Bake Those Tacos



Apologies for the sporadic posting.

 

Though I don't know why I'm apologizing - I gave plenty of warning that I was in a busy season of life.

 

Anyway, I was out of town for a goodly portion of the week. It's always nice to return home and get back to cooking good food for the good man in your life.

 

Baked Tacos

 

Yes. I baked tacos. And they were delicious - delicious enough to make again and again.

 

Fully cook your desired fillings (I used refried beans and spicy taco meat). Place taco shells in an oven-safe baking dish and fill. I topped my tacos with new-for-us-to-try queso fresco.

 

I feel as though I need to take a recipe detour to talk about queso fresco and why I was trying it out. My husband, great and adventurous eater that he is, despises goat milk products of any sort. No chevre. No feta. It's a sad situation for me.

 

I've been on the lookout for a cheese that might have the same saltiness of a feta but none of the goat milk sourness that makes Kelly gag. I heard that queso fresco had many of the same properties and, in even better news for me, is widely available.

 

The cheese did indeed crumble nicely and, just to be safe, I had my guy taste a bit before I potentially ruined our dinner with cheese. He proclaimed the flavor to be "AWESOME."

 

These types of successes really do give me a thrill. And now I can't wait to try making my oh-so-yummy Spinach Feta Pasta with queso fresco as a substitute.

 

Anyway, fill your tacos:

 

Bake at 350F for 10 minutes to crisp the shells and melt the cheese.

Top with your favorite cold fillings.

Seriously delicious!

Now I feel the need to try other combinations, like

• Kung Pao chicken and cabbage
• Spaghetti squash and black beans
• Chicken tikka and butter lettuce
• Roasted chicken and corn salsa

What combinations would you come up with? (I might just be tempted to try them out!)

The Balance Continuum Isn't a New Question

Life/work balance isn't a new issue. We've been questioning ourselves and our choices for generations.

The Choice

The intellect of man is forced to choose
perfection of the life, or of the work,
And if it take the second must refuse
A heavenly mansion, raging in the dark.
When all that story's finished, what's the news?
In luck or out the toil has left its mark:
That old perplexity an empty purse,
Or the day's vanity, the night's remorse.

William Butler Yeats

Even The Furbabies Loved the Weekend

One of "Those" Weeks

I suppose we all have weeks where we not only feel we're living day-to-day but minute-to-minute.

That's not necessarily a bad thing - it's a predictable part of life. Times are busy, times are slow. Life is what it is and I find it incredibly helpful to keep basics in mind. Like:

• I won't always be this busy.
• My spouse, family and friends love me all the same, busy or not.
• This, too, shall pass so seize the fun bits where they are.

Fun bits for me this week included a planning meeting that morphed into an informal mentoring session (where I was the recipient of excellent advice). Lunch with a friend. Breakfast with another. Meeting with a new-to-the-working-world woman and hearing her stories of growth since we last met. Crossing five things off my to-do list in one day. Realizing that there are colleagues at my company in different departments who will work incredibly hard to help me out on big projects.

How fortunate I am!!

And that's not to mention that Kelly and I have most unexpectedly found ourselves fellowshipping with our former church on a regular basis. Our roots there are deep - deeper than I knew or could have imagined. Tilling the soil of the soul takes time, and is painful at points, but is so worth the investment. Every Sunday is a special (re)starting point of the week for me.

How blessed I am!

So yes, it's been one of those weeks.

But what a week it's been.

Some Songs Just Strike The Perfect Spot

It's great to have a song pop up in your playlist that perfectly captures where you are in life.

It's a little weird to have that happen while you're running speedwork laps at the track. That's just the way things are sometimes.

