Missing in action...

I noticed the other day I have been very lazy with my posting and I realize it's because I haven't really been cooking or eating. I stopped taking my steroids about two weeks ago and I noticed a dramatic loss in my appetite and it seems to have gotten worse over the past week or so. I thought maybe it was because of this cold that I have been fighting or the fact my body is recovering from all of the cravings I had while taking the steroids.

Nope none of the above, it's because I am so nausea's I can't see straight and would you like to know why I am so nausea's I can't see straight...it's because I am going to be a Mommy and this time it's only going to have two legs instead of four. I always swore that when and if I became pregnant I wouldn't share the news with anyone other than my husband and our parents until I hit the second trimester due to the fact my pregnancies will be high risk due to the Crohns disease. I decided that 1) I couldn't keep my mouth shut that long, and 2.) I need all of the prayers and good thoughts I can get. I pray that my body doesn't fail me or this baby. I am very nervous now since the procedures that were planned to determine whether or not my gall bladder needed to come out have been canceled due to the risk involved. I don't know what we are going to do but I keep saying, "I am going to take everything one day at a time".

As of right now baby Blankenship will be making their appearance around February 18th 2010, let's keep our fingers crossed we get to that point!!

Summer Salad

Daniel made this salad during the first year that we were dating, it must have impressed the family because he is still around. It's simple and easy to throw together and most importantly it goes great with all of your summer functions.

Daniel's Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Ingredients:
2 lg. cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 pints of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, cut in half and then sliced
1 16oz. bottle of Italian dressing

Directions:
1.) Throw ingredients into a medium sized bowl and gently toss until dressing has coated everything.
2.) Refrigerate for 3-4 hours to allow the ingredients to marinate.

*We had to use a regular vidalia onion this go round because the selection offered at Wal-Mart was horrible. We like using the red onion for the color.

Chicken Enchiladas

I have been making these for several years and it was something that I just came up with one evening. I was forced to use the items that were in my pantry and everything just sort of took off from there. My family as usual really enjoys them and they are so simple to prepare.

Chicken Enchiladas~

4 chicken breasts

8 tortilla shells

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 tbsp. taco seasoning

1 tbsp. garlic salt

2 cans enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cheese

sour cream

green onions

Directions:

1.) Bring to a boil in a large stock pot enough water to cover the chicken, add garlic salt and chicken and boil for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through.

2.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

3.) Once chicken has cooked and cooled, finely dice. I normally use my food processor but this time I just whacked it around with my knife until I got very fine pieces.

4.) In a large bowl mix together chicken, diced onion, cream of chicken soup, and taco seasoning.

5.) Spoon about 1/3 of a cup onto each tortilla shell and roll.

6.) In a 9x13 baking dish, spoon a thin layer of your enchilada sauce onto the bottom and begin placing the rolled enchiladas side by side. Top with the remainder of your enchilada sauce and then sprinkle on your cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until cheese has melted and the sauce around the edges is bubbly.

7.) Garnish with sour cream and green onions.

*You can also garnish with fresh tomato or black olives depending on your families preferences and instead of boiling your chicken you can also saute it in a skillet with about a tablespoon of butter and garlic salt. Once it's cooled you can whack it around just like you would if you had boiled it. I have always boiled it because it takes less work and you can sneak away from your stove for a few minutes and catch up with your blog reading.

I apologize for the horrible picture but it's the only one I managed to get of the dish. I made the enchilidas at home and then transported them to my Aunt and Uncles for the dinner. We were also outside in the bright sunlight and it was hard to see the quality of the picture when I took it. I am sure you all will forgive me though!

Mexican Fried Rice

We had a Mexican themed dinner on Saturday night with the family and I made my usual chicken enchiladas, which I will be sharing with you, as well as a new recipe. I found this one on grouprecipes.com and I was excited to try it out. The family loves fried rice so I figured this would be another winner and it was. I didn't care for it but I think it was because I was in one of those moods. I had managed in about a two hour time period to make the chicken enchiladas, Mexican fried rice, and the peanut butter delight cookies so I was worn out about the time dinner rolled around.

Mexican Fried Rice~

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice (I used 1 1/2 cups instant white rice)
1 1/2 cups water
1 egg (I used 2 eggs)
1 tablespoon garlic-flavor olive oil or olive oil ( I omitted)
1 pound fresh chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can Black Beans, drained
1 (11 ounce) can Whole Kernel Corn, with Red and Green Peppers
1 (7 ounce) jar sliced roasted red bell peppers, drained
1 (8 ounce) jar Taco Sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1.) Cook rice in water as directed on package.

2.) Meanwhile, spray 12-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium heat until hot. Beat egg in small bowl. Add egg to skillet; cook 1 minute or until firm but still moist, stirring frequently. Remove from pan; cover to keep warm.

3.)Heat oil in same skillet over medium heat until hot. Add chicken, onion and garlic; cook and stir 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Add beans, corn and roasted peppers; mix well. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly and breaking up chicken and roasted peppers as mixture cooks.

4.) Add cooked egg and rice; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in taco sauce; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Stir in green onions. Spoon mixture onto serving platter. Garnish with cilantro.