We made it back from Mexico, so that's good. ;-) I have definitely been in "Vacation after Vacation" mode over here at this little space. Upon arrival, things were very much back in the swing of things, including a shoot the very next day and numerous school activities for the past two weeks.

It seems like a year ago that we were here, alone.

Well, not alone, really... with a great group of people.

Having nearly two weeks to reflect on it, I have come to realize a few things about this trip.

One, Jason and I really need to prioritize each other. Not in a week-away-in-another-country way. More as in a night away in another town. We are so practical when it comes to gifts and time alone, we know the money is better spent on car maintenance or saving up for new windows... it's hard to justify. But wow. We spent a week without any source of tension.

Tension being defined as making decisions or serving a bunch of little people while trying to talk about decisions that need to be made. That kind of tension.

No, it never happened during that week.

The most difficult decisions were where to eat... it was a fun little game to play as we all enjoy good food. Yelapa is a special place. I read the reviews on nearly every place there, did my research to make sure it was a good fit for us, and everything was true.

It's Mexico.

It's different than America.

But like with any type of international travel, if you choose to enjoy and embrace their culture, you will do just fine, and come away with a new appreciation and world view.

Most of the restaurants were the back yards of the owner's homes.

The abuela would be cooking while the mom shushes her little ninos and serves you fresh drinks to order. Abuelo is sitting on the couch watching the news...this is all within site of our little table.

Yet there was something so unique and enchanting.

I was surprised to discover that very few locals spoke English!

Thankfully Jason was able to pull out his fluency from who knows where, because he was the one that did most of the conversing. We all got by with the little that we knew though.

We also got by with doing NOTHING. There were a lot of cards played, books read, walks, eating and laying around.

The walk to the village was a very scenic one mile walk...along cobblestones and rocky trails.

We did this walk at least one to three times a day depending on our "activity".

Our houses (Casa Coco and Coco Cabana) were set aside from the village up in the jungle.

We had to walk a steep 100+ steps to get there, but the view was worth every step. We had panoramic ocean views as we were at the edge of the cove.

Jason and I had our own little house. It was really incredible. This is our porch. Not so bad.

Night swim!

You can see Casa Coco behind the crew on a walk to dinner. It was completely open air, no windows. The weather was perfect. About 75-80 degrees the entire time, from sunrise to sunset.

I'm not much of a scenic picture person and it got kind of awkward and boring taking pictures of each other, but I knew we would regret it if we didn't. I could have taken so much more, but it was important to do nothing too. :-)

Did I mention we didn't have kids with us?!!

Part of our view... the village is to the right and the wide open ocean to the left. The jungle was crazy! Every morning we would wake to parrots and singing birds. They were so loud but it was such a pleasure to see the sun rise through our mosquito tent (which wasn't needed, but felt quite romantic) and listen to the animals surrounding us.

One morning, I decided to take a run to the "close waterfall"...well that run ended up being at the "further away" waterfall... it was a 12 mile run. I wasn't too happy when I returned, but I have to say it was really good time with the Lord!

After I returned, I coerced Jason, Dave, and Denisa to hike back with me (walking that time!) a few days later.

It was worth it both times...to get a feel for the jungle, the country side, and to find secret, hidden places! (timer cam for the win!)

Goodness. I can't say enough about the trip or the peace that was over it. It was obvious that the Lord had his hand all over us and this trip...from our children being healthy and obedient to no flight delays to us staying healthy...seriously. We set our expectations low (as you learn to do with kids) and left with nothing but great memories and a really new perspective towards our children and family.

It was incredibly refreshing.
I'm still savoring moments with them as if I haven't seen them in a long time.

I'm wondering how long that will last? Because the entire trip was worth it for that sweet new perspective!

This is from our last night out. We all did so well without our kiddos, but by the last night we were ready to go home.

At dinner, which was fantastic (of course), we were able to watch a whale which was an amazing end to the trip.

As we took the boat back to the airport (yes, you can only travel by boat to Yelapa), schools and schools of dolphins surrounded us. Everyone just watched silently. It was another perfect end to an incredible experience. Almost like a finale as we watched our little Casa drift away.

