Baked Beef Tostadas with Mexican Rice

I think I'm going to start adding a few of my recipes to my blog. It's fun for me and it might give you some ideas if you're ever in a dinner pinch. Plus, for my happiness project, I decided that I want to focus on promoting hospitality via cooking/hosting for others. So, here are all of those ideas wrapped in one. Today, I'm featuring traditional ground beef tostadas with mexican rice.

I'm from Kansas. I grew up eating beef. My family often raised cattle on our farm and had them butchered locally. However, when I moved to Kentucky, I soon figured out that beef tastes a whole lot less appetizing around here. I actually prefer chicken anyway (unless we're talking about brisket or flat iron steak and then you're speaking my love language). However, I don't mind using ground beef for some things and when it's terribly bland, it's a fun challenge to spice it up. Enjoy the recipe below.

Serves: Approx. 4 (rice will definitely feed at least four)

Ingredients for Tostadas:
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- taco seasoning (check out my taco seasoning from this blog here)
- 4 corn tortillas
- EVOO (for coating tortillas)
- 15 oz of pinto beans (drained if you're using them from a can)
- Feta Cheese
- Cilantro (for garnish)

Ingredients for Mexican Rice:
- 1 cup of jasmine rice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp EVOO
- 2 cups broth (chicken, beef or veggie will work just fine)
- 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
- 1 clove of garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Leaves from 3-4 sprigs of cilantro
- Dash of ground red pepper (if you want some extra spice)

For the Tostadas:
Preheat oven to 410 F

Cook ground beef; rinse; drain. Return to the skillet. Add in pinto beans and taco seasoning along with a 1/4 cup of water or so. This will help create a nice sauce for the ground beef and bean mixture. Let mixture come to a boil, then simmer it on low for five minutes or so, stirring periodically.

Meanwhile, lay corn tortillas out on a baking sheet. Coat both sides lightly with EVOO. Make sure the surface area of the tortillas are covered or the shells will turn out chewy instead of crunchy. Bake the shells for 5 min. on each side. When finished, top each shell with the ground beef/bean mixture. Then, top with feta. Bake in the oven for 3-5 additional minutes. Garnish with cilantro or any other toppings.

*I like using feta cheese in this dish because it's saltier than cheddar or mozzarella. It really brings out the flavor in the ground beef. 

For the Mexican rice:

In a skillet, on medium heat, stir jasmine rice and EVOO until the rice is puffy and golden, about 5 minutes. After that, add in the broth slowly and carefully (the rice and oil will begin to pop when you do this). Also add in tomato sauce, garlic, cumin, red pepper (optional). Stir rice so the ingredients blend together well. Wait for the rice to return to a boil, then cover the skillet and reduce to low heat. Let the rice simmer for 10 minutes or so. Stir in cilantro and let rice cook for 3-5 additional minutes or until the rice begins sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add extra salt if need be (I normally don't add much).

Delicioso!

 Molly

::Nourished:: - Meanderings on Hospitality

hos·pi·tal·i·ty noun \ˌhäs-pə-ˈta-lə-tē\:
:generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests : hospitable treatment

:the activity of providing food, drinks, etc. for people who are the guests or customers of an organization.

Merriam-Webster defines hospitality as just that. The first time that I really even began to uncover and discover the meaning of hospitality was when I lived in my first apartment in college. Our apartment became a "hub," of sorts, a place for people to come and gather and eat, on many occasions. My roommates and I actually made it a priority to invite others over for dinner to our house. I'm going to say that this took place at least once a week, but much of the time, more often than that. I loved it. I loved hosting and cooking and being. I relished those moments.

However, as I began to discover the beauty of hospitality I also wondered if there might be more to it -- more than inviting people into a space and taking care of them, which is a lot in itself anyway. Last semester sometime, I was reading about hospitality for seminary and Henri Nouwen's insight about hospitality jumped off the page in his book, Reaching Out, he notes: "Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines.”

Wow. Nouwen said, in words, what my brain was trying to figure out. As a person that still loves to cook, host and be, I simply keep Nouwen's words in mind when I do those things. While hospitality encompasses more than just hosting, cooking and being, this is the more specific form in which I like to practice it. So, if I ever invite you over to my house for supper, tea, or something of the like, know that I keep Nouwen's words in mind. 

In my home, when I host you or cook for you or talk with you, my hope is that you wouldn't just experience food, chatter and laughter. My hope is that the part in you that needs to be nourished the most is indeed nourished. My hope is that you would experience a peace and freedom that only true hospitality, Christian hospitality, and hospitality empowered by the Holy Spirit can provide. 

Home Sweet Bargains

In May, right before we left for Dallas, we moved to Kalas Village, just down the street from our old house. We had planned to live in Kalas Village, the seminary community housing, all along; however as they built new houses, we were on the waiting list. Consequently, our old home never really felt like "home." We were in transition and kept a lot of things packed up in boxes. There was a lack of decor in our old house and that made me really antsy to move into our new house. Then, we moved right before we left for the summer to go to Dallas. When we returned, I finally got to begin decorating our home. I've spent the last month doing just that and it really does feel like home. I can't wait to share some pictures with you! I've been having fun finding bargains to fill in the gaps. I've had amazing luck! Here are some projects/bargain finds that have made our home a little more, well, homey. 

