Slow Cooker Black Beans and Rice

“Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook”

For those of you who know my husband (Shale) and I, you probably know that both of us have a passion for those who are non-Christians and/or struggling with extreme poverty.  We both have friends in India that are missionaries and we get updates weekly on some of the extreme situations there.  In fact one of my friends recently told me there are more orphaned and abandoned children on the streets of Bombai, India than there are people in the city of Tampa.  That means approximately more than 340,000 children on the streets of one city.  I can only imagine what that is like.  I tell you all this to share with you an idea that we recently came up with.  He was talking about how the people of India mainly eat rice and beans every day (cheap) and how we could also do that one night a week so that we might be able to have a little more money in our budget to share with those in need. It was a great idea and to be honest you can easily make a pot of rice and beans to feed 6 people that doesn't cost you any more than $5 total.  Plus if you use brown rice it is a healthy, protein and whole grain meal.  So my goal is to try out different rice and bean recipes each week which I will also share with you along with a quick update from some friends in India on their different needs.  I know there is such extreme poverty over there they could definitely use our prayers and thoughts, since we have all been so blessed in the US.  So here's the first recipe it is a super simple black bean and rice recipe that is delicious!

Summer Blog Facelift

Country Living

 In case you haven't noticed the blog has gotten a "facelift" for the summer!  It was crying out for something a little more fresh and seasonal to go along with the abundance of summer recipes you'll have heading your way!  For starters here's a great summer pizza recipe you can make on the grill outside while hanging out with your family and loved ones!  On a side note check out the picture the the right.  Isn't that a cute little beach house featured in Country Living Magazine?  I don't know if I would be able to go that bright of colors for everyday as I tend to get bored of the colors quicker if they are bright.  Seeing as how much he LOVED painting the other day (insert sarcasm here) I don't think Shale would like it very much if I did something where I would get bored faster, but I do think it is very cute!  Enjoy the pizza recipe!

I apologize!!!

  I sometimes think the chef end of cooking is not the real end of cooking. Cooking is all about homes and gardens, it doesn't happen in restaurants.

Delia Smith

I want to apologize for the fact that I haven't written in so long.  It has been over 2 weeks since my last post!  To be honest I almost didn't put this one up as I typed the WHOLE thing with pictures and all and then google blogger decided to freak out on me and delete it all... so discouraging.   But here I am and I apologize for taking so long to post something new on here but if you know me well enough to know about my job you understand that summer is the busiest time of the year for me.  I currently work as a student ministry event coordinator for a large church.  This means I plan all the camps, mission trips, etc... and since students are out during the summer that means more events for them and more planning for me.  I had a camp last week and another one next week but I promise I'm not dead and I will be posting more.  I wanted to take this post to catch up a little bit with what's happening with me cooking (and non-cooking wise).  

Tuesday's Tip plus baked Zucchini Fries and Marsala Turkey Burger

Cookies are made of butter and love.  ~Norwegian Proverb

Today's tip is very simple and concerns cookies.  Now I'm not sure if you're like me but when I make cookies I cannot keep them at home after I make them.  If I do I will eat them all so most of the time I'll take them to work, or the husband will take them to work, or we'll take them to our Bible study groups on Sunday morning.  However, a few months back I learned a great tip for storing and shipping cookies... bread!  Now if you've heard of it you know what I'm talking about and if you haven't heard of it then you probably think I'm crazy.  Either way next time you make a batch of cookies when you put it in your Tupperware to store until later pop in a piece of bread.  It will keep the cookies moist and tasting like they just came out of the oven.  This is a great use of the heel of the bread!  If it doesn't work for you feel free to message back but I promise it is one of the best tips I think I've ever learned.  Now on to some recipes!!!  Last night I found lean ground turkey breast on sale and decided to cook up some quick turkey burgers.  I also had some zucchini in the fridge but I was craving something a little crunchy so I mixed a few things together and found 2 winning recipes.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

A recipe I can’t wait to try… Strawberry-Avocado Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

A girl told me my lips looked like somebody had pressed strawberry yogurt against my face.

Katherine Heigl quotes 

I love chips and salsa.  I mean to the point where my husband makes fun of me.  In fact if you asked me my comfort food I would probably that it’s tortilla chips with melted cheese and salsa.  I try not to eat it that much because I really can’t stop.  I love them.  So when I came across this creative recipe for unique chips and salsa from Cooking Light I knew I had to share it with you.  I can’t wait to try it… in fact I may just have to stop and pick up the ingredients on the way home from church today so I can make it. However, I may be making a few changes like using non-stick spray on the tortillas instead of oil and using high fiber tortillas as I’m doing weight watchers right now and want to bring the points value down a little bit.  In case you’re wondering current the recipe (as is) has a points plus value of 4.  Along with being great it sounds like a wonderful summer party appetizer.  So without further ado… here’s a great recipe idea. 

A recipe I can't wait to try...

