To contact us Click HERE
Me: Since you're so unhappy with me, why don't you leave?
Alex: What?
Me: Leave.
Alex: And go where?
Me: That's your problem. Get out.
Alex: You're kicking me out?
Me: No. I'm inviting you to do what you want.
Alex: But you're telling me to leave.
Me: No. You're the one who thinks I made such a big mistake leaving Aunt Elaine's. You're the one who doesn't believe that it wasn't a choice, that she kicked us out. So go back.
Alex: You didn't even try!
Me: Oh my god, are you fucking kidding me?! I BEGGED to stay through the summer! The only reason you don't know is because you were busy skipping along enjoying life while Dani and I panicked and planned and budgeted late into the night!
Alex: No. I don't remember that at all! That's not what happened. You just wanted to live with Josh!
So I reminded Alex that at least two months before I graduated she was threatening to change the locks. Alex claimed Aunt Elaine wouldn't really do that. But I remember her patting her pocket where she'd put the phone number of a locksmith! She was constantly talking about how great it would be to not have to deal with us for much longer. So go. She needs to either shut up about it or get out. Staying her and bitching at me is not going to work long-term.
22 Şubat 2013 Cuma
No really
To contact us Click HERE
Josh pretty much never yells at my sisters. Part of that is because he misses his own sister, likes how close we are, and would never want to do anything to mess with that. The other part is that overall, he's pretty easygoing. But the key to his easygoing-ness is that everything runs pretty smoothly and everyone is fairly easygoing.
All that to say he's really displeased with what's going on lately. We've gotten in little arguments obviously, but they always blew over quickly and a lot of it was teasing. Josh is very good at not taking sides and always listening and encouraging us to talk and work things out.
That is not working right now. Today Josh picked me up from my last tutoring thing and asked if we could go to a happy hour and talk. Of course I said yes, but I don't think he fully thought that out. I think Josh intended for us to go get a glass of wine and talk, but that's not what happened. What happened was that we wound up in a crowded bar full of single professionals, and when Josh went to get us drinks, a guy came over to hit on me. Once we got rid of him, it was still really loud for talking.
We talked on the way home instead. Josh thought that Alex and I were trying to work things out. He may be disappointed to find out it's not really happening. We're not really talking at all, except when we yell at each other. Josh is not happy with this. He explained that drama on the home-front makes him really uncomfortable.
My sisters have accused me of putting Josh before them. I don't want to be disloyal to anyone. If Josh and I broke up, I would be okay. I mean, royally devastated obviously, but okay. The whole way home Josh kept trying to tell me in different ways, that I need to fix it. No really, make up with them. No really, they'll be my sisters forever.
I didn't tell him, but it got annoying after a while. Why is it all on me to fix everything? Why isn't anyone else ever in charge of doing the hard stuff?
All that to say he's really displeased with what's going on lately. We've gotten in little arguments obviously, but they always blew over quickly and a lot of it was teasing. Josh is very good at not taking sides and always listening and encouraging us to talk and work things out.
That is not working right now. Today Josh picked me up from my last tutoring thing and asked if we could go to a happy hour and talk. Of course I said yes, but I don't think he fully thought that out. I think Josh intended for us to go get a glass of wine and talk, but that's not what happened. What happened was that we wound up in a crowded bar full of single professionals, and when Josh went to get us drinks, a guy came over to hit on me. Once we got rid of him, it was still really loud for talking.
We talked on the way home instead. Josh thought that Alex and I were trying to work things out. He may be disappointed to find out it's not really happening. We're not really talking at all, except when we yell at each other. Josh is not happy with this. He explained that drama on the home-front makes him really uncomfortable.
My sisters have accused me of putting Josh before them. I don't want to be disloyal to anyone. If Josh and I broke up, I would be okay. I mean, royally devastated obviously, but okay. The whole way home Josh kept trying to tell me in different ways, that I need to fix it. No really, make up with them. No really, they'll be my sisters forever.
I didn't tell him, but it got annoying after a while. Why is it all on me to fix everything? Why isn't anyone else ever in charge of doing the hard stuff?
