Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Yesterday was a cloudy, blustery day, so I decided to make some comfort food for dinner. The night before we had a grocery store rotisserie chicken, so I decided to make the leftovers into enchiladas.

I'm a dump and pour kind of cook, so this recipe may be a bit sketchy. The trick for me to make easy enchiladas is organization. I get everything ready to go and run an assembly line until it's ready for the oven.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 dozen corn tortillas
3 cups grated cheese
(cheddar, mozzarella, jack)
1 large can red enchilada sauce
1 onion diced
1 small can sliced black olives

Heat enchilada sauce in a small frying pan. If it gets too thick, just add a little water. Spread a thin layer of the sauce over the bottom of a large baking dish. Heat one tortilla at a time in the hot sauce. Flip once to coat and warm both sides. Remove when it becomes pliable. Don't leave the tortilla in the sauce too long or it will get mushy and break apart.

Use tongs to transfer the tortilla to a plate for assembly. Cover with cheese, chicken, onion and a few olives. Roll carefully around the stuffing, ending with the open end on the bottom. Carefully transfer to the baking dish. The weight of the contents will keep it from unrolling.

I can fit twelve enchiladas in my pan, ten across and two lengthwise. If I have any ingredients left over, I sprinkle them on top. Drizzle enough sauce to moisten the top of each enchilada. Sprinkle with grated cheese and it's ready to bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbling at the edges.

Don't over bake the enchiladas or they become dry and hard. I like my cheese ooey- gooey. Since the chicken is pre-cooked, you don't have to worry about that.

Serve with refried beans, shredded lettuce with taco sauce, and warm corn tortillas. That'll put a glow on even the coldest days.

Hop on over to the Not So Modern Housewife and see some great ideas for homestead and simple living.

Want more ideas? Try Nancy's Our Simple Homestead Blog Hop.


Hop on over to The (mis)Adventures of a "Born Again" Farm Girl for more simple ideas for your home or homestead. -- Margy

San Juan Island Adventure

We like to visit San Juan Island off the Washington State coast for quick day trips and overnight stays. You can read more about one of our flying trips there in the post San Juan Island Hopping.

On one trip, we rode bicycles from Friday Harbor to Roche Harbor. We passed through some really beautiful country with tranquil forests and lush pastures. We even saw iconic Mona the Camel.

There are lots of places to stay on San Juan Island, but you've got to love a place with a mailbox like this one. As pilots, we thought it was really cleaver.

We haven't stayed here, but anyone with this much creativity must have a unique establishment. The Inn in the Woods is a bed and breakfast establishment. You can check their website or this link for information about availability and reservations.

They have four rooms and are located overlooking Sportsman Lake which is well known for fishing and bird watching. Located in the middle of the island it is a good place to get away from the bustle during the tourist season, but close enough to have easy access to both Friday and Roche Harbor for restaurants and shops, especially if you have a bike. Maybe you can have your cake and eat it too. Well, at least a scrumptious breakfast.

So, if you want to get on their mailing list, be sure to send your request via AIR MAIL (just kidding). -- Margy

Mount St. Helens and the Cascade Range

On our way south to camp at Chehalis, Wayne and I flew along the west side of the Puget Sound to stay out of Seattle's busy airspace. Following our flight path to the east were the mighty peaks of the Cascade Range. Of course, Mt. Baker is in our own Bellingham back yard came first.

Other lofty peaks include Mt. Rainer and Hood, but the most distinctive is Mount St. Helens. At 8:32 Sunday morning, May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted. The massive explosion and an earthquake of 5.1 caused the north face to collapse. Mud from flash melted snow and ash caused devastation near and far. The ash cloud was propelled 15 miles in the air and around the world.

Today you can still see the results of the cataclysmic event. The Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Park website provides lots of information about the volcano and the surrounding forest recreation areas. If you are in the area, fly or drive by. -- Margy

Flying Day Trip to Port Townsend, WA

Jefferson County Airport, Port Townsend

Being home based in Bellingham, we get to explore the area in our Piper Arrow.

One of our favourite destinations is Jefferson County International Airport (0S9) near Port Townsend, Washington.

A bonus is our friends Linda and Gary live nearby in Sequim, and they can met us for a tasty meal at the airport cafe, or take us on land-based tours to town.

Port Townsend's busy boatyard.

On one memorable trip, the first stop was to the Port Townsend Boatyard. What an amazing place. Boats of all sizes and types were either on blocks or being hauled around by huge lifts.

