Chicken Enchiladas

Enchiladas - Author's Picture

Chicken enchiladas are easy to make, and they make a good meal for the family.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of chicken breast meat, chopped in cubes and fried until it's done.
• 3/4 cup of chopped onion. I use yellow onions.
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• 1 can of sliced black olives (optional).
• 1 15-ounce can of red enchilada sauce, divided.
• 3 ounces of cream cheese, cut into small cubes.
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin.
• 2 cups of grated Mexican blend cheese, divided. They sell this at your local Walmart.
• 8 (or more) flour tortillas. I usually end up using 10-11.

Directions:

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until it is tender. Add cooked chicken, 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce, cream cheese, and cumin. Cook and stir until the cream cheese is melted.  Stir in 1 cup of grated cheese and then remove from heat.

Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas, placing an equal portion onto each. Roll the enchiladas up tightly and place them seam side down in a 9x13" baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top the tortillas with the remaining sauce and grated cheese.

Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are heated through.

Note: Two cups of diced chicken are equal to about one pound of uncooked meat.

Amish Poor Man's Steak

Steak Fajitas - Author's Picture

Tonight we didn't purchase groceries, as we normally do. Instead, the kids went to buy their own stuff. We'll go, probably, tomorrow. We'll have to buy ours and Mom's.

Oh, today I received (via UPS) a Star Wars retro two-pack. It's a bounty hunter set, featuring a 70s-80s Boba Fett remake and a Bossk figure. Pictures will be added at a later date.

The picture shows steak fajitas that I cooked a couple of days ago. This time, instead of using pre-cooked meat, I used eye-of-round steak that I grilled and seasoned myself. Everyone said that it was far better with the home-cooked steak.

Tonight, I cooked my version of a recipe that I first saw on a Facebook reel. The young woman who posted said that she called it, "Amish poor man's steak." She said that it was considered to be a treat, and was very popular as a dish at church. Since then, I've discovered that Google will reveal several variants of the recipe. Here's my version:

Ingredients

• One pound of hamburger meat
• Two cans of cream of mushroom soup
• One medium-sized onion, sliced
• Sliced or shredded mild cheddar cheese (or any kind of cheese that your family prefers)

Directions

• Form the hamburger into patties and cook them however you're accustomed to cooking them. I used a George Foreman grill.
• Sauté the onions.
• Top the cooked patties with the onions.
• Top the cooked patties with the cream of mushroom soup.
• Add cheese to cover each patty.
• Cook on 350° for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Enjoy.

Keyword: Apprehensive

Author's Picture

I made pizza for dinner. This time, by request, it had jalapeños on it. Everyone liked it.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, "apprehensive" means "viewing the future with anxiety or alarm: feeling or showing fear or apprehension about the future." "Apprehensive" has been my keyword for the past day or so. I'm uneasy about my wife's health and mine also. I have a Thursday appointment with my doctor to see what happened with the MRI I had last Friday.

Yesterday our long drought ended with near continuous rain. Unfortunately, we were also under a tornado warning. It was nerve-wracking. I haven't heard whether anyone I know was affected by the storms. Today our county "burn ban" was lifted.

Tonight, I find myself apprehensive again. It's election night. No matter who wins, I worry about the country and the economy. I hope there is no violence.

Yesterday I recharged my Kindle and began reading The Widowsfield Trilogy (314) again. I thought that reading would help me nod off at bedtime. I just happened to pick a series that has the opposite effect. I read 25% of the book before I made myself quit. I've mentioned the trilogy on this blog a few times. I'll find some review sites and post links to the books at a later date.

How To Make Pizza Dough

Pizza Making - Author's Picture

The secret to making a good homemade pizza lies with the dough. No matter what delicious toppings you have, it's going to be that much better with dough that you make yourself. This basic recipe, with some alteration, can also be used to make homemade bread and fry bread.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of warm water, 105°

• 3.5 cups of all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil (any kind; doesn't have to be virgin to cook with)

• 2 teaspoons of honey or sugar

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1 pack of yeast

Directions

• Pour the warm water into a bowl and then add salt and honey (or sugar). Mix well, then add the pack of yeast. Mix well and let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.

• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the yeast mixture.

• In a separate bowl, add 3.5 cups of all-purpose flour. Pour your yeast mixture into the flour; stir the dough and then knead.

• You'll need to knead the dough for 5-8 minutes until it is not too wet or too dry. You should end up with a solid ball of dough. You can add more warm water or more flour, as needed.

