oreo cool whip cake.

once upon a time i found a really great recipe on pinterest for oreo cool whip cake. except when i followed the link for directions, i discovered that there were very few directions, and what was written was in spanish. 

so, taking the above pictures as my guide, i made my own oreo cool whip cake instead!
and YOU GUYS. it was fantastic.

(EDIT: i found the original website that this picture came from! go here and give them credit, because they did a way better job than i did.)

oreo cool whip cake

ingredients:

two packages oreos (i used one double stuff and one chocolate cream)

one tub of cool whip (the bigger size. i think what is pictured is too much. only use one.)

about 1 1/2 cups of milk

chocolate and caramel syrups

1. dip each oreo in the milk and hold it under for about 10 seconds. it might feel like too long, but trust me on this one. layer the dipped cookies on the bottom of your glass 9x13 pan.

{i did the chocolate cookies first}

{one layer done}

2. spread a layer of cool whip over the cookie layer. i think it serves easier if this layer is thinner than the top layer, so use less than half of the tub. maybe like a 1/3 of it?

{before i was done. i used more cool whip than this.}

3. drizzle the top of that layer with caramel and chocolate syrup.

4. do step one again with your other package of cookies. i filled up the edges by breaking a couple cookies in half.

{had to use my iphone for this cause my camera was dead. hence, the poor quality pictures.}

5. layer the rest of your cool whip on top.

6. mash up whatever oreos you have leftover (i only had like 3 of each kind. but maybe i ate some along the way so...) and sprinkles over top of the cake. then drizzle with more chocolate and caramel syrup. yummmmmm.

then i would stick it in the freezer for a bit before serving, just so the cool whip isn't too melty. 

{i served mine at a picnic and it got a bit melty on the walk over. but still devilishly delicious!}

this cake is super easy, super yummy, and nice and cool for a summer bbq or picnic.
enjoy!

chicken enchiladas.

so hey guys!

remember when i fangirled about my own homemade enchiladas in this post?

well i decided to make them again and to document it this time so that i can share the recipe with y'all! 

this idea came after my boss was astounded that i had made homemade enchiladas just cause my brother JR wanted them. i'm sorry, but how else would you make enchiladas? is it really an arizona thing to know how to whip these bad boys up in an hour flat? i thought everyone was obsessed with them like i was, but my boss seems to have fallen folly to the myth that chicken enchiladas are hard to make.  

myth debunking now: chicken enchiladas are not hard to make.  

and i'ma prove it to you.

homemade (GASP! I AM SHOCKED AND IN AWE!) chicken enchiladas

ingredients:

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 Tbs butter

garlic salt

cayenne pepper

ground black pepper

greek seasoning (on mexican food? yes. on all food.)

ground turmeric

2 cans diced green chiles

3 green onions, chopped real tiny

lots of shredded medium cheddar cheese

8-10 flour medium-sized tortillas (mission brand are always the best)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

(utahrds....no western family brand. don't do that to yourself.)

1. cook your chicken breasts. you're probably as sick of me telling you how to do this as i am of telling you, but i'm gonna reiterate it again, cause i have this process down to an art. thaw your chicken, cut each breast in half, throw in a couple tbs butter, and stick in the oven at 350° for a couple minutes until the butter is melted. then take it out, flip your breasts around (i cannot believe i just typed that phrase) until all covered in butter, and then go crazy with your spices. i just did a couple big dashes of each spice and made sure all sides were covered. except go light on the turmeric. that stuff is cray.
stick them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. please, please, please don't overcook them! if you can get them just right, your chicken will be so juicy and moist. i always cut the thickest part of the thickest breast to check them, and i take them out right when the juices run clear. 

2. mix up both the cans of soup in a small bowl. spread part of that mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 glass casserole dish. you just want enough of the soup on the bottom to keep the tortillas from sticking.

2. next, shred all your chicken and mix it with both cans of green chiles and the diced green onion. add some garlic powder or cayenne pepper if you feel so inclined.

3. the assemblage! a couple big scoops of the chicken/chile/onion mixture and a big sprinkle of cheese in the center of each tortilla. 

then roll those enchiladas and place them edge-down in the casserole dish.



my pan fit 9. sometimes it fits 8, sometimes 10. doesn't matter.



if i have leftover chicken at the end (and i usually have a bit since i tend to try really hard to not overfill the tortillas and over-compensate), i just scoop it into the ends of some of the smaller enchiladas with a spoon.
who am i kidding? i use my hands.

4. now you can scoop the rest of your soup sauce onto the top of the enchiladas. i use a spatula to push some of the sauce down in between each enchilada and all around the sides. (the scraping kind of spatula, not the flipping kind. let's just take a moment and all question together, why the heck are these two utensils called the same thing?!?! i digress.)



5. now put these beauties in the oven for about 15 minutes. technically, nothing in them is uncooked, so the oven is really just heating everything and drying out the sauce a bit. take them out after about 15, sprinkle copious amounts of cheese over top, and then bake for another 5.



and then....BAM!



homemade chicken enchiladas!
serve with homemade guac, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

two things:
1. consider this my profuse apology for how pretentious i get over mexican food.
2. if you want my guacamole recipe, i am prepared to share it with you. however, that act will feel like giving you the key to my soul, so you have to really want it. if you ask, i will provide.

white chocolate peppermint pretzels.

so here's the thing, you guys. i kind of made christmas my hobby this year.

i'm not really sure what i'm going to do with myself once it's over. 

from decorating our apartment, crafting, making christmas cards, helping with the food for the dance faculty christmas party, and making christmas treats for friends and (fhe) family, the season has definitely kept me busy! 

now that i'm home i'm going to relax a little, do some baking, and read a couple of books in my spare time. 

here is the last christmas project i will share with you guys, and then i promise i'll move on to other things. :)

white chocolate and peppermint dipped pretzels

ingredients:

pretzels of any shape or size

white chocolate almond bark

a few candy canes

wax paper

1. break several candy canes in pieces, place them in a ziploc, and then smash them up until you have pretty tiny pieces. i broke them with the bottom end of a ragu pasta sauce jar. i find myself doing this a lot, so maybe i should invest in a rolling pin? also, this step may or may not wake up your napping roommates. 

2. this is the only tricky part, because heating almond bark is a delicate matter. i took 4 squares at a time in a small glass mixing bowl and heated them for 60 seconds on high. then i stirred a tiny bit and microwaved in 15 second intervals, stirring in between each, until the bark was all melted. do not overheat. or it will be destroyed. :(
i used the entire package of almond bark, but only heated it 4 squares at a time.

julie likes to watch me during my projects. and sometimes when i am doing my hair, which gets a little bit weird.

3. i decided not to deal with dipping the entire pretzel in the almond bark and just did half of it instead. that way i didn't have to deal with lifting the pretzel with a fork and all that. plus i kind of think they look cute with  only half dipped. and obviously food is better when it is cute. 

dip half the pretzel in almond bark, and then dip the front in the mashed peppermint pieces. lay on wax paper to dry. also, i did half the pretzels with peppermint, and half with just almond bark.

4. we gave these away as treats to our fhe family members, some good friends, and our neighbors, because i obviously think starting projects like this are way more exciting than studying for finals. we used some clear bags, stars cut out of red and green paint samples, and string to package them and deliver. the envelopes have christmas cards from our fhe family or our apartment in them, which i shared in this post.  

merry christmas from apartment 17!

if i could share these treats with all of you readers, i would!