Cooking with Anna
Where’s Your Focus? by Anna Hamilton
I’m sure most of you have been to the eye doctor at least once in your life. You are sitting in the dark room with these crazy alien goggles pressed to your face. The doctor will switch back and forth between lenses asking which one is better; which one is more in focus? Sometimes, well a lot of the time, the look is so similar it’s hard to pick which one is better. But then, there are times that it is painfully clear which one is in focus. You can see out of one clearly and the other is a complete blur. I feel like we go through most of our life without it being in proper “focus.” We are told by the media, movie and television stars, the newest internet sensation, and even sometimes our friends and family, that we are to focus solely on the outside appearance. What is happening on the inside doesn’t matter as long as we look “socially” acceptable on the outside. You are taught to focus on the inconsistent things about yourself. Your weight will fluctuate, your skin will not always be flawless, your hair will not always be perfectly in place, and your clothes will not always be in style, you will not always drive the newest and fastest car…but, these are the exact things we learn to put our focus, our energy, our precious
Black Bean Quesadillas
God-given time to. From a very young age, pressure is put on most of us to fit perfectly into society. Being different is not always welcome. I had no idea I was a chubby child until my mother took me to see a dietician when I was eight years old. That is when my relationship with food and how I viewed my physical appearance changed for my entire life. That memory is burned into my brain. It is one that I have fought with my entire adult life. My mother thought she was doing what was best. She had been an overweight child, and her mother had done the same to her. It has taken me almost 32 years (since I now am 40) to stop worrying about the inconsistent. I have spent so much of my life hiding because I felt ashamed of the things society says I should change. In Psalm 139:13-16 we are told, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before continued on page 14
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup finely diced zucchini 1 cup frozen sweet corn kernels, thawed 2/3 cup finely diced red onion ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 tsp cumin Salt and pepper to taste ¼ tsp Tabasco sauce, or to taste 2 whole-wheat tortillas, 12 inches in diameter
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine beans, zucchini, corn, red onion, cheese, cilantro, cumin, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium heat and coat with cooking April 16 - May 06, 2021
spray. Place one tortilla in the pan to warm. Place half of the bean mixture on one side of the tortilla and fold to cover. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then flip the quesadilla and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the other tortilla. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until cheese has completely melted. Cut each quesadilla into 4 even slices. Serve with your choice of condiments such as sour cream, salsa, or guacamole. I serve this with a small green salad.
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