Beans and Rice

Almost done with the series, and I'm finally getting around to a recipe.  This one is so easy and good for you!

I cook my own beans, because I like to mix different ones together.  But you can buy (and thoroughly rinse!) whatever canned beans you prefer.  Just be careful, because canned kidney beans often contain added sugar.

You will need:

1/4 c dried black beans

1/4 c dried pinto beans

1/4 c dried kidney beans

1/4 c dried great northern beans

1 c brown rice

1 jar of your favorite salsa (again, watch the ingredients!)

Optional toppings:

shredded cheese

sour cream

diced avocado

diced green onions

diced jalapenos

It's best to soak your beans overnight before you cook them.  But, if you're like me, you'll forget about it and wait until the last minute to start cooking the beans.

Bring the beans to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for a couple hours until the beans are tender.  Make sure you keep an eye on them, or you'll end up cooking all the water out and burning your beans (ahem).  Or, if you remembered to soak them overnight, just put them in the crock pot with enough water to cover them a couple inches cook on low all day or on high for about 4-5 hrs.

While the beans are cooking, cook your rice.

Once the beans are done, drain them.  Mix them in with the rice and add the salsa.  You can stop here and serve the beans and rice, or you can put it in a pan, cover with cheese and bake in a 350* oven until the cheese is bubbly.  I'm skipping the oven part this time, because I don't need to heat up the camper ;)

When serving, let everyone top with their favorite toppings.  

Cooking things in the crock pot is a great way to go in the summer.  It allows you to put supper in in the morning before you get busy with everything and it doesn't add a lot of heat to the house.  You can even set it outside to cook if you're short on space =)

Kam's Story

 
My firstborn, Kamron, was born in April of 2005.
He was the first grandchild on both sides of the family and to my husband and I, he was perfection.
When Kamron was three he was diagnosed with Asthma.  We had already spent most of his life talking to the pediatrician about food allergies but hadn't had him tested because we were told that he would outgrow them.  He also had Eczema and some mood swings. 
Finally when he was five I pushed and had him tested for allergies.  We went to a specialist and did the back scratch test.  He was found to be allergic to every tree and grass near us as well as soy.  (The only food on the test was soy, milk, and eggs.)  I honestly didn't think that the soy would be that big of a deal to take him off of...and then I looked at the back of every cracker package at the store...and I may or may not have cried in the middle of the snack aisle at the grocery store. 
After a month of really watching what my son ate and keeping him on allergy medicine Kamron wasn't having serious outbreaks.  He was occasionally having random asthma attacks and so the allergist and I talked about testing him for other food allergies but the allergist said it would be better to do an elimination diet.  I was gearing up to start playing with his diet but Kamron, ever the firstborn, took matters into his own hands...
He collapsed in the middle of PetCo and was rushed to Children's Hospital via ambulance.  No parent can describe the feeling of helplessness as she watches her child struggle to stay coherent in an ambulance flying down the highway.  As I sat in the hospital praying for my son waiting for my husband to arrive I just knew that he had cancer or some other life threatening illness.  Instead I found out that the ER Physician had no answers for me except that it was not cancer or many other illnesses that he was tested for.
The next day we went to our family doctor and found out that Kamron had a small heart murmur that he would outgrow but he had an irregular heartbeat.  We went on to see two child cardiologists  and had a follow up with the allergist.  In a nutshell, Kamron's asthma and different allergies caused his heart to beat erratically and make him pass out.
From several different books I read we decided to first go off of wheat.  After a month I had a different child!  He could play without getting seriously exhausted, he was not as moody, and his Eczema was clearer!
The next thing I did was to slowly wean him off of processed sugar and artificial dyes.  This was honestly a little bit harder and something we all struggle with, however the end result was well worth it.  I was able to take him off of his allergy medicine and he did not get sick during Spring in Texas!!!  
I am not saying that taking your children off of soy, gluten, processed sugars, and artificial dyes will heal your kids problems but I would definitely try it!

NOTHING IN THIS BLOG POST SHOULD TAKE THE PLACE OF SEEING A MEDICAL DOCTOR! 
***Picture is courtesy of Oh My! Photography***