Roasted Butternut Squash Mole Enchiladas
Posted: October 30, 2013 Filed under: Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Mexican Dishes, Toddler-Approved, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: Gluten-Fre, mole sauce, raisins, Roasted Butternut Squash Enchiladas, vegan, vegetarian 2 CommentsPeople often ask me how I cook with Jackson around. In We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook, I wrote about how cooking with him was kind of like cooking on an obstacle course. For a long time, that was what it felt like. But recently, I realized at this stage–the two’s–cooking with him is one of the easiest things on my to-do list to accomplish with him around. Not easy…but it’s something he’s come to feel at ease around. It’s kind of “our” thing.
I left him with a friend the other day for a few minutes and when I returned she shared this little conversation they had.
Sarah: Do you have a dog?
Jackson: No, I have a mommy.
Sarah: Oh, well that’s almost as good as a dog.
Jackson: Yeth, I cook with mommy.
Well, there you have it. Dogs don’t make very good cooking companions for kids, but mommies are very good for that.
My other to-dos don’t have the same smiley affect on him. Writing with him around. Yeah right. Phone calls. Let’s just say, the last conference call I was on with our editor, I had to muffle the phone while I hollered, “Jackson, don’t stick your head through the fence” and then again while he hollered, “Noooooo! Don’t wipe meeee!” as I was trying to discreetly potty train mid-call.
Cooking is mostly a piece of cake…because he can participate, he can be a helper. And even when he can’t help with something like chopping onions, he’s still content because we’re together and I’m talking to him, not somebody else on the phone or looking at a computer screen.
And with a little creativity, there’s almost always a way to get a child involved in the cooking if they want to be.
I don’t cook every day, but the days I do, the moments we are in the kitchen together, are often the moments we enjoy the most. The kitchen is a place where our lives intersect, where my almost 30-year old female joys and interests cross with my two-year old little boy’s interests. I don’t have to pretend that the lego tower we just built is the tallest most amazing piece of architecture I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t have to be patient with me as I make a quick call or pick up groceries. The smells of cloves and cinnamon, the colorful block puzzle from butternut squash, the sound of the blender engine purring excite us both. We don’t have to pretend. We just have to be. Together.
Roasted Butternut Squash Mole Enchiladas
Serves 4
5 cups diced butternut squash
1 tablespoon oil (canola, olive, grapeseed)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
8-10 corn tortillas
1/2 cup raisins, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water and drained (optional)
2 cups Mole Sauce (I used this easy recipe from Vegetarian Times)*
Preheat oven to 400. Toss butternut sqaush with canola oil, brown sugar, chili powder, and cinnamon. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until tender and cooked through. Resist temptation to eat all the squash now.
Reduce oven temp to 350. Ladle 1/2 cup mole sauce into bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Wrap corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and heat in microwave for about 30 seconds, just enough to warm them up and make them pliable. Dip corn tortilla into mole sauce. Fill with about two tablespoons of butternut squash and a sprinkle of raisins. Roll up. Repeat. Ladle a generous amount of sauce on top. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
I didn’t put the raisins in when I took pictures, but I should have! I added them to the top and it really made the dish, so I incorporated them into the final recipe.
Serve with black or wild rice. The nuttiness from the black rice went perfectly with this dish.
*I blended half of the sauce this time. I think I’d leave it unblended next time though, because it was a lot prettier unblended.
Same sauce unblended on spinach and mushroom enchiladas. Much much prettier, eh?
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook Wins 2013 “Top Shelf” Award!
Posted: October 23, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
It was such fun to see We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook chosen as one of ECPA’s Top Ten best-designed book covers of 2013, winning a Top Shelf Award today! A big shout-out to our publisher Zondervan/HarperCollins; and a standing ovation for the design/marketing team who created this cover we love so much! We’ve received so many compliments about the fresh, appealing design, and wish we could take credit for it; but alas, all we did was stuff the inside of the artful cover with lots of words and stories.
Congrats to all the winners, publishers and designers who were recognized today for the creative work they do to help our books turn the heads of browsers and hook them into readers. We so appreciate you!
Here’s a link that will take you to the list of ECPA ‘s Top Ten 2013 Top Shelf Award Winners: http://topshelfaward.com/winners-2013
Thank you to our blog readers, as well, for continuing to help us get the word out about the book. We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook would make the perfect all-purpose, uplifting gift for the holidays to share with families, friends, teachers… basically, anyone on your list who likes to laugh and eat.
