Springtime in Cincinnati and Taco Pie

Spring has finally arrived!  It seems that Mother Nature is about a month late this year… but now the bushes and trees that edge my back yard are leafed out and I once again feel as if I am all alone in this big city when I look out my family room window.  I cannot see the neighboring houses, and the strip of trees shield me from the houses whose properties join with mine in the back.

A robin has chosen the wreath by my front door as her nesting place, and she chirps loudly every time I collect my mail!  I think it’s probably a safe place for her eggs, with all the squirrels who inhabit the trees and the cats that roam the yards, some of them probably feral.  My oldest daughter looked today, and there are little blue eggs in her nest already.  I don’t go in and out very often, and get more phone calls than company, so outside of the mailman visiting daily, she has the front porch to herself.  You can see a close-up of the wreath with the nest, and also how close it is to my mailbox.  Speaking of squirrels... a month or so ago, I noticed a squirrel lying on a branch of a tree... way out near the end of the branch, where the wind was rocking the branch.  The squirrel was being rocked by the breeze, and laid there for a very long time, obviously enjoying the experience.  

I then noticed another squirrel on a tree nearby, doing the same thing. Who knew squirrels had that sense of adventure?

On the left is a photo I took of a cat on my back deck through the window... he doesn't look very friendly!  He was napping on my deck chairs for quite a few days, and I think he may have been without a home.  Hopefully the robin and her nest are safe from predators on the front of my house.

Today, my oldest daughter and her husband took me to lunch at Newport on the Levee… on the river that separates Ohio from Kentucky near the downtown area.  It’s a hub of activity, with many stores and markets, and a picturesque area to shop.  After lunch, we picked up some new chairs for my front porch.  They aren't exactly what I wanted, but they are what I settled for.  They are metal, with metal mesh for the back and seat, and the little table matches.  Anyone for tea on the front porch in the afternoon sun?  

My middle son was going to help me choose a new gas grill today, and assemble it on my deck, but it has been raining all day… not a good time to be building anything outside, so we will try again next weekend.  I’m so fortunate that three of my children live within a half hour or so from me, and a fourth is less than five hours away.  Last weekend, my daughter-in-law came down by herself and we had a fun “girls only” weekend, just me and my daughters.  Her son (my adorable teen-aged grandson) thought it was “weird” that she would come down to visit his dad’s family.  She laughingly told him, “They’re my family, too!”  I’m blessed to have a daughter-in-law who chooses to spend time with me.  My son made a good choice when he chose his wife!  And as a bonus, she loves to sew!  One of my daughters is passionate about gardening, and the other enjoys beading… they both sew, but aren’t as excited about it as their sister-in-law.  She knows she will inherit my stash in the future… and my son just groans!  He grew up in the house that grew the stash! 

I’m long overdue in posting a blog… I have some recipes to share.  One of my younger granddaughters has chosen to be a vegetarian, and her brother is glucose-intolerant.  They love Taco Pie, and last summer I made one with meat and one meatless.  Since then, I've developed a gluten-free, meatless Taco Pie that I think will satisfy everyone’s dietary needs in one casserole.  The meatless one uses vegetable soy protein, and it is really quite good.  I mixed the soy protein with hot water, which reconstituted the soy protein, and then used it as if it was ground beef in the recipe.  It’s the first time I've used it and I was pleasantly surprised.  Both recipes have black beans and cheese for more protein, so I think it’s quite a healthy meal for anyone.  I’ll list both my original recipe and the gluten-free vegetarian version in this blog.  I buy my spices and textured soy protein from Frontier Herbs (Decorah, Iowa) online, but many health food stores have them.

TACO PIE:

Makes 6 servings

1 pound lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, diced (optional)

Taco seasoning to taste (I use Frontier)

Brown ground beef, then add chopped onion and jalapeno pepper and cook a bit more.  Put in the bottom of a casserole or large pie pan. 

Top with a can of black beans, drained and lightly mashed.

Sprinkle with about a cup of Fiesta blend shredded cheese.

Topping: 

1 cup milk

2 eggs

½ cup biscuit mix

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

Blend in the blender.  Pour over meat/bean mixture. 

Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes.  Sprinkle a large handful of shredded Fiesta cheese (more, if you like) over top and continue baking for another 10 minutes, until the biscuit topping is “set”. 

Cool 5 minutes. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, if desired.  May sprinkle chopped green onions or chopped cilantro over sour cream as a garnish.

Gluten Free/Wheat Free Vegetarian Taco Pie: 

1 cup textured soy protein

1 cup hot water

Mix and let sit a couple of minutes until soy absorbs the water.

Add:

2 Tbsp. dry vegetarian onion soup mix

1 Tbsp. vegetarian beef flavored dry broth mix

1 teaspoon taco seasoning mix

Place in bottom of 7 X 11 pan.

Sprinkle ½ finely chopped jalapeno pepper over mixture, optional.

Drain (don’t rinse) 1 can black beans and distribute over soy mixture.

Sprinkle 2 cups grated Mexican blend cheese over beans.

Topping: 

1 cup milk

3 eggs

½ cup wheat free/gluten free biscuit mix

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

Blend in the blender.  Pour over soy protein/bean mixture. 

Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes.  Sprinkle a large handful of shredded Mexican cheese (more, if you like) over top and continue baking for another 10 minutes, until the biscuit topping is “set”. 

Cool 5 minutes. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole, if desired.  May sprinkle chopped green onions or chopped cilantro over sour cream as a garnish.

On my design wall (which consists of a flannel-backed tablecloth hung over my fireplace) is a sample quilt I made for oldest daughter, Michelle.  She has dressers that have gray/black marble tops and a burgundy wall, so I chose a floral burgundy fabric and a jelly roll of Stonehenge fabrics, their Winter line, plus white.  The pattern is a simple 9-Patch, and the design comes from the way I put the colors together.  The first sample I made used the same fabrics, but it was really a boring quilt to sew (below left)!  When she saw the samples, she felt they had too much white and would get soiled too quickly, so I am back to the drawing board.  I have a few ideas, and will use  the same colors, but with much less white and some gray instead. These two samples are both big enough to become lap quilts.

Enjoy this lovely, balmy spring weather before the heat and humidity set in!  My oldest son said they got about an inch of snow in Minneapolis the other day, but it melted soon.  At times like this, I am SO GLAD I moved to southern Ohio!  The flowering trees in the neighborhood are in full bloom and offer a treat to eyes weary of the grayness of winter. 
The Ornamental Pear trees on the boulevard in front of my house are already dropping their petals on my lawn.  Until my yard guy came to mow yesterday, my yard was a blaze of color… yellow dandelions and blue violets vying for attention, dusted with the white petals from the pear trees.  Life is good.