Saturday, January 1, 2011

2010 in a Nutshell

Yes, I'm jumping on the bandwagon and doing a 2010 recap just like all my other blogger friends out there :)  I'm glad I decided to because in retrospect it's a good way for me to reflect on my year and remember everything that happened, both good and bad (but mostly good!)

Heeere we go!

Beau helped my mom and me put away last year's Christmas ornaments.  Gotta love it :)



I froze my butt off through enjoyed my last of two Boston winters.



Had my first bridal shower thrown by awesome seminary friends.  I miss these girls!



Took in all that spring in Boston has to offer.



Saw the culmination of a year of hard work with Interfaith Council come to fruition with BU's Multifaith Dinner.



Had quite a few fantastic workouts with fellow seminerdians at Fitness Fellowship.  Yay for self care!



Enjoyed one of the warmest Easters in Boston in a loooong time.  I've never had a busier (or more blessed) Holy Week!



Helped Hubs celebrate his 27th birthday with a little Korean restaurant craziness.  One word: soju :)



Celebrated 3 years of long, hard work with these amazing people.  Rock on, BUSTH.  The world will be a better place because of all of you :)



Had my first tequila flight.



Fell in love with spinning.



Cupcaked it up with friends at several Boston bakeries.  Here we have blissful mini cupcakes from Party Favors in Brookline, MA.



Toured Harpoon Brewery with my parents and Hubs.  Fun!



Had a delicious (albeit a bit strange) graduation dinner at L'Espalier.  This is squab, if you were wondering.  Apparently I should have asked for the legs on the side.



Took a post-graduation day trip to Rockport, MA.  Such a quaint and charming town.



Went to one last Red Sox game.



Helped Hubby celebrate his MDiv. graduation from Boston College.



And celebrated my graduation from Boston University School of Theology.



Mastered the divine, one class at a time :)



Headed back to SoCal and had another lovely bridal shower in my hometown, hosted by my mom's friends.



Met Cat Cora at Macy's!  She was super nice :)



Had an unforgettable bachelorette party with my super-duper bridesmaids.



Watched the World Cup after I got my hair and makeup did.



Married this wonderful guy.



The happiest day of my life, thus far.



Yeah, he's awesome.  I'm lucky :)



Had a fabulous honeymoon in Kaua'i.  Tropical bliss!




Hubs got a job and we moved into our first apartment!  I'm really glad to be back in SoCal.



Started enjoying life in north SD county.



Started blogging and drooling over pictures of my food. 



Visited Stone Brewery in Escondido.



Saw the sights.



Road tripped and ate yummy pie.



Visited Audrey in Seattle!



Hiked in the Washington rainforest :)



Enjoyed the Hotel Del decorated for the holidays.



Celebrated Christmas in Tijuana with people from my hometown church and sponsored kids.



Decorated our first Christmas tree!



And our first gingerbread house.



Our first Christmas :)



Yeah, it was a pretty darn good year.  There were some things I wish I could have changed, other things I embraced, and plenty more little memories that will stay with me forever.  That's life, though - we have to make the best out of each day and keep learning and growing from our experiences.  I am so thankful for  my friends, my wonderful family, my coworkers, and my fellow bloggers who inspire me every day.  Thank you for adding meaning, friendship and love to my life :)

Looking forward to a happy and healthy 2011 and wishing the same to you and yours!

Christmas Chicken Enchiladas

Happy New Year, friends!  I can't believe another year has come and gone.  For 2011, my goals are to work on more positive self-talk and finding a full-time job.  I am my own worst enemy and it doesn't get me anywhere.  Here's to taking it one day at a time and keeping things in perspective. :)

For these enchiladas, I wanted to use up leftover cooked chicken and sauce and find a way to make this typically unhealthy dish better for you.  I think I succeeded!  Instead of sour cream, I subbed in nonfat Greek yogurt and used whole wheat tortillas.  Adding the extra tomato and spinach for veggies turned out great too.  They became Christmas chicken enchiladas since the filling was a festive red and green.  I'm a fan :)

I had leftover tomato sauce to which I added cumin, cayenne pepper, and garlic; otherwise use your basic canned enchilada sauce.



Shred your chicken with two forks.



Chop your tomatoes.



Add some lovely fresh spinach.  Yum.



Shred your cheese.  I used cheddar and Romano since that's what we had in the fridge.  Next time I'll use Monterey Jack instead of Romano for a milder flavor.



Mix together the Greek yogurt, chicken, tomatoes, and spinach.



In a 9"x13" baking dish coated with cooking spray, place a tortilla at one end.  Spoon about 2 tablespoons of your filling in the middle of the tortilla.  Fold in the short ends, then roll up the tortilla from one end.  Place the enchilada seam-side down in your baking dish.



Repeat until you have these babies finished.



Spoon your sauce over the top!



Cover with cheese, please :)



Cover the pan with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes until the top is golden brown.



¡Buen provecho!



Christmas Chicken Enchiladas - adapted from my childhood church cookbook
Makes 6 LARGE enchiladas

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups shredded chicken (about 4 chicken breasts)
  • 6 burrito-size whole wheat flour tortillas (I used Trader Joe's)
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1-2 cups fresh spinach
  • 3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (or however much you need to mix the chicken, tomatoes, and spinach together - I eyeballed it)
  • 1 28 oz. can enchilada sauce, or your favorite tomato sauce seasoned with cumin, cayenne pepper, and garlic to taste
  • 1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, depending on how much cheese you want on top
  • salt and pepper
Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Shred your chicken using 2 forks.  In a large bowl, combine chicken, tomatoes, spinach, and Greek yogurt.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Place one tortilla in baking dish and add about 2 tablespoons of chicken and veggie mixture down the middle.  Fold over the short ends of the tortilla and roll up lengthwise.  Place seam-side down in dish.  Repeat until the pan is full.
  • Drizzle sauce over the enchiladas until they are well coated (you probably won't use all the sauce).
  • Sprinkle cheese on top.
  • Cover pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
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