To contact us Click HERE
Beginning December 14th, drivers in Bozeman or Belgrade who feel they may have consumed too much alcohol, can have themselves and their car towed home, up to 10 miles, free of charge.
AAA Montana along with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, in partnership with law enforcement agencies, Bozeman Deaconess Hospital and Best Rate towing, have worked together to make this possible. For more information about the program, or to set up a tow home, call Triple A at 1-800-222-4357. Make the call and stay safe!
31 Aralık 2012 Pazartesi
Little Expense, Big Savings: What's Your Favorite Frugal Buy?
To contact us Click HERE
We purchased this toothpaste squeezer doohickey for $0.99 cents about four months ago:
Since then, we're buying way less toothpaste. It should save us quite a few bucks in the long-term, too, provided we don't lose it / the cat doesn't eat it / it doesn't get sucked into the sweltering pit of despair we call "outside right now."
Which leads us to this softball question for a fiery Friday:
Sweet readers, what's your favorite frugal buy?
Do tell! Pass it on!
Since then, we're buying way less toothpaste. It should save us quite a few bucks in the long-term, too, provided we don't lose it / the cat doesn't eat it / it doesn't get sucked into the sweltering pit of despair we call "outside right now."
Which leads us to this softball question for a fiery Friday:
Sweet readers, what's your favorite frugal buy?
Do tell! Pass it on!
A Beginner's Guide to Beans, Plus 42 Bean Recipes
To contact us Click HERE
This article first appeared in October 2009.
Some will balk at their flavor and size. Many will have texture issues. And still others just won’t enjoy the farting.
But know this: there are few cheaper, healthier, and more versatile foods than the humble bean. Members of the legume family, beans can be found everywhere from gourmet restaurants to campfire cauldrons. They’ve been vital to the survival of certain populations, and instrumental to the development of particular cuisines. Also, they taste good.
Still, there are folks out there unfamiliar with chickpeas and pintos, kidney and black beans. And for them, CHG proudly presents the following: a breakdown of why beans are wonderful, plus 42 tried-and-true recipes in which to use them.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Low in fat, high in protein, and astronomically high in fiber, beans work beautifully as the main components of recipes, but also as fabulous alternatives to meat. This is for a few reasons: A) they create a complete protein when paired with nuts, seeds, or grains, B) their chemical composition makes you feel sated longer than a lot of other foods, and C) they have a bulky and substantial mouthfeel, so you never feel deprived. Studies have found them to be solid tools in weight loss and maintenance, and integral to the prevention of all kinds of diseases.
If that ain’t enough for you, this WebMD blurb is pretty convincing: “In a recent study, bean eaters weighed, on average, 7 pounds less and had slimmer waists than their bean-avoiding counterparts -- yet they consumed 199 calories more per day if they were adults and an incredible 335 calories more if they were teenagers.” Sweet.
P.S. True to the well-known rhyme, beans make you both smartier and fartier. They contain both certain vitamins that improve brain function AND undigestable sugars, which lead to exciting intestinal activity, which leads to gas. So there you go.
PRICE
Grown globally from Ethiopia to Australia, beans are some of the most plentiful - and subsequently cheapest - edibles anywhere. A pound of dried beans in Brooklyn will generally run about $1, and will produce four to six cups of food after rehydration.
Compare that to meat. In my neighborhood, a pound of chicken breast (one of the healthier animal options) runs $1.69 on sale. It shrinks slightly when cooked, ultimately producing around two cups of poultry.
Let’s do some math, then. One cup of cheap chicken is $1.69 divided by two, or $0.85. One cup of beans is $1.00 divided by five, or $0.20. Using these (incredibly) rough numbers, chicken breast is 425% the price of dried beans.
Of course, the numbers will vary by area, sales, and math skills, but you get the idea.
DRIED OR CANNED?
It’s a controversy as old as storage itself: dried or canned beans? On one hand, dried beans are universally cheaper, and widely considered to possess a creamier consistency and better overall flavor. On the other hand, canned beans aren’t terribly expensive themselves, and the taste difference is pretty negligible when you’re talking about everyday kitchen use.
The tiebreaker, then, is time. If you have the wherewithal, forethought, and 90 to 480 minutes to rehydrate a bag of dried chickpeas, you’ll be rewarded in kind. If you‘re throwing dinner together and an hour-long prep time is crazy talk, canned beans are the way to go.
It’s worth noting that if respected cooks aren’t using canned beans already (Giada DeLaurentiis, Sara Moulton, etc.), they’re starting to come around. Even die-hard dried fans like Mark Bittman have been giving props to metal dwellers recently. Meaning: don’t fear the Goya.
INTRODUCING … THE BEANS
If you’ve ever tried chili, hummus, minestrone, Texas caviar, Mexican food, Indian food, Italian food, or, er, refried beans, you’ve already experienced the wonder of the bean. They’re omnipresent in cuisines all over the world, and come in a range of flavors and sizes that can be adapted to thousands of dishes. Here are six of the most common found in the U.S., along with a few recipe suggestions for each.
(A quick note before we get to the beans themselves: there are a zillion types of legume, and some [like the soybean] are rocketing in popularity stateside. But to keep things manageable, we’re sticking to a few big ones.)
Black Beans
Used frequently in Latin cuisines, the black bean is a small, ebony bean with an earthy flavor. I find it pairs very well with grains, and makes for a stellar soup.
Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa
Black Bean Brownies
Black Bean Burrito Bake
Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
Black Bean Soup
Calabacitas Burritos
Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Corn
Black-Eyed Peas
A terrible band, but a wonderful food, black-eyed peas are all over Southern cuisine. Like other beans, they’re great sources of fiber, folate, and protein. Unlike other beans, you will always feel like they’re looking at you.
Black-Eyed Pea (Texas) Caviar
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas
Cannellini/White Beans
There are a ton of variations on the white bean, but I dig cannellinis in particular for their creaminess and flavor. Found in many Italian dishes, you’ll find that Microsoft Word often corrects its spelling to “cannelloni,” which is annoying.
Escarole and White Beans
Garlicky Long Beans and Beans
Grilled Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing
Guacamole Bean Dip
Penne with Lemon, Potatoes, and Cannellini
White Bean and Tarragon Soup
White Chicken Chili
Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Without chickpeas, there would be no hummus. And without hummus, there would be no joy. Vital to Italian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines (among others), the plentiful and versatile garbanzo bean can be found in virtually every form, from dip to stew to flour (though I have yet to see a chickpea smoothie). Due to its subtle flavor and increasing ubiquity in the U.S., I like to think of the chickpea as a gateway bean; if you like it, odds are other legumes will soon follow.
Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas
Chickpea Salad
Couscous with Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Edamame
Curry in a Hurry
Greek-Style Chickpea Salad
Lemony Light Hummus
North African-style Chickpea Salad
Pasta e Ceci
Pasta with Zucchini and Chickpeas
Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Pindi Chana (Spicy Chickpea Curry)
Roasted Chickpeas
Shredded Zucchini and Chickpeas Over Polenta
Kidney Beans (red and pink)
Substantive and quite large in comparison to other common legumes, kidney beans go great on salads and substitute fabulously for meat in chilis and stews. And seriously, what’s a frugal kitchen without red beans and rice?
Chili Corn Pone Pie
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Pinto Beans (Frijoles)
Wonderful on their own and even better mashed, these pink-brown legumes claim the great honor of being the only bean my mom likes. Also, I could be talking out my neck here, but I find pintos a little sweeter than black beans and chickpeas.
Refried Beans
Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese
Multiple Beans
Each of the following recipes use more than one type of bean.
Bodega Beans (any)
Camp Stove Veggie Chili (black, kidney)
Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans (chickpeas, black)
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili (any)
Gallo Pinto (pinto, black)
Indonesian Curried Bean Stew (chickpeas, black, kidney )
Light Leftover Turkey Chili (black, kidney)
Turkey Chili with Beans (white, pink, kidney)
And that's our ballgame. Readers, how about you? What are your favorite bean recipes?
~~~
If you like this article, you might also dig:
Some will balk at their flavor and size. Many will have texture issues. And still others just won’t enjoy the farting.
But know this: there are few cheaper, healthier, and more versatile foods than the humble bean. Members of the legume family, beans can be found everywhere from gourmet restaurants to campfire cauldrons. They’ve been vital to the survival of certain populations, and instrumental to the development of particular cuisines. Also, they taste good.Still, there are folks out there unfamiliar with chickpeas and pintos, kidney and black beans. And for them, CHG proudly presents the following: a breakdown of why beans are wonderful, plus 42 tried-and-true recipes in which to use them.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Low in fat, high in protein, and astronomically high in fiber, beans work beautifully as the main components of recipes, but also as fabulous alternatives to meat. This is for a few reasons: A) they create a complete protein when paired with nuts, seeds, or grains, B) their chemical composition makes you feel sated longer than a lot of other foods, and C) they have a bulky and substantial mouthfeel, so you never feel deprived. Studies have found them to be solid tools in weight loss and maintenance, and integral to the prevention of all kinds of diseases.
If that ain’t enough for you, this WebMD blurb is pretty convincing: “In a recent study, bean eaters weighed, on average, 7 pounds less and had slimmer waists than their bean-avoiding counterparts -- yet they consumed 199 calories more per day if they were adults and an incredible 335 calories more if they were teenagers.” Sweet.
