THIS IS WHERE I LIVE...

I moved from Montana to Lubbock, Texas the fall of my sophomore year, because I didn't like the home economics department at MSU-Bozeman, and Tech had a highly rated school of home economics, with cheap out of state tuition, and warmer climate than Ames, Iowa (another possibility).  So, Mom did all the paper work, and the folks loaded me and my belongings in the Buick, and headed for Lubbock.  I was standing on the steps of the Tech library when they left me, and I waved until they went out of sight.  I graduated and re-enrolled in graduate school.  It was during this time I met Bobby, and we married.  I have lived in West Texas longer than I did in Montana, and have learned to love this country in spite of the sandstorms, drought, heat, and cold.  I hope you will take time to look at Wyman Meinzer's photo collection about this part of the world (I guarantee you will like the music), and you just might be surprised at the beauty, and see why I call this home, even though I will always be a Montanan.

 http://player.vimeo.com/video/22132017?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

"Laid Up"!

I had toe surgery during spring break, didn't figure it would slow me down, but it has.  How will I ever lose those pounds I put on after Thanksgiving, and during the two months Mom was here? 
I find that hydrocodone is poison, and all I want to do after taking it is to sleep!   I want to sleep when I should be doing school work, like making a power point on how to take care of your liver, by avoiding alcohol and drugs.  I want to sleep when I am reading a thriller by Lee Child.
 One good thing about this is I have empathy for people who are limping in pain, using crutches, and are "laid up" too.  I have had time to think about my dad and how he must have felt being side lined with his foot surgeries.  Sitting in a chair must have been torture for him.  I just didn't realize how hard it is to sit until now.  I will make up for lost time later, just like my dad did!  Until then I will try to stay awake and get some enjoyable reading done, and work on the power point later. 

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS with green chili sour cream sauce

Vickie from Rankin sent me this recipe and when I made it I  added to it, but here is her recipe.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
10 soft taco shells
2 C cooked shredded chicken
2 C shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
3 T butter
3 T flour
2 C chicken broth
1 C sour cream
1 (4 oz.) can green chilies
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 in pan.
2.  Mix chicken with 1 cup cheese and roll up in tortillas.
3.  In a sauce pan, melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook until  bubbly.
4.  Add the broth and whisk together.  Cook until thickened.
5.  Stir in the chilies and sour cream and heat but do not boil.
6.  Pour over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese.
7.  Bake until the sauce is bubbling and broil for 3 minutes just to brown the cheese.

Here we go with my version.  I used olive oil instead of butter, just to cut a little saturated fat.  Believe me there will be enough to go around with this dish!  This is also a good time to add the onions.

After the flour, salt, black pepper,  and oil cook until it  bubbles, add the unstrained chicken broth and cook until thickened.  My camera focused on the whisk and not the broth.  I don't know what I am doing with it half the time.

I left the gravy on the burner on warm and then cooked the corn tortillas in olive oil, just until they are limp, but not so soft they tear up.  These are local tortillas from Odessa.

And they  had a really good flavor.

Now, for the chicken.  I added about 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. cumin, some salt, and about a tsp. of chili powder along with a shake of Vulcan salt to the chopped chicken.  I left the chicken in chunks instead of shredding it.  The Vulcan salt and chili blend are a gift from Robert and Marina.  They special order it from the Spice House in Chicago,  a place they discovered on one of their tours.  It is excellent and so is the chili blend.

The Vulcan salt has habanero pepper in it so I went easy on it (Mom isn't much for hot stuff).

I used 1/2 C chopped green onions, and sauteed them before adding them to the gravy with the chilies.

I dumped (maybe that is not the most sophisticated cooking term, but it is what it is) the chicken into the gravy, and then scooped it out into the tortillas.  I really can't stand dry enchiladas, so I like a little gravy with the filling. Next time I am making an extra cup of gravy just for the filling.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the enchiladas.  I used  lot more cheese than the recipe called for and half of it was Colby.

Now, it's time to put the sour cream into the gravy, heat it just a little and pour it over the enchiladas, pop them in the oven, set the table, make a nice little salad.

I like the green onion and may add more than half a cup the next time.  They are pretty mild, but add color.  I made more gravy than I needed to, but I like lots of it so the dish doesn't dry out in the oven.

I think chicken enchiladas are supposed to be fairly bland compared to beef, but I still like some spice to them.  These were pretty darned good, and I recommend you fix them for a bunch.  This batch made over a dozen.  Now, it is time to go to Mustang Fitness Center. 

