Shredded Beef Enchiladas

I made these enchiladas on Saturday and they were delectable. Justin told me 9 times throughout the night how delicious dinner had been, more delicious than Los Hermanos or Cafe Rio (I don't know about that, but high praise, indeed!)

Kinley and Tanner clamored for seconds (and thirds for Kinley), which almost never happens. Kinley actually ate as much as Justin did, oink oink, claiming that these enchiladas are officially her new favorite food. I ran a sample of the meat over to our neighbor to see if it was really as delicious as I thought and she was in wide-eyed agreement.

If you try nothing else, make the beef for the best taco salad meat of your life.

I modified a recipe that I found on Allrecipes.com. It may look complicated at first glance; it's not.

Ingredients:
2-3 pounds beef roast (my roast was 2.5 pounds)
1 can beef broth (2 cups)*
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 medium onion, chopped or diced
2 tbs butter
2 (4-oz) cans chopped green chile peppers
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups sour cream (I used fat-free, 16-oz container)
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
10-oz can of red enchilada sauce**
10 flour tortillas***

Garnish items, optional:
Shredded lettuce
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Tomatoes
Olives
Salsa
Spanish rice

Directions
Place roast in crock pot. Add beef broth, vinegar, chili powder and cumin. Cook on high for 6 hours. Reach into crock pot and pull roast apart into 2-3 large chunks with a fork. Submerge roast pieces into juices for remaining cook time. Cook for another 2-3 hours.

Shred tender roast with a fork on a plate or cutting board. The meat should be extremely tender and whole roast can be shredded in about 1 minute. In smaller portions, use a knife or a pizza cutter to cut the long lengths of roast into tinier bite-size pieces, about .5 - 1 inch long. Put the meat into a bowl and add all of the remaining flavorful juices from the crock pot. Mix well.

In a large skillet, melt butter and saute the onion until just soft, not browned. Mix in flour and green chilies. Stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook the flour taste out. Stir in sour cream and 2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese. Warm through until the cheese is all melted and mixed.

Spread 1/4 cup (4 tbs) of sour cream mixture down the center of the tortilla. Top with about the same amount of beef. Roll up and place seam side down in one or two 8x11 inch greased/sprayed baking dish. Repeat for each tortilla. Continue until you are out of the filling. (makes approx 8-10 tortillas, or one and a half pans of enchiladas). You will have some meat leftover. Pour enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake uncovered at 375 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve warm, garnish as desired. Oh, and I had leftovers for breakfast this morning. It was even better on Day 2, warms up just fine.

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*If your crock put runs really hot, you might consider adding a little bit of water to make sure you don't burn off all the juices and broth. I did not add more water and it was just great, but I'm considering adding a little extra water for next time.

**I just used a can of red sauce from the store, but the more ambitious cook can make their own with this recipe or this recipe. Also, I used 10 oz to cover all of my enchiladas. It was perfect, but should be considered a minimum. A little more sauce wouldn't have hurt it, but less is not advised.

*** the original recipe calls for 20 corn tortillas, cooked in oil.

For more of our family's most favorite recipes, please visit Vittles Divine.

Crew's Faces

These are two of Crew's more common facial expressions.

The thinker.The screamer.

Petting Crew Too

Crew wasn't the only one that adopted a pet during our visit. Baby Z thought that Crew was very soft and fluffy. We spied him positioned behind my guy on a number of occasions. Baby Z was born about 6 weeks after Crew, in December of 2008. His mama hobbled down to the NICU to visit our tiny critter while she was recovering after Z's birth. Look at our big boys now!No, he's not naked.

Puppy Love

We spent a lovely day visiting with one of my old mission companions this week. Crew was very intrigued by their dogs, Tiera and Zero. He wasn't even a little bit scared. He even kissed the puppies a few times, right on the schnoz, but I missed those pictures-- mostly because I was busy dry heaving and sanitizing his tongue with a wet wipe.
Oh, boy, those ears are tuggable. What a patient pup.
Zero apparently has a fetish for bare feet. Wasn't Crew in luck? His very own "petting zoo".

Perhaps getting a dog would help motivate Crew toward crawling.

Farm Country Petting Zoo

We took a little trip to the petting zoo this week.


My cowgirl is practicing for her future. She wanted to ride the biggest horse they had.