Holding Out for Grace

by Scott David Bullard, Michael Tait, Chad Chapin

Performed by Tait

I believe
I believe in who You are
And when You speak
I hear You deep inside my heart

It's more of You I want, so take me back
To the start show me the bigger part
I know there's so much more to life
So won't You open up my eyes, I want to see

And I, I'm falling on my face
I'm holding out for Grace
Send Your Spirit down
Illuminate this place, my Lord

My Love, my peace
Without You, I'm incomplete
And in my time of need
I know You're watching over me

And I can't wait to lose myself in Your embrace
You're my hiding place
I know there's so much more to life
So won't You meet me here tonight, I want to see

And I, I'm falling on my face
I'm holding out for Grace
Send Your Spirit down
Illuminate this place

Let Your kingdom come
Heal the broken ones
Oh, Father shine Your light
On Your daughters and Your sons, ohh

In my mind
There's a battle going on and on for my life
But this time
I'm gonna give You everything I have inside, ohh

And I, I'm falling on my face
I'm holding out for Grace
 Send Your Spirit down
Illuminate this place

Let Your kingdom come
Heal the broken ones
Father shine Your light
On Your daughters and Your sons, my Lord

God, our God, how beautiful You are
God, our God, how beautiful You are
God, our God, You're beautiful, so beautiful

Quick Cooking: Testing A One Pot Recipe

I've taken to not looking at Pinterest very often. I've noticed that it can take a few days, sometimes a week or so, for "pin trends" to run their course and new content to post.

That's not to say that I'm not interested in any of the trending pins - I repin those that look interesting and eventually get around to testing them for myself. And that's the case with this recipe.

Supposedly you can cook a complete, tasty pasta dish in one pot at one time. So I gave it a try last week when I was in a hurry to prepare a healthy dinner.

All in all, we liked it. I've noted some items at the end that I might do differently next time.

One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

Following this recipe with some modifications

• 12 oz long pasta (I used linguine)
• 1 15 oz can diced zesty red pepper tomatoes, undrained
• 1 medium onion, julienned
• 3 t crushed garlic
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes
• 4 1/2 c vegetable broth
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T basil (or you can use fresh basil)
• Parmesan cheese

Put pasta, tomatoes, onion and garlic in a large stock pot. Add vegetable broth. Top with pepper flakes, then drizzle with oil. Cover pot and bring to a full rolling boil. Reduce heat to low simmer and cook, covered, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated - approximately 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add basil and stir pasta several times to distribute the liquid. Top with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Things I would consider adding - mini mozzarella balls, mini precooked meatballs

 

Recipe: Chicken Posole Super-Quick

I love posole, but making a proper posole takes time.

That I don't have.

This, however, satisfies both my desire for posole on a cold day and my scant time available for cooking.

Superfast Chicken Posole

Original recipe from Cooking Light

Below are with my changes

• 1 T olive oil
• 3/4 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 2 t minced garlic
• 12 oz pkg frozen chopped onion and celery mix
• 8 canned tomatillos, coarsely chopped
• 1 15 oz can white hominy, rinsed and drained
• 28-32 oz low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 c chopped skinless boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 1 T fresh lime juice
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 ripe peeled avocado, diced
• Cilantro leaves
• Tortilla chips

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin, chili powder, garlic and onion/celery mix. Saute 2 minutes. Stir in tomatillos, cook 1 minute. Add broth and hominy, cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and cook for 8 minutes. Stir in chicken, cook 1 minute or until heated through. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, salt and pepper. Serve topped with avocado, cilantro and tortilla chips.

Some people also top with thinly sliced radishes, but my love doesn't like radishes so we skip them.

Dive Expedition: Lockhart Smoke House

Holy moly - Lockhart Smoke House, one of Texas Monthly's top 50 BBQ joints, decided to open it's second Dallas metro location in downtown Plano.

That means we have fantastic smoked BBQ just 15 minutes from our house. No more trips downtown.

There's no better way to tell your wife that she's loved than to arrange to meet up in our fair city's historic downtown on Valentine's Day eve for an after-work drink at the Fillmore Pub (our favorite) and a dive expedition to the just-opened Lockhart Smoke House.

