Easy Peasy Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas 

One of our favorite dinners, its fast, easy, inexpensive and delicious.

1 - 2 chicken breasts

Cumin

Garlic Salt

Onion Powder

Preheat over 425. Place foil in bottom on pan. Add breasts and season to taste, I don't measure sorry I have been cooking these for years and have always just eyeballed it.  Cook 20-30 mins depending on size, let cool.  

Cut chicken in chunks, 

lightly heat tortillas just so they are soft, (makes them easier to roll), add chicken and cheese.  

Roll and place in foil lined pan (I use Pam on the foil to prevent sticking). 

Cover with sauce, your choice, red or green.  

I am a green sauce lover and La Victoria is one of the best!

Cover with cheese. Bake 375 5-10 mins till cheese is melted.  

Serve with Spanish rice, refried beans, and salad.

First Signs of Spring

I walked out onto my patio this morning and found a bright world of color had blossomed over night.  For me this is always the first signs of spring.  It was as if a box of crayons had exploded.  I decided that today would be another great day to test out the camera on my Nokia Lumia 920.  Yup that's right all my pics are taken on my cellphone.  One I like the convenience I only want to have one gadget to carry around, 2 the ex stole my camera when he left and I cannot afford to replace it, 3 the Nokia Lumia 920 is supposed to have the best camera on any phone on the market.  Since I bought it last October (goodbye iPhone, your latest version so disappointed me) I have been very pleased with the pics.  Today was going to be a big test, spring pics are some of my favs, so if I didn't like them then it would be time to see about getting a new camera.

When the afternoon light was just perfect I grabbed my phone and headed outside.  Lucky for me my apartment complex has gorgeous landscaping. When we moved in last September it was a cool, lush oasis from the heat, then a gorgeous blaze of autumn colors, and for Christmas all the pines gave us that sweet pine smell, and lovely pinecones and branches to decorate with.  Now I was being greeted by a spring landscape fit for a fairy tale, a place far, far away and long ago.  I am in heaven!

Yesterday only the cherry tree was in bloom, the rest truly happened overnight.  Other then cropping I made no adjustments to these pics, and I am totally in luv with my Nokia! I think there are some of these that have real potential and I just might have to make some prints and frame them, maybe I will even sell a few.

Which one is your favorite?

Hope where ever you are spring has arrived.

Enjoy Y'all
Lizz

Sunday Gardening

All my life I thought I was gifted with a brown thumb, all because of an Air Fern.  I was 15 and being a teenager I didn't ask how to care for it, I just thought well it doesn't make sense that it doesn't need water, everything needs water, so I sprayed it with my handy water bottle that I used when I tanned.  Two days later it was nothing but a pile of delicate needles on the ground.  Again as a teen I just thought I knew it all and guess what I have a brown thumb!  Now this really makes no sense when you know my upbringing; I was raised on a farm.  My entire family has green thumbs, both sides for dozens of generations, back to Britain and beyond.  I was raised working the soil, planting, watering, harvesting... I was raised to grow plants in the dirt, "Because I'm an old Southern woman and we're supposed to wear funny looking hats and ugly clothes and grow vegetables in the dirt" (yes that's another shameless movie quote rip-off, Steel Magnolias one of my favs).

The fern was actually a convenient excuse to not try, to deny my heritage, to avoid that funny looking hat, and what I thought it meant.

Back in 2011, before the divorce began, for my birthday in May I went to Clearlake, Cali to visit 2 of my very close friends.  It was an amazing visit, we hadn't seen it other in many years, and we spent the time reminiscing, catching up, and enjoying the gorgeous views from the patio around the fire pit gossiping and giggling till the wee morning hours.  I was so relaxed when I got home I felt like a new girl, revitalized and ready to tackle life again.  I had to have a relaxing patio area to enjoy, even without a view or fire pit.

In the apartment I lived in at the time, I had 2 little patches of dirt (with lots of weeds), some cement, and a wooden patio structure so I didn't get much sun, just the hot afternoon sun.  Regardless I was determined to make an oasis for my family and friends.

