Sunday, May 26, 2013

Our Probably-Not-Really-Mexican-But-Neither-Are-We Meal (Refried beans done right)

Sunday's are busy at our house. We all shower, eat breakfast, dress up, pack lunch and leave by 9. Go to meeting, eat lunch at the Kingdom Hall, go in service til about 2, and when we get home we have to at least try to tidy the chaos that we made while getting ready to leave. So Sunday dinner's are easy. I do use canned beans on Sundays but you could certainly use dry beans that have been boiled ahead of time.
These beans are so flavorful you might never go back. They are more effort than opening the cans and scraping it into a saucepan, but after you've done it once you can fly by the seat of your pants and make them according to your mood that night. We ate the Summer Corn Salad with our burritos tonight.

Personally Refried Beans

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion chopped finely
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each cumin
                    cardamon
pinch of cloves
chili flakes to taste (optional)
salt and pepper
1 tbsp butter

In a heavy skillet saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil until almost translucent. Add spices and stir quickly, keeping things moving so that they don't burn.








Add can of tomatoes with juice. Simmer until thick.











Add beans and mix well. Add water until there is still a layer of beans above the water line. Simmer, mashing occasionally with a wooden spoon or potato masher until it's as thick/smooth as you want.
When you take it off the heat stir in the butter. Do not skip this step. It brings it all together and keeps it form getting pasty and dried out. And it's butter. Don't skip butter.

No finished product picture for this one, because let's face it, refired beans aren't pretty. But please let me know how you use yours and how you like it! Cass

Summer Corn Salad

I'm a little ahead of the yearly schedule on the salad. This is a perfect dish for those couple of weeks in summer when you have more tomatoes and cucumbers than you know what to do with and the corn is still at it's yummiest. I made this last year when uncle john and aunt shiela came over and it was requested three other times before the summer was over.

Summer Corn Salad

1 cup of corn kernals
1 cucumber peeled and chopped into bite size pieces (size according to your taste. I like to be able to fit a few pieces of different things on my fork.)
1 tomato also chopped, same size as cucumber
1 avocado, ditto ^^
1 lime
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
red wine vinegar

Mix the vegetables and cilantro together. Squeeze lime and taste and salt/pepper it to taste. Add vinegar if it needs some brightening.
 
 
 
 
 
Other possibilities:

Add a can of black beans to make it a hefty main dish next to nachos
Lose the corn and cilantro, add shaved fennel and basil instead



photo taken by spencer gerken
 

Friday, May 24, 2013

Shoe thief



My little shoe thief

...but she wont be going anywhere fast in thigh-high boots about 12 sizes too big.



A few weeks ago I put away my sewing machine because I was spending way too much time at it. I was still getting done what I needed to but I stressing about fitting in sewing time as if it was a job, some kind of obligation. That wasn't fun. It felt good to take a break from it for a while.
Then a few days ago I rearranged my room and opened up the table to make sure it had enough room and I just left it open. Now it's calling to me and I have this dress in my head that I want to make. Well, I want to wear it but one thing at a time, right?
Anyways, I don't to make it yet so I'll just take pictures of my machine...

Monday, May 20, 2013

Last Week In Photos

 living room tent...
 ...perfect for apple snack and homework. it's still up.
 they really are pals.
 fun with three pairs of glasses...
 ...before 7:30am! start the day rocking, right?
 we had a surprise visit friday morning from not one but THREE adolescent deer. they walked through our yard, watched the highway for a few minutes and then went to the woods again.
 monday = library, followed by lots of reading.