I see your true colors... shining through!

Today I participated in The Color Run in Baltimore.  I was an "orange color thrower!"  Here is a quick video about The Color Run if you've never heard of it...

The Cool Kids Campaign is the charitable organization my company sponsors.  So, when I received an email from Cool Kids asking for volunteers, I jumped at the opportunity.  For every volunteer Cool Kids recruited they received a donation from The Color Run.  Here's a video about Cool Kids (make sure to have tissues handy!)...

So you can see why I was so eager to help!  I went with one of my co-friends, Donna and her daughter Kaitlyn & friend Stacey.  Kaitlyn & Stacey ran, while Donna & I were color throwers... orange to be exact!

We were stationed at the back of M&T Bank Stadium.  

The Orange waiting to be thrown... it was almost as excited as Donna & I were! 

All set-up and waiting for the runners....

I left my phone in my pocket during the race.  It was crazy!!  Most of the time I couldn't see anything and just kept throwing the orange.  I loved to whip around and squirt the powder on their back (and/or butt if white shorts were involved!)  Afterwards I was exhausted... it was a lot of work!  

We were so lucky the weather turned out.  They were calling for rain all day and then as soon as the race started, the sun came out!  It was great!  Here are our after pictures I took on the light rail...

We wore our sunglasses the whole time so our eyes were pretty protected, but I should have wore a face mask because I inhaled a lot of color.  So much it made me sick... I was not a happy camper on the way home :(

But I felt better by the time I got to my parent's house to pick up Shelby.  They couldn't believe how orange I was!  I felt like Snooki ;)

I finally got home and could not wait to take a shower!  This is what happened when I took my sneakers off.  Yes... my toes are orange! LOL!

The color even bled through to my tank top... and I had color in my bra!!

In the end, I had a blast - I loved throwing the color on people!  Especially the ones who tried to run through real quick with their white shirts... I chased them down! haha! If I did this again, I would definitely wear a face mask and not wear jeans. (The throwers in the video were wearing jeans!?)

If you get a chance to RUN or THROW in The Color Run... DO IT!

PS:  And if you run... thank your color throwers... they stood in that mess for 2 hours and have color in places you can only imagine ;)

PPS:  All the color came out of my clothes in the wash! :)

Jalapenos' Spinach Enchiladas

One night I was feeling ambitious and decided to make Spinach Enchiladas from a recipe I found on Pinterest... but a mistake I often make is to not read the entire recipe... and my evening turned into a hot mess.

Here is the dreaded recipe for Jalapenos Spinach Enchiladas...

Jalapenos is a popular Mexican restaurant here in Houston, Texas. Their spinach enchiladas is one of the most popular entrees on their menu. This recipe was posted in the Houston Chronicle.

And here is what they're supposed to look like...

I looked up Jalapenos Restaurant online and found this:

A great entrée never dies. It just moves to another table.

Jalapenos Restaurant is now closed, after 18 years of creating some of Houston’s - for that matter, Texas’- most requested Mexican and Central American dishes.

While the restaurant has closed its doors, rest assured we will keep many of these unique tastes alive, right here at The Courtyard on St. James Place, open for lunch, banquets and catering.

So if you’re looking for an excuse for great food and great atmosphere, we’ll be here.Thanks, Houston. 

Hmm....

Well here we go!

Ingredients:

Enchiladas

• 4 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach or 4 bunches fresh spinach, cooked
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb fresh mushrooms, halved
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 slices white bread, crusts removed
• salt
• 2 teaspoons white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups grated monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend, divided
• 10 -12 flour tortillas

Cilantro Cream Sauce

• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in a small amount of cold water
• 3 cups chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. For enchiladas, cook the spinach according to the package directions, if using frozen.
2. While spinach is cooking, combine garlic, onion and mushrooms in food processor, and process until coarsely chopped.
3. Melt butter in sauté pan, and sauté onion mixture until onion is translucent.
4. Remove pan from heat, and set aside.
5. Drain spinach, squeezing out excess water.
6. Make bread crumbs in food processor from sliced bread.
7. Add spinach, salt, pepper, nutmeg, chili powder and eggs.
8. Process until blended thoroughly.
9. Transfer to mixing bowl, and stir in onion mixture and 6 tablespoons cheese.
10. Preheat broiler.
11. Spoon a portion of filling onto each tortilla and roll it up.
12. Place each enchilada in casserole dish, seam side down.
13. Repeat until you've used up filling.
14. For cream sauce, mix half-and-half, cayenne, salt and a little of the dissolved corn starch in medium saucepan, and heat until thickened.
15. The sauce should be creamy, not runny; add more cornstarch mixture as necessary.
16. Off the heat, stir in cilantro.
17. Pour Cilantro Cream Sauce over tortillas, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
18. Broil until cheese melts and turns a nice golden color.

I do not have an actual food processor, so I used the attachment that came with my blender for the oinions.  It was a little.... processed.

The "onion mixture" in saute mode.  Yes, it's gross looking.
If I would make this again, I would just chop the mushrooms & onions.  

The "spinach mixture."

Making the Cilantro Cream Sauce...

Shelby watching me wondering why I've been in the kitchen for 8 hours.

Poured the Cilantro Cream Sauce over the rolled enchiladas.

Cheese on top & ready to bake!  Phew!!!

Then I turn around to this... OMG.

Cheese is melted & bubbly!

Looks good, right??

Well it wasn't!  Actually it wasn't bad, but it wasn't tasty.  I would not make it again... took me all night and the results were not worth it!  In fact it has taken me a month just to blog about this and I haven't made anything since...

