Chicken Taco Casserole

This is one outstanding Casserole….We needed something quick for dinner tonight and this one fit the bill.   It went together nicely topped with Grape Cherry Tomatoes and Avocadoes.   It is definitely a keeper for the recipe file!

Chicken Taco Casserole

Chicken Taco Casserole
12 corn tortillas
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ packet taco seasoning
3 cup cooked, chopped chicken
2 cups Mexican blend cheese

· Top with 1/2cup cherry tomatoes, chopped

· An avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped

· Fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken soup, sour cream, Rotel, black beans, taco seasoning and chicken. Set aside.

Tear 6 corn tortillas and put them in the bottom of the pan.  Spread half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas.  Top with 1 cup of cheese. 

Repeat layers.
Bake 30 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is starting to brown.

Top with toppings as desired

Hot Buttered Fluffy Pretzels

Yield: 8 pretzels

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

• 12.5 oz all purpose flour (2.5 cups)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2.25 tsp instant quick rise yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)

  For the Topping:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• vegetable oil for greasing the sheet pan
• coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Combine all the dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix with the paddle attachment until somewhat combined (or just mix by hand with a wooden spoon). Change to the dough hook and knead on medium low for 5 minutes. The dough should feel soft and smooth, not sticky to the touch.
2. Lightly dust the dough with flour, then place in a ziploc bag and let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, and lightly grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil. You could also do parchment paper if you can find one that's rated high enough (most parchment papers I've seen only go up to 420 degrees F).
4. Remove the dough from the bag and place onto a lightly oiled countertop. Divide the dough into 8 pieces (just cut it with a knife).
5. Whisk to combine the warm water and baking soda and cook in the microwave for 1 minute. FYI it's not going to dissolve completely, and that's okay.
6. Roll each of the eight pieces into a long rope, and shape each one into a pretzel 
7. Dip each pretzel into the soda wash and place onto the greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, then let them rest for 10 minutes.
8. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes until the pretzels are golden brown. Brush the pretzels with the melted butter while they are hot out of the oven, so the bread can soak up all the buttery goodness.
9. Enjoy while they are hot, and keep in mind these don't taste as amazing the next day. So this pretty much means that you're allowed to eat all of them now ….Enjoy!

Really?????

WEIGHT LOSS: Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast and on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person.

Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

Raw  local honey has all of the enzymes that are suppose to make the weight loss effect happen.

Here are the directions...

First you boil 1 cup of water, then you add 1 part cinnamon into a cup with the hot water, and let it steep. In other words, you leave it there to cool down.

DO NOT ADD THE HONEY TO THE HOT WATER…. just like the effect a microwave has on breast milk, hot or boiling water will kill the enzymes in the honey. Once the water is at room temp, you add twice as much honey as you did cinnamon (i.e.1/2 tsp cinn with 1 tsp honey)

You should  drink half before going to bed and store the other half in the fridge. In the morning, drink the second half and wait a half hour before eating.

The enzymes in the honey  remove fungus and bacteria in your digestive tract. It also states that you should see inches lost before weight loss. But, you might hit a plateau stage after awhile. I have also read that continuing to eat it, the mixture will help to to stop fat from being stored in the body.

this moment in time….

 

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Chicken Taco Casserole

12 corn tortillas 1 onion chopped and sauted
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 can Rotel, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ packet taco seasoning
3 cup cooked, chopped chicken
2 cups Mexican blend cheese

· Top with 1/2cup cherry tomatoes, chopped

· An avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped

· Fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken soup, sour cream, Rotel, black beans, taco seasoning and chicken. Set aside. Chop and sauté onion, combine into the chicken mixture.
Tear 6 corn tortillas and put them in the bottom of the pan.  Spread half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas.  Top with 1 cup of cheese.  Repeat layers.
Bake 30 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is starting to brown.

Top with toppings as desired

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

I know it is not fall, but I just had a craving for this wonderful muffin this morning….They take some time to prepare but they are so worth every minute of it!

Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients:
For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree (see Note)
1¼ cups vegetable oil

For the topping:
½ cup sugar
5 tablespoons flour
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Note: A standard sized can of pumpkin is 15 ounces, just shy of 2 cups (16 ounces). You could open another can if you want and freeze the extra or just use one can which is what I did. The amount is so little I don’t think it makes a difference in the final product.

Instructions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours. The mixture will still be somewhat soft but firmer.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. I always get inpatient here and mix it together with my hands so that it looks like the texture of wet sand. I know you aren’t supposed to do it this way but I’m impatient. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. You want to put the cream cheese lower than you think because it will rise a lot during the baking process. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. I like them warm, cold, and room temperature.

Anxious – Nervous – Stressed

 

Between 18-20% off all adults have some sort of anxiety disorder each year. It has been estimated that two-thirds of all visits to physicians are for anxiety and stress-related problems. Recent evidence indicates that the physical changes associated with anxiety and stress may contribute to several health related issues.

There are many people who have successfully got off their anxiety meds with essential oils. Some people use a single oil or a mixture of several oils or rotate the oils they use. Find what works best for you!

You can use any of the following oils to help with Anxiety and Stress:

2-5 drops of Lavender, Serenity, Balance, Citrus Bliss, Wild Orange or Ylang Ylang (my personal favorite is Balance)

--Rub on back of neck and shoulders, or over heart, or on wrists or you can put a few drops in your hand and then cup hand over mouth and breathe in oils.

--You can also add a few drops to a warm bath.

--Add a few drops to a diffuser

--Add a few drops in a pot of boiling water on the stove

Other symptoms associated with Anxiety:

For rapid breathing---heart pains etc due to anxiety, rub 2-5 drops of serenity, balance, lavender or ylang ylang over heart.

For headaches: Use 2-5 drops of peppermint or lavender (or both) and rub on temples, forehead and back of neck (some people love balance)

For Nausea or upset stomach rub a few drops of peppermint on tummy, behind ears or add 1 drop to a glass of water and sip.