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Easy Moo Shu Veggie or Chicken Wraps
Posted: October 18, 2013 Filed under: Asian Dishes, Beef, Chicken, Pork, Seafood/Shrimp, Turkey, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: chicken, hoison, Moo shoo, moo shu, mu shu, pork, rice pancakes, shrimp, soy sauce, tortillas, veggies Leave a comment
“Come, let’s be a comfortable couple and take care of each other! How glad we shall be, that we have somebody we are fond of always, to talk to and sit with.” Charles Dickens
My husband Greg and I love our little pleasurable routines. It really doesn’t take much to make us happy. We don’t need high adventure, fast cars, tall mountains, or Broadway plays. We get a kick out of watching Jay Leno’s “headlines” segment on Monday nights and reruns of “30 Rock”. We can’t wait to snuggle up on Sundays to watch Downton Abbey when it reappears on PBS this winter. He often watches sports, while I contentedly piddle on Facebook from a comfy loveseat nearby.
We enjoy quiet road trips with Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra playing in the background more than attending rousing stage concerts. Greg stands and greets me with a kiss every morning as I stumble into the kitchen; me waking up to my first cup of coffee two hours after he’s greeted the morning. We watch Brian Williams tell the news every evening (in his friendly voice, even the worst disasters sound less terrible). Then I serve our suppers, all prettily plated, as we eat in living room, our feet up, hearts at ease. We usually clean up the unbelievably messy kitchen, afterwards, together.
During the summer we meet outside on the porch swing for Happy Hour and conversation at 5:00 p.m. We go to bed, each reading our e-books, a glass of ice water on my bedside table. I slather on Lemon Cream Lotion and Greg always says I smell like lemon pie before he kisses me goodnight, wishing me sweet dreams. Then he hands me the treasures that have somehow gathered on our bed during the day: hair clips, reading glasses, books, jewelry, pens and notebooks, stray socks, apple cores — clearing room for us to ease under the quilt and fall asleep.
We’re mostly One-Note Nellys without much need for variety or grand adventures. We find, in the comfort of each other’s company, all the thrill we generally need. A free evening with nothing planned is typically our idea of perfection.
Our date night’s are inevitably to our favorite Asian restaurant, John Holly’s, followed by a movie. At John Holly’s I always order the same thing: Moo-Shu Veggies. I pile them up on thin rice pancakes with a drizzle of thick salty-sweet Hoison Sauce and dash of sriracha, then rolled the delicious stuff up like a burrito.
This quick and savory-sweet recipe for Moo-Shu uses thin uncooked flour tortillas (easier to find than rice pancakes) and has become one of my favorite veggie based cook-at-home meals now. Greg likes it with chicken but you can substitute edamame, tofu or scrambled egg (or combo thereof) to avoid meat and make this easily vegetarian or vegan.
Easy Moo Shu Veggie or Chicken Wraps
1 16 ounce package of pre-shredded Asian or colorful Cole Slaw mix
1 cup fresh snow peas, chopped into ½ inch pieces
1 cup fresh chopped mushrooms, any kind
1 cup chopped or shredded cooked chicken (or sub 1/2 cup diced tofu, edamame or raw egg, whisked)
1 large clove garlic
1 T. olive oil
1 T. sesame oil
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. maple syrup, honey, molasses or brown sugar
salt & pepper to taste
4- 5 uncooked Tortillas (or the thinnest pre-cooked tortillas you can find)
½ cup Hoison Sauce (in Asian sections)
¼ cup hot chili sauce or sriracha (optional, if you like heat)
1/2 cup cashew pieces or sliced almonds
Directions:
In a large skillet or walk, heat oils and 1 minced fresh garlic clove. Toss in slaw, chopped snow peas and mushrooms. Add chicken and/or tofu/egg. Cook until tender-crisp. Add soy and your choice of sweetener. Heat through. Add salt or pepper if needed to season.
Lightly cook/brown the tortillas on a flat skillet. Put about ½ cup of the hot veggie mix down the middle of each tortilla. Sprinkle with 2 T. sliced almonds or cashew pieces. Drizzle on Hoison and dot with a little hot chili sauce or shriracha if you enjoy some heat with your Asian food.
Roll up like a burrito and slice on the diagonal, in half to serve.
