The Way They Think! and other things

While Tom was working in St. Louis last week, the kids and I accompanied him so I could help out with Gina Loudon's campaign for a couple days. We stayed at the Red Roof Inn, and Hosanna and Caleb thought it was the Ritz! When we first surveyed our room, Hosanna asked in a puzzled tone,

"Where are the life jackets, Mom?"

It took me a moment to realize that the last time we stayed overnight in a "hotel" was during our cruise last fall, where each room was outfitted with life jackets.
I reassured her that we didn't need them, seeing as how we weren't near any large bodies of water!

A couple days ago, as we were driving and Caleb was (again) outlining the plan for his life (he insists that he's going to be an engineer), he causally stated, "Well, when I get married and have a wife, I'm going to buy that stuff you drink to have babies. So we can drink it and have a baby." (???)

I have no clue where that came from!

Ahh, the conversations that arise with kids!

As you can see, I have not been blogging much, or doing anything but the basics, for most of June and July. I recently had a second root canal (yesterday....and still ouch!) and discovered that tooth pain can get quite debilitating. However, I've enjoyed visits from family and friends, most of them helping me out!, and seeing the kids enjoy swimming and doing other summer activities. Tom's garden is like the Amazon rain forest and producing like crazy. The fresh vegetables have been great! He and the kids tend the garden and pick the produce, and pile everything on my counter. Most of it has been used, although some green beans have gone to waste. The next crop will go in our freezer!

I'm looking forward to feeling more like myself in the next couple weeks!

Black Bean Tortilla Bake

This is a delicious new recipe I recently discovered in my, "What Can I Bring? Cookbook". I've had several requests for it and so have decided to post it here for all of you to enjoy! (See my variations listed at the bottom.)

FOR THE TORTILLA BAKE:
2 T. vegetable oil
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped (1 cup)
1 medium-size onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 medium-size cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh jalapeno pepper (optional), cored, seeded, deveined, and chopped
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 oz) chopped tomatoes with green chilies, such as Rotel, undrained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 T ground cumin
6 flour tortillas (7-8 inches each)
4 cups (1 lb.) shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend

FOR SERVING:
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream
Lime wedges

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, garlic, and jalapeno, if desired. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, 2-3 minutes. Add both types of tomatoes, the black beans, and cumin and let simmer, stirring occasionally, uncovered, until the sauce is slightly reduced, 7-8 minutes.

3. Spread about 2 cups of the sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish. Place 2 tortillas on top, overlapping them, then sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the cheese over the tortillas. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the cheese, top it with 2 tortillas, and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Repeat with the remaining sauce, 2 tortillas, and 1 cup of cheese. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

4. Bake the casserole until it has cooked through and the cheese has melted, 35-40 minutes. Transfer the tortilla bake to a tray and serve it with the lettuce, cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges on the side.

My variations:
Instead of buying canned black beans, I prepared my own and tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I think it really added to the overall flavor!
Also, I ommitted the jalapeno but:
Instead of the last cup of cheese on top, I placed squares of pepper jack cheese!
Lastly, I think perhaps it could use 2-3 more tortillas.