Sugared Cranberries and a Request

Remember the good old days when I used to blog? That was fun.

The main reason I haven’t been blogging is because the time I used to spend writing is now the time I spend running. Or sleeping. I blog either at night after the kids are in bed, or early in the morning before they wake up. But since I’ve been running a lot more, I go to bed much earlier and wake up crazy early to run. I’m not saying that running has replaced blogging for good. I’m just trying to figure out how to do both.

But I completed my first half marathon in November! (Did you notice how I said “first,” implying there will be more? Heh.)

Me with my shiny new medal and my half marathon car magnet.

One of my favorite websites is anothermotherrunner.com. I’ve learned a lot from Sarah and Dimity and I especially love their article: What a Mother Runner Looks Like. They recently had a contest to come up with a six-word sentence that best describes your running. The author of their favorite sentence wins a treadmill. Well, it just so happens that I am one of the finalists!

So I am here to ask you a teensy, weensy favor to head on over to anothermotherrunner.com, scroll down to “Who Should Win the NordicTrack Treadmill” and (pretty please) cast your vote for me, Samantha. My sentence is: “I am stronger than I thought.”

It is not, although it could be: “I shamelessly ask for your vote.”

 And as a token of my appreciation, I will share with you one of my favorite Christmas recipes. I cannot claim it as my own, but I can tell you that everybody who tries this, loves it. We make these cranberries every year to give as teacher gifts, and they’re always a big hit.

Sugared Cranberries

from Cooking Light magazine, December 2003

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup superfine sugar*

Preparation

1. Combine granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring mixture until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat. (Do not boil or the cranberries may pop when added.) Stir in cranberries; pour mixture into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain cranberries in a colander over a bowl, reserving steeping liquid, if desired. Place superfine sugar in a shallow dish. Add the cranberries, rolling to coat with sugar. Spread sugared cranberries in a single layer on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until dry.
3. Note: The steeping liquid clings to the berries and helps the sugar adhere. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week.

 *I’ve never used superfine sugar. Instead, I measure regular granulated sugar into the blender and pulse a bunch of times until the sugar is more powdery (but not powdered sugar. ‘Cause I’m tricky that way).

Sugared Cranberries from Cooking Light

Please, please vote for me to win the treadmill. Just imagine how awesome it would be if I didn’t have to wake up at 4:20 to go to the gym! I might even have more time for blogging!

Just keep in mind that voting ends on Thursday, December 20 at noon MST. I sincerely thank you!!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sun Pancakes

I don’t really like to trash talk on the internet. I try to to keep things fairly amicable around here. But today I’m going to trash talk. I’m going to trash talk someone that you all know and probably adore.

He’s the life of the party. Everyone loves him. He’s all bright and cheery, hanging around all cool-like, with his sunglasses and his giant smile. All he has to do is peek his little head out and people everywhere gravitate toward him. He’ll wrap you in a warm embrace or brighten your day with his cheery disposition.

Unless…

Bela Lugosi as Dracula

Well, unless you’re this guy.

Or me.

I’m talking about the Sun. What I ever did to him, I’ll never know.  But he hates me.

The Heartbreak Kid

We just got back from a trip to the beach. The first day, I slathered myself in SPF 50, covered up head to toe, and sat on the beach for a mere 2 hours. I still managed to get a sunburn. Story of my life.

I get a sunburn if I even think about the sun too hard. In fact, I’m getting burnt right now.

Sure, everybody loves the sun. But what has it ever done for me?

Summer Rental

Oh, sure, energy and vitamin D and photosynthesis and all that. Whatever.

Whenever I talk about the weather with people, I always pretend I’m in the Sunshine Lover’s Club.

“Oh it’s supposed to rain tomorrow? Darn!”

“Yes, it is great that the sun is finally out!”

“Oh joy! You’re telling me that it’s going to be sunny for the rest of the week?!? Wowzers that makes me so GLAD!”

I sing Oh Mister Sun and You are My Sunshine to my kids, sometimes even with a ukulele. They know Here Comes the Sun and Let the Sunshine In. I can even muster up a hearty chuckle when those Jimmy Dean breakfast commercials come on tv.