Crew enjoyed the fresh air, waiting patiently for the kidlets in the shade.
Feeding the ducks and geese. Kinley's favorite was the Canadian Goose.
Everyone loves a nice wagon ride.
Sheriff Tanner is manning the county jail. Help us all.
Nobody knows the trouble she's seen. Nobody knows her sorrow.
The felons
It was a fantastic way to pass a few summer hours.

Portrait of a Lady

Someone has a big sister. As you can see.

The Great Water Balloon Battle

I had the bright idea to let the kids have a water balloon fight in our back yard. I filled up 25 balloons and let Daddy take the first aim.
It was fun. Short lived, but fun.
The problem was that I didn't realize that you can't just use regular balloons for water fights. They don't break. You need to buy actual water balloons.
I mean, they really don't break. It was all a little anti-climactic.

Midnight Visitor

Note to self: Kinley is probably too old for an afternoon nap. Especially if that nap starts at 2:30.

Oh, well. It was good while it lasted -- 7 and a half years.

Obedience

Crew hit another great milestone tonight.

As background information, Crew only rolls one way: to his right. He'll always pivot to position himself so that his destination is to his right. Also, I serve as his personal chauffeur around the house -- and around the world, actually.

Tonight...

While I was changing him into his pajamas, he rolled away giggling, quick as lightning. When he was several rolls away, I held out my arms and asked him to come back to me. He was on his belly at this point and he reached out his arms for me to come fetch him, as I expected he would. I told told him "no" and continued to sit on the floor with a smile on my face, telling him to come back to me.

When what to my disbelieving eyes did he do?

He pivoted himself all the way around and rolled himself back to me. No tears, no confusion, no frustration, no inability, no struggle.

Big. Boy.

Big. Sweet. Obedient. Clever. Boy.

Justin and I were kinda stunned. And totally thrilled.

Crew's PT "Journey"

They say that the road ain't no place to start a family.Right down the line it's been you and me
Lovin' a music man ain't always what it's s'posed to be
Oh, boy, you stand by me!
I'm forever yours... faithfully.
PT Julie gives us all a lot of glee. (Is anybody getting this or am I only clever in my own head?)
Anyway you want it, that's the way you need it! Anyway you want it!
Nah nah nah nah nah nah!

Rodeo Kids

We introduced our children to the wonderful world of rodeo. They are half-cowkids, after all, thanks to their rancher daddy. I'll confess I found the whole farm boy thing very alluring.

Cowgirl Kinley planned out her outfit weeks ahead of time.My favorite moment of the night was at the gates. When we got in line I said, "oh no! Justin, I don't see any credit card machines! I don't think they take credit cards!"

He smiled and said, "I brought cash."

"What? You have cash?"

"Oh, Megan," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

(wait for it...)

"This ain't my first rodeo."

Groooooooooooan.
Giddyap!! Ride em', cowbaby!
Some things are just insane.
But very cool.
We had a great time. See?
Kinley thought the tie-down roping was barbaric and kept saying "the poor baby cow!" However, she now has her heart set on a career in barrel racing and breakaway roping. All other possible vocations have been crossed off the list. Tanner's favorite rodeo moments were when the naughty bulls wouldn't go back in their corrals. He thought that was just too funny. We stayed to the bitter end, clear through the final bull ride, feasting on soft pretzels and churros. It was the first of what I know will be many many rodeo nights.

Yee-haw!!

"You May Say....

I'm a dreamer screamer, but I'm not the only one..."

Thank you, Mr. Lennon.

This is Crew yelling at us. He is very loud lately. Cute, but loud.

Stomach Flu Crew

I feel like I have already used this title before, but it's applicable again.

Blech.

I was in bed all day Sunday, nauseas, feverish and achy, and have enjoyed a lovely recovery headache all day today. I'm much improved and hope to be back on top in the morning. Illness and idleness make me grouchy.

Crew has now started in, puking up his afternoon snack. I'm reluctant to feed him dinner. He is yelling at us right now from his high chair, seemingly happy and healthy as can be. He is throwing graham crackers at Justin.

He is so cute.

Sense and Sentimentality

I rarely get too publicly gooey and gushy about the man in my life because he's a really private kind of guy. But this Father's Day I just want to shout from the rooftops how much I love this man. I love how much he adores each of our children. Nothing makes me feel warmer or fuzzier inside than when he lines up the kids on the couch and reads to them. Except maybe when he is teaching them to count. Or playing a board game. Or taking them to basketball games. Or teaching them to shoot hoops. Or taking them on walks around the neighborhood. Or giving them backscratches. Or cuddling with them while cheering for the Lakers. Or driving to the cemetery by himself just to say hello to Dex.

