Black Bean Tacos

We enjoyed these - Jeremy a little more than me. But they were still quite tasty and something different.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked black beans (I used 1 15 oz can, drained)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 tsp olive oil
1 lime, juiced
2 c. coleslaw mix
2 green onions, green part only
1/3 c. cilantro, copped (I used a cilantro paste - not a full 1/3 c.)
6 corn tortillas
1/2 c. feta cheese
Hot sauce or salsa to top (optional)
Sour cream or plain greek yogurt (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Place beans, cumin, cayenne, and garlic powder in bowl and partially mash. In a separate bowl combine coleslaw mix, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, and 2 tsp oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place bean mixture in tortillas and place tacos on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until tortillas are crispy (15 min almost burned my tacos, so I say go for 8 minutes and then leave in longer if need be). Remove from sheet and stuff with feta and coleslaw mixture. Serve immediately. Top with hot sauce or sour cream.

Chicken Taco Soup

Sorry, no photos. But this was quite delicious and easy to make - I love when you can just throw everything into a crockpot and be done with it.

Chicken Taco Soup
Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid oz) can or bottle beer (anything but light) - I used Stella
2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning
2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half (I used 3 chicken breasts)

Directions:
1. Place the onion, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients.
2. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
3. Remove chicken from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 1-2 hours on low.

Ashley Daniell, P.A.

P.A.? you ask. Well, it could mean the obvious: professional association. I am an attorney after all and therefore, by law, I am legally able to use P.A. behind my name. It has a nice ring to it doesn't it? Not too long ago (and when I say that, I literally mean like 2 minutes ago), I used to think that P.A. behind an attorney's name stood for "personal attorney." If I'm being totally honest here and laying my soul on the line, I have to admit that I prefer "personal attorney" over "professional association." But, alas, no one came to me to ask my advice when they decided the initials.

But that is neither here nor there (Isn't that a funny saying? Sometimes I like to throw it in conversations just for the fun of it!) because the P.A. behind my name does not stand for "professional association" OR "personal attorney." No, I have found an entirely new way to use the initials P.A. See, upon some water-cooler chatter with my coworkers, I have come to find out that there is a whole group of people out there who are paranoid. And, I freely admit that I am one of them. Yes, that's right: I AM PARANOID. And recognizing that you have a problem is the first step to recovery.

Have you figured out what my version of the P.A. stands for yet? That's right: Paranoids Anonymous!!

Needless to say I think I should start a support group for other paranoids out there just like me. We can get together, gather in a circle, and discuss our woes of the world. Granted, I'm sure at the end of the day, each of us will go home thinking "OMG, why did I tell them that??? They probably think I'm an idiot!" And those people will then come back to the next meeting to vent about how at the last meeting they laid their heart out there and the rest of us thinks he or she is a complete moron. And then nothing really gets accomplished. But, hey, 12 steps right? Or is it 10? Well, whatever the number of steps, the point is you take them one at a time. So I will start by announcing that:

My name is Ashley. And I am a paranoid person.

Great. Step 1. Check.

Anyone know what step 2 is?

Brandman addition

In my sneak peek post I did not have a photo of sweet Evelyn yet. And I can't leave out any member of the Brandman clan! So here are two photos of Evelyn. Isn't she adorable?!

*Well, as I was about to attach my photos I realized I had a couple more of Aiden and Eloise I wanted to add as well. So enjoy!*

And the winner is .....

So the poll has long been closed and the results are in. Unfortunately, there was no true winner.

Here was the breakdown:

Florence/Tuscany 33%
Prague/Budapest 22%
Ireland 11%
Mediterranean Cruise 33%

So what a predicament I am in now!

Anyway, after some discussions with the only other party that truly matters (Jeremy), I believe we have decided that Prague it is! We have heard so many wonderful things about Prague and I don't see how I can ignore all of this great advice! However, we are still wavering on the details. A touring group going to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. Or go at it on our own and only do Prague and Budapest (or possibly also add in Vienna). It could get interesting......... Updates to come later.

Miss Abigail Potts

Catherine and I had the wonderful opportunity to take newborn portraits of Miss Abigail Grace Potts, born February 17, 2009. She was just as cute as a button and was so well behaved! She put up with a lot - I mean, we had her in outfits, out of outfits, wrapped in scarfs and blankets, and put in baskets. Needless to say she was a great participant and only had a few rebellious episodes (I am so sorry Jess about the comforter!!!!) Anyway, for your viewing pleasure, here are a few photos to peak your interest. I will try to post more later!

Banning-Knichel Engagement

Jeremy and Amy are getting married next month and Catherine and I had the wonderful opportunity to take some engagement photos of the couple. We had a fun time and Zach (Amy's son) continuously made us laugh with his unique jokes! Here are a few photos from the shoot. I'm sure I'll post more once we get through them all!

Sneak Peek

Because I know that everyone's curiosity is getting the best of them, I thought I'd post a photo from Catherine and my photo shoot last weekend. It's just a sneak peek of what's to come. So check back. Because I am excited, very, very excited!

Lasagna Rolls

These were good and one roll is just the right serving size. Honestly, they tasted just like regular lasagna. I liked them and would make again. However, it was difficult finding space to lay out the lasagna noodles so they wouldn't stick together. I still had a few tear on me. But overall, very tasty!

Lasagna Rolls

Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups whole milk (I used skim because it's what I buy)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna:

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese (I used skim milk ricotta cheese)

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped (I omitted. Instead I used lean ground beef)

1 large egg, beaten to blend

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

12 uncooked lasagna noodles

2 cups marinara sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

To make the sauce:

Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

3. Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

4. Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamelsauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture.

5. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Olive Cheese Bread

I made this bread for the Super Bowl Party I attended and it was a big hit. It was delicious! Just ignore the fact that it isn't that great for you. Hey! Every once in awhile you've got to live on the edge! Anyway, it was awesome! I think the only thing I'd change for next time is I wouldn't use as many olives. Don't get me wrong, everyone loved it the way it was. But for MY personal taste, I'm not a huge olive lover. So it was a tad olive-y for me. But, if you love olives, don't change a thing!

Olive Cheese Bread

from http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/

Ingredients:

1 regular can whole black (ripe) olives
1 6-oz jar pimiento-stuffed olives
2 green onions
¾ pound Monterey Jack cheese (I used some regular Monterey Jack and some Jalapeno Monterey Jack Cheese)
½ cup real mayonnaise
1 stick butter, softened (I used Smart Balance. I don't think I own real butter)
1 loaf French bread

Directions:
1. Roughly chop black and green olives. Slice green onions and give them a rough chop. Combine
green onions and olives with the softened butter, ½ cup mayonnaise, and grated Monterey jack
cheese. Mix thoroughly. Slice French bread in half lengthwise, then spread mixture evenly over
the halves.

2. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, or until thoroughly melted and starting to turn light brown and bubbly. Cut into diagonal slices and serve with salad, with soup, with spaghetti, or as a yummy appetizer.

Make-ahead tips: You can make the cheese mixture up to two days ahead of time and store in the fridge. Or, you can spread the mixture on the bread and freeze the bread, unbaked, for several months.