Crispy Black Bean & Feta Tacos with Cabbage Confetti

Epicurious calls this Crispy Black Bean & Feta Tacos with Cabbage Slaw but who wants to eat cabbage slaw?  It sounds gross.  The cabbage topping to these tacos is actually light and fresh and delicious.  I don't even usually like cabbage but I do love it with this.  The secret is the cilantro and fresh lime juice added.

It deserves a WAY more exciting name than slaw, so from now on it's confetti.  

I didn't plan on having two food posts in a row highlighting black beans...it just happened.  I guess I'm sort of on a black bean kick right now.

This is one of our staple dinner recipes.  We are meat lovers but we don't miss it at all in these tacos.  The cumin with the beans makes them pop...then add the feta, confetti and green Tabasco and...shazam!

Party in my mouth. :) 

  

Crispy Black Bean & Feta Tacos 

with Cabbage Confetti

• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch of salt 
• A few shakes of red pepper flakes
• 4-5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 cups coleslaw mix
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 corn or flour tortillas
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Bottled chipotle hot sauce or other hot sauce (we recommend green Tabasco)

Place beans, cumin, salt and red pepper flakes in small bowl; partially mash. Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil and lime juice in medium bowl; add coleslaw, green onions, and cilantro and toss to coat.

Heat 2 teaspoons* olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in single layer. Spoon 1/4 of bean mixture and sprinkle some feta onto half of each tortilla; cook 1 minute. Fold tacos in half. Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Top tacos with cabbage confetti.  Pass hot sauce alongside.

*The original recipe said 3 teaspoons, we like it better with two.  Three makes the tacos a little more crispy, but also a little more greasy.  Either way, briefly set finished tacos on paper towel to remove any excess grease.

Serves 2.

Countdown to SAN DIEGO: 4 days!

Countdown to the end of INSANITY: 4 days!  Woohoo!

teeth happen.

2 down, working on #3!

Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash

Happy Friday! 

It's lunch time...and the perfect time for some (leftover) black bean & butternut squash chili! 

We made it earlier this week and it was a hit.  We kept going back to the stove to spoon "just a little more" into our bowls.  It's addicting. The squash makes this chili different and also a little sweet, yum!  We'll definitely be making it again. Just don't wait till the last minute to put it together because it needs to simmer for several hours.

I found the recipe on my friend Kim's blog, check it out here! 

 

 

  Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash

• 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 1/2 chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 pound dried black beans, rinsed
• 2 chipotle chiles from canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced*
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
• Coarse kosher salt
• 1 2 1/4-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking bulgur**

Top with:

• Sour cream
• Coarsely grated hot pepper
• Monterey jack cheese
• Diced red onion chopped
• Fresh cilantro
• Pickled jalapeño rings

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Sprinkle chili powder and coriander over; stir 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes with juice, beans, chipotles, and oregano. Add 10 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (time will vary depending on freshness of beans). Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

 

Stir squash and bulgur into chili. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until squash and bulgur are tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide chili among bowls. Serve with sour cream, cheese, red onion, cilantro, and pickled jalapeño rings.

*I just used canned green chiles
**Or any grain...baby barley cereal works great! :)

Don't forget Mom's cornbread to serve with it!

And...just a word to the wise...be careful chopping the squash, especially if your knives are as dull as ours.  I won't post the photo of my poor sliced little thumb on this food blog post (yes I did take a photo).  Just take my word for it, it wasn't pretty!

Miracles & Mommy Thumb

Do miracles happen? 

Yep.  Saw one today.

You may think it's little, but to me and Josh it was huge.

My thumb/wrist has been hurting for a few months...a form of tendonitis (aka "mommy thumb") from picking up Knox all the time.  I tried several home remedies but this last week it started getting worse so we decided I really needed to go to the doctor.  I called my regular doctor but he said I should see a specialist for this. 

We were stressed out about how much this was going to cost. 

