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.