Friday night for supper we had Barbeque Chicken & Black Bean Burritos, well actually the kids kind of pulled them apart but they did try the bean part so that's good. After the kids had their baths and went to sleep we watched "Crash." Saturday we played, took a walk and headed to a birthday party. Watching four toddlers tear around a house made me question the sanity of inviting so many kids to Keegan's party. Oh well, we'll survive. After the party I dropped Keegan at Tom's and headed home. We decided to get Chinese. Jeff had something hot so Isabelle and I shared chicken w/cashews. She loved the crab rangoon dipped in duck sauce and ate all of the celery which is fine because I don't like that as much as the cashews. Sunday for lunch my friend Erica came over. We had grilled cheese and Chunky Potato Crab Chowder. Pasteurized crabmeat since she's preggers. (I told you all of my friends are pregnant.) Best of all there is plenty leftover for Jeff and to take for lunch this week. Then everyone headed home and I waited for about twenty minutes until Tom dropped Keegan.
Once he got settled we were playing when I realized I had to put laundry in. So I hopped up and said, "I've got to wash the sheets." He followed me upstairs to get them and then back down and by that time he was chanting, "Wash the sheets." I lost him in the livingroom but he caught up with me down in the laundry room. He was carrying one of his animal bowling pins. Sure enough it was number four, the sheep. He handed it to me and proudly exclaimed, "Wash the sheep!" He had no idea why I found that so funny. When we headed back up the stairs he reached out for my hand. He does this all the time but this time I stopped and thought about it. I thought about how much he loves me. They always tell you how you'll never know love until you have a child. But I never knew anything until I was loved by this child. Someday he'll be a big boy and too embarassed to hold my hand. But for now I hope he holds my hand, kisses me on the lips and snuggles on the couch for as long as possible. My silly little boy who sleeps with a whole array of animals, a ceramic piggy bank and a ceramic lotion dispenser because it is shaped like a duck. Even after I got him a real rubber ducky he won't give up his ceramic buddies. That little rubber duck just gets tucked with the rest of the crew.

"Barbecued" Chicken-and-Black Bean Burritos

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup bottled barbecue sauce
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, onion, and garlic; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring constantly. Stir in barbecue sauce and beans. Sprinkle with cheese; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; top each with 1 tablespoon sour cream, and roll up.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burrito)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 458(26% from fat); FAT 13.3g (sat 4.1g,mono 5.6g,poly 2.4g); PROTEIN 34.9g; CHOLESTEROL 65mg; CALCIUM 243mg; SODIUM 744mg; FIBER 4.8g; IRON 3.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 49.1g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 1999

Chunky Potato-Crab Chowder

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
3 1/2 cups (1-inch) cubed red potato (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Add potato; sauté 1 minute. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, thyme, pepper, nutmeg, corn, and broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in crab, parsley, and salt; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)