We have "insurance" but the coverage is not great.  Being here in seminary, and having me quit my job to stay home with Knox, has all been a big step of faith for us as far as money goes.  God has provided everything we need (and more) every step of the way, it's been amazing.   So I don't know why we still get worried about money, but sometimes we do.

But I definitely had to get my hand looked at, so to the doctor I went.  I was praying on my way there that it wouldn't end up costing too much.

The specialist checked it out and gave me a real brace (much better than the cheap one I tried from CVS, which only made my thumb worse) to try for a couple of weeks.  If that doesn't do it he'll have to give me a cortisone shot.  He would have given me the shot today but wanted an okay from Knox's pediatrician first since I'm still breastfeeding.

That really stressed me out.  Great, if the brace doesn't work we're going to have to pay this guy for two visits.

As I was leaving I stopped to check out and the lady started to tell how much I owed. 

Then she saw something on my chart and said, "Oh no, I guess he's not going to charge anything for today.  You're all set!"

Wow.  

Sometimes people are extra nice to seminary students but this guy didn't know we were seminary students. 

I had tears in my eyes as I rode down the elevator out of the building.  It was just a gift from God.  He takes care of us in so many ways, and today was a huge reminder of that.   I love being His child.

I have received everything in full and have an abundance; 

I am amply supplied, 

having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, 

a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.  

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches 

in glory in Christ Jesus.

Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. 

Amen. 

 (Philippians 4:18-20)

Ruby’s Mom and the Lotus Flower

Most days I'm immersed with life in Dallas.  Diapers, dinners, church, friends, chores.  But some days, like today, my mind is back in China.

One of the most beautiful people I met during the year we lived in China was my student Ruby’s mother.  

One weekend Josh and I traveled with Ruby and two other girls to a very small community in Jiang Xi province in Southern China, only a couple of hours by train from Nanchang, where we lived.  We were going there to meet Ruby’s family.  

We took a non-air-conditioned train to the nearby town and then hopped on a rickety bus that took us from the train station far out into the middle of some rice fields.  The bus let us off at the end of a long, straight dirt road that stretched as far as we could see through green rice fields.  

Ruby’s high school aged brother was waiting for us there when the bus dropped us off.  He shyly said “hello” and tried out his English on Josh and me as he led us down the road toward a small gathering of houses we could see in the distance.

Ruby’s village was one of the smallest and poorest I had ever seen.  There were maybe 10 or 12 houses making up the village.  As we approached the houses we left the road and followed a path into the village.  There were no roads in-between houses, just pathways.  And that made sense, because few (if any) there owned a car...the majority of Chinese people travel by bicycle or motorcycle.  

We had to walk around several cows that were lazing in our pathway and we keenly watched our step...there was garbage and cow dung everywhere we looked.

As soon as we entered the village a group of about a dozen children came running up to us and followed us toward Ruby’s house.  We smiled and tried to interact, but they held back at first, shy.  They laughed and skipped behind us, whispering about us and giggling.  I felt vaguely like the pied piper. 

As we neared the back edge of the village, Ruby pointed out the cut stone house at the very end of the row.  That was her house, and her parents were waiting in the doorway.  

I knew already that this was no ordinary woman I was about to meet.  Ruby had confided in me several months earlier, with tears, that her mother is blind.   Several years before she had battled a brain tumor that left her with her life but stole her eyesight.

Blindness is never an easy thing, but in China her handicap is considered shameful.  When she first went blind Ruby’s father was very harsh with her.  He told her again and again that she was worthless, and Ruby’s mom believed him.  Several times she tried to end her life by swallowing pesticides.  

Thankfully, she failed!  A sweet Christian woman in the village took Ruby’s mother under her wing.  She helped her as she learned to live with her blindness and eventually introduced Ruby’s mom to Jesus!  She still visits her every day to check on her and see if she needs any help.  

God used Ruby’s mother’s blindness to show her how much she needed Him.  And another miracle had happened only weeks before we visited the family.  Ruby had run breathless from her dorm room to our apartment to tell us the news: her mother had led her husband, Ruby's dad, to Christ as well! 

