Tasty Tuesday

Yesterday, after preparing a tasty new recipe, I thought, "I should post our families favorite recipes to the blog," and "I'll do it on Tuesdays...Tasty Tuesdays!" Thinking I was oh so clever I sat down this morning to read a few favorite blogs before writing my own. And, what should I find as I brows the blogs but my dear cousin Natalie over at Nat Your Average Girl has posted a Tasty Tuesday recipe...and it happens to be an enchilada recipe like I was planing to post! So, Natalie, I promise I'm not copying you, but I guess great minds like us think alike :)

Anyways, on to the recipe. This recipe I found on Martha Stewart when looking for some freezer meal ideas that would be quick, healthy and frugal. This one seemed to fit the bill and let me tell you, it go rave reviews. Nick said that he was just disappointed because with this meal there just doesn't seem to be any excuse to go out for Mexican food. So try it...I'm sure you won't be disappointed (unless this takes away your excuse to go out too :)

Vegetable EnchiladasFood Black beans Cinco de Mayo Corn Dinner Enchiladas Main course Mexican Pepper Jack cheese Spinach Tortillas Everyday Food Quick Dinner

Get a freezable Mexican meal rolling in no time with a no-cook filling and a sauce made from pantry ingredients. Jack cheese and a combination of black beans and corn tortillas give this meatless dish complete protein.

Everyday Food, December 2007

• Prep Time 30 minutes
• Total Time 55 minutes
• Yield Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking dishes
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 cups grated pepper Jack cheese (12 ounces)
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 box (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 box (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
• 16 corn tortillas (6-inch)

Directions

1. Make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add 1 teaspoon cumin, flour, and tomato paste; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in broth and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

2. Make filling: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups cheese, beans, spinach, corn, scallion whites, and remaining 1 teaspoon cumin; season with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil two 8-inch square baking dishes; set aside. Stack tortillas, and wrap in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute. Or stack and wrap in aluminum foil, and heat in oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Top each tortilla with a heaping 1/3 cup of filling; roll up tightly and arrange, seam side down, in prepared baking dishes.

4. Dividing evenly, sprinkle enchiladas with remaining 1 cup cheese, and top with sauce. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; serve garnished with scallion greens.

IT'S A....

We had our big ultrasound yesterday to check on baby Jones. It was so exciting to see the little wiggle worm and to "oh" and "ah" over the sweet little hands and feet. I have been dying to know whether we're having a boy or a girl. And we're having...

A girl! Charlie Bug is going to have a little sister!

It will be so much fun to have two little girls so close in age.

Here's to lots more pink and frills! Hooray for little girls!

We have NO IDEA what we will name this little cutie. Our boy name has been picked out forever but we're stumped on another girl name. Any suggestions? (And no, sister, we're not going to name her Monica :)

And just for kicks, because she couldn't get any cuter, her are some pictures of the big sister herself. Doesn't she just look so excited about having a sister?

Mischievous

Pirate Baby?




The scrunchy smile




Ahhh, a baby sister!

World's cutest one-year-old

She's One!

We can hardly believe it...our little pumpkin is one year old today!

How did she go from this...

to this in one years time?
We couldn't possibly love our spunky punky any more!
Happy Birthday Charlie Marie!

Aprons

I love aprons! I love them and I've started a small collection of them. Some are new, some vintage and I think they are just great. I love that they are old fashioned and hearken back to days when all mothers got to stay home to take care of their husbands, children and house. They are the stereotypical icon of the house wife...and I like them. I also love them for all of the reasons housewives of the past wore them, because they are so darn practical. They keep my clothes clean and provide a place to wipe my hands or dry a dish in the kitchen. And today I made one! I had a fun kit that came with the pieces all printed on a sheet of fabric and ten easy steps to complete it. I was able to use my fancy new Gingher scissors (wow! Are they ever amazing! Thanks Steve and Marla!) to help me complete the little project. This has me itchin' to keep on sewin' because it's just sew much fun!

Here it is...and feel free to ooh and aah over those pretty scissors

The Christmas Photo

Just a funny little Friday treat to launch you into the weekend. Our family was blessed to be all together this Christmas which is a big feat considering two live in Colorado and we are in the Bay Area. So, I thought, let's take a "quick" family picture. Eight adults (not all acting so adult like :), two dogs, one baby and close to two dozen shots later...we got it! Have a great weekend everyone!

Too Much Fun

Happy New Year one and all! I can't believe I haven't posted a thing since October! Where did the time go? We've just been having to much fun with our little Pumpkin Pie to stop and blog about it I suppose. The girl will be four months old on the 9th and is growing like a weed. It's amazing to look at her new born pictures, we hardly even recognize her. The little pumpkin is tipping the scales at roughly 14 lbs right now. She is also busy learning so much right now too. She's a champion sleeper (averaging 8 or 9 hours a night!!), and quite the little mover. She sleeps on her tummy and most mornings and after naps we find her belly up and just babbling away. She has found her hands and just can't seem to get enough of them...yum, yum! She is very social and when fed and rested a very happy, easy going little girl. We are enjoying mommy and daddyhood more than we thought possible. She is such a little blessing. Enjoy some photo updates below and hopefully 2011 will be chock-full of blogging!

Bundled up for a walk

Pumpkin's new favorite toy, the Jumperoo! Thanks Papa and Nana!

Before we bought the girl some smaller jammies she would wake up most days with a "chicken wing." Some how she would manage to get her elbow bent and stuck in the sleeve!

Some Christmas fun with our church family, the annual gingerbread house decorating night. Nick (that man with the bushy beard :0) remodeled a gingerbread house into a church. I took care of the babe and made sure the candy tasted just right, he did the rest.