So you want to be Angry Spice
To contact us Click HERE
It's awkward when you call your doctor to say you think your sister needs a shrink and he asks why and you pause and then just say, "Because everyone on the internet told me she does." I struggled to explain her blaming me for everything, the anger. Finally I repeated myself. "The internet told me to."
Doug just laughed and suggested we find her someone. I wanted confirmation. "And by 'we' you mean ...?" He confirmed. "Me." When I told him she'd probably want a guy rather than a girl shrink, Doug told me he'd find a girl. I laughed and Doug explained that some teenage girls have this way of flirting without flirting that gets men on their side. He said that a therapist of all people, should realize it's happening but a girl therapist will let Alex get away with a lot less. Sounds perfect to me.
I feel like a traitor for telling on her.
Doug just laughed and suggested we find her someone. I wanted confirmation. "And by 'we' you mean ...?" He confirmed. "Me." When I told him she'd probably want a guy rather than a girl shrink, Doug told me he'd find a girl. I laughed and Doug explained that some teenage girls have this way of flirting without flirting that gets men on their side. He said that a therapist of all people, should realize it's happening but a girl therapist will let Alex get away with a lot less. Sounds perfect to me.
I feel like a traitor for telling on her.
Little Expense, Big Savings: What's Your Favorite Frugal Buy?
To contact us Click HERE
We purchased this toothpaste squeezer doohickey for $0.99 cents about four months ago:
Since then, we're buying way less toothpaste. It should save us quite a few bucks in the long-term, too, provided we don't lose it / the cat doesn't eat it / it doesn't get sucked into the sweltering pit of despair we call "outside right now."
Which leads us to this softball question for a fiery Friday:
Sweet readers, what's your favorite frugal buy?
Do tell! Pass it on!
Since then, we're buying way less toothpaste. It should save us quite a few bucks in the long-term, too, provided we don't lose it / the cat doesn't eat it / it doesn't get sucked into the sweltering pit of despair we call "outside right now."
Which leads us to this softball question for a fiery Friday:
Sweet readers, what's your favorite frugal buy?
Do tell! Pass it on!
A Beginner's Guide to Beans, Plus 42 Bean Recipes
To contact us Click HERE
This article first appeared in October 2009.
Some will balk at their flavor and size. Many will have texture issues. And still others just won’t enjoy the farting.
But know this: there are few cheaper, healthier, and more versatile foods than the humble bean. Members of the legume family, beans can be found everywhere from gourmet restaurants to campfire cauldrons. They’ve been vital to the survival of certain populations, and instrumental to the development of particular cuisines. Also, they taste good.
Still, there are folks out there unfamiliar with chickpeas and pintos, kidney and black beans. And for them, CHG proudly presents the following: a breakdown of why beans are wonderful, plus 42 tried-and-true recipes in which to use them.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Low in fat, high in protein, and astronomically high in fiber, beans work beautifully as the main components of recipes, but also as fabulous alternatives to meat. This is for a few reasons: A) they create a complete protein when paired with nuts, seeds, or grains, B) their chemical composition makes you feel sated longer than a lot of other foods, and C) they have a bulky and substantial mouthfeel, so you never feel deprived. Studies have found them to be solid tools in weight loss and maintenance, and integral to the prevention of all kinds of diseases.
If that ain’t enough for you, this WebMD blurb is pretty convincing: “In a recent study, bean eaters weighed, on average, 7 pounds less and had slimmer waists than their bean-avoiding counterparts -- yet they consumed 199 calories more per day if they were adults and an incredible 335 calories more if they were teenagers.” Sweet.
P.S. True to the well-known rhyme, beans make you both smartier and fartier. They contain both certain vitamins that improve brain function AND undigestable sugars, which lead to exciting intestinal activity, which leads to gas. So there you go.
PRICE
Grown globally from Ethiopia to Australia, beans are some of the most plentiful - and subsequently cheapest - edibles anywhere. A pound of dried beans in Brooklyn will generally run about $1, and will produce four to six cups of food after rehydration.
