Getting the Hang of the Weekend Kitchen

I spent yesterday in the kitchen. Spent the first hour or so cleaning it. Cleaning! It is remarkable to me how little time it takes a family of four to make a mess of the counters and kitchen table over night. I could have sworn it was clean when I went to bed...

In an effort to save money on store-bought snacks, I wanted to use things we had on hand to make something everyone would enjoy. A couple weeks ago a friend dropped off a half-dozen of home-grown lemons. Having used 4 of them over that time (I love a wedge in my Diet Coke - yum!) for various things - like baked fish one evening - we still have 2. So, thumbing through our various recipe books, I found a simple and quick Lemon Bread with Poppy Seeds. It was incredibly easy to make - but, sadly, it was so easy I didn't even need to use my new mixer. Sadness was all around, but passed quickly. Here's what it looked like (after the family decimated half of it!):


Next I turned my creative juices to thinking about dinner. We haven't had my Chicken Enchilada Verde in a long time. I really enjoy making this simple dish. On a chilly day it's truly a comfort meal. It's easiest when using left-over chicken from a previous meal. But, when you don't have left-overs, it's easy enough to bake a couple of oregano peppered chicken breasts until cooked through (about 30 minutes at 350°F), then cool and shred. I use onion, garlic and green chilies, Monterey jack cheese, corn tortillas and a Verde enchilada sauce. This time around I decided to try putting the enchiladas on a bed of rice before topping everything with the sauce and some of the cheese.

Turned out great. Sorry, no picture. It disappeared!