- Our great friend, Blake, actually built us a kitchen shelf out of pallet wood. This was the piece I was waiting for. I organized everything else around the fact that I wanted to display my dishes. They're just so beautiful and I love the rustic/industrial look it gives the kitchen when dishes/pots/pans are on display. I just said that I needed a shelf and Blake was on it. We painted it Valspar's "London Coach" and it was good to go. 

- I needed something to hold my magazines. I knew I wanted it to be something more exciting than just another old basket. I found a vintage fruit crate at a "Repurposed Soul" event and snagged it for the magazines. The best news is, all the profit that Repuroposed Soul makes off their merchandise goes to support "Waves a Mercy," a mission organization in Haiti. Check them out on Facebook if you get a chance. Their stuff is phenomenal and popular around where we live. 

- Jute Rug. I was looking for a good, durable, neutral rug to hang out in the kitchen. I looked all summer in Dallas and just couldn't find the right one. I finally found a jute jewel at Marshall's in Nicholasville. I knew it was *the one.*

- Napkin Rings. I've been looking for at least a year for good napkin rings. I didn't want normal silver or beaded rings, although there's definitely nothing wrong with those. I just wanted something unique -- something that would fit in nicely in my home. I found numbered napkin rings (1-12) and couldn't resist getting them. After all, they were only $5 (originally retailed at $20) from the Crate and Barrel Outlet in Dallas. 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson Quote Duo. I've been waiting to do this project since March. I found it on Pinterest, all credit due to Chelsea at ohmydeerhandmades.com. I finally got around to doing it. Thanks to Hobby Lobby and their awesome discounts this project was around $8. 

- Dipped wooden vases. I've been looking for some inspiration for my downstairs bathroom. A bathroom is a bathroom is a bathroom, right? Wrong. This is our guest bathroom. It needs some TLC. These dipped wooden vases serve as inspiration pieces as I begin the bathroom as my next decor project. They were an amazing bargain. Originally retailed at $40 and $30, I got them both for $12 from Kohls with Kohl's cash from my mom. Perfect. 

-Gold dipped feathers. These beauties were a must. I've seen them around on Pinterest and knew my home needed them. They literally cost $2 to make and they're such a statement. I made gold feather garland out of them and hung them above my gallery shelf in the living room. They're fun and classy and they bring out the gold in our frame. What can I say, I love them. 

-Wine bottles. These weren't a new project but I must mention them. Old bottles make really awesome and unique taper holders. Really, the tapers fit right in. A great way to upcycle!

Whew! That's a lot. But, I've loved every second of it. I've also discovered that my taste is a lot more modern than I choose to believe. I often think of myself as a shabby chic type of girl, but this house is anything but shabby chic. Much more classic and modern. So, I've even learned a lot about myself and my design style along the way. Well, enough of my ramblings. Enjoy some pictures! 

Mingling in Mom

I've never been a mom, but this summer I feel like I've gotten just a teeny-tiny taste of what motherhood is like. We always tell the interns here, "We are not your moms or your maids." But, the truth is, I cherish these babes and love them in a special way, all 101 of them. And, the truth is, in a way I kind of feel like a mom.

Of course, I feel like a mom in all of the traditional, nitty-gritty ways -- I (along with the other hps) are always picking up the houses, checking on chores, giving out chores, organizing dinner, answering questions, etc. 

But the mom-part I enjoy most is getting to watch all of the interns grow -- from strangers to friends, from trainees to interns. I've enjoyed most watching them gain confidence in what they're doing. I remember that time as an intern and I loved how exciting it was. 

I think that there must be a particular grace that comes with being a mom. Sometimes it's hard to look past the overflowing trash that needs taken out or the food that's strewn all over the refrigerator, but when I look at the people that they're becoming and the experiences that they're having all on their own, I'm just happy for them. That's really enough.

The Memory of A Beginning

6.9.12. One of my favorite days. They say that little girls always dream about their weddings. Growing up I can say that I thought about my wedding a fair amount. However, the idea of getting married was so far off and so far foreign that I never really did give it serious thought until much later. I never met a person that I truly thought I could marry until I met Kyle. You see, Kyle has a particular liveliness about him. When I first met him his goofy-ness and love for life sparked a small flame in my own soul. He encouraged me to be more real -- more alive.

We dated for almost two years and got engaged on a beautiful evening in August of 2011. We spent the next ten months planning for our wedding. Many people warned me what a stress wedding planning would be, some even encouraged us to elope. However, we spent those ten months planning, expecting and anticipating a beautiful day. And it was a beautiful day. Picture this: paper lanterns, lots of lace, vintage plates, candles, icicle lights, friends, family, home-cookin, kissing, dancing and a little bit of western Kansas wind. All of those things mixed well together to bring us one of the most memorable days of our life. I remember that day, a year ago, now. No stress, just a lot of love and joy. A lot of aliveness. 

