I usually feel like I am shirking my home maker duties when I serve quesadillas for dinner. They are simple, boring, and easy. Well this quesadilla recipe is none of those things. When my husband tasted this, his reaction was like "wow, this is a keeper!" and I totally agree. The onions in these quesadillas are packed full with this deep rich flavor. You get the subtle bite of the arugula, the thick herby mushrooms, the melty cheese. It's even vegetarian! So so good, you won't believe your mouth. 

The downside? You'll need to dirty 2 pans, and caramelized onions aren't quick. But these babies are worth it. Total cook time is about 20 minutes.  
Serves 2 adults + 1 toddler :) 

Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp packed brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 pkg baby portabellos, thinly sliced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh stripped thyme
salt & pepper
10 corn tortillas
1 cup melty white cheese
2 cups arugula 

In one pan, some heat some olive oil and begin to caramelize your onions on medium heat. (Don't forget to add salt and pepper to your onions.) 

In another pan, melt your butter and a bit of olive oil and begin to cook your mushrooms. (Don't forget to salt and pepper your mushrooms.) 

Stir both pans occasionally, let everything reduce and get golden. 

To your onions add your sugar and vinegar. Let the liquid reduce down and get absorbed by the onions. Remove from pan. 

To your mushrooms add your garlic and thyme. When the garlic is fragrant and a bit soft, remove the mushrooms from the pan. 

Make sure both your pans still have a good coating of oil. Place your tortillas down, cover with a layer of onions, mushrooms, cheese, arugula, and another layer of tortilla. Cook until the tortilla is golden and crispy, then flip and do the same on the other side. 

Cut into quarters and serve immediately. You will seriously be blown away by the amazing unforgettable flavors of these quesadillas! I am already dreaming of what I can whip up with these flavorful onions next!

There are so many wonderful things I have to say about this salad, that I barely know where to start. This is the very first recipe I tried ripping off from a restaurant. My husband loved a particular island grill fast casual place and would make me go there constantly. I didn't really love anything on their menu particularly until I found this delicious BBQ Chicken Salad. I craved it constantly and spent a hefty portion of my meal budget on it weekly. I decided I could make it for much less at home, so this recipe was born. It took a little tweaking, but it is amazing. This is the type of salad where I want to lick the bowl when I'm done. Its hearty, tangy, full of goodness. Even my 2 year old gobbles it up, and you will too.

Salad Ingredients:

1 head green leaf lettuce, washed dried and chopped

1 avacado, sliced into cubes

1 chicken breast, grilled and cubed, cooled 

1 can corn, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup tortilla chips, crumbled

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Dressing:

1/2 packet of hidden valley ranch dressing mix

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons bbq sauce

2 tablespoons water 

Assemble your salad ingredients (lettuce, cheese, avocado, chicken, corn, beans, chips) in a large bowl. One quick tip is to use your salad spinner that you just cleaned the lettuce with, to also drain and rinse your beans and corn. Its a great way to wash all your ingredients while removing the excess moisture that can make a salad soggy. For your dressing, combine all your dressing ingredients in a mason jar or something similar with a lid. Stir it all together or shake it up until combined. Refrigerate dressing for at least 30 minutes. When you are ready to serve, add your dressing to your salad and mix until incorporated. This will serve approximately 4 people. 

I'm not kidding when I tell you that this is a salad that I crave. It has enough protein to keep you full and satisfied, the chips add a nice carb to keep us carb addicts happy too, and the dressing, well lets just say its a little bit of heaven. You will not regret making this for dinner. Enjoy!

Tonight we stumbled upon a very satisfying and filling meal that came together in a snap. Quesadillas and wraps are so easy to put together, but they can get a little boring week after week. Tonight I made a BBQ chicken Mexican pizza for dinner. It was so easy to throw together but had some unique twists that made it a lot more fun than a boring old quesadilla. It is crispy, ooey gooey, and crunchy all at the same time. The individual layers in this pizza filled with Mexican flavored goodness are like a cinco de mayo party in your mouth, while still being simple enough for a weeknight meal. 

Ingredients:

3 whole wheat soft tortilla shells 

1 can pinto beans 

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

2 tsp olive oil 

1 small onion

1 tsp cumin 

1 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper 

1/2 of an avacado 

1/2 lrg cooked chicken breast, shredded

3 tablespoons BBQ sauce 

Cilantro for garnish 

Turn on oven to 350. Take a tortilla and place it on a baking sheet. Cover it will 1 cup of cheese and then place the 2nd tortilla on top of that. Bake for 5-7 minutes while you complete the next step. 

Warm your oil in a frying pan and cook your onion with your salt until translucent. Rinse and drain your beans and add them to the pan with your other spices. Heat through then mash with a potato masher so they have the consistency of refried beans. 

Take your tortillas out of the oven and top the 2nd layer with beans. Add your 3rd tortilla on top of that. Add your chicken, cheese, and drizzle with BBQ sauce. Put it back in the oven and bake until crispy and the cheese on top is bubbly. Remove from oven.

Cut your avacado and place that and the cilantro on top. Cut into wedges and serve pizza style. 

Feel free to switch up the chicken with whatever type of extra protein you have laying around your house. This would also work well with black beans too. Add chili powder if you love heat. This is the beauty of this type of me, you can clean out your fridge! Just don't leave off the BBQ sauce, it will give your Mexican pizza a lovely Kansas City sweetness and tang. Enjoy! 

While we lived in France, we of course came to love all of the delicious french cheese available to us. One style we particularly loved was their soft cheese spread. Paired with chips or a typical baguette, this was an appetizer that was easy and irresistible. Now that we are back living in the states, this is a french style treat that I frequently try to recreate here on our farm. Lets just stay, it never lasts longer than a few minutes because it always gets devoured very quickly. 

Ingredients: 
8 oz package of cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 tsp beau monde seasoning 
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp herbs de provence (order ours HERE) 
1/4 tsp dried lavender (order ours HERE) 
1 tsp water
1 tsp fresh parsley
1/4 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce

Beat all ingredients with an electric mixer and pack into a container. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Bring back to room temprature before serving. This is excellent on anything! Use your imagination and use this in any recipes requiring a soft cheese, or even just use as a dip for pita chips. Its up to you, but whatever you decide, you will be happy with it.