Variations: Use any veggies you like: peppers, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, celery, some fresh grated ginger – use your taste and imagination. Try using leftover beef, pork or shrimp instead. Experiment with different nuts or sesame seeds, sliced green onions, crispy Chinese noodles or fried won ton strips, perhaps a squeeze of fresh lime.
Crispy, Nutty Cocoa Energy Bars
Posted: September 26, 2013 Filed under: Cooking with Love, Desserts, Gluten Free, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan | Tags: cocoa, cocoa crisps, energy bars, granola bars, oatmeal, peanut butter, peanuts, Rice Crispies 1 Comment
I just returned home to Denver after a fabulous road trip with my husband Greg, to visit my daughter (co-author, co-blogger, co-conspirator), Rachel and her little family in Texas.
Her little boy Jackson, the most cheerful 2 year-old in the Lone Star State, greeted us at the door as if we’ve never been gone, and we were instant buddies again.
We loved watching him play in his “beach” (sandbox), help his dad out with yard work….
and make himself at home in the kitchen.
(He disappeared for 20 seconds and Rachel found Jackson eating this tub of vegan butter, and when she took it from him – quick as a flash, he grabbed another unopened tub and ran with it to the other side of the house, as if the butter tub was a football and he was toddler quarterback.)
Speaking of football and butter…. funny lady Anita Renfro posted this cartoon yesterday that cracked me up, because this could easily be me and Rachel watching Chopped, while our husbands watch Monday Night Football.
And speaking of cooking and football…
I just may have created the perfect football snack. These Crispy, Nutty Cocoa Energy Bars are a cross between a granola bar, a Pay Day candy bar, a Reeses and Rice Crispy Treats. They are also vegan, gluten-free (if you use gluten-free oats), chocked full of protein, healthy fiber, Omega 3s. But your guests and kids will never guess these treats are mostly good for them.
The great thing about this basic recipe is that you can really be creative with what you like, and what you have on hand to make it your own. They are perfect to tuck into your kids’ lunches. Kids prefer these to cookies, in fact, and you can be sure that they are getting plenty of fiber and protein to help slow the absorption of sugar. So no sugar crashes as happens so often with cookies.
Go, Team, Go!
Crispy, Nutty Cocoa Energy Bars
½ cup peanut butter (I used the natural kind)
½ cup agave nectar (you can substitute honey or brown rice syrup if you prefer)
1 ½ T. coconut oil (or olive oil)
2 T. pure maple syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
½ t. sea salt
1 t. vanilla
2 cups oats (use gluten-free oats if you want to make this recipe gluten free)
2 cups cocoa crisped rice cereal (I used a brand from the natural cereal section)
½ cup hemp seed or wheat germ or flax meal
2/3 cup chopped peanuts (I used a mixture of plain roasted and honey nut. They were already in fairly small pieces so I didn’t chop them.)
Directions:
Preheat 350 degree
In a saucepan mix the first 6 ingredients and bring to a slow boil for 2 minutes. Turn off heat. Add vanilla. In a large bowl place oats, rice cereal, hemp seed (or wheat germ or flax), and nuts. Pour the hot peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients and combine well. Pour all into a pan that has been greased with coconut oil or olive oil. Pat the mixture down firmly, using a piece of plastic wrap to keep it from sticking to your hands.
Bake for 15 minutes, let cool and then let harden in fridge (or freezer, if you are in a hurry). Then using a sharp knife, cut into squares or rectangles. (Or footballs, if you are feeling creative!)
Variations: Add coconut, chocolate chips or dried fruit. Use other nuts besides peanuts, and another nut butter instead of peanut butter, especially if you worry about peanut allergies. Almonds and almond butter or cashews and cashew butter would be delicious. Try another kind of crispy, light cereal for cocoa rice crisp cereal. (I have used Corn Chex, crushed, with good results.)
I
Book Updates, Giveaways, and Last Day for E-Book Sale
Posted: September 15, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized 2 Comments
It has been a little more than a month since We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook released. What an exciting month it has been! We wanted to update you on our book launch adventures and make sure you didn’t miss out on anything–giveaways, interviews and articles, and the ebook sale.
Ebook Sale Ends TODAY–get it for $2.99!
This sale launched us to the number one spot in our category (Gastronomy Essays) for ebooks and the #2 spot for all books in that category. Seeing our book surpass Anthony Bourdain’s, even if just for a few days, was thrilling! Thank you Zondervan for including our book in your ebook sale! (Update–as of Monday 9/16, the price is still at $2.99. We aren’t sure when it will end, so snatch it up before the price goes back up.)
