Jun302012

4th of July Table Decor

4th of July Table Decor

I’ve just uploaded a few posts I had written elsewhere with some table decorations I’ve done for the last few holidays. I’ve got a large glass jar that I found at Walmart back in January that I like to change out with different things to reflect whichever holiday is coming up next.

In February, I used pink and white candy corns for Valentine’s Day. For March I used split peas for St. Patrick’s Day, and in April I used a few bags of jelly beans for Easter.

4th of July Table Decor

For the last few holiday-less months I’ve just filled up the jar with two bags of dried northern beans and one bag of dried red kidney beans and plopped it on the table for something to look at.

But while eating dinner the other night the thought struck me that it would be really easy to transform it into a quick 4th of July jar, and when Mike went to a home improvement store this morning I asked him to pick me up a few paint sample cards in dark blue (he got me red, too, but I didn’t need it). Don’t go too crazy — you only need a few. If you don’t feel comfortable using paint cards, construction paper will work too.

4th of July Table Decor

I free-handed a few stars out of the paint chips and slid them down into the jar in front of the beans. Voila! A craft easy enough for even me to do.

Feb292012

3 Bean 3 Meat 3 Pepper Chili

3 Bean 3 Meat 3 Pepper Chili

So, we’ve established how much I love salad and sugar cookies (not together), and if there’s one thing that I will choose over a good salad at a restaurant, it’s a bowl of chili. I adore chili.

I’m really not picky about it and will try anything from vegetarian to all-meat, or a nice all-day crockpot chili to something quick in a can (that one’s more nostalgia than anything, though). Really, I have yet to try one that I haven’t liked. Read More

Nov152009

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice

This recipe for red beans and rice is perfect for a cold night. I like this one especially because it’s made in the crock pot, which I like to use a few times a week for an easy dinner.

If you can’t find andouille you can try smoked keilbasa, though it won’t taste quite the same. Make sure you soak your beans overnight and rinse them well before using. If you don’t have time to do a long soak, you can try doing a quick soak.

If you don’t have or can’t find Creole seasoning, you can easily make your own.

Red Beans and Rice

1 pound dried red beans, soaked overnight
7 cups chicken broth
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, or to taste
1 ham hock or 1 cup chopped ham
4 cups cooked rice

Place the beans and chicken broth into a slow cooker. Add sliced andouille, onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, basil and ham (or ham hock). Season with pepper and Creole seasoning.

Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until beans are tender. If it’s too watery for your liking, stir in a small amount of cornstarch and water slurry until desired consistency is reached, about half an hour before serving.