The next day I went to Lowe's and bought 4 pieces of sod, and a few plants that liked sun according to the tags. I can only tell you one of them was a big peach colored Gerber daisy.  I also got a beautiful succulent that looked like it would have magenta flowers and some pretty blue ones... I really had no clue.  I grabbed a couple of lilies because they were one of my mom's favorites.  This was pretty much my process, it's pretty, my mom liked those and it needed sun.  I was about effect not how it happened really, I figured it would all be dead in a couple of months anyway, just make it last till after the 4th of July, middle son, R, would be home from a very long deployment and we always have a big party day and this year was going to be even bigger.   I worked up a sweat pulling weeds, turning the soil, spreading out potting soil, laying the sod, arranging the plants.  I actually only planted the little blue ones, I wanted to be able to move the others in case they didn't like the sun after all and needed to be moved.  Final step I watered everything down really good (cause again my brain says everything needs water to live, right) and then set back with a margarita to enjoy my hard work.

In the beginning

A beautiful Lily 

Just a few short weeks later, my husband left and I had to move... the short time I did get to enjoy my garden was great.  I was relaxed and happy there and I started to feel a connection with my past.

The next summer found me moved again and this time my patio was completely cement, it measured only about 3 feet across and was about 12 or 13 feet long.  Long and very skinny.  I had the overwhelming urge to make a paradise.  My neighborhood was not so good (code for ghetto, but it was what I could afford and the apartment itself was all renovated inside) and I needed somewhere to relax, Drs orders!  I wanted an oasis, somewhere to mediate and do yoga.  I remember back to those great nights on my friends patio and the few precious weeks I had on the other patio.  Ok, I thought I can do this, I can grow things! 

A few trips to the Dollar Tree, 99 only, Kmart, my favorite thrift store, Merced Thrift Center and the local flea markets, I had lots of pots, macrame hangers, seeds, soil, plants and some cute little knick knacks to display among my plants.  My collection grew over the summer and I had such amazing success, even my sister, C, (the ultimate Green Lady) was impressed with what I had accomplished.  It did the trick too, anytime I went onto my patio my stress level immediately went down once I was seated in my garden, my sanctuary, my oasis from all the evil and danger beyond its walls.

I had houseplants, tropicals, tons of flowers, from roses to lilies to zinnias. I grew herbs and veggies.  It all seemed to flourish so easily.  Not only did I derive relaxation, and peace but I found this amazing connection with my mother.  When I mediated it was her voice that took over my brain, her voice that chanted and spoke softly to me, guiding me to inner peace and in the direction of wholeness, after having my heart ripped out and my life shattered.  Thank you mom and dad, you gave me the gift of life twice. Once in birth and then again in how to nurture life from the soil.  I can now appreciate that they feed not only my physical hunger but my souls hungry desire for beauty.  I only wish I had know sooner so I could have shared this gift with my sons.

This was the weekend for me to get my garden on!  So of course I wanted to share it with the world, my pride is too great (and sure to be my downfall when nothing grows).  Just having my hands in the rich earth was to melt away the dark grey skies of winter and to release all the joys of summer.  The smells only imagined will soon fill the air.  The colors will astound the eyes.  I will have another oasis from stress, a place to get away, to mediate, relax, and share with my loved ones. Its now only soil, seeds, bulbs, pots and some sad plants that have been trapped inside all winter but I have already experienced nirvana.  I hope that even if you only have a small area, maybe even just a window sill that you will try to grow something beautiful.  Get your hands dirty and commune with nature, it will do your soul and your spirit good.

This is only a portion of the pots I have collected.

Maybe this year I will actually use these!

Compost is a must, made my own this year, blog for another day ;)

The Gloves came off after this as obviously my flip flops already had. 

Now just have to wait. Isn't that little frog pot too cute!

Going big this year.

Seed collection

Lilies, a tomato plant, a plant I am trying to save, zinnias, my herbs.

Herbs, another tomato, some various flowers and one of my favs, Morning Glories.

Lilies for my mother.