We were hungry, so Linda picked the historic Belmont Hotel on Water Street. It was built in 1885 and you can stay in its Victorian style rooms. We ate on the outside deck with a super ocean view. The fish and chips, sandwiches and salads we had were great!

Historic Port Townsend

After lunch we wandered along Water and Washington Streets with shops clustered in old-time buildings. We spent a long time in Forest Gems looking at hand carved furniture and art. Gary's favorite used bookstore (and now ours) is the William James Bookseller. I found several books by Farley Mowat for a really good price. Gary and Wayne love it for the huge selection of science books. What would a walk along the waterfront be without  ice cream, so we stopped at Elevated Ice Cream Company for some homemade treats.

Our Piper Arrow 997 at Jefferson County Airport.

Jefferson County Airport is a step back in time. It reminded us of how flying used to be before all the craziness led to fences everywhere. Runway 09/27 is lighted and 3000' in length. Fuel (100LL) is available at the self-serve pump. There is ample parking both on the paved ramp and on well maintained grass. If you are arriving from Canada, Jefferson County is an international airport of entry. Call ahead to arrange for customs.

Spruce Goose Cafe at Jefferson County Airport

The airport is about four miles from town (a very long walk even by our standards). If you don't have friends nearby, the Peninsula Taxi has 24 hour service to and from Port Townsend. They can be reached at (360) 385-1872. 

Whether you arrive by car, ferry or airplane, put Port Townsend on your list of places to visit in the near future. -- Margy

My Dracaena Spike Plant Blooms

Repurposed BBQ planter.

Back in 2010, I repurposed an old BBQ into a planter. I put it right under my kitchen window at the cabin to give the side of our home a bright focal point.

I annually plant flowers in it, but wanted something to give a higher green background. I picked out two small grass-like leaved plants at Canadian Tire for that purpose.

Over the years, those spiky little plants (you can barely see them in the picture at the left) grew until their roots took over the whole planter. Consequently, in 2015 I relocated them to deck pots of their own.

I went back to Canadian Tire to talk to the nursery expert. She wasn't sure what I had, but thought it might be a plant called Dracaena. I looked it up online and that made sense. I believe mine is a Dracaena indivisa also known as a Spike Plant. It's commonly used in planters and gardens to provide height and interest.

Then this year I was surprised to see one of the plants develop a spike. That spike grew larger and finally opened to a massive bloom.

Not only was it beautiful, it was very fragrant, and provided the bees with an early spring source of nourishment.

Now my Dracaena has created two separate branches from where the bloom was removed. I understand that this well happen each time a bloom occurs. I guess I better look for some bigger pots! -- Margy

Relocating a Cat by Airplane

Wayne and Stick at the cabin.

When Wayne and I started spending more time in Powell River, we decided to relocate our cat, Stick Tail (a coyote nibbled his tail down to a stubby stick).

We want to have him closer to us and he was taking on a new career as a companion for Mom. It was the perfect move. We got to spend their last years close to each other.

To get ready for the big move, Wayne took Stick to the vet to get his certificate of health for Alaska Airlines. We purchased an airline approved soft carrier to fit under the seat. We chose a Sherpa Delta model that had plenty of room to move around and mesh sides for good air flow.

We also purchased absorbent pet training pads (wee-wee pads, sorry for the embarrassment Stick) to line the bottom.

We practiced getting used to the carrier. He wasn't happy, so we got some over-the-counter homeopathic anti-anxiety drops (check with your vet first) to calm him during the trip. Since he'd never been on an airplane before, we didn't know how well they would work, but the airplane ride was better than any previous car trip.


On the morning of travel, Stick didn't want to be caught (he has a sixth sense about these things). After fifteen minutes and a few drops of his anti-anxiety remedy he was snuggled into his carrier.

Stick was loud in the car, but settled down before the Alaska counter. After paying for his "seat" under the seat ($100), it was time for security. I'd been dreading this. Wayne opened the bag and carried him through without a struggle.

Stick didn't like takeoffs, landings and turbulence, but was quiet and calm for the majority of the flight. One passenger even talked with him in "cat voice" for quite a while.

When we got to Mom's condo in Bellingham, he was ready to get out but not to explore. He went straight under the bed. We put his food, water and litter box nearby. After he settled into his new home, we inched them towards their real  locations.


With the relocation done, it wasn't as bad as I had feared. And it turned out that Stick did travel by airplane again.  After Mom passed away, he became our full-time cat once again. Going to and from Powell River on Pacific Coastal Airlines it took only 25 minutes. Traveling by car it was seven hours with the ferry transfers. For a cat that got car sick, it was worth it.

Do you have any pet travel stories to share? Let us hear from you. -- Margy