P.S. True to the well-known rhyme, beans make you both smartier and fartier. They contain both certain vitamins that improve brain function AND undigestable sugars, which lead to exciting intestinal activity, which leads to gas. So there you go.
PRICE
Grown globally from Ethiopia to Australia, beans are some of the most plentiful - and subsequently cheapest - edibles anywhere. A pound of dried beans in Brooklyn will generally run about $1, and will produce four to six cups of food after rehydration.
Compare that to meat. In my neighborhood, a pound of chicken breast (one of the healthier animal options) runs $1.69 on sale. It shrinks slightly when cooked, ultimately producing around two cups of poultry.Let’s do some math, then. One cup of cheap chicken is $1.69 divided by two, or $0.85. One cup of beans is $1.00 divided by five, or $0.20. Using these (incredibly) rough numbers, chicken breast is 425% the price of dried beans.
Of course, the numbers will vary by area, sales, and math skills, but you get the idea.
DRIED OR CANNED?
It’s a controversy as old as storage itself: dried or canned beans? On one hand, dried beans are universally cheaper, and widely considered to possess a creamier consistency and better overall flavor. On the other hand, canned beans aren’t terribly expensive themselves, and the taste difference is pretty negligible when you’re talking about everyday kitchen use.
The tiebreaker, then, is time. If you have the wherewithal, forethought, and 90 to 480 minutes to rehydrate a bag of dried chickpeas, you’ll be rewarded in kind. If you‘re throwing dinner together and an hour-long prep time is crazy talk, canned beans are the way to go.
It’s worth noting that if respected cooks aren’t using canned beans already (Giada DeLaurentiis, Sara Moulton, etc.), they’re starting to come around. Even die-hard dried fans like Mark Bittman have been giving props to metal dwellers recently. Meaning: don’t fear the Goya.
INTRODUCING … THE BEANS
If you’ve ever tried chili, hummus, minestrone, Texas caviar, Mexican food, Indian food, Italian food, or, er, refried beans, you’ve already experienced the wonder of the bean. They’re omnipresent in cuisines all over the world, and come in a range of flavors and sizes that can be adapted to thousands of dishes. Here are six of the most common found in the U.S., along with a few recipe suggestions for each.
(A quick note before we get to the beans themselves: there are a zillion types of legume, and some [like the soybean] are rocketing in popularity stateside. But to keep things manageable, we’re sticking to a few big ones.)
Black Beans
Used frequently in Latin cuisines, the black bean is a small, ebony bean with an earthy flavor. I find it pairs very well with grains, and makes for a stellar soup.
Black Bean and Tomato QuinoaBlack Bean Brownies
Black Bean Burrito Bake
Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
Black Bean Soup
Calabacitas Burritos
Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Corn
Black-Eyed Peas
A terrible band, but a wonderful food, black-eyed peas are all over Southern cuisine. Like other beans, they’re great sources of fiber, folate, and protein. Unlike other beans, you will always feel like they’re looking at you.
Black-Eyed Pea (Texas) Caviar
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas
Cannellini/White Beans
There are a ton of variations on the white bean, but I dig cannellinis in particular for their creaminess and flavor. Found in many Italian dishes, you’ll find that Microsoft Word often corrects its spelling to “cannelloni,” which is annoying.
Escarole and White Beans
Garlicky Long Beans and BeansGrilled Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing
Guacamole Bean Dip
Penne with Lemon, Potatoes, and Cannellini
White Bean and Tarragon Soup
White Chicken Chili
Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Without chickpeas, there would be no hummus. And without hummus, there would be no joy. Vital to Italian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines (among others), the plentiful and versatile garbanzo bean can be found in virtually every form, from dip to stew to flour (though I have yet to see a chickpea smoothie). Due to its subtle flavor and increasing ubiquity in the U.S., I like to think of the chickpea as a gateway bean; if you like it, odds are other legumes will soon follow.
Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas
Chickpea Salad
Couscous with Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Edamame
Curry in a Hurry
Greek-Style Chickpea SaladLemony Light Hummus
North African-style Chickpea Salad
Pasta e Ceci
Pasta with Zucchini and Chickpeas
Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Pindi Chana (Spicy Chickpea Curry)
Roasted Chickpeas
Shredded Zucchini and Chickpeas Over Polenta
Kidney Beans (red and pink)
Substantive and quite large in comparison to other common legumes, kidney beans go great on salads and substitute fabulously for meat in chilis and stews. And seriously, what’s a frugal kitchen without red beans and rice?
Chili Corn Pone Pie
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Pinto Beans (Frijoles)
Wonderful on their own and even better mashed, these pink-brown legumes claim the great honor of being the only bean my mom likes. Also, I could be talking out my neck here, but I find pintos a little sweeter than black beans and chickpeas.
Refried Beans
Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese
Multiple Beans
Each of the following recipes use more than one type of bean.
Bodega Beans (any)
Camp Stove Veggie Chili (black, kidney)Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans (chickpeas, black)
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili (any)
Gallo Pinto (pinto, black)
Indonesian Curried Bean Stew (chickpeas, black, kidney )
Light Leftover Turkey Chili (black, kidney)
Turkey Chili with Beans (white, pink, kidney)
And that's our ballgame. Readers, how about you? What are your favorite bean recipes?
~~~
If you like this article, you might also dig:
- 20 Cheap, Healthy Dishes Made From 10 Pantry Staples
- How to Tell if a Recipe is Cheap and Healthy Just By Looking at it
- Spend Less, Eat Healthier: The Five Most Important Things You Can Do
A Little Sumthin'
To contact us Click HERE
January is SO awesome!!! I love January because it's a well-deserved fresh start, a big, fat break from the festivities. For me, the craziness hits when summer break ends-- the whole back-to-school frenzy in September (for us), then on to Halloween costumes and parties a month later, then on to Thanksgiving festivities a month after that, and then straight into Christmas and the exciting Holiday season for a month solid. January is a big, huge sigh of {ahhhhhh} relief. January says, "Well done, my friend, and now you get to send the kiddies back to school, curl up with some hot cocoa, grab a project or a new book, and enjoy some peace before Valentine's Day sneaks up on you." {gasp!} Oh, January, you're so good to me!
So it's the end of a beautiful, fun chapter and the start of a new one. {exciting, isn't it?!}
During the New Year celebration, I always contemplate what new thing I'm going to do now that I don't have to focus so much time and energy on Christmas. Naturally, I turn to Pinterest. And, like a miracle, out comes the thread and the creative juices flow.
...unfortunately, when the thread magically appears, so does a curious toddler, and before you know it, the well-organized, labeled, tagged, color-synchronized scheme of your threads become a jumbled mess like this. #$@#%!
We don't really need to know the color/numbers of the thread, do we?! I mean, you can eyeball match them up or something, right?! I mean, what is the difference between DMC 724 and DMC 726...just a tiny shade, right?! ....right?! {Did I mention that my color schemes are very organized?}
ahhhh....here we go. I want a creamy color - going with a monochromatic thing here....rare for me since I'm pretty much a color spaz.
...but not this time. Just wait and see! It's going to be simplistic and pretty--I can't wait to finish!
{sunlight coming in through my windows - this is so very rare for me and I just want to soak this all up.}
January is SO awesome!!! I love January because it's a well-deserved fresh start, a big, fat break from the festivities. For me, the craziness hits when summer break ends-- the whole back-to-school frenzy in September (for us), then on to Halloween costumes and parties a month later, then on to Thanksgiving festivities a month after that, and then straight into Christmas and the exciting Holiday season for a month solid. January is a big, huge sigh of {ahhhhhh} relief. January says, "Well done, my friend, and now you get to send the kiddies back to school, curl up with some hot cocoa, grab a project or a new book, and enjoy some peace before Valentine's Day sneaks up on you." {gasp!} Oh, January, you're so good to me!
So it's the end of a beautiful, fun chapter and the start of a new one. {exciting, isn't it?!}
During the New Year celebration, I always contemplate what new thing I'm going to do now that I don't have to focus so much time and energy on Christmas. Naturally, I turn to Pinterest. And, like a miracle, out comes the thread and the creative juices flow.
...unfortunately, when the thread magically appears, so does a curious toddler, and before you know it, the well-organized, labeled, tagged, color-synchronized scheme of your threads become a jumbled mess like this. #$@#%!
We don't really need to know the color/numbers of the thread, do we?! I mean, you can eyeball match them up or something, right?! I mean, what is the difference between DMC 724 and DMC 726...just a tiny shade, right?! ....right?! {Did I mention that my color schemes are very organized?}ahhhh....here we go. I want a creamy color - going with a monochromatic thing here....rare for me since I'm pretty much a color spaz.
...but not this time. Just wait and see! It's going to be simplistic and pretty--I can't wait to finish!
{sunlight coming in through my windows - this is so very rare for me and I just want to soak this all up.}Pickin'
To contact us Click HERE
I'll share my favorite quote that I'm always telling my kids...stop me if you've heard this one...
You can pick your friends.You can pick your nose.Just don't pick your friend's nose.(baaaahahaaa!!! hhaaa!!! gets me every time!!!)
They hate it when I tell them this. It's like every day. Especially when a friend is over. They bury their face in their hands and wish to high heaven that I was a normal mom.
