In her shoes

My fellow blog buddy, Chubby Chick is fighting the same battle I am... we both know we need to lose weight... we know HOW to lose weight... but we just can't seem to do it and stick with it. She wrote a post today that I literally could have written every word of. Please stop by and check it out & give her some words of encouragement!

Easy Enchiladas

I made these chicken enchiladas tonight, adapted a tiny bit from a recipe I found in the April/May Taste of Home cooking magazine. I would for sure have these again, they were easy & delicious! Below is the recipe, with my adaptations in italics.

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 8oz. package of cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat)

8 flour tortillas (8 inch) (I ended up using all 10 that were in a package)

1 cup (8 oz) plain yogurt or sour cream (I used light sour cream)

1 cup salsa

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 can sliced black olives, drained (I omitted these cuz we don't like them!)

1 small can diced chiles, drained

1/4 cup onions, chopped

1. In a small bowl, combine chicken & cream cheese (I also added my chiles and onion here)

2. Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla & roll up tightly.

3. Place seam side down in a greased 13x9 baking dish.

4. In a small bowl, combine yogurt/sour cream and salsa. Spread over tortillas.

5. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with cheese (and olives if you use them) & bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted.

7. Serve with chopped lettuce & tomatoes, if desired

(sorry for the poor quality pictures... I can't find my camera cord, so my only resource is the crappy cell phone camera on my phone!)

Meatball Sub Casserole

We tried this new recipe tonight, found in the April/May edition of the Taste of Home cooking magazine. When I saw this, I knew we had to try it--I love meatball subs, but they are SO messy and I always end up with a stain on my shirt! This one turned out pretty well, and I think it's safe to say that we'll be having this one again!

1/3 c. chopped green onions

1/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs

3 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

1 lb. ground beef

1 loaf (1 lb.) italian bread, cut into 1" slices

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened (I used low fat)

1/2 c. mayo (I used Miracle Whip)

1 tsp. italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 c. shredded mozzerella, divided

1 jar (28 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 c. water

2 cloves garlic, minced

1. In a bowl, combine the onions, crumbs, and parmesan. Add the beef & mix well. Shape into 1" balls & place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until no longer pink. (I cooked these the night before & refrigerated them so that it would be less prep when making dinner. You could also just buy pre-cooked meatballs if you'd rather!)

2. Meanwhile, arrange bread in a single layer in an ungreased 13x9 baking dish (all of the bread might not be used--mine wasn't)

3. Combine the cream cheese, mayo, italian seasoning, and pepper. Spread over the bread. Sprinkle with 1/2 c. mozzarella.

4. Combine the sauce, water, and garlic. Add the meatballs. Pour over cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Grilled to perfection!

I love nice weather because we can grill out! We used to just do the standard burgers or brats, but this year we've been experimenting with some other grilled foods. I tried the potato packets for the first time last week & we had them again last night, along with some delicious BBQ porkchops! That paired with some steamed broccoli, and it was a super satisfying supper:)

Stole this from Fat Bridesmaid, why not do your own & leave the link in my comments!

If I were a month I’d be September.

If I were a day I’d be Saturday.

If I were a time of day I’d be 4:30PM.

If I were a font I’d be Georgia. (me too, FB!)

If I were a sea animal I’d be a starfish.

If I were a direction I’d be South.

If I were a piece of furniture I’d be a big cushy chair with a footstool. Perfect for reading a book and/or napping.

If I were a liquid I’d be fruit punch crystal lite.

If I were a gemstone I’d be Sapphire.

If I were a tree I’d be a magnolia.

If I were a tool I’d be a hammer.

If I were a flower I’d be a daisy.

If I were an element of weather I’d be a raindrop.

If I were a musical instrument I’d be a piano.

If I were a color I’d be pink. (not TEAL!)

If I were an emotion I’d be giddiness.

If I were a fruit I’d be a banana.

If I were a sound I’d be laughter.

If I were an element I’d be Einsteinium.

If I were a car I’d be a Honda civic.

If I were a food I’d be a chunk of cheese.

If I were a place I’d be the beach.

If I were a material I’d be cotton.

If I were a taste I’d be sweet.

If I were a scent I’d be fruity.

If I were a body part I’d be the earlobe.

If I were a song I’d be sung by Norah Jones.

If I were a bird I’d be a hummingbird.

If I were a gift I’d be handmade.

If I were a city I’d be Chicago.

If I were a door I’d be covered in windows.

If I were a pair of shoes I’d be flip flops.

If I were a poem I’d be from The Prophet--On Friendship:

Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay".
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know the flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed

Grilled Packet Potatoes

I love nice weather because it means cooking on the grill! And cooking on the grill means that my husband cooks--even better! I've been wanting to do grilled veggies in packets for awhile now, and I finally got around to it today! I googled different recipes for "packet grill veggies" or "packet potatoes" and went off of those to make my own. They were delicious & cooked perfectly. We're definately having this again!

4 or 5 small/medium potatoes, peeled & sliced 1/4" thick

1 medium green pepper, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1. Chop all your veggies & add all ingredients to a big bowl. Stir until veggies are coated with seasonings

2. Pull out 4 good sized sheets of tin foil & double each over, length-wise.

3. Spray the centers with cooking spray to prevent veggies from sticking.

4. Spread veggies in the center, dividing between the 4 packets, making veggies as flat as possible & leaving about an inch on either end ("left & right" sides).

5. Bring the "top & bottom" of your foil together and fold over a couple times, making a seam above your veggies.

6. Then roll up the ends and create a tight seal so they will steam properly.

7. Cook on the grill over medium-high heat for 20-25 minutes, then remove.

You can either serve them in their packets, or you can open them all & put in a serving dish. Just be careful when you open them so the steam doesn't get you! They were delicious, and we'd definatly have them again! (a side note, they aren't greasy in this picture, they're just incredibly moist from being steamed!)

Special Present

One thing you should know about my husband--he's exceptionally thoughtful, but I wouldn't consider him crafty/creative by any means. He's a gift-giver, but he enjoys going out and selecting something that I'd like, while I am one to create something I think he'll love & give as a gift. So when he told me he was working on a "secret project" for me, I was stumped. Was he building me something? I couldn't figure out for the life of me what it could be. He worked for a couple hours out in the garage today & woke me from a nap to ask if I had any black construction paper. I thought what.the.heck??? I was wondering, is this going to be a gift that is going to be really thoughtful, but kind of elementary? I mean, come on, construction paper? What would have you thought? I didn't have construction paper, but I had a black sheet of foam for crafting. He said that would work. What the heck?

So imagine my surprise and delight when he came in and presented me with this:

It's a beautiful glass etching with my name & my favorite flower on it! It's for my desk at work! I may have him spray paint the wooden frame black or silver, but we'll see. I love it, and I can't believe that he created this! He got a new dremel & the instructions had several project pages, including a project for etched glass. This was his first try at it, and I think he did great. Especially considering his handwriting looks like a 2nd graders, I'm amazed at how well he did with the curves & stuff. His mom even likes it so much that SHE wants one!

What a thoughtful, sweet gift! Has your significant other ever created something for you that totally blew you away?