Bulbs!

Brett and I were in the garden section picking up some supplies and noticed some Summer bulbs. Bulbs to be planted in the spring only for Summer, who knew? Well probably lots of people but...anyway we got some Cannas. I've never planted bulbs before but I gave it the good 1,2 and guess what? It worked! They are sprouting even through the caked soil and ugly leftover mulch.

They are even coming up around the tree :)

 More to come when they flower!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas Verde

Salsa Verde Sour Cream Enchiladas
Seen on The Novice Chef, originally from the Homesick Texan and then on Sing for Your Supper.

4 boneless chicken breasts , cooked and shredded (I used thighs marinated in THIS and then grilled.)
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 Jalapeno, seeded, minced
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth (I only had vegetable broth, worked great)
2 cups sour cream (I used reduced-fat and it was still insanely good)
16 oz jar Medium Salsa Verde
1 & 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
12 flour tortillas, small fajita size (I used whole wheat)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack (I only used cheddar)
1/2 medium onion, diced
*Optionally add rice and crisp tender cooked peppers.

Preheat the oven to 350. Melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute onions and Jalapenos until soft and then add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and let cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the chicken broth until smooth and let cook until bubbly. Stir in the sour cream, salsa, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cilantro until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat.

Spray/grease a 9×13 baking dish. Add 1 cup of sauce to the bottom of the pan. Add chicken and cheese to the center of each tortilla and roll, placing seam-side down in the dish. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas, top with leftover cheese, and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until top is brown and bubbling.
Yields: 12-15 enchiladas

In Pictures

Saute onions and jalapenos in butter then add garlic and finally flour.

 Slowly whisk in broth and let get bubbly.

 Add next ingredients (sorry about the pic)

 Mix until smooth then remove from heat.

 Load up your enchilada. I added cilantro rice and crisp tender peppers.

  Roll up all up and stuff them in.

 Pour as much of the sauce on that will fit. 

(Mine spilled over a bit and I had extra).

Bake 25 minutes until golden on top.

 I used poor enchilada retrieval technique but it tasted amazing.

Try these, you won't regret it. If you get time also check out the link at the top for Sing for Your Supper. Her pics are great.

Chocolate and Cheesecake Cupcakes

It was my sister's Birthday on Wednesday so I dropped by before work to give her this:

 

And what was in there? 

 Why, a chocolate cupcake with cheesecake in the middle.  

Black Bottom Cupcakes

I take no credit for these. This recipe copied directly from the

  Joy of Baking Website.

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1/3 cup (30 grams) natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (240 ml) water

1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable,corn or canola oil (or other flavorless oil)

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Black Bottom Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Cream Cheese Filling: In your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until creamy and smooth. Set aside while you make the Chocolate Cupcake batter.

Chocolate Cupcakes: In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl mix the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until nice and smooth. Evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Then spoon a few tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cupcake.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the cream cheese filling has set and the cupcakes feel springy to the touch (a toothpick inserted into the chocolate part of the cupcake will come out clean). Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. The cupcakes can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for about 3 - 4 days.

Makes 12 large cupcakes

In Pictures

Beat Cream cheese, Sift dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients and add to the dry. Mix well. Put everything in the cupcake liners and bake!

Voila!

  These were pretty good. I had some left over cheesecake batter so I put them in individual tins but added some PB2 and some mini chocolate chips too. The only cheesecake one were divine. I think next time I'll add more cheesecake to each cupcake and but the mini chocolate chips in too.

Catch Up

 My husband Brett graduated with his degree in Mechanical Engineering!  He's already started a great new job working as a Mechanical Engineer doing process Engineering. We are all so proud of him. Everything has happened so fast, it doesn't even seem real. One minute he's studying, and worrying, and staying up late to get all the homework done, and the next he's working at an exciting new career job. Here are a couple of pictures from Graduation day:

:)

With mom, dad, and brother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brett decided to give his dad a stole of gratitude. If you are not familiar with this custom -  the stole of gratitude is to be given by the graduate to someone who they feel has been an integral part of getting them to where they are today.

Add caption

It's bright, but it's the best shot we got.

My mom and dad came too!

Healthy Chicken Parm with Asparagus

Healthy Chicken Parm with Asparagus

2 Large chicken breasts, cut in half to make each piece THINNER
1 jar marinara sauce
1 bunch asparagus, rinsed and bottoms snapped off
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 C panko bread crumbs
1/8 C Parmesan cheese plus some to sprinkle on top
garlic salt, garlic powder, ground pepper ground cayenne pepper, pepper flakes, onion powder
Mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, coat chicken pieces with a beaten egg. In a separate bowl combine panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and spices listed to taste (can't go wrong).  Pour bread crumb contents over the chicken covered in egg and make sure chicken is coated evenly.
3.. Add oil or butter to a medium sized pan on  med-high and, when hot, add the coated chicken pieces to sear each side. Do not cook all the way through.
4. In a 8x8 or 9x9ish sized baking dish pour in half of the marinara sauce then push the seared chicken into the sauce.
5. In same pan add a tablespoon more oil/butter and cook asparagus on medium until crisp tender. Optionally, half way through cooking asparagus, add a dash of white wine and let it cook out.
6. Add cooked asparagus to top of chicken then pour the rest of the marinara sauce over top and add as much mozzarella cheese as desired.
7. Bake for about 35 minutes. Cheese should be melted and chicken should be cooked all the way through to moist perfection.

In Pictures

 Coat the chicken in egg then Bread Crumb/Parmesan/spice mixture.

 

Sear each side without cooking the chicken all the way through.

 

 Push chicken into sauce.

 Cook asparagus until crisp tender.

  Asparagus on top.

Add cheese and bake approx 35 minutes.

EAT!