Compare that to meat. In my neighborhood, a pound of chicken breast (one of the healthier animal options) runs $1.69 on sale. It shrinks slightly when cooked, ultimately producing around two cups of poultry.
Let’s do some math, then. One cup of cheap chicken is $1.69 divided by two, or $0.85. One cup of beans is $1.00 divided by five, or $0.20. Using these (incredibly) rough numbers, chicken breast is 425% the price of dried beans.
Of course, the numbers will vary by area, sales, and math skills, but you get the idea.
DRIED OR CANNED?
It’s a controversy as old as storage itself: dried or canned beans? On one hand, dried beans are universally cheaper, and widely considered to possess a creamier consistency and better overall flavor. On the other hand, canned beans aren’t terribly expensive themselves, and the taste difference is pretty negligible when you’re talking about everyday kitchen use.
The tiebreaker, then, is time. If you have the wherewithal, forethought, and 90 to 480 minutes to rehydrate a bag of dried chickpeas, you’ll be rewarded in kind. If you‘re throwing dinner together and an hour-long prep time is crazy talk, canned beans are the way to go.
It’s worth noting that if respected cooks aren’t using canned beans already (Giada DeLaurentiis, Sara Moulton, etc.), they’re starting to come around. Even die-hard dried fans like Mark Bittman have been giving props to metal dwellers recently. Meaning: don’t fear the Goya.
INTRODUCING … THE BEANS
If you’ve ever tried chili, hummus, minestrone, Texas caviar, Mexican food, Indian food, Italian food, or, er, refried beans, you’ve already experienced the wonder of the bean. They’re omnipresent in cuisines all over the world, and come in a range of flavors and sizes that can be adapted to thousands of dishes. Here are six of the most common found in the U.S., along with a few recipe suggestions for each.
(A quick note before we get to the beans themselves: there are a zillion types of legume, and some [like the soybean] are rocketing in popularity stateside. But to keep things manageable, we’re sticking to a few big ones.)
Black Beans
Used frequently in Latin cuisines, the black bean is a small, ebony bean with an earthy flavor. I find it pairs very well with grains, and makes for a stellar soup.
Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa
Black Bean Brownies
Black Bean Burrito Bake
Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
Black Bean Soup
Calabacitas Burritos
Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Corn
Black-Eyed Peas
A terrible band, but a wonderful food, black-eyed peas are all over Southern cuisine. Like other beans, they’re great sources of fiber, folate, and protein. Unlike other beans, you will always feel like they’re looking at you.
Black-Eyed Pea (Texas) Caviar
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas
Cannellini/White Beans
There are a ton of variations on the white bean, but I dig cannellinis in particular for their creaminess and flavor. Found in many Italian dishes, you’ll find that Microsoft Word often corrects its spelling to “cannelloni,” which is annoying.
Escarole and White Beans
Garlicky Long Beans and Beans
Grilled Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing
Guacamole Bean Dip
Penne with Lemon, Potatoes, and Cannellini
White Bean and Tarragon Soup
White Chicken Chili
Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Without chickpeas, there would be no hummus. And without hummus, there would be no joy. Vital to Italian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines (among others), the plentiful and versatile garbanzo bean can be found in virtually every form, from dip to stew to flour (though I have yet to see a chickpea smoothie). Due to its subtle flavor and increasing ubiquity in the U.S., I like to think of the chickpea as a gateway bean; if you like it, odds are other legumes will soon follow.
Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas
Chickpea Salad
Couscous with Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Edamame
Curry in a Hurry
Greek-Style Chickpea Salad
Lemony Light Hummus
North African-style Chickpea Salad
Pasta e Ceci
Pasta with Zucchini and Chickpeas
Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Pindi Chana (Spicy Chickpea Curry)
Roasted Chickpeas
Shredded Zucchini and Chickpeas Over Polenta
Kidney Beans (red and pink)
Substantive and quite large in comparison to other common legumes, kidney beans go great on salads and substitute fabulously for meat in chilis and stews. And seriously, what’s a frugal kitchen without red beans and rice?