Christmas Cactus that is actually my BFFs that I am babysitting for her, and I made it bloom! 

What a view!

I added a mix of flower seeds to this one.

Look I even found one with polka dots!

The tropical got some Asylum seeds. 

I truly luv my new patio, great light, and gorgeous sunsets. Life is good.

I hope this post serves to inspire you and I promise to keep you updated on the progress of all my hard work.  Have a great week.

Enjoy Y'all
Lizz

Hmmmm... I promise to post a new project later this week, but see if you can figure out why a bunch of eggs would be wrapped in tissue and stored in a box?  :D

Meltdown

Sometimes you just need to fall apart...

That's exactly what I did Friday.  I got bad news, rejection for another job.  Yes, I know what I have said about working for myself and my hate for corporate America but hey we all gotta pay the bills right?

Its rough to hear no... to feel like you aren't good enough.  I have been struggling with serious self esteem issues since before the ex left, have all my life really.  Confidence is a funny thing, sometimes I feel like the most amazing, capable, gorgeous, sexy creature on the planet, other times I feel completely worthless, frumpy, fat, unlovable, stupid.  Sometimes its harder then anything to pull yourself up, those are the red means (yes that's a rip-off, Holly Golightlyism) but its a great description of how I feel.  The red means are rough, way worse then the blues.

Holly sings

The meltdown started while BF (boyfriend) was in the bank, we were running errands when the call came, 'sorry you didn't get the job, can we keep you on file'. I just wanted to scream into the phone No you may not, thanks for wasting my time and gas! BF came of the bank and new immediately something was wrong and with tears in my eyes I told him the bad news. I was devastated I thought it was a great interview and was certain I was going to get the job.  He consoled me and said not to worry I would get one soon.  I tried to cope but my brain was screaming 'LOSER'! Next stop was supposed to be for donuts, my idea, but I refused to get out of the car.  He said "ok what do you want?" me "nothing, I'm fat", he started the car and headed towards home.  I hadn't made breakfast and it was almost noon now and he had to leave for work at 3 so being a considerate and hungry BF, he pulled into Rally's drive thru, (one of our fav places, I LUV the fries) and he ordered, Baconzilla for him and a chicken sandwich for me.  While waiting for our order, I burst into tears while he tried to console me, "I just want to go home" I wailed. He must have been so embarrassed.  Once we got home I did try, I got him a plate and attempted to serve him lunch but it was more like me shoving it at him and then huffing away. Next began the whirlwind of cleaning. Now when the whirlwind begins stay out of the way! Its a double edged sword, yes my house gets clean but I should really be processing my emotions not scrubbing the toilet.  Now BF's  normal way to deal with these types of situations would be to force me to talk to him, but he is learning that I need space (thank you therapy).  Once cleaning was done I am still feeling miserable, and mean.  I forced my food on BF, he was concerned, hates it when I refuse to eat (there have been issues in the past with anorexia and bulimia) but he didn't push the issue.  I jumped in the shower to rinse off the rest of the cleaning product and myself, its my routine let the scrubbing bubbles work there magic while I clean everything else then jump in to scrub and rinse and shower all the sweat away.

I got out and then took my laptop to bed to watch mindless YouTube videos; I am currently addicted to Official Nerd Cubed and his British accent, hilarious dialogue, and Minecraft how to play videos. I also took a stack of my fav movies and had every intention of staying in bed and ignoring the world.  Only BF was not going to let me, he came into the room and asked if he could lay with me... "NO". Such a B!  He slunk back to the man cave and I could hear him playing a game, poor guy, I knew he was full of anxiety but I just couldn't see past my own misery to be concerned about his.