Sunshine Cake

I decided to clean out my email inbox today and stumbled across some pictures I took of a cake I made last summer for book club... one of my most favorite cakes - SUNSHINE CAKE!

A friend brought this to a neighborly gathering in my parent's neighborhood and we all loved it!  Of course I got the recipe and have made it a few times.

So that brings me to two things...

First, the friend that brought this yummy cake was Joyce Shelley.  Joyce and her husband Willie lived in my parent's neighborhood for as long as I can remember.  They were part of the "Big Tales Fish Camp," which was basically a reason for all the neighbors to get together, drink beer, play pool and have fun each week.  Oh, and some of the guys went fishing every now and then!

Joyce & Willie moved to Florida 5 or 6 years ago and I missed them instantly - they were so much fun.  There was always smiling and laughter when Joyce was around - she brought the sunshine!!

Unfortunately Willie passed away fall of 2011 and Joyce was lost without him.  They were true soul mates and Joyce could not live without him - she went to join him in heaven last week.  She lived life to the fullest and enjoyed every minute, so we are all sad, but I know she is happier and healthier in heaven, lovin' on Willie and her dog Anton.  As my mom said...

Remembering Joyce will be easy, 

missing her will be hard.

Joyce at my parent's house last summer enjoying steamed crabs.

So, in honor of my friend Joyce Shelley, I bring you her Sunshine Cake!

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package moist yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, juice reserved

1 (16 oz) package frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (5 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple with juice

Directions
1. Beat the eggs, and add them to the boxed cake mix. Add the oil and the mandarine oranges to the batter; remember to add the juice as well as the fruit. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.

2. Bake the cake for 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cool on wire rack.

3. While cake is baking, prepare the frosting by mixing together the whipped dessert topping, the package of instant pudding, and the crushed pineapple with its juices. Set frosting in refrigerator to set. Frost when cake has thoroughly cooled.

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, 

always bring your own sunshine.

~ Anthony J. D'Angelo

RIP Joyce.  I will miss you!  Love you!

Zucchini, Black Bean and Rice Skillet

If only take one thing away from today... make it this recipe.
O. M. G. it is yummy!  It's so simple, but so good!  Here is the picture from the website where I grabbed this recipe (which can be found here):

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups quartered lengthwise, sliced zucchini
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 can (15 oz each) black beans
1 can (14.5 oz) Hunt's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic (undrained)
3/4 cup water
1 cup instant white rice, uncooked
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add zucchini and bell pepper, cook 5 minutes, cooking occasionally.

2. Add beans, undrained tomatoes and water.  Increase heat and bring to a boil.

3. Add rice; stir well.  Cover, remove from heat and let stand 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Sprinkle with cheese.

And since I love cheese... I added a little bit more :)

Now get off your butt and go make this!!!!

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

One day I logged onto Pinterest and saw this...

Looks yummy right?  Well it's also healthy!  I had to try it!  Original website w/ recipe can be found here.

Ingredients:
2.5 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 TBSP ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tin with non-stick cooking spray or line 12 muffin tins with silicone or foil liners.

2. Place the oats in the food processor and pulse for about 10 seconds.

My parents got me this blender for my birthday and it has a food processor attachment! 

3. Add remaining ingredients to the food processor & process until everything is mixed together and oats are smooth.

4. Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

For some reason I totally forgot to take an after picture?!  But it looked like a normal muffin.  I thought they were very tasty for not having any flour or sugar!

I would make them again... but add some nuts or chocolate chips. :)

Roasted Pears With Gorgonzola

We had employee appreciation day at work - it was awesome!  There were five surprises throughout the day... first we walked in to the smell of Belgian Waffles.  We could pick our own toppings.  My waffle had an "A" for Ashley :)

Second, everyone had one of these at their desk - how cute!  Mine had Coconut M&Ms... they were yummy!!

We had 15-minute chair massages, an awesome lunch from Mama's on the Half Shell (cheeseburger sliders, mini crab cakes  and the best mac & cheese ever!), and last, they closed the office early!  It was such a fun day I had to take a nap as soon as I got home!

I also got a really nice fruit basket from my boss.  I decided to do something fancy with the pears... so the next day I made Roasted Pears with Gorgonzola.  (Here is the website where I found the recipe)  I tried this once at a restaurant in NYC and it was so good, so I couldn't wait to have it again.

Ingredients:
4 Bosc pears, halved and cored, but not peeled
Extra-virgin olive oil
A few pinches of dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled good-quality blue cheese / gorgonzola
1/4 cup walnut pieces
2 tbsp honey

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Arrange the pears, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, honey and sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.

3. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes.

4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and spoon a generous teaspoon of crumbled cheese in the center of each pear half, return the pears to the oven and roast until they are tender and the cheese is soft, about 5-10 more minutes.

Modifications:

• I did not have any thyme, so I left that out.
• I also left out the walnuts.

My dad bought me Gorgonzola at the Eastern market. 

As soon as I opened it, I was totally grossed out... LOL!  I love blue cheese, so I don't know why this bothered me.  I ate one of the pears and it was ok... but I gave the rest to my parents... along with the rest of the cheese!   

7 Simple Logic Statements

My boss sent me a link to 7 Simple Logic Statements.  I love them and want to keep them.... so I'm sharing :)

1. Make peace with your Past, so it doesn't spoil your Present.

2. What others think of you is none of your business.

3. Time heals almost everything. Give the time, some time.

4. No one is the reason of your happiness, except You Yourself.

5. Don’t compare yourself with others, you have no idea what their journey is all about.

6. Stop thinking too much; it is alright not to know all the answers.

7. Smile, you don’t own all the problems of the world.