A Busy Cooking Day Planned

This year I've lucked out and managed to not have a single plan for Memorial Day, so I believe I'll spend the day in the kitchen. It's been a while since I've had an actual "cooking day". 

On the list for tomorrow... 

• no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies
• A big pot of pinto beans. Half will be put up in the freezer and the other half I'll use for... 
• Refried beans. I'm going to make up a bunch of bean and cheese burritos to put in the freezer for my boyfriend.
• A pot of black beans for the freezer. 
• I'm hoping to try out a new recipe for homemade poptarts. 
• And then I'm seriously thinking about trying to make some homemade samoas! (can you tell I've been craving cookies?)

Hopefully this will all work out the way I'm hoping! Wish me luck and be sure to stop back by to check out the recipes as I post them the next few days!  Have a Happy Memorial Day!

Ultimate Recipe Swap: Beans and Lentils

I am not a big fan of beans... which happen to be this week's topic. I have slowly started trying different recipes that include beans. So far I haven't tried one I haven't liked! Last fall we hosted a baby shower for a friend of ours who happened to be vegetarian. She also happened to be craving beans at the time. 

Here is a recipe that was a total hit! 

Bean Salad

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can garbanzos and/or black-eyed peas (I use a can of each)

1 can shoepeg corn

2-3 stalks celery, diced

1/2 medium red onion, finely diced

1 small can sliced black olives, finely diced (my Pampered Chef chopper works great for this)

Fresh (chopped) or dried flat-leaf parsley to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 c. cider vinegar (I use slightly more with 3 cans of beans instead of 2)

1/4 c. sugar

Splash of olive oil

Mix all ingredients through parsley.  Warm the vinegar and sugar till the sugar dissolves, then pour over other ingredients and mix.  Sprinkle with olive oil, salt & pepper and mix.  Chill till ready to serve.  This will last in the fridge for at least a week.

I have also posted recipes for my Quick Chili, and my Beef and Bean Casserole, which both have quite a bit of beans in them. 

Don't forget to stop by Life As Mom to see all the other recipes of the week!!