ONE
We have 2 birthday parties to attend this weekend - the big 0-3 for two of Hadley's friends! Saturday the party is at The Little Gym and I'm really excited as I've been wanting to take Hads there. We've got a birthday party next weekend too. Lots of August babies :) My baby's birthday is just around the corner and I need to get crackin' on the planning front!
TWO
Okay, this is just funny. Grocery shopping with a toddler is like, oh I don't know, the worst thing ever?! I've said here how I like to go alone to the store on Friday or Saturday night....and I'm sticking to it. I like to really look at all my produce and read labels, and it's impossible while trying to keep Hadley's arms and legs in the ginormous race car cart while she is whining for a free grocery store cookie.
THREE
Are you watching The Bachelorette this season? Wow - Monday's finale (part 1, part 2 is this coming Monday) had me in tears....the sad kind. I am hoping part 2 of the finale holds great things for Des. I really like her - such a down to earth bachelorette!
Hadley says some hilarious stuff as of late. The last couple of months, when I give her new things to eat, I always ask her what it tastes like. Mainly because I love to hear the way she describes things. About 95% of the time I ask her this question, she says "ummm BUTTER!" Which is so confusing to me, because I don't really cook with much butter, or add it to things. And she could be eating something like a fruit popsicle, but she'll still tell you it tastes like "BUTTER!" if you ask her. I love these "Hadley-isms."
FIVE
I tried a new recipe I wanted to share (this one is pretty clean - I think everything except the cheese, and I hardly added any). It's a Southwestern Quinoa Bake. The homemade "refried" beans took this over the top for me. I'll never buy store-bought again after seeing how easy it was to make them. Toddler and husband approved (he usually complains when I make things that don't have meat - not this time).
Southwestern Quinoa Bake
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| Adapted from pinchofyum.com |
INGREDIENTS
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, minced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4½ cups black beans, rinsed (I used about 3 cans)
- 1¼ cup vegetable broth
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 4 bell peppers, diced (mine were red, yellow, and green)
- 1-2 zucchini, diced
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (I probably only used 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup)
- Diced green onions and/or cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS
- Black beans: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and jalapeno, sauteing for 4 minutes and stirring occasionally. Stir in broth and black beans. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Mash beans to desired consistency. The mixture should be thick, not watery. If you still have a lot of moisture, let it cook out by keeping it on the heat for another few minutes. Taste and season with salt.
- Quinoa: In a dry nonstick skillet over medium high heat, toss and toast the cooked quinoa with the cayenne, chili powder, cumin, and salt for 1-2 minutes. Taste and season with salt. Set aside.
- Peppers and zucchini: In the same dry nonstick skillet over medium high heat, place the diced peppers and zucchini and do NOT stir. This allows the peppers and zucchini to get a brown roasted look on the outside. Wait for 2-3 minutes before stirring, then let them “roast” for another few minutes before removing from the heat.
- Assemble: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spoon black bean mixture into a 9x13 glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with quinoa, bell peppers/zucchini, and cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the top layer of cheese was golden and bubbly. Sprinkle with green onions/cilantro and let cool for at least 10 minutes (otherwise it will be too runny).
- Serve with sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips, on tacos, on a salad, or just eat it plain!
Happy weekend, friends!
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