Red letter day - it rained ALL.DAY. in Raleigh! All day... like from when we woke up and it's still raining. It was positively awesome... Scott and I were big bums too, playing on the computer and watching Friday Night Lights DVDs. What a wonderful day!
So, this is a really delicious and EASY recipe, and also a family staple!
Chicken Enchiladas
1 lb cooked & cut up chicken (Sometimes Scott will grill it and it makes them extra yummy.)
1 8 oz cream cheese
1/3 c milk
1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
1/4 tsp chili powder (I use a little more.)
1 can enchilada sauce
8 small tortillas (I use wheat)
2 c grated cheese, Mexican mix or Cheddar.
Directions:
Heat cream cheese and milk on low heat until smooth. Add chiles, powder and chicken. Fill tortillas with cream cheese mixture and roll up. Place in 9x13 baking dish and cover w/ 1/2 of cheese mixture. Pour enchilada sauce evenly over enchiladas, and spread the rest of the cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 mins.
We usually serve it with some Spanish Rice (from Old El Paso I think)... and we've been known to wash it all down w/ some margaritas :)
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Christmas in PA
We had a whilrwind trip back to Pennsylvania, but it was lovely. Here are some highlights...
This is my friend Kelly's baby - little Susanna is getting bigger - here she is on her Exersaucer! (Is that how you spell it?? IDK.)
Here's John & Kelly Kennelly, me & Scott and Steve on Christmas morning. It was a busy day, but really nice to see ALL the family!
Nana & Pop Pop in front of their new house (and Pop Pop with his new flat screen TV for the kitchen!) Oh, it was super warm and sunny on Christmas. Woohoo PA!
And finally, we took our new toy (Carmen, the Garmin) to help us find my cousin Jill's house! We enjoyed meeting Eli, and seeing Clayton again. 
Clayton's 3 now, and not shy at all! He likes to pretend he's a super villain, Harry Potter (Hawwy Pottaw), a carpenter, and Darth Vader.
Ashley is a PSU alum now! Congrats Sis!
We met the Raffensperger clan at the Gathering Place which was wonderful!!
And some quality time with my BFF's from Etown!!
This is my friend Kelly's baby - little Susanna is getting bigger - here she is on her Exersaucer! (Is that how you spell it?? IDK.)
Here's John & Kelly Kennelly, me & Scott and Steve on Christmas morning. It was a busy day, but really nice to see ALL the family!
Nana & Pop Pop in front of their new house (and Pop Pop with his new flat screen TV for the kitchen!) Oh, it was super warm and sunny on Christmas. Woohoo PA!
And finally, we took our new toy (Carmen, the Garmin) to help us find my cousin Jill's house! We enjoyed meeting Eli, and seeing Clayton again. 
Clayton's 3 now, and not shy at all! He likes to pretend he's a super villain, Harry Potter (Hawwy Pottaw), a carpenter, and Darth Vader.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
A Thousand Splendid Suns
In a word? Life changing. This book really changed my outlook on a lot of things. It was AMAZING writing, I could not put it down. The story was about two women in Afghanistan and takes place over the past 30 years... it was really educational for me, since my Afghanistan education pretty much began on Sept 11... The style of writing and characters came to life for me, and I couldn't stop until I knew how it ended. Khaled Housseini is a fantastic writer, and I highly recommend The Kite Runner AND A Thousand Splendid Suns.
NYT Review
Link to The Kite Runner movie info (came out last weekend...looks like kind of mixed reviews, but I'll still see it eventually. :))
NYT Review
Link to The Kite Runner movie info (came out last weekend...looks like kind of mixed reviews, but I'll still see it eventually. :))
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Chocolate Cookie Dough Dip
I took this dip to a party last night and it was sooo delicious! The taste of cookie dough without the risk of salmonella. Gotta love that, right!?
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously, until the brown sugar dissolves. (You can also do this in the microwave but watch it closely. The butter/sugar mixture will boil over fast. Stir every 30 seconds or so.)
2. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla extract and set aside to cool.
3. Beat the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar for 1 minute.
4. Slowly beat in the cooled butter mixture and beat again for another minute.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Pour into a serving bowl and refrigerate.
