Backhoes to Kevin Durant

I know the difference between an excavator, a loader and a backhoe. I can spot a construction vehicle anywhere. I can drum “The Mighty Machines” theme song perfectly.

I also know (off by heart) the names and drivers of all the major Monster Trucks. I would cheer with my son as Maximum Destruction would beat Grave Digger (even though I was secretly a Monster Mutt fan).

Then I became an expert on dinosaurs. I would watch documentaries with my son and learn how much to correctly pronounce velociraptor and diplodocus! I became an expert on carnivores and herbivores.

Now I know that The Golden State Warriors basketball team finally lost their first game ending a 24 game win streak. I know that Stephen Curry is an amazing point guard, I know that KD (Kevin Durant) is 6ft 9in and just released his newest basketball shoe.

I have read more than one Captain Underpants book, I’ve watch the first three seasons of Star Wars The Clone Wars and I have laughed at every fart joke and bathroom humour joke I’ve been told even though I don’t think they are funny.

I have done all this because I have a son. I love what he loves (except the bug stage- I can’t lie- I didn’t love the bugs he would catch and want to keep as pets… Ugh). It’s always been easier for me to connect with my daughter’s interests. She seems to like all the things I liked as a child. We both loved pushing dolls in strollers when we were 3. I love doing Barbie’s hair as much as she does. I too went through a “Mini Pops” stage and I sure didn’t mind taking her to Katy Perry and Taylor Swift concerts. We love baking, shopping and pedicures. It’s very easy to stay close and connected with my daughter since we share so many of the same interests. Having a son has shown me a totally exciting and new world! I grew up with only a sister, no brothers, so this world of Monster Trucks and TSN is totally new to me. I have loved watching my son discover something new and fall in love with it!

Now I want to do the same with him. I want to stay close with my son as he grows older. I want to share some of my interests with him- even if he isn’t naturally drawn to them. I love cooking! I’m sure you already know that since I always share a recipe with each post. I wanted to share this love with my son. Was he overjoyed to be cooking with me in the kitchen? Not really, but it’s been fun teaching him to cook and it’s given him confidence and pride. He has made dinner for the family almost once a week for the past few months. Only problem with this (other than the crunch taco beef because he forgot to check the meat while it was browning), is TACOS! He only knew how to make tacos. Now, I love tacos (especially since both my kids love taco= nagging free meal) but tacos once a week is a bit too much!

I wanted another item to add to his food repertoire so enter Quesadillas! I wanted an easy way for him to make dinner quickly and efficiently so I googled “quesadillas in the oven”. I’ve always cooked quesadillas in a frying pan but I wanted a faster/easier way for my son to produce enough food for the whole family at once. I’m not going to link a recipe since there are a thousand oven quesadilla recipes and they are all the same so I think I’m not infringing on anyone’s intellectual property when I tell you how to make these!

Ingredients

Leftover cooked chicken (shredded) or taco beef

Salsa

Grated cheese

Any other fillings your family enjoys (we usually add black beans and corn)

Directions

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with grapeseed oil. Line soft tortillas on the pan. Top each tortilla with salsa, cheese, chicken etc then fold the tortilla in half. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

These are great leftover packed for lunches! My 13 year old son has mastered this recipe- I hope you enjoy it too! I have learned so much from my son and I hope we are always close- but not so close that he is still living with me at age 30 lol! Hopefully his cooking skills will make him a good college roommate someday!