There they are, my plaid-clad girlie-Qs, back from an unintentionally long break from the blog.
So, did you miss us? We have missed you! Several of you have lamented the lack of recent posts. I feel your angst. I wish I had more time to keep up this blog like I used to. Several things have diverted my attention recently -- a baby who just begs to be fed and videotaped, a sputtering workout routine, a couple of new writing adventures, and this growing time suck they tell me I should call a "job." But one thing has brought us back together: Elli.
Yesterday during our dinner go-round of what we liked most about the day, Elli said, "Spending time with Mommy." (Sniff, wipe tear.) I asked her if she wanted to cook with me today, something we hadn't been doing as regularly these days. "Yes!" came the emphatic reply. "What should we make?" Without hesitation, she answered, "Cheese tacos!"
I really shouldn't have been surprised by the answer. Her affinity for the quasi-Mexican entree began when she was barely two. We were running errands, and it was getting close to lunchtime. Out of the blue, Elli declares from the back seat, "I want to go to the food store [restaurant] where cheese tacos live."
To her, a cheese taco involves two things: melted orange-colored cheese and a soft tortilla. Any variation will do: roll up, quesadilla, etc.
As it turns out, her request was the perfect lunch for after church (thus the formal attire in the pictures below). Simple. Pleasing. Fast. Three of my favorite things.
Video prelude begins now:
Elli's Cheese Tacos
4 wheat tortillas, soft taco size
1.5 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican-style cheese
canola oil spray
1 tbsp Williams chili seasoning
Spray one side of each tortilla with cooking spray; top other sides with equal amounts of cheese; sprinkle on equal amounts of seasoning. Place one at a time oil side down in a skillet over medium-low heat. Heat until cheese is just melted. Remove onto a plate and fold in half. Serve warm.
We worked on our cheese tacos one at a time. I sprayed; Elli topped with cheese.
A little too much cheese in some cases.
The process was so simple for Elli, who, let's face it, is far more advanced in her culinary skills. She became a bit bored not long into it. She would have paid closer attention had she not been trying to shovel cheese into her mouth.
"Mommy, can I have some more?"
"Elli, hang on a few more minutes and we'll have lunch."
"Can I have some more now?"
"No."
"Can I have some more now?"
"No."
"Can I have some cereal?"
I deflected her requests for several minutes. Finally she simply surrendered her post and moved on to teaching Krista in the fine art of letter magnet sorting.
Krista would have paid closer attention if she was not so busy trying to eat the letters.
It's been nice chatting with you once again! I promise to try to be better at staying in touch. Perhaps next time you see us, Krista will be helping for real. Here she is modeling her stir-and-sample technique:
Superb wrist motion, Krista!
Until next time....
