Meatless Monday
Well, the frugal grocery trip is complete and I kept it under $100! There is little health food involved in that, but then again we will be eating from our garden and eating beans (not every day) which are totally healthy.
While I was making my menu plan I remembered something. My parents used to buy me a subscription to Quick Cooking Magazine. I got it for probably 4 years so I have a lot of issues. Then they changed up the whole format of the magazine and I didn't like it anymore so I don't get it now. (I think it's called Simple and Delicious now.) But in their old May/June 2003 issue there is a recipe for Bean 'N Rice Burritos and it's good. It's in the section called "Centsible Foods---Fast and Frugal". One of my favorite sections! I thought I'd share it. (thanks Susie Kohler from Missouri)
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ox) diced tomatoes, drained
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups cooked rice
12 flour tortillas (7 inches), warmed
4 ounces processed cheese (Velveeta), cut into 12 slices
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
In a large skillet, combine the beans, tomatoes, garlic powder and cumin; heat through. Stir in the rice. Spoon about 1/3 cupful off-center on each tortilla. Top with cheese. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. Sere with sour cream. Yields 6 servings.
So that's our frugal meal for tonight. In 2003, two of these would cost .89 cents!
Back Home
Getting away for the weekend was JUST what the doctor ordered. I do not feel overwhelmed by the house today. This is a good thing for a Monday! Bills are paid, groceries bought, and the house was pretty clean when we got home. I'm ready to tackle Monday!
Indoor Fun
It's really almost too hot to play outside in the afternoons. Our small window of spring and acceptable outdoor weather is closing fast. Last week it was cool in the mornings and we did take advantage and spend a lot of time outside. We've enjoyed our back patio this spring and with no rain, S has been home a lot to enjoy it with us. (Grass isn't growing) But we are fast approaching the time when parks are out of the question unless you like scalding your skin off on the equipment, getting sunburned, and roasting while you observe your whining children for signs of heat stroke. Parks in Texas in the summer? Not so much.
So we have the blessing of a pool and obviously we will be swimming a lot this summer. But what to do after that? We are going to be in this house a lot. It's been so nice having the kids spend hours outside that I'm really dreading us all being indoors every day.
That makes me glad that we aren't done with school. We might as well be doing school as you can't go outside! Still, it's almost time to rearrange the toys, make some more homemade play dough, and brainstorm a list of "Things You Can Do Besides Bother Mommy."
So I wanted to ask what you do in the summer when it's too hot to go outside?
And also....our garden is producing tomatoes now and in about a week I am going to be overrun with them. I have never canned anything in my life. Help!! What do I do with all the tomatoes????
Do you have any help for me and my tomato problem?
I would appreciate your help on these 2 matters.
Thank you.
I'm so with you on the park thing. Why don't the people who make parks actually plant TREES around them so that there's some shade over the stuff? Part of the reason we decided to school year round was because the "stuck indoors" summer stir-craziness drove us all batty! So I guess I won't be sad that we'll be working through August ;-)
ReplyDeleteOne of the kids' favorite summer activities is washing the car. And bathing the dogs. Anything that involves a hose and the potential to get wet. It's not an indoor activity, but... oh well. Its about the only time our cars and dogs get so clean!
No clue about tomatoes, I've only canned fruit jellies. Sorry!
I actually can mine in the oven. It's not recommended by the USDA, but I've never had any problems.
ReplyDeleteThat recipe sounds good!
ReplyDeleteHere we have the opposite problem winter is the time that we stay inside all the time. It is just now getting nice enough to spend hours at a time outside.
I have personally never canned anything either, but my mom cans wonderful, spaghetti sauce, salsa, and stewed tomatoes with her extra tomatoes. We like to make pico de gallo, tomato sandwiches, or just plain fresh diced tomatoes in cottage cheese. Yum! We can't plant our veggies outside until June 1, but I can't wait for fresh tomatoes.
I blog, what else? When my kids were younger, there wasn't much to do in the summer time. We lived too far from a pool. They stayed inside and read books or watched tv. They also enjoyed playing with toys or playing video games. Sometimes they'd roller blade or ride bikes if it wasn't too terribly hot out.
ReplyDeleteTo do indoors - study. Take a big academic break at the end of the year during the holidays instead.
ReplyDeleteTo do with the tomatoes - bring them to me, thank you very much. Can spaghetti sauce! :)