Enchilada Casserole, Anyone?

We got this great cookbook from one of our wedding showers from Nick's Aunt Jeanette - I love it! The sections are separated by vegetable, so it's perfect if you're looking for an eggplant recipe for example; there are many appetizers and meals for each veggie.


Here's the recipe! I figure why type the instructions if they're right there? Maybe it's laziness, but I'll call it a time saver :) If you can't read something, just let me know and I can easily translate this image. I love how few ingredients there are in this recipe! We typically have these on hand so it's convenient and I usually don't have to plan it out in advance. I usually use 1/2 the cheese this recipe calls for too (I use one pack of shredded cheese (2 cups)).


One other thing I do differently than the recipe states is I make my own enchilada sauce since I haven't been able to find a healthier can of it. I use 1 can of tomato sauce, no salt added (tonight, I used a can of diced tomatoes in tomato sauce w/o salt and it worked well too!) mixed with about 1/2 tsp each of the above spices, and less of the turmeric (a little goes a LONG way of that). Use more or less depending on your tolerance of spice - mine is usually mild :) and you can completely use any spices you like - this is the fun part!

Nick and I love this recipe and add different ingredients depending on what we have and what sounds good. Tonight, I added a can of chili beans and split it between the layers and we agreed it was a great addition to the meal. It made it extra hearty and we have more left over than usual, so it definitely filed us up quicker which means it'll last us more meals. Bonus!



Notice the cheesy layers here. Simply delicious. Can't wait to have leftovers tomorrow for lunch!

Larabars? Yes, Please!

I've been reading about Larabars recently on Iowa Girl Eats' blog and have been anxious to try one. At the grocery store this weekend, I saw one and HAD to buy it to try it out. I got the Cherry Pie (I had two choices; Cherry Pie and Apple Pie).

I ate it today and it was so good! I really enjoyed it and the ingredient list is just as exciting. Just 3 ingredients. And I know what they are - no weird unpronounceable ingredients or added colors, just good, wholesome ingredients. Mine were dates, almonds and unsweetened cherries:

How great is that?! I love it. Now I can't wait to try other flavors, yum!

iTunes Free Singles of the Week

iTunes has some great free singles this week. I check the bottom of iTunes' home page for their 3 free singles often. What's better than free music?! Many times these songs/artists are on their way "up" and become more popular after the iTunes release so you can catch great songs for FREE before the artists are big and the singles cost more money.

Here are the 3 free tunes this week (click the link to hear the song on youtube or check them out at the bottom of your iTunes home page):

Stacy Clark White Lies: Her sound really reminds me of Sara Bareilles or Erin McCarley. I love her vocal style and the song is very catchy. This one is my fav of the week! Finds like this make me more eager to check the free singles on a more regular basis.

New Politics Yeah Yeah Yeah: This high energy song makes me think of Green Day. The song sounds familiar too, I think I've heard it. It's not as much my style (and on my last play, I heard some choice words I'm not a fan of). I may end up disposing of this one; but it's there if you like it!

Polock Fireworks: This one is a bit more laid back than the last one and it seems this band has more of a vintage/folk style. For free, I'll take it!

The great part of the free downloads is if I get sick of it, decide I no longer like one, or if I realize what they're saying, then no longer like it ;), they can easily be deleted. Free entertainment is always a great option in my book; enjoy!

Life Saving Foods

I want to share about a book I have been excited about for a few months. Nick actually won this book in a drawing a few years ago and our copy is signed by the author - cool, huh?! At one point, I read it every night searching for new foods we could try with great health benefits. I grew up mostly thinking food was about taste and making sure you ate 3 meals a day. I've been learning in the past year about how food is SO much more than that.


This book helped give me a new way to think about food: as a natural medicine. We've eaten these foods not even knowing the great benefits they have. This book also made me appreciate other foods I didn't realize had health benefits like cinnamon; I add that to most baked goods now, too! :)

Here are some examples of foods and their great health benefits (taken from this link on WebMD about life saving foods):