In the News
Becky was interviewed on Chicago’s Moody Radio station last month. Listen to the interview here.
Becky & Rachel have a feature story in the September issue of Guideposts Magazine. Here’s the online link.
We each have an article on BeliefNet.com. Rachel wrote one on Raising Vegetarian (or Other Special Eaters) in a Meat-Lovers World. Becky wrote Make Every Meal Holy. We’d love you to check these out and share them with others if they resonate with you!
Rachel wrote a back-to-school blog for WeAreTeachers.com on starting a Teacher Lunch Club. Welcome to all our new teacher friends on the blog! We are so glad you are here. Teachers have a special place in our hearts!
It looks like we will have our first television interview for the book next week on D The Broadcast, unless something changes. You never know in the world of tv–Becky was once bumped from a segment to interview a cat who dialed 911!
Though we’ve been a little quieter on the blog here, we’re still writing…not only are we working on our next book (manuscript due in November, in stores January 2015), but we’ve been busy writing guest posts for some of our other favorite bloggers. Rachel wrote a post for The Gourmet Housewife on how the book idea and blog formed from her desire to be able to stay at home with her son. And she wrote about the hilarious time Jared made her a special breakfast concoction–cinnamon eggs—as newlyweds over at Candice Calvert’s Author’s Galley: Manuscripts & Wooden Spoons. Becky did a fun S’more recipe and post for Doughmestic.
Speaking
Rachel just added her speaking topics to the blog and she has had a great response—calendar is filling up! If you live near Dallas, Texas, and are looking for a speaker for your MOPS group, ladies retreat, or health event, check out her new speaker page and contact her soon to book her for your event.
Giveaways
Several bloggers have done giveaways of We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook. A Big Shout Out to Wendy’s Bloggers for reviewing the book, posting pictures about the recipes you’ve made, and hosting giveaways. As food bloggers, we know a lot of work goes into those posts. Bless you! Also thank you to Michele Cushatt for hosting a special giveaway of not only a copy of the book, but also a homemade batch of your chocolate chip cookies featured in Chapter 12! That was one lucky winner!
There are several giveaways still open right now, most with very easy entries!
SoCal Coupon Mommy (9/16)
Pandora’s Deals (9/17)
Sonya’s Happenings (ends 9/20)
Chat With Vera (ends 9/21)
Tidbits of Experience (ends 9/21)
Inspired by Savannah (9/26)
Obsessive Mommy (ends 9/27)
A Year With Mom & Dad (ends 9/28)
Cheap is the New Classy (ends 9/30)
(If you’re hosting a giveaway that I missed, please leave a comment with the link and I’ll add it to the list.)
Have you read the book yet?
We would love to hear from you! And we also so appreciate Amazon and Goodreads reviews.
$2.99 We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook (E-Book, Nook, Kindle) (Ends Sunday, Sept 15)
Posted: September 9, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentOur humorous mom-daughter food memoir is on sale today through Sunday, Sept 15 via Kindle and Nook downloads at Amazon & Barnes & Noble.
For Just $2.99!
We’d so appreciate your passing the news along to your friends via Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, E-mail or Smoke Signals! Word of mouth will always be our best advertisement. (Well, that, and a bargain.) Thank you, thank you! Becky and Rachel
Sweet n’ Buttery Blueberry Rice Bowls
Posted: September 3, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
(Becky, The Mama)
In big families life often feels like it’s balanced on a fulcrum, easily tipping toward The Waltons or The Jerry Springer Show, depending on the warm fuzzies or the latest drama of the day. One thing our big family is not, is boring. So, I am never lacking for comedic or dramatic fodder for blogs or books.
After a recent trip with my eldest son to California, where I randomly lost and found my phone (in the airport bathroom), my shoes (left in hotel room), my computer (a doctor’s office), my keys (bottom of the dark hole that is my purse), my suitcase (left on the sidewalk outside hotel), my brand new prescription sun glasses (in rental car), I told God, “Really, I have enough material.”
We’ve compiled many of the stories that overflow from our crazy lives in our newly released food memoir: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook and we’re already gathering more for next mom-daughter book.
It is my belief that life is stressful enough, so cooking shouldn’t have to be. Though I love those rare days when I can take my time in the kitchen, more often than not I lean toward the “fast, easy, healthy” recipes we typically post on this blog.
