Tuesdays with Taylor (and Sam and Mary)

There's no place like home- with family... Watching babies grow- Testing new recipes on a captive audience. The rhythm of the ordinary. Breath in- Breath out- Ahhhhh, home.

So Mary and the babes come to dinner- and for the last three weeks it's been Tuesday. On Tuesday nights lately, Kevin has been working late at his new job, so Mary and the kids came to our house. The title of this post: "Tuesdays with Taylor (and Sam and Mary)" simply expresses the relative help we get in fixing the meal. Sam and Mary are there, but the real help comes from Taylor. Now I have to tell you I am reevaluating exactly what we should cook when we haved SOOOOO MUCH HELP in the kitchen. In fact I don't think we would ever eat at all if we had much more help. Taylor is a whole lot faster than Don and me- even on our faster days. In addition to being fast, he also has a strong curiosity and wants to know about everything in the kitchen. We always answer the questions of: "What's this?" which is always followed by "Why?" Usually the first "Why?" gets an answer, but the next several sometimes get a "just because". He also loves to use all of the kitchen utinsils in all sorts of intended and unintended ways. We keep the knives away, but also keep our eyes on him to make sure he doesn't still find something sharp. He is quick.

It all comes back from my years with babies- I remember vividly why Manwich on a bun- or Kraft Macaroni and cheese- were the high points of my cooking during the week. For special occasions I might splurge on a tuna casserole. But I'd forgotten....

So I have help in the kitchen...

Those knives on the table on the left side of the picture got moved fairly quickly once he climbed onto this chair.
I don't know if Sam is really interested in our cooking, or is just ready to eat and encourages us to hurry up.
And I do have the recipe for you- a recipe that holds up under total chaos in the kitchen- and a meal sure to please. DRUM ROLL PLEASE....

FISH QUESADILLA!

This is a recipe that survives distraction- and holds up when you can't remember- did I put that in- or did I just think about putting that in- and "oh my, these avocados are still as hard as a rock, Oh well..."
Yep- this meal has stamina- And allows for infinite creativity.
Do I have you on the edge of your seat by now? Well here goes.

Basic ingredients for all that is Mexican- well for all that is Mexican that I cook!

1. Green onion- I use in everything Mexican (chopped, my job)
2. Jalapeno- use more or less depending on your diners pleasure- I left out of some stuff for Taylor and Sam- and of course piled it on for Don. (chopped, my job)
3. Lime juice- Ahhhhh- from fresh limes of course (she squeezes the limes)
4. Olive oil
4. Garlic- makes everything better (squished, usually my job)
6. CILANTRO! (tedious cutting all of those little leaves off, so Max usually does this one)

Salad/Relish:
1. Apple- 2-3 peeled, cored, chopped (chopped - my job)
and/or
2. Jicama- peeled- chopped (are you getting the idea that my job is chopping?)
and/or
3. Cabbage- you can just buy cole slaw mix
OR
You can make more of a fruit salad/relish:
4. Peaches (peeled and cut into chunks, my job)
or
5. Mango (peeled and cut into chunks, my job)

And you can always add in a can of drained, rinsed black beans!
Then add the basics:
1/2 cup of green onions, 1/2 of lime- squeezed, 2 tbsp of olive oil (I don't use with the fruit), salt/pepper to taste, jalapeno and of course CILANTRO!
Quesadillas:
1. Tilapia- I used two- but could use shrimp- or black beans if you're doing veggie- or chicken...
Cook in olive oil- and garlic- and green onions and lime juice- salt/pepper= and of course Cilantro. Cook until flaky.
2. Grate cheese- or use the pregrated Kraft Mexican cheese.
3. Heat griddle- or skillet brushed with olive oil.
4. Heat flour tortilla on one side- turn- sprinkle with cheese, top with- fish/chicken/black bean, then another layer of cheese- and another flour tortilla. l
5. Wait until the cheese is melting- so it all sticks together- and then flip! and heat/slightly brown on the other side.

You can serve with salsa- or avocados (if they're not too hard of course)- or better yet- mash an avocado with sour cream- adding a bit of squeezed lime juice- and cilantro- WOW!

Enjoy- With or without Grandbabies!

And their beautiful mother.

Of course with Grandbabies you might get fed!

And of course with Grandbabies there's always fun after the eating is all done!


And did I mention that with Grandbabies you get some real decorating help. If you need any assistance in the finer points of "fluffed" toilet paper I have just the decorator for you! I think this demonstrates that putting toilet paper back on the roll is about as easy as putting tooth paste back in the tube. Luckily, Taylor hasn't found the toothpaste while alone in the bathroom.