It's amazing how lived-in the place looks on just its third day open. I guess it's an "instant joint."

Everything is a la carte and when it's sold out, it's sold out.

The Dallas location's pit master is overseeing the new shop until things are running smoothly. That man knows how to smoke - and slice - a great brisket.

Here's how it works:

• You tell the pit crew what you want.
• We ordered a 1/2 lb of brisket - mostly dry (meaning with little fat) and medium bark (meaning a good, but not overwhelming amount, of outside smoked crust).
• We also ordered two links of the jalapeno sausage. Each link is 1/3 lb and we planned to take a link home for leftovers.
• The pit crew will ask you if you want bread on the side.
• Your meat order is wrapped individually in butcher paper, then all together in a larger paper wrap.
• If you want cold sides, you grab them out of the cooler. The counter staff will dish up hot beans.
• At this point, you pay and head to the fixings bar.

The fixings bar has spicy pickles, peppers, jalapenos, onions and sauce. Dip up what you'd like. There are plastic bags hanging on a hook if you want to take your food to go. If you plan to take your food to go, make sure you ask the counter staff for a styrofoam container to carry home sauce.

But the food...here's our brisket:

And the jalapeno sausage:

White bread, pickles and sauce...essential for a good BBQ meal:

There's nothing better than brisket wrapped in bread, dipped into sauce:

The potato salad has a slight kick:

The cole slaw has a major kick - it's one of the best I've ever had:

The beans were loaded with jalapenos, onions and bits of BBQ beef:

Deviled eggs...oh, my. These had small chunks of smoked BBQ chicken. Amazing:

Even more amazing - the line! We're glad we were there early. We went 15 minutes before they started serving at 6 pm. The line at that point was 10 deep, but better than it was at 7 pm.

By the way, they didn't start serving at 6. Why? As they told us:

BBQ tells us when it's ready.

Not the other way around.

Welcome to town, Lockhart. We're going to be good friends.

The Secret is in the Frosting

I made cupcakes the other day. I used a box mix. They were delicious. But not special.

What was special was the frosting.

It was special, amazing and delicious. And I'm going to tell you how to make it.

Chocolate Butter Cream Fluffy Frosting

• 1 c butter, softened
• 3-4 c powdered sugar
• 1/2 c cocoa powder
• 1 T milk
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 7 oz jar marshmallow fluff

Whip butter until creamy. Stir in powdered sugar and cocoa powder, blending until thoroughly mixed. Stir in milk and vanilla extract. Whip in marshmallow fluff until thoroughly blended.

Then try to resist licking the bowl and your fingers.

(You're welcome.)

I Am NEVER Alone

This isn't a spiritual statement. It's a literal statement.

Note to self: Make sure the door is fully and completely latched.

You Know You Want This

Just a glimpse of some good home cookin'.

Behold: Homemade biscuits, sandwiched with Honey-Baked ham and topped with roasted Hatch chile infused country gravy.

Make sure you wipe the drool off your chin.

Speaking of Donuts...A Belated Report

At the end of last month, we ran the second annual Hypnotic Donut Dash.

The morning was cold enough that the race started and finished indoors. A very nice perk, but it wreaked havoc on our running watches. More on that later.

Just like last year, we had pre-race yoga:

And post-race local beer:

And local coffee - yep, they French pressed for everyone:

Plus more donuts than you could dream of eating:

And just like last year, Kelly took home a prize in his age group. He took third place, but the reported pace was slightly off (see earlier comment about starting indoors messing with the timing). He ran fast, but certainly not a 6:33 pace!

I won a prize, too - local jams. My achievement? Knowing way more than one should about the history of Hypnotic Donuts.

 

Thank you to the local food blogs for helping me get to where I am today.

 

Dive Expedition: Sonny's Donuts

We've found a new favorite donut shop. One that's close to our house - no more longing for the too-far-to-go-for-a-casual-donut-fix donut shop near our very first apartment in Richardson.