Chili Corn Pone Pie
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Pinto Beans (Frijoles)
Wonderful on their own and even better mashed, these pink-brown legumes claim the great honor of being the only bean my mom likes. Also, I could be talking out my neck here, but I find pintos a little sweeter than black beans and chickpeas.
Refried Beans
Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese
Multiple Beans
Each of the following recipes use more than one type of bean.
Bodega Beans (any)
Camp Stove Veggie Chili (black, kidney)
Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans (chickpeas, black)
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili (any)
Gallo Pinto (pinto, black)
Indonesian Curried Bean Stew (chickpeas, black, kidney )
Light Leftover Turkey Chili (black, kidney)
Turkey Chili with Beans (white, pink, kidney)
And that's our ballgame. Readers, how about you? What are your favorite bean recipes?
~~~
If you like this article, you might also dig:
Some will balk at their flavor and size. Many will have texture issues. And still others just won’t enjoy the farting.
But know this: there are few cheaper, healthier, and more versatile foods than the humble bean. Members of the legume family, beans can be found everywhere from gourmet restaurants to campfire cauldrons. They’ve been vital to the survival of certain populations, and instrumental to the development of particular cuisines. Also, they taste good.Still, there are folks out there unfamiliar with chickpeas and pintos, kidney and black beans. And for them, CHG proudly presents the following: a breakdown of why beans are wonderful, plus 42 tried-and-true recipes in which to use them.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Low in fat, high in protein, and astronomically high in fiber, beans work beautifully as the main components of recipes, but also as fabulous alternatives to meat. This is for a few reasons: A) they create a complete protein when paired with nuts, seeds, or grains, B) their chemical composition makes you feel sated longer than a lot of other foods, and C) they have a bulky and substantial mouthfeel, so you never feel deprived. Studies have found them to be solid tools in weight loss and maintenance, and integral to the prevention of all kinds of diseases.
If that ain’t enough for you, this WebMD blurb is pretty convincing: “In a recent study, bean eaters weighed, on average, 7 pounds less and had slimmer waists than their bean-avoiding counterparts -- yet they consumed 199 calories more per day if they were adults and an incredible 335 calories more if they were teenagers.” Sweet.
P.S. True to the well-known rhyme, beans make you both smartier and fartier. They contain both certain vitamins that improve brain function AND undigestable sugars, which lead to exciting intestinal activity, which leads to gas. So there you go.
PRICE
Grown globally from Ethiopia to Australia, beans are some of the most plentiful - and subsequently cheapest - edibles anywhere. A pound of dried beans in Brooklyn will generally run about $1, and will produce four to six cups of food after rehydration.
Compare that to meat. In my neighborhood, a pound of chicken breast (one of the healthier animal options) runs $1.69 on sale. It shrinks slightly when cooked, ultimately producing around two cups of poultry.Let’s do some math, then. One cup of cheap chicken is $1.69 divided by two, or $0.85. One cup of beans is $1.00 divided by five, or $0.20. Using these (incredibly) rough numbers, chicken breast is 425% the price of dried beans.
Of course, the numbers will vary by area, sales, and math skills, but you get the idea.
DRIED OR CANNED?
It’s a controversy as old as storage itself: dried or canned beans? On one hand, dried beans are universally cheaper, and widely considered to possess a creamier consistency and better overall flavor. On the other hand, canned beans aren’t terribly expensive themselves, and the taste difference is pretty negligible when you’re talking about everyday kitchen use.
The tiebreaker, then, is time. If you have the wherewithal, forethought, and 90 to 480 minutes to rehydrate a bag of dried chickpeas, you’ll be rewarded in kind. If you‘re throwing dinner together and an hour-long prep time is crazy talk, canned beans are the way to go.
It’s worth noting that if respected cooks aren’t using canned beans already (Giada DeLaurentiis, Sara Moulton, etc.), they’re starting to come around. Even die-hard dried fans like Mark Bittman have been giving props to metal dwellers recently. Meaning: don’t fear the Goya.
