feta + sweet potato + black bean quesadillas

In Katie's post yesterday (featuring a delicious chili recipe) she mentioned that her husband doesn't like sweet potatoes. Maybe it's just a husband thing, because neither does mine. Sad times.

You would think that would stop me from buying fifteen pound bags of them at Costco.

Think again.

My kids and I eat them for lunch at least three days a week. I like to cook them in the microwave (scrub, poke holes with a fork, cover with paper towel, cook on high for six minutes, flip half way through) so that they are soft, but not mushy. Then we cut them in half, top with olive oil, salt, and parmesan, and dig in.

I made this quesadilla with half of a left over cooked potato, a handful of black beans, a sprinkling of feta, and a dash of cumin (hope you didn't think you were getting a real recipe with, like, amounts). I grilled it in a little butter.

It would also be great with a pinch of chili powder or some red onions for crunch.

(Above photo: "I'm going to thieve it from you, Mommy!" He did.)

Enjoy!
Ashley

chipotle black bean chili with sweet potato and quinoa + whole30

For the sake of experimentation, and of being more intentional with what we put into our bodies, the hubby and I are trying a whole30. Basically this is a super-strict paleo diet for 30 days- no grains, legumes, dairy, sugar of any kind, or alcohol. The point is to reset your eating habits and cravings, and to eliminate inflammation that may be cropping up as a result of the food you eat. I'm actually really excited- I've been wanting to take action to get the rest of the baby weight off, and to just eat better in general. I already avoid gluten and most dairy anyway so this program fits me perfectly. We start tomorrow!

I don't plan to give you the play-by-play, because everyone and their mom is doing that on their blog, so if you want to know how to do a whole30 yourself, find one of them. I will pop in to tell you my favorite recipe of the week and how things are going, and a summary after the 30 days are up (did I starve? How did I manage without ice cream and wine? Oh, the suspense).

In the meantime, I've been meaning to share this recipe with you. It's totally not whole30 approved, but I made it a few days ago and it was delicious. If you like chili, you'll like this. Even my sweet-potato-averse husband admitted the sweet potatoes soaked up the flavor of the rest of the soup and they were tolerable. So if you like the orange stuff, just imagine!

        

Chipotle Black Bean Chili with sweet potatoes and quinoa
Serves 6-8

1 medium red onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and cubed
1 chipotle chile (that's one chile, not one can) in adobo, finely chopped (sold in cans in the Mexican section of most grocery stores)
Two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, or one 28-ounce can
Two 15-ounce cans black beans
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well
4 cups veggie or chicken broth

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, drizzle a bit of oil over medium heat. Add the onions, pepper, chili powder, cumin and salt. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until veggies begin to soften. Add sweet potatoes and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 25-30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft and quinoa cooked. Serve garnished with cheese, sour cream and green onions.

nom nom, Katie 

the oregon coast + my uniform

Last week we got away to the coast for a few days with Lane's family. The weather was cold, but beautiful.

One afternoon we decided to take James on a "special adventure" since poor baby Elle had the flu while we were there. Our original idea was the Hatfield Marine Center, but they had closed early so we enjoyed the views from the harbor at Newport and ate sour taffy instead.

I also had Lane snap a couple quick pictures so I could write my first official style post. 

(Let me be clear: these are not fashion posts I will be doing, by any stretch of the imagination. These are style posts. After all, who knows my style better than I do?)

As previously mentioned, my uniform is jeans and a plaid shirt. I am going to try to branch out, which is part of the goal of the style posts. Also, I think they are just plain fun and I enjoy reading them on other people's blogs- so I figure: this is my blog, why not?

sweater: hand-me-down from my mom

plaid shirt: thrift shop

t-shirt: threads for thought

jeans: old navy (therefore, they only reach to about mid-calf)

boots: thrift shop (cha-ching!)

What's your uniform?

Thanks for reading!

Ashley

diy canvas dish towel wall art

So, here's a strange confession of a blogger: I've never liked the term "DIY". In all honesty, it's always kind of bummed me out. I just feel like it implies that you have to be super crafty, and that the project is going to take a lot of work.

But! I have decided to embrace the term and make it to mean what I would like, which is this: a cheap way to make something instead of buy it, that is actually surprisingly easy. I believe this definition fits well for the "DIY project" I am telling you about today.

To make it, simply stretch a dish towel (or piece of fabric, or whatever else you would like) over a canvas, as tight as you can fit it. Then, use a staple gun to secure it. Done.

I used a dish towel from New Seasons that I was originally going to make into a pillow. Then I remembered that I can't sew and it became wall art, which I love so it all worked out in the end.

What dish towel or fabric would you use?

Happy do-it-yourself-ing!
Ashley

thirteen fill-in-the-blanks for 2013

Since it is New Year's Eve and all, this is always a good time to reflect on the past year. I also think this is a great opportunity to begin our fill-in-the-blanks. 

