BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

I made these for my kids today.

It took me less then ten minutes to put lunch together.

I made these from items I had around the house.

My picky eater gave it a thumbs up along with his little sister.

Corn tortillas
Monterrey Jack and Cheddar cheese
Left over chicken
BBQ Sauce
Ranch Dressing

I cubed up some left over boneless chicken breasts that I barbecued the other day.

I placed the cubed chicken in a frying pan that had about a half inch of water in it and turned the range top up to med high.

Then I thinly sliced my cheeses.

Once my chicken was warm I used a slotted spoon and removed the chicken from the pan into a bowl. I poured a small amount of BBQ sauce into the bowl and tossed the chicken until all the pieces were lightly coated.

On my electric flat top I placed my corn tortillas on the heated surface.

I added my cheese.

Then I added my chicken mixture.

When my cheese was melted I folded the corn tortillas in half and they were ready.

I gave the kids a small side of ranch to dip the quesadillas in.

I added red bell peppers and jalapenos to mine.

We did not listen to any music. We discussed our favorite films and the little one just agreed with everything. I love her.

Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips

Everything tastes better on a homemade tortilla chip.

This is what you will need.

One frying pan
Large bowl
Paper towels
Canola oil
Corn tortillas
Salt
Fresh lime (Lime juice concentrate will do)

Put enough oil in your frying pan to cover several layers of corn tortillas. Turn your range top up to medium high and wait for the oil to heat up.

Cut your corn tortillas into sixths -- cut them in half then cut the halfs into thirds. Pretend you're cuting a pie. Cut a stack of tortillas all at once to get the job done faster.

Place a few layers of paper towels in a bowl. You'll drain and season your finished chips here later.

Check to see if your oil is hot enough by dropping a tiny drop of water in the oil. If it bubbles, it's hot enough. You may also notice the oil moving around the bottom of the pan. That's also a sign it's hot enough.

Gently drop your triangles into the hot oil. Put several layers, but don't overfill your pan or they won't cook evenly. Turn them once or twice. When they're light golden brown remove them and place in your bowl with paper towels.

Drizzle lightly with lime juice and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with your remaining uncooked triangles.

Watchout -- the bowl may already be empty by the time you finish frying the next batch! So good!

The Best Veggie Sandwich

This is my all time favorite veggie sandwich.

Two slices of toasted multi grain bread (the more grains the better).
One half of a large avocado.
A small handful of thinly sliced raw mushrooms.
A small handful of alfalfa sprouts.

Building the sandwich is simple. First bread, then avocado, then mushrooms, then sprouts, then bread. Gently press on the sandwich so everything sticks and you can fit it into your mouth.

This sandwich is so simple and divine words can not describe it.

Music recommendation -- none. This sandwich should be eaten in silence.

Making your own Flavored Olive Oil

Olive oil flavored with garlic, rosemary, peppers or whatever makes a great addition to any kitchen and it is very simple to make.

One bottle of Olive Oil.
Your favorite flavors/spices.

That's it.

If you don't know what you like try fresh rosemary, fresh garlic, onion and some mild to hot peppers. Dice everything up and put all of your mixture in the bottle of Olive Oil. You might have to remove some of the Olive Oil to fit all your stuff in.

Some of the many uses of your personalized Olive Oil are pasta dishes, oven baked sandwiches, garlic bread, home made croutons or just a dip to dunk fresh bread in.

It also makes a great inexpensive gift.

Try making your own labels and stick them on the bottles.

I think a good music recommendation for this adventure is anything instrumental.

Homestyle Sweet Potatoes

I love homestyle potatoes. The crispy, seasoned edges and tender insides are deeee-lightful.

I also love their flexibility -- serve them with eggs and bacon for a southern-style breakfast, mix them with scrambled eggs and sausage for a breakfast bowl or serve them with chorizo, eggs, cheese and salsa for a spicy little number. I can almost smell them cooking now.

My love for this style of potato led me to experiment with their sweet cousin that I happened to have on hand one day. Hmm. Crispy, seasoned edges and tender SWEET insides. How could that be bad?

Let me tell you, it is not bad, not bad at all. These are a real crowd pleaser.

I always make extra because the kids want them the next day, too. I serve these with ham and greens for a real southern feel, but they're also great with baked chicken.

Homestyle Sweet Potatoes
Set your oven at 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.

Wash your sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes.

Place potatoes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the potatoes to coat somewhat evenly and then spread onto baking sheet.

If you're in a time crunch, skip the bowl and just drizzle the oil on the potatoes on the baking sheet.

Season with a couple pinches of cinnamon and a few sprinkles (more or less) of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning. This is my favorite seasoning combo, but you can also try sea salt, pepper and a pinch of thyme if you're not into the sweet/spicy thing.

Bake for about twenty minutes turning once midway.

 I love seeing smiling faces around my table and hearing the stories from the day, but when their mouths are full and chewing, there's just not as much conversation going on.

I've learned that the clinging of forks on plates as they devour their food can be music to my ears, too. And when they sit back with full bellies the conversation can resume.

Sweet moments to be cherished.