Sweet Corn and Black Eyed Pea Dip and Creamy Black Bean and Cilantro Dip (Kacie)

Sparkles had already made the black eye pea dip, so I knew it would be good. I made both of these for our family Labor Day cookout. The black eye pea dip is just great. I just had it for lunch on a salad with avocado, and it was great. This is totally delicious stuff.

The black bean dip is good. What it really is is easy. Just throw that stuff in a blender and BAM you are done and you have a tasty little dip!

I've thought recently that this cookbook has really done well. The recipes are for the most part really tasty and it makes cooking more fun to have a challenge with it! Plus, it's easy for people to give you real feedback on your food. I was able to say, "give me your review--it's not personal, it's for my blog," and most folks were willing to tell me they like the black eye pea one more.

Potato Leek Soup (Kacie)

This was SUCH an easy soup. It is light on ingredients, just throw it on the stove and use the immersion blender. So easy, simple, and seems creamy even though there is no cream!

You know what's complicated that I love? The show United States of Tara. I'm obsessed with it.

Ok, on to the next one! I fell behind blogging, so I'm trying to catch up during nap time. You know what's a crock? Apparently when you switch from one nap to two, you are supposed to get these nice and long naps...not us...anyway...I'm not a fan of complaining, but it's annoying!

Spicy Pickled Carrots and Quick Pickled Cucumbers (Sparkles)

Thug Kitchen authors say you can use these pickled concoctions with all your tacos and burritos or the brown rice bowls.  I also like it on a bed of spinach. 

Black Bean Tortas with Coconut Chipotle Mayo (Kacie)

These were yummy!

Sometimes, the recipes in "The Main Event" section take FOREVER. This one didn't. Blend up the sauce and cook/mash a few beans, assemble, and eat!

My only note is that the recipe makes WAY too much of the chipotle mayo. Who needs that much? I guess I'll try to find other uses for it, but I have a feeling I'll end up throwing some of it out.

Other than that, it makes for a tasty dinner.

Basic Maple Granola (Kacie)

We went to a library story time today with two other sets of twins. My boys love to read and look through books at home, but they are still pretty young for library time. We will keep on going, but we might have to move around libraries so we don't get a bad rap. Quintin was so happy to see all of the other kids that he was running to them, waving, and yelling with joy. Then he was more interested in the pencils at the sign in station (not safe). Maybe he just wants to be a writer.


Anyway, I thought that turning my granola into a parfait would be a lovely afternoon snack after a morning of chasing my little lovable hellions around.

And it was great. I only used dried cherries as the fruit, and it was really nice. I did vanilla greek yogurt, half a banana (Candler kept stealing the slices), some blackberries, and granola.


I would make this again for sure.

BBQ Bean Burrito with Grilled Peach Salsa and Baked Spanish Rice (Kacie)

In the cookbook, they said that this is basically a copy of a burrito from one of their favorite restaurants that shut down. I can see why you would want to repeat it. Yum.

This is basically three recipes in one on a tortilla.

The BBQ beans were tasty. They were pretty spicy, but with lots of flavor.

I maintain that the grilled peach salsa doesn't actually need to be  grilled to be yummy.

The baked spanish rice was easy and tasty!

All together, this was another great dinner.

I thought it was a kind of wild burrito, so it had to pose with our frog.

Grilled eggplant and soba noodles (sparkles)

Here are the eggplants from the farmer's market on their way to dinner tonight. They rode in on the hedgehogs. 

The soba noodles looked just as dapper wrapped delicately in ribbons. 

Together they made a really good dish. The marinade takes the bitterness away from what people usually dislike about eggplant ( or just salt them if you want to make something with eggplant, let sit for 30 min and rinse) and the grilling takes away the mushy if that is your problem. If you already like eggplant and rice vinegar noodle bowls then I recommend this. I grilled in a pan on my stove and the soba noodles were yummy although only at Whole Foods in my area. 

46ish recipes together now!!!!