Taco~Refried Bean Casserole

Leftovers. Some people love them, others not so much! I always like to try to reinvent leftovers into something else. Like when I repurpose old sheets into weaving strips for rag rug weaving. I have always been a big proponent of not wasting anything, especially food.  I don’t like letting them sit in the fridge until whatever becomes a green, fuzzy science experiment.

In the freezer I had some leftover taco beef in one container, and refried beans in another. Instead of reaching for the hard taco shells to make tacos, I thought, what if I transformed these humble, but … Read more...

Roasted Corn and Poblano Chowder

It has been a very hectic Spring and Summer here at the Homestead, not just the usual busy gardening season (which is now winding down), but we have had a lot of excitement with the construction of a new garage as well as a 3 Season Room addition to the Homestead. Exciting, but also anxiety filled when dealing with a contractor, glad that part is now behind us!  Now that the structures are up and usable it is time to get back to doing what I love, crafting and cooking!

We had a lovely hot, dry summer and the pepper … Read more...

Oklahoma City Fun!

I had the opportunity to travel this past weekend to Oklahoma City for 4 days.  Hubby is working a contract job there for a month so to break up his “30 day sentence”, we made arrangements for me to fly down and spend our 38th wedding anniversary together exploring some of the fun and exciting tourist attractions that are available in this large Midwestern city

I was able to glean some information from an Internet pal Amy in Pittsburgh who has frequented OKC on numerous occasions and she gave us brilliant suggestions on places to visit as well as which … Read more...

Tomato & Avocado Salad

I had a pretty good garden crop this year, especially the tomatoes.  A bumper crop of the luscious round globes had me eating them in a variety of ways, especially with the extended summer heat of September.  The thought of having to prepare and cook a hot meal on days where the mercury climbed above 30C had me melting into a puddle.  Salads became a staple for lunches and dinners.

A favourite is this super simple and super tasty tomato and avocado salad.  With so few ingredients, you are done in a snap!

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Ingredients
4 Garden Fresh Tomatoes (for a … Read more...

Squash & Black Bean Quesadilla

Tonight’s dinner was a snap, especially when you already have 2 of the star ingredients cooked and on hand.  In this case, it was the squash and beans.  I am a bean snob, I prefer to rehydrate and cook my own vs canned beans, something about starting out from scratch that has always appealed to me, in whatever I do.

Anyway, back to quesadillas!  and yes, another (say it with emphasis now)… a-nother!Mexican flavor inspired recipe.  I had already made the beans for another batch of my black bean and wild/brown rice enchiladas and the squash was leftover … Read more...

Chipotle Fish Tacos ala Deb!

Yay!  I am finally getting my world-famous Fish Taco recipe on the interweb-thingie! You know, that thing that a certain Billionaire said wouldn’t catch on?  I wonder what he thinks about that statement now?

Anyway, back to fish tacos….yum..yum..yum! Ramona ~ This is for you, so go ahead and share away!

This recipe is great when you need to whip up a dinner fairly fast, the only part that needs time to percolate (love that old fashioned term) is the salsa, it’s basically being pickled to develop the favours.  It is also fairly waist friendly when the chipotle sauce * … Read more...

Huevos Rancheros

If you love eggs (like I do), and if you love Mexican food (like I do), then you will love this breakfast staple.  How can it be better? If you use my leftover Charro Beans as the base, that’s how.

Making huevos rancheros can be time consuming due to all the chopping/sauteing of veggies/beans, but utilizing the leftover charro beans has made for a breakfast that is ready in under 30 minutes instead of almost an hour.

DSC04157Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a small baking dish (spray with cooking spray first), press a warmed 6″ flour (or corn) tortilla … Read more...

Guacamole Wrap

I wonder how many posts I have written with the word guacamole in it?  I must search the site one day to see…or maybe not, lest I discover I am an guacamole addict.  Oh wait, I already am.

Well then, now that we have confirmed that I am indeed a guacamole addict, let’s get this blog post over with.

I came back from grocery shopping yesterday morning and was famished.  So I grabbed an acovado, a wrap, some leaf lettuce and the bowl of leftover salsa from Tuesday’s dinner of fish tacos (which is one of hubby’s favs).  The salsa … Read more...

Vegetarian Fajitas for my Sweetpea

Yes, for my darling daughter the vegetarian.  She is coming up to the Homestead for a week and I need to feed her since her hubby will not be around for the entire trip.  Coming up with new and exciting recipes for her to be a guinea pig for can be a challenge, but knowing her likes and dislikes, I have pretty much made her stuff she has not turned her nose up at….yet.

Today’s dinner was Vegetarian Fajitas.  Super simple to make in less than 30 minutes with stuff you most likely already have in your fridge.  Kitchen Tip: … Read more...

Sabores Mexicanos de Sobras

Mexican Flavours from Leftovers

Sounds better in Spanish 🙂

I wasn’t going to do a post today as I don’t have a whole lot of time to devote to my blog lately with packing underway for the big move, but I threw a Mexican meal together last night and posted a photo on Facebook and someone asked for the recipe so here it is.  If I had known I was going to be doing a post about it, I would have staged the plate a little better.

Beef Enchiladas

Shredded Beef Enchiladas with Mexican Red Rice and Guacamole

Enchilada Filling:

1. Prepare … Read more...