sleepy time

I have a bit of a cold. It's just enough to make me feel sleepy and a little squinty-eyed, but not enough to keep me home in bed. It is, however, enough to make me dream of being home in bed and wondering how this day can drag so!

On that note, I'd like to curl up in this bed. It looks soft and quiet and warm, and I can almost feel the curtains being drawn and twilight tucking me in. I love this whole room, but I am particularly happy with the walls. I love the texture, the color, and how the shadows make the corner look cozy.

I am curious about the little bedside curio table (who needs a clock when a collection of skulls will do?). I love the contrast of rustic dark wood against a soft, pale wall.

Okay, in I go. It's too tempting.

Sorry, I've lost the photo credit.

at last

It's Friday!

I don't have much to say after a very exhausting five days, but I wanted to mention how tasty my enchiladas were on Tuesday. I shared them with an office buddy for Valentine's Day. I also shared a few of the chocolate truffles I made. I now know how to roll funny-looking little ganache morsels and dip and twist them to create fantastically delicious yet not-stunning truffle bites.

Now back to these enchiladas. I believe I may have mentioned before how at one point some years ago I realized that rolling enchiladas (although creative and pretty-looking) was basically a wild waste of time. Thus began my Enchilada Casserole years. Delicious, not as time consuming, and did I mention delicious?

You may be surprised that I am willing to share my recipe, but I'm pretty sure they're important enough to share. Also, I've never been one to think mine better than the original chef's so I feel that makes intellectual property pretty special and utterly sharable.

Layer upon layer, until you come out just right:

Corn tortillas

A round casserole dish that the tortillas almost fill

Rosarita vegetarian refried beans (you can add your own non-canned meat at will)

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (add to beans, stir until hot)

1/4 teaspoon chile powder (add to beans and cumin)

A sprinkling of garlic powder if needed (I don't use it anymore)

Sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Monterey jack cheese, grated (if desired/optional)

Mild diced green chiles (one small 3oz can)

Mild/medium/hot green OR red enchilada sauce (your choice of brand, but I like Hatch)

The following are optional additions:

Black olives, chopped

Cilantro, washed and chopped

Chicken breast chopped small, sauteed in tamari, ginger powder, garlic powder, thyme

Corn (add ancho chile powder for some added flavor)

Rice (add sauteed onions, pepper, chile powder, garlic powder for flavor)

Pre-heat the oven to 350F (expect 45 minutes to bake)

Add a thin layer of sauce to bottom of casserole dish

Add one tortilla

Add 1/4" layer of beans

Add sprinkling of cheese (not much needed)

Add chicken/olives/cilantro

Top with a few spoonfuls of sauce (not enough to be really wet)

Repeat until pan is nearing full.*

Top layer: cheese, sauce, olives (pretty) finish with more sauce

*Make eating your enchilada casserole more interesting by varying the amount in between each layer. I've noticed adding chicken to one but beans to another keeps the texture interesting.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350F. Your enchilada casserole is finished when the cheese is bubbly on top and sauce is bubbling.

Let sit for five minutes (if you can) and add small scoop of sour cream or plain yogurt.

This photo is from Monday night. I accidentally used Hot sauce, which made it more interesting but not in a super good way.

parentheses

This photo says Happy Friday, and since my Monday was not exactly awesome (think red flashing lights on computer thingies, and tiny irritations buzzing around the office) I've decided to flash back to my Friday when I had the whole weekend before me.

My weekend was lovely and far too short (as weekends often are). I made two folders of recipes (full color, two sided that I had pulled from "Five Easy Meals" in Real Simple). I watched my new favorite television addiction, Downton Abbey. I went skiing with two pros who were kind enough to wait on me as I skied in a non-pro fashion all over the mountain (we even did a black diamond run!).

This evening invites a bath and some couch time. I'll walk the dog a little farther in the pattering rain, and think ahead to next weekend. I hope it feels longer, but it prolly* won't.

*yes, I mis-spelled probably on purpose. don't worry.

photo courtesy DesignLoveFest

come true

"You never know who has the power to make your dreams come true."

So be nice.

And enjoy some beautiful moments today. It is another stunning day in Seattle, and I am going to leave work and prance and prance. It's not every day I feel like prancing, so I have to take these moments as they come. I'm looking forward to the weekend, but still a little unsure of what happened to the week. Weren't we just waking up on a Monday? Didn't I have all week to get this list of Things to Do accomplished?

By tomorrow, as I'm playing on a mountainside in the snow, I'll have forgotten about the list, and won't give it another thought until Monday.

inspired by this

photo courtesy of Michele M. Waite Photography

some days

Some days are like this: Grey and clear, mountains in the background and a whole lot of chatter in your mind. This and that and the other unimportant-and-yet-ever-nagging thing clamoring for focus. Some days are like that: Less cluttered and your mind feels clear.

I like to utilize photos and visual props. For instance, a fantastic moment for this woman's hair. She's another one of those ladies who sits around looking amazing, irregardless of the fact that she is quite possibly wearing her boyfriend's clothing from the mid-90's.

I also wanted to put to use this really fabulous moment for the weather. This was caught as snow was falling outside my window, and after a few hours the weather visual seemed to decide, "Snow is fun, but what I'd rather be doing is plip-plopping."

Some day are like that.