Tostada Tuesday!

This month, my husband and I have been following a meal plan developed by Lindsie over at Mom's Bistro to help us save on our grocery bill. Because we like to live life on the edge, we're following December's menu in January. I know, rule breakers.

It's actually been fantastic, and we've cut our grocery bill by at least half, probably more. The reason I chose Lindsie's menu plan was because she literally does all of the work for you. She lets you know exactly how much she's spent, and gives you a week by week grocery list. It's been so fun to try all of these new recipes that I would never have thought to make.

Our favorite recipe this month has been pinto bean tostadas. Y'all. These things are SO delicious. I mean, look at this:

Yeah. You're welcome.

At first, the recipe seemed a bit overwhelming - but really I think I'm just lazy. It calls for homemade pinto beans and I thought there was no way I could do that. But I'm crockpots are so talented! What I'm trying to say is this recipe is so easy and so worth it.

Pinto Bean Tostadas

a la - Lindsie of MomsBistro

*First you need to make some pinto beans*

-1 lb dry pinto beans, rinsed and picked over

-1/2 onion, finely minced

-2 cloves garlic, finely minced

-2 cups chicken stock

-1 tbsp each; cumin, garlic powder and chile powder

-1/2 tbsp each; dried oregano, salt and paprika

-1 tbsp adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo (optional)


-1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced (optional)

-water

Directions:

-Add all ingredients to the base of crockpot and stir to combine

-Add enough water to cover beans by about 2"

-Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.

-When done, mash cooked beans with a whisk, or potato masher until desired consistency

TOSTADAS!!

-Crockpot pinto beans

-tostada shells

-8oz shredded Mexican cheese blend


-shredded lettuce (optional)

-diced tomatoes (optional)

-hot sauce/salsa (optional)

-pickled red onion (optional)
(My tostada shells didn't need to be heated, but check your 
packaging for instructions specific to the brand you purchase)

Layer your tostadas in any order you’d like!

This is my favorite: tostada shell, beans, sour cream, hot sauce, pickled red onion, cheese, lettuce.

-Jess

My favorite TPT sellers (clip art)

I've had a Teachers Pay Teachers store since 2014, but didn't really start to add good quality products until 2015 when my (previous) roommate, Briana, really taught me how to make the most of it! Bri  writes the blog Sun, Sand, & Second Grade which is pretty amazing and you should definitely go read it. A link to her amazing TPT store is at the top of her blog if you were curious. Which you should be.

She gave me so many tips and tricks! One of the best ones was telling me about Krista Wallden's TPT store. You guys. This woman is so insanely creative, and ridiculously generous when it come to giveaways. Her clip art is some of my favorite. Whether you're just starting your store, or a long time user, you need to go look at some of her stuff, you won't be disappointed. This is an example of her work from my Basic Concepts Big vs. Small product.

Another one of my favorite TPT sellers for clip art is Prince Panania. His style is so unique and wonderful. I always feel like his clip art makes my products go from good to great! Here's an example from one of my Quick Artic products. I mean, look at this stuff:

These are two of my favorite sellers from TPT for clip art specifically. I'll post more about my preferred sellers later this week!

:)

-Jess