CHEESE AND SPICE SURE TASTES NICE

For this edition of Foodie Friday we'll go with enchiladas. Enchiladas are one of my favorite foods. Daddy got me hooked on them when I was young and I still think he makes the best enchiladas ever. I just try. However, I got my first shot at homemade enchilada sauce and it was pretty good. Let me share.

-1/4 cup vegetable oil
-2 tablespoons flour
-1 jalapeno and/or serrano chili finely diced (use jalapeno for milder flavor use both for real spice)
-1/8 cup onion finely diced
-2 cloves garlic pressed
-1/8 cup chili powder
-1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
-1 1/2 cups water
-1/4 teaspoon cumin
-salt to taste

-Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and jalapeno for about 2 minutes so that the onion is translucent
-Add pressed garlic and cook for about one minute
-Stir in flour and chili powder (yeah that’s right it’s time for a roux), reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly brown (about 2 minutes), stirring constantly to prevent burning flour.
-Gradually stir in tomato sauce and cumin then slowly add water until you reach your desired consistency
-Continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly.
-Season to taste with salt.

I have made all kinds of enchiladas, but to be true to what I have actually eaten this week, I just made the plain old cheese and onion kind. They are infallible. I prefer to use Chihuahua cheese and corn tortillas. Put a little cheese and onion mixture in a tortilla, roll it up, cover with sauce and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes (oh, you should put some sauce on the bottom of the pan too to prevent sticking, I learned that the hard way). There you have it. Serve up with some refried beans (I used canned cause I was lazy) doctored up with a little hot sauce, cumin, and chili powder to taste MMMMM.
Enjoy.

I will be facing my first weekend sans computer. I think it will be ok but I am a little nervous. I’ll be on the phone with Dad trying to take things apart so I can send them to him and see if he can work some magic. Mom reminded me that I do have a laptop that I can try to hook up to the Internet (as long as I can find the Ethernet card) but we had our Internet turned off in anticipation of not having a computer. I’ll probably bring the laptop to work on Monday and see if I can make it work. If so we’ll have them turn the connection back on. I’m just not the type to pay for something I can’t use. That’s for the rich and or crazy.

This week has flown by almost as if it hadn’t happened at all. Tony worked late yesterday and I spent the evening curled up with our new channel, Starz. I know the last thing I need is a new TV station to watch but when Tony called to cancel our Internet the nice Comcast people told us that we were paying too much for our service and that we could get Starz added for a few dollars less than we were already paying. They also put the Internet on hold so we wouldn’t have to pay any reconnection fees. I was pretty pleased with that. I watched Rent (I don’t know why since I didn’t even really like the play but it was the last day it would be on demand so I did) and found myself crying nonstop as Angel got sick and died. Angel is my favorite thing about the story but I didn’t expect to be carrying on like that. I was glad no one was home. Then again, I am now broadcasting it online so where’s the logic in that? Then I watched Shopgirl, Tony came home shortly after it started. I really liked that movie. I am not sure why but I did. I hate Jason Schwartzman as a person, every time I see him in an interview I want to slap the shit out of him. I like him as an actor. I really liked him in this. I also like Claire Danes. I know that is a strange thing to say but she seems so normal to me. I feel like I could be her friend. I don’t have to say that I like Steve Martin, everyone does. So I had a pretty nice night. Good times. Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

1. Just as volcanoes erupt/Sometime human beings explode in your face

2. We come from the land of the ice and snow/ From the midnight suns where the hot springs blow. Immigrant Song, Led Zepplin. Identified by Johnny Yen

3. When you were languishing in rooms I built to foul you in/And when the wind set down in funnel form and pulled you in. Circles, Soul Coughing. Identified by Brooke.

4. Once a boy named Mister Me bemoaned a great regret/I've floundered in the misty sea, but can't abide its mystery/ I wound up sad you bet. Mr. Me, They Might Be Giants. Identifid by Janna and Monica

5. McDonalds is a place to rock/ it is a restaurant where they buy food to eat/ it is a good place to listen to the music Rock and Roll McDonald's, Wesley Willis. Identified by Monica