Speaking of picking...We picked peaches. It was hot, but delightful. I climbed a few trees, got a few scratches, and discovered that climbing the trees was a worthless venture because the birds had pecked all of the good ones up there.
We came home with some beauties, though!!Now I need to hurry up and do something with them. I can't wait--the possibilities are endless. I'm pretty sure I want to make this peach jam, as well as bottle some for cobblers and such.
And they're so pretty. My pretty little peachy babies.
More pickin' going on...I also picked out some books to add to my shelf. {gasp!!}I haven't added to the shelf in a while, and since I'm on a roll of doing nothing, I figure I could do nothing whilst looking at pretty things to make.
I'm madly in love with crewel and I can't wait to look at this book and discover all of the amazing projects I'm probably not going to make!!! {exciiiiiiting!}
This one makes me giddy, too. My baby girl LOVES playing with her cooking stuff, so I might feel a little itch to do a project from this one. Maybe. I'm thinking I'd like to have a bunch of adorable felt food made in time for Christmas. And, if you know me already, I better start now. haha.
That's all of the picking going on for now. Thank goodness.
You can pick your friends.You can pick your nose.Just don't pick your friend's nose.(baaaahahaaa!!! hhaaa!!! gets me every time!!!)
They hate it when I tell them this. It's like every day. Especially when a friend is over. They bury their face in their hands and wish to high heaven that I was a normal mom.
Speaking of picking...We picked peaches. It was hot, but delightful. I climbed a few trees, got a few scratches, and discovered that climbing the trees was a worthless venture because the birds had pecked all of the good ones up there.
We came home with some beauties, though!!Now I need to hurry up and do something with them. I can't wait--the possibilities are endless. I'm pretty sure I want to make this peach jam, as well as bottle some for cobblers and such.
And they're so pretty. My pretty little peachy babies.
More pickin' going on...I also picked out some books to add to my shelf. {gasp!!}I haven't added to the shelf in a while, and since I'm on a roll of doing nothing, I figure I could do nothing whilst looking at pretty things to make.
I'm madly in love with crewel and I can't wait to look at this book and discover all of the amazing projects I'm probably not going to make!!! {exciiiiiiting!}
This one makes me giddy, too. My baby girl LOVES playing with her cooking stuff, so I might feel a little itch to do a project from this one. Maybe. I'm thinking I'd like to have a bunch of adorable felt food made in time for Christmas. And, if you know me already, I better start now. haha.
That's all of the picking going on for now. Thank goodness.
27 Aralık 2012 Perşembe
It's time again for Operation Tipsy Tow!
To contact us Click HERE
Beginning December 14th, drivers in Bozeman or Belgrade who feel they may have consumed too much alcohol, can have themselves and their car towed home, up to 10 miles, free of charge.
AAA Montana along with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, in partnership with law enforcement agencies, Bozeman Deaconess Hospital and Best Rate towing, have worked together to make this possible. For more information about the program, or to set up a tow home, call Triple A at 1-800-222-4357. Make the call and stay safe!
AAA Montana along with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, in partnership with law enforcement agencies, Bozeman Deaconess Hospital and Best Rate towing, have worked together to make this possible. For more information about the program, or to set up a tow home, call Triple A at 1-800-222-4357. Make the call and stay safe!
Little Expense, Big Savings: What's Your Favorite Frugal Buy?
To contact us Click HERE
We purchased this toothpaste squeezer doohickey for $0.99 cents about four months ago:
Since then, we're buying way less toothpaste. It should save us quite a few bucks in the long-term, too, provided we don't lose it / the cat doesn't eat it / it doesn't get sucked into the sweltering pit of despair we call "outside right now."
Which leads us to this softball question for a fiery Friday:
Sweet readers, what's your favorite frugal buy?
Do tell! Pass it on!
Since then, we're buying way less toothpaste. It should save us quite a few bucks in the long-term, too, provided we don't lose it / the cat doesn't eat it / it doesn't get sucked into the sweltering pit of despair we call "outside right now."
Which leads us to this softball question for a fiery Friday:
Sweet readers, what's your favorite frugal buy?
Do tell! Pass it on!
A Beginner's Guide to Beans, Plus 42 Bean Recipes
To contact us Click HERE
This article first appeared in October 2009.
Some will balk at their flavor and size. Many will have texture issues. And still others just won’t enjoy the farting.
But know this: there are few cheaper, healthier, and more versatile foods than the humble bean. Members of the legume family, beans can be found everywhere from gourmet restaurants to campfire cauldrons. They’ve been vital to the survival of certain populations, and instrumental to the development of particular cuisines. Also, they taste good.
Still, there are folks out there unfamiliar with chickpeas and pintos, kidney and black beans. And for them, CHG proudly presents the following: a breakdown of why beans are wonderful, plus 42 tried-and-true recipes in which to use them.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Low in fat, high in protein, and astronomically high in fiber, beans work beautifully as the main components of recipes, but also as fabulous alternatives to meat. This is for a few reasons: A) they create a complete protein when paired with nuts, seeds, or grains, B) their chemical composition makes you feel sated longer than a lot of other foods, and C) they have a bulky and substantial mouthfeel, so you never feel deprived. Studies have found them to be solid tools in weight loss and maintenance, and integral to the prevention of all kinds of diseases.
If that ain’t enough for you, this WebMD blurb is pretty convincing: “In a recent study, bean eaters weighed, on average, 7 pounds less and had slimmer waists than their bean-avoiding counterparts -- yet they consumed 199 calories more per day if they were adults and an incredible 335 calories more if they were teenagers.” Sweet.
P.S. True to the well-known rhyme, beans make you both smartier and fartier. They contain both certain vitamins that improve brain function AND undigestable sugars, which lead to exciting intestinal activity, which leads to gas. So there you go.
PRICE
Grown globally from Ethiopia to Australia, beans are some of the most plentiful - and subsequently cheapest - edibles anywhere. A pound of dried beans in Brooklyn will generally run about $1, and will produce four to six cups of food after rehydration.
Compare that to meat. In my neighborhood, a pound of chicken breast (one of the healthier animal options) runs $1.69 on sale. It shrinks slightly when cooked, ultimately producing around two cups of poultry.
Let’s do some math, then. One cup of cheap chicken is $1.69 divided by two, or $0.85. One cup of beans is $1.00 divided by five, or $0.20. Using these (incredibly) rough numbers, chicken breast is 425% the price of dried beans.
Of course, the numbers will vary by area, sales, and math skills, but you get the idea.
DRIED OR CANNED?
It’s a controversy as old as storage itself: dried or canned beans? On one hand, dried beans are universally cheaper, and widely considered to possess a creamier consistency and better overall flavor. On the other hand, canned beans aren’t terribly expensive themselves, and the taste difference is pretty negligible when you’re talking about everyday kitchen use.
The tiebreaker, then, is time. If you have the wherewithal, forethought, and 90 to 480 minutes to rehydrate a bag of dried chickpeas, you’ll be rewarded in kind. If you‘re throwing dinner together and an hour-long prep time is crazy talk, canned beans are the way to go.
It’s worth noting that if respected cooks aren’t using canned beans already (Giada DeLaurentiis, Sara Moulton, etc.), they’re starting to come around. Even die-hard dried fans like Mark Bittman have been giving props to metal dwellers recently. Meaning: don’t fear the Goya.
INTRODUCING … THE BEANS
If you’ve ever tried chili, hummus, minestrone, Texas caviar, Mexican food, Indian food, Italian food, or, er, refried beans, you’ve already experienced the wonder of the bean. They’re omnipresent in cuisines all over the world, and come in a range of flavors and sizes that can be adapted to thousands of dishes. Here are six of the most common found in the U.S., along with a few recipe suggestions for each.
(A quick note before we get to the beans themselves: there are a zillion types of legume, and some [like the soybean] are rocketing in popularity stateside. But to keep things manageable, we’re sticking to a few big ones.)
Black Beans
Used frequently in Latin cuisines, the black bean is a small, ebony bean with an earthy flavor. I find it pairs very well with grains, and makes for a stellar soup.
Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa
Black Bean Brownies
Black Bean Burrito Bake
Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
Black Bean Soup
Calabacitas Burritos
Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Corn
Black-Eyed Peas
A terrible band, but a wonderful food, black-eyed peas are all over Southern cuisine. Like other beans, they’re great sources of fiber, folate, and protein. Unlike other beans, you will always feel like they’re looking at you.
Black-Eyed Pea (Texas) Caviar
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas
Cannellini/White Beans
There are a ton of variations on the white bean, but I dig cannellinis in particular for their creaminess and flavor. Found in many Italian dishes, you’ll find that Microsoft Word often corrects its spelling to “cannelloni,” which is annoying.
Escarole and White Beans
Garlicky Long Beans and Beans
Grilled Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing
Guacamole Bean Dip
Penne with Lemon, Potatoes, and Cannellini
White Bean and Tarragon Soup
White Chicken Chili
Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Without chickpeas, there would be no hummus. And without hummus, there would be no joy. Vital to Italian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines (among others), the plentiful and versatile garbanzo bean can be found in virtually every form, from dip to stew to flour (though I have yet to see a chickpea smoothie). Due to its subtle flavor and increasing ubiquity in the U.S., I like to think of the chickpea as a gateway bean; if you like it, odds are other legumes will soon follow.
Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas
Chickpea Salad
Couscous with Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Edamame
Curry in a Hurry
Greek-Style Chickpea Salad
Lemony Light Hummus
North African-style Chickpea Salad
Pasta e Ceci
Pasta with Zucchini and Chickpeas
Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Pindi Chana (Spicy Chickpea Curry)
Roasted Chickpeas
Shredded Zucchini and Chickpeas Over Polenta
Kidney Beans (red and pink)
Substantive and quite large in comparison to other common legumes, kidney beans go great on salads and substitute fabulously for meat in chilis and stews. And seriously, what’s a frugal kitchen without red beans and rice?
Chili Corn Pone Pie
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Pinto Beans (Frijoles)
Wonderful on their own and even better mashed, these pink-brown legumes claim the great honor of being the only bean my mom likes. Also, I could be talking out my neck here, but I find pintos a little sweeter than black beans and chickpeas.
Refried Beans
Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese
Multiple Beans
Each of the following recipes use more than one type of bean.
Bodega Beans (any)
Camp Stove Veggie Chili (black, kidney)
Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans (chickpeas, black)
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili (any)
Gallo Pinto (pinto, black)
Indonesian Curried Bean Stew (chickpeas, black, kidney )
Light Leftover Turkey Chili (black, kidney)
Turkey Chili with Beans (white, pink, kidney)
And that's our ballgame. Readers, how about you? What are your favorite bean recipes?
~~~
If you like this article, you might also dig:
Some will balk at their flavor and size. Many will have texture issues. And still others just won’t enjoy the farting.
But know this: there are few cheaper, healthier, and more versatile foods than the humble bean. Members of the legume family, beans can be found everywhere from gourmet restaurants to campfire cauldrons. They’ve been vital to the survival of certain populations, and instrumental to the development of particular cuisines. Also, they taste good.Still, there are folks out there unfamiliar with chickpeas and pintos, kidney and black beans. And for them, CHG proudly presents the following: a breakdown of why beans are wonderful, plus 42 tried-and-true recipes in which to use them.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Low in fat, high in protein, and astronomically high in fiber, beans work beautifully as the main components of recipes, but also as fabulous alternatives to meat. This is for a few reasons: A) they create a complete protein when paired with nuts, seeds, or grains, B) their chemical composition makes you feel sated longer than a lot of other foods, and C) they have a bulky and substantial mouthfeel, so you never feel deprived. Studies have found them to be solid tools in weight loss and maintenance, and integral to the prevention of all kinds of diseases.
If that ain’t enough for you, this WebMD blurb is pretty convincing: “In a recent study, bean eaters weighed, on average, 7 pounds less and had slimmer waists than their bean-avoiding counterparts -- yet they consumed 199 calories more per day if they were adults and an incredible 335 calories more if they were teenagers.” Sweet.
P.S. True to the well-known rhyme, beans make you both smartier and fartier. They contain both certain vitamins that improve brain function AND undigestable sugars, which lead to exciting intestinal activity, which leads to gas. So there you go.
PRICE
Grown globally from Ethiopia to Australia, beans are some of the most plentiful - and subsequently cheapest - edibles anywhere. A pound of dried beans in Brooklyn will generally run about $1, and will produce four to six cups of food after rehydration.
Compare that to meat. In my neighborhood, a pound of chicken breast (one of the healthier animal options) runs $1.69 on sale. It shrinks slightly when cooked, ultimately producing around two cups of poultry.Let’s do some math, then. One cup of cheap chicken is $1.69 divided by two, or $0.85. One cup of beans is $1.00 divided by five, or $0.20. Using these (incredibly) rough numbers, chicken breast is 425% the price of dried beans.
Of course, the numbers will vary by area, sales, and math skills, but you get the idea.
DRIED OR CANNED?
It’s a controversy as old as storage itself: dried or canned beans? On one hand, dried beans are universally cheaper, and widely considered to possess a creamier consistency and better overall flavor. On the other hand, canned beans aren’t terribly expensive themselves, and the taste difference is pretty negligible when you’re talking about everyday kitchen use.
The tiebreaker, then, is time. If you have the wherewithal, forethought, and 90 to 480 minutes to rehydrate a bag of dried chickpeas, you’ll be rewarded in kind. If you‘re throwing dinner together and an hour-long prep time is crazy talk, canned beans are the way to go.
It’s worth noting that if respected cooks aren’t using canned beans already (Giada DeLaurentiis, Sara Moulton, etc.), they’re starting to come around. Even die-hard dried fans like Mark Bittman have been giving props to metal dwellers recently. Meaning: don’t fear the Goya.
INTRODUCING … THE BEANS
If you’ve ever tried chili, hummus, minestrone, Texas caviar, Mexican food, Indian food, Italian food, or, er, refried beans, you’ve already experienced the wonder of the bean. They’re omnipresent in cuisines all over the world, and come in a range of flavors and sizes that can be adapted to thousands of dishes. Here are six of the most common found in the U.S., along with a few recipe suggestions for each.
(A quick note before we get to the beans themselves: there are a zillion types of legume, and some [like the soybean] are rocketing in popularity stateside. But to keep things manageable, we’re sticking to a few big ones.)
Black Beans
Used frequently in Latin cuisines, the black bean is a small, ebony bean with an earthy flavor. I find it pairs very well with grains, and makes for a stellar soup.
Black Bean and Tomato QuinoaBlack Bean Brownies
Black Bean Burrito Bake
Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
Black Bean Soup
Calabacitas Burritos
Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Corn
Black-Eyed Peas
A terrible band, but a wonderful food, black-eyed peas are all over Southern cuisine. Like other beans, they’re great sources of fiber, folate, and protein. Unlike other beans, you will always feel like they’re looking at you.
Black-Eyed Pea (Texas) Caviar
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas
Cannellini/White Beans
There are a ton of variations on the white bean, but I dig cannellinis in particular for their creaminess and flavor. Found in many Italian dishes, you’ll find that Microsoft Word often corrects its spelling to “cannelloni,” which is annoying.
Escarole and White Beans
Garlicky Long Beans and BeansGrilled Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing
Guacamole Bean Dip
Penne with Lemon, Potatoes, and Cannellini
White Bean and Tarragon Soup
White Chicken Chili
Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Without chickpeas, there would be no hummus. And without hummus, there would be no joy. Vital to Italian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines (among others), the plentiful and versatile garbanzo bean can be found in virtually every form, from dip to stew to flour (though I have yet to see a chickpea smoothie). Due to its subtle flavor and increasing ubiquity in the U.S., I like to think of the chickpea as a gateway bean; if you like it, odds are other legumes will soon follow.
Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas
Chickpea Salad
Couscous with Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Edamame
Curry in a Hurry
Greek-Style Chickpea SaladLemony Light Hummus
North African-style Chickpea Salad
Pasta e Ceci
Pasta with Zucchini and Chickpeas
Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Pindi Chana (Spicy Chickpea Curry)
Roasted Chickpeas
Shredded Zucchini and Chickpeas Over Polenta
Kidney Beans (red and pink)
Substantive and quite large in comparison to other common legumes, kidney beans go great on salads and substitute fabulously for meat in chilis and stews. And seriously, what’s a frugal kitchen without red beans and rice?
Chili Corn Pone Pie
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Pinto Beans (Frijoles)
Wonderful on their own and even better mashed, these pink-brown legumes claim the great honor of being the only bean my mom likes. Also, I could be talking out my neck here, but I find pintos a little sweeter than black beans and chickpeas.
Refried Beans
Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese
Multiple Beans
Each of the following recipes use more than one type of bean.
Bodega Beans (any)
Camp Stove Veggie Chili (black, kidney)Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans (chickpeas, black)
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili (any)
Gallo Pinto (pinto, black)
Indonesian Curried Bean Stew (chickpeas, black, kidney )
Light Leftover Turkey Chili (black, kidney)
Turkey Chili with Beans (white, pink, kidney)
And that's our ballgame. Readers, how about you? What are your favorite bean recipes?
~~~
If you like this article, you might also dig:
- 20 Cheap, Healthy Dishes Made From 10 Pantry Staples
- How to Tell if a Recipe is Cheap and Healthy Just By Looking at it
- Spend Less, Eat Healthier: The Five Most Important Things You Can Do
A Little Sumthin'
To contact us Click HERE
January is SO awesome!!! I love January because it's a well-deserved fresh start, a big, fat break from the festivities. For me, the craziness hits when summer break ends-- the whole back-to-school frenzy in September (for us), then on to Halloween costumes and parties a month later, then on to Thanksgiving festivities a month after that, and then straight into Christmas and the exciting Holiday season for a month solid. January is a big, huge sigh of {ahhhhhh} relief. January says, "Well done, my friend, and now you get to send the kiddies back to school, curl up with some hot cocoa, grab a project or a new book, and enjoy some peace before Valentine's Day sneaks up on you." {gasp!} Oh, January, you're so good to me!
So it's the end of a beautiful, fun chapter and the start of a new one. {exciting, isn't it?!}
During the New Year celebration, I always contemplate what new thing I'm going to do now that I don't have to focus so much time and energy on Christmas. Naturally, I turn to Pinterest. And, like a miracle, out comes the thread and the creative juices flow.