• Almonds: These nutritious nuggets are a good source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, and a variety of antioxidants. They can help with weight control and heart health, and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
• Barley: This whole grain is a rich source of vitamin E, fiber, B vitamins, and a wealth of antioxidants. Barley contains beta-glucan, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Quinoa: This is an ancient grain high in protein, fiber, iron, zinc, vitamin E, and selenium. It can help control your weight and help lower your risk for heart disease and diabetes.
• Coffee: In moderate doses, coffee may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, improve mood and memory, and, for men, reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease.
• Eggs: They are low in calories (75 per egg), an excellent source of high-quality protein, and rich in folate, choline, and iron. They can play a role in eye health and weight management -- an egg at breakfast helps to curb appetite.
• Grapes: They're rich in vitamin C, potassium and quercetin. Preliminary studies have shown that quercetin may boost the immune system.
• Kale: This super-healthy green veggie has vitamins A, C, potassium, lutein, and zeaxathan, which can help reduce the incidence of certain cancers and macular degeneration.
• Ginger: This spice with anti-inflammatory properties may help lesson arthritis pain. It also quells upset stomachs, nausea, and motion sickness.
• Pecans: These nuts are rich in gamma tocopherol, a type of vitamin E, as well as a rich source of antioxidants.
• Sweet potatoes: They're rich in vitamin A and C, high in fiber, and naturally sweet. Sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of lycopene which may fight heart disease, and breast and prostate cancer.
• Olive oil: This Mediterranean diet staple is rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory action to fight heart disease and cancer.

There are many other great foods with surprising health benefits in this book. Here is a link to the author's website for the book which has great video clips about some of these powerful foods. In the book, he talks about the origin of the food, preparation/storage tips as well as the life saving or life changing health benefits. Some of the foods help prevent heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers. It's really an exciting book to read and made me anxious to get to the grocery store and try them out.

Check your local library, you may be able to test out this great book for free or at least flip through the pages at a book store nearby. The index in the back can be searched by health ailment too which is super helpful if there is a specific pain you're looking to eliminate. It's worth giving it a shot in my opinion!

Touring DFW

Our first weekend here we checked out George and Laura Bush's place. Near their place at least, probably just a handful of houses past the gate according to the house numbers. Notice the surveillance camera and signs galore at the gate :)

Here's the intersection of the gate at the Bush's; they live on Daria Dr.

This one's for the Webb family! Makes me smile each time I see it.

Enjoying a creek (in the shade!) near our place

My Dad, Aunt Michele, Uncle Jeff and Aunt Melinda came to visit! We found a photo op with a long horn :)

My dad and his good friend John Wayne

The world's only twice daily cattle drive - at the Fort Worth Stockyards! Nothin' between these huge long horns and us but a few authentic cowboys. They sure keep them in line!

Their horns are massive and can be up to 7 feet tip to tip. They look heavy to hold up - talk about a sore neck ;)

Sight seeing at the shops at the Stockyards

Sizing up Johnny Cash's hand print at Billy Bobs - this place is great! Tons of hand prints from famous stars who have been there, bull riding and great concerts on the weekends, not to mention great Texas food. This is a great place to visit if you're ever in Fort Worth!

Texas Ranger's ball park in Arlington! It's really a beautiful structure.

The architecture reminds me of an ivy league college or something.

Right across the street from the Rangers ball park is the Dallas Cowboys stadium, home of the 2011 Superbowl! This photo doesn't even capture how massive this building is.


The sight of JFK's death in Dallas, the Dealey Plaza - the assination happened on the street there by where Aunt Melinda is standing. It's a very surreal place to visit imagining what it was like that day, not to mention the crowds of people who were there and witnessed the whole thing.

The view from the grassy knoll, where there is much controversy whether or not the last shot was fired from this spot, behind the fence. There are witnesses that are at the Dealey Plaza each day now telling you what they saw, as it is not the same story the government will tell. Very interesting.

Moving along in our tour to see the Gaylord Texan Resort. This place is huge and beautiful. Nick and I visited here when he lived here and saw the ice exhibit along with the Christmas tree lighting; that was a sight to see! They go all out for Christmas.

Dad with his friend Taylor (still at the beautiful Gaylord)- he lives in Dallas and gave us a tour for a day!

Photo op in the bright sun in the atrium at the Gaylord. It was so great having family in town and seeing the sights with them! We're thankful they could make the trip.

This is a HUUUGE pile of paper (probably 6 feet?!) from unpacking our stuff in kitchen boxes. I swear we had probably 8x this much paper if we collected all of the paper contained in all of the boxes. At least it kept our stuff safe - well most of it anyway! We're still organizing and unpacking a few last boxes but making lots of progress.

We're thinking of everyone and keeping an eye on the crazy flooding in the Midwest; stay safe, everyone!