We really love the idea of creating a community through our little blog, and I thought this would be a fun, lighthearted way to get to know our readers a bit better. So, please copy the following into the "comments" section and fill in the blanks. I look forward to reading all your responses!

a place you went:

the best thing you ate: 

a book you read:

something you celebrated:

the outfit that was your uniform: 

a movie you saw (in the theater):

most memorable gift you were given: 

a restaurant you went to: 

favorite purchase you made:

a performance you went to (or participated in):

a home decor project you completed:

the album you couldn't stop listening to:

a new experience:

I completed one to get us started:

a place you went: didn't do a lot of traveling this year, but did go camping up at Lake Merwin

the best thing you ate: Lane made this tomato curry soup that I am obsessed with, but these rosemary cookies are a close second!

a book you read: My Life in France by Julia Child (love her!)

something you celebrated: six years of marriage to my favorite man 

the outfit that was your uniform: jeans + plaid shirts... I'm totally in a rut! (resolution?)

a movie you saw (in the theater): the second Hobbit movie (also the only movie I saw in a theater this year)

most memorable gift you were given: My dad framed a picture he took in Venice and gave it to us for Christmas. He was a professional photographer for most of his life, so it is really beautiful and special.

a new restaurant you went to: Les Caves in Corvallis. It is excellent. We would be in there weekly if we lived there!

favorite purchase you made: I'm not a big spender, but I did just buy an amazing pair of brown leather boots at a thrift shop for super cheap

a performance you went to (or participated in): saw Leagues in concert with some good friends

a home decor project you completed: the basement is finally painted!

the album you couldn't stop listening to: Mutual Friends by BOY

a new experience: Eleanor came into our lives at the tail end of last year, so being a mommy of two has been a wonderful all-new adventure!

Thank you for reading and Happy New Year's Eve!
Ashley

rosemary walnut maple shortbread cookies

The idea for this recipe popped into my head when I tossed a bag of walnuts onto the counter and they landed next to a glass full of fresh rosemary sprigs my mother-in-law had just brought to me.

I wish the rosemary sprigs had actually come from my garden, but, alas, I have killed every rosemary plant I have ever bought or been gifted.

When we moved into this neighborhood I hoped that someone may have a huge rosemary bush sitting conveniently near the sidewalk in their front yard so that I could casually stroll by, scissors poised, and swipe a few handfuls for use in various savory and sweet dishes.

Sadly, the only rosemary bush (which is ginormous*, by the way) is in the middle of the traffic circle I drive around to enter our hood. I imagine that it soaks up quite a bit of exhaust, so I haven't snagged any rosemary from that bush. However, I have considered uprooting part of the plant and attempting a transfer into my own yard. I don't know if this would work, but it may have to be done at night so the neighbors don't notice. But I'm pretty sure digging out plants from the middle of the traffic circle in the dark would put me into the "crazy" category.

Wow. And now that you know the ridiculous extent of my rosemary woes and fantasies, here is the cookie recipe already...

Rosemary Walnut Maple Shortbread Cookies
makes about 20

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1/2 cup maple syrup (or white sugar**)
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together the butter and syrup (or sugar).
In a separate bowl, combine the four, salt, and rosemary.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well combined. Mix in the nuts.
Drop the dough by heaping tablespoon onto a un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are just becoming golden brown around the edges. Let cool on a rack before eating with a hot cup of tea.

Enjoy,

Ashley

*Did you know "ginormous" is a legit word? Me either, until I googled it when spell check didn't red-squiggly underline it.

**Using maple syrup created a more chewy cookie, whereas the sugar caused the cookie to be crunchier. Also, the cookies made with maple syrup spread out slightly more while baking.

Another additional note: the rosemary begins very subtly, but actually becomes more flavorful after the cookies have been stored for a couple days. I prefer them with a strong flavor, so about three days after baking is ideal to me.

the great christmas take-down of 2013

If your Christmas was anything like mine, it made its way to the far reaches of your home- seemingly erupting in every nook and cranny. And if you are like me, you looooooove Christmas and all the decor it brings, but when it's over you are more than relieved to take it all down.

Last night I decided to de-Christmas our home after the kids went to bed. I also decided to reorganize the four gigantic boxes of holiday paraphernalia that we have accumulated.

In my organizational fantasies I have large, well-labeled, stack-able plastic boxes, perhaps with compartments or more well-labeled boxes within them. Truthfully, I actually just have some big cardboard boxes that are falling apart.

In order to keep organized and to keep things from breaking I had to get creative with the resources left to me (aka the recycling bin and wrapping paper still strewn all over the floor). I want to share just a few tips, but really I am hoping that I can gain some tips also. So, here are a few of my decor packing ideas that you may want to utilize:

Pack ornaments in beer boxes. The little compartments are perfect for breakable ornaments and you can load lighter, more durable ornaments on top. The little tins and sturdy boxes everyone gave you cookies and candies in are also great for ornaments.

Wrap strings of lights around toy boxes. James' duplos set and new art supplies came in just the right size boxes to wrap lights around. This way, they will be all ready to unwind and string up next year.

Wrap fragile decorations in used tissue paper and wrapping paper. I don't know a lot of people who still receive the newspaper, and I usually don't have packing peanuts lying around. What I do have the day after Christmas is loads and loads of crumpled wrapping paper. Perfect for wrapping the fragile ornaments.

I would love to hear your holiday put-away ideas!
Ashley