Wednesday, May 21, 2008

He is the best boyfriend EVER

Ohmygawd y'all, American got it right! David Cook is the new American Idol! Liz and I are so in love with him and are so happy Archuleta got the smack down, the creepy little troll.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Enchiladas!!

So here is the recipe that I've been tantalizing you all with, delish vegetarian enchiladas! (For my lone vegan reader (Hi Aly! Miss you!), I think everything is OK but for the cheese, oh and the sour cream I poured on top). The recipes are a combination of a low fat one from HungryGirl, and a sauce I found on line and adapted somewhat.

Sauce:

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. flour

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. cumin powder

Half a diced jalapeno

2 cups water

1 can tomato paste

1 tsp. garlic power

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. salt

Heat the oil, flour and chili pepper together in a large pot; allow to cook for a minute or two. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a slow simmer. Stir well to combine and dissolve tomato paste well. Allow to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Can cook for as long as you need it to, I had it on for at least 40 minutes, it just got spicier – yum!)

Enchiladas:

1 cup diced onions (or more, according to your preferences)

1 can refried beans

4 tbsp. taco sauce

2 tsp. taco seasoning

Tortillas (approximately 8)

Enchilada sauce

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Preheat onion to 400 °C. Cook onions over medium heat, then combine in a bowl with refried beans, taco sauce, taco seasoning. Warm tortillas in microwave. Spread around 2 tbsp. enchilada sauce in each tortilla with grated cheese, and then evenly distribute bean mixture. Wrap tortillas tightly and place in a buttered baking dish seam down. Once all are in the pan (I used 2 8×8 pans for all 8), pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and sprinkle remaining cheese on top and return to oven for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve hot with fresh guacamole and sour cream. Enjoy!

Deathwatch (see above)

I know, I know, its kind of mean to watch Hilary sink below the waves. But she's really annoying me now, and I want them to just get on with the rest of the election. Though I am having difficulty distinguishing Obama from Matthew Santos from time to time, but that just may be a sign of watching too much West Wing. (Not possible!!!!)
I am SO excited about going to New York this weekend, hopefully I'll see some celebrities!!

(Enchilada recipe to be posted tonight, during American Idol ;) )

Friday, May 9, 2008

I am such a nerd


I'm having a nerd freak out right now, as I am so amazed and into the recent results of the platypus's genome being sequenced by Australian researchers.
First of all, platypuses (platyipi? Wikipedia says that according to Latin rules the plural should be platypodes, I can't decide which sounds the best to me) are just plain awesome. A beaver with a beak which can be used to electrolocate in water? A mammal that makes VENOM to fight off reproductive competitors? It's simply amazing.
Results of the genome being sequenced, found here, show a mix of reptilian, mammalian and bird like traits. The fact that the genes which determine sex in platypi (ha ha) are most similar to birds is fascinating to me. These creatures are often seen as proof that the Creator has a sense of humour, but I see it more as another example of the creativity inherent in evolution. They have perfectly filled their niche by using a variety of completely disparate traits, and look absolutely adorable doing it.

(I'm sorry if you were hoping that a new post would be me talking about exciting exploits, but I have to admit my life is pretty boring these days, so this is actually an exciting event. Though making enchiladas last night was pretty good, I'll likely post my recipe here soon....)