I got this email this afternoon:
Oh, and our garden will be featuring basil, sage, 3 types of tomatoes (small, roma, and large), okra, spinach, kale, eggplant, zucchini, brussels sprouts, spaghetti squash, bell pepper, poblano, habanero, jalapeno, and african daisies!
And came home to find the garden completely planted and the lawn in the process of a trim! He was so husbandly today 🙂 Don’t know what I’d do without him!
While he was planting, I was enjoying this snack in Foodservice
And came home to find a package from Anne, who initiated the bar trade earlier in the week. She sent me two Clif bars (I don’t know if I’ve ever had one?!) and I’ve got to get some bars in the mail for her!
Dinner tonight was a Fiesta of Frijoles.
Served with a half pint of the latest brew and bake brew. I decided this meal deserved to be consumed with beer. Water simply would not do. In my new Carolina Beer Company 6 oz glass from this weekend’s brewery trip!
Karen brought home a few brown bags of dried beans from the Asheville Farmer’s Market for us. I LOVE BEANS!! Especially when they are made from scratch. These (I think) were Adzuki, as they were red and small like the first beans here: Cooking Guide For Dried Beans.
With the beans I used a seasoning cube that my mom’s friend Judy brought me from Brazil. I tried to decode the label in Spanish and identified some kind of bacon fat/vegetable oil, salt, sugar, garlic + onion (gasp) powder and MSG (<—wouldn’t want to eat that everyday, but I’m not worried about now and then). We had cooked the beans this afternoon, so to prepare dinner I combined about 1.5 cups of beans with about a cup of water, a cup of frozen peppers and about 3/4 of the cube. Would have put in okra but we were all out, and I forgot to add the corn!
And in another pot I cooked 1 mixed cup of Forbidden rice and Lundberg’s Short Grain Brown (the best brown ever). The forbidden rice turned the whole batch black! I love it because it’s super chewy. We’ve got leftovers of both!
With avocado, tomato, greek yogurt and fresh oregano
It was way too cold to eat outside (colder than this AM!) so we moved indoors –
And lastly, for dessert, he prepared a cookie with PB (one of Kate’s from our freezer!) and brought me a bite upon request –
I am hoping to knock out a school assignment tonight – that major timeline! I’ve got a lot of prep done and just have to do all the formatting.
Goodnight
Nicole says
Mmmm, your dinner looks amazing! I love beans! I was craving black beans so badly tonight but I had none. Booo!
Your garden will be so lovely!
Bec says
it sounds like your garden is going to be fantastic!
Lori says
Your photos are so artistic! I love how you put to half ones side by side.
Just curious but isn’t shipping more expensive than the bars??
Courtney (The Hungry Yogini) says
I can’t wait to see your garden growing!! What a sweet husband! Dinner looks yum. Hope you stay warm!
Claire says
The dinner looks great…and I am JEALOUS of your garden…sounds like some great veggies! As to Clif bars…they are SO good! I like them so much better than Lara bars. Haven’t had the pear version but the ones I’ve had are really good.
Anne says
hahaha lori! It’s probably pretty close but I was just looking to put them to good use because I bought a case and didn’t like em…
If anyone else wants the other six, let me know!
Run Sarah says
Lundberg brown rice is my favourite too. I want to cook dried beans, I’ve been scared up to now but I’m sure they’d be more tasty and less salty.
Kailey (SnackFace) says
Dinner looks tasty! I’m sure I accidentally eat MSG more than I think, but it really freaks me out when it’s one of the first few ingredients.
How cute, the hub gardened and planted all afternoon! That’s so sweet. And that last bite of the night- yes please!
Have a great night, Kath.
Amy says
I love Forbidden Rice!
Also, did you know that Adzuki’s are one of the easiest beans to digest, especially when soaked overnight. Interesting tidbit
Sharon says
Mmmm totally delicious!
zestycook says
Dinner looks wicked!!
WEEKLY BITE says
That encourages me to get my garden going!!
Michaela says
Interesting dinner! I can’t believe you never have had a clif bar. I think clif bars were my first meal bars ever. A pint is 16 oz by the way!
Lisa D says
At first i thought you were drinking a strange green beer, but then I realized the grass just makes it look like that! What a great boy, gardening and letting you steal a bite of dessert!
Mara @ What's For Dinner? says
I love forbidden rice! It has such a unique flavor!
If you want to translate that cooking cube thing, it’s in Portuguese!!
Chris says
I have been trying to avoid MSG and have read where it can be under all kinds of names, including brown rice syrup and other things, which are in nearly all granola bars 🙁 I wish I knew if this were really the case, or if this is hype ~~ ?
Amelia says
Your dinner looks great! As does the garden! Can’t wait to see how it comes along. 🙂
Angie says
Looks delicious!
Kara says
Good luck with your work! Can’t wait to see what comes of your garden!!
Beadie @ What I Ate Yesterday says
So impressed with Matt’s work!! We aren’t the green thumb types at all, I iwsh we were, I’d love to grow more than basil 🙂
Awesoem dinner!
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats says
You have GOT to be kiddding me!! What a mammoth garden – that will be SO much fun!!
Kim says
That dinner looks awesome!
By the way, it’s not Spanish — É português! 🙂
Betsy says
Aw, what a great husband. 🙂 My guy planted all our new herbs yesterday as I watched & micro-managed!
Meg says
You have such an awesome husband!
Lovely dinner!
Cyclist Kate says
So exciting about the garden! I hope you’ll share photos as it progresses…
Yummy dinner–love pretty much any variation on the beans and rice theme!
brandi says
yay for gardens! ours is planted, too. I can’t WAIT for fresh tomatoes. they’re the best right off the vine.
