Tuesday's Tidbits

While sitting on my lap the other day, Rory said, "these old days aren't going to last much longer because I'm getting too big." 

Rory had a regularly scheduled cleaning/dental visit first thing this morning (no cavities!), and the dental hygienist came out to let me know that Rory had asked Dr. Vu if he would pull her front two teeth while she was there. Did I mention her front two teeth are not even loose? She's desperate to get rid of them.

I loved this article on Why Your Children Should Do Chores.

And speaking of chores, I'm assuming other families have issues with their kids and laundry. My kids would much prefer to throw clothes in the laundry basket than actually put them away. For instance, I did all the laundry yesterday (with my new washer/dryer, which was fabulous) and Rory had 5 pairs of jeans in the dirty laundry. Did I mention she wears a uniform to school, which was 5 out of the last 7 days. Not even sure how it was possible that she even put on 5 pairs of jeans last week, much less that they needed to be washed. And Sunday Camden pulled out from under his bed approximately 3 sweatshirts, 2 pairs of pants, 1 sweater, and way too many t-shirts, socks, and underwear to count. So guess who was responsible for folding and putting away every stitch of laundry yesterday? Not me!

This week is turning out to be quite busy, and I have a million things to do today. It is pouring rain outside and after a crazy morning of running the kids to school and a dentist appointment, I'm back at home and have decided to sit down and have a second cup of coffee and enjoy the sound of thunder.

And in case you're looking for a healthy, delicious fast meal, we've made these Black Bean Quesadillas twice in the last week.

Black Bean Quesadillas

3 whole wheat tortillas
1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small onion, finely chopped (I threw mine in the food processor because I don't like onion chunks in my food)

2 cloves garlic (crushed)

3/4 cup frozen corn

3/4 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese

1/2 avocado, diced

1 plum tomato, diced

1/2 tsp chipotle pepper (you could also use chili powder)

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 Tbsp butter

lime juice

salt and pepper

olive oil

1, Preheat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, corn, beans, cumin, chili powder, and salt + pepper to taste. Cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add 1/4 cup water to the pan, and use a fork to mash the beans. Let it cook until the beans reduce and form a thick paste that you can spread on the tortilla.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter and brush over 3 tortillas. Spread about 1/3 of bean mixture over one half of a tortilla. Top lightly with cheese and fold it in half. Cook for about 4-6 minutes or until brown and toasty. 

4. Combine the avocado, tomato, 2 tsp lime juice and salt + pepper to taste. Top quesadillas and serve.

They have alot of flavor and were super tasty. I suppose you could also add sour cream and salsa on top if you wanted to be a little more indulgent.

Credits here