Red Beans and Rice

When it is cold outside, one of the things that I like to make that is simple to prepare and easy to reheat is Red Beans and Rice.  I wanted to share with you a tutorial on how to make this quick and easy meal for those that are just learning to cook or those that are looking for a delicious simple meal for their family.  It is very economical to prepare as well!

First I measure out a couple of cups of dried red kidney beans, then I sort through and remove any broken beans and bean shells from the pot.

 

Soak the beans overnight and drain and rinse well in the morning.  Isn't the color beautiful!

 

Fill the pan most of the way up with water.  I add a chopped onion, 1Tbsp. of minced garlic, and course ground salt about a Tbsp. of that as well.  I also add several teaspoons of Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning.

Cover pot and bring to a boil.  I boil the beans for a couple of hours on low heat.  About an hour before I am ready to serve the beans I add a link of Kielbasa or Polish Sausage.  I make a pan of either brown or white rice and place this in individual bowls with a ladle full of beans on top.  It is delicious and simple!  A perfect cold weather meal.

The Magic of the Christmas Tree

There is something so magical about a decorated Christmas Tree.  We have many traditions in our home and one of them is that we decorate the Christmas Tree the day after Thanksgiving and gradually transform the whole house as well in the days to follow.  This year for whatever reasons the tradition did not happen as usual and the bare tree stood for weeks after taking down the Thanksgiving decorations.  However, the magic came alive when this week we were finally able to decorate the tree in all her glory.  We turned off the lights and it came alive!  It was magical and breathtaking and new all over again.  I noticed as soon as the lights came on, the mood in our house instantly changed.  The children were stirred into decorating, I was inspired to start wrapping gifts and make all sorts of holiday treats.  My husband began to talk about Christmas movies and it was official.  The spirit of Christmas was upon us.  We had been planning for Christmas for quite some time.  We had even traveled to celebrated with extended family for Christmas over the weekend.  Yet the spirit of Christmas at home was suddenly turned on as quickly as the lights were on the tree.  When you walk into the family room your spirits are brightened just by seeing the soft glow of the lights and the glitter of the ornaments.  Mostly it's what the tree represents to each of us.  For me the bestowing of love from me to my family and friends, the joy and delight of my children as they open their packages, and the eternal thankfulness and gratitude I feel when I look at my family gathered around the tree, celebrating life, love and the joy of the season their faces aglow with the soft light from the tree.  As we look underneath the tree I receive the warmest of glow's.  For this space is designed to hold treasures from one to another.  When my children look at the bottom of the tree, they think not only of our family but of others and what we can give and how we can help those that are in need.  This above all warms me the most.  They are able to look beyond themselves and see with their own eyes that love must not be contained.  The joy must be shared beyond the bottom of the tree to be spread like the light on the tree to those that need  it.  I am so warmed by their giving loving nature.  When I see our tree I feel blessed, and I feel great thanks for the ability to share and give, and the ability to teach our children compassion and joy in sharing with others.  May you have the warmest of Christmas's full of joy and delight full of love for one another.   From our home to yours,

* Merry Christmas *