I love the culture of grilling. It creates an atmosphere that is festive but casual.
 Bobby Flay

Of course the "king of grilling" from the Food Network would have the perfect grilling quote.  I too love grilling mainly because it adds so much flavor without having to add any extra fat or calories.  Right now the husband and I have pretty much settled into a routine fall back meal of grilled chicken and vegetables.  It's easy and always seems to turn out right.  Plus right now several veggies including zucchini, squash and other summer vegetables are in season, which makes them REALLY CHEAP!  We typically mix together some zucchini and squash and sometimes toss in some cherry tomatoes, peppers, baby portobello mushrooms, whatever sounds good for the night.  However, I found this recipe online the other day and I can't wait to try it!!!  As you may know I really, REALLY love goat cheese.  This recipe which combines goat cheese (tanginess) with portobello (meatiness) and topped with a tomato to finish it off has got to be amazing.  I loved the idea of it so much I had to share.  I hope it works out well for you!!!

Click Read Full Post To See Entire Recipe

Chicken Teriyaki and Southern Style Green Beans

"Southerners can't stand to eat alone. If we're going to cook a mess of greens we want to eat them with a mess of people." 

Julia Reed

I love the quote above.  While some people may not think there is a distinctive difference in Southern cooking and other cooking those who have grown up here will disagree.  Having a mother from South Carolina, a father from Virginia, and a grandmother from Mississippi I grew up learning that not only are there typical foods distinctive to the south (greens, hoppin' johns, fried chicken, etc...) it is almost more of a cultural thing than it is a type of food.  I was raised learning that you invite friends over as often as possible, you give your extra cookies or baked goods to neighbors, and you always make a pound cake for a friend who has lost a loved one.  So when I came across this quote I thought it fit perfectly.  For this post I am sharing with you the simple love of cooking in the South, particularly in using a cast iron skillet and making fabulous green beans.  I hope you enjoy the simplicity as much as I do.

A few of my favorite things right now... (food wise)

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things"

I just had to use the song as a quote because as I was typing the title this song immediately popped into my head.  I don't know about you, but I go through "phases" with my foods.  I'll get really hooked on one thing that I love and I'll eat it until I don't want to eat it any more.  Sometimes this is healthy, for example I went through an egg-white omelet stage where I made on for breakfast every morning.  Other times it's not so healthy, for example the little love affair I had with cheeze-its for a while was not healthy.   Try as I may I find myself constantly falling into patterns where I really love some foods.  Most of the time it's a seasonal food thing, which helps because I can eat it until it is out of season and then still want some by the time another year comes around.  I thought for this post I'd share with you some of my favorites right now.

What's for dinner...

"A salad is a waste of a full"

Love this handmade wreath!

Yes the above quote is my husband's. This has been his quote he has lived by for as long as I've known him. His mentality is "if I'm going to get full I'd rather get full off of meat and potatoes than off of salad". However, in an effort for both of us to eat healthier he did recently agree to eat salad if I made it and it didn't "taste gross". So I'm taking full advantage of that tonight and making a modified version of a Weight Watcher's Salad mixed with a Cooking Light chicken recipe for the grilled chicken on top. The Weight Watchers salad sounded delicious but my husband and I both do not care for mayonnaise. Actually, that's probably an understatement, the husband hates mayonnaise. To the point where one of the guys in his bible study he teaches once put mayonnaise underneath the door handle to his car so he grabbed it when he opened the door, lets just say he was pretty mad. However, I recently made a recipe that substituted sour cream for mayonnaise so that is how I made this salad tonight. As for the grilled chicken on top, the other night I made the original full recipe for Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa by cooking light and the chicken turned out delicious and was so simple.  I wanted to add some protein to the salad so I figured combining them was the perfect way to complete the meal.  It was delicious and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Growing herbs to use in dishes...

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.

Proverbs 15:17 

If you have been cooking for any length of time you probably know that a love for cooking can be a very expensive endeavor.  Being a newly wed and having to share a budget for the first time I have discovered this firsthand.  However,  there are some ways you can save money on your groceries.  As for me I use coupons (I'll be doing a post about this soon), stock up on meat when it's on sale, and try to come up with creative meals that use what I already have.  However, one of the things that I have found myself spending a lot of money on lately is fresh herbs.  Buying fresh herbs from the supermarket can be very expensive especially since they don't last very long.  While dried herbs can add the flavor there is something about fresh herbs that I just love.  So my newest challenge for myself is going to be to plant an herb garden on the very small porch of our condo.  Growing up my mom always had a huge garden every year where we would get everything from beans and lettuce to corn and okra.  Unfortunately I do not have the space to cultivate all of my veggies but I thought I'd start with the easier herb garden.  So for today I thought I'd share some inspirational photos, tips on planting herbs for your area and get some feedback on success and failures you've had with gardening.

Below are some beautiful herb gardens that would in no way, shape or form fit on my porch but they are so gorgeous they inspire me to start a garden.  I would love to just wander through one of these dreaming up new recipes!

A recipe I can't wait to try - Light Chicken Potpie

"Food is the most primitive form of comfort" - Sheila Graham

cute Etsy travel mug!

