My take on Mexican chicken lasagna

I've been trying to use up some things I have lurking in my freezer and this week I pulled out some southwest flavored chicken and the hugest tortillas I've ever seen.  And since I'm all about easy meals, here's what I did to make some pretty yummy Mexican Lasagna.

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 lb of taco/southwestern seasoned chicken
8 oz tomato sauce
3 big tortillas (burrito size)  or just overlap smaller tortillas
about 2 cups of cheddar/colby jack cheese
1 can black beans
1/2 cup of green enchilada sauce

Cook the chicken and shred it.  I dumped 8 oz of tomato sauce on it while it was cooking.  I used the crockpot with a liner to make it super simple.
Using a square pan, place a tortilla in the bottom and then layer half the chicken, half the beans, and a sprinkling of cheese.   Repeat 1 more time and then put a tortilla on top, spread the enchilada sauce on top of the tortilla, and sprinkle with a bit more cheese.
Bake for about 35 minutes at 350.  I let it cool for a few minutes before we ate.

What's Cookin'

Wed~Veg beef soup (bubbling in the crockpot right now), wheat bread (rising right now)
Thurs~Chicken/bean/tortilla something, cold veggies
Fri~Pizza, cold veggies
Sat~Pork tenderloin, baked potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, rolls (we have company)
Sun~Chicken noodle soup, the third loaf of wheat bread I maded on Wed (from the freezer)
Mon~Meatball subs, salad
Tues~Chicken pot pie, applesauce


My goal:  To have a blog post besides a menu plan by next week.  :-)

What's Cookin'

Mon~Pork tenderloin done 2 ways, baked potatoes, mixed veggies
Tues~Bean and ham bone soup, bread
Wed~Roast beef, mashed potatoes, red cabbage, green beans
Thurs~Chili, cornbread
Fri~Meatball subs, cold veg
Sat~some kind of Mexican chicken/beans/cheese tortilla stack, cold veggies
Sun~Beef and tomato macaroni soup, bread

A new year

Thanksgiving

We're having Thanksgiving dinner with Chris's family this year.  I think the whole family is going to be there.  Not sure on the exact number of people coming, but its a lot!  I'm helping Chris's mom brine the turkey with Alton's recipe and my sis-in-law is brining AND smoking another turkey.  I'm also making cauliflower gratin and pecan cake.  My family is coming here for a nice dinner of pork roast on Friday.  I am more and more thankful each year for the family that we have and enjoy.

Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:19b-20

What's Cookin'

Mon we had crockpot marinara sauce.  Was able to freeze 2 quart bags.
Tues~Chicken soup using up leftovers, bread, applesauce
Wed~Barbecue Chicken quesadillas, cold veggies, salad
Thurs~Crockpot Chicken and stuffing, green beans
Fri~Engelsma potluck-Probably going to bring loaded mashed potatoes and either chocolate cake or veggie pizza
Sat~Pizza, cold veg
Sun~Pork roast, mashed potatoes, corn, carrots
Mon~Taco soup, cornbread
Tues~Meatloaf, baked potatoes, green beans
Wed~Leftovers/scrambled eggs
Thurs~Thanksgiving
Fri~Lasagna, garlic bread, cauliflower, carrots
Sat~Leftovers or frozen pizza

What's Coookin'

Mon~Italian Chicken, brown rice, parmesan bread, carrots
Tues~Beef roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn
Wed~Sicilian Chicken soup, bread
Thurs~Out-using a gc from my folks while they bbsit
Fri~Bbcue Chicken, baked potatoes, cold veggies
Sat~Pizza if our friends can't come, hotdogs/brats, salad, and chips if they can come
Sun~Dutch soup, bread

What's Cookin'

Mon~Cowboy casserole, carrots
Tues~Out
Wed~Chicken tortellini casserole, green beans
Thurs~Crockpot ranch chicken, salad
Fri~ Tacos, salad, chips n salsa
Sat~Pizza, cold veg
Sun~Spaghetti, garlic bread, broccoli

What's Cookin'

Mon~ Barbecue Chicken on buns, roasted yellow potatoes, veggies and dip.  This barbecue chicken is one of my favorite meals.  I like to eat the leftovers on a quesadilla or pizza.  It also freezes really well.
Tues~Turkey Rice soup, bread
Wed~Spaghetti, broc, garlic bread
Thurs~Mexican chicken with black beans, crockpot brown rice, corn
Fri~Leftovers, scrambled eggs
Sat~Pizza
Sun~Crockpot Ranch chicken with potatoes and carrots

Fall Orchard Trip

The best Michigan field trip is hands down a fall trip to an apple orchard.  We went to Sietsma Orchard this morning with some homeschool friends.  I took all 6 kids and it actually went pretty well!  Good thing it was only an hour tour that included donuts.  :-)

Here's the whole crew:

After a hay ride through the orchard and a short tour of their apple storage and cider making, we all had delicious, fresh donuts and cider.


Aaron and Luke were pretty happy about this part of the field trip.


After cider and donuts, we went back into the orchard and each of the kids got to pick an apple.  Luke was able to eat about half of his, seeds and all!

 
It was a beautiful fall day!


J liked the donuts, apples, and seeing his friends!

 
Ok, let's watch Mabel closely in this picture and the next two.  This one turned out pretty well, all heads are turned toward the camera.


Mabel hears a clucking sound behind her and turns to see what it is...


a dreaded chicken!  Shrieks of terror ensued.  Another animal that Mabel does not like.