...unfortunately, when the thread magically appears, so does a curious toddler, and before you know it, the well-organized, labeled, tagged, color-synchronized scheme of your threads become a jumbled mess like this. #$@#%!We don't really need to know the color/numbers of the thread, do we?! I mean, you can eyeball match them up or something, right?! I mean, what is the difference between DMC 724 and DMC 726...just a tiny shade, right?! ....right?! {Did I mention that my color schemes are very organized?}
ahhhh....here we go. I want a creamy color - going with a monochromatic thing here....rare for me since I'm pretty much a color spaz.
...but not this time. Just wait and see! It's going to be simplistic and pretty--I can't wait to finish!{sunlight coming in through my windows - this is so very rare for me and I just want to soak this all up.}
January is SO awesome!!! I love January because it's a well-deserved fresh start, a big, fat break from the festivities. For me, the craziness hits when summer break ends-- the whole back-to-school frenzy in September (for us), then on to Halloween costumes and parties a month later, then on to Thanksgiving festivities a month after that, and then straight into Christmas and the exciting Holiday season for a month solid. January is a big, huge sigh of {ahhhhhh} relief. January says, "Well done, my friend, and now you get to send the kiddies back to school, curl up with some hot cocoa, grab a project or a new book, and enjoy some peace before Valentine's Day sneaks up on you." {gasp!} Oh, January, you're so good to me!
So it's the end of a beautiful, fun chapter and the start of a new one. {exciting, isn't it?!}
During the New Year celebration, I always contemplate what new thing I'm going to do now that I don't have to focus so much time and energy on Christmas. Naturally, I turn to Pinterest. And, like a miracle, out comes the thread and the creative juices flow.
...unfortunately, when the thread magically appears, so does a curious toddler, and before you know it, the well-organized, labeled, tagged, color-synchronized scheme of your threads become a jumbled mess like this. #$@#%!
We don't really need to know the color/numbers of the thread, do we?! I mean, you can eyeball match them up or something, right?! I mean, what is the difference between DMC 724 and DMC 726...just a tiny shade, right?! ....right?! {Did I mention that my color schemes are very organized?}ahhhh....here we go. I want a creamy color - going with a monochromatic thing here....rare for me since I'm pretty much a color spaz.
...but not this time. Just wait and see! It's going to be simplistic and pretty--I can't wait to finish!
{sunlight coming in through my windows - this is so very rare for me and I just want to soak this all up.}Pickin'
To contact us Click HERE
I'll share my favorite quote that I'm always telling my kids...stop me if you've heard this one...
You can pick your friends.You can pick your nose.Just don't pick your friend's nose.(baaaahahaaa!!! hhaaa!!! gets me every time!!!)
They hate it when I tell them this. It's like every day. Especially when a friend is over. They bury their face in their hands and wish to high heaven that I was a normal mom.
Speaking of picking...We picked peaches. It was hot, but delightful. I climbed a few trees, got a few scratches, and discovered that climbing the trees was a worthless venture because the birds had pecked all of the good ones up there.
We came home with some beauties, though!!Now I need to hurry up and do something with them. I can't wait--the possibilities are endless. I'm pretty sure I want to make this peach jam, as well as bottle some for cobblers and such.
And they're so pretty. My pretty little peachy babies.
More pickin' going on...I also picked out some books to add to my shelf. {gasp!!}I haven't added to the shelf in a while, and since I'm on a roll of doing nothing, I figure I could do nothing whilst looking at pretty things to make.
I'm madly in love with crewel and I can't wait to look at this book and discover all of the amazing projects I'm probably not going to make!!! {exciiiiiiting!}
This one makes me giddy, too. My baby girl LOVES playing with her cooking stuff, so I might feel a little itch to do a project from this one. Maybe. I'm thinking I'd like to have a bunch of adorable felt food made in time for Christmas. And, if you know me already, I better start now. haha.
That's all of the picking going on for now. Thank goodness.
You can pick your friends.You can pick your nose.Just don't pick your friend's nose.(baaaahahaaa!!! hhaaa!!! gets me every time!!!)
They hate it when I tell them this. It's like every day. Especially when a friend is over. They bury their face in their hands and wish to high heaven that I was a normal mom.
Speaking of picking...We picked peaches. It was hot, but delightful. I climbed a few trees, got a few scratches, and discovered that climbing the trees was a worthless venture because the birds had pecked all of the good ones up there.
We came home with some beauties, though!!Now I need to hurry up and do something with them. I can't wait--the possibilities are endless. I'm pretty sure I want to make this peach jam, as well as bottle some for cobblers and such.
And they're so pretty. My pretty little peachy babies.
More pickin' going on...I also picked out some books to add to my shelf. {gasp!!}I haven't added to the shelf in a while, and since I'm on a roll of doing nothing, I figure I could do nothing whilst looking at pretty things to make.
I'm madly in love with crewel and I can't wait to look at this book and discover all of the amazing projects I'm probably not going to make!!! {exciiiiiiting!}
This one makes me giddy, too. My baby girl LOVES playing with her cooking stuff, so I might feel a little itch to do a project from this one. Maybe. I'm thinking I'd like to have a bunch of adorable felt food made in time for Christmas. And, if you know me already, I better start now. haha.
That's all of the picking going on for now. Thank goodness.
20 Aralık 2012 Perşembe
The Beautiful Lady by Pat Mora
To contact us Click HERE
Pat Mora's works reflect the cultural heritage of Mexican-American and U.S. Latinas and Latinos through her children's books, poetry, and nonfiction. Her writing, and the art that is found in her picture books, reflects the beauty and cultural diversity of the Hispanic-American experience, and nowhere is this more evident than in her forthcoming picture book. Read the full press release.
The Beautiful Lady: Our Lady of Guadalupe
Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
Knopf Books for Young Readers/ Random House
Hardcover ISBN 978-0375868382, $16.99
Library Binding ISBN 978-0375968389, $19.99
La hermosa Señora: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
Spanish edition
Library Binding ISBN 978-0375968402, $19.99
Dragonfly Books Paperback ISBN 978-0375868405, $8.99
Every December, Grandma Lupita tells Rose the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe. As they make paper flowers together to put around her statue, Grandma begins: Long ago, on a cold December morning near what is now Mexico City, a man named Juan Diego put on his cloak and started down the road to church.
On his way, Juan Diego sees a beautiful Lady at the top of a hill. She tells Juan Diego to go to the bishop and ask him to build a special church for her. But the bishop doesn't believe that Juan Diego has seen the Lady; he asks for a sign. Again the Lady sends Juan Diego, and again the bishop asks for a sign. Until finally, she provides one: her shining image on Juan Diego's cloak for everyone to see.
Advance Praise
"Regardless of your beliefs, the tale of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a fascinating one, and Mora gives it a warm treatment befitting the beloved material. A framing device aims the story at young readers: two little girls look at a small statue of the Virgin Mary and ask Grandma Lupita, "Who's that pretty lady?" So begins the tale: Juan Diego, the humble Aztec villager who, in December 1531, encountered a beautiful, floating woman who asked him to get the local bishop to build her a church. After the bishop demanded proof, the woman revealed to Diego a field of roses blooming despite the snow. When Diego unfolded his cloak to show the bishop the flowers, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was miraculously imprinted upon the cactus-fiber cloth. Mora approaches the story without tricks, using simple, delicate language, while Johnson and Fancher employ aged-looking earth-toned paintings and surround them with patterned borders when depicting the past. A two-page author's note fleshes out the tale and describes Our Lady's continuing influence."—Booklist
Bilingual Storytelling with René Colato LaÃnez
Bilingual author René Colato LaÃnez arrived in the U.S. from El Salvador with few possessions, but many dreams for his future. During this program he will talk about his successful journey from his childhood as an immigrant lost in a strange new world, to his life as a teacher and a published author. His presentation is full of music, dreams, and roots, in English and Spanish—and is of course full of stories. Learn his three rules to success: never give up, study hard, and believe in yourself.
Colato LaÃnez is the Salvadoran award-winning author of I Am René, the Boy; Waiting for Papá; and many other books that feature Latin American children learning about cultural identity. His picture books have been finalists for the Tejas Star Book Award, given special recognition by the Paterson Prize, and earned the International Latino Book Award. He was named as one of the “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch (and Read)” by latinostories.com.
When: Friday, December 21, 2012, 11 AM
Time Detail: 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Dec. 21 - 23
Categories: Gallery Talks &Tours, Kids & Families, Webcasts & Webinars
Venue: Washington DC: American Indian Museum
Event Location: ImagiNATIONS Activity Center, 3rd Level
Webcast: nmai.si.edu…
Cost: Free
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paul Samuelson, Random House Children's Books, 212.782.8875Pat Mora's works reflect the cultural heritage of Mexican-American and U.S. Latinas and Latinos through her children's books, poetry, and nonfiction. Her writing, and the art that is found in her picture books, reflects the beauty and cultural diversity of the Hispanic-American experience, and nowhere is this more evident than in her forthcoming picture book. Read the full press release.
The Beautiful Lady: Our Lady of Guadalupe
Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
Knopf Books for Young Readers/ Random House
Hardcover ISBN 978-0375868382, $16.99
Library Binding ISBN 978-0375968389, $19.99
La hermosa Señora: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
Spanish edition
Library Binding ISBN 978-0375968402, $19.99
Dragonfly Books Paperback ISBN 978-0375868405, $8.99
Every December, Grandma Lupita tells Rose the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe. As they make paper flowers together to put around her statue, Grandma begins: Long ago, on a cold December morning near what is now Mexico City, a man named Juan Diego put on his cloak and started down the road to church.