I love chicken potpie.  There is just something so comforting about such a warm filling dish.  However, after I eat a chicken potpie I usually do not feel so comforted anymore.  The calorie content seems to flash before my eyes right before the guilt settles in.  So when this light chicken pot pie recipe came up in my twitter feed I knew I couldn't wait to try it.  I haven't gotten a chance to attempt it yet but I knew I had to share this.  While the nutritional information may not make it the newest recipe recommendation on Biggest Looser it definitely allows me to feel better about a "once in a while" indulgence of something I love.  Many thanks to Food Network for coming up with this recipe! I hope you enjoy cooking up a great dish of this for an easy evening at home filled with great comfort food.

Tuesday's Tip - What to buy organic?

Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?  ~Author Unknown



grow your own organic veggies
with this cool veggie holder



What a cute quote!  So my question/tip for the day is do you buy organic food?  I know some people who are all organic and others who are only organic fruits and veggies and even more that are only organic "products" (such as hair care and makeup).  I however do think that there are some things that taste better to me if they are organic, such as eggs and milk, but I am not a total organic girl.  However, one of the best tips I've found yet is that there are some things you should buy organic and some you shouldn't.  I came across this great list of the "dirty dozen" of fruits and veggies.  Basically these fruits and veggies really hold on to pesticides (some are obvious as to why - strawberry seeds) so you should attempt to buy these organic whenever possible.  Another good rule of thumb is if it has a peel (bananas, mangoes, avocado, etc...) you don't need to spend the extra money, after all the peel protects the fruit from the pesticides.

Tuesday's Tip - Slow Cookers

“The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.”

I couldn't find a picture of a turquoise slow cooker but this recipe is so easy you can sit back and sip your coffee while it cooks.  So, I thought the coffee maker would be appropriate.  Plus it was just too darn cute to pass up!  On a side note make sure you take time weekly to relax.  Cooking shouldn't be a chore or a stress maker, think of it as a stress reliever.  Turn on your favorite music or your favorite TV show and enjoy them while you cook.  Pay attention to the repetitiveness while you chop and don't let the small "mistakes" stress you out.  A mistake for you might just turn into a wonderful new recipe.  Today's tip is for slow cookers. If you are married you probably have one somewhere as I know I was given 3 at my wedding showers.  So the first tip is to find the slow cooker if you never use it and clean it up.

A Mediterranean Dinner

 "The multiple factors at work in the Mediterranean diet provide health benefits that cannot be replaced by a supplement."

Cute Etsy Recipe Cards

For those of you who don't know me personally I just got married this past May, and I have to tell you I'm so blessed by it.  I had heard stories and watched movies about outrageous in-laws (think Monster-in-law) and was honestly pretty worried about it.  I've been so blessed that my husbands family is nothing like these horrible movie portrayals.  His sisters are much like mine and his parents remind me in many ways of my own parents.  I enjoy that I can hang out with them and feel comfortable being myself.  However, I do not care how nice your in-laws are, it is absolutely STRESSFUL the first time one of them comes over for dinner!  I didn't think it would be because we always have college students and friends over for dinner but it was not the case with the in-laws.  I was picturing in my head that the house wouldn't be clean enough, the food would end up horrible, and the dogs would be more than annoying.  To my relief everything turned out wonderful!  We had Shale's mom over on Saturday night and cooked up some great food on our new grill.  The dogs behaved themselves and the food turned out great.

After having my mother-in-law over that night she was so in love with the biscuits that she posted it on Facebook.  Once others heard about it they wanted the recipe.  I must admit, it is with much hesitancy that I give up these recipes.  Lately I've come to love Mediterranean style cooking.  I love the taste of lemon, olive oil, herbs and sea salt all mix together to provide a wonderfully light tasting dish.  I've tried to incorporate these into my cooking by using the flavors as marinades, sauces, and as you will see, toppings for my food.  I'm hesitant to release the recipes because I'm considering using the biscuit recipe for a recipe contest.   So with reluctance, and excitement because they are excellent I will share.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!!!

Soup Season

"There is nothing like soup. It is by nature eccentric: no two are ever alike, unless of course you get your soup in a can."
Laurie Colwin

Le Creuset Cookware

Well it doesn't get very cold in Florida so the few days when it actually get below 70 degrees I'm all about celebrating the small moment of fall before it gets back up to beach weather.  This weekend I was craving making some soups.  They are just so warm and comforting and such a great way to watch the waistline!  They are filling, full of fiber, cheap to make and great on-the-go.  This weekend Shale asked me to make lentil soup.  After I got over the initial shock that he requested something healthy, I started looking online and stumbled across a great find!  Apparently the food network is featuring soup recipes and has an awesome list you can print out for 50 simple soup recipes (some of them use the same base and only tweak one or two ingredients)  Visit http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/50-easy-soups-1--10/index.html to print out the list.  When looking I found a great recipe for black bean soup that I tweaked to make my own version without having to buy more ingredients.  It turned out awesome!!!  Even the meat-and-potatoes husband loved it!!!!  So I just had to share!!!