First off, let me (again…) apologize for my absence lately. I’ve simply been having too much fun with my little cupcake! She’s 11 weeks old now and constantly keeps us on our toes! She smiles SO much (freaking adorable!), eats a TON, and is growing like a weed- 12.75 pounds at her 2 month appointment! My little red-haired girl definitely has a personality all her own- I love it! Here’s a few other things that have been going on lately:
I won’t be singing with the Fort Worth Opera this season. It was a hard, hard, HARD pill to swallow, but being at home with my little girl is what matters most right now. I simply wouldn’t be able to give her what she needs being gone every single night and weekend for 2+ months. There comes a time when you have to make hard decisions in life; and while this was a very hard decision, I can say with total confidence, it was the RIGHT one.
We’ve decided to move back to our hometown. We’ve found the perfect house, put our house on the market, and turned our lives upside down. This decision literally came out of nowhere, as we never intended to move back there after getting married. But, when something is right, it’s right. Cassidy will be going to the same schools we went to (she’ll even be at the same elementary school I was at! Yay!), she’ll be in the same town as her grandparents, which I happen to think is very important, and we’ll be going to the same church both of us grew up in. Joel and I met there, were in youth together there, and got married there. My family has gone there for 4 generations. It’s a special church, and Cassidy will be a part of it.
And of course, getting used to being parents is still a big part of our lives (the biggest part, actually). Taking care of little miss Cass is a huge responsibility and a joy. Being parents is just awesome. 🙂
Ok, now that you’re up to date on all the happenings, let’s get back to food! The good folks at Tillamook asked me to whip up a grilled cheese sandwich recipe for them since April is National Grilled Cheese Month. They sent me 4 kinds of cheeses to try and asked me to create a delicious grilled cheese for them. Done and done! I love a good grilled cheese. Especially if it happens to have spicy pepper jack cheese, sliced avocado and cilantro butter on thick, buttery Texas toast. Yes sir.
Mexican Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
4 slices Texas toast (not the frozen kind- you can find this with the other sliced breads)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
pinch salt
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
2 slices Tillamook Pepper Jack cheese
1 avocado, thinly sliced
salsa, for dipping
Stir the chopped cilantro, salt and butter together until spreadable and smooth. Spread the butter mixture on one side of each slice of bread. Place two slices of bread buttered side down on a preheated grill pan over medium heat. Top each with a slice of cheese and 2-3 slices of avocado. Place the remaining two slices of bread, buttered side up on top. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip, cooking until cheese is melted and bread is lightly browned. Serves 2.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper
She’s adorable!!! I understand your decision not to return to the opera. I chose not to return to my job after my Andrea was born and I haven’t regretted a day since. These kids grow up too fast to miss any of the milestones. Good luck with the move 🙂
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Comment by Amy Brown — April 18, 2012 @ 9:54 AM
LOVE this idea!
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Comment by Blog is the New Black — April 18, 2012 @ 1:02 PM
I love anything involving cilantro. Or cheese. Or avocado. So, I’m fairly certain I’ll love this. Looks great!
Good for you for staying home to be with your little girl, as well as leaving the city to be in your hometown. You won’t regret either decision!
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Comment by Laura — April 18, 2012 @ 2:14 PM
You will never regret the decision to stay home with your little ones. No matter what else you have to sacrifice. God Bless.
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Comment by Ambia — April 18, 2012 @ 2:42 PM
I can’t wait to try this, it looks amazing. Hope everything goes well with the move and Cassidy is so cute 🙂 The picture of her sitting on her daddy’s lap makes me smile. My dad used to sit me on his lap when on the computer too.
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Comment by Katelyn — April 18, 2012 @ 3:04 PM
She is so beautiful!
And you are awesome parents.
You know just where your priorities lie.
God has truly blessed you!
Have a Joyful Day.
Charlie
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Comment by Charlie — April 18, 2012 @ 3:30 PM
I would like this for my dinner please (with Cassidy in my lap, it would taste even better)!
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Comment by mother — April 18, 2012 @ 5:21 PM
Your grilled cheese looks delicious! Good for you for staying home with your sweet girl–I bet that was an insanely difficult decision 🙂
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Comment by Anne — April 18, 2012 @ 7:21 PM
Wow! You have a lot going on! Glad to hear you’re moving back to your hometown. It will be so nice to have grandparents nearby. Love the pics, thanks for sharing!
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Comment by Cathy L. — April 19, 2012 @ 9:26 AM
This is a yummy, grown up version of grilled cheese and tomato soup! Thanks for the inspiration!
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Comment by stacy — April 19, 2012 @ 12:18 PM
I nominated you for an award! http://www.fivelittlechefs.com/2012/04/versatile-blogger-award.html
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Comment by Kimberly@FiveLittleChefs — April 19, 2012 @ 2:56 PM
Amy, you look so happy! You won’t regret your decision — in fact, you can Sing For Your Supper at home and Cassidy and your hubby will love it! Congrats on choosing to move back to familiar territory — FAMILY territory — what a blessing for all of you. Oh yes… and that grilled cheese with cilantro butter… yes sir, indeed!!!
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Comment by Kimby — April 20, 2012 @ 6:17 PM
Thank you all for your sweet, encouraging comments. I appreciate it SO much!
XO
Amy
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Comment by amy — April 20, 2012 @ 8:01 PM
Hi there, I love your yummy recipes and have recently subscribed to your blog. This grilled cheese sounds amazing…I am a huge fan of grilled cheese variations. I have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award! http://theoptimisticbaker.com/2012/04/18/versatile-blogger-award/
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Comment by Becky — April 22, 2012 @ 5:28 PM
[…] MEXICAN CHEESE TOASTY Adapted from S […]
Pingback by Mexican Cheese Toasties | The Hearty Herbivore — April 22, 2012 @ 8:48 PM
Amy! YAY! Where did y’all find a house?! So excited for y’all and I know ALL of the fam is glad y’all are coming home! xoxo! Alex
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Comment by Alex Bogan — April 29, 2012 @ 1:51 PM