Sweetie pie

 

Chris had the two littles last night while I took the 4 oldest to soccer pics and practices.  Isn't she the cutest little girl??  :-)

My girl is 11 months old!

 

 Mabel Anne is 11 months old!  She started crawling at about 10 months and now she is all over the place and pulling herself up on everything.

 

  

Still pictures are almost impossible.  Especially when mommy is holding something that she wants to play with!  Notice the hair?  Very reminiscent of Joel.

 

Selfie with mom!

3 generations

Last of this summer's sweet corn

 Enjoy the last of Grandpa's sweet corn!

 

 All Joel had was corn and milk for dinner.

Even Aaron had two cobs for dinner.

Psalter 150

From Psalm 55

O God, give Thou ear to my plea,
And hide not Thyself from my cry;
O hearken and answer Thou me, 
As restless and weary I sigh.

O that I had wings like a dove,
For then I would fly far away
And seek for the rest that I love,
Where trouble no more could dismay.

Nay, soul, call on God all the day;
The Lord for Thy help will appear;
At eve, morn, and noon humbly pray,
And He thy petition will hear.

Thy burden now cast on the Lord, 
And He shall thy weakness sustain;
The righteous who trust in His word
Unmoved shall forever remain.

Lord, I'm longing for Your ways

I've had a rough couple of days.  Our neighbor had a serious accident on Friday right in her yard and it has affected me profoundly.  I'm trying to understand why and I think it's because she is the first person in my life that I see almost daily who is facing death square in the face.  I've had grandparents, relatives, fellow church members pass away, but no one who I've had regular contact with.  It's really made me examine my spiritual and personal life and see where I'm lacking.  I just heard this song and the lyrics really spoke to my heart:
 
"Lord, restore the joy I had
I have wandered, bring me back
In this darkness, lead me through
Until all I see is You."
Third Day

All I want to see is You.  I have failed in so many ways, but I know this: God loves His wandering sheep and welcomes them back with open arms.  It's not too late now to seek forgiveness.  I pray that God uses this tragedy to help me to love others more and to seek closeness with Him.

"Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to You."
Psalm 51:11-13
   

Some cute kids!

Family Camp 2015

The kids were singing a psalter to us.  J's up there in the camoflauge.   Click on the picture to enlarge

We headed to our church's family camp this year after missing last year to go to Ludington instead.  We love Ludington too, but at church camp, we don't have to worry about meals and we stay in a cabin instead of tents.  This is the 8th year that our church has done family camp and our kids look forward to it all year long.  They have grown up with it and it's a great time for the kids and adults to fellowship together over an extended time.
Our topics came from the Israelite's exodus from Egypt.  Pastor Martin's speech title was "Everyone is a Slave" and the question he ended with was, "Who's slave are you?"  While he was speaking, the idea of being a slave for Christ reminded me of the HC where it says, "That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ."

I am not my own, ¹

but belong with body and soul,

both in life and in death, ²

to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.

- See more at: http://www.heidelberg-catechism.com/en/lords-days/1.html#sthash.hQ88ljbF.dpuf

I am not my own, ¹

but belong with body and soul,

both in life and in death, ²

to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.

- See more at: http://www.heidelberg-catechism.com/en/lords-days/1.html#sthash.hQ88ljbF.dpuf

I am not my own, ¹

but belong with body and soul,

both in life and in death, ²

to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.

- See more at: http://www.heidelberg-catechism.com/en/lords-days/1.html#sthash.hQ88ljbF.dpuf

I am not my own, ¹

but belong with body and soul,

both in life and in death, ²

to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.

- See more at: http://www.heidelberg-catechism.com/en/lords-days/1.html#sthash.hQ88ljbF.dpuf

I am not my own, ¹

but belong with body and soul,

both in life and in death, ²

to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.

- See more at: http://www.heidelberg-catechism.com/en/lords-days/1.html#sthash.hQ88ljbF.dpuf

 
Mabel at breakfast.  She was a pretty happy camper!


She had many doting admirers!  These girls took turns feeding her a jar of baby food.






The boys loved playing mini golf.  I have no pictures of Noah and Joel because we hardly saw them, they were with their friends the whole time.

 
Andrew tried rock climbing for the first time.  They also offer archery, skeet shooting, zip line, and a high ropes course.  One year they had a giant slip and slide.




 He made it to the top!




Someone REALLY likes ice cream!  She put her tongue way out every time the cone came near her mouth.

Zesty Italian Chicken

I have finally made a meal besides pizza that my whole family inhaled!  Aaron even ate it! 

Zesty Italian Chicken (adapted from Life Should Cost Less)
I have made the recipe from the link as is before and it is very tasty.  My version was born out of desperation because it was going on 2:00 before I got the crockpot going and I knew frozen chicken breast would not be done by the time dinner needed to be served, so here's what I did:


2 C Chicken Broth (or 16 oz water & 2 tsp Chicken Base)
¼ C Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup of Italian dressing
1/2 teaspoon of 5 pepper spice mix from Sam's Club
A few grinds of black pepper
3 cups of cubed cooked chicken

I mixed this all up and put it on high for about 2 1/2 hours.  Then I added about 3/4 cup of sour cream and mixed it in and let it heat up for a half hour.  I served it over brown rice, but Chris thinks noodles would be better.  There wasn't a speck of leftovers left!

Target diaper deal

Target.com is running a diaper deal right now that makes size 4 diapers about 14 cents each.  Buy 2 big boxes of diapers, get a $25 gift card.  My total was about $80 for almost 400 diapers and the diapers are shipped free.
Go here for details.