On his way, Juan Diego sees a beautiful Lady at the top of a hill. She tells Juan Diego to go to the bishop and ask him to build a special church for her. But the bishop doesn't believe that Juan Diego has seen the Lady; he asks for a sign. Again the Lady sends Juan Diego, and again the bishop asks for a sign. Until finally, she provides one: her shining image on Juan Diego's cloak for everyone to see.
Advance Praise
"Regardless of your beliefs, the tale of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a fascinating one, and Mora gives it a warm treatment befitting the beloved material. A framing device aims the story at young readers: two little girls look at a small statue of the Virgin Mary and ask Grandma Lupita, "Who's that pretty lady?" So begins the tale: Juan Diego, the humble Aztec villager who, in December 1531, encountered a beautiful, floating woman who asked him to get the local bishop to build her a church. After the bishop demanded proof, the woman revealed to Diego a field of roses blooming despite the snow. When Diego unfolded his cloak to show the bishop the flowers, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was miraculously imprinted upon the cactus-fiber cloth. Mora approaches the story without tricks, using simple, delicate language, while Johnson and Fancher employ aged-looking earth-toned paintings and surround them with patterned borders when depicting the past. A two-page author's note fleshes out the tale and describes Our Lady's continuing influence."—Booklist
Bilingual Storytelling with René Colato LaÃnez
Bilingual author René Colato LaÃnez arrived in the U.S. from El Salvador with few possessions, but many dreams for his future. During this program he will talk about his successful journey from his childhood as an immigrant lost in a strange new world, to his life as a teacher and a published author. His presentation is full of music, dreams, and roots, in English and Spanish—and is of course full of stories. Learn his three rules to success: never give up, study hard, and believe in yourself.
Colato LaÃnez is the Salvadoran award-winning author of I Am René, the Boy; Waiting for Papá; and many other books that feature Latin American children learning about cultural identity. His picture books have been finalists for the Tejas Star Book Award, given special recognition by the Paterson Prize, and earned the International Latino Book Award. He was named as one of the “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch (and Read)” by latinostories.com.
When: Friday, December 21, 2012, 11 AM
Time Detail: 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Dec. 21 - 23
Categories: Gallery Talks &Tours, Kids & Families, Webcasts & Webinars
Venue: Washington DC: American Indian Museum
Event Location: ImagiNATIONS Activity Center, 3rd Level
Webcast: nmai.si.edu…
Cost: Free
Chicanonautica: No Mayan Apocalypse, Just a New Baktún
To contact us Click HERE
by Ernest Hogan
This is going up on December 20, 2012, so Happy New Baktún Eve! Yeah, I know a lot of folks are expecting asteroids, comets, polar shifts, flying saucers, zombies and other madness, but not me. I’ve been through this End of the World thing a few times, and I also know something about the Maya, so I’ve got a few things to say.
Back in the Nineties, I was desperadoing it on an awful temporary job. One of my co-workers had a kidney infection, the other had the Grim Reaper tattooed on each of his skeletal arms. Mr. Kidney Infection went on and on about how he was at an all-day lecture by a “Navajo shaman” who said the world was coming to an end in a couple of months, stating astronomical fantasies out of 20th century pseudoscience rather than Diné cosmology. Mr. Grim Reaper disagreed: “The Bible says the world’s gonna end in the year 2000.” I did my best to stay out of it.
Then there was the whole Y2K thing. Doesn’t anybody remember that? I wonder what happened to all those generators and gas masks people were stocking up on?
And, of course, there’s already a backlash. “If the Mayans say they could predict the end of the world, how come they didn’t see their own demise? Yuk! Yuk! Yuk!” By the way, it’s Maya, not “Mayans.” Maya are the people. Their stuff is Mayan. Talking about “Mayans” just shows that you don’t know what you’re talking about.
The culture of the Maya fell due to drought, small pox, and European invaders, but they did not die off. There are around seven million of them living in southern Mexico and Central America.
I’ve been to Mayalandia. Once you get down to the tropics, deserts give way to jungles, and the people are small and brown with faces out of Mayan art. They often speak the local Mayan dialect instead of Spanish. The names of towns and streets are heavily Mayan.
Also, there are Maya in the United States these days. People who think they are smarter than the “Mayans,” have their heads too far up their butts to recognize the Mayas cleaning toilets and mowing lawns in their towns.
What we have here is a case of classic snake oil in postmodern New Age packaging. You didn’t hear about it until the Seventies and Eighties. Before that, the fact that the Mayan calendar ended at Baktún 13 wasn’t considered a big deal. 13 is considered a lucky number, so why not end it there? The alternative would be to keep computing the calendar forever. But the snake oil salesmen got ahold of it, and folks just seem to love hearing that the world is coming to an end.
You don’t have be factual. You don’t have to be accurate. The popular image of the “Mayan calendar” we’re seeing all over the interwebs is really the Aztec Sunstone.
So get over it. It’s just a new baktún. 144,000 days. About 394 years. Plenty of time.
Why aren’t we celebrating beginning of Baktún 14, or the restarting of the Long Count cycle, the Sixth Sun? What’s the matter? Don’t you want a future? Happy New Baktún, cabrónes!
Ernest Hogan is the Chicano author of the pre-Columbian-themed, underground science fiction cult novels Cortez on Jupiter and Smoking Mirror Blues. Another, High Aztech, will become available in Baktún 14.
by Ernest Hogan
This is going up on December 20, 2012, so Happy New Baktún Eve! Yeah, I know a lot of folks are expecting asteroids, comets, polar shifts, flying saucers, zombies and other madness, but not me. I’ve been through this End of the World thing a few times, and I also know something about the Maya, so I’ve got a few things to say.Back in the Nineties, I was desperadoing it on an awful temporary job. One of my co-workers had a kidney infection, the other had the Grim Reaper tattooed on each of his skeletal arms. Mr. Kidney Infection went on and on about how he was at an all-day lecture by a “Navajo shaman” who said the world was coming to an end in a couple of months, stating astronomical fantasies out of 20th century pseudoscience rather than Diné cosmology. Mr. Grim Reaper disagreed: “The Bible says the world’s gonna end in the year 2000.” I did my best to stay out of it.
Then there was the whole Y2K thing. Doesn’t anybody remember that? I wonder what happened to all those generators and gas masks people were stocking up on?And, of course, there’s already a backlash. “If the Mayans say they could predict the end of the world, how come they didn’t see their own demise? Yuk! Yuk! Yuk!” By the way, it’s Maya, not “Mayans.” Maya are the people. Their stuff is Mayan. Talking about “Mayans” just shows that you don’t know what you’re talking about.
The culture of the Maya fell due to drought, small pox, and European invaders, but they did not die off. There are around seven million of them living in southern Mexico and Central America.
I’ve been to Mayalandia. Once you get down to the tropics, deserts give way to jungles, and the people are small and brown with faces out of Mayan art. They often speak the local Mayan dialect instead of Spanish. The names of towns and streets are heavily Mayan.
Also, there are Maya in the United States these days. People who think they are smarter than the “Mayans,” have their heads too far up their butts to recognize the Mayas cleaning toilets and mowing lawns in their towns.
What we have here is a case of classic snake oil in postmodern New Age packaging. You didn’t hear about it until the Seventies and Eighties. Before that, the fact that the Mayan calendar ended at Baktún 13 wasn’t considered a big deal. 13 is considered a lucky number, so why not end it there? The alternative would be to keep computing the calendar forever. But the snake oil salesmen got ahold of it, and folks just seem to love hearing that the world is coming to an end.You don’t have be factual. You don’t have to be accurate. The popular image of the “Mayan calendar” we’re seeing all over the interwebs is really the Aztec Sunstone.
So get over it. It’s just a new baktún. 144,000 days. About 394 years. Plenty of time.
Why aren’t we celebrating beginning of Baktún 14, or the restarting of the Long Count cycle, the Sixth Sun? What’s the matter? Don’t you want a future? Happy New Baktún, cabrónes! Ernest Hogan is the Chicano author of the pre-Columbian-themed, underground science fiction cult novels Cortez on Jupiter and Smoking Mirror Blues. Another, High Aztech, will become available in Baktún 14.
Little Expense, Big Savings: What's Your Favorite Frugal Buy?
To contact us Click HERE
We purchased this toothpaste squeezer doohickey for $0.99 cents about four months ago:
Since then, we're buying way less toothpaste. It should save us quite a few bucks in the long-term, too, provided we don't lose it / the cat doesn't eat it / it doesn't get sucked into the sweltering pit of despair we call "outside right now."
Which leads us to this softball question for a fiery Friday:
Sweet readers, what's your favorite frugal buy?
Do tell! Pass it on!
Since then, we're buying way less toothpaste. It should save us quite a few bucks in the long-term, too, provided we don't lose it / the cat doesn't eat it / it doesn't get sucked into the sweltering pit of despair we call "outside right now."
Which leads us to this softball question for a fiery Friday:
Sweet readers, what's your favorite frugal buy?
Do tell! Pass it on!
A Beginner's Guide to Beans, Plus 42 Bean Recipes
To contact us Click HERE
This article first appeared in October 2009.
