Does anyone hate dandelions as much as I do?
My hatred runs fast and deep for these yellow flowers of destruction. I never knew I hated them so much until we lived in our first home. We had very kind old people that lived next door but their back yard had no grass, only dandelions.
He would mow it faithfully but in the meantime, those little seeds of awfulness spread all over our lawn (and I'm sure every one in the neighborhood).
Every year it started the same way, the weather started warming up and I started digging up every dandelion I found before they could seed out. I would spend hours everyday (obsessed?) digging those evil things up. Then after a month I would give up and just spray them. A girl can only handle so many hours of digging, plus I hated to resort to spraying but I didn't know what else to do.
Since then we have moved but dang it! We have not moved from the dandelions.
They are worse this year than I can ever remember. And it doesn't help that the wind blows every day spreading those seeds every where.
My girls hate for me to dig them out because they like to bring me "bouquets of those pretty, yellow flowers" but no fear I am trying my darnedest to eradicate every single one from my yard!
Hope you all don't have them as bad as we do but I just might resort to making dandelion jelly.
In the mean time since it's spring and we are loving being outside I made these fabulous beauties. They are so quick to make and very tasty.
I have seen them all around the Internet and on a warm, outside all day day I finally gave in and made them.
I am so glad I did it. I took them to a party and they were a huge success with all age groups.
They are absolutely delicious and I am mad at myself that I didn't make them sooner. I now crave them and we have since had them twice in one week. They are so yummy, especially the dipping sauce. Everything tastes better with sauce, right?
Creamy Chicken Taquitos with Cilantro Lime Sauce
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ c. salsa (green or red, your choice)
1 T. fresh lime juice
1 t. chili powder
½ t. cumin
½ t. onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. chopped cilantro
1-2 green onions, chopped
2 c. shredded cooked chicken (from a can works awesome)
1 c. shredded Mexican cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, Monterrey jack, etc.)
10-12 6-inch flour tortillas
Cooking spray
Kosher salt
Sauce:
1 pack (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 c. mayo
1/2 c. milk
2 T. lime juice
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro
hot sauce, to taste (optional, I don't add any so my kids will eat it)
1. Preheat oven to 425˚ F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic, cilantro, green onions, chicken and shredded cheese. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
2. Briefly heat the tortillas in the microwave to make them soft enough to roll easily, about 20-30 seconds. Place a tortilla on a work surface. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling mixture down the middle of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla up tightly around the filling. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, spacing the assembled taquitos evenly on the baking sheet. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Don't be tempted to skip this part, it adds a very nice touch. Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.
3. To make the sauce, put everything in the blender and blend until smooth. Place in bowl and refrigerate until ready. Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken. Serve with warm taquitos and enjoy!
* These would work great for a freezer meal. To freeze before baking, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill the assembled taquitos 30-60 minutes. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. To bake from the freezer, simply add a few additional minutes to the original baking time, until the filling is warmed through.
Source: Annie's Eats and Our Best Bites