INTRODUCING … THE BEANS
If you’ve ever tried chili, hummus, minestrone, Texas caviar, Mexican food, Indian food, Italian food, or, er, refried beans, you’ve already experienced the wonder of the bean. They’re omnipresent in cuisines all over the world, and come in a range of flavors and sizes that can be adapted to thousands of dishes. Here are six of the most common found in the U.S., along with a few recipe suggestions for each.
(A quick note before we get to the beans themselves: there are a zillion types of legume, and some [like the soybean] are rocketing in popularity stateside. But to keep things manageable, we’re sticking to a few big ones.)
Black Beans
Used frequently in Latin cuisines, the black bean is a small, ebony bean with an earthy flavor. I find it pairs very well with grains, and makes for a stellar soup.
Black Bean and Tomato QuinoaBlack Bean Brownies
Black Bean Burrito Bake
Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
Black Bean Soup
Calabacitas Burritos
Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Corn
Black-Eyed Peas
A terrible band, but a wonderful food, black-eyed peas are all over Southern cuisine. Like other beans, they’re great sources of fiber, folate, and protein. Unlike other beans, you will always feel like they’re looking at you.
Black-Eyed Pea (Texas) Caviar
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas
Cannellini/White Beans
There are a ton of variations on the white bean, but I dig cannellinis in particular for their creaminess and flavor. Found in many Italian dishes, you’ll find that Microsoft Word often corrects its spelling to “cannelloni,” which is annoying.
Escarole and White Beans
Garlicky Long Beans and BeansGrilled Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing
Guacamole Bean Dip
Penne with Lemon, Potatoes, and Cannellini
White Bean and Tarragon Soup
White Chicken Chili
Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Without chickpeas, there would be no hummus. And without hummus, there would be no joy. Vital to Italian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines (among others), the plentiful and versatile garbanzo bean can be found in virtually every form, from dip to stew to flour (though I have yet to see a chickpea smoothie). Due to its subtle flavor and increasing ubiquity in the U.S., I like to think of the chickpea as a gateway bean; if you like it, odds are other legumes will soon follow.
Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas
Chickpea Salad
Couscous with Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Edamame
Curry in a Hurry
Greek-Style Chickpea SaladLemony Light Hummus
North African-style Chickpea Salad
Pasta e Ceci
Pasta with Zucchini and Chickpeas
Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Pindi Chana (Spicy Chickpea Curry)
Roasted Chickpeas
Shredded Zucchini and Chickpeas Over Polenta
Kidney Beans (red and pink)
Substantive and quite large in comparison to other common legumes, kidney beans go great on salads and substitute fabulously for meat in chilis and stews. And seriously, what’s a frugal kitchen without red beans and rice?
Chili Corn Pone Pie
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Pinto Beans (Frijoles)
Wonderful on their own and even better mashed, these pink-brown legumes claim the great honor of being the only bean my mom likes. Also, I could be talking out my neck here, but I find pintos a little sweeter than black beans and chickpeas.
Refried Beans
Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese
Multiple Beans
Each of the following recipes use more than one type of bean.
Bodega Beans (any)
Camp Stove Veggie Chili (black, kidney)Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans (chickpeas, black)
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili (any)
Gallo Pinto (pinto, black)
Indonesian Curried Bean Stew (chickpeas, black, kidney )
Light Leftover Turkey Chili (black, kidney)
Turkey Chili with Beans (white, pink, kidney)
And that's our ballgame. Readers, how about you? What are your favorite bean recipes?
~~~
If you like this article, you might also dig:
- 20 Cheap, Healthy Dishes Made From 10 Pantry Staples
- How to Tell if a Recipe is Cheap and Healthy Just By Looking at it
- Spend Less, Eat Healthier: The Five Most Important Things You Can Do
21 Şubat 2013 Perşembe
Cajun Black Beans and Rice
To contact us Click HERE
It's Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday as it's commonly known! Time to party it up Carnivale-Style before abstaining from certain fatty foods, drink and habits during the six weeks of Lent. I don't follow the traditional Christian "don't eat meat on Friday" rules, but I know many of you do. Actually, that's one of the reasons I started Seafood Frenzy Friday's almost a year ago as well.