When life is nuts, trust me, I know how easy it is to give up on eating well. But after reading about Jamie Oliver’s recent scoop on the chemically “washed” pink goop that goes into McDonald’s burgers, the thought of driving through a fast food joint makes me queasy.
In the middle of a recent high-stress morning, I was hungry, in a hurry, and in search of something sweet, but not too sweet, and relatively nutritious for breakfast. I grabbed a container of last night’s leftover Jasmine rice (not as healthy as brown rice, but boy, do we love it), a pint of fresh blueberries and some slivered almonds. One ingredient led to another as I thought, “Why not?” and proceeded to create a just-right-sweet and buttery blueberry almond rice bowl. Zapped it in the microwave for 35 seconds, took a bite, and fell in love.
The fresh blueberries, when warmed, are still firm on the outside but then burst in your mouth. Some also open a bit in the bowl, drizzling a lovely purple juice – that when blended with a little butter, brown sugar and pinch of sea salt – is simply divine. The almonds add crunch and protein.
In one minute you can go from layering ingredients to spooning this lovely concoction into your mouth. To up the nutritional value, use brown rice or another whole grain you enjoy. I used fresh blueberries and recommend them, but I am sure frozen berries would also be delicious (though not as firm).
Perfect for quick wholesome breakfasts on busy mornings, or a tummy-warming snack or before-bedtime dessert. Blueberries are what my good friend, Dr. Daniel Amen, refers to as brain berries. They are chocked full of antioxidants and brain-friendly phytonutrients. A great way to start, energize or end your day.
Sweet n’ Buttery Blueberry Rice Bowls
Makes 1 large breakfast bowl, or 2 snack/dessert portions
½ c. cooked rice (pretty packed in measuring cup) (I used jasmine rice as it is what I had leftover, but of course brown rice would be the healthier choice.)
1/3 c. fresh blueberries
1 t. butter (vegans can use Earth Balance or any healthy buttery substitute of your choice)
1 T. brown sugar (feel free to sub your favorite sweetener here –maple syrup, stevia, etc.)
2 T. slivered almonds
Pinch sea salt
Directions:
Place the rice in a bowl and fluff with a fork. Put a dab of butter in the middle and sprinkle over the top with brown sugar. Put blueberries and slivered almonds on top.
Microwave for 35 seconds. Take a pinch of sea salt and sprinkle over all when you remove from the microwave. (This makes it taste even more “buttery”.) Gently fold all hot ingredients together and serve. Be prepared to be very surprised how amazing these simple ingredients taste when put all together!
Crockpot Pinto Beans (And this Coach’s Wife’s Back to School Woes)
Posted: August 28, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: fatfree, gluten-free, make your own frozen burritos, vegan crockpot pinto beans, vegan refried beans recipe 4 Comments“It’s so stupid. It’s laundry…why are we fighting about laundry and yard work? I mean seriously, let’s just wear dirty clothes and hire a lawn man. It’s not worth it.”
Last week was not good. It was a long, hard, hanging on by a thread in every way possible kind of way of week. The kind of week that drives you to a tearful angry clash over laundry … and yard work … because everything feels overwhelming … and because, as I told my mom in a pity party email, “I suck at everything this week–mothering, marriage, career.”
This is what the transition to football widow looks like in our home every year. It’s a big ugly awful transition from having our husband/daddy home 24-7 to him working seven days a week….long late hours several of those days. I dread it with every fiber in me…and then it somehow is even worse than I anticipated it would be. Jared assures me it gets better, I’m telling myself I always adjust and survive. I’m hoping that’s true again…though I’ve never had a toddler, a book deadline, and a new book release all in one football season. At least I won’t suffer of boredom like I did back in our newlywed days….that’s for sure.
Aside from the real possibilities of wearing dirty clothes and hiring a lawn man, I need a better vision for this season. So I’m working on this. Not a plan so much as a shift in attitude, in focus, a survivors guide of sorts. I’m jotting down some sanity savers for the school year. It’s Wednesday afternoon and so far, I have yet to melt down this week. Maybe they are working.
- Pray. Often. Quietly. Out loud. Whenever I think I need Jared. Because really, I probably actually need Jesus.
- Go Away. I’m going to try and getaway for a writing weekend once a month. I’m calling in Grandparents and friends and getting away to do my bulk of writing in short intense weekend spurts, because that’s how my mind works best.
