A recipe for you

I had forgotten about this recipe and thought of it again when I bought some "authentic" enchilada sauce last night.  The can of sauce was so big I figured this recipe would be good to double and share with some friends who just had twins!  Second time I've made this recipe for people who've had twins...Hm...Hm...Hm...!!! :)

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
3 c. chopped cooked chicken ( 3 large chicken breasts or about one rotisserie chicken)
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can (8¾ oz.) no-salt-added corn, drained and rinsed
1 package (8 oz.) reduced-fat shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
8 whole wheat tortillas (8")  (I always use white, although corn works, but then just layer this and make it a casserole!)
2 (10 oz.) cans enchilada sauce

Combine first four ingredients and 1½ c. cheese in a large bowl.  Spoon filling down center of tortillas, roll up and place seam-side down in a greased 9X13" pan.  Pour sauce evenly over enchiladas, sprinkle with  remaining cheese and bake, covered with foil, at 350º for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered, or until bubbly.

The Bakery is about to close...

My Christmas baking is finished except for some breads.  They are not a part of my presents, though, so the official Christmas baking can be declared done!  This year I made a bunch of new things for me.  Plenty of stand-by's and then some new standards!  So let's see, what did I make:

1. Double-chocolate-peppermint biscotti
2. Cocoa-coffee crinkles (two thumbs up!)
3. My Big Fat Greek Baklava Bars (two thumb up!)
4. Pistachio Cream Cheese Sugar cookies
5. Sugar cookies
6. Gingerbread
7. Molasses cookies
8. Liebesgrübchen
9. Pfeffernüsse
10. Swedish Heirloom cookies (Russian teacakes/Kourabiethes/Mexican wedding cakes)
11. Cream cheese spritz 
12. Almond-bark covered pretzels
13. Meringues with lemon pie filling (for my gluten free friends!)

Let's see...I think that's it!  And today I have some poteca (walnut filled bread) and cinnamon bread in the works as well as a really hearty loaf to go with soups!  Laundry beckons so, please, as you prepare for the holidays, ENJOY!!  Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year!

wOOhOO!

I got my holiday baking started!  First off, a thank you to my new store for their incredibly warm welcome in the form of cinnamon rolls.  I also made cocoa-coffee crinkles.  My are they coffee-y!!  LOVE it!  I also made cheddar broccoli soup for dinner and we had ham and potatoes with a salad for lunch.  I also wrote my German holiday letter and finished sealing all of my envelopes for the addresses I have available right now.  I'm missing 3, maybe 4 addresses!  Tomorrow I need to do some sewing and get to the post office.  I will probably pick up my exam at school, too.  I hope to be able to meet up with a friend, too!  I love having time!

I am in love...

This is ALL I want for Christmas!!  Forget my two-front teeth!!!
http://www.scion.com/#/iQ-images-videos/colors/black-currant
I'm sorry I can't post a picture straight here, you'll have to follow the link!

Happy Shopping Honey!! ☺  I am SOO test-driving one of these babies!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!! I have so much to be thankful for ... family, friends, food, freedom. We had quite the feast today with Gordon, Ivona, Emily and Jonathan. I'm grateful to have a sister to call my own! :)

Eggnog Loaf Cake

Of course, I shouldn't probably follow my last post with this post, but...!!! ☺ To be honest, I haven't even tried the cake itself yet because it just started to bake, but I did like the beater!!

Eggnog Loaf Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon rum flavored extract
• 3/4 cup milk (I used eggnog!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x4 inch loaf pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and ginger; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together sugar, butter, and shortening until light and fluffy. Blend in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the rum extract. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Because I need to read this often and make it my own

Long after I sell my psych book, I want to be able to read this.  Stephen Ilardi and colleagues used these steps toward a therapeutic life-style change for people with depression and 77% of the 74 people who completed the program (12 weeks) experienced relief from their symptoms.  So this is for me.
Aerobic exercise: 30 minutes a day, at least three times weekly (increases fitness and vitality, stimulates endorphins)
Adequate sleep: with a goal of 7-8 hours a night (increases energy and alertness, boosts immunity and memory)
Light exposure: at least 30 minutes each morning with a light box (amplifies arousal, influences hormones)
Anti-rumination: by identifying and redirecting negative thoughts (enhances positive thinking)
Nutritional supplements: including a daily fish oil supplement with omega-3 fatty acids (aids in healthy brain functioning)(520)

Imagine the possibilities!  And doing this continually can only prevent future recurrences of what ails us!
(Myers, David G. Exploring Psychology Eighth Edition. New York. Worth Publishers. Print. 2011.)