Week 6 Tuesday (2/11/14)

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:  White Chicken Enchiladas

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From my Frontier

                           Pages 186 - 189      Copyright:  2012  Harper Collins

I figured out that there are 261 calories per enchilada if 30 servings are made. (Please note that the calorie counts vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients that you choose to use.)

         There is nothing like Mexican food to make me happy.  I made these enchiladas and loved every bite.  The meat was so good and the sauce brought a smile to my face. I did partake of many of the suggestions for toppings. I only photographed the sour cream but once the camera went away I decided to add onions, guacamole, and a little spice. I would make one change from the original recipe.  I am not a big fan of corn tortillas.  I would always use flour tortillas.  Why?  Just because I like them.  Make them and bring a smile to your face!

        

This is the one I made with a flour tortilla. It was fabulous!

Today’s critics: 

       Brandy:  Delicious - great all the way around. Again, I will definitely be making these again.

        

         The Serpicos:  The girls and both parents liked them a lot.

Why Weight?

         When I began counting calories, a year ago in July, I thought I should have some accountability to myself to notice how much, and what I ate each day. I knew it would surprise the heck out of me. I bought myself a journal and began recording every single thing that went into my mouth all day long.  I then tallied up the total each day.  This was really a great help because it is amazing how many calories everything is worth.           
         This really helped plan my meals and get the most bang for my buck. I live on Skinny Pop Popcorn.  At 155 calories you get four full already popped cups of wonderful popcorn. This is my salvation from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. when I want to down a big dinner.  It extends the time and fills me up to the gills.  I threw in that fishing reference for all you anglers out there.

         Consider writing everything down because if it is a great day I am thrilled, but if it wasn’t I can tell exactly what poor choices I made and admit them to my psyche. (I sounded very impressive with that last word).

My Gorgeous Girls

         One of the smartest things I did last year was purchase pet insurance for both of my girls. My veterinary clinic offered insurance which has paid off in spades.  Both of my shelties have teeth issues and need to have them cleaned every year. The cleaning is covered and saves me hundreds of dollars. The insurance also covers regular visits and yearly tests so I now have a baseline on the health of both pets. When my dogs developed ear infections it wasn’t a problem because it was paid by my insurance. 

         The plan offered three levels. The highest one was about $500 some dollars a year for each girl. Teeth cleaning was at least $300 something dollars so it was paid up front. After a year of being on the highest level I realized that since the girls are only 5 years old it was not necessary. 

         This last year I downgraded to the middle level ($400ish) because of the teeth issue. I am so glad I did this because paying up front meant little if any additional bills during the year. I am always proactive not reactive so this was a good plan.  Surprise bills can make me truly unhappy.  We did use every single bit of the insurance and it was a fabulous decision.

         I strongly recommend you get insurance especially if you have an aging pet. It really paid off in the long run and I know the girls are covered at all times.

Aren't they darn cute?