Tex-Mex Caserolle

Wow, I can’t believe it… Today was the last day of my summer classes! This whole week I’ve been a total mess, hence my lack of regular blogging.

Here are my assignments that were due in the past three days, just to give you an idea:

Poetry Assignment – Six-stanza villanelle poem, one of the more ridiculous things I’ve ever had to write (look at these rules!).
Poetry Portfolio – Five finalized poems, two prior revisions for each poem, and a one-page letter to the professor about our poems.
Women Studies in Professional Development and Leadership Project – 5 PowerPoint pages about Margaret Thatcher, one-page essay on “what leadership means to me” referencing our class readings, 1000-word essay that answered five questions about what I see myself doing in the future.
Challenge of Nuclear Arms Policy Brief – Six page research paper about what the US should do about the proliferation vs. disarmament issue.
Challenge of Nuclear Arms Essay – Watch a 1-hour documentary and answer five questions (~ 2 pages).
Cultural Writing Portfolio – Complete re-working of two previous projects accompanied by a 4 1/2 page essay on the portfolio and what I’ve learned this semester. The entire assignment ended up being 32 pages (in a Word document) long!

On top of all that, I had to stop by the University of Rhode Islanda yesterday to fill out my Intent to Graduate forms which took two hours (not including the 45-minute each way commute)! I’m excited about this, though If I get approved, I only have three more months of school! On the other not-so-great side, if my paperwork does get approved, it means I’ll be taking six classes (23 credits) this fall. Umm… kill me now?

Obviously… after all that, I’m exhausted. In fact, I was so exhausted last night after having to do all that paperwork, plus countless hours of homework, that I fell asleep at 9:30pm (who am I?!) and slept all the way to 1:30pm the next day. I couldn’t decide whether to be impressed with my myself or horrified!

I had such a stressful day yesterday that I even rewarded myself with sushi for dinner. There’s a place on campus (one of Brent’s and my favorites!) that has a lunch special – three rolls for only $9.95. I stopped by on my way home and stuck it in the fridge so I could enjoy an awesome dinner a few hours later. Brent was pretty jealous when he saw the container in the trash! I know, I know – we did just have sushi a few days ago… but I couldn’t resist. I’m a sushi addict!!

I don’t really have much else to say since I haven’t been up to anything besides homework lately… So here’s an awesome recipe

Tex-Mex Caserolle

(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens’ recipe via Six Sister’s Stuff)

Ingredients:

Canola Oil

1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced

1 package (~ 7 oz., whatever’s on sale) chicken-flavored rice mix

1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth

2 cups water

2 cups cooked chicken breast; diced into bite-size pieces

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425˚.

In a medium saucepan, cook jalapeño in canola oil over medium heat until tender.

Add in rice mix and cook for 1 minute, stirring.

Stir in broth and water. Bring water to a boil and reduce heat.

Cover pan and simmer for 20 minutes (not all of the broth will be totally absorbed).

Place the rice mixture in a large bowl; stir in chicken and spices.

Transfer to a greased casserole dish and cover with lid or tinfoil.

Let bake for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with cheese.

Enjoy!

Let’s Discuss!

What’s the longest amount of time you’ve ever slept?

Do you have a go-to food when you’re upset/stressed? Usually I just pick something I don’t have to cook, whether it’s sushi or a burger from Wendy’s.