But it’s all a lie. A big, fat, gray-skied, cloudy lie. Because warm weather and sunshine make me kind of grumpy. There, I said it.

The Hangover

But enough trash talk… how about some yummy Sun Pancakes?

This is the pancake recipe I use.

Sun pancake

The suns vary, depending on the ingredients I have on hand. I like to do strawberries for the rays, or canned mandarin oranges. But the faces are always different. Sometimes I use blueberries or raisins for the eyes, and dried cranberries for the mouth. Chocolate chips make a frequent appearance. This was a lucky day for the Critics because they got whipped cream!

The Critics love these. Usually Don Corleone is the pancake maker in our house. But occasionally the kids ask specifically for sun pancakes. And I’m happy to oblige, even though… you know. They represent my archenemy.

I try to enjoy the sun, I really do. But I’ve also come to terms with the fact that I am, at heart, a rainy day kind of girl. Clouds and rain in the forecast make me smile. That’s just the way it is.

And I’ll spend the rest of my life searching for SPF 5000 sunscreen.

Slow Cooker Creamy Herb Chicken

Hello, Blog! I remember you!

I haven’t gone this long without blogging before. But, you see, I have a very good reason. A Big Announcement. The thing is… and if you know my husband, you know what a big deal this is…

We Got Cable.

For reals. Cable tv. In my house. I’m still reeling. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and go downstairs to turn on the tv, just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

I don’t really do that. But I am super excited.

I know for a fact that we aren’t the last people on Earth to get on board the Cable Train. But I know we’re pretty darn close to the caboose.

Anyway, there’s no time for blogging when there’s SO MUCH tv to watch!

So I’d like to share with you some things that you may already know, but that I’m just learning about cable tv:

1. Frasier is on 87,000 times a day.
2. MTV is nothing like it was when I was a kid. VH1 Totally 80’s is way better.
3. iCarly is pretty annoying, but Good Luck Charlie is kind of cute (actually I kind of like it) (actually I don’t kind of like it, I do like it).
4. The History Channel is not nearly as much fun as I thought it would be. Is there any actual history on that channel?
5. Turner Classic Movies is as much fun as I thought it would be.
6. Cupcakes are really popular. Especially red velvet ones.
7. The Wonder Pets are just as annoying on cable as they are on DVD. Seriously, Ming-Ming. It’s called speech therapy. Go get some.
8. I still love The Waltons.
9. I don’t have nearly enough kids yet to get a reality tv show. I mean, four is nothing, when you could instead raise a small army. I’m looking at you, Duggars.
10. Man vs. Food is gross. Just gross.
11. There is absolutely nothing real about any of the Real Housewives. Seriously, Bravo. Where’s the sweatpants that have been worn one too many times before washing? The spit-up stained t-shirts? The Cheerios that are forming their own colony under the couch cushions? The mountain of laundry on every available square inch of space? Real Housewives? Real, my foot.

So those are just a few of the things I’ve learned. But with my new channel line-up I’m sure I will continue to learn new things each and every day! I haven’t even touched on infomercials yet!

When you spend so much time watching t.v., it’s good to have some quick, easy dinners that you can just throw into the crockpot in the morning, before Gilmore Girls comes on, that will be finished cooking by the time The Brady Bunch airs. This one is super duper fast and easy.

Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Herb Chicken

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 container Philadelphia Italian Cheese & Herb Cooking Creme
• crushed red pepper for serving

Directions:

1. Spray slow cooker insert with cooking spray. Seriously, do it! You’ll thank me later!
2. Place chicken breasts into slow cooker. Cover with spinach.
3. Add cooking creme, and stir it up a bit. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours.
4. Remove chicken from slow cooker. Shred,* return to cooker, and give it a good stir. Serve over pasta with a nice sprinkling of red pepper.

Click here for printable version.

*If you prefer, you can cube the chicken before cooking it, or even leave and serve it whole. I like the shredded chicken over pasta, but that’s my preference.

