black beans

Tortilla Chip Shrimp with Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salad

I pretty much make the same two New Year’s resolutions every year. Of course I have the usual good intentions of drinking less, eating more brown rice, and reading more non-fiction. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But the two big ones, the two I take seriously are:

1. Floss Everyday

2. Be More Free-Spirited

The main goal I have in mind is happiness. How can one be a good mother, wife, role model, and person if one is not happy? But just saying I want to be a happier person is much too vague. It’s a big world out there and if you don’t have specifics in mind you could easily get off track and end up somewhere pretty weird. Like at a drum circle at Little Beach. (Unless that’s your thing, then by all means- drum away!)

So it’s important to have action steps to stay focused.

Flossing everyday is pretty straight forward, but you can’t be happy if your teeth hurt…so I keep that one on the list.

Being more free-spirited ironically takes some planning. [Read more…]

Smokey Black Beans, Goat Cheese Polenta and Red Chili Tomato Sauce

I am very proud of myself for making this dish. This is one of those “O-WOW” dinners. Why? Because the first time someone bites into this dish they will say “O-WOW!”

This dish came to me at the perfect time, I was having a week of cooking low self esteem. But I’m back now and spicier than ever!

Here’s what happened. It’s pet week at my daughters preschool. If you have a pet you can bring him in for show and tell. We only have fish, and there is not a day that goes by where my daughter doesn’t let me know that we only have fish and don’t have a dog. (I know, I know…)

So a bunch of moms were huddled around a table admiring something. I figured it was another hamster on a wheel, then I heard the words that stopped me in my tracks. “And you made them out of strawberries, that’s sooooo cute!”

Hmmm, I thought, what do we have here? Am I being challenged to a preschool snack day throw down? [Read more…]