What, it's dinner time again?!

Um, good-bye July? Seriously?

I won't say it, I promise...

...OK, so maybe I will. Time flies. There, I said it. It's annoying, I know, everyone says it, too much. But for some reason Summer seems to be winding down, and this brings with it the likeness of a close friends' good-bye. Sure, if we use our time wisely, and fill it with great things, however small they may be, I think we live as though on a surf board, gliding through life with it's ups and downs at a tremendous speed, never stopping to look back with regret. Summer always goes by too fast, which is why I might slap you if I ever catch you complaining about it being too hot. Since now you see it, then suddenly, you don't. Of course, it's rather comforting to know Fall is next in line, like a big warm chunky knit blanket wrapped around us, telling us, don't worry - Summer will be back in a few months.

We didn't have much planned this season, there's family in town, friends to catch up with and our kids needed to be given the time and motivation to finally master swimming and riding their bikes. Those were our goals for this year, may I say simple, yet I love the idea of slowing down and taking time for small details as though they were hugely important to the overall scheme of life. And I suppose they are.




And as time flies by, so does dinner time. Here's one of my favourites:

Beef Enchiladas

1 lb extra lean, grass-fed organic ground beef
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped red peppers
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded if desired, chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
2 cups tomato salsa
1 (19 fl oz/540 mL) can black beans, drained
1/2 cup old Cheddar
1/2 cup Mozzarella
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
8 - 10 flour tortillas, about 7 inches in diameter

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Heat a large skillet to medium, add beef, all peppers and salt to taste. Cook until meat has browned. Add 1 cup salsa and the drained beans; simmer 3 - 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup cheddar, 1/4 cup mozzarella and all but 3 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro.
Spread 1/4 cup of salsa onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.
Using a pastry brush, lightly coat each tortilla with olive oil, stack on a plate, then cover with a dish towel and microwave about 25 seconds, or until just warm.
Immediately spoon 1/2 cup meat and bean filling down the center of each tortilla, roll up tightly and place in the prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat to fill all tortillas, laying them single file. If you have extra filling, spoon this on top of the tortillas with the remaining 3/4 cup salsa.
Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake covered for 20 minutes.
Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheeses and bake additional 2 - 3 minutes.
Top with 2 -3 tbsp chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

Little incentives, big flavour and a fun show!

Thinking big can be intimidating. I certainly shy away from situations which put me out of my comfort zone. Well, until recently. I have discovered pushing myself, starting with baby steps which gradually get bigger with every new challenge, also comes with equally big rewards. So, when I put out my 100 member challenge, I felt pumped! Only a day later I found myself pleading with my husband to please... help me out! Again, this challenge isn't so much about the actual number, but rather about creating a community of people eating fresh foods and enjoying the process. I would love to hear about your local food possibilities, about the changes you have made with your food choices, and all the excitement it brings. And, as a little added incentive, I have thrown in a reward of $10 in itunes! The winner will be chosen randomly - once my 100th post is completed. That's just 10 more to go! Help me achieve my goal, because I am looking forward to getting to know you better...

I love trying out new foods on my family. Almost as much as I love figuring out how best to work with a new fruit, vegetable, or in this case, jalapeno pepper. Hot peppers sounds so dangerous, so mysterious... I find myself feeling mischievous - as though I am a child (ok, teenager) playing with fire. It's possible I don't get out enough, but I must tell you - hot peppers are fun!

Besides, it's spring - what a great time to give our ovens and slow cookers some rest, pull out our best knives and biggest cutting boards - fresh is in the house! For anyone in a dinner time crunch, this is that time of year to finally cook from scratch, and possibly receive a standing ovation, too.

Cilantro and lime are beautiful together. Add in a hot pepper, you've got yourself some flavour. Here's a recipe for my home made salsa (no excuses to buy the jarred stuff anymore). You'll feel proud of yourself after making it (all of 10 minutes later), I promise.

Tomato Salsa

Combine and chill for an hour before serving:

3 medium tomatoes cut into 1 cm dice

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (try Serrano peppers if you dare!)

1/2 cup fresh finely chopped cilantro

1 garlic clove finely chopped

2 tsp lime juice (about 1 lime)

2 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup

1 tsp salt

Maybe we'll see each other at The Good Food Show in Toronto this weekend?