Slow Cooker Creamy Herb Chicken

Creamy Herb Chicken over pasta

Wow, really bad pictures. See what happens when you don’t blog in over a month?

I thought this meal was delicious! I thought it was, “You better learn to like it, kids, because Mommy’s gonna be making this a LOT!” good. Let’s see what The Critics thought:

Don Corleone: I love it!

Sarah Crewe: It’s really good, Mommy!

Batman: I don’t really like it. Then later: Actually I think I do like it.

Curious George: I don’t really like it either. Later: I like it mixed with the pasta.

Elmo: I don’t like this dinner. Me: How do you know? Did you taste it? Elmo: No. But I looked at it, and it was spicy.

Oh well, it wasn’t a huge success. But it wasn’t a huge failure, either. I’m definitely making this one again!

Turkey Cookies

You should have seen my son’s face when I said I was going to make turkey cookies for his school’s Thanksgiving “feast.”

I had to assure him that the cookies were made to look like turkeys, not made out of turkeys.

Although, cookies made from turkey… hmmm…

Just kidding!

Turkey Cookies

Turkey Cookies (fromPillsbury.com)

•  Your favorite sugar cookie recipe (I used this one)
• candy corn
• chocolate frosting
• orange and black decorating frosting or gels

Directions:

1. Prepare sugar cookies as directed. When cool, spread a little bit of frosting on each cookie in an arch at the top. Gently press candy corn on top of the frosting, as shown.
2. Using the decorating gels, give your turkeys eyes, beaks, and feet.
3. Let dry.

These cookies looked so cute when they were finished that my kids had a good 20-minute argument over why it is or isn’t unfair that only Curious George got to have one.

Ah, Thanksgiving…

In keeping with the turkey theme, I’d like to share a picture that my Sarah Crewe drew when she was five years old.

Turkey's Dinner

It’s a picture of a turkey at the stove, cooking dinner. And another turkey handing the chef a pair of um… well, human legs.

Don’t ask why or how a five-year-old thought of this. I don’t like to go there.

But I think it’s funny.

Gobble Gobble!

Jack-O-Lantern Smoothies

Am I the only one who enjoys watching holiday TV specials on the night they’re aired, instead of on DVD whenever you want? There’s something about watching a Charlie Brown special on TV and knowing that everybody you know is watching it at the exact same time as you.  Which, due to DVD players, TIVO, DVRs, Netflix, online viewing, etc, etc, etc… probably isn’t even true. I don’t care, I still like to watch them on the night they’re on. Which means I’ll have to leave the PTO meeting a wee bit early this week, so I can watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown with my kids (and every other person I know who will also be watching it at the exact same time as me).

Just kidding, PTO, I actually have something really important that I have to do that night at 8:00 EST, that’s why I have to leave early.

Drawing by Curious George, age 5

Jack-O-Lantern Smoothies

makes 4 small child-size smoothies

• 1/4 cup chocolate chips, melted
• 1/2 cup frozen peaches
• 1/2 large banana
• 1 cup orange juice
• small, clear plastic cups

Directions:

1. Using a small utensil or toothpick, create a Jack-O-Lantern face on the inside of each cup with the melted chocolate.
2. Place remaining ingredients in a blender together and blend until smooth. Pour into prepared cups.

Jack-o-Lantern smoothies

We had some guest critics over the morning I made these. Everyone loved them, kids and adults alike. They were especially impressed that the faces were made with chocolate, and not drawn on the cups with marker, as they originally thought.

I got the idea for these from someone else’s blog about healthy Halloween treats. I like to give credit where credit is due, but for the life of me, I can’t remember which blog it was, and googling it has not helped. So if it was your blog, or you know whose it was, please let me know!

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Face Pancakes

To My Neighbor Mrs. Kravitz:*

I’m so sorry I picked your children up late for school today. But you see,  I had a very good reason. I mean, other than my usual “running late” excuse.

It all started when I decided to make pancakes for breakfast. Because, you know, of all the free time we usually have on school mornings. But I didn’t want to make just any pancakes. No sir. They had to be pumpkin pancakes. I used this recipe.

