Food, friends, love.

“Tell me what company thou keepst, and I’ll tell thee what thou art.”
– Miguel de Cervantes (1547 – 1616) Spanish novelist.

Well, my cake from this weekend turned into a great success, turned out to be the best one I’ve made so far, I think! The weekend itself was also a great success, was spent with fabulous friends having a great time. After I spend a weekend in the company of friends, I am only reminded even more of how much I miss them on a daily basis. We sit around laughing about times gone by, exchanging stories and sipping tea. Having such a close group of girlfriends makes me feel stronger- I have these women with whom to share the ups and downs of life- woman who I’ve laughed with, cried with, been angry with and joyful with.  There is something so comforting knowing that I have this “band of sisters” who I can constantly turn to, never wavering and always there to share my life with! I love them all, and wouldn’t dream of changing a single one.

There is Alexis, my oldest friend- 13 years we’ve shared! (longer than many people stay married!) She has been through so much that would break others with lesser resolve, I admire her inner strength and stubborness- she challenges me often to think of things differently, and keeps me honest. I can count on her to snap me back to reality when I’ve floated a bit too high in the clouds. Kate, college roommate and adopted sister- she has a kind heart and a genuine soul. I admire her for her sensitivity and compassion, her excitement for life and ability to calm me down when I’m having a freak-out. Stacy, the lion-hearted friend- my sounding board, the one who doesn’t take crap from anyone. I can count on her to stand up for what is right, and not be afraid to tell people like it is. I admire her strength and grit, her sense of humor and honesty.  There are others as well, all of whom I adore and admire- I feel like each and every one has some inner aspect that compliments and completes me in some way.  And that, I think, is what having a close group of friends is about.

Anyway, that’s quite enough of me being sentimental and sappy for the morning! Let’s move on now to something we all seem to gravitate towards when we’re together: food. At the request of Kate (and Drew) here is my recipe for my cheesy enchilada bake.

Jessica’s Cheesy Enchilada Bake:

Ok, first- a disclaimer- I don’t actually have a recipe per se for this one- so, all amounts are pretty much just an approximation… just add as much as or as little as you want- all you need are these ingredients!

• 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
• 1red or yellow pepper, diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic (or less, depending on how much you like garlic)
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• ground cumin
• ground red pepper
• salt and pepper
• 2 large cans of store-bought enchilada sauce
• 1 package of corn tortillas (though you could probably use flour, I just happen to prefer corn)
• 2 bags or 2 blocks of Queso Fresco or Queso Asadero- You should be able to find it in the cheese section at your grocer- its sometimes called Mexican special melting cheese or something like that. If you cant find it, you can probably substitute Monteray Jack.

Cook the chicken breasts, onions, garlic and bell pepper in a pan with about half a taco seasoning pack, a dash or two each (or more!) of cumin and ground red pepper, salt and pepper to taste. As the chicken cooks, I add a splash of water or two to the pan to deglaze it, and to create kind of sauce out of the spices and stuff that are cooking. Keep adding a little water as the chicken cooks and the water evaporates. When the chicken is cooked, shred it with a fork and coat it well with the sauce in the pan. Then, I take a casserole dish, and line the bottom with corn tortillas- dont worry about them being perfect, just line the bottom with a layer or two. then, spoon some of the chicken mixture onto the tortillas, pour some of the enchilada sauce over the chicken, then add LOTS of cheese. Then, add another layer of tortillas, chicken, sauce, and cheese- keep doing that until you’re out of chicken. Then, top the whole thing off with tortillas, sauce, and cheese- Make sure the top layer is a thick layer of cheese.  Stick it in the oven on something like 350 and bake till the cheese melts. Depending on the size of your casserole dish, it might be two layers or three- You might use more cheese or less- its really one of those things where you can tweak and adjust it to your own tastes!

Hope you all enjoy!

-Jess