quesadillas {gluten-free!}

Since you all now know I've been slacking on our laundry, I feel no shame admitting another. Add cooking to my list of summer-slacking, or as I prefer to call it: summer-simplifying. It's just too hot to turn on the stove, and there's other fun to be had outside of that kitchen. 
So, this has become our summertime staple. 
Corn tortillas. Cheese. Meat. Veggies. Herbs. 
Lunch in 5 minutes. Olé!

Corn tortillas grilled with cheddar cheese, ham and jalapeño. 
{We literally elbow each other out of the way of that crispy cheese on the edges - so good!}

My fave tortillas from Trader Joe's made into cheese quesadillas with fresh salsa and guacamole.
We also sometimes add leftover grilled chicken, black beans, you name it... 
Or, pair it with tomato soup for a grilled cheese-alternative.
So many variations.
They are easy and fast.
And with a panini maker, you don't even have to turn on the stove!

Celebrating the last of the peas in our pod tomorrow!
Can't believe it's been 4 years since I met this little guy.

His hooks have sunk deep into my heart and I'm not sure what we ever did without him...

Happy 4th birthday, Jude!
Happy 4th of July, all!
Enjoy your days :)

wonderful world of paninis

Ever since an anniversary trip to Chicago a few years ago that left us wandering around the city, looking for a GF meal, I get a little pre-travel anxiety. Reconciling in my mind that I may not eat until we get to wherever we're going, or that another salad won't hurt me. There is this magic little pill my dr. told me about if I get in a bind and gluten-free is nowhere to be found. It works well, but I don't want to rely on it too much.


You can imagine the extreme surprise and delight when I showed up at our friends' house in Florida, and out on the counter was Udi's gluten-free bread and all the fixins' for paninis. Love at first bite! I had no idea you could pull Udi's bread from the freezer and turn it into grilled deliciousness in under 5 minutes. 
So, my parents came at the invite of their kazoo-playin'-grandson and a make-your-own-panini-party it was!

So far, we've made ham and cheese with fresh rosemary or oregano and breakfast paninis with bacon, egg and cheese.  
Here's some I look forward to trying:
chicken.bacon.ranch panini
caprese panini
eggplant parmesan panini
reuben panini
smoked turkey club panini
In case there's anyone left out there who doesn't have a panini maker, we found this one to be the best deal. My husband has wanted a panini maker for years, but I always thought they were just another unnecessary gadget for the kitchen.  Boy, was I wrong! This opens a huge realm of it's-nice-and-warm-and-mama-wants-to-be-outside-rather-than-in-the-kitchen possibilities. Or, pair it with a pot of soup and a salad for a dinner-panini-party! 
 

container garden

When we decided to make some garden boxes 4 years ago, I had no idea how much fun it would be!  I mean, once you step outside your back door, pick a sun-kissed tomato from the vine, slice it up with some olive oil, basil and fresh cracked pepper on it, you’re hooked.  Or, I loved how many times we would be out of lettuce, cilantro, onions...etc., and remember the organic produce growing in our backyard.  I quickly became an addicted gardener. 

We have plans for building garden boxes out of some steps we need to tear out at our "new old house."  But until we have indoor plumbing, it’s not really a priority right now...to some people :)

So, I started looking into container gardening.  I’ve been pricing out pots at all the “men's stores.”  (Including a trip to Ace Hardware in what I guess was a tornado warning Sunday – no wonder they looked at me funny when I was asking why their garden center was closed and when it would reopen – I was on a mission!)  Not wanting to go the plastic pot route, terra cotta pots seemed to be the best option.  

Until I spotted these.  

Good ole’ galvanized steel pails.  

Drill 3 holes in the bottom.  

Fill with potting soil and plants.  (I put a layer of rocks on the bottom to improve drainage, before adding the soil.)

We now have a garden!  One that can be carried wherever we go :)

I bought 6 steel pails Menards had at $5.98, which was the best price I could find.  It is enough to grow tomato, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, basil, and stevia.  


I would love to do a bucket of lettuce, onions and cilantro.  But, I'll have to wait until we empty some paint cans...I think they will work fine for the rest.


We definitely need some more basil plants too, the way it disappears.  
Grilled tomato-basil sandwiches are a summer staple over here.

Eaten today in Jude's choice spot:  the entryway.

quick lunch:. brown rice tortilla wraps

 
 

We have been outside as much as possible:  Soaking in these heavenly days.  So thankful for this new season!

Three things I have realized about our summer lunches.  1) I must not use the stove as much as possible.  2) I must make them as quick as possible.  3) We must eat outside as often as possible. 

So, we have been wrapping it up over here.  We like wraps when we’re travelling, a cheaper (gluten-free) alternative to eating out on the road.  Miles likes them, and it’s a good way to sneak some green into his packed lunch.  But this week, we have been packing our lunch for adventures in the play fort or favorite spot in this neck of the woods.  

Brown Rice Tortilla Wrap

1.      Start with a brown rice tortilla.  I use: 

Soften the frozen tortilla in the toaster oven until it’s ply-able, but not crisp.  (A microwave would work – we just don’t have one.)

2.       Spread some kind of sauce on the entire tortilla (I like Philadelphia low-fat chive and onion cream cheese, and it's GF :)

3.       Top with GF deli meat of choice (I use Hormel Natural Ham or Turkey) and cheese. 

4.       Top with veggies of choice: avocado, green pepper, sprouts (learn to grow your own!), cucumber, olives, lettuce...  

5.       Roll up, slice in half, enjoy (preferably outside)! 

Happy Weekend Adventuring!