- Wake Up Early. I am NOT a morning person, but now that I have a toddler who, bless his adorable heart, drains every ounce of energy from me by his 8:00pm bedtime, I’m no longer a night person either. So I’m trying to wake up early to be with God, my thoughts, and my writing…and coffee, probably lots of coffee. I’m not going to lie, I’m struggling on this one!
- Plan/shop for meals every two weeks. I will go major grocery shopping every other Sunday night while Jared is home with Jackson, so I know what is for dinner every night….and I can do the big shopping alone (the only way I enjoy this chore).
- Double and freeze meals as often as I cook (when possible). I’ve been cooking big and filling up my freezer this week and it feels so good to have pizza, falafel, bean burritos, pinto beans, cupcakes, extra chopped veggies and fruits, and Jackson’s morning oatmeal all ready when I need something quick.
- Apply to start a home group. This seems kind of counter intuitive…but our current group meets on Thursday nights and we can’t make it because of football and bedtimes, so we are going to try and start one every other Sunday afternoon, because we need people to invest in, because we don’t want to get lost in our little world that revolves around ourselves and football.
- Stay involved in MOPS, because these women are my girls…they are in the trenches of motherhood with me and they understand me and will pray for me when I ask them to and make me laugh when I think I’m going to fall apart. I stepped down from my steering team role, which was sad and hard, but the right choice. And now, for this season, I will let MOPS do what it does best, minister to my often overwhelmed mother heart…and equip me to be a better mom. Better Moms Make a Better World.
- Dig in the dirt. I’m going to devote time to dig in the dirt with Jackson, to go on slow picking up sticks and rocks along the way walks, build things with him on his workbench…without looking at my phone or quickly checking to see what email just popped in my inbox. Focused time with him, so his cup will be full when I do need to focus on something else.
- Savor nap time. I have a child that sleeps during the day. That’s awesome. It will end at some point…and until it does…oh I will savor that time, from the sweet snuggles while we read and rock to the quiet time to write, reflect, and decompress from busy mornings while he’s sleeping.
- Declare evenings stress-free. At about 5:00pm, my ability to handle stress goes way down. I might just declare a daily dance party in the kitchen at 5:00 to signal that the day is over and the stress free night has begun. Think I can convince a two-year old to go along with this?
I talked with some other coach’s wives at a coach’s cookout this week. One reminded me that the season is not very long, really just three to four months. Another whose husband was in the military before this gave me a little perspective about what it really feels like for your husband to be away while you’re raising young kids. Any other wisdom from coach’s wives, writer mamas, work-at-home moms? What are you doing to try and stay sane this fall? 🙂
On a really rough day, cooking these Spinach & Mushroom Mole Enchiladas and Roasted Butternut Squash Enchiladas (not pictured) with Jackson was the bright spot, the only time in a full day that all was well in our wold, the two of us cooking side by side happy to be doing something we both love together. (Then came the epic awful, rocking him for an hour and half starting at 6:30 because that’s all that was left in me, evening.)
As part of my meal plan last week, which believe it or not, made the week go WAAAAAY smoother than it could have gone, I made a huge pot of crockpot pinto beans. We ate them with Mushroom & Spinach Mole Enchiladas one night and Roasted Butternut Squash Mole Enchiladas another night. (I will share this recipe next time I make them. Let me just tell you, they were fantastic and I will be making them again…but I did not have the energy for the extra food blogging steps this time. Sorry!) Then I made several bean burritos to freeze for back up meals or quick lunches, and still I froze some extra pintos to reheat for future meals. I always forget how long the crockpot actually takes…they call it a slow cooker for a reason, but it’s worth the wait. Just plan ahead!
Crockpot Pinto Beans
Makes 5-6 quarts
2 pounds dried pinto beans, sorted and rinsed and soaked*
2 onions, quartered
6 cloves, garlic (gently smashed and peels removed)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
approx 10 cups water
2-4 teaspoons salt
Equipment: 6-quart or larger crockpot (halve recipe for smaller crockpots), strainer
*Cover beans with lots of water. Let sit overnight at room temperature and rinse or follow package instructions for the quick soak method.
Beans after they’ve soaked overnight. Looking pretty and plump.
Put soaked beans in your crockpot. Pour water over the top until they are covered about an inch (to your thumb knuckle).
I don’t know where I learned this trick, but it’s how I do most of my dried beans. Just add water until it reaches my thumb knuckle when the tip of my thumb is touching the top of the beans.
Add onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Stir.
Everything except the salt goes into the crockpot (salt makes your beans tough).