I love family activities, but I think there is something so special about Daddy Time. My man isn't very expressive verbally, but he feels deeply and he loves loyally.

I just love him. He's perfect for me. And he's perfect for our 4 lucky children.

The Hydration Situation

Well, Crew has discovered something other than Odwalla that he will drink with enthusiasm.

His own bathwater.

Lovely.

NICU Reunion

If you can't go to the NICU reunion, sometimes you have to bring the NICU reunion to you!

The NICU is a weird place. You fall in love with the babies that you "meet" there, though you often know very little about them. Because of privacy issues, medical fragility, germ containment, grief concerns, the tenuousness of life, unexpected transfers and discharges, the insanity of the NICU roller coaster, and other potential social land mines , it can be challenging to make "friends" in the NICU.

But friends we did make! I met some lovely mommies during our NICU journey and we have all become friends through the wonderful world of blogging. Our babies were all at the same hospital, preemies born within 2 months of each other. In fact, most of the babies were at both hospitals together, if you can believe that. Darbi was the only one of the group that we had seen in person since discharge... until this week!

Meet: the miracle critters!

From left to right: Whit, his twin sister Reese, Crew, Darbi, and Paizlei.

And another photo op, because you can never have too many with this much cuteness under one roof.
This is Paizlei. She was born at 33 weeks. She's a darling little doll, the mover and shaker of the group. She didn't spend any of her NICU days at Primary's, but we don't hold it against her, ha ha! I met her mother, Heather, in the parent lounge at UVRMC between pumping sessions. I had always been curious about the little baby so memorably named "Paizlei" and was glad to finally find out about this little mystery girl!

Heather found me online after their discharge. She also found Kelli (Reese and Whit's mom) and put us back in touch with each other. She is also responsible for spearheading this awesome NICU reunion. We held it at my house because I love to cook and I make no bones about it. Mmm..... ziti. Heather's family lives a few hours south of here, so we are very grateful they made the sacrifice to come up to spend a memorable afternoon with us.
This familiar little face belongs to Darbi. Darbs has been Crew's longtime girlfriend, and first love. Crew and Darbi had neighboring isolettes at Primary's during our final stretch. We couldn't believe the bizarre coincidence that landed us right next to the little 23-week miracle that Crew had given up his Giraffe isolette for just a few weeks previously in another hospital.

We loved Clint and Audrey immediately, but we were convinced our friendship would be short-lived (at best) once they were eye-witnesses to the crazy-woman carnage and havoc I wreaked at Crew's bedside all over our surgeon. Fortunately, they found the colorful and dramatic demonstration of my fury to be very entertaining. And the rest is history.

This sweet little girlie is Reese. She and her twin brother Whit were born at 32 weeks. I met their mommy Kelli at Primary's when Reese had been transferred up there for surgery. We met in a parent luncheon and had the twin connection as well as the UVRMC connection. Mommy and Daddy were split between both hospitals and our visiting shifts rarely overlapped at either hospital. It's a miracle we were even reconnected again after discharge. Thanks again, Heather!
This little tiger is Whit. I met him when we returned to UVRMC the first time, when we were between major surgeries, around Christmas time. He was still waiting for his sister to return from Primary's. I kept sneaking little restrained peeks at him, around the corner from Crew. They put you in these group care rooms together and then expect you to constantly avert your eyes from the other little babies in the room. It's not always possible, especially when you feel a connection to the little miracle.
This is Kelli, Reese and Whit's mom. She is lovely, courageous, sincere, and brave; she stuck loyally with me through the dark "I hate intact twins and their moms" moments, reaching out to me boldly to offer her love and support at a time when other twin moms would have justifiably shied away and tried to blend into the background. She also makes an obscenely delicious angel food cake fruity dessert thing that I can't stop thinking about...
Paizlei and Crew playing together
The NICU Reunion Obligatory Group Photo.
How did you think we took that picture? Timer? Nope!!! We called in our own photographers.
This is Tate, Whit and Reese's older brother. He is actually a few months younger than Tanner, but Kinley has adopted him as her new best friend. They have a love for animals and perler beads in common. What more do you need?

It was a spectacular play date. All of these little miracles have already overcome so much in their brief little lives. It's so good to see them all looking so healthy and happy. I love these babies and I love their mommies. I truly value the support they have been to me along the way. And, while I'm at it, I'll mention that I'm really grateful for blogging and the strength it has been to me over the years and the unique relationships that have come into my life because of it.

The end.