Baby Bentley

Now, before you get all excited….No, I did not have my baby!  This post is about another beautiful bundle of joy that came into the world on February 16th.  Meet Baby Bentley!!

At 7 lbs, 12 oz I don’t think he could be much cuter.  Look at that cute little button nose, and precious little lips!  Bentley’s parents were in a couples’ Bible study with Steve and me, and they have become dear friends.

This picture of Melanie and me was taken at her baby shower about 5 weeks ago.  Hard to believe in just about 10 weeks or so, my belly will be as big as her’s is in this picture!  I’m already starting to feel pretty uncomfortable, and I know it’s not going to be getting better any time soon.  But I’m just looking forward to the day I get to meet my son, and it makes everything completely worth it.

Steve came with me to visit Melanie, her husband Alex, and baby Bentley, and he got to practice holding a newborn.  It was so fun to see him with that tiny baby in his arms.  Afterward, he said he was really glad he came with me because it made him more excited for the day when our baby comes in about 3 months.  He’s going to be such a great daddy!

Ahh!!!  I can’t wait until I get to hold my baby in my arms!!  May 26th is just around the corner, and I’m hoping the time flies by.  In the mean time, I’ll just have to get my baby fix by holding Bentley.  Thank you so much, Melanie and Alex, for letting us be a part of the first couple days of your precious son’s life.  We love you guys!

3 Bean Slow Cooker Chili

When we went to our best friends’ Super Bowl party a couple weeks ago, I was in charge of making the chili.  I’ve tried a few different recipes before and none really hit the nail on the head for me, but this 3-bean chili recipe I found in one of my slow cooker cookbooks really turned out great!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 3 tsp chili powder
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cans (16 oz) Dark Red Kidney Beans
  • 2 cans (16 oz) Pinto Beans
  • 2 cans (15 oz) Black Beans
  • 1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

 

Add ground beef to a hot skillet and cook until browned.

 

While your meat is browning, chop up your onion into a small dice.

 

Transfer browned meat to a paper towel lined plate using a slotted spoon.

 

Then pour the remaining fat from the pan into a mason jar, or another heat proof container where you can let it cool and harden.

 

Look at all that fat that’s in the jar that could have ended up in your arteries!  Whenever I have to drain fat or grease like this, I add it to a jar, and just keep that jar sealed in one of my cabinets.  Then when the jar gets full I throw it away.  Keeps my drain from getting clogged.

 

Transfer meat to your slow cooker.

 

Add the diced onion to the meat.

 

Add the black beans,

 

Pinto Beans,

 

And kidney beans to the slow cooker.

 

Then add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste.  I used a can of diced tomatoes with bits of jalapeno to give it a little extra kick.

 

Then add salts, pepper, cumin and cinnamon.

 

Then stir it around so that everything is blended and mixed together thoroughly.

Cover and cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours or on High for 2 hours.

Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of the final product because we finished cooking the chili at our friends’ house, but hopefully you get the idea.  Enjoy!

Chicken & Black Bean Taquitos

Steve and I are part of a Couples’ Bible Study with several of our friends, and we’re studying the book His Needs, Her Needs by Willard F. Harley, Jr.  In the first couple chapters of the book it talks about making deposits and withdrawals in each other’s “Love Bank.”  While the group was discussing some of the chapter, I leaned over to Steve and quietly asked what I could do to make a deposit in his Love Bank.  He immediately answered, “Make dinner.”

I’m ashamed to say that lately I have been very lacking in the dinner making department.  I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been tired because of the pregnancy, or maybe I just got used to not making dinner when I was super nauseous for several weeks and I could only eat a very select variety of foods.  Either way, we have eaten out or ordered in more than I care to say in the past few months, and my husband has felt neglected because of it (even if he won’t come right out and say it).

So when he told me that making dinner would add to his Love Bank, I decided then and there that I would try make dinner every night, unless unforeseen circumstances or plans prevent me from doing so.

I’ve been looking up and trying out new recipes that I’ve never made before, and I thought I might as well share them with you along the way!  This recipe for chicken & black bean taquitos is adapted from a recipe I found on foodgawker.com, and it’s actually pretty healthy!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (each breast can make 2-3 taquitos, so plan accordingly)
  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock (or broth)
  • 1/3 cup black beans, drained
  • 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, sliced or diced
  • flour tortillas
  • cheddar cheese (freshly grated tastes the best)
  • cilantro

Start by adding cooked and shredded chicken to a medium skillet over medium high heat (drizzle some olive oil on the pan before adding chicken).

 

Add cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to the chicken.

 

Give it a good stir so that the spices coat each piece of chicken.

 

Pour chicken stock into the pan.

 

Bring to a boil and let simmer until all the liquid has evaporated (about 5 minutes).

 

While chicken stock is simmering, add black beans to the skillet and give it a stir.

 

Once all the liquid has evaporated add roasted red peppers to the chicken and beans and stir to combine.

 

Heat tortillas in the microwave fore about 30 seconds to soften them.  Place a tortilla on a cookie sheet (I put foil down over the cookie sheet for easy cleanup).  Then add some freshly grated cheese down the middle of the tortilla.

 

Add some of the chicken and black bean mixture to the tortilla.  Remember that you’re going to be rolling these, so don’t over fill it.

 

Next add some chopped cilantro.  You can omit this step if you’re not a cilantro fan.  I, for one, am a HUGE cilantro fan, so of course I added it.

 

Roll the tortilla and set it on the cookie sheet seam side down.  You don’t want the tortilla to unroll on you!

 

Once you have all your taquitos rolled, place in a 425° oven for about 15 minutes, or until tortillas are golden brown and crispy.  Turn taquitos over after 10 minutes to let the other side brown up.

 

Serve taquitos with freshly made salsa or guacamole.  They’re delicious, and the crispy tortilla adds great texture!  Hope you like them as much as we did!