Some will balk at their flavor and size. Many will have texture issues. And still others just won’t enjoy the farting.
But know this: there are few cheaper, healthier, and more versatile foods than the humble bean. Members of the legume family, beans can be found everywhere from gourmet restaurants to campfire cauldrons. They’ve been vital to the survival of certain populations, and instrumental to the development of particular cuisines. Also, they taste good.
Still, there are folks out there unfamiliar with chickpeas and pintos, kidney and black beans. And for them, CHG proudly presents the following: a breakdown of why beans are wonderful, plus 42 tried-and-true recipes in which to use them.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Low in fat, high in protein, and astronomically high in fiber, beans work beautifully as the main components of recipes, but also as fabulous alternatives to meat. This is for a few reasons: A) they create a complete protein when paired with nuts, seeds, or grains, B) their chemical composition makes you feel sated longer than a lot of other foods, and C) they have a bulky and substantial mouthfeel, so you never feel deprived. Studies have found them to be solid tools in weight loss and maintenance, and integral to the prevention of all kinds of diseases.
If that ain’t enough for you, this WebMD blurb is pretty convincing: “In a recent study, bean eaters weighed, on average, 7 pounds less and had slimmer waists than their bean-avoiding counterparts -- yet they consumed 199 calories more per day if they were adults and an incredible 335 calories more if they were teenagers.” Sweet.
P.S. True to the well-known rhyme, beans make you both smartier and fartier. They contain both certain vitamins that improve brain function AND undigestable sugars, which lead to exciting intestinal activity, which leads to gas. So there you go.
PRICE
Grown globally from Ethiopia to Australia, beans are some of the most plentiful - and subsequently cheapest - edibles anywhere. A pound of dried beans in Brooklyn will generally run about $1, and will produce four to six cups of food after rehydration.
Compare that to meat. In my neighborhood, a pound of chicken breast (one of the healthier animal options) runs $1.69 on sale. It shrinks slightly when cooked, ultimately producing around two cups of poultry.
Let’s do some math, then. One cup of cheap chicken is $1.69 divided by two, or $0.85. One cup of beans is $1.00 divided by five, or $0.20. Using these (incredibly) rough numbers, chicken breast is 425% the price of dried beans.
Of course, the numbers will vary by area, sales, and math skills, but you get the idea.
DRIED OR CANNED?
It’s a controversy as old as storage itself: dried or canned beans? On one hand, dried beans are universally cheaper, and widely considered to possess a creamier consistency and better overall flavor. On the other hand, canned beans aren’t terribly expensive themselves, and the taste difference is pretty negligible when you’re talking about everyday kitchen use.
The tiebreaker, then, is time. If you have the wherewithal, forethought, and 90 to 480 minutes to rehydrate a bag of dried chickpeas, you’ll be rewarded in kind. If you‘re throwing dinner together and an hour-long prep time is crazy talk, canned beans are the way to go.
It’s worth noting that if respected cooks aren’t using canned beans already (Giada DeLaurentiis, Sara Moulton, etc.), they’re starting to come around. Even die-hard dried fans like Mark Bittman have been giving props to metal dwellers recently. Meaning: don’t fear the Goya.
INTRODUCING … THE BEANS
If you’ve ever tried chili, hummus, minestrone, Texas caviar, Mexican food, Indian food, Italian food, or, er, refried beans, you’ve already experienced the wonder of the bean. They’re omnipresent in cuisines all over the world, and come in a range of flavors and sizes that can be adapted to thousands of dishes. Here are six of the most common found in the U.S., along with a few recipe suggestions for each.
(A quick note before we get to the beans themselves: there are a zillion types of legume, and some [like the soybean] are rocketing in popularity stateside. But to keep things manageable, we’re sticking to a few big ones.)
Black Beans
Used frequently in Latin cuisines, the black bean is a small, ebony bean with an earthy flavor. I find it pairs very well with grains, and makes for a stellar soup.
Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa
Black Bean Brownies
Black Bean Burrito Bake
Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
Black Bean Soup
Calabacitas Burritos
Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Corn
Black-Eyed Peas
A terrible band, but a wonderful food, black-eyed peas are all over Southern cuisine. Like other beans, they’re great sources of fiber, folate, and protein. Unlike other beans, you will always feel like they’re looking at you.
Black-Eyed Pea (Texas) Caviar
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas
Cannellini/White Beans
There are a ton of variations on the white bean, but I dig cannellinis in particular for their creaminess and flavor. Found in many Italian dishes, you’ll find that Microsoft Word often corrects its spelling to “cannelloni,” which is annoying.
Escarole and White Beans
Garlicky Long Beans and Beans
Grilled Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing
Guacamole Bean Dip
Penne with Lemon, Potatoes, and Cannellini
White Bean and Tarragon Soup
White Chicken Chili
Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Without chickpeas, there would be no hummus. And without hummus, there would be no joy. Vital to Italian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines (among others), the plentiful and versatile garbanzo bean can be found in virtually every form, from dip to stew to flour (though I have yet to see a chickpea smoothie). Due to its subtle flavor and increasing ubiquity in the U.S., I like to think of the chickpea as a gateway bean; if you like it, odds are other legumes will soon follow.
Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas
Chickpea Salad
Couscous with Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Edamame
Curry in a Hurry
Greek-Style Chickpea Salad
Lemony Light Hummus
North African-style Chickpea Salad
Pasta e Ceci
Pasta with Zucchini and Chickpeas
Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Pindi Chana (Spicy Chickpea Curry)
Roasted Chickpeas
Shredded Zucchini and Chickpeas Over Polenta
Kidney Beans (red and pink)
Substantive and quite large in comparison to other common legumes, kidney beans go great on salads and substitute fabulously for meat in chilis and stews. And seriously, what’s a frugal kitchen without red beans and rice?
Chili Corn Pone Pie
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Pinto Beans (Frijoles)
Wonderful on their own and even better mashed, these pink-brown legumes claim the great honor of being the only bean my mom likes. Also, I could be talking out my neck here, but I find pintos a little sweeter than black beans and chickpeas.
Refried Beans
Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese
Multiple Beans
Each of the following recipes use more than one type of bean.
Bodega Beans (any)
Camp Stove Veggie Chili (black, kidney)
Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans (chickpeas, black)
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili (any)
Gallo Pinto (pinto, black)
Indonesian Curried Bean Stew (chickpeas, black, kidney )
Light Leftover Turkey Chili (black, kidney)
Turkey Chili with Beans (white, pink, kidney)
And that's our ballgame. Readers, how about you? What are your favorite bean recipes?
~~~
If you like this article, you might also dig:
Some will balk at their flavor and size. Many will have texture issues. And still others just won’t enjoy the farting.
But know this: there are few cheaper, healthier, and more versatile foods than the humble bean. Members of the legume family, beans can be found everywhere from gourmet restaurants to campfire cauldrons. They’ve been vital to the survival of certain populations, and instrumental to the development of particular cuisines. Also, they taste good.Still, there are folks out there unfamiliar with chickpeas and pintos, kidney and black beans. And for them, CHG proudly presents the following: a breakdown of why beans are wonderful, plus 42 tried-and-true recipes in which to use them.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Low in fat, high in protein, and astronomically high in fiber, beans work beautifully as the main components of recipes, but also as fabulous alternatives to meat. This is for a few reasons: A) they create a complete protein when paired with nuts, seeds, or grains, B) their chemical composition makes you feel sated longer than a lot of other foods, and C) they have a bulky and substantial mouthfeel, so you never feel deprived. Studies have found them to be solid tools in weight loss and maintenance, and integral to the prevention of all kinds of diseases.
If that ain’t enough for you, this WebMD blurb is pretty convincing: “In a recent study, bean eaters weighed, on average, 7 pounds less and had slimmer waists than their bean-avoiding counterparts -- yet they consumed 199 calories more per day if they were adults and an incredible 335 calories more if they were teenagers.” Sweet.
P.S. True to the well-known rhyme, beans make you both smartier and fartier. They contain both certain vitamins that improve brain function AND undigestable sugars, which lead to exciting intestinal activity, which leads to gas. So there you go.
PRICE
Grown globally from Ethiopia to Australia, beans are some of the most plentiful - and subsequently cheapest - edibles anywhere. A pound of dried beans in Brooklyn will generally run about $1, and will produce four to six cups of food after rehydration.
Compare that to meat. In my neighborhood, a pound of chicken breast (one of the healthier animal options) runs $1.69 on sale. It shrinks slightly when cooked, ultimately producing around two cups of poultry.Let’s do some math, then. One cup of cheap chicken is $1.69 divided by two, or $0.85. One cup of beans is $1.00 divided by five, or $0.20. Using these (incredibly) rough numbers, chicken breast is 425% the price of dried beans.
Of course, the numbers will vary by area, sales, and math skills, but you get the idea.
DRIED OR CANNED?
It’s a controversy as old as storage itself: dried or canned beans? On one hand, dried beans are universally cheaper, and widely considered to possess a creamier consistency and better overall flavor. On the other hand, canned beans aren’t terribly expensive themselves, and the taste difference is pretty negligible when you’re talking about everyday kitchen use.