After I ladled out the first batch onto the griddle, I had the brilliant idea of making faces on the pancakes by pressing chocolate chips onto the top of each pancake while the underside was cooking. Then I flipped each pancake and realized I should have made stems.

So I took a small, 1/2 cup portion of remaining pancake batter and put it in a small bowl and added a few drops of green food coloring.

Okay, so now the first batch was no longer any good. I threw it to the dogs gave it to the kids to munch on while they eagerly awaited the second, more impressive batch.

Second batch: I ladled out four circles onto the griddle. Then I spooned a little bit of green batter at the top of each circle, making sure the green bit touched the big orange circle.  I signed homework, packed lunches, and unloaded the dishwasher with one hand while I pressed chocolate chip faces into the pumpkins with the other. All the while yelling things like, “Go get dressed! Find your shoes! Brush your hair!”

I flipped the pancakes, finished cooking them. Oh, they looked so cute. ‘Maybe I should put this on my blog,’ I thought, as I ran to get my camera, find the best light, take some pictures, realize I don’t like the plate, find a different plate, take some more pictures, yell some more at the kids, then finally feed them.

Oh, it’s time to go? “HURRRRRRY UUUUUP!!!! WE’RE GOING TO BE LATE!!!!”

And then we came to your house. And we didn’t miss the bus. And that’s good. And I learned a very important lesson.

Never make pumpkin pancakes without stems. I mean, really.

Sincerely,

Your Most Awesomest Neighbor*

*Not our real names

Pumpkin Face Pancakes

Ewww, get out of here, scary black Halloween cat.

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Soup

This is going to be a quick one. It’s 5:24 a.m. and I’m supposed to go for a run in 6 minutes. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Soup

Adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cups cooked and cubed (or shredded) chicken
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups fat free milk (or no higher than 2%)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup hot wing sauce
• 4 oz Velveeta, cubed

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour. Set aside.
2. Put the chopped onion and celery into the slow cooker. Add the chicken, broth, and milk. Sprinkle the garlic powder on top. (Note: The original recipe calls for celery salt and garlic salt. I don’t like to add much salt to soups when I’m cooking (and as the recipe states, the cheese and broth have enough salt on their own), so I leave it out. But feel free to add it if you like salty soups)
3. Stir in the flour and butter mixture. Add hot sauce.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on hight for 3-4 hours. Stir in Velveeta 20 minutes before serving.

Buffalo Chicken Soup

 Click here for printable

Wow this is good soup. This is “Cook it for lunch and then “forget” to tell your husband that you made it so you can eat the rest by yourself all week” good.

The soup thickens the next day, and it’s fun to dip tortilla chips into it, but still eat it with a spoon, so it counts as a meal.

.

Don Corleone and I love this soup. I don’t give the little Critics any. I think it would be too spicy for them, plus then I’d have to share.

.

And in case you were curious, here’s an update on my morning. Between 5:24 when I started this post and 7:00 or so (or whenever I get around to publishing), my kids woke up at 5:30, I ran one mile and it took 13 minutes, my 5-year-old (Curious George) drank two cups of milk and then puked it up all over the carpet (and me), I couldn’t figure out a formatting problem with this post (hence the random periods after each paragraph), and I posted a recipe.

.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Pumpkin Waffles with Warm Cinnamon Syrup

Pumpkin waffles with warm cinnamon syrup.

You’re welcome.

Pumpkins are everywhere. I love the colors of autumn. I have to say, God really knew what He was doing when He colored fall.

I’ve talked before about how my family is obsessed with Star Wars. Not a day goes by when I don’t hear things like, “If Luke and Obi-Wan battled each other, who would win?” or “Who do you think would win between the Rancor and a Bantha?” A lot of “Who would win…” scenarios.

Even my little Elmo will walk around the house saying things like, “hooo-pah… Luke I am your father.” My husband is so proud.

