Beans, Beans. The Magical Fruit.

Did you finish singing it?

So I am all sure you know beans are good for you. I actually cook with them a lot. It is a good way to extend a dish. Add lentils or pinto beans to sloppy joes and that pound of meat goes a lot further. Also, they are pretty cheap. My family is use to me adding beans (and carrots, but that is another story) to a lot of meals.

Via freedigitalphotos.net

Did you know soaking your own beans can be even better for you and your wallet? I promise, it is not that hard. It just takes some planning. Soaking your own beans means they are a lot lower in sodium. Also, I have heard they are less likely to cause the unpleasant affects of beans (gas). It is better for your wallet because you can buy one can of black beans for about the same price as a one pound bag of dried beans.

Different beans require different soaking time and cooking time. You can check the bag they came in for that information. A great blog post about soaking your own beans come from Hol-Fit. She has an awesome video talking about how she does it. There is also cooking time charts and links to some of her favorite bean recipes. Just remember to always sort your beans. Even modern machinery can't always tell the difference between a bean and a small rock. You don't want to find a rock when bitting into your meal. I just spread the beans on the counter and look through them before dumping them into my bowl to soak.

Now, what to do with all those cooked beans? I freeze them. I places about a cup and 1/2 of cooked beans into each freezer baggy. Now they are just as handy as a can of beans. I don't usually even defrost them if I am making a warm dish. The will defrost just fine in the soup. :)

If you are still nervous, start with lentils. They don't need to be soaked before cooking and have a very mild flavor.

Favorite Bean Recipes:

Sausage and Black Bean Soup
Taco Pizza
Sloppy Joes (This recipe doesn't call for beans, but I cut the meat in half and add pinto beans, white beans, or lentils)
Lentil Tacos (Good vegetarian meal, though my husband prefers if I mix half lentils, half meat)

Kitchen

Obviously I don't have the attention span for a month long daily project. I've been sick with strep and am just feeling better. Since today's picture was kitchen, I thought I would post the kitchen of the house we are in the process of buying. Today I have been trying to decide what to do about this kitchen. I am still not sure. 

Bird

Today's Photo: Bird

D and I went to take a picture of the geese and the goslings. These roam all over our apartment complex. You have to be careful, because if they feel the babies are threatened they will run at you and hiss. I know, I was chased by some before last summer when I would go running in the morning. We got this pictures just before they started hissing at us and D ran away scared.

That leads me to the red-winged black bird

Last year I was attacked by a bird at the same spot 3 different times when I went running in the morning. I am pretty sure it was a red-winged blackbird. I can't be completely sure since it was always from behind and as soon as I felt claws and wings on my neck I ran away, fast. Needless to say, I started taking a new running route. However, since last summer birds had made me very jumpy.

Fun

Today's photo: FUN

I had a hair appointment today. Whenever I need a hair cut, I always make the first appointment of the day, 9am. That way there is never anyone else there and D can run around and not bother anyone and he can play in the chairs all he wants. My hair stylist is so good with him and he always get candy. After, we always get a treat, walk around the mall, and play on the playground at the mall. Hair appointments are now fun for D. (OK, maybe not the actual appointment, but the traditions that go along with it)

Something I Wore Today

We had planned on going running tonight, but a storm came in. D likes to go running with me. Either we go on a short, slow run or I bring the jogging stroller and he gets to ride once he gets tired.

Skyline

OK, so this picture wasn't taken today and it's not really a skyline by definition, but when I thought of skyline I thought of this picture. It's it the view near the town we are moving to this summer. It looks like fall with the reds and such, but it is spring. It is beautiful there.

Photo A Day In May

A friend of mine recently did a photo a day challenge and posted them on Facebook. I actually looked forward to seeing the pictures. I thought it was fun, so I thought I would give it a try.  I found a fun photo a day in May challenge at Fat Mum Slim. You can read how to play here. 

I am not doing this because I am a great photographer, or even aspire to be. As a matter of face, I use a point and shoot camera or iPhone. I don't even own a fancy shmancy camera. I want to do it because I like the idea of taking a better look at the world around me and this is a great way to do it.


Today: Peace

I can't think of many times during the day that I feel more peace than when I am snuggled up with D and a book. Sometimes it is a stack of children's books. Sometimes he is just snuggling with me while I am reading to myself. Sometimes it is a chapter book we are reading together. Currently we are reading The Hobbit. Whatever it is that we are reading, it is a favorite time of day for me. Actually, it often happens multiple times during the day. It is something we both love.