Attached. I think changing clothes will push me enough, though.Update to follow.

Technically, my last goal is going very well since I haven't killed any plants this week. I'm not sure a plant could die that quickly. Mama Barr graciously gave me an herb garden for Christmas and the idea of having fresh herbs at home thrills me. I think I either water too much or don't water enough. I don't know how one figures out what the correct amount of water for each plant might be. Trial & error has not served me well in life as far as not killing plants is concerned. This goal is important to me, though. I'd like to think that I'll be able to have a functioning garden someday. I hear keeping plants alive is an integral part of a functioning garden.

It appears this has become a "how I failed at the New Year" post.

I've done one thing I'm proud of. Let's talk about that! I bought a journal from amazon.com in which you write one line about each day for the next 5 years. I've written down the highlight of my day every day for five whole days. I know. I'm sort of an inspiration. I know it'll be great to look back on this in 2017 and see what made me happy through the years.

I hope everyone's first week of the new year has been lovely and successful and that the following 51 weeks are as well!

Parenting Advice from a Non-Parent

Rule #1 when I'm a mom will be not to break my kids down. There are enough other people and situations in the world that will do that.

I want my kids to think they're good at everything and, equally importantly, that I think they're good at everything.

I've mostly lost my voice due to this nasty cold and what's left of it would best be described...hmm...imagine that a baritone and a frog had a baby and he loved to sing? Like that.

While butchering Christmas songs this morning (due to my cold, mind you, not my normal, lovely singing voice), I was lamenting to my mom that I wouldn't be able to sing carols this year. I proposed that maybe I could be the Christmas whistler. After a quick audition, she said that perhaps I'd be more suited for the bells or accordion.

Now, this was all in jest, of course.

But why not lift your kids (even if they're adults) right on up? Fill those self-esteem buckets to the brim.For whatever reason, kids still look to their parents for approval, whether they're 2 or 32.

Your kid stinks at baseball. Practice with them in the backyard.

Your ballerina isn't graceful. Applaud after every living room performance.

Your little poet can't rhyme. Hang those poems on the fridge.

Your Christmas whistler can't carry a tune. Let her whistle in your fictional caroling scenario, for crying out loud.

Who ever heard of a Christmas carol accordion player anyway?

BragFest 2k11

Want to know how busy my weekend was? I'll tell ya! This is my Saturday afternoon post. But, wait. It's Monday at noon, you say?

Exactly.

And now we begin the BragFest. Guess what I did Saturday morning! All before 11:30 am! I ran walked mostly ran a 5K. My very first! Exclamation!

That there's my sexy race shirt. Did I actually raise any money for Habitat for Humanity? No. I signed up for the race to try to motivate myself to train. Did I train? No. This isn't the first time I've tried this type of coercion on my laziness , but this is the first I've actually gone through with the race and the end of the failed training attempt.

First 5K: 38:13. Not tooooo shabby with no training, right? Right?

Guess what else I got in my race goody bag?

 A blood blister. Hot.

After the race, I drove my butt home to make some breakfast. I was craving some breakfast sausage, but had none, so I made the most aesthetically displeasing lumps of meat I've ever seen.

Know what? They also didn't taste so good. I need a little more spice in my sausage. (That's what she said) Ah well. allrecipes can't always be right.

You know when they are right? When I need some meat-a-balls and they lead me to heaven, or as the case may be, Meatball Nirvana.

These bad boys...oh lord, you guys...these are delicious. The flavor is spot-on and the texture is light. I made some of Papa Russ's World Famous Marinara Sauce to accompany them, but then realized I had no pasta nor did I even have a roll to throw everything on.

Woe is me. Such is the life of an ill-prepared cook.

I took a nap to cope.

Hope you all had as fulfilling a Saturday as I.

A Couple Questions

Why will Words with Friends not allow me to spell Luda like this?

It's called language, WWF. It evolves. Keep up.

And another thing:

Please explain to me how my bed, which is always right up against the wall, ended up like this sometime in the night.

Please do keep your minds out of the gutter.

Garbage

Not really, though. I just couldn't come up with a clever name for this delicious dish.

I originally named it Swiss Cheese Mashed Potato Brisket Egg, but Dylan gave me his "you're a crazyface" look at that title, so...

Suggestions?

It was damn delicious and kept me full on the drive to Palomar Mountain, through a 4 mile hike, and on the drive back.

Miraculous!

Garlic parmesan mashed potatoes, caramelized onions with chopped slow-cooked brisket, shredded swiss, topped with an over-medium egg. Whole wheat toast on the side.