Showtime (and a recipe)

Oops. I went MIA there for a little while.  With Christmas and Winter Break and my new project and cleaning up Christmas...I just got a little distracted.  Sorry about that.

We did do a few fun things during the break.  The whole family went to see Disney on Ice at the Wachovia Center on December 28th.  The kids loved the show and the skating was really impressive.  They had a whole slew of Disney characters out there, including the new ones from the Princess and The Frog, which we also saw last week.

Aside from a Fantasia-like segment with skating brooms in the middle (that movie always freaked me out), the kids loved it - especially when the Toy Story characters came out near the end!

The deal on Disney on Ice Tickets is still going on through the end of this month, so if they are still performing near you, it's a fun event for the kids!

Another performance that we attended was the annual "Panto" at People's Light and Theater in Malvern.  This year it was based on Snow White - but the "evil stepmother" was an aging actress and "Snow White" was her sweet young daughter.  These shows are always fun - lots of audience participation.  Sadly, it ended last week - but check out other performances there - they do a great job!

As I mentioned, we saw The Princess and The Frog, which was very cute - and surprisingly, the heroine's mother survived the entire movie.  I think that is a Disney first!

We also saw Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and oh my...that is not a good movie.  Although the kids thought it was SO GOOD.  I wonder about them sometimes!

And, I know this is completely random, but since I can't eat cheese this month, I have been unable to make this meal for my family (because I would want to eat it!)  I made this a month or so ago, and everyone LOVED it.  And that hardly EVER happens!

So, if we can't be eating it, I thought maybe you could.

This is from the December/January issue of the Taste of Home: Healthy Cooking Magazine, which I may have to get a subscription for.

Echilada Lasagna

(I seriously thought the name alone would be enough to terrify my children - so I called it "Taco Lasagna")

1 lb lean ground turkey (I use the 93% fat free kind)

1 large onion, chopped (I used frozen diced onion)

1 large green pepper, chopped (I used frozen chopped peppers)

1 small sweet red pepper, chopped (I skipped this)

1 pkg fat-free cream cheese

1 tsp. chili powder

1 (10oz) can enchilada sauce

6 whole wheat flour tortillas

1 cup shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend (I like the Kraft 2% version)

1. In a large skillet, cook the turkey, onion and peppers over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink.

2. Stir in cream cheese and chili powder.

3. Pour enchilada sauce into a shallow bowl.  Dip tortillas into sauce to coat (I did them as I used them rather than having a big slimy pile of tortillas - and I used a brush to coat them).

4. Place two tortillas in a 13X9 baking dish coated with baking spray; spread with half of the turkey mixture, sprinkle with 1/3 cup of cheese (I may possibly have used more...maybe)

5. Repeat layers.  Top with remaining tortillas and cheese.

6. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months or bake, uncovered, at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

7. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

8. Serve with salsa and sour cream (we use Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream) if desired.

9. To use frozen lasagna: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.  Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking and then bake as directed.

Yummy.