supper for poor folks, y'all.....

                                                     photo: Southern Living Magazine

After a conversation with a friend the other day, it dawned on me that not everyone does this....eats beans and rice. lol  I grew up on pinto beans, fried potatoes and cornbread because it was cheap and my parents could grow them in their garden and nothing and I mean nothing, beats my Granny's beans & fried potatoes. :) We also ate rice, occasionally, but growing up, I never had rice with the main meal. We always had rice as a dessert, with butter, cream, sugar, vanilla & cinnamon...yum. However, when I married Charlie, he was a huge rice with a meal fan...chicken and rice, rice with salt and pepper and butter, fajitas, red beans & rice...etc. I am sure you just really wanted to know all of this fascinating history. ;) Anyway.....

So, after reading Dave Ramsey and becoming loyal "followers", we have once again, in an attempt to save money and be "weird"..started eating beans and rice, at least once a week!

Without further adieu, here are some things we do to spice up the "bland" beans & rice category!

Glorified Beans & Rice

 Red Beans & Rice w/smoked sausage

& my own thrown together mess!

Julie's beans & rice supper

*1 small bag pintos, washed and sorted, soaked if you like but I don't always do this..shocking, I know! lol (Add seasonings...Lawry's season salt and black pepper. I also use 1-2 strips of bacon for every pot of beans).

*2 cups white rice cooked (4 cups water, 1 T. butter, 1 tsp. salt) (not quick rice) (seasoned with black pepper)

*2 cans hominy (one can white, one can yellow) (Our kids love hominy...you can also use whole kernel corn if you like...can also omit)

*toppings: grated Colby Jack cheese, homemade sour cream, pico de gallo & guacamole, olives, whatever you want!


cook beans and rice seperately. Heat up hominy. Mix all together or eat separately and serve with your choice of toppings!! Yummy! Our kids eat this up...they love that they can pile on the toppings...whatever they like. :)


Well, there you go! Our easy anytime supper! And, I often make a HUGE batch of beans and rice, freeze in Ziploc bags (separately) and reheat for a quick and hearty lunch or supper during the week. Economical and yummy!

♥Julie♥

Monday Meanderings...

This is in no particular order, just my order! lol

*updated to add: I totally forgot, while typing this out, to include husband encouragement!! So, here it is:

~Husband Encouragement:

*Make Charlie a peach pie from fresh peaches that we were given; yum!!

*Bible study with Charlie & praying for him

*Mowing the yard & taking care of chickens this week; giving my baby a break! :)


~Verse this week:

Romans 12: 1-2 "So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to Him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to Him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship." 2 Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect."

Bible Study/ Devotions ~
*This bible study that Charlie & I have been doing together along with Romans..

"Must Do"~

*make bread for the week
*all laundry folded & put away each day, Julie!!! lol
*Finish the painting in the house before school starts next week!!!
*Continuing to clear out clutter a little at a time!!
*Make eye exam appointment for myself


Zone~
* Family Room/Living Room
*Drew's room

Train Them Up~

* Obedience
*Potty training with Lily
*everything back in it's place

Menu Planning~

Monday- Hamburger & onions with gravy over mashed potatoes, squash & okra from the garden

Tuesday- Italian sandwiches, pickles & olives

Wednesday-Mexican food at Papa's

Thursday-Hot dogs, tater tots, pudding pops

Friday- Drew will be 1!! Spaghetti & meatballs, french bread w/butter, salad, small cake for our little family

Saturday- Supper at Granny Fogg's for Drew's birthday; cake & homemade ice cream, YAY!!

Sunday- Roast with red potatoes & carrots, salad

Okay, there's my week in a nutshell. Hope you have a blessed week!!

~Love,
Julie

Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee (pie dough).....

Pate brisee is the French version of classic pie or tart pastry. Pressing the dough into a disc rather than shaping it into a ball allows it to chill faster. This will also make the dough easier to roll out, and if you freeze it, it will thaw more quickly. (From Martha Stewart Living)

*Julie's note: MUST keep EVERYTHING refrigerated for approximately 15 -20 minutes before making the crust! So much easier to work with,the colder the better!

Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour(chilled)
• 1 teaspoon salt(chilled)
• 1 teaspoon sugar(chilled)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces (Julie's note: frozen and grated)
  
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

1. In the bowl of a food processor (I freeze & grate my butter and then proceed in my KitchenAide with paddle attachment; although the Cuisinart does work extremely well, also), combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

*This is the absolute BEST pie crust I have ever made!! The dough is like fabric....it just moves so well and it's just wonderfully easy to work with. The crust is a little messed up in this picture because Charlie checked on the pie and took a bite out of the crust to see if it was done!! :) Also, the slightly brown spots are where I sprinkled cinnamon sugar on the crust. YUM!!

Blackberry Pie:

4 cups fresh blackberries or 2 bags frozen

3-4 TBS. a.p. flour

2 cups sugar

1 T. vanilla

1 T. lemon juice

1-2 T. cinnamon

2 T. butter

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Line a 9 inch pie pan with half the pastry. Save remaining pastry for top crust & cut into lattice strips. Chill both while preparing the blackberries.
3. Combine berries, flour, sugar,cinnamon, vanilla and lemon juice. Spoon into pie shell, and dot with butter or margarine.
4. Place lattice strips on top of berry mixture. Dot with butter & sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
   

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes, or until browned.

~Julie

show LOVE to your family; bake for them!! (Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel muffins)

*I have some posts scheduled to publish throughout the week. I sat down last night and worked on some recipes I have promised a few people. That's probably all I will get to post this week but there are quite a few so I had to get them out of the way sometime!

I made these last night for Charlie & the girls (me, too) lol. We had Darcy's Chai tea along with them and all I can say is, "Who needs Starbucks?" :) I didn't have the same kind of green tea as Darcy used but we made it work. It's delicious and the whipped cream and cinnamon with it; heavenly! Anyway, here's the recipe for the muffins. I think I may have shared them before but they are so good, I will share them again!

filling:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons brown sugar

streusel:

4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons white sugar (used half Splenda)

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts

muffins:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar (used half Splenda)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin

1/3 cup olive oil (I used Smart Balance)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.

To make the filling:
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar.
Beat until smooth, then set aside.

For the streusel topping:
In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans.
Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

For the muffin batter:
In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla.
Beat together until smooth.
Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full.
Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter.
Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.Bake at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

*I used Valentine's cupcake papers to make it special; all muffins this week will be baked in these! Hope you enjoy these yummy muffins!! :)

Supper Menus.....

Sunday: creamed chicken & biscuits (no pimentos), broccoli & cauliflower with butter, sweet tea

Monday: Grilled Pork Chops, Mashed Cauliflower & steamed broccoli, strawberries , sweet tea


Tuesday: Mexican cornbread, fried potatoes w/onion, Pinto Beans w/bacon, Julie's sheet cake, sweet tea(making double; taking food to a church member)


Wednesday:Party sandwiches, chips,pickles, olives, sweet tea


Thursday: Chicken & rice soup; homemade bread, salad, sweet tea


Friday: 7 layer Mexican Dip with chips, fruit tray, sweet tea


Saturday: Charlie's Homemade Pizza, salad, tea


Sunday: Claire's birthday; her choice! tba

dessert this week: Julie's Sheet Cake (sharing with friends) & Birthday/Valentine cupcakes(Red Velvet)

*If there is not a link to a menu item listed; I will be back to post the recipe in the evenings so check back & see! Thanks! :)

For more menu ideas visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!