Do any of them ever say (over a plate of pumpkin waffles, maybe?), “Hey, do you remember that episode of Little House on the Prairie when Ma bought new fabric to spite Mrs. Oleson, but then instead of using it to make a new dress for herself, she selflessly used it to make new dresses for Mary and Laura, and then Laura stood in front of the whole school and the parents and spoke about how amazing and wonderful Ma is?” (for the record, I do remember it; it’s Season 1, episode 2, “Country Girls“).

No. Nobody ever says that.

Well sometimes me, but nobody listens.

And for the record, I’m pretty sure Pa could whoop Obi-Wan and Luke together, Jedi or not.

Wow. This is really not at all where I thought this post was going.

What I was going to say is that little Elmo is my only hope (help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi). Sure, she does a mean Darth Vader impersonation, but for the most part, she likes princesses and twirly dresses and sparkly things. So that’s why I let her watch Disney Princess movies when the kids are out. Like Cinderella. Which brings us back to

Pumpkins.

Cinderella? And a pumpkin coach

Cinderella knows about pumpkins. Or at least her Fairy Godmother does.

Pumpkin Coach

Pumpkin Waffles with Warm Cinnamon Syrup

adapted from The Idea Room

• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Beat egg with fork in a large bowl. Add milk, pumpkin, and oil, and whisk together.
2. Mix in dry ingredients just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy. Cook in waffle maker.

Cinnamon Syrup:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup water

1. Stir together sugars, flour, and cinnamon in small saucepan. Stir in vanilla and water. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often. Continue to boil and stir until mixture thickens to syrup consistency. Remove from heat; cool slightly before serving.

Click here for printable

Pumpkin Waffles with Cinnamon Syrup

This recipe got an enthusiastic 10 thumbs up from my Critics! It probably would have gotten 12, but I didn’t get to try any 😦 There wasn’t enough.  Stupid sacrificing-for-your-children crap.

I should have doubled the recipe. Next time I’ll know.

Sarah Crewe: I don’t even know what to say, it’s so delicious!

Batman: I think it’s sooo delicious!

Curious George: It’s the best waffles ever!

Elmo: I’m sticky.

Don Corleone spent several minutes trying to come up with something insightful about Ray Bradbury, autumn, and pumpkin waffles, but finally decided on: I think they’re great!

Oh, and just a note about the artwork for this post. My kids did the pictures. Now, I’m not one to criticize the artwork of children; however, if I had said, “Please draw me some pictures of Star Wars; it’s for my blog,” I probably would’ve gotten several masterpieces worthy of the Louvre. But I ask for Cinderella pictures, and I get a big circle with scribbles all over it and a Jack-o-Lantern in a dress.

I’m just sayin’…

"Sing sweet nightingale..."

Bread Machine Challah Bread

I love challah bread.

It always reminds me of when I was a little girl, playing with my dolls up in my room on Friday nights. Mama and Bubbye would spend every Friday cooking and cleaning all day to get ready for the Sabbath meal. Mama would call me downstairs to set the table. My sisters, Sadie and Sophie, would help Bubbye in the kitchen, tapping on the bread to listen for the hollow sound, indicating that it was finished baking. The smells of fried fish, potatoes and onions, and fresh baked bread wafted through the house, and we would eagerly await the arrival of cousin Moyshe, to help us celebrate the Sabbath.

Oh, wait. That wasn’t me.

That was Rebecca, An American Girl ®.

Every single time I make challah bread, my daughter informs me that in 1914, challah was only baked on the Sabbath or holidays, because each loaf required 2 eggs, and eggs were expensive.

And she tells me that you can tell if it’s done by tapping on it and listening for the hollow sound.

God bless you, American Girl. Your dolls may be freakin’ expensive, but you sure have taught my daughter some history.

Bread Machine Challah Bread

from food.com

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup oil
• 4 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• poppy seeds, optional

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients except for the beaten egg and the poppy seeds into the bread machine pan, according to the manufacturer’s directions.
2. Process the ingredients in the dough cycle.
3. Remove immediately when the machine beeps.
4. Preheat oven to 350˚
5. Divide the dough in half.
6. Divide each half into three sections. Roll each section into a long strand.
7. Braid the three strands, pinching the top and bottom ends together.
8. Place on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
9. Repeat with the remaining dough, making the second challah.
10. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
11. Brush the challah with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, if desired.
12. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Click here for printable

Bread Machine Challah Bread

Isn’t it so pretty?