Thank you SO SO much, my family, for watching my kids! It says a lot that I didn't worry once while we were gone. You guys are the best!

I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as Sprouted Green Enchilada Pie, but I had nothing else to call it, so there you have it!

This is a serious staple in our home. I make it once a week. I always hope and pray that it lasts two meals (sometimes I add a whole extra pound of meat and more beans), but it's such a favorite that realistically I get one meal and some leftovers for lunches. You can substitute nearly everything in here for whatever your preferences are. From start to finish (not taking into account the first step), this meal is a quick 15-20min prep.

There will be two steps to this process... the first you can completely bypass as it can be a little overwhelming if you are starting your journey on whole foods or traditional foods and this meal will still have a ton of nutrients for your family... keep that in mind! You can bypass the first step by buying two cans of organic black or pinto beans--season them a bit before you layer them.

Step One: Sprouted Beans/Rice (cooked in bone broth)

Use whatever ratio you would like for beans to rice. I typically do one cup rice, three cups beans (Of course I use Bob's!). Rinse both. Put in a glass or enamel bowl and fill with purified water about 2 inches above the level. Add an acid medium (Apple Cider vinegar, yogurt, or kefir), approx 1 tbsp per cup of contents (so I put about 4 TBsp in. This is not a science, so it's okay if it's too much or too little.

Cover with a breathable cloth and let it sit for 2-3 days. Check every day to make sure water is still above the beans. The beans will be officially "sprouted" when you see little sprouts popping out.

The process of sprouting actually adds vitamin C to your beans and grains. It also neutralizes phyctic acid (which allows the nutritional benefits of the beans/grain to be absorbed into the body), increases the amount of Vitamin B and produces those special enzymes for easy digestion.

Pull out your bone broth (I store mine in the freezer). If you don't have bone broth, you can use store bought chicken or veggie broth or just simple water and season it.

Put it the beans in a crock pot or pot. Cook on low all day. Make sure the liquid is above the beans until the near end, where it should be mostly absorbed.

Continue to season (the bone broth provides a lot of seasoning, but I still add some garlic cloves and more sea salt).

Step Two: Making the Pie

Preheat oven to 350

Cook up your meat. I typically use grass fed beef. This time I had turkey, which is rare (once you get used to the fatty goodness of beef, lean turkey is not so delicious!). You can also use shredded chicken, pastured pork, etc. Or no meat at all. It happens often and there's enough nutrients to get by without.

Season to your desire (or use a healthy taco seasoning).

Reach for your greens. This varies based on what's in season. Right now we use a lot of spinach, kale, cabbage, etc. Summertime I usually chop zucchini and other squashes, along with some collard greens.

This is a good place to put some of your wilting veggies too as they just get cooked anyway.

Layer up.

I put about 6 organic corn sliders (the small tortillas) down first, then the bean mixture (here is where you would add your seasonings if you are using canned beans). Then the meat.

Add all the veggies on top. Don't be afraid to load them high, they will bake down.

After the veggies, add another layer of the corn sliders (or tortillas). You can do different variations of sauce. Sometimes I use salsa mixed with a mild enchilada sauce, but the kids have been loving this Frontera Green Chile Enchilada Sauce. It's gluten free and doesn't have any gross ingredients, which is hard to come by. It goes on sale for $1.99 at Safeway on occasion and then I will snag a bunch of them. It's a bit spicy for my crew, so I add a cup of coconut milk, mix it, then cover the top of the "pie".

Once you drench your pie, grate some cheese and cover the top of it. You can add olives too.

Bake at 425 for 30 mins or until the cheese is fully melted, the tortillas look browned and the veggies have cooked down.

You can do this with beans, rice eggs, and potatoes as well... the options are endless and we usually use whatever's in the fridge or garden to fill it!

Enjoy!

If you have any questions, please keep in mind I am in Mexico, OLE! I'll get back to you as soon as I can. :-)

Viva Yelapa!

In the Kitchen: Sprouted Green Enchilada Pie (Gluten Free)