Valentine's for Ellie's class

So valentine's day is right around the corner and for the first time in the history of me having children I am actually done with my daughters valentines  and not hastily  writing out those little cards the night before the class party. I really wanted to do something different this year so I went on Pintrest to get some ideas. WOW! There were so many cute and ingenious ideas it was really hard to pick just one. I am always amazed at what people come up with.  I went back and forth on several then let the boss pick which one she liked. E decided to go with the "I dig you" valentine we saw on  thefryfamilyblog.blogspot.com.

I couldn't find the exact same shovels at the store so I went with more of a scoop. They were a little more expensive than I would have liked but I didn't think I had enough time to order them off the internet. I got blue for the boys and pink for the girls. I think I will stock up on shovels for future projects in the summer when they are really cheap. I also went with jelly beans instead of M&M's, mostly just because I like them better :)

I really would have loved to buy the cute stamp cutters and do a fancier tag but I was already over my budget with the scoops so I opted for a little heart stamp and white tags instead. I'm hoping that as I start to do more of these little projects I will learn how to do them a little cheaper and build up my crafting supplies.

I think they came out very cute though and E is very pleased and excited about giving them to her friends as well.

I wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Soup

Earlier this week I purchased a gigantic bag of cilantro and it has been inspiring my dinners all week. Yesterday I made a soup using left over rotisserie chicken and a big handful of the cilantro. It came out really good with a decidedly Mexican flair to it and it was super easy. We topped it with homemade corn tortilla chips, cheese, avocado, and a little fresh cilantro. Yum.

2              tbsp       garlic, minced

1/2         lg             red onion

2-3                          carrots, chopped small

1              c              cilantro, chopped

8oz         can         tomato sauce

32oz       carton   chicken broth

1              can         corn

splash lime juice to taste

salt and pepper to taste

1/2         the meat off a rotisserie chicken, chopped

 

shredded cheese

avocado

extra cilantro for serving

Soup

In a large pot sauté garlic, onion, and carrot in olive oil until softened,  about 4 minutes. Add cilantro and cook 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, broth, and lime juice. Cook until boiling then add corn, salt and pepper, and chicken. Cook until heated through.

Tortilla chips

canola oil

6 - 8        corn tortillas

salt

In a large pan heat oil until hot but not smoking.  Stack tortillas and cut into strips then cut strips in half. Add half the tortilla strips to the oil and sprinkle with salt. Cook until golden then flip over. Remove from pan and drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with second half.

To serve soup spoon into bowls and top with chips, cheese, avocado, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

Enjoy!!!

Chicken Cilantro Lime Quesdillas

TeckMan is out of town again this week, so it's just me and the girls at home.  Now, I don't know about you but for me this automatically means I don't feel like cooking,  because let's face it, the girls really don't care what I make as long as they are full at the end of it. But, I guess I still need to feed the monkeys, so armed with that most wonderful of modern marvels, the precooked rotisserie chicken, and a newly discovered gigantic bag of cilantro at Costco, I decided to throw together some quesadillas.

Quesadillas happen to be my go to for a quick meal I know the kids will eat without question and they are also really great for using up leftovers like bean salad or pretty much any kind of meat. Last night it happen to be chicken, and paired with the cilantro (my second favorite herb on the planet), a little onion, a splash of lime...ahhh yum!

I usually use the uncooked tortillas and grill them on the flat grill. I think they get a little crispier than the regular ones but, having said that, it takes a little longer to cook them. I guess it's up to you if it's worth the wait. I think it is.

Now, because I just threw these together I don't really have any measurements. Just be sure to think about how many people you have and make enough filling to accommodate.  I think sometimes the best creations come when you just throw a little of this and a little of that in anyway. It's always fun to experiment.

Filling

rotisserie chicken, chopped

big handful cilantro, chopped fine

red onion, chopped fine

sweet bell pepper, any color, chopped fine

avocado, chopped fine

splash of lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

flour tortillas

shredded cheese

Combine all the ingredients for the filling and mix well. 

I use a flat grill to make these because it allows me to make two at a time but you can use a fry pan as well, just make sure it doesn't get too hot or you'll burn the tortillas before all the cheese is melted. Cook  one side of the tortilla until lightly golden, about 10 to 20 seconds depending on which kind of tortilla you have, remove from pan. Place another tortilla on the grill and repeat . Flip over and layer cheese, filling, then cheese again. You don't need all that much cheese, just enough to hold the tortillas together. Top the filling with the remaining tortilla, uncooked side up. When the bottom tortilla is done flip over to cook the top tortilla.  Remove from pan and cut into four pieces. Serve with sour cream, taco sauce, or Tabasco sauce.

Enjoy!!!