Anyway, I'm a novice when it comes to creole and cajun style cooking as I didn't grow up in the south and my family didn't cook with many of the flavors associated with that style of cooking either. So I wanted to ease into the process this year by making a simple Cajun Black Beans and Rice dish to celebrate. Many times before I try a new recipe I'll search for it online. I find three to five different recipes just to get the gist of what goes in it so that I can pull out the parts I think me and my family will like and try to replicate the flavors. Now as most of you know, most cajun rice recipes call for peppers, but you will not see any in here because we don't like peppers. Any of them! Raw. Cooked. Hot. Sweet. Nothing. You may or may not have noticed that the only thing I make with peppers is Sausage and Peppers and even when I eat that, I don't eat the pepper or onion part. I just like it for the flavor. See, everyone has their little quirks!
I also don't like a lot of "heat" in my food, so when I took a taste of this rice with the 2 tablespoons of Louisiana Hot Sauce, my mouth was on fire! It was REALLY GOOD, don't get me wrong, but just a little too hot for my liking. If you don't like your food spicy either, I suggest starting off with 2 teaspoons of hot sauce, then add more if you like your food with a kick!
Cajun Black Beans and Rice2 c. Cooked Rice (I used White Rice)1-15oz. Can Black Beans, rinsed1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 Scallion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)1 Plum Tomato, diced1 Garlic Clove, minced1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano1/4 tsp. Dried Thyme1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt2 tbsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce (more or less depending on your preference)
Directions:1. Cook rice according to package directions. 2. Heat the oil to a large, nonstick saute pan, then add the scallions, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt and hot sauce. 3. Saute until the tomatoes start to soften, then add in the rice and beans. 4. Mix well and adjust your seasonings as needed. Makes 8- 1/2 Cup Servings.
*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 114, Carbs 19.4g, Fat 2.1g, Protein 3.8g, Fiber 2.5g*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.
Enjoy!
Behind the Scenes...I was planning out my blog posts for this week on my monthly calendar, when I realized I didn't have any recipes to share for Mardi Gras. I started to search for different recipes, but nothing that I could make quickly until I saw that rice was a popular creole/cajun dish to make. The night before I had made some extra rice to go with our dinner so in 5 minutes I decided to make this Cajun Black Beans and Rice. While I was cooking I was thinking about what props to use in the photo shoot and remembered my daughter still had her mask and beads from her Sweet 16 party. The entire dish was ready in 15 minutes, photographed, edited and completed into this post all within an hour.
Anyway, I'm a novice when it comes to creole and cajun style cooking as I didn't grow up in the south and my family didn't cook with many of the flavors associated with that style of cooking either. So I wanted to ease into the process this year by making a simple Cajun Black Beans and Rice dish to celebrate. Many times before I try a new recipe I'll search for it online. I find three to five different recipes just to get the gist of what goes in it so that I can pull out the parts I think me and my family will like and try to replicate the flavors. Now as most of you know, most cajun rice recipes call for peppers, but you will not see any in here because we don't like peppers. Any of them! Raw. Cooked. Hot. Sweet. Nothing. You may or may not have noticed that the only thing I make with peppers is Sausage and Peppers and even when I eat that, I don't eat the pepper or onion part. I just like it for the flavor. See, everyone has their little quirks!
I also don't like a lot of "heat" in my food, so when I took a taste of this rice with the 2 tablespoons of Louisiana Hot Sauce, my mouth was on fire! It was REALLY GOOD, don't get me wrong, but just a little too hot for my liking. If you don't like your food spicy either, I suggest starting off with 2 teaspoons of hot sauce, then add more if you like your food with a kick!
