Black bean/Sweet Potato Tostada

This tasty tostada will tickle your taste-buds and keep you and your wallet healthy! However, I must warn, it's quite messy, so it may not be the best dish for the little ones.

Ingredients:
1 or 2 sweet potatoes (we used two- alot- but we had these two nights in a row)
1 can of black beans
Cilantro
Red onion
Avocado
fresh lime juice
Corn tortillas (I purchase the "Guerrero" brand from Costco. I freeze one bag, cause there's like a million.)

Preparation:
Turn oven to 425. Peel, cut and cube sweet potatoes. (I used garnet yams). Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Line baking pan with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up). Roast in oven until fork can pierce easily. I think maybe 20-30 min.
Meanwhile, chop cilantro, black beans, red onion, avocado, limes. Cook black beans.
Pull out corn tortillas. Brush with a little butter or olive oil. Broil the tortillas for just over 2 min. each side.
Garnish with toppings and drizzle with lime juice.
If your feeling crazy, add hot sauce and some cheese.

To make it more kid-friendly, it might be just as good "burrito" version. The corn tortillas are a little hard to chew through without making a gigantic mess on your plate.

If you are too cheap to purchase corn tortillas on top of the flour tortillas that you surely already have- don't be! Corn tortillas are super cheap, and the flavor really makes a difference! You can always freeze the leftover tortillas, or simply plan a few more meals using corn tortillas. We like fish tacos with corn tortillas.

credit for this recipe goes to twopeasandtheirpod.com

Yosemite!

We finally went to Yosemite on Saturday, November 6th! It is less than 2 hours away from Merced. I've been itching to go since we moved here, but it just hasn't happened yet. We borrowed a hiking pack for Mitch and we hiked Vernal Falls (aka Mist Trail) and then headed over to South Yosemite to check out Mariposa Grove and the Giant Sequoias.
My favorite parts of the trip included random people taking pictures of Mitch. It was a long day, but one of the best days ever! Mitch was so good. He loves being outside, so he didn't get too grumpy.
For all those reading this blog, come on out and visit us. We might not be able to camp in Yosemite, but we can definitely do a day trip. Or two. Or more. We could camp, just let me know today when you'll come and I'll make the reservation. No seriously.

Mist Trail
"Fallen Monarch"- This Giant Sequoia fell centuries ago. Cool!

A tunnel in a tree! The coolest part is that the tree is healing itself. It's growing inward.

Incredible Baguette recipe- try it today!

I found this recipe on the Sisters Cafe blog. I've been wanting to find a good "dinner bread" recipe. I'm always underwhelmed by breadsticks and I'm too cheap to purchase French Bread or the like at the store- because we don't get through it fast enough. Well, that is not the problem with this bread. This recipes makes two baguettes, and at first, I thought "maybe I should half the recipe"--umm no, don't do it! It's heavenly- truly divinely inspired. We gobbled it right up. We served it with yummy Butternut Squash soup from twopeasandtheirpod.com
If you don't try this bread, you are seriously missing out. You will never purchase dinner bread from the store again!

INCREDIBLE BAGUETTE
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbs. (2 packages) dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt

In a small bowl mix the warm water with the yeast and sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes - foam should form on the top.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough becomes a smooth ball and knead for 5 minutes. (I use my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook)

Cut in half and then shape into 2 baguettes. To make them smooth and pretty, roll each half of dough into rectangle and roll up lengthwise. Pinch the edges to seal and place on lightly greased cookie sheet with seam down. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes on the oven that is pre-heating.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. With a very sharp knife (I like to use a serrated blade) gently make a slash down the length of each baguette. This will give it that authentic look. Pour water in a cookie sheet and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Half way through, brush the bread with melted butter.

Eat. Die. Go to heaven.

As promised

Mitch discovered a really neat speed bump in our Church parking lot. My favorite part is about 1:12 into it.

Happy Halloween!

We had a great time Saturday night taking Mitch to our stake "trunk-or-treat." Mitch was a dinosaur. He refused to hold his candy bucket, and then later, refused to walk. In the end, my visions of him walking up to a candy-giver and grunting for candy in an "oh-so-cute" fashion were dashed. That's okay. He was really adorable anyway for the short time that he cooperated. When he got tired of being cute for candy, he discovered a speed bump in the parking lot and thought that was pretty neat. He walked back and forth, back and forth. I captured it on video...and maybe...if you're lucky, I'll post it later.

Earlier in the week, Todd and I carved pumpkins. We didn't dress up this year, but I think our carved pumpkins made up for it. Then, I got a little sad that I never decorated for Halloween, so I resolved to make a Thanksgiving decoration and a Christmas decoration. I got on the internet and looked up some cheap, easy ideas. The last picture is my "harvest" decoration for Thanksgiving.

Notice the hair. Yep...back to super short. However, it wasn't on purpose. Sorry mom. Long story short- I got two haircuts on Saturday. AND, it looked better yesterday. I promise.

Harvest decoration: by Haley.