Tuesday, December 16, 2014

"It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year"

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
When it's dark at four-thirty
And everyone's hurried; amped up in high gear
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
It's the crap-crappiest season of all
With those bank account beatings and lame dinner seatings
When traffic's a crawl
It's the crap-crappiest season of all

There'll be turkeys for roasting
Drinks lifted for toasting
Your waistline surely will grow
There'll be boring work stories
And tales of the glories of
Shenanigans long, long ago

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
There'll be much credit-owing
And cash will be flowing
Hope the check clears
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

There'll be letters for boasting
Endless pictures for posting
Everyone has something to show
There'll be falsified stories
And tales of the glories of
Antics from long, long ago

There'll be diet forgoing
And energy slowing
The flu you will fear
It's The Most Wonderful Time
It's The Most Wonderful Time
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Friday, November 14, 2014

Fashion Fail Friday



Purple Paisley is outdated. 
And ugly.

I cringe at the sight of it.   
As youthful and fun as designers try to make it, the print just screams “Old Lady” to me every time I see it.

And the psychedelic floral spin offs are as equally hideous.
Even the Princess couldn’t pull it off in 2012. 


Ladies, choose your prints wisely and steer clear of the purple paisley.
Unless you're going to play a game of  bridge at your great aunt's house.
In that case, don't forget the peanut brittle.





Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Cold Days / Cozy Nights

Yesterday marked the first cold snap of the season in my little corner of the world.
Digging out gloves and scraping the windshield made me long for the warmer days of the summer. Only for a moment though. I do love the beautiful, cold, crisp autumn days when the sun is shining and the leaves are bright gold, orange and red.
This kind of day calls for a warm, cozy, hearty enchilada pie of the same color combination. 

 
Shredded Pork Enchilada Pie

2 C cooked shredded pork, seasoned with 1 tsp taco seasoning (good use of leftover pork roast)
12 small corn tortillas
1 small can green chiles
1/2 C chopped onion
up to 1 T red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you desire
3 C cheese of choice (I use cheddar)
1 C re-fried beans
2 C enchilada sauce, red or green

Toppings of your choice: shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, olives, green onions. Cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, hot sauce, salsa, tortilla chips for dipping.

Preheat oven to 350*
Oil or butter a 9” inch pie plate. Arrange 4 corn tortillas on the bottom, breaking up to fit, if desired (over-lapping is okay)
Pour the enchilada sauce into a shallow bowl.
Spread half the beans on the tortillas, spread a little enchilada sauce on beans, top with half the pork, chiles, onions and 1 C of the cheese. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired.
Add another 4 tortillas, that have been dipped in enchilada sauce. Spread the rest of the beans, spread a little enchilada sauce on beans, top with remainder of pork, chiles, onions and 1 C of the cheese.
Add the last 4 tortillas, that have been dipped in enchilada sauce. Spread more enchilada sauce over the tortillas, letting it drip down into the pan. There may be a little enchilada sauce left.
Save the last of the cheese for later.
Bake, uncovered, in a 350* oven for about 30 minutes. Placing a cookie sheet on the rack below is helpful in catching any drips that may occur.
Since ovens vary, check the temperature of the middle of the pie with a thermometer after 30 minutes. If it's at least 165*, top with the remaining cheese and continue baking until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. If it's not quite hot enough, keep baking until the center reaches at least 165* (safe temperature for reheating cooked foods)
Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Adding corn, black beans, diced jalapenos, cilantro and other Tex-Mex favorites is encouraged for variety. I also make this with cooked shredded chicken.


Friday, November 7, 2014

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Because we all need a dose of D.

Vitamin D is hard to come by during the three dark seasons in the Pacific Northwest.
D, however is in big supply. Mostly quirky, fun, and light; sometimes brooding and dark, stop by for your Dose of D .
: )