Black Beans

We eat a lot of black beans in our home but the man child thinks they're not cool. Ok! he says they are yucky and just smashes the miserable suckers into his plate. But I have found a way to get him to eat those, oh so nasty beans.

Normally, the only way I can get him to eat the beans (now bean pancakes dried to his plate) is to have a dessert afterwards or have some kind of motivational bread product. I am perfectly serious when I say he could live on bread alone.*

It never fails that a 1/2 hour later, after eating a beanie meal, he asks for bread or some cereal to help him survive until we have real food in the morning.

But his luck has change...or would that be mine?

I heard you can make Black Bean brownies. Brilliant right? I am a firm believer of hiding veggies and I thought this was worth a try.

Test results:

It did make awesome/can't tell there are black beans brownies. It makes the brownies heavy and fudgy-er. I used a homemade recipe and haven't tried it on a mix, but I think it would turn a mix into fudge rather then Brownies.

The man child ate it! He had no idea that black beans were in there. I even told him they were when he asked for seconds and he didn't seem to care.

He gave me that "whatever" look with his eyes and asked for more.

"More black bean Brownies please."

Ah, there is nothing like pretending a dessert is good for you.

*Isn't there a scripture about this?

Little Town Between Corn Fields and Dairy Farms

This weekend we have been living like Laura Ingalls Wilder. Of course I have to take on the roll of Ma, though it really would be much more fun to be in Farmer Boy (you can not read that book without getting hungry).


The idea was fun for the first 5 minutes and 34 second. Then reality hit me like the smell of dirty dishes. Which isn't an exaggeration because the sink was full, both sides with dirty dishes. And not the easy just rinsed off kind of dishes, but the dried on oatmeal kind.

PART ONE- Saterday

We noticed that there was a strange smell downstairs coming from our water heater. But we had to hurry out to the park for the girls soccer games.


I was so worried about our house starting on fire that on our way home, when I smelled smoke for a minute there my heart panicked and I didn't know if I should to just sit down and cry or be a heroine and run in and save the cats...and pictures, viola and movies, the newly painted furniture because hey, I have spent a lot of time on it and of course the vacuum that actually works and my red tea kettle because I like it and the gee-tar that is not mine...


but it was someone just burning something. Few! My nicely plucked eyebrows were not going to be singed off.


When we got home, the smell (from the water heater-not the dishes) was even stronger. So off went the water heater. No problem. I'm not worried or stressed. How hard can it be spending a weekend without hot water. I'm A-o-k!


Do you know how much a person uses hot water? A (insert stressed word here) TON!*


I took a shower right after the water heater was turned off so I was safe. The kids also needed baths, which we should have done right away, but we waited until later. I did some laundry (only colds) and thought that we were doing great...


PART TWO-Sunday morning.

Only the girls were left to bath but by then the water coming out of the piper was freezing cold.** It took a lot, LOT and more LOT-A-LOTS to get that water up to bathtub ready temperature.


I had all my pots and red tea kettle going. It took two loads of everything I had. *** But bathed they did!

NJ wanted to do the dishes yesterday. Like I was going to say, "No honey. Dishes are awful. You hate doing dishes, remember? Just load the dishwasher." So I boiled her some water for washing and rinsing. She loved every minute of it. ^ I guess she loves playing Little Town Between Corn Fields and Dairy Farms more then me.

It seemed like I was boiling water all weekend long!

Hopeful we will be able to do something about it soon because right now I have the whites soaking in hot water in my huge canning pot on the laundry room floor and I can only fit so many. At least after they soak for a while I don't mind washing them in cold.

Blah!




* I bet that this happened to me because just the night before I read the article about water in the National Geographic. You have been warned. I wash my hands (with handsanatizer) if you get jinked.

** Ok, maybe not freezing, but cold enough that your hand began to hurt after being in it too long. Kinda made it hard for the kids to wash their hands...not that they do a great job of it the first place.

***Just this morning I remembered I have a huge pot for canning. With my stock pot and canning pot I had enough hot water to give myself a bath.

^ I'm jumping up and down right now. I have a daughter who loves to do the dishes! Too bad loading the dishwashing isn't just as fun.

Easter Day

Easter Hunt. Grandma got buckets for all the Grandkids The kiddos waiting for the Easter Egg hunt.

We have some serious tree climbers in our family.

After the Easter Egg hunt we had a dinner together. I was in charge of cooking this meal. I wish that I had taken a picture of the ham. It came out looking beautiful and very edible.

Easter Trip Day 2

On our second day we went to the Zoo. We left early and got to the Zoo right after it opened. The day was PERFECT! Two thumbs, way up to Grandma for planning.

Look at the naughty things you can get away with at a large family outing. Yes, the Dietrichs are a rebellious group, sitting on the fence rather then behind it.

Andrew, happy to not be at home with girls. In his preschool class at Lands' End he is the only boy most of the time.

Hanging with Grandpa.

Just to show you how cool this Zoo was. How many Zoos give Easter Baskets to the animals?
Correct me if I am wrong, but I can't think of any.

This Zoo worker/trainer? played with the baby elephant. It was fun to watch.

See. Isn't this a cool Zoo!

Grandma packed a huge awesome lunch that helped us all stay cheerful.

After eating, the kids ran around the playground for some free time.

Check out the jumping competition. The poor elephant can't jump at all :(

Jordan kinda cheated...

Some of my kiddos favorite animals were those not real. I am sure it is because of my great parenting skills that help develop their highly creative and brilliant imaginations. You know that we never, cough, cough, watch anything on the square babysitter.

Usually when I go to the Zoo I feel slightly bored and exhausted. I have always loved the Zoo, but the older I get I realize that the Zoo is more for the children, but not this time. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Grandma Dietrich took took most of these pictures. She took a lot of cute/ beautiful pictures. Thank you Grandma!

I did focus more on my family but that is not because I do not love the rest of you. Hopefully you will blog about it too. Hint, hint.