Now that we have our new addition it was more important now to focus on fresh homegrown produce, so when our little man is ready we will have fresh from the garden produce baby food prepared and we are so excited. Because I am watching the little one for these 12 weeks Jay really has stepped up and kcked butt in the garden.

His first project was our root veg box. We have a tiny backyard and never room for big onions, potatoes or carrots so Jay built this box to maximize our patio space while still keeping it asthetically pleasing (something way more important to me then him:)) And it is spectacular!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a quick view of our Herb Garden that he re mulched and cleaned up…WE LOVE HERBS.  Here are our young plants of Thyme, Basil, Dill, Cilantro, Rosemary, Oregano and Mint.

So I really love mexican food and since my bff Liz introduced me to Annie’s Eats I have been sampling her recipies weekly and they have all been fabulous and fairly healthy. These little rolled up pieces og heaven are super easy and light -ish  as these are baked NOT fried and you aren’t tempted with basket of chips and salsa prior to your meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Yield: about 12 taquitos

Ingredients:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ cup salsa

1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. onion powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp. chopped cilantro

1-2 green onions, chopped

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, etc. would also be good)

10-12 6-inch flour tortillas

Cooking spray

Kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, spices, cilantro, green onions, chicken and shredded cheese. Mix thoroughly until well combined.

Briefly heat the tortillas in the microwave to make them soft enough to roll easily, about 20-3o seconds. Place a tortilla on a work surface. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling mixture down the middle of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla up tightly around the filling. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, spacing the assembled taquitos evenly on the baking sheet. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. (You may be tempted to skip the sprinkle of salt, but it really adds a nice touch.)

(To freeze before baking, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill the assembled taquitos 30-60 minutes. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. To bake from the freezer, simply add a few additional minutes to the original baking time, until the filling is warmed through.)

Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Printed from Annie’s Eats

This week we made Taquitos one of my all time favorite meals

So I have been a away for a while really focusing on BabyCollett.com and journaling my first pregnancy with Baby Gabriel and honestly I have had NO time to craft or do fun projects but I am praying that during my time off…I might get more inspriation.   We ported over my old blog to wordpress so my previous posts should be done tonight.  Do you like my new look?  It was kind of a fast choice…but it is colorful and fun and I may keep it awhile. 

So anywho…my BFF Liz turned me on to probably the most fabulous cooking/baking website ever! Annie’s Eats OMG she is amazing. Even more amazing is she is a doctor, a mom, prego and we are just in awww of her talent and ability to be such an uber blogger on top of all that.  Anyway I have been in a “same ole thing for dinner” FUNK and I thought hey let me check out the meals on this blog. First on the list for Sunday is her Enchiladas. Now Jay and I aren’t a huge fan of these out but I went ahead and put them on the menu anyway.  I planned them for Sunday because they are a little labor intensive for a weekday meal taking begining to end about 1 hour 45 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1 tsp. canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. sugar
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
Cooking spray

Directions:
Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through (160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside. Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add in ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce, ½ cup of each of the shredded cheeses, and the cilantro. Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Oil a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Stack the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable. Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla. Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400˚ F. Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce oven the top. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Pink Parsley Catering, originally from America’s Test Kitchen