• Coat a separate bowl with one tablespoon of olive oil. Place the dough in this bowl. Cover the bowl. You can also use olive oil cooking spray to coat the bowl. It's not as messy and you won't get it all over your hands.

• Let the dough rise 1.5-2 hours.

When the dough has risen, grease a pizza pan with olive oil (or olive oil spray), Spread the dough out on the pan, pressing from the center outward. Add your sauce, cheese, and favorite toppings. Preheat the oven to 350°. Cook the pizza for approximately 20 minutes. I always check my pizza after 15 minutes just to be safe. After I see that it's not burning or anything, I cook it an additional five minutes.

Note: When working with the dough, it's helpful to coat your hands in olive oil. This will keep flour/dough from sticking to your hands.

Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough - Author's Picture

The dough has risen to perfection, it's about to be pizza-making time. The secret to delicious pizza is homemade dough, which is made just about the same way as homemade bread is made. I'll post my recipe in a later entry.

Strawberry Cake

Strawberry Cake - Author's Picture

Strawberry cakes are a frequently requested item around my house. I can't say that it's made from scratch, because it came from a mix. It was well received.

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas - Author's Picture

I was going to take a picture of some enchiladas that I cooked for dinner. Before I could get around to it, the above happened. I have the recipe, which I intend to post (eventually).

Wednesday's Log 8.7.2024

Pizza Dough - Author's Picture

I think it looks a bit like a wet mess, but it's actually risen pizza dough. I suppose we don't have to guess what was for dinner tonight. I'm still going to post the recipe for the dough, one day when I get motivated.

I've been busy today, and it's been 102 degrees for much of the day. I haven't really watched many movies lately, but I have been working. I've still got laundry going. I've loaded up the dishwasher and fed the dogs.

This evening, we went to Walmart and Petco to get dog treats and a few groceries. Hopefully we won't have to go anywhere tomorrow. I'm tired, but I've got to go - not to bed, but to check on that laundry. Peace.

Friday's Log 8.2.2024

Strawberry Cake - Author's Picture

I made a strawberry cake by request. I also went to the supermarket. I couldn't find any zip ties, so I must get them elsewhere. I need them to string the outside lights. My mom was pleased when I told her I'd bring her a piece of cake tomorrow. I'll have to go back to the market tomorrow in order to pick up groceries for the kids and for mom. Mom is almost 80 and doesn't like to get too far away from the house.

Yesterday a contractor for the power company came up into the yard and trimmed limbs away from the power lines. They ended up knocking our electricity out. Fortunately, it only stayed off for about 30 minutes.

Edit: I actually found a package of zip ties at home, stashed away.

Homemade Pizza

Author's Picture

Pepperoni: one half has mushrooms. I'll try to post the recipe for the dough when I have a bit more free time.

Monday's Log 7.22.2024 Part 2

Chocolate Cake - Author's Picture

I actually got to make a cake that wasn't strawberry. It's chocolate on chocolate and very good. I made it from a mix, so it's not homemade.

I've accomplished quite a bit today. Laundry, dishwashing, and working on cleaning up the front porch have taken up much of the day. It seems like our porch is a "catch-all." No matter how often I clean it, it gets messy again. For dinner, I'm having corn dogs. I made potato salad and other things, but I don't really like potato salad and I don't want the rest of the food that I cooked.

I'm worried about the health of my family. None of us are getting any younger. My brother-in-law is still recovering from an automobile accident. My daughter is struggling with asthma. My wife has health problems, and so do I. 

At the moment my other brother-in-law and my sister-in-law are heading to the emergency room. His blood pressure has dropped, and his pulse is somewhat faint. I'm especially worried about him since he has heart problems. His heart only functions at 20%.

We need a powerful amount of prayer. "Prayer warriors" are what we truly need.

Monday's Log 7.22.2024

Potato Salad - Author's Picture

We're having potato salad for dinner once I get all this mess mixed together. I don't even like potato salad, but my wife and son-in-law do. I'm tired. It seems like I've been in the kitchen all day. For supper/dinner, we're having steaks and pork chops.

I'm going to write late this evening. I wrote for several hours yesterday, and didn't get to sleep until around 2 A.M. I've still got a little laundry and cooking to do.

Cake Request

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I never have to wonder whether anyone around here wants cake.

MyMini Sandwich Maker

Sandwich Maker - Author's Picture

I got a new sandwich maker from Walmart.com. It's been a big hit with the kids, especially the grilled cheese. I highly recommend it, though it makes only one sandwich at a time. You can buy others that cook more than one sandwich, and that's probably what I will do in the future.