Peanuts and Friends

A few weeks ago we had our friend Bob over for homemade chicken noodle soup.

That was also the same week that the Peanuts classic "The Great Pumpkin" aired on TV. John and I watched it together with popcorn.

John and Georgie

Here's my sweetheart, smiling near a pretty red berry bush. We were out window shopping together on a chilly afternoon. If you look closely, you can see my reflection in his shades (notice the spot of blue which is my scarf).

A few days later John and I took Georgie to the dog park to play. John and Georgie are in the center of the picture, running together.

Halloween Hound and Democratic Doggie

This is Wrigley, Missy and Stephen's dog. He's dressed up as a king for Halloween because he's the king of the house!

And here is Georgie, our Regal Beagle, who is sporting her Democrat neck tie made by my step mom, Leslie. Georgie has proudly worn this all over the city as a reminder to all Democrats (and Republicans) to "Barack" the vote on election day. Okay, to be fair, "McCain" the vote, if that's your choice, but that just doesn't sound as catchy.


The more pictures I took, the sleepier Georgie seemed to become.

Haircut

I got a very long over due haircut last week at a little shop down the street. I'm not a fan of fancy, overpriced salons, especially just for a simple haircut, so I was very happy to discover "Anonymous Total Hair Care". They did a great job, were very friendly, and had totally reasonable prices.
Before the haircut...

After!

Apple, Brie, and Honey Quesadilla

I've used these same ingredients to make a panini, but made this was the first time I made it as a quesadilla. It was really delicious, but a little sticky from the warm honey.
Spread 1 teaspoon dijon or honey mustard over a flour tortilla. Place the tortilla on a hot skillet over medium-high heat and top with:
1 slice of ham or turkey
3 thin slices of brie cheese
10-15 thin slices of peeled pear or apple
1 tablespoon honey
8 fresh spinach or arugula leaves
pinch of salt and black pepper






Top with another flour tortilla, flip, and cook until the cheese starts to melt.



Cut into four pieces and enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Blackbeans and Corn

We eat some form of grilled taco quite often. I also make a "sandwich" version filled with turkey or ham, swiss cheese, fresh spinach, and sliced tomatoes, but this Southwestern version was really delicious too. I filled these with roasted corn, black beans, shredded chicken and salsa, and monterrey jack cheese.
Roasted corn filling:
2 ears fresh corn
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Clean the corn by removing the husks and all the little hairs. Brush a mixture of melted butter, cumin, and chili powder all over the corn and cook on a hot skillet, covered with a lid, turning the corn occasionally so that all sides get smokey and toasty. Remove from heat, let cool, and then slice kernals away from the cob with a knife.

Black bean filling:
1 can black beanns
1 tablespoon ground cumin
salt and pepper
Combine black beans and cumin in a sauce pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until heated through.

Salsa chicken filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 cup chunky salsa
Heat olive oil in sauce pan and add the onion, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the shredded chicken and salsa and cook over medium heat until heated through.

Shredded cheese filling:
I used about 3/4 cup of Monterrey Jack, but cheddar would have been delicious, too...or both!

Assemble the tacos:
Heat both sides of a flour tortilla on a clean, hot skillet for a few seconds - just long enough to soften the tortilla. Remove from heat and add the fillings to one half of the tortilla. Add just enough filling that the taco can be neatly folded over.

Grill the tacos:

Place the folded and stuffed taco back on the hot skillet and cook both sides until golden brown and toasty.

Sweet Little Pumpkins

John brought these home the other day for our apartment. He knew how excited I was to make Jack-O-Lanterns together this autumn. However, now that they have been sitting in the window a few days, I can't bear to cut into them. They are too cute sitting together in the window.