7. Garnish with additional chips, if you choose.
Serve with Nilla wafers (my choice) or graham crackers.
**Note: after refrigerating the dip it will be pretty solid and un-dippable so make sure to remove it from the refrigerator about 15-30 minutes before you plan on serving it, so it has time to soften up.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously, until the brown sugar dissolves. (You can also do this in the microwave but watch it closely. The butter/sugar mixture will boil over fast. Stir every 30 seconds or so.)
2. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla extract and set aside to cool.
3. Beat the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar for 1 minute.
4. Slowly beat in the cooled butter mixture and beat again for another minute.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Pour into a serving bowl and refrigerate.
7. Garnish with additional chips, if you choose.
Serve with Nilla wafers (my choice) or graham crackers.
**Note: after refrigerating the dip it will be pretty solid and un-dippable so make sure to remove it from the refrigerator about 15-30 minutes before you plan on serving it, so it has time to soften up.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Eli is here!
My cousin Jill and her husband Jason just had Eli on Thursday, December 13th! Weighing in at a healthy 7 lbs 14 oz and 20 1/2 inches long! Welcome to the world, 1st cousin once removed!! :)
Here he is with his big brother, Clayton. :)
Here he is with his big brother, Clayton. :)
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Quiche!
This is an old stand by recipe for us, one of the first good ones I made when Scott & I moved in together that proved I could (somewhat) cook :) I had to play w/ the cooking time a LOT so it gets fully done, but I think after 3 years I've finally figured it out.
4 beaten eggs
1 1/2 c half and half, light cream or milk (I use skim milk)
1/4 c sliced green onions
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Dash ground nutmeg
3/4 c chopped cooked ham (It's absolutely awesome if you get the "top shelf" ham, it's Deitz & Watson in the house!)
1 1/2 c shredded swiss cheese
1 tbsp all purpose flour
Directions
1. Prepare and roll out pastry crust. Line a 9 in pie plate with pastry. Trim & crimp edges as desired. Line unpricked pastry with double thickness of foil. Bake in 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 4-5 min or until pastry is set and dry. Remove from oven and reduce temp to 350.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together eggs, milk, green onions, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in ham. In a small bowl, toss together the cheese and flour. Add to egg mixture and mix well.
3. Pour egg mixture into hot baked pastry shell. Bake in 350 oven for 35 to 40 min, or until inserted knife (near center) comes out clean. Let stand 10 min before serving.
Ham Quiche
1 pastry crust (premade, like Pillsbury, warmed to room temp.)4 beaten eggs
1 1/2 c half and half, light cream or milk (I use skim milk)
1/4 c sliced green onions
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Dash ground nutmeg
3/4 c chopped cooked ham (It's absolutely awesome if you get the "top shelf" ham, it's Deitz & Watson in the house!)
1 1/2 c shredded swiss cheese
1 tbsp all purpose flour
Directions
1. Prepare and roll out pastry crust. Line a 9 in pie plate with pastry. Trim & crimp edges as desired. Line unpricked pastry with double thickness of foil. Bake in 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 4-5 min or until pastry is set and dry. Remove from oven and reduce temp to 350.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together eggs, milk, green onions, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in ham. In a small bowl, toss together the cheese and flour. Add to egg mixture and mix well.
3. Pour egg mixture into hot baked pastry shell. Bake in 350 oven for 35 to 40 min, or until inserted knife (near center) comes out clean. Let stand 10 min before serving.
Monday, December 10, 2007
S'mores Brownies
These babies are solid gold ... sooooo good! They're really not that hard to make... possibly my fave brownies ever...
10 whole HONEY MAID Honey Grahams, broken crosswise in half (20 squares), divided
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
2-1/2 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
1 cup BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks (I used chocolate chips for this instead bc I didn't have the chunks. :) )
Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending beyond sides of pan; grease foil. Place 15 of the graham squares in bottom of pan, overlapping slightly. Break remaining 5 graham squares into large pieces; set aside.
PLACE butter and chocolate in large microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour until well blended. Spread over graham squares in pan.
BAKE 30 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.)
SPRINKLE evenly with marshmallows and chocolate chunks. Bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until marshmallows begin to puff. Press reserved graham pieces gently into marshmallows. Cool in pan on wire rack.