Cover crockpot. Put on high. (My crockpot doesn’t seem to get very hot, even on high, so I cooked mine on high the whole time.) If you notice the liquid bubbling, lower your crockpot to medium. (If you do this in the morning before work, put it on high while you are getting ready, then lower it to medium or low while you are at work. Crank it back up when you get home if they aren’t done.)
Cook for five hours, or until the beans are cooked through. Add two teaspoons of salt, tilt lid to let some of the liquid evaporate, and cook for one more hour. Add more salt if needed. I used four teaspoons in ours.
You can eat them just like this or make refried beans.
“Refried” Beans
Scoop beans, onions & garlic with a slotted spoon into a food processor, process until desired consistency, adding cooking liquid as needed. If you plan on freezing or reheating, add a little extra liquid because they thicken each time you reheat them. (You can also do this in a big pan on medium low heat with a little oil and just mash them until they are the desired consistency.)
Perfect job for a motor-lovin’ helper.
To freeze refried beans: Put cooled leftovers into glass jars or ziptop bags and freeze.
Ready to reheat or freeze.
Defrost overnight in the fridge (or in a bowl of luke warm water), pour into a pan and heat on the stove top to desired temperature or consistency.
Frozen burritos
At about $2 a burrito for store-bought organic frozen burritos, this saves you tons of money. These 8 burritos here cost just a few dollars.
Scoop beans into a warm tortilla. Fold into a burrito with seam side down on a cookie sheet. Repeat. Freeze on the cookie sheet. Wrap each frozen burrito in saran wrap or sandwich baggies. To reheat, remove from plastic wrap, wrap in a paper towel, reheat in microwave for 60 seconds on each side until heated through (2-3 minutes).
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
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The Title: Crockpot Pinto Beans
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S’more Kisses
Posted: August 21, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized 2 Comments
(This was originally a guest post on August 6 to celebrate Susan Whetzel’s new S’more Cookbook. You’ve love Susan’s beautiful website with fabulous recipes at www.doughmesstic.com.)
A funny thing happened on the way to making this recipe for gooey, delicious S’more Kisses this morning. My 6 year-old grandson Georgie and I did a little practice cooking round last night, since he is a bit of a S’more connoisseur.
Apparently when I wasn’t looking, he also ate the rest of the bag of “mushmellows,” as he calls them
So off I ran to a nearby Walgreens, grabbed a bag of marshmallows, and placed them on the check-out counter.
The clerk put her hands on the bag and pressed them a little. (Who can resist squeezing a bag of marshmallows? They’re like edible Charmin.) “Will this be ALL you need today?”
I smiled at her. “Yep. All I really need at the moment to make my day perfect is a big bag of marshmallows.”
“No graham crackers or chocolate?” she asked. It was easy to see she had visions of S’mores dancing in her head. As Susie has discovered on her cookbook tour — strangers can become friends and adults morph into kids again at the very mention of S’mores.
“Actually,” I replied, “I have graham crackers and chocolate back at the house. They’re just waiting on me to bring the marshmallows.”
“Ahh, I see. Would you like a bag for that?”
“Nah,” I said. “Let’s save a tree.”
“Actually we only have plastic bags.”
“Okay, then. Let’s save some chemicals.”
And off I went to whip up this quick and easy treat. Just as I was pulling the fluffy golden mounds of hot marshmallow-topped grahams out of the oven, my husband walked in the kitchen. He watched with gathering interest as I put a Hershey’s kiss in the middle of each marshmallow, creating a warm soft pillow around the now melting chocolate. Unselfishly, he volunteered to sample the delectable results. What can I say? My husband is a saint. (The world needs S’more men just like him.)
Becky Johnson & her adult daughter Rachel Randolph are celebrating the release of their new funny food memoir (with recipes) – We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook- today! (Rachel is vegan, Becky loves her veggies but is still clinging to her bacon and butter for now.) If you would like “s’more” family-friendly recipes, they would LOVE you to drop by their blog and/or check out their new book below.
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook is available in ebook, paperback, and audio formats.
S’more Kisses
Makes 4 cookies
Ingredients:
4 graham cracker squares
4 large marshmallows
4 Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
Place a marshmallow on top of each graham cracker, tall side up. (Like fat pillars.) Bake for around 5 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed and turning toasty-golden. Remove from oven and immediately, gently, push a Hershey’s Kiss in the middle of each marshmallow as pictured.