K says
Nice work on the garden! Eating home grown foods is just so much more satisfying!!
Leana says
Wow, that looks delicious!! Thanks for the idea! The Forbidden Rice sounds really interesting.
coco says
oh….. I see aduki beans!!!! Love it in savory meal! 😀
Chris says
I could totally live on this dinner. And sandwiches.
Question…did you use a pressure cooker to cook the beans?
My mother-in-law is Cuban and makes the best black beans, but she uses a pressure cooker. I have tried to mimic the recipe but seem to fail every time using a regular pot on the stove. I might have to cave in and buy a pressure cooker.
Emily L. says
Your post should have been titled: A cornucopia of colors!
Your dinner was so pretty.
Also: I have a borderline inappropriate obsession with mosaics. That table is gorgeous!
Michelle Hisae says
If he prepares you a cookie with peanut butter, he MUST be a great husband! Hehe. That meal looks like a whole lotta springy, fresh goodness! Have a great night!
SSSS says
Kath, I am not sure how you feel about shopping at Wal Mart, but I found Larabars in three flavors (cherry, cashew cookie, and pb cookie) there today for $1.25 each! Thought of my food blogs I read.
Meredith (Pursuing Balance) says
Dinner looks so good! Love beans + avocado + tomato!!!
Heather says
OMG! What an amazing garden! I can’t wait to hear about all the great foods that come from it this summer! What a sweet hubby :)!
Good luck on the workload… you are definitely one hard-working gal!
Red Head, Yellow Dog says
mmm beans….
that garden looks great!! Isn’t it nice to have guys who like to garden?? I’m definitely grateful for that! Especially since I do NOT have a green thumb!
LK- Healthy Delcious says
wow- what a garden! I pretty much stick to herbs and tomatoes- the squirrels eat everything else
dinner looks great, as always
Oh She Glows says
Hey Kath!
Do you think you could do a post on how to start a garden (or maybe Matt)? I am dying to start on in our backyard this spring/summer but have NO idea how to start!
Erin says
I love beans too! That din looks SO good. And fresh!
Can’t wait to see your garden!
Adi (oatonomy.com - repaired!) says
Very cool split shot, I like that.
I could never spread nut butter on a cookie… isn’t the goodness of the cookie too hidden then? 🙂
Good luck with the formatting!
Shannon (The Daily Balance) says
Can’t wait to see the garden!!!!
I wish I had one of my own. But I’ll live vicariously through yours 😉
Marissa says
Good call on the jalapenos 🙂
Diana says
So jealous! I kind of wanted to buy that house we didn’t really like, just so I could finally plant the garden I want so badly! You guys are lucky! 🙂 What a sweet hubby!
Jessica says
the frijoles dinner looks amazing!!!! so glad that the sun is starting to shine over there again, but I’m sorry it’s still so chilly out!!
Alise says
Spanish in Brazil….??
Feijao is a great dish, basically a bean stew but so deliciously spiced, never thought a Knorr box would do the trick.
Leanne says
Love the picture technique you used with your dinner Kath–The combination of close-ups looks so cool!
hk says
forbidden rice is so yum, I like this bowl idea 🙂 sounds great!! enjoy your tuesday “off”….even though you seem busy-busy even on those days 🙂
ciao!
Kath says
Lori ,
I suppose so, but the fun is in the exchange and getting a package in the mail 🙂
Run Sarah,
Don’t be scared! I realized that unlike rice (which needs exact proportions of liquid to grain), because you drain beans, you just need to cook them until they are edible. So soak them overnight, change the water, and then just boil on low until they are to your desired consistency, could be 45 minutes could be 2 hours.
Chris ,
No, we don’t have a pressure cooker 🙁 Just simmered ’em.
SSSS ,
I’ve still got a pretty good stock of LaraBars, but thanks for the head’s up!
Oh She Glows,
He’s got a garden post in the making!
Kath
Rose says
Lovely colors in that bowl!
Liesl says
MMmm, the rice and beans look delish! I love beans too!
Your food always looks so yummy, I’m excited to try some of your recipes.
Jess says
You’ve never had a Clif bar!? They’re the best!
Erica says
Your dinner looks SOOOOO good! Jealous of your garden! We haven’t set aside a spot for a garden just yet so I think I’m going to get some patio tomatoes to grow for now!
Elina says
Wow – that’s awesome about the garden. Question… where do you get the brown rice? I think I need to try “the best brown rice ever” 🙂
Christin S says
Kath, “Fiesta DE frijoles”…De frijoles Kath…might as well go all out (lol) just giving you a hard time, thought everything looked scrumptious, I am super jealous! 🙂
Kath says
Elina ,
Harris Teeter.
Christin,
Sorry! I messed up Portuguese too. Keep in mind I write 3 posts a day as fast as I can!!
K
EatingRD says
Thanks for the tip on cooking beans, I’m going to have to invest in a pressure cooker! I’ve tried to make adzuki beans before from dried and they just didn’t turn out with quite the right texture.
Kristen
EatingRD says
Oh and i love your garden! I’m going to try to start one in Vegas in October when it starts cooling down. Any gardening tips that could apply here in Vegas? How do you keep all the buggies off since you guys get a lot of bugs?
Kristen
Kerri says
I love drinking beer out of small cups!
Meaghen says
I’m so jealous of you garden!! It sounds amazing. Eating food fresh from your own backyard is the best food you could ever eat!!
Jon says
You guys are great my wife and I love the garden, do you map it out every spring. Here in Massachusetts it’s still to cold. We plant a field of sunflowers and veggies on our farm.