A New Cooking Goal with Two Recipes for You

Is there anyone else who absolutely despises the time of day between 4:30 and 6:00 in the evening? I DO!!!!! It seems like that is when everyone suddenly becomes bored with the day and wants to try something new and amazing (mom's interpretation: messy and dangerous)! It is also the time of day when that dreaded chore of the day comes - cooking supper. There are some ladies who absolutely love spending time in the kitchen, but I am not one. I do everything I can to stay out of it! It makes me grumpy just thinking about it! Unfortunately, this means that the mister sometimes comes home from work with chaos abounding and a grumpy wife complaining.

I have come to realize this is not good or pleasant, and this is one way that I can serve my family better - particularly the mister. I must admit, as the kiddos get older and actually appreciate the food a little more, it does make cooking a little more worthwhile. In my search for the answer to this great dilemma of mine, I came across a great idea but just haven't had the chance to implement it. So, next week begins with a new goal. The great idea - to have as much meal preparation done by 2:00 as possible. Now, the original idea was by lunch, but because I homeschool, I try not to plan anything else in the mornings except for maybe switching a load of laundry. So, my goal is 2:00 PM! Imagine, being able to put an already made lasagna into the oven at 4:45, pull out the freshly made this morning salad, throw the breadsticks that have been rising all afternoon into the oven and be done! Sounds a little too unbelievable to me, but I'm going to give it a try. Unfortunately, this means shortening what I get to do during my quiet time, but I think the sanity it will provide later on will be worth it!

This last week, I also had the chance to go to a Taste of Home Cooking Show. I must be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. Like I said, I am not one who is usually thrilled by the opportunity to cook, and if all I can find on TV are cooking shows, I'll turn off the TV and read a book. It wasn't bad, though. The biggest benefit I found was that she cooked some recipes that I probably would never have tried, but as I watched her, I thought, "I should try that at home." In honor of my new goal this coming week, I thought I'd leave a couple of recipes for you to try as well. If you'd like, I'd love for you to share some with me! (Just keep it simple. If I'm going to have to search for ingredients at 20 different stores or spend more than an hour in the kitchen - it's not going to happen! I can only do so much at once, you know!) I'm looking forward to seeing some of your recipes! Happy cooking!

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

1 small onion, chopped

2 teaspoons oil

3 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts

1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained

1 tub (10 oz) Philadelphia Santa Fe Style Blend Cooking Creme, divided

1/2 cup Mexican style finely shredded cheese

8 (6 inch) flour tortillas

Heat oven to 350*. Cook and stir onions in hot oil in large skillet on medium heat 4-5 minutes or until crisp tender. Stir in chicken, tomoatoes, 3/4 cup cooking creme and shredded cheese.

Spoon about 1/3 to 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each torotilla; roll up. Place seam side down in 13X9 in. baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining cooking creme. Cover. Bake 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

*The cooking creme can be found right next to the Philadelphia Creme Cheese.

Hot Cheesy Mushroom Dip

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pound crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon thyme, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup white wine or broth

1 (4 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup mozarella, grated

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Additional grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Heat the oil and melt the butter in a pan. Add the onion and cook until it starts to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute until they start to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine or broth, deglaze the pan and cook until it has evaporated.

Puree half of the mushrooms in a food processor. Mix the mushrooms, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano and place in a baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350* oven until bubbling and golden brown on top, about 20 -40 minutes (which our "culinary artist" pointed out is a huge variation. She said it is usually closer to 20 minutes.). Garnish with additional grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve warm with tortilla chips or crackers.