You Say Enchilada, We Say Yum

An All Time Favorite

Is there anyone who doesn't like an enchilada? If there is, they will be swayed by this recipe.  At the mere suggestion of the chicken enchilada bake for dinner, Gar's eyes were swooning and he was drooling.  I was off the store for a quick trip so I could get back for the Bruins puck drop. Well, I thought I was. We were off on game starting time by an hour, so I was actually heading to the store just as they started. Who knew? Obviously not us.

When I got to the grocery store, it looked like they were giving everything away for free. Superbowl Saturday. Probably the second biggest food shopping day of the year.  Have no fear, it didn't deter me from getting the goods.

This is what you'll need (Note: I've always tweaked the recipe to make it lighter and you'd never know). BTW, Celine, you're going to love this one!

1 8 -12 oz block of lite cream cheese (room temperature)
1 can of cream of chicken soup (light if you can find it)
8 oz of non-fat yogurt
1cup low fat milk
3/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar
4 cups cooked chicken breast (I've poached my own  or used rotisserie, both ways are good, rotisserie makes it easier)
1 tsp of cumin (I a little heavier because we love cumin)
1/2 cup chopped scallions/green onions (I use the white and the greens because we love 'em)
Salsa (1/3 to 1/2 cup)
1 7 oz can of green chiles
1 7 oz can of jalapenos
Tortillas- either ten 7" or eight 8" tortillas
fresh cilantro
chopped lettuce

In a bowl stir together the cream cheese, scallion, green chiles and cumin. Fol in cooked and chopped chicken.  Spray or grease a 13x9 baking dish. In another bowl mix chicken soup, milk and yogurt.  Spoon half of that mixture into bottom of baking dish. Wrap tortillas in paper towel and warm in micorwave for 60 seconds or until just warm and softened.  Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto tortilla (I place it near the edge) and drizzle salsa on top. Fold ends in and roll from one side to other. Place seam side down in baking pan. When pan is full, pour rest of soup mixture over the top. Bake covered with foil at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes. Remove foil and top with shredded cheddar and pop back in for another 5-6 minutes to melt the cheese. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro. That is if you like cilantro. We love it, but apparently it tastes like dish soap to some people. It just tastes fresh to us. Serve over chopped lettuce or on it's own.

Divine. Enough said.


SuperBowl Sunday

We are ready to go. So are Tom and the boys.

While our Pat's get ready to hit the field today, we'll be party hopping in the neighborhood starting with 'chowderfest' at Tom and Joanie's this afternoon. Nick, their son, is home for a few days from his job as Executive Chef at Smith and Wolensky's in DC. Guess he's cooked enough steak of late, and has all the fixin's for a big batch of chowder that he's whipping up as we speak.

Then later, we'll have some of neighborhoodlum Gerry's Annual SuperBowl Chili for supper.  I'll be contributing my nephew Pat's ever popular Buffalo Chicken Dip (that recipe is for another post!).

We'll be certain to save some of the goods for a ceremonial offering in case the Pat's want to swing by with the trophy after the game!  (Speaking of winning, did you enter the new giveaway yet?)

Go Pat's!!!

Have a great Sunday,



A Lobster Dip Saturday at The Bates Estate

The Best Kind of Leftovers

You gotta love it when you have a party, and the next day there is a bowl of lobster dip left. Hello heaven.

Now, let me first remind you that I made up this lobster dip on the fly and just threw it together so my measurements are kind of 'estimated'. However, if you use the basic ingredients and tweak and taste as you go, it will be wonderful regardless of my less than perfect measurements.

Smorgasbord Lobster Dip
(so named because you'll want to put it on anything and everything)


1.5 - 2 cups of cooked lobster meat, chopped
1 cup of low fat Hellman's mayonaise
1/2 low fat sour cream
1 8 oz block of low fat cream cheese- allow to soften at room temp for awhile
1/2 cup to 1 cup of crumbled feta
1/4- 1/2 cup of parmesan
sprinkle of red pepper flakes or cayenne
(no salt required, the cheese makes it salty enough)

Mix all ingredients together. I know, pretty tough, huh?

This made enough for two bowls of lobster dip.

Heat in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

This will become a go to dip for sure. It's that good.  Easy too,as I mentioned,  which makes it that much better.

Enjoy.

Beyond The Dip

We not only enjoyed the lobster dip yesterday, but our Bruins played a day game and kicked butt. This made me especially happy. There were a couple good fights which made me even happier (what can I say, I love a good hockey fight). We won. Wahooli.

During the game we had some visitors. Our niece Cait and nephew Matt were taking Matt's son Cayden, our great nephew, to a birthday party at Screamers Cafe around the corner. It was going to be a 'make your own sundae' party. (Can I go? Please.)

When Cayd gets to Auntie Pam and Uncle Garrett's he knows where the 'toy' bag is.  Please note that the big dog in the background could care less about the toy bag. He has sleeping to do.

He was going straight for the tough puzzle games that Great Grammy sent over for the toy bag.

Then he found his favorite sunglasses in the bag and was sidetracked by his cool dude streak.

Not all of us can look this cool with a bedhead mohawk.

Cayd was also styling 'new' old school Pumas.  I guessed before I even saw the puma.

I said, "What are you doing getting new Puma's before Christmas?" You must have been a really good boy.  Apparently. Guess he got a video message from Santa yesterday and Santa's elves declared that yes, he'd been a good boy!

Now, if he can just keep it up for one more week.

The rest of the day included Gar eating the rest of Pearl's pistachio brittle.......

..........one piece at a time. Honestly. He really did.

So, what'd you do yesterday?

Hey, before you go here's a heads up on this great giveaway over on Maison Decor. It's seriously Shabby Chic.......

......yes, as in Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic.

Amy at Maison Decor is giving away some samples of fabric from the original Rachel Ashwell SOHO Shabby Chic store in NYC. Apparently these swatches were auctioned off years ago when the store closed, and eventually made their way to Amy via ebay. Get over there and enter for your chance to win a little Shabby Chic history.  I can think of SO many projects that I could do with these little samples.

I hope your Sunday is laid back and long. Enjoy it. We'll do the same. It's cold today. Actually feels like December. The fire is going and I plan on making some of my Christmas gifts today. I love this time of year.

Ta ta for now,