Beautiful Friends, Beautiful Countryside

It is so rare that one remains close with a friend from birth - I count myself so blessed to continue to enjoy friendship with a girlfriend who I've known since we were born! Our mother's met in a little apartment complex over 30 years ago, from there, a friendship was born, and lots of special times have been shared since.

Our Moms - way too young looking to be Grandmothers!

Me, Mom, and little Grace

Her lovely little centerpiece Delicious Taco SaladFresh & Sweet Strawberry Parfaits courtesy of JudyThe beautiful hostess and myselfMy girlfriend and I now have our own children, and what a treat it was to spend lunch at her beautiful and cozy home with our Mothers. She was ever the gracious hostess - up and down serving us, barely sitting herself (may I mention she is expecting twins, and also has 3 other little ones to care for). She is amazing!!! She sent us home with her peach coffee cake & a package of gourmet coffee - all wrapped in a lovely little bow.

Thank you for such a beautiful & generous day Jeane`!

On my drive home, I just had to pull over and shoot all of the

gorgeous farmland surrounding me.

Enjoy your day!

Quick & Easy Quesadillas!

This recipe was born out of not being able to go to the grocery store one day, and trying to make dinner that evening with what I had on hand - which wasn't much! Good ole' quesadillas or grilled cheese always seems to be the stand in on days like that! Thought I'd share my version of this common dish...

First, in a bowl, I combined 1 can of black beans (drained & rinsed), 1/2 of a red onion (diced), 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 1 cooked & cubed chicken breast, & 1/2 packet chili seasoning. You can add all kinds of things to this mixture to suit your taste (peppers, corn, tomatoes, etc.).

Then I took a flour tortilla and placed it in a hot skillet sprayed with non-stick spray. I then filled one half of the tortilla with about a 1/3 cup of the mixture, and folded the other half of the tortilla over top. I proceeded to do this with the next tortilla, working on the other half of the skillet. I learned this method on America's Test Kitchen. It's much easier to flip the quesadillas this way!

Lightly spray the tops of the tortillas that are facing up, so they do not stick when you flip them. Flip after a few minutes. The other side should be golden brown and the cheese should be starting to melt. After 2-3 minutes, remove quesadillas with a spatula to a plate and let sit for 1-2 minutes before cutting into quarters. Serve with salsa & sour cream - and you've got a quick & healthy meal or snack!

This recipe makes about 4-5 tortillas (16-20 quesadillas).
**If you have leftover mixture, it freezes very well!**