Enchiladas: ending the weekend right

These recipes (below) have salvaged an otherwise disappointing weekend, where (long story short) I found myself manually filling a toilet bowl tank with with 1.5 buckets of water from a grimy kitchen sink to flush at a campy & rustic (at best) surfer's shack in quaint and charming Seaside, Oregon. Ugh. We came home early.

So today I needed a post-coast trip from hell (it wasn't really that bad - I just liked writing that) pick me up. These enchiladas, along with a healthy dose of caramelized corn (but with cilantro instead of mint) and a full glass of sangria (recipe also below), fit the bill.

I must also say that a phone call from an old friend bearing good news and victories by the Colts & Saints also helped me perk up. It's the little things.

Creamy Enchiladas
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom for a vegetarian dish)
- 1 can enchilada sauce (14 oz)
- 1 c. sour cream (I used low-fat)
- 2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded (omit for a vegetarian dish)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 can fire-roasted green chilies
- 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 can refried beans
- 10-12 tortillas

1) Combine soup, enchilada sauce, and sour cream in a medium sized saucepan and heat thoroughly. Remove from heat and add the shredded chicken, diced onion, and green chilies.

2) Assemble enchiladas by spooning about 1T. of beans on each tortilla and topping with the chicken mixture; roll up.

3) Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with the chicken mixture before placing the tortilla rolls seam side down. Top with the rest of the chicken mixture and the shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is bubbly, about 20-30 minutes.

Sangria, 100% made-up and divine
- 1 lemon & 2 oranges (I had blood oranges on hand), quartered
- 1/4 c. white sugar
- 1 c. OJ
- 1/2 c. triple sec
- 1/4 c. brandy
- 1 bottle red wine

Squeeze the juice from the citrus fruits in a large pitcher before dropping them into the mix. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Let sit for a few hours or up to one day before serving.