Tasty Tuesday–Vegan Black Bean Burritos

I don’t do a lot of vegetarian/vegan cooking, but I wanted to try something new for our Lenten Friday. I decided to really step outside of my comfort zone and make burritos that are not only vegetarian, but even use plant-based cream cheese, making them vegan as well. I was little worried that they might be a little too unconventional for my family, but they turned out to be a huge hit, and I’ll definitely be making them again! (I may try a version with cheese and maybe even chicken in the future, though!)

  • 6-8 “Extra Grande Burrito” flour tortillas
  • 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 red bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 large jalapeño, minced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
  • 3 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 8 oz. plant-based cream cheese
  • 2 bunches cilantro, lightly chopped

Preheat oven to 350.

Sauté onion, red peppers, and jalapeño with salt in large pan in oil until soft. Add garlic, cumin, and cayenne, and cook for another minute. Add black beans and continue cooking until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and allow to melt. Remove pan from heat and toss in cilantro. Fill and fold tortillas, wrap in foil, and place on baking sheet. Cook in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Mani Monday

This week’s mani features the new magnetic Holo Taco “Pretty Privilege” polish set with magnets in different ways. On the nails of the thumb and pinky, I used the traditional wand magnet for a cat eye effect, and on the nails of the index and ring fingers, I used the new super magnet to create velvet nails. I left the nail on the middle finger unmagnetized. I love how different they all look, to the point where it actually looks like different colors of polish!

M*A*S*H Quote of the Day–3/1/2026

“I have this peculiar metabolism. If I don’t eat regularly, everything solid in my body turns to liquid. My shoes are full of water.” Corporal Radar O’Reilly, “The Sniper,” season two, episode 10

M*A*S*H Quote of the Day–2/28/2026

“We just heard General Eisenhower is going to run for president. What some people will do to get out of the Army.” Captain Hawkeye Pierce, “Dear Dad…Three,” season two, episode nine

Sartorial Saturday–A Shrug Story

One of the oldest and most-worn items in my wardrobe is a shrug I didn’t even buy on its own!

This bright green shrug came with a dress I bought probably 15 years ago. I don’t even have the dress anymore, but I kept the shrug, and I wear it all the time. It’s an especially useful piece during Mary Blair March (which begins tomorrow!), because the shade is perfect for pairing in unexpected ways much like the color styling Mary Blair was famous for. I especially love wearing it with yellow, pink, and other shades of green, but it goes with so many dresses and skirts…I have worn it with just about everything it could feasibly go with, but I’m always on the lookout for new ways to wear it!

2025-26 School Year–Week Twenty-Two

This week in algebra Chickadee focused on word problems, especially those using the i=prt and d=rt formulas. She wrote another short paper, this time about WWII, in writing. In history we discussed the aftermath of WWII, focusing on the partitioning of India and Palestine. She continued to read As You Like It. In religion we discussed the history of education in the Lutheran church. She finished the sound on chapter in science. We also finished going through the amendments to the US Constitution, and also discussed the Equal Rights Amendment. Now that the Olympics are over, we’re back to making recipes from the American Girl Sweet & Savory Treats Cookbook. This week, we made a Fruit and Cream Pavlova inspired by 2021 Girl of the Year Kira. I’ve wanted to make a Pavlova for years, but was always afraid it would be too difficult. Not only did we discover it’s actually pretty simple, Chickadee got to practice separating eggs, which is a very useful kitchen skill!

Our library is incubating chicks again! Last year we missed the first candling, which takes place at one week, so we made sure to make it to this year’s initial candling…it so cool to see them developing and even moving around in the egg!

We’re hoping to visit the zoo soon…there are painted dog puppies that are going to be introduced to the public!

M*A*S*H Quote of the Day–2/27/2026

“Or to take Frank’s suggestion of having lifeboat drills in case we’re attacked by the Korean navy, which they don’t even have one of.” Captain Hawkeye Pierce, “Dear Dad…Three,” season two, episode nine