weekend snapshot

This weekend has been the first full weekend that Mark and I have had together in almost a year. Finally his work schedule is back to a normal Mon-Fri pace. This Saturday he planned for us to visit the Lincoln Park Zoo and have lunch in the city together. It was a wonderful day with my sweet hubby. Here's a snapshot of the downtown skyline from in the car as we left the zoo.

enchilada casserole

When I used to work at a preschool in Fountain Valley, CA one of the perks of the job was a free lunch. We basically got to eat what the kids were served and one of my favorite dishes there was Enchilada Casserole. My take on this casserole adds veggies, beans and all the fixin's on top. I used zucchini but you could use sautéed onions and bell peppers or add spanish rice. Or you could omit all the veggies and beans, it's your call! One tip that I learned from our preschool cook is to put some enchilada sauce on the bottom of the baking dish to ensure that the bottom tortillas sufficiently soak up the delicious sauce and that they don't stick to the dish. Of course, I forgot to do that today. I swear, my mind has never the same after the wedding. 

Enchilada Casserole

7 flour tortillas, soft taco size - cut 6 in half and 1 in thirds (you could corn tortillas if you prefer and make this dish gluten free)

1.5 lb protein (I used al pastor meat from the Mexican market but you can use taco beef or turkey, chicken, or whatever you like)

2 medium zucchini, cut to 1/2 pieces and blanched

3 scallions, diced

3-4 cups of shredded cheese

1 - 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed

1 - 28 oz. can of red enchilada sauce

1. Blanch the zucchini pieces in salted water. About 3 min, just until zucchini is cooked but definitely not mushy! Remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Meanwhile, cook the protein in a pan and remove from heat.  2. Begin building the casserole in a 13"x19" baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Line the dish with 4 tortilla halves (cut side toward the edges of the dish) and cover the exposed center with one of the 1/3 tortilla pieces. Spread another 3/4 enchilada sauce on top of the tortilla layer. Evenly cover the tortilla layer with half of the protein, beans, blanched zucchini, scallions. Top with 1 cup of cheese.  3. Repeat with a layer of tortillas, 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce, and protein and veggie toppings with cheese.  4. Top the second layer with the last layer of tortillas, remaining enchilada sauce, and 1-2 cups of cheese.  5. Bake in a 375 degree oven, loosely covered with foil for 20 min., remove foil for the last 5 min. to melt the cheese. Everything is already cooked so we're just basically warming everything and making things gooey. Let the casserole stand for 10 min before serving. Top with sour cream, cilantro, chopped tomatos, guacamole, diced red onions, whatever!

basic chili with kidney beans

Winter in IL has been rather mild this year but it's definitely colder than this CA girl is used to. One of my favorite winter meals is a bowl of chili with all the works. Haha, well actually I enjoy a bowl of chili anytime of the year. Some people don't realize that chili is a soup and that it can be eaten on its own. The kind of condiment chili found on top of chips, burgers, hot dogs, and salad is usually a thickened version. Chili is definitely better the next day so this is something that can be made ahead. I usually make a batch and freeze half of it by pouring a serving size in a sandwich bag.

Basic Chili with Kidney Beans (adapted from ATK)
Group A:
2 medium onions, diced
2 medium bell pepper, diced
10 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (optional)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 Tb cumin
1 Tb red pepper flakes
1 Tb paprika
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp oregano (or Italian seasoning)
1 tsp cayenne pepper (1/4 tsp for a less spicy chili)

Group B:
2 lbs 85% lean beef or ground turkey (turkey is obviously much healthier)

Group C:
2 - 15 oz. cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed
1 - 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 - 28 oz. can tomato puree

1. Cook Group A in a heavy-bottomed non-reactive Dutch oven until softened and spices have bloomed (when you can smell the spices). Add 1/4-1/3 cup of flour if you want this to be a thick condiment chili. 2. Add half of Group B, breaking the meat in to pieces with a wooden spoon and no longer pink. Add remaining meat and repeat. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 1 hour while stirring occasionally. 3. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer for another hour.

Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, diced fresh tomatoes, scallions, avocado, or red onion.

the road to corona

I went to Corona, CA for the first time today.  Luckily winter in CA is when it's the prettiest because all the gross yellow hills were beautifully green today.  Man, the drive up was so lovely. 

on the verge of spring

The weather has been up and down...sunny and rainy all in the same week.  It feels like spring has almost sprung. 

best effing sunsets

I'll admit that California has an issue with air quality, cost of living, traffic, and over population just to name a few.  But damn it, you can't beat 73 degree weather in January with bitchin' sunsets like this.

foothills

Everyday I drive in traffic to get to work.  45 min is the average commute.  I sit on the 405 audibly cursing the cars around me that take their sweet damn time while the rest of us are running late.  I give dirty looks to all the cars that insist on going slow in the fast lane.  I shake my head in disgust to all the bottle-neckers that create more traffic behind them.  But once I exit Lake Forest Drive and get on this road I love my drive to work.  And once I get to the top of the hill and see the beautiful foothills in front of me all of that anger fades away as I stare at its beauty.  God, I love this part of my drive.

thought of the day

tips for outlet shopping

Last Saturday my friend Charles and I made our way to the sunny locale of Carlsbad to battle the Premium Outlet found in that fair city.  For some peculiar reason I seem to have developed a reputation of frequenting said outlet.  Why?  I couldn't tell you.

However, I thought with the Christmas season ahead of us many would be tempted to find a good deal and head to the outlet malls in our area (Cabazon and Citadel to name a few).  With that in mind I have put together a few tips for the brave shopper (who will spend within their means).

Tip #1: Make a list and budget
If you're shopping for others carry a list of things you should keep and eye out for.  "Pearls for Mom, Golf Hat for Dad, etc."  If you do not you may be distracted by all the shiny objects and come home with a heap of stuff for yourself but nothing to cross off your Christmas list.  It's also a good idea to keep note of correlating sizes for your giftees...clothing size, dress size, shoe size, ears pierced?, men's shirt size, etc.  It should also be mentioned that it would behoove the savvy shopper to know what stores will be at the outlet before arrival.  Set a budget and stick to it, 'nuff said (so hard to do!!).

Tip #2: Check for discounts
Some places will give an additional discount for AAA members or students for example.  Also, check online to see if there are any special sales/coupons going on to ask about or print out and bring with you.

Tip #3: Leave early
You'd be surprised how much traffic is on the road even on the weekend. 

Tip #4: Bring a bottle of water
Hey, shopping is hard work and the last thing you want to do is spend $4 on a bottle of water. 

Tip #5: Wear or bring socks
Should you happen upon a pair of shoes for yourself you'll want to try them on with the thickness of the socks you normally wear.  The grandma stocking-like socks stores provide might give an inaccurate assessment of the shoe fit. 

Tip #6: Don't shop alone
It's always a good idea to have a friend with us to tell us something doesn't look right or the price is too high or to simply drag us away from spending our entire life savings.  It's also worth noting that you might want to shop with someone who will keep pace with you, if you know what I mean.

Tip #7: Walk away
Don't be afraid to walk away from something and come back to it later.  Time might remind you that your cousin actually does have a similar shirt.  Time might also affirm that the price you saw was in fact a good deal compared to other stores.

Tip #8: Have fun
This is the time of the year when it should be a joy to find a gift for a loved one.

en route