LIFT out of pan onto cutting board using foil handles. Cut into 36 bars.
**Definitely make sure they're fully cooled before cutting - they're a royal mess to cut when right out of the oven. Even cooled they're a little messy...but soo ooey gooey yummy.
S'more Brownies
from Kraft.com
from Kraft.com
10 whole HONEY MAID Honey Grahams, broken crosswise in half (20 squares), divided
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
2-1/2 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
1 cup BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks (I used chocolate chips for this instead bc I didn't have the chunks. :) )
Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending beyond sides of pan; grease foil. Place 15 of the graham squares in bottom of pan, overlapping slightly. Break remaining 5 graham squares into large pieces; set aside.
PLACE butter and chocolate in large microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour until well blended. Spread over graham squares in pan.
BAKE 30 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.)
SPRINKLE evenly with marshmallows and chocolate chunks. Bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until marshmallows begin to puff. Press reserved graham pieces gently into marshmallows. Cool in pan on wire rack.
LIFT out of pan onto cutting board using foil handles. Cut into 36 bars.
**Definitely make sure they're fully cooled before cutting - they're a royal mess to cut when right out of the oven. Even cooled they're a little messy...but soo ooey gooey yummy.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Crack Dip
...so named because it's highly addictive! It's delicious! And in the season of holiday parties and potluck events, maybe someone will be able to use this recipe to make friends ;)
We went to Scott's holiday party last night with his research group - it was a lot of fun to meet all the people he spends so much time with.
Buffalo Chicken Dip/Crack Dip
Ingredients
1 1/2 - 2 lbs chicken, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup Franks Hot Sauce
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
1 bag Scoops tortilla chips
Directions
Heat cooked chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a 9x13' pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until warm & bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and tortilla chips.
We went to Scott's holiday party last night with his research group - it was a lot of fun to meet all the people he spends so much time with.
Buffalo Chicken Dip/Crack Dip
Ingredients
1 1/2 - 2 lbs chicken, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup Franks Hot Sauce
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
1 bag Scoops tortilla chips
Directions
Heat cooked chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a 9x13' pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until warm & bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and tortilla chips.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Three Junes
Finally done with this one - it won the National Book Award, and I guess I'm still trying to figure out why... It was *pretty good*... I often found myself annoyed with it though; the writing was simply not my style. I'll give you the synopsis from Google Books.
"Three Junes" is a vividly textured symphonic novel set on both sides of the Atlantic during three fateful summers in the lives of a Scottish family. In June of 1989, Paul McLeod, the recently widowed patriarch, becomes infatuated with a young American artist while traveling through Greece and is compelled to relive the secret sorrows of his marriage. Six years later, Paul's death reunites his sons at Tealing, their idyllic childhood home, where Fenno, the eldest, faces a choice that puts him at the center of his family's future. A lovable, slightly repressed gay man, Fenno leads the life of an aloof expatriate in the West Village, running a shop filled with books and birdwatching gear. He believes himself safe from all emotional entanglements--until a worldly neighbor presents him with an extraordinary gift and a seductive photographer makes him an unwitting subject. Each man draws Fenno into territories of the heart he has never braved before, leading him toward an almost unbearable loss that will reveal to him the nature of love. Love in its limitless forms--between husband and wife, between lovers, between people and animals, between parents and children--is the force that moves these characters' lives, which collide again, in yet another June, over a Long Island dinner table. This time it is Fenno who meets and captivates Fern, the same woman who captivated his father in Greece ten years before. Now pregnant with a son of her own, Fern, like Fenno and Paul before him, must make peace with her past to embrace her future. Elegantly detailed yet full of emotional suspense, often as comic as it is sad, "Three Junes" is a glorious triptych about how we learn to live, and livefully, beyond incurable grief and betrayals of the heart--how family ties, both those we're born into and those we make, can offer us redemption and joy.
The main character, Fenno, was pretty enjoyable to read about. He seemed very realistic in all of his complexities and neuroses. "Place" is a big theme in this book. One quote that pretty much applies to all the different story lines:
"I hate it when people talk about twists of fate, when it comes to life, we spin our own yarn, and where we end up is really, in fact, where we always intended to be."
