Dreams and Avocados

In the McGhee home, we like to dream big.

For instance, my middle mini wants to grow up and live in an RV on the beach and be a stay at home dad so he can play with his kids on the beach all day while his wife works.

My oldest mini wants to work at a smoothie shop and make "power smoothies".

And my tiny mini dreams of never having her hair cut.

I dream of baking bread, growing my own pear tomatoes, and raising chickens.  Thank goodness for Mr. McGhee and his grown up dreams or we'd all be in trouble!

Another thing I dream about is avocados.

I think avocados are the perfect food.  If I am ever stranded on an island....say in an RV with my middle and oldest mini because we don't have enough money to pay our phone bill and call for help.....I would want to have a source of avocados near by.  They have fat.  They have calories.  And they pack 20 nutrients.  And they are darn tasty.  Just as a sidenote, they are they perfect first food for a baby too, just smash and serve.

So, tonight's dinner is avocado chicken quesadilias.

Ingredients  

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 8 flour tortillas, fajita size
• 1 cup Colby-Jack cheese
• 1 cup Pepper-Jack cheese, shredded
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I used chicken from yesterday)
• 1 avocado, diced sprinkled with 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 green onions, diced

Instructions (Just as a sidenote here, I have wasted a solid hour of my life trying to get this off of an aqua and large font and I can't get it to work.  So, I apologize if this is bothering you.  Please know it is bothering me too.)

1.  Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add a little butter to the griddle and melt. 

2.  Place one tortilla over melted butter, sprinkle with 1/4 cup Colby-Jack and 1/4 cup Pepper-Jack cheeses, 1/2 cup of chicken, 1/4 of the green onions, and 1/4 of the avocado; top with another tortilla. 

3.  Cook until browned, using a spatula gently flip over and cook until bottom tortilla is browned. Remove to a cutting board and slice with a sharp knife or pizza cutter into 4 wedges. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

These quesadilias were absolutely delish!  If you have never tried homemade tortillas, I highly recommend trying them with this recipe, it is well worth the extra time and effort.  


Roll the tortillas out as thin as you can.  

Try to cut them in equal sizes.  For Pete's sake, do a better job of this step than I do!!!

Heat up on a skillet....no spray, oil, grease needed....just a minute or so on each side until browned.

So, here's my quesadilia.  It's a trainwreck, but an oh-so-delish trainwreck.

I served my delish quesadilias with these babies....

You can see on the ingredient label, that these tortilla chips only have 4 ingredients so technically they are not processed food.   In my heart, I know these are a cheat.  I also have a certain Mr. McGhee that is in my heart too.  And Mr. McGhee loves him some tortilla chips and homemade salsa.   And since his dreams keep our family afloat, I strive to keep him happy.  Just ask him.  

So there you go, a totally delish dinner!  Eat your avocados!  And, for crying out loud readers, ChAsE yOuR dReAmS.  (Even if that dream is to live in an van down by the river RV on the beach).

K-sah-dil-lias and OMG!!!!!BROILED GRAPEFRUIT!!!

I told you that I went to the doctor for a physical the other day.  Now, I know that getting your blood taken and analyzed isn't a competition, but if it were, I am practically an Olympian.  Even Mr. McGhee was postively gushing when he rolled his eyes and mumbled "well, you're doing something right."  So, yeah me! 

Last night's dinner was delish, so I have to share it with you.  I got the recipe from the Pioneer Woman, which is a blog I have followed for years.  The Pioneer Woman always has amazing recipes and photographs, plus she homeschools her minis and lives on a ranch with her husband, who is a cowboy.  Oh yeah, and she is hysterically funny.  In comparison, I ship my minis off to school so I can take crappy pictures of my simple recipes.  I live in a Wisteria Lane-esque subdivision with Mr. McGhee, who is not a cowboy.  Pioneer Woman has a tv show.  I have an audience in my head that I speak to all day.  Now you understand why I follow Pioneer Woman. 

Spinach and Mushroom Quesadilia (I am assuming Pioneer Woman calls these k-sah-dee-yahs.  In the McGhee household, these are k-sah-dil-lias." 

3 Tablespoons Butter

16 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Sliced

1/3 cup Sherry Or Wine

3 Tablespoons (additional) Sherry Or Wine

Kosher Salt And Pepper To Taste

1 bag Baby Spinach

12 whole Flour Tortillas (Soft Taco Size)

8 ounces, weight Fontina (or Monterey Jack) Cheese, Grated

3 ounces, weight Goat Cheese (chevre)

Extra Butter, For Tortillas

Salsa, For Serving

1.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet and add sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then saute over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then pour in sherry. Add salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 6 to 8 minutes, or until all liquid is evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet and set aside.

2.  Return skillet to stovetop and reduce heat to medium-low. Melt additional 1 tablespoons of butter and add a couple of tablespooons of sherry. Add spinach to skillet and stir gently as it wilts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cook for 2 minutes, max. Remove from skillet.

3.  To assemble the quesadillas, arrange grated Fontina, spinach, and mushrooms on top of one flour tortilla. Dot with goat cheese. Top with a little more Fontina, then top with second tortilla. Smear softened butter lightly on both sides of the quesadilla, then grill until golden brown and until cheese is totally melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
Slice quesadillas into four wedges and serve immediately.

*sidenote* I did not smear my tortillas with butter.  In fact, I mainly used olive oil in place of butter in the recipe.  Next time, I think I will use butter-flavored grapeseed oil.   

Resist all temptation to eat entire pan of mushrooms.  I will never EVER EVER make sliced mushrooms again for anything without adding sherry.  Oh. My. Delish.

Delish.  And nobody here will judge you if you enjoy your quesadilia with a bottle glass of Malbec. 

Today I got home from spin class (remember, I'm a biker....you know, the hard-core type that rides a stationary bike indoors) and was postively starving.  I remembered a recipe I have been dying to try for broiled grapefruit. 

• grapefruit, cut in half
• honey
• plain, greek yogurt
• chopped walnuts
• unsweetened shredded coconut
• cinnamon

1.  Preheat Broiler.
2.  Place grapefruit halves on foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with small amount of honey.
3.  Broil 6 minutes until golden.
4.  Top with yogurt, wanuts, coconut, and cinnamon.

Before, drizzled with honey.

After.  Oh. My. Delish.

Um, hello fancy schmancy Heids McGhee?!?!?  I don't know any stuck up rich people, but if I did....I would totally say, "Hey, want to come over for breakfast?  We are having broiled grapefruit."  Until I find some rich stuck up people, I will just share my grapefruit with people I love....I live a blessed life full of those!