The Week Before Thanksgiving

Monday began with trying a new dinner casserole recipe - Cheesy Green Sauce Enchiladas with white beans. It was really good, made a full 13x9 pan. Layers like lasagna, only using white corn tortillas. Yum! Read recipe at end of this post. I also made four pie crusts dough, getting ready for Thanksgiving pies - this year a pumpkin and a cherry-berry pie (requested by AA and FM).

Tuesday, AA had her annual eye doctor check up and had her eyes dilated, which did not go back to normal until the next morning. She missed geometry class but made it up and scored a decent 90 on her quiz.

I am working two days this week as my last few full-time weeks come to an end on 12/06/20. I will work one day next week.  Wednesday (18th) evening, I stayed at Carolyn's, too cold for a jump in the pool, even though Carolyn said she did jump in that morning! Brrrr. So different from last weekend in the 80's!

Thursday - I left Carolyn's after making oatmeal (with shredded apple, cranberries and a drizzle of honey) for breakfast and had a relaxing day at home. Ran a few errands, addressed some cards and walked the dog, plus laundry, the usual stuff. Very cold due to the wind chill factor. AA attended the OPS36 golf class, sprinkling rain and chilly. Unfortunately, after the class, Coach Stephanie was hit in the neck with a golf ball. AA was stretching out and waiting for Stephanie to pick up some target items in the driving range. There were many teenagers hitting balls and somehow one went stray to the left and hit her. Praying she has no lasting injury.

Bella and Tootsie portraits:

Haha, that I take photos of our breakfast! 

Friday: It light rained all day, on and off. AA's golf lesson was postponed until Saturday morning. I had my hair colored and Ford did the grocery shopping. I made a "cheaters" Korean Beef dish (recipe at end). We enjoyed it and it was easy to make. I would recommend adding chopped water chestnuts to it, a bit more spice. It was good in iceberg lettuce wraps. Will try it one more time.

Saturday was about the same, rain sprinkles on and off, then a down pour in the middle of AA's golf lesson - a make up session will be later at 3:00 p.m. 

It was Connor Williams' birthday yesterday so we texted Edilyn and was able to meet up in the Target parking lot (and Courtney) for AA to give him a card (and DQ gift card). We chatted at social distance for about 15 minutes. Always good to see friends in person these days! No thanks to the rising cases of  COVID19.

We enjoyed another Happy Hour session with Hugh, Maureen, Kathy and Penny; AA came in from golfing with Coach Bryan, she played nine holes from gold tees, scored a 40. We had an early dinner at 2:00 p.m. so only snacked our way through Happy Hour. Tomorrow is another golf tournament - NFJG Hidden Hills.

Cheesy Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas
https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/cheesy-chicken-white-bean-enchiladas-recipe/

Used a jar of green Chile salsa and a can of green enchilada sauce:

Cheese, chicken, white beans, and plenty of chile fill this hearty enchilada casserole that the whole family will love. Servings 8

Ingredients – Adjust amount of spice to increase heat,
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion diced small
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 cups cooked great northern or white kidney beans or (1)  14 ounce can, drained
1 7 ounce can of chopped green chile or 1 cup chopped, roasted green chile
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups red or green chile sauce divided
4 cups cooked and shredded chicken dark or white meat
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
10 white corn tortillas cut into triangles, as pictured here
6 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or the shredded cheeses of your choice
Instructions
CHICKEN INSTRUCTIONS: (Skip if you have leftover cooked chicken). Place the raw chicken (frozen is fine) in the slow cooker and set to low. Cook for 6-8 hours, until easily pulled apart. You can cook the chicken without adding anything to it, or you can season it with taco seasoning as it cooks. Pretty much anything goes. Turn off the heat and shred the chicken with tongs when it is finished cooking.
ENCHILADA INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned and the pan is fragrant. Add the beans, green chile, and sour cream. Stir to melt the sour cream and then stir in 1 1/2 cups chile sauce, the chicken, and the spices. Taste and adjust spices as desired.
Pour 1/2 cup chile sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Layer the tortilla triangles over the sauce and then scoop about 1/3 of the chicken mixture over the tortilla layer. Sprinkle with cheese and then layer tortilla triangles over the cheese. Repeat to make two more layers.
Pour the remaining cup of chile sauce over the last layer of tortillas and then sprinkle generously with cheese. Bake until the cheese and melted and the sides of the pan are bubbling, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for ten minutes before serving. Enjoy!
You can use any pre-cooked chicken for this recipe. I tend to use my Crock-pot for easy shredded chicken. I'm including those directions with the recipe.
FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: Layer everything into the pan and when it has cooled completely, cover with foil or lids and freeze. 1-2 days before you plan to eat this, take it out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. Once thawed, bake as noted above.

Cheater Korean Beef is a simple meal that comes together in minutes. It's easier than ordering take-out, saves you money, and tastes better too! Recipe adapted from Lizzy Writes and The Girl Who Ate Everything via BellyFull

Ingredients (Note: I would add chopped water chestnuts, shelled edamame and up the spices. We enjoyed as filling in lettuce wraps.)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 pounds ground beef

3-4 large cloves garlic minced

1 tablespoon  fresh ginger cut into tiny matchsticks

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/3 cup soy sauce

2-3 teaspoons chili paste

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste

1 cup frozen peas

3 green onions sliced thin

Instructions

Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown the beef until cooked through, crumbling it as it browns. Drain thoroughly, then add the garlic and ginger and cook another minute or two until fragrant.

Whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and chili paste. Pour the liquids over the beef, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes to blend the flavors and slightly thicken the sauce. Add the peas, stir and simmer a minute longer. The peas will thaw and warm in the hot skillet. Enjoy!