On food.com, this recipe is titled, “The Best Bread Machine Challah Bread.” Those bragging fools sure aren’t kidding! It really is the best. And I should know. Me and Moyshe have had our share of challah breads!

Oops, there I go again.

Well, this may not be New York City in 1914 (if it was, I’d be soooo confused about this computer I’m using) but we still love our challah bread. I make this a lot (eggs aren’t quite the hardship they were back then). We make sandwiches  with it, use it to make french toast, eat it with soup, or dip honey in it. And did I mention it was pretty?

So make this bread for Rosh Hoshana this week. Make your Bubbye proud. And if you don’t have a Bubbye, make it for Rebecca’s Bubbye. And Moyshe. But you can eat it yourself, because they aren’t real.

The End.

Mexican Brown Rice and Beans

Do rich people eat rice and beans? Do they sometimes go to a restaurant and think, ‘Hmmm… do I want the lobster tail tonight… or the rice and beans?’

If you do an internet search for “frugal family meals,” then you will be told to make rice and beans. And shepherd’s pie. Because apparently that’s what you eat when you’re on a budget, and don’t have Jeeves around to cook for you.

"The ashtray, this paddle game, and the remote control, and the lamp, and that's all I need." -The Jerk

There are a gazillion recipes out there for rice and beans. All different styles. I have tried many of them. I finally found one that I really like. This recipe is easy, cheap frugal, healthy, and most importantly, tasty. And that’s good, because I’ll let you in on a little secret: I don’t really like rice. Or beans. But I really like this recipe.

Okay, wait. Full disclosure. I’m kind of a picky eater. I mean, I’m a big talker with my kids (and my blog) and I say, “Wow, how can she not like sauce? How can he not like cheese?” but the truth is, if my doctor suddenly told me that I had to live on a steady diet of cheeseburgers, french fries, and milkshakes, I’d probably die of happiness long before my arteries had time to clog.

So anyway, I knew I wanted a rice and beans recipe that would become a staple in our house, so it was important to find one that we all my husband and I liked. I found this recipe on culinate.com, but it originally comes from the book Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair.

Mexican Rice and Beans

• 1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 onion, diced fine
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 TBSP tomato paste or sauce
• 3 cups cooked pinto beans

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a 2-quart pot. Add cumin and chili powder and sauté for a few seconds. Add onion and salt and continue cooking until onion is soft.
2. Add rice and stir well to coat. Add water and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, until all of the water is absorbed (about 40 minutes).
3. Stir in pinto beans. Serve on tortillas and garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado… whatever you like on your tacos.

Click here for printable

Mexican Brown Rice and Beans

Rice and Beans Tortilla

Terrible pictures, I know. I apologize. The next time I make this I will replace the pictures with better ones.

Here’s what the Critics had to say:

Don Corleone: This is delicious!

Sarah Crewe: It’s delicious! And beany!

Batman: It’s really good!

Elmo: It’s good. They’re not hot anymore.

Curious George, upon sitting down at the table: I already know I don’t like it.

That’s a pretty typical reaction. Everyone but Curious George liked it.

If I ever When I become rich, I think I’ll still make have my servants make rice and beans once in a while. It’s delicious. And beany.

How am I going to get rich, you ask? I may end up being a carny:

"Ah... it's a profit deal! Take a chance and win some crap!" -The Jerk

Maybe I’ll invent something cool, like for glasses or something:

Don’t mock my pictures. You know they look exactly like Steve Martin.

I really need to start getting my kids to do the drawings again.

All I know is, I’ve got my name in the phone book, and that, of course, is the first step toward greatness:

"Millions of people look at this book everyday! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity - your name in print - that makes people. Things are going to start happening to me now." -The Jerk