Quesadillas Carried Me

Quesadillas carried me. From corporate to cooking, as I figured out who I was, what I cared deeply about and what I needed to do.

I had to nourish myself through all the running, And stillness. And soul-searching. As I raced around working, nourishing others and being in my head a lot, figuring out my life and what had meaning for me, the quesadillas fed me and helped me retain a little bit of me for me.

Maybe, just maybe my hideout + hangout – my kitchen playground was exactly what I needed to do. In between my day-in, day-out cause and effect unrelated-to-food office days, the deep hunger + longing persisted. I lit up anytime anyone stopped by my office cube asking, “What did you bring for lunch today?” and, “How did you make it?” Maybe, just maybe I thought…maybe this deep longing-belonging + hungers satisfied in my kitchen playground was where I belonged + was the thing I needed to do. I believed in the kitchen and the kitchen believed in me.

And, so I began. With my kids on one hip and skillet on the other, I began to teach what I knew to moms and kids. Self-nourishment. Simple, homegrown food. This 3-ingredient, 5-minute quesadilla that nourished me was the thing, helping moms self-nourish in between their daily running and family food juggle. This quesadilla was the thing to get kids in the kitchen to have and own their food experiences with this no fuss, no mess, safe, simple and fun recipe parents would let them cook. It was the connector to get families to break down food barriers, get in the kitchen to gather, enjoy food together, connect, love, laugh, linger.

The quesadilla fed me self-nourishment as I bridged my own gap, leaving behind what didn’t serve me, and walking into the work I cared about and needed to do: teaching kids’ cooking + feeding kids confidence in and out of the kitchen, bringing families together to stop the family food fight and enjoy their food together, and starting edible school gardens.

This version is for you…to self-nourish, self-love, come home to yourself for you. Home to your gifts, to acknowledge and feed them and share them with others because it makes you feel happy and alive, without always knowing where it will all lead. Trust your process and nourish yourself along the way. Trust who you are, what you love and what feeds you.

How do you nourish? With a few ingredients on hand, you can turn to quesadillas in a pinch, on the fly or with a plan, rustle up some self-nourishment we need and crave, oozing with warm love, self-love. Must love and nourish ourselves up!

How are you self-nourishing + what do you believe in? Tell me – I want to know!

Open Face Quesadilla Recipe:

This healthy, fun and easy 3-ingredient, 5-minute recipe is great any time of day or night. One pan means no mess and easy clean up. Get creative with your choice of fillings! I use organic ingredients whenever possible.

Ingredients:

- 1 package whole wheat or corn tortillas

- one small handful Manchego cheese, sliced

- several figs and plums, sliced

1. Place one tortilla in skillet without adding butter or oil - it won’t stick.

2. Sprinkle a thin layer of manchego cheese on top of quesadilla.

3. Place several slices of figs + plums to cover surface.

4. Sprinkle another small handful of manchego cheese on top of figs + plums.

5. Top with second tortilla.

6. Turn flame on low. Cook several minutes on each side until quesadilla is lightly browned and cheese is melted.

7. Cut into pieces and serve. Enjoy!