I held Ruby’s mother’s hand with both of mine when Ruby introduced us, and she beamed.  Her hair was cut short for easy care, and her skin was rough from years of hard labor.  But her face was absolutely radiant.  Tears are pooling in my eyes as I type this.  I have rarely seen so much quiet joy in someone’s face as I did in Ruby’s mother’s face. 

We watched in awe as she helped her husband prepare our dinner.  She took a large, sharp knife and chopped raw chicken and vegetables with quickness and precision, like a gourmet chef.  She knew we were watching her, and she smiled with delight.  

There was no such thing as a gas or electric stove in this village.  After she finished chopping, Ruby’s mom took position by the woodpile and fed the fire and fanned it while her husband stir-fried our food.  I was scared for her as she threw log after log into the fire.  But she knew exactly what she was doing, and how much distance to keep from the flames.  She had her husband chattered away and laughed and joked in Chinese as they worked. Every once in a while Ruby would translate for us so we would know what they were saying.

At one point during our visit some of the children from the village picked me a huge pink lotus flower from the pond just outside Ruby’s parents’ house (and made us costumes from the leaves).  The flower was stunning.  

I so wanted to share the beauty of the flower with Ruby’s mom, so I took it to her and pressed it into her hands.  

She gently fingered the blossom and her face lit up like the sun.  She nodded and murmured a Chinese phrase I knew.  Piao liang.  Beautiful. 

It struck me then that Ruby’s mom was so much more beautiful than the lotus flower.  She is a breathtaking picture of how God can take a horrible situation and use it for His glory.  

I know every single day is still incredibly difficult for her.  Her son and daughter are far away in school.  Her husband, like most men from rural China, is a migrant worker constantly traveling from city to city trying to find work so he can bring a little money home for his family.  She is alone, and life is hard.  She still lives with a lot of heartache. 

But she has Jesus. 

She has met Him in her darkest hour, and anyone who meets her can see Him shining through her.  All I could do as I watched her was praise God.  She is blossoming despite – or perhaps because of – her pain.  God has seen her suffering, in that hidden little village in the middle of rice fields in Southern China, and He is using it for good.   

Roasted Chicken Breasts with Garbanzo Beans, Tomatoes & Paprika

We just had a gorgeous weekend in Dallas.  70 degrees, sunny...  Those ice days we had a couple of weeks ago?  They're just a distant memory. 

We've moved on, people.  It's time to GRILL.

Or rather, it would be time to grill, if our courtyard didn't presently look like this:

Our apartment building has been under some heavy duty construction for almost a year.  

When we brought Knox home from the hospital in August it was to a serene, peaceful apartment where the only sounds outside our windows were those of crickets chirping, drills screeching, bricks and concrete falling, cranes lifting, hammers pounding, and workmen shouting.  This kid ought to be able to sleep through anything.

The workers are almost done now (thankfully!), but not quite.  The courtyard and pool area (where the grills used to be) is still "out of order."

Since we wanted to grill this weekend, and couldn't, I pulled out this flavorful chicken recipe instead.  I discovered it about a year ago at Epicurious.com.  It satisfied our hankering for some good meat and helped us forget (for one night at least) our present no-grill status.  

This chicken recipe is easy enough for a weeknight meal but tasty (and pretty!) enough for a dinner party. 

 

  Roasted Chicken Breasts with 

Garbanzo Beans, Tomatoes & Paprika

1/4 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves

1 Tbl. paprika

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

1/3 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt (I have also used sour cream)

4 chicken breast halves 

1 (15-oz.) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

1 (12-oz.) container cherry tomatoes

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Preheat oven to 450.  Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.  Pour 1 tsp. spiced oil mixture into small bowl; whisk in yogurt and set aside for sauce.  Place chicken on large rimmed baking sheet.  Rub 2 Tbl. spiced oil mixture over chicken.  Add beans, tomatoes and 1/2 cup cilantro to remaining spiced oil mixture; toss to coat.  Pour bean mixture around chicken.  Sprinkle everything generously with salt and pepper.

