Thursday, December 31, 2009

Healthy Refried Beans


OK so I promise: today I'm going to sit down and pray and think about my resolutions for 2010. Hopefully I will post them in the next few days. But today, I wanted to share with you a new recipe I just tried. I love making bean and cheese quesadillas for lunch or an easy quick dinner, but have always felt bad buying canned refried beans. In an effort to make me feel less guilty we've have always gotten the vegetarian refried beans so that they're a little bit healthier. Anyway, I found this recipe on http://nourishingcookbook.blogspot.com/ and it turned out really well. So Here it is;

Healthy Refried Beans
yield: 9-10 cups

THE NIGHT BEFORE: cook dry beans in crockpot. Put the following in the crockpot and cook on low all night (or 9 hours)
51/2 cups (2lbs) dry pinto or black beans
about 31/2 quarts water, as needed
1 tsp garlic powder

THE NEXT DAY: place drained cooked beans, reserving the bean liquid, in a mixing bowl; add remaining ingredients:
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp chili powder
4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt, to taste, optional

Blend beans with electric mixer or by hand with a potato masher, adding amount of reserved bean liquid until beans are the consistency desired.

And VOILA! There you have it folks! Yummy, healthy refried beans that are easy to make!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Time flies...



While spending time praying this morning I was remembering this time last year. We had just moved into our house and were trying to get settled. Life was busy, and we feeling so blessed. Time flies... can I get an amen? I've been thinking about 2010 that is just around the corner, and was wondering if I had made any resolutions for 2009. How sad is it that I couldn't remember?! hehe! Anyway, I was pretty sure that I had made some, and so I decided to search my blog to see if I had posted them. Sure enough I had;
http://themrsbrom.blogspot.com/2008/12/2009-new-year-resolutions.html

I was reading over what I had resolved to do in 2009 and out of the 9 I have done about 6 of them. Although I'm disappointed in myself for not doing all 9 I would say that even just accomplishing 1 of them would've been a big deal. So wait a minute.. let me rephrase... I haven't mastered those 6 things... I just think I'm better at them then last year. Make sense? Its like, they are still a work in progress.

So I haven't really came up with an official list of resolutions for this 2010 that is coming, but once I do... you will hear about it. 2010 is going to be different. 2010 is going to have me being intentional about physical activity. 2010 is going to have be working on being a better wife... mastering my homemade bread recipe.... learning more about whole foods and how to cook in a nourishing way. 2010 is going to be centered around Christ, and learning more about who He is and what effects that should have on my life.

Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:3

Here I come, 2010!

Friday, December 4, 2009

homemade lotion

hello folks! Two things:

1.) I just made my first order from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ and they are FABULOUS to work with! Check them out!

2.) With the ingredients I ordered from Mountain Rose I made some homemade lotion, and I want to share the recipe with you! I got the recipe from Lindsay at http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/


photo by Mountain Rose Herbs

Here is the recipe:

Shea Butter Lotion
1/8 cup coconut oil (extra virgin is preferred)
1/4 cup raw shea butter
3-4 Tablespoons talc-free cornstarch or arrowroot power (optional, to thicken)


Combine coconut oil and shea butter in a small bowl with a hand mixer or stick blender. You may have to soften the shea butter just slightly over very low heat in order to incorporate them well together, but it should combine well with a mixer. Add cornstarch or arrowroot a tablespoon at a time until you achieve the desired thickness.

Give it a try and let me know what ya think!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Cranberry Salad


Ever wonder what to do with fresh cranberries? Well here is a fabulous recipe for you to try! I guarantee you'll love it!

Cranberry Salad


1 bag fresh cranberries
6 fuji apples
1 can crushed pineapple
2 oranges
1 tbsp sugar (optional)

Cut cranberries in half, dice the apples with the skin, dice the oranges, drain pineapple. Mix all together and sprinkle with sugar.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Apologies & Potato Soup

I know I have been a VERY bad blogger lately! Its been over a month since my last post, and I'm happy to say that there really isn't anything exciting going on! hehe! Life is good and we are happy.

Last night we had our small group over for a Potato Party. We had a blast! Each person that came brought some sort of dish that had potatoes in it. We had: potato soup, potato chips, yam bake, tatortot casserole, golden potato bake, creamy potatoes, and french fries. Quite a spread!!!!

So today, I wanted to post my famous potato soup recipe. This recipe is what won my husband over.... one bite of this soup, and he was head over heels in love with me :-) So, I'm warning you.. if you make this recipe for a man, then expect to get a proposal.
Here is the problem with my recipe though... I have a basic recipe that I use, but I change it quite a bit, and its sort of became one of those recipes that is "a little of this, and a little of that... a pinch of salt and a couple of pinches of garlic powder". SO, I will give you all the basic recipe that I use, and then try to explain the changes that I make to it, ok? Hopefully you can follow along, and I won't be too confusing :-)

DAISY'S POTATO SOUP
By: Daisy Frantz
Taken from 'Seasoned With Love' : a german baptist cook book


6 slices of bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
5 large potatoes, diced
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
milk

Saute bacon until nearly crisp. Add onion and garlic and saute until clear but not brown. Add potatoes and toss to coat with bacon drippings. Saute just a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add enough water to come well above potatoes. Cook until half done, then add Rivals.* Cook, covered, until done. Add seasonings** and canned soup. Add milk to make desired amount of consistency and simmer a few minutes to heat through and blend flavors. Do not boil. Soup will thicken if left standing very long.

* Rivals:
1 egg well beaten
1 cup flour or enough to make mixture crumbly but not too dry.

In small bowl, mix egg and flour together until crumbly. Should be moist but not sticky or gooey. Add to boiling potato mixture all at once, stirring fast with fork to break it up into small pieces. Do not have large lumps. If this happens, immediately cut them up with a sharp knife before they harden.

** Seasonings:
1 tsp Beau Monde
1.4 tsp each: onion salt, MSG, celery salt salt and pepper
1 small can creamed corn
fresh or dried parsley
green onion tops
grated cheese

Use all or as you wish

....................................................................

OK, so here is how I do this recipe:

1 package of bacon, diced
7-8 large russet potatoes, diced
2 can cream of chicken soup
milk
1 can corn, drained
parsley
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
pepper


Put diced bacon in a skillet, and lightly season with parsley, onion powder and garlic powder. Place half the bacon drippings in a big soup pot with the diced potatoes. Fill soup pot with water that goes well over the potatoes. Pour in drained can of corn into the soup pot. Bring this mixture to a boil. Pour in Rivals*. Turn down the temp to med. heat. Pour in both cans of cream of chicken. Season with (I really don't have specific measurements for the seasonings, I usually just do it to taste, but if I had to guess the measurements this is what they would be) 2 tbsp parsley, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Add a bit of pepper, and salt to taste. Cook the soup on medium, stirring constantly until the potatoes are soft.

* Rivals:
1 egg well beaten
1 cup flour or enough to make mixture crumbly but not too dry.

In small bowl, mix egg and flour together until crumbly. Should be moist but not sticky or gooey. Add to boiling potato mixture all at once, stirring fast with fork to break it up into small pieces. Do not have large lumps. If this happens, immediately cut them up with a sharp knife before they harden.


Serve soup in big bowls with a handful of bacon and cheese on top. ENJOY!