Cajun Black Beans and Rice2 c. Cooked Rice (I used White Rice)1-15oz. Can Black Beans, rinsed1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 Scallion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)1 Plum Tomato, diced1 Garlic Clove, minced1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano1/4 tsp. Dried Thyme1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt2 tbsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce (more or less depending on your preference)
Directions:1. Cook rice according to package directions. 2. Heat the oil to a large, nonstick saute pan, then add the scallions, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt and hot sauce. 3. Saute until the tomatoes start to soften, then add in the rice and beans. 4. Mix well and adjust your seasonings as needed. Makes 8- 1/2 Cup Servings.
*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 114, Carbs 19.4g, Fat 2.1g, Protein 3.8g, Fiber 2.5g*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.
Enjoy!
Behind the Scenes...I was planning out my blog posts for this week on my monthly calendar, when I realized I didn't have any recipes to share for Mardi Gras. I started to search for different recipes, but nothing that I could make quickly until I saw that rice was a popular creole/cajun dish to make. The night before I had made some extra rice to go with our dinner so in 5 minutes I decided to make this Cajun Black Beans and Rice. While I was cooking I was thinking about what props to use in the photo shoot and remembered my daughter still had her mask and beads from her Sweet 16 party. The entire dish was ready in 15 minutes, photographed, edited and completed into this post all within an hour.
National Drink Wine Day
To contact us Click HERE
Today is National Drink Wine Day and when I saw this on the calendar, I realized that though I have tasted some very good wines over the last year, I never updated my wine list here on the blog.
My wine of choice is a dry, red wine and as you can see by my list below, I'm partial to wines from Italy, Argentina, and Chile. But like most people, I would go out for dinner, have a nice bottle and then couldn't remember what kind it was or I would only remember half of the name.
There are so many good wines out there within the $10-$25 per bottle range that I've been able to find quite a few that are noteworthy. Then, there are those that you find while dining out that when purchased on your own fall into the $25+ category. After several requests from friends on which wines to buy, I decided to start keeping track of the ones I've tried. Most of these wines I have found at a gourmet wine store called Gary's Wine and Marketplace with several locations in Northern NJ, but some of the wines, I can't find locally either. Simply type the name into your search engine, and it will show you where you can find this type of variety in your area (prices may also vary depending on the region you're purchasing them from).
$10 or Less per Bottle
$11-$15 per Bottle
$16-$20 per Bottle
$21-$25 per Bottle
Over $25 per Bottle
I'll try to do better and update these as I go through the year so check back on the tab, Carrie's Wine List, on the top of the page often. If I make an update, I'll change the color of the font and add a "last edited" date to the bottom of the page.
Bere alla vostra salute!
My wine of choice is a dry, red wine and as you can see by my list below, I'm partial to wines from Italy, Argentina, and Chile. But like most people, I would go out for dinner, have a nice bottle and then couldn't remember what kind it was or I would only remember half of the name.
There are so many good wines out there within the $10-$25 per bottle range that I've been able to find quite a few that are noteworthy. Then, there are those that you find while dining out that when purchased on your own fall into the $25+ category. After several requests from friends on which wines to buy, I decided to start keeping track of the ones I've tried. Most of these wines I have found at a gourmet wine store called Gary's Wine and Marketplace with several locations in Northern NJ, but some of the wines, I can't find locally either. Simply type the name into your search engine, and it will show you where you can find this type of variety in your area (prices may also vary depending on the region you're purchasing them from).
