Friday, May 18, 2012

I'm a Rock Star!!

Poor kid.  He doesn't realize all these pictures get stored away for future use.




Sunday, May 6, 2012

100 Day Wellness Challenge: The Final Results

May 1 marked Day 100 of the challenge.  I am 7 pounds lighter (my shoes feel looser - woo hoo!) and I logged 65 hours and 30 minutes of exercise over the course of the 100 days.

Overall my team was #18 out of 319 teams from my company's locations all over the United States.  As a team, our average exercise time per member was 48 hours, so I was happy I was above the average.  I think some of our team fizzled out after the halfway point though, since we started dropping every week in our rank since then.

An article that was published about a study in the UK stated that it takes 66 days for something to become a habit.  I'm guessing that is the case as I've appeared to have bonded with my treadmill - I woke up at 6 AM yesterday morning and first thing I did was hop on for a 1/2 hour.   Who am I?  I feel stronger and I feel like I have more energy. 

I just need to remember this feeling and I need to make sure I keep making time for ME in the midst of t-ball games, swim lessons and gymnastic classes.  After all, if momma ain't happy, nobody's happy.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Chicken Enchilada Bake with Salsa Cream Sauce

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I've decided to make use of the 'To try' folder that I created within Mastercook.  I figure that if I can make one recipe a week from there (or delete one that no longer sounds appetizing) then that should whittle that list right down.  Problem is, there are 127 recipes stored on this laptop, an unknown number on the other, plus Pinterest, plus email ...

Madeleine was looking through the recipes with me and wanted to give this one a try.  It's been on my list to try for a while but I didn't have the source noted.  This was another one of those recipes that was a snap to put together (as long as you have cooked chicken) which is a must for a school night. 

The kids holped me put this one together.  I was in charge of the sauce, Madeleine was in charge of the chicken mixture and Christopher was the cheese spreader.  I didn't even bother to try and find a papaya here and just had it with some sliced mango instead.  I used spicier than normal salsa but mixing it with the sour cream cooled it down a bit.  Much easier than rolling enchiladas, which always seem to split on me.

                     
Chicken Enchilada Bake with Salsa Cream Sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
10 whole corn tortillas -- cut into inch strips
2 cups cooked chicken -- shredded
15 ounces canned black beans -- rinsed and drained
6 whole green onions -- including some tender green tops
1 cup black olives -- sliced
6 ounces monterey jack cheese -- grated
Lime wedges
Papaya

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and blend. Whisk in stock, salt, and pepper and stir until mixture boils and is thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and salsa and mix well.

Cover the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with one third of the sauce. Scatter half of the tortilla strips on top. Next scatter the chicken, onions, olives, and half the cheese, and pour one third of the sauce over all. Top with remaining tortillas, sauce, and cheese.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake until bubbly, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with lime wedges and papaya slices.