Roast until chicken is cooked through, 20-30 minutes.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cilantro.  Transfer chicken to plates.  Spoon bean mixture over top.  Serve with yogurt sauce.

Someone In Vermont ♥ Loves Me !!

 

Josh's Perfect Pancakes

Josh has a secret pancake recipe that always makes me swoon. 

He pulls it out when he really wants to impress me; chocolate chip pancakes are always my love language. 

This morning he made some for me as a surprise, just because.

And he really pulled out the big guns with this SUPER pancake, which was hand-flipped especially for me:

Yum.

I convinced him to share the recipe with us all, because these pancakes really are something special. 

Enjoy!!

Josh's Perfect Pancakes

Combine in large bowl:

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

3 Tbl. butter, melted

Mix with an electric mixer at high speed for 3 minutes.

Combine in a medium bowl:

Mix 1 1/2 cups flour

2 Tbl. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

Whisk together, then quickly add to wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.   Spoon onto a griddle, flipping when bubbles pop.  

For chocolate chip pancakes: Sprinkle chocolate chips on pancakes after they're on the griddle.

Gripes Be Gone!

Did anyone happen to notice the grape-colored rubber bracelet I was wearing in last weekend's FLOPPED challenge??

I've been wearing it all week.

Last Saturday we had a student wives seminar and luncheon here at the seminary and Linda Dillow, author of Calm My Anxious Heart, Creative Counterpart and several other books, was our guest speaker. 

She was terrific.  She challenged us to be wives who bring honor to God and joy to our marriages by the way we treat our husbands.

And she was sweet enough to give each of us a copy of her brand new book, What's it Like to be Married to Me? And Other Dangerous Questions:

(Yeah those are my V-Day flowers from Josh...
aren't they gorgeous?!)

I've only read the first two chapters but so far I think it's my favorite of her books that I've read.

Anyway, part-way into the first hour of the seminar, Linda pulled out some baskets containing these bracelets and passed one to each woman there. 

I have to be honest.  When I first saw the bracelets I thought they were a little hokey.  Did she really expect us to wear these things?    

Gripes be gone?   It sounded to me like a ShamWow or Oxy Clean infomercial.  Stains be gone!  Spills be gone!  Gripes be gone! 

And I wasn't even exactly sure what "gripe" meant.  Does anyone ever use that word any more? 

Linda proceeded to give us a challenge...to wear the bracelet for 21 days.  Every time we complain out loud, or whine, or nag our husbands, we are supposed to take the bracelet off one arm and put it on the other. 

The whole point is to make ourselves more aware of negative words that come out of our mouths so that we can learn to bite our tongues and pour out our complaints (which are often very valid) to God rather than dumping them all on our husbands. 

It's about replacing the griping with gratitude.

gripe  (grp)

v. griped, grip·ing, gripes

v.intr.

1. Informal To complain naggingly or petulantly; grumble.

According to Linda Dillow, one of the (if not the) top things that discourage, hurt and annoy husbands is hearing their wives complain, whine and nag. 

I did a little research of my own to see if this is true (ahem).  And yes, Josh would have to agree.

Me?  A griper?  No way!

Like I said, I've been wearing the bracelet all week. 

I've switched it back and forth more times than I can count and also bit my tongue more times than I count so that I wouldn't have to switch it (which is the whole point, yay!). 

I was skeptical and cynical in the beginning, but now I think everyone should have a grape gripe bracelet. 

It's really showed me how much I whine, and complain, and nag.  It's shown me when I am especially prone toward griping.  It has definitely forced my brain to think about my words before they come out. 

I've even decided that GRIPE is the perfect word for this challenge, even though no one uses it any more.  Because it's not just complaining, it's not just whining, it's not just groaning, it's not just dramatically sighing, it's not just nagging...it's all of the above.  It's griping.