Wait a few seconds to let the chocolate get warm and melty, and marshmallow to cool enough to eat, then enjoy, with a napkin and cold glass of milk.
Note: Fun thing about this recipe: though they are irresistible when fresh and warm from the oven, if you cannot eat all of the S’more Kisses you make right away, do not despair. After they’re cool, just place them in a Ziploc bag. When you want to eat one, pop it in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds. The marshmallow will re-puff, get creamy and the Hershey’s kiss will get get warm and soft again. It’s magical, truly. I’ve also discovered that kids like them at room temp – so you can put them in a baggie for a special lunch box treat for Back to School days.
Cheesy Garlic, Fresh Tomato Bread with Oil & Balsamic Drizzle
Posted: August 12, 2013 Filed under: Appetizers, Breads, Italian, Sandwiches, Sides, Snacks, Uncategorized | Tags: Baguette, balsamic vinegar, basil, cheese, French bread, garlic, olive oil, oregano, tomato Leave a comment
Cheesy Hot Garlic Bread with Tomatoes, Drizzled with Olive OIl and Vinegar
What fun Rachel and I are having hearing back from readers enjoying We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook. Here’s one I got a kick out of today from Linda: “Becky I’m only on page 18 and I’m laughing out loud like a nutcase. You really have made a career out of telling on yourself! OMG, too funny and you’re not exaggerating, not even a little? Starting with misplacing your car keys in Nashville, your suitcase exploding at the airport, you can’t find your car once you arrive in Fort Worth, then when you do, the battery is dead? I’m dying over here.”
People often ask my daughter (now co-author), my friends, my husband, “Come on, tell the truth. Is Becky making this stuff up?” All they can say, with a slow head shake is, “We only wish she were.”
As I read the fun note above, I was in the middle of posting this episode on Facebook:
Leaving hotel room today. Close door, get 4 big suitcases in hall.
Me: “Uh I took my glasses off again.”
Greg: “Did you leave them in the room?”
Me: “I might have.”
All four of our keys are behind locked doors so Greg goes to get new ones. Upon his return, I say, “I also can’t seem to find my cell phone.” He enters the room and turns it upside down. I look on the carpet, I’ve been sitting on the phone in the hall. I find my glasses, in the case where I put them in my suitcase. I don’t remember doing that AT ALL. We close the door pick up our things and go on. Greg never gets mad, not even testy. No matter how many times we exit a hotel room this way.
Life has been so busy lately with the book’s release and travel and finding things I have lost, that when I do cook I want it to be fast and easy and delicious. One of the things I enjoy the most at some of the great Italian restaurants we’ve visited on our trip to Oregon this week, is fresh homemade bread dipped in a little plate of olive oil, good aged balsamic vinegar and a little garlic. Heaven.
Recently I found a way to turn Heaven into a quick snacky meal or a wonderfully easy appetizer for a bunch. Cutting a nice fresh loaf of French bread lengthwise, I sprinkled it with cheese, then layered sliced fresh garden tomatoes, followed tiny pinches of salt, pepper, basil or oregano (fresh or dried, whatever you have on hand), a little fresh grated garlic. Pop this in the oven until the cheese melts and tomatoes are sizzling. Then, here’s the fun part: drizzle it all with good olive oil and balsamic, cut in slices and serve with plenty of napkins.
Cheesy, Garlic, Fresh Tomato Bread with Oil & Balsamic
1 French baguette, sliced in half lengthwise
1 cup grated cheese (I used mozzarella, some white cheddar and feta. Use any combination you like.)
2-3 tomatoes (my baguette was small so Roma tomatoes were perfect size), sliced
Pinch fresh salt
Several turns of fresh pepper
1 t. dried oregano, or 2 t. minced fresh basil
1 clove fresh garlic, grated
¼ cup olive oil, approximate
2 T. good aged balsamic vinegar
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
Put both baguette halves on a baking sheet, cut side up. Sprinkle about ½ cup grated cheese on each side. Slice tomatoes and place atop both pieces of bread, overlapping slightly as shown. Sprinkle each half with a little fresh salt, some turns of fresh pepper, the herbs and garlic.
Place in oven for about 5 minutes or until baguettes are hot, cheese is melted and tomatoes are sizzling.
Drizzle the baguettes with oil and vinegar, slice in 3 inch pieces and serve hot. (With plenty of napkins.)
Becky Johnson
Rachel Randolph
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook 