Mexican Pizza

My son will not let his older sisters kiss him. He will accept kisses from his Dad. He will let me kiss him. He will even reluctantly kiss me good bye in front of his friends at school. Noted, I did say reluctantly. When I made this Mexican pizza, his sister shared some of her pizza with him. He really liked it a lot. He still wouldn't kiss her. Don't worry. His sister's will kiss his cheek after he goes to sleep. Then they tell him the next day.

Mexican Pizza
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1 (15 oz) can refried beans
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
8 (9 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup salsa
2 green onions, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup black olives, sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Coat two pie pans with cooking spray and set aside.
3. In a skillet, brown the meat over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, and garlic cloves to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Season the meat with the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
6. Add the 1/2 cup water and combine well. Cook for 2 minutes.
7. Place a tortilla in the middle of the pie pan. Cover the tortilla with refried beans.
8. Spread 1/4 of the seasoned meat over the tortilla.
9. Top the seasoned meat with a little cheese.
10. Cover the cheese and seasoned meat with another tortilla.
11. Bake the Mexican pizza for 10 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven and top the tortilla with your desired toppings: additional cheese, salsa, tomatoes, green onions, and olives. 
13. Bake the Mexican pizza for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
14. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Recipe adapted from Trader Joe's Recipes.

One year ago..........................I made Banana Cupcakes.

Did you already know............
-The Trader Joe stores began as Pronto Markets in 1958.
-In 1968, Pronto Markets changed their name to Trader Joe's.
-Trader Joe's are named after the founder Joe Coulombe.

Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

We finally have snow here. It has been one strange year. I am not complaining since I prefer the warm weather. Since it is so cold, I dress with lots of layers. I also dress my younger children in layers. 

 The other day my youngest daughter was walking outside and she didn't have her hat. My husband told her that she needs her hat while he is outside without his jacket. I don't even think we were outside but for five minutes but she still needed her hat. My oldest daughter follows my husbands lead and unless I remind her she will try not to wear a jacket.

I saw this recipe on Tasty Kitchen and I asked my husband if I should make them. He said yes then he wasn't feeling good and never got to try them. My oldest daughter devoured them. She isn't even a spicy girl. The recipe does call for Panko bread crumbs. I guess I was in a hurry since I didn't intentionally forget them. I really liked them. Next time, I am going to leave the bread crumbs off. My sister follows a gluten free diet so she could even try this recipe.

Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms


12 large mushrooms, cleaned
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 oz. cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
2 oz. cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small skillet, saute the bacon until crisp.
3. Take the stems out of the mushrooms and place the mushroom caps onto a cookie sheet.
4. Chop the mushrooms stems.
5. Saute the stems, pepper, onion, and garlic with the bacon. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool slightly. 
7. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and cheddar together.
8. Add the cooked bacon with vegetables to the cheese mixture. Mix well.
9. Top the center of each mushroom cap with the cheese mixture. 
10. Bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
11. Let the mushrooms rest for 5 minutes to cool.

Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen.

Did you already know.............
-On average, January is the coldest month in Maine and July is the warmest.  
-The average temperature in Portland, Maine in January is 31 degrees and in July is 79 degrees.
-In 2009, Maine record low was -50 degrees.
-In 1911, Maine record high was 105 degrees.