$10 or Less per Bottle
- Alamos Malbec 2010 (Argentina) Rating=88 Points
- Bodegas Olivares Altos de la Hoya Jumilla 2009 (Spain) Rating=90 Points (this is my go to wine when making my Red Wine Sangria)
- Bodegas Olivares Altos de la Hoya 2009 (Argentina) Rating=90 Points
- Root: 1 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (Chile) Rating=88 Points
- Radius Cabernet 2008 (Washington State, USA) Rating from Cellartracker=Ranges 83-88 Points
- Trumpeter Malbec 2010 Rutini Wines (Argeninta) Rating=88 Points
- Ruffino Chianti 2006 (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=88 Points
- Villa Puccini Toscana 2007 (Tuscany, Italy) (no rating found)
- Montecastelli Chianti 2011 (Tuscany, Italy) (no rating found)
$11-$15 per Bottle
- Monasterio de Santa Cruz 2008(Spain) Rating from Cellartracker=86 Points
- The Patriots Merlot 2010 (Chile) Rating from Cellartracker=85 Points
- Querceto Chianti Classico 2008 (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=88 Points
- Bodega Norton Malbec Reserva 2007 & 2008 (Argentina) Rating=90 Points
- Allegrini Palazzo della Torre 2007 (Veneto, Italy) Rating=90 Points
- La Posta Malbec 2008 (Argentina) Rating=90 Points
- Antonio Galloni Rating=90 Points
- Tommasi 2008 Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo Maremma Toscana (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=91 Points
- Zaccagnini il Vino Dal Tralcetto Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2008 (Abruzzi, Italy) Rating=90 Points
- Castello di Querceto Chianti Classico 2008 (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=88 Points
- 1883 Cabernet Sauvignon (Livermore Valley, CA) (no rating found)
- Tres Picos Garnacha Borsao 2009 (Spain) Rating from Wine Advocate=92 Points
- Annabella Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (Napa Valley, CA) Rating from Wine Searcher=88 Points
- Tiziano Chianti DOCG 2010 (Tuscany, Italy) (no rating found)
$16-$20 per Bottle
- Clos de los Siete Super Red Blend 2008 (Argentina) Rating=89 Points
- Clos du Bois Alexander Valley Reserve Merlot 2007 (Sonoma Valley, CA) Rating=88 Points
- Vina Alicia Paso de Piedra Malbec 2007(Argentina) Rating=89 Points
- Graffigna Malbec Grand Reserve 2007 (Argentina) Rating=90 Points
- Antinori Villa Toscana 2007 (Tuscany, Italy) $16.99 Rating=88 Points
- Argiano N.C (Non Confunditur) 2009 (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=92Points
- Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Riserva 2007 (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=91 Points
- Ruffino Il Ducale Toscana 2008 (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=90 Points
- Rocca di Castagnoli Chianti Classico 2008 (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=88 Points
- Rodney Strong Pinot Noir 2009 (Russian River, CA) Rating from Wine Enthusiast=91 Points
- Banfi Classico Riserva Chianti (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=90 Points
- El Malbec 2010 de Ricardo Santos (Argentina) (no rating found for this year)
- Eighteen Eighty Three (1883) Cabernet Sauvignon (Livermore Valley California, USA) (no ranking found)
$21-$25 per Bottle
- Galil Mountain Yiron 2008 (Galilee, Israel-Kosher) (no rating found)
- La Mannella Brunello di Montalcino(Tuscany, Italy) Rating=94 Points
- Monsanto Chianti Classico 2007 (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=92 Points
- Felsina Chianti Classico 2009 (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=91 Points
- Sada Baldoro 2008 (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=91 Points
Over $25 per Bottle
- Castelli Martinozzi Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) (no rating found)
- Angelini San Leonino Chianti Classico Riserva 2007 (Tuscany, Italy) Ratings=91 Points
- Chateau Tour de Segur 2006 Red Bordeaux (France) Ratings=89 Points
- Le Sughere di Frassinello Maremma Toscana (Tuscany, Italy) Ratings=91 Points
- Banfi Chianti Classico D.O.C.G Riserva 2008 (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=88 Points
- Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Valbuena Tempranillo 2006 (Spain) Rating=94 Points
- Clos Du Calvaire Chateauneuf du Pape 2009 (Rhone, France) Rating=91 Points
- Ricasoli Chianti Classico Castello di Brolio 2009 (Tuscany, Italy) Rating=92 Points
I'll try to do better and update these as I go through the year so check back on the tab, Carrie's Wine List, on the top of the page often. If I make an update, I'll change the color of the font and add a "last edited" date to the bottom of the page.
Bere alla vostra salute!
Kaydol:
Kayıtlar (Atom)