"Three Junes" is a vividly textured symphonic novel set on both sides of the Atlantic during three fateful summers in the lives of a Scottish family. In June of 1989, Paul McLeod, the recently widowed patriarch, becomes infatuated with a young American artist while traveling through Greece and is compelled to relive the secret sorrows of his marriage. Six years later, Paul's death reunites his sons at Tealing, their idyllic childhood home, where Fenno, the eldest, faces a choice that puts him at the center of his family's future. A lovable, slightly repressed gay man, Fenno leads the life of an aloof expatriate in the West Village, running a shop filled with books and birdwatching gear. He believes himself safe from all emotional entanglements--until a worldly neighbor presents him with an extraordinary gift and a seductive photographer makes him an unwitting subject. Each man draws Fenno into territories of the heart he has never braved before, leading him toward an almost unbearable loss that will reveal to him the nature of love. Love in its limitless forms--between husband and wife, between lovers, between people and animals, between parents and children--is the force that moves these characters' lives, which collide again, in yet another June, over a Long Island dinner table. This time it is Fenno who meets and captivates Fern, the same woman who captivated his father in Greece ten years before. Now pregnant with a son of her own, Fern, like Fenno and Paul before him, must make peace with her past to embrace her future. Elegantly detailed yet full of emotional suspense, often as comic as it is sad, "Three Junes" is a glorious triptych about how we learn to live, and livefully, beyond incurable grief and betrayals of the heart--how family ties, both those we're born into and those we make, can offer us redemption and joy.
The main character, Fenno, was pretty enjoyable to read about. He seemed very realistic in all of his complexities and neuroses. "Place" is a big theme in this book. One quote that pretty much applies to all the different story lines:
"I hate it when people talk about twists of fate, when it comes to life, we spin our own yarn, and where we end up is really, in fact, where we always intended to be."
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Chicken Tenders
This recipe is a spin off from the one Kelly gave me at my shower... originally intended for Pork Chops, I rebelled and decided to use Chicken Tenderloins (cause that's what I had...) I also just got my free Kitchen Aid Food Grinder attachment in the mail, so I got to use that to make the cracker crumbs. It was so fun. :)
Homemade Chicken Tenders
2 cups crushed Town house crackers (equivalent to 2 sleeves, I used reduced fat)
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese (I used reduced fat)
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning (I used Pizza & Pasta seasoning)
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 cup melted butter (I substituted egg whites)
2 lbs chicken tenders
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In medium bowl, combine crushed crackers, parm cheese, seasoning and garlic powder. Dip the tenders in the egg whites/butter and dredge in cracker mixture, coating all sides thoroughly. Place in a 9x13 Pam-coated baking dish. To get a thicker breading, you can repeat the dipping in egg white and dredging. Bake for 25-30 min, until no longer pink inside.
Homemade Chicken Tenders
2 cups crushed Town house crackers (equivalent to 2 sleeves, I used reduced fat)
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese (I used reduced fat)
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning (I used Pizza & Pasta seasoning)
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 cup melted butter (I substituted egg whites)
2 lbs chicken tenders
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In medium bowl, combine crushed crackers, parm cheese, seasoning and garlic powder. Dip the tenders in the egg whites/butter and dredge in cracker mixture, coating all sides thoroughly. Place in a 9x13 Pam-coated baking dish. To get a thicker breading, you can repeat the dipping in egg white and dredging. Bake for 25-30 min, until no longer pink inside.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Update on Friday's Excitement...
Scott (of course) passed the Oral Prelim - he's like a different person! We actually (I hope you are sitting down...) spent time together this weekend!! We watched more episodes of Friday Night Lights online than I want to count (a great show, BTW!) and he got to golf w/ my dad. I hear he did very well too.
My interview was really good too - I just scheduled a 2nd interview today! I'm so excited - but it's not until the 14th, so I have to put on my patience hat. There are actually 2 jobs within the department at NC State that I'm being considered for, either of which I'd take! Cross those fingers for me, ok?? :)
My interview was really good too - I just scheduled a 2nd interview today! I'm so excited - but it's not until the 14th, so I have to put on my patience hat. There are actually 2 jobs within the department at NC State that I'm being considered for, either of which I'd take! Cross those fingers for me, ok?? :)
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