Behold the bounty of Sonny's Donuts in Plano:

 



Some lucky Sunday School class will be happy.

 

One of my former bosses told me about Sonny's years ago. I can't believe we waited so long to check them out. Not only are these donuts super-hot and super-tasty, but the owners are super-super-nice.

They compliment you on your donut selection, praise you for selecting fresh-from-the-oven jalapeno rolls and then they give you complimentary donut holes. And complimentary mini-cinnamon rolls. Who does that?

 

I'll tell you who does - our new favorite donut shop, Sonny's Donuts.

Important: TEAM HOPE Update

Hi all,

Quick update on the Hayley's Team Hope adventure. After 2.5 years of saving and fundraising, we're finally ready to head to X country.

Our trip is later this year, but we're frantically working to get things pulled together in order to meet the logistical challenges of travelling to, and within, this very closed country.

Are you still interested in helping? Here's what we need:

• Reading glasses
• Common OTC meds - like ibuprofen and naproxen sodium
• Kids' toothbrushes
• Hair scrunchies
• Vitamins - children and adult

We intend to leave these behind as gifts to the families we're visiting and the individuals we're working with. These inexpensive items are very difficult to get in this country and will be a big blessing.

What would be awesome:

• Fill a Priority Mail Flat Rate Small Box with as much as it will hold - as long as the box closes, it ships regardless of the weight.
• Pay the $5.80 shipping fee and drop it in the mail to the Hayley House

Because of our logistical challenges, we need to have everything in hand by Friday, February 28 - that's just under three weeks from now.

If you need our address, drop me a note and I'll send it to you in a private message!

More (obviously) to follow - including a post-Country X trip recap later this year.

Reality Check

This is what your weekend looks like when furbabies wake you up at zero dark thirty, throwing up. On you.

Random: Things I'm Enjoying Right Now

In the midst of busy and (at times) disappointing moments, it's important to grab at pieces of joy.

With that in mind, right now I'm really enjoying:


1. @SochiProblems on Twitter.

This clever viral twitter handle has picked up on the multiple failures that are plaguing the Olympics in Sochi, Russia. For those of us who've lived extensively overseas, this is a hysterical feed to follow and reminisce about the crazy "normal" things that happen overseas while laughing at the reaction of those who encounter them for the first time. Ricky and Lucy beds, missing manhole covers, missing elevators...we've been there and done that. And it still makes me laugh.

via @SochiProblems

2. @ZachGalifinak on Twitter.

This is a parody account, but perfectly captures the humor portrayed in many of actor Zach Galifinakas' roles. How can you not relate to a post like this?

via @ZachGalifinak

(That, by the way, is how I ended up doing a wheelie on a motorcycle with my dad many many years ago. Lesson still not learned.)


3. Justified on Netflix.

via Netflix

A modern "Have Gun Will Travel." We love it - a US Marshall with a strong sense of right and wrong has to adjust to life in his home state of Kentucky after a reassignment. And the theme song, "Long Hard Times to Come," is awesome. I listen to it every.time.


4. Snow in Texas.

Although I've now had enough and winter can be over. Ok?


5. The furballs.

Worthless. Both of them.

Recognizing Your Season of Life

I've had people apologize to me for not being able to participate in something for a variety of reasons - they're parents, they've just purchased a house, they've gotten involved in a church-related activity, etc.

My response is always the same:

It's just the season of life that you're in.

It's important to recognize and accept that your life will change over the years.

These changes will necessitate adjustment in your own life: changing focus, saying no when you'd like to say yes, saying yes to things you'd rather say no to, slowing down, speeding up, travelling more, travelling less, more responsibility, less responsibility...

It's just the season of life that you're in. Accept it and know that this, too, shall pass.

That's why it's important to be intentional, regardless of what season you're in.

As for me, I'm in a busy season of life for the next month or so. While I'd like to blog daily on the ol' Hayley Daily, I have to accept that I might not be able to.

It's just where things are right now, and it's ok.