That's Dan from Official Nerd Cubed in a Minecraft "Buildly Thingy Video" on YouTube

Fast forward about 45 mins, my brain was getting pretty numb now and I am all cried out. Anger has drained me.  BF is back and asking if he can lay down and hold me... "fine" is my snippy response.  I was resentful that his needs where suddenly being forced on me, but funny thing when those big, strong arms encircled me I felt a wave of relief come over me.  A slight lessening of the mean reds began while I lay in the arms of the man I love.  We didn't speak, we just lay there, watching videos and I felt the let down that comes after an emotional outburst.  A person can only have that adrenaline rush for so long and then you are going to crash. So as I lay there in his arms, resenting him, tolerating his need to feel close to me, to try and help me; I crashed and felt myself drifting off to sleep.  Its normal to fall asleep this way, we cuddle every chance we get.  I slept peacefully and only woke when his alarm went off and he had to get up and get ready for work.  While BF was in the shower I realized that I hadn't packed his lunch, which I have done every day without fail since we moved in together (well ok once, I'm not that perfect, LOL obviously not perfect at all).  I got up and headed to the kitchen and started to assemble everything together.  I felt hungover, fuzzy and embarrassed.  BF came in and told me to stop, "honey don't worry about my lunch, go back to bed", no I insisted.  It wasn't that hard, we had leftover Shepard's pie from the previous night (one of BFs favs).  I wrapped up mini carrots, and vanilla wafers.  I put his fav Baked Lays in a tupper bowl. With a banana on top I zipped the bag closed and felt a wave of accomplishment. Man that felt good.  I turned to hand him his lunch and kiss him good bye.  Looking into those blue eyes melted my heart.  I instantly felt all his love and concern and the mean reds were gone.

He headed out and I headed back to bed because while the mean reds where gone they are generally followed by the blues my therapist has told me its normal.  What now? I looked through my movies, but nothing grabbed my attention.  I surfed around YouTube and Facebook, I thought about reading some blogs, since I am way behind, but that just wouldn't, work my brain was not ready to focus. Then I remembered a commercial I had seen 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' has a new season going. I quickly located the latest season online and began with episode 1.  Soon I was wrapped up in the 'troubles' of the women.  I have watched this show before and have my fav ladies, Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards, and my not so favs Adrian Maloof.  I know this seems a strange and vapid, waste of time, but watching them and their 'problems' helps give me a perspective on reality.  The problems of rich girls always makes me think about what is really important, and actually Lisa is a great example of what is really important, family and friends who are supportive and real.  It only took a couple of episodes to get me past my blues and back to reality.  I have an amazing man, a wonderful apartment, great friends, 3 beautiful children and enough money to pay my bills, my brain screamed at me "girl get it together"! I knew what I had to do. I got up, got dressed, got in my truck, drove to the store and got canola oil and something to eat (I felt better but not up to cooking dinner).  I got home, colored by hair, did a pedicure, watched a few more episodes and then about midnight got up and started some cupcakes. Yellow cupcakes with milk chocolate frosting. I wanted them to be perfect and warm from the oven when BF got home at 1 a.m. I wanted to say thank you and I'm sorry.  I need to make amends and tell him I appreciate you and everything you do for me.

Yummy 

So the Friday melt down was hard on BF he is not really used to the mean reds yet (thank god they don't happen that often) and we are still in that adjustment period, ya know learning how to deal with each other's moods and quirks.  He handled it like a pro; I am a very lucky girl.  We survived and we will continue to survive because we are really taking the time to learn about it other, not trying to change the other into someone who works for us.  We both understand that we have been given a gift and its worth the effort.

Today we got those donuts and went out and did a little 'yardsalein'.  We talked about what happened, and I told him again how much I appreciate him and how important how he gave me my space was to me.  We drove around the different neighborhoods of our new town and laughed about how I know it better then he does.  We dreamed a little about the future and where we might like to live someday or if we won the lottery.  He played it off like it was no big deal, but I know it was hard and frightening for him.  I am kinda glad it happened it was a learning experience and we passed the test with flying colors.  I know that with time and his love my confidence will grow and be rebuilt.  I feel it already with just the reassurance that he gave me with his support yesterday instead of anger.

I will be back next week with a normal blog post I promise.  This over-sharing is not what I want my blog to be about, but sometimes you just need to get things off your chest before you can move on ya know.  I hope your weekend is going great y'all.

Enjoy
Lizz