then the enchiladas saved me

Justin was facing an evening full of cranky women when Bella decided not to take an afternoon nap. We all know what my mood was like and poor Addie couldn't relax enough to nap either. Lucy was even tip toeing around like she needed a good walk. Smart man took the dog and the baby for a long walk while Addie and I shook off our crabbiness with a little time in the kitchen together.

Cooking and getting my hands dirty definitely did the trick. I love cooking and doing it with Addie is especially fun. I hadn't even finished chopping the ingredients before we were laughing and feeling giddy. Tonight she helped me make chicken enchiladas for our Sunday family dinner. I first tried this recipe way back in Home Ec class in high school. It was a hit back then and still does the trick today. I've updated the recipe since then of course and don't use an actual recipe or precise measurements to make them. The basics are still the same though.

I sauteed chicken tenders (breasts fine too) in olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin. Then pulsed it in the food processor a few times to get it chopped up. Not too fine though. Meanwhile I have a can of cream of chicken soup and 10 oz sour cream simmering in a saucepan. I combine the chicken with a can of diced roasted green chillies, scallions, black olives (also pulsed in the food processor-it's so much faster than chopping and God knows I was feeling a tad lazy tonight), shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and a bit more cumin. Addie helped me mix all the stuffing together. Then I got her excited for the fun messy part. The sour/chicken cream mixture needs to cool a bit and then some goes down on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Next you dip small tortillas half way into the sauce, spoon a generous amount of filling into the middle and roll it up just like any other enchilada. We continued to do that until Addie informed me the pan was full. She's such a big helper. She was a little grossed out by the food on her hands and insisted that they get washed right away. I finished up the dish by spreading the remaining sauce on top and sides of the enchiladas. More shredded Monterey Jack goes on the top. 350 Degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly.Yum! These are divine. We served this with refried black beans (totally stoaked I found these at the store-and Organic too), guacamole (just avocado, salt, lime juice, garlic powder and chopped tomatoes), and this Chipotle rice recipe that we love (double it otherwise it's not enough). The entire family devoured the meal and I claimed it as a success. Not only because it was delicious but because preparing the meal got me out of my crazy bad mood funk. Maybe all I needed was a good hearty meal. After dinner I was shaking my tush along with the rest of the family during our Lady Gaga dance party with a smile on my face. Thanks to you, sweet chicken enchiladas.