The tiebreaker, then, is time. If you have the wherewithal, forethought, and 90 to 480 minutes to rehydrate a bag of dried chickpeas, you’ll be rewarded in kind. If you‘re throwing dinner together and an hour-long prep time is crazy talk, canned beans are the way to go.
It’s worth noting that if respected cooks aren’t using canned beans already (Giada DeLaurentiis, Sara Moulton, etc.), they’re starting to come around. Even die-hard dried fans like Mark Bittman have been giving props to metal dwellers recently. Meaning: don’t fear the Goya.
INTRODUCING … THE BEANS
If you’ve ever tried chili, hummus, minestrone, Texas caviar, Mexican food, Indian food, Italian food, or, er, refried beans, you’ve already experienced the wonder of the bean. They’re omnipresent in cuisines all over the world, and come in a range of flavors and sizes that can be adapted to thousands of dishes. Here are six of the most common found in the U.S., along with a few recipe suggestions for each.
(A quick note before we get to the beans themselves: there are a zillion types of legume, and some [like the soybean] are rocketing in popularity stateside. But to keep things manageable, we’re sticking to a few big ones.)
Black Beans
Used frequently in Latin cuisines, the black bean is a small, ebony bean with an earthy flavor. I find it pairs very well with grains, and makes for a stellar soup.
Black Bean and Tomato QuinoaBlack Bean Brownies
Black Bean Burrito Bake
Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
Black Bean Soup
Calabacitas Burritos
Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Corn
Black-Eyed Peas
A terrible band, but a wonderful food, black-eyed peas are all over Southern cuisine. Like other beans, they’re great sources of fiber, folate, and protein. Unlike other beans, you will always feel like they’re looking at you.
Black-Eyed Pea (Texas) Caviar
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas
Cannellini/White Beans
There are a ton of variations on the white bean, but I dig cannellinis in particular for their creaminess and flavor. Found in many Italian dishes, you’ll find that Microsoft Word often corrects its spelling to “cannelloni,” which is annoying.
Escarole and White Beans
Garlicky Long Beans and BeansGrilled Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing
Guacamole Bean Dip
Penne with Lemon, Potatoes, and Cannellini
White Bean and Tarragon Soup
White Chicken Chili
Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Without chickpeas, there would be no hummus. And without hummus, there would be no joy. Vital to Italian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines (among others), the plentiful and versatile garbanzo bean can be found in virtually every form, from dip to stew to flour (though I have yet to see a chickpea smoothie). Due to its subtle flavor and increasing ubiquity in the U.S., I like to think of the chickpea as a gateway bean; if you like it, odds are other legumes will soon follow.
Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas
Chickpea Salad
Couscous with Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Edamame
Curry in a Hurry
Greek-Style Chickpea SaladLemony Light Hummus
North African-style Chickpea Salad
Pasta e Ceci
Pasta with Zucchini and Chickpeas
Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Pindi Chana (Spicy Chickpea Curry)
Roasted Chickpeas
Shredded Zucchini and Chickpeas Over Polenta
Kidney Beans (red and pink)
Substantive and quite large in comparison to other common legumes, kidney beans go great on salads and substitute fabulously for meat in chilis and stews. And seriously, what’s a frugal kitchen without red beans and rice?
Chili Corn Pone Pie
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Pinto Beans (Frijoles)
Wonderful on their own and even better mashed, these pink-brown legumes claim the great honor of being the only bean my mom likes. Also, I could be talking out my neck here, but I find pintos a little sweeter than black beans and chickpeas.
Refried Beans
Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese
Multiple Beans
Each of the following recipes use more than one type of bean.
Bodega Beans (any)
Camp Stove Veggie Chili (black, kidney)Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans (chickpeas, black)
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili (any)
Gallo Pinto (pinto, black)
Indonesian Curried Bean Stew (chickpeas, black, kidney )
Light Leftover Turkey Chili (black, kidney)
Turkey Chili with Beans (white, pink, kidney)
And that's our ballgame. Readers, how about you? What are your favorite bean recipes?
~~~
If you like this article, you might also dig:
- 20 Cheap, Healthy Dishes Made From 10 Pantry Staples
- How to Tell if a Recipe is Cheap and Healthy Just By Looking at it
- Spend Less, Eat Healthier: The Five Most Important Things You Can Do
It's time again for Operation Tipsy Tow!
To contact us Click HERE
Beginning December 14th, drivers in Bozeman or Belgrade who feel they may have consumed too much alcohol, can have themselves and their car towed home, up to 10 miles, free of charge.
AAA Montana along with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, in partnership with law enforcement agencies, Bozeman Deaconess Hospital and Best Rate towing, have worked together to make this possible. For more information about the program, or to set up a tow home, call Triple A at 1-800-222-4357. Make the call and stay safe!
AAA Montana along with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, in partnership with law enforcement agencies, Bozeman Deaconess Hospital and Best Rate towing, have worked together to make this possible. For more information about the program, or to set up a tow home, call Triple A at 1-800-222-4357. Make the call and stay safe!
16 Aralık 2012 Pazar
Here's Looking at You, Kid
To contact us Click HERE
I'm working on our yearly photo album. I've always enjoyed getting a whole year's pictures bound in one slim volume-- a family yearbook that we look at again and again. Last year's was tough, but at least we had Jack for 8 of the 12 months represented. That yearbook looked pretty normal, until it didn't.This year's is a struggle that I'm just trying to power through before my online coupon expires.
My heart is heavy.
It has made me think of baby books. As the third child in four years, I took great offense upon discovering that my own baby book was nearly empty. I took it upon myself in first grade to rectify the situation by gluing in random pictures and filling in the blanks to describe myself. For "HAIR" I wrote: "Pretty" instead of brown; and for "EYES" I wrote "Nice" instead of blue. My mom got a huge kick out of this. I drew, in ink, a portrait of my family, including our dog, cat, and guppies. I also drew fart bubbles coming out of my sister's rear end, so I guess my love for potty humor and my jealousy toward my older sister started young.
For Jack's baby book, however, I was on the case! As the first child, he had my undivided attention and resources. We also had no cable tv, blogs, smart phones or high speed internet to lure me away from my glue sticks, or Pinterest to intimidate me into creative paralysis.
So page after page is filled with lists, cute anecdotes, ticket stubs, folded paper party hats, class photos, and certificates. I hoped that someday Jack, or at least an interested wife or child, would pore over his well-documented cuteness.
And now it sits here, to what purpose?
To mock us about what should have been? While his friends get facial hair and all we get are memories?
I've spent some time this morning crying and looking over his book. I know that if it has been a while and I need a good cry, looking at pictures helps me get there fast. Videos are still almost too painful to watch. I wondered whether Jack had even seen his baby book, but I was pretty sure he had, because he loved things like that.
I smile through tears when I see he has indeed read it, like mother like son, taken it upon himself to pencil in a few additions.
He must have been 8 years old because where I had left off writing down Halloween costumes at age 6, Jack had added in sloppy cursive:
"Age 7: Darth Vader
Age 8: Zombie Doctor"
On the page about the origin of his name, I had left a blank:
Your name means:___________________
Jack added: "Successor, Given by God."
Given by God?
Given by God.
Given by God!
"You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name"
It's a choice. Every. Single. Day.
I'm working on our yearly photo album. I've always enjoyed getting a whole year's pictures bound in one slim volume-- a family yearbook that we look at again and again. Last year's was tough, but at least we had Jack for 8 of the 12 months represented. That yearbook looked pretty normal, until it didn't.This year's is a struggle that I'm just trying to power through before my online coupon expires.
My heart is heavy.
It has made me think of baby books. As the third child in four years, I took great offense upon discovering that my own baby book was nearly empty. I took it upon myself in first grade to rectify the situation by gluing in random pictures and filling in the blanks to describe myself. For "HAIR" I wrote: "Pretty" instead of brown; and for "EYES" I wrote "Nice" instead of blue. My mom got a huge kick out of this. I drew, in ink, a portrait of my family, including our dog, cat, and guppies. I also drew fart bubbles coming out of my sister's rear end, so I guess my love for potty humor and my jealousy toward my older sister started young.
For Jack's baby book, however, I was on the case! As the first child, he had my undivided attention and resources. We also had no cable tv, blogs, smart phones or high speed internet to lure me away from my glue sticks, or Pinterest to intimidate me into creative paralysis.
So page after page is filled with lists, cute anecdotes, ticket stubs, folded paper party hats, class photos, and certificates. I hoped that someday Jack, or at least an interested wife or child, would pore over his well-documented cuteness.
And now it sits here, to what purpose?
To mock us about what should have been? While his friends get facial hair and all we get are memories?
I've spent some time this morning crying and looking over his book. I know that if it has been a while and I need a good cry, looking at pictures helps me get there fast. Videos are still almost too painful to watch. I wondered whether Jack had even seen his baby book, but I was pretty sure he had, because he loved things like that.
I smile through tears when I see he has indeed read it, like mother like son, taken it upon himself to pencil in a few additions.
He must have been 8 years old because where I had left off writing down Halloween costumes at age 6, Jack had added in sloppy cursive:
"Age 7: Darth Vader
Age 8: Zombie Doctor"
On the page about the origin of his name, I had left a blank:
Your name means:___________________
Jack added: "Successor, Given by God."
Given by God?
Given by God.
Given by God!
"You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name"
It's a choice. Every. Single. Day.
Kaydol:
Kayıtlar (Atom)