So, today we celebrate the beauty of marriage and the memory of a beginning. Happy one year anniversary to Kyle Just, the love of my life. I couldn't have made it through this past year without you. I wouldn't have wanted to. Cheers to many more years. <3 span="">

Kentucky. Kansas. Texas.

In the last three weeks we've gone from Kentucky, to Kansas to Texas. So, we made it through. It seems I have so many things to catch up in the blogging world. Mostly because everything happened at once. These last three weeks have been insane! Tuesday, May 21, we moved from one house to another in Wilmore. As soon as we packed and unpacked, we re-packed so we could leave that Friday to go to Kansas and see Kyle's family. We spent some quality time with his parents and brother's family and then we left on Sunday to head to Dallas for yet another summer with Project Transformation. We  arrived Sunday evening and began leadership training during the last week of May. On June 1, the 101 interns arrived at SMU for check-in. Since last Saturday, we've hardly been able to breathe! It's a good thing, though. We've really enjoyed getting to know the new interns and seeing old friends. Interns trained this entire week and will train for a couple of days next week. Then, we send them off to their sites on Wednesday, June 12!

This summer, my official title with PT is "House Pastor" and Kyle's is "LITE Coordinator." In the past, we've both served as interns and have worked with elementary/youth students in the program. However, this summer is shaping up to be a little bit different. As a LITE Coordinator, Kyle will be working with youth who are too old for the program (10th-12th graders). He will be helping them accrue volunteer hours through PT and will create special programming for them during the weekday afternoons. Through programming, he will assist them in college prep, guide them through spiritual formation and teach them about social justice. He's excited to work with the LITES at Walnut Hill. I am excited he is at Walnut Hill -- my old stomping grounds.

As for me...the job of a house pastor is difficult to describe. On the surface level I am in charge of helping to plan worship, plan community events, take care of dinner volunteers and be a listening ear and mentor for interns. On the flip side (and there is a flip side, trust me) this job is about MUCH more than that. I am also a....motherly type figure, question-answer-er extraordinaire, disciplinarian, liaison, room un-locker (which also makes me a keeper of the keys), etc. At the same time, I am also still a student and a wife. Thankfully, God seems to be giving me grace to complete and be all of those things in this season of my life. It's a lot of fun. It's really draining. It's really life-giving. I'm looking forward to the summer ahead. I will be blogging more this summer, Lord willing. I think that will be my June resolution. We have a lot of great things coming up in June and I have a lot of good thoughts, too, that I want to share. So, look for more blogs this month as a part of my happiness project. I love to write and there are so many good opportunities to write and things to write about, I must seize them!

Catching Up

Holy howdy-doody, Batman. Is it really May? So, I've been the worst blogger ever when it comes to my happiness project. I remember looking at April 1 and May 1 and thinking..."I'll blog tomorrow." This isn't a normal attitude for me, so I must have been really busy with school. Plus, you can't force blogging and trying to make myself blog might have made me unhappy at the time. Which, in turn, seems to defeat the point of a happiness project. But, you'll be glad to know that even though I didn't blog about March, April or May I did/am continuing to do something intentional every month to contribute to my happiness project. So, here's a quick recap. I am supposed to be writing a final paper and am actually busier than ever. But, I got the blog bug and possibly the ramble bug, so here it goes:

March: "Become an advocate for something outside of seminary (and theology for that matter)." So, you guessed it. I researched student loans...especially FedLoans since we've had so much trouble with them. I won't go into detail about all the things I found out. However, I started sending them physical checks since they wouldn't accept our payments online. I make physical copies of all my correspondences with them and even keep physical stamp receipts from the Post Office to show the date we mailed the check. I have tons more to say, so if you're ever in a pickle, ask me and I will find something out for you. A little hint...the magic words (so far) seem to be, "I will contact the FTC if you won't let me pay my student loans." That seems to do the trick. And we really did file a complaint with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and FedLoans didn't charge us a late fee while they waited for a physical check to arrive since they wouldn't accept our payment online. Magic. Boom.

April: My goal was to pay attention to Spring. This was a blessing to me. Seriously. Most years I look back when spring has arrived in all its glory and I think to myself, "When did that tree get those leaves?" or "How long have those tulips been there." It's like one day they weren't there and the next they were. For that reason, everyday on my walk to work and class, I paid attention to spring blooming around me. This has been one of my favorite exercises in my happiness project thus far. I got to enjoy the progressiveness of spring this year. I might sound like an old lady, but there's something to be understood about the phrase "Stop and smell the roses." Paying attention to spring was really beautiful and now it's just about gone.

May: My goal this month, which I'm living into, is to observe community and be thankful. We're doing so much stuff with our community of friends this month -- we've already celebrated one of our best friends as he moved back to Virginia. We're also moving in a couple of days and then we are leaving the Asbury community for the summer and joining the PT community in Dallas. So, I love observing the community I am a part of and being thankful for the wonderful people that we call friends. Living into community is easy, but observing it and being thankful is a different discipline.

That's it for now. I will try to be more disciplined when it comes to blogging! I love it and I will be less busy in just a few days. My first year of seminary is coming to a close and that probably deserves a recap. Until then, back to paper writing so I can say that my first year of seminary has officially ended! Woo!