Ritz-Carlton Blueberry Muffins

Last week Mom and I went to the Main Street Deli for supper.  The place is decorated somewhat like a tea room, and has a few books on the shelves along with some dishes, and other stuff for cozy, homey atmosphere.  I looked at the books while waiting for a cheeseburger and found the Ritz-Carlton cookbook.  So, here is their recipe for blueberry muffins, and I am trying it this morning. 

RITZY BLUEBERRY MUFFINS  Bake at 375
8 T butter (one stick).  I used olive oil to cut the sat. fat.
5 eggs (I used jumbos)
1/2 C milk
1 1/2 C sugar
3 1/2 C sifted flour (sift and then measure)
1 tbs.  baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (if you are using salted butter).  I used a tsp.
4 C fresh blueberries (I used frozen, and they are just as good)
1 pt. ice cream

METHOD OF PREPARATION
1.  Grease muffin tins with 2 T butter and line with paper.
2.  Melt the butter and beat it in with the milk and eggs so they are emulsified.
3.  Measure the sifted flour into a large bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients.
4.  Blend the dry ingredients well.
5.  Dump the milk, egg, butter emulsion into the dry ingredients.
6.  Stir only until mixed and don't over mix.  That is what makes them peak with tunnels, and they won't win the county fair.
7.  Serve with a dollop of the ice cream and then go jog a couple of miles.

Mix the blueberries in with the dry ingredients.  The real recipe says to fold them in, but they are talking about fresh and besides I am obsessed with not overmixing.  Do it however you like.

Use a whisk and beat the egg milk mixuture until it is thoroughly blended, because you are not going to mix very much when you combine the dry and wet (I harp and preach this at school all the time).

I let the blueberries melt a little too much.  Stir them in just before you pour the milk mixture in, and get the batter into the muffin cups quickly.

This makes 16, loaded to the top. muffins.  Bake them on about 375 for 6 or 7 minutes and then back off to 350, just because they are so thick.

Mom liked them and ate two in one sitting (with butter).  I think you will have to use jumbo eggs because I just barely got this mixed as it was.  We didn't have the ice cream but Mom got all the saturated fat she wanted with the butter.  She goes through a stick by herself in about a week and a half!
Now that I know this is good, I will put chopped pecans in them the next go around! 

THIS HOUSE FASCINATES ME

I look forward to passing by this house on the way to Mustang Fitness Center.  I am willing to bet it was once upon a time a church--one of those churches built in the '40s.  Converting a church into a home must be interesting.  The residents always find the time to repaint their quaint, little mail box to match the holidays or the season--orange last fall, red at Christmas, a nice silver (not butane tank silver) for January, and now pink for Valentine's Day.  I am betting green is the next color.  They always have the doorway decorated to go with the theme, and the funny thing is I never catch them making these changes. 

The picture is certainly awkward, but I wanted to cut their address, and the gossamer is undone, from the stong winds we have had lately.  Anyway, these folks are very artistic, and full of fun.  I will get a shot of the house in March. 

SNOW IN WEST TEXAS

Today is one of those rare times when I feel like I have all the hours I want to lazy around, and do what I want.  It snowed and sleeted today, so I just got my camera and went out to see what was happening.  I know the kids are praying for more snow, and hoping that school will start late, or there will no school at all.  I just don't think that will happen in Andrews America, at least I hope not.  Here is what the snow looked like on one of the Spanish bayonet plants that thrives out here in the desert. 

In spite of all the laziness that I feel, I must get to work on tomorrow's lessons and get done what I could not do yesterday.  Have a good week, and remember that God is in charge.

Just a quick blog before I hit the hay.  My dear friend, Jackie Hahn, came over last Saturday, and I made her a black fur vest.  Just what she needs for Lady Raider basketball games.  So, here she is in Andrews, Texas out in front of Buddy's Drive In, which is famous for their steak fingers.

The vest has a red lining, so it will go with Texas Tech colors.

And, if you don't already know it--Lamesa gals do love to doll up.  Jackie's fingernails prove it.  I am jealous, of course, because I can't grow fingernails like this.

I finally finished my vest (after I finished Jackie's) and wore it to school.  Mrs. Franco took this picture in her room.  She teaches Spanish, and let the kids decorate the bulletin board last fall for Dia de los Muertos!

I ended up cutting about 6 inches off the bottom before I was happy with it. I couldn't believe how comfortable it was--not  too hot and not cold.  Sewing, blogging, exercising, and all the fun stuff is hard to work in now that we have started a new semester.