Sunday, March 15, 2009

Homemade Quesadilla Sammy~







Today was a fun day in the kitchen. I found this really yummy tortilla flour mix made by Quaker. It was on the flour isle and....you just add warm water to make the dough.

I used a dinner plate that was flipped over as my template for my tortilla size.
You can use a rolling pin or just your hands to flatten a 1 inch ball of dough.

Then cook in dry skillet on Med/Hi heat. No need for oil!

I topped the ones for the girls with cheddar cheese. For my little sammy I put canned turkey,cheese,cilantro and spinach! You can get creative! They taste way different than a store bought tortilla.

Last Friday I made a crock pot of homemade re fried pinto beans and the homemade tortillas for our meatless dinner. It was a hit! My teenager wanted to know when I was going to make it again!

I love being a mom! God has truely blessed me...in more ways than I can count!
It is right to give him thanks and praise!

I have such a great time cooking with the girls! I love making special meals and treats for ALL my kiddos! My children are such a blessing to me!
The girls and I also made a multi grain fruit muffin bread for the boys after school snack! I will post the pics. of that in a few days.

The sun is out today so its time to play outside for a bit before dinner!


Warmly,

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Homemade Ginger Soda!



I was digging around in one of my many cookbooks and stumbled upon this old family recipe. Its a natural and refreshing ginger ale recipe without any of the high fructose corn syrups or added coloring.

Its a very simple recipe to make and I can just picture my Grandma making this for one (or more) of her 11 kiddos when they were sick!

Ginger is a spicy root that has a wonderful aroma and taste. It can help settle a upset tummy. Tis the Flu season!

When choosing ginger, remember that quality, fresh ginger should have smooth, light brown skin with a light sheen and white flesh. Pick the roots with the least number of knots and branching.


Ginger Simple Syrup:

1/2 cup *light agave nectar
1 (4-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup cold water

Place agave nectar, ginger, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until ginger aroma and flavor are strong—about one hour. Let cool. Strain and refrigerate for up to one week. To make the Ginger Soda, use 1/2 cup of the ginger syrup and combine it with 3 cups of sparkling water. Pour over ice to serve. Enjoy!

*Agave Nectar is a natural sweetener and can be found in the health food section of REG. grocery store next to the honey! Or at your local Whole Foods store!

Organic Black Bean Nachos




1 can organic black refried beans
1 teaspoon taco seasoning

Chopped Veggie Salsa
1/2 cucumber
1/2 onion
1 red bell pepper
1 tomato
1 handful of cilantro
Salt/Pepper

Corn chips
Colby/Jack cheese

Top with a few drops of Franks hot sauce or your favorite taco sauce!