It's not a magic bracelet, but it has made for an excellent exercise for my brain and my tongue. 

So go to your jewelry box, take out an old bracelet that you never wear, and take the 21-day GRIPES BE GONE! challenge.  You (and your husband) will be happy you did.

Let your speech always be with grace, 

as though seasoned with salt, 

so that you will know how you should respond to each person.  

Colossians 4:6

A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day.

Proverbs 27:15

She opens her mouth in wisdom, 

And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

Proverbs 31:26

Ronald McDonald Bandaids & Some Tender Loving Care

It's been a rough afternoon here in Knox-ville.

And we have Ronald McDonald bandaids to prove it.

Today was the dreaded day for

6 month shots.  

The little man was brave while it was happening...

cried for 30 seconds, then gave the nurses a smile.  

But now that we're home, and it still hurts, 

life is just no fun.

Even the singing gumball machine could only win a 

half smile today.

So forget about cleaning, forget about cooking,

forget about everything else on the To-Do list.

Some days are all about giving a little TLC. ♥

The Great Escape

 Looks like our bouncer days are numbered.  Watch out, world!

Sweetheart Cinna-Buns

It's Valentine's Day!♥

...A whole day filled with hearts and flowers and smiles and candy and kisses.  A day for writing love letters.  A day for romance.  A day when it's okay to make pink frosting for your husband.

And a whole day off from "no sugar" resolutions!
(But not from working out!)

I love Valentine's Day.

Usually, in our home, it is a day set aside to eat some special form of chocolate for breakfast.  Chocolate waffles, chocolate scones, chocolate-filled crepes...you get the idea. 

But for some reason this year I veered away from the traditional chocolate breakfast and went with cinnamon instead.

I tried this recipe on Christmas morning (minus the pink in the frosting).  On Christmas they were a little undercooked (due to me rushing back to the tree so I wouldn't miss any present-opening action), and today they were a little overcooked (due to this little Valentine, who was begging to have his picture taken):

But even undercooked and overcooked, these cinnamon rolls are worth making.  And someday I'll get them just right. 

Have you ever searched for cinnamon roll recipes on the internet?  There are millions.  Seriously millions.  We have tried several good ones...it's hard to pick a favorite.  This one we happened to find on the best baking blog ever, here.  And it's a keeper.  I've only made a couple of minor changes.

These cinna-buns are gooey, rich, and they have cream cheese icing.  They're everything cinnamon rolls ought to be. 

 Sweetheart Cinna-Buns

Dough
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, cut up
4 1/2 cups flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Filling
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
 2-3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Icing 

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

OR Non-Cream Cheese Icing
4 cups confectioner's sugar
4-5 Tbl. milk  

 

Dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stirring till the mixture becomes cohesive. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and knead it for 5 to 8 minutes, till it’s smooth. Or knead it in an electric mixer, using the dough hook, for 4 to 7 minutes at medium speed. Don't be tempted to add extra flour; the dough will be very soft.  Flour your hands to make handling it easier.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to grease all sides, cover the bowl with a proof cover or plastic wrap, and let it rise for 60 minutes, till it’s nearly doubled in bulk.

 
Assembly: Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and roll it into a 16 x 21-inch rectangle.  Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and butter; sprinkle mixture evenly over dough. 

Starting with a short end, roll the dough into a log, and cut it into 12 slices. Place the buns in a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Cover the pan with a proof cover or plastic wrap,* and let the buns rise until they’re nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake the buns in a preheated 400°F oven until they’re golden brown, about 15 minutes. While the buns are baking, make the icing.

Icing: In a medium bowl, beat together icing ingredients (and two drops red food coloring if you want to make it pink). Spread the icing on the buns while they’re warm. 

Makes 12 big buns.

Note: If buns begin to brown too much before centers are cooked, cover with aluminum foil and continue to bake until centers are firm.

*At this point you can refrigerate overnight.  The next morning just pop them in a cold oven set at 350 and bake for about 30 minutes.

I♥Josh