busy busy

Cooking hasn't really been on my priority list lately. With working 50 hours a week, getting my life license and summer school, I'm lucky if I get 7 hours of sleep at night. Anyways....

So I work at a gas station called QT that sells taquitos buy the boat load, literally; we are close to the lake. So to put it mildly, I won't touch a taquito from there with a 10 foot pole. That's mildly. However, when I saw this recipe, I knew I was making it.

Baked Chicken Taquitos
adapted from: The Girl Who Ate Everything.
serves: 3
prep time: 15 minutes

Here's what you need:
-3oz cream cheese, softened to room temp
-1/4 cup tomatillo salsa
-juice of 1 lime
-1/2 tsp cumin
-1 tsp chili powder
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-3 tbsp chopped cilantro
-2 chopped green onions
-2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
-1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
-6 tortillas - fajita size
-cooking spray

Here's what you do:
1. Mix the first 10 ingredients together, thoroughly so there are no lumps.

2. Throw some mixture into that tortilla and stop, drop and roll.
3. Place all 6 taquitos on a baking sheet and spray the tops with oil.
4. Cook at 350 for 10-13 minutes, until toasty. Put in your mouth.

confusing...

Today was a weird day. I work a weird shift and then laid by the pool for what seemed like 20 minutes but it was really 2.5 hours. Then some unexpected guests came over. Then dinner time came along and I got even more confused and made the wrong thing. But it sure was a delicious mistake that I do not regret at all.

Quesadilla Pie
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Here's what we need:
-1 lb hamburger
-1 clove garlic
-1/3 packet taco seasoning
-3 tortillas pie
-1 can refried beans
-2 green onions
-1/8 cup cilantro
-1 can green chiles
-1/4 cup pepperjack cheese
-1 roma tomato, diced

Here's what you do:
1. Cook hamburger, garlic, and seasonings until done.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 10 inch pie pan and put one tortilla down. Spread half can of beans on tortilla, layer on meat, and half of cheese.
3. Layer on second tortilla and spread on the other half of the beans. Layer on the veggies and cheese. Add on the top tortilla and spray with cooking spray.
4. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes and put in your mouth.

soup in the summer perplexes me

Working late will be the end of me, I swear. It's dumb to get off at 10 then come home and make dinner hence why I use my dun dun dun dun... CrockPot. Complaint number 2: Crockpots kind of suck in the summer time. Warm soups and hearty meals are not really ideal here in the 110 degree whether, especially when all I want to do is lay by the pool and eat popsicles. Anyways, since I don't want my kitchen destroyed by hungry boys looking to stuff their faces, I'm still sticking with the CrockPot for dinner. So I guess what I'm really getting at is; can someone invent the reverse CrockPot please? Thanks.

Chile Chicken Chowder
adapted from Pillsbury
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 7-8 hours

Here's what you need:
-1 1/4 pound cubed, uncooked chicken
-1 1/2 cups frozen hashbrowns
-1 1/2 cups chicken broth
-2 cloves diced garlic
-1 tsp cumin
-1 can cream style corn {I also added about 1/2 cup corn, just cause I can}
-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1 can green chiles
-1/2 cup half and half {I used heavy cream}

Here's what you do:
1. Combine all of the ingredients in your CrockPot; stir.
2. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
3. Stir in half and half, heat through, put in your mouth.

Mycamera cord is lost in the sea of crao that is my house, but this sooup was delishious. No joke. Throw some cheese on top, and eat like there is no tomorrow.

deliciousness in a taco shell

Taco's are a favorite in out house, no matter the variety. In fact, I'm sure I could pull a Filly-B's and throw some dog meat in there and they would still be a favorite. Of course, I would never cook my dogs, they don't get that annoying. I'm just sayin'. Anyways, where was I? Oh yes, Taco's. We love them.

I love them when they are easy to make because it gives me more time to lay by the pool clean. Yep, that's it.

Salsa Verde Chicken Taco's

Here's what you need:

-A crockpot
-2 Chicken Breasts
-About 1/2 a jar of salsa verde
-A squeeze of lime juice

Plus your favorite taco fixin's. These are ours. Plus refried beans that didn't make it in the picture. You could also add tomatoes, onions, cilantro, ya know, taco stuff.

Here's what you do:

1. Place 2 frozen chicken breasts in your crock pot. Add the salsa. Add the lime.

2. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.

3. Shred and put into taco style setting. Put in your mouth. 

See? Soooo good.  So easy. Can you tell I love avocados? I do.

" you make martha stewart look like a bitch"

That is a direct quote from Jeran Brands,one of Drew's friends who is over for dinner often. That comment pretty much completed my life. Okay, not pretty much, it did. But, I digress.

Happy Cinco de Mayo {a day late} aka the best holiday of the year!! Why? Because I can eat chips and salsa for breakfast, lunch and dinner and not look like a complete lunatic...well almost. But really, chips and salsa is a main food group for me, I guess it's a good thing I didn't stick with Nutrition in school...

What I made for dinner however, has nothing to do with salsa, but I only say this loosely because I smother it in salsa anyways.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Taco's
loosely adapted from For The Love of Cooking

Here's what you need..

2 chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of one lime
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
Your favorite taco fixin's

Chop up the chicken, cilantro and garlic. Marinate all three in the olive oil for 20-30 minutes.
Add the lime juice and marinate for 10 more minutes.
Cook. Put chicken in taco like setting. Put in your mouth.

Sorry for the whole 'no picture' thing. When food is devoured while you are looking for your camera, it makes that option a little difficult..

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love my crock pot. We are pretty much BFF's. In fact, I love it so much, my bread maker often gets jealous and boycotts my kitchen. But that's another story for another day. Normally on Tuesdays, I'm in class until 7:30 and everyone is already home and digging through closets and cupboards with that crazy look in their eye. You know, the one that a rabbit squirrel has while scrounging through the garbage. That's a true story folks. And the reason why I use my crockpot almost every Tuesday.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
by: Eat at Home Cooks

You'll need:

32 oz chicken broth
2 cans diced tomatoes {I used a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes and a 4 oz can of green chiles}
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
6 oz tomato paste
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups cooked chicken
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp chili powder {I probably used double this, we like it spicccccy]
Corn tortillas
Cheddar Cheese

Mix all of the ingredients except the tortilla and cheese in the crock pot. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. SET IT AND FORGET IT!!! Oh wait, this isn't a cheesy informaercial, huh? Things just got a little awkward didn't they?...

Back to food...for the tortilla strips, slice up the tortillas in strips and fry.

Top the soup with the tortillas and cheese. Put in your mouth.

Disclaimer: This made SOOO much soup. I am freezing half of it for later.