In My Kitchen

I'm a bit under the weather right now.  Nothing serious, just a cold, so I've still been doing a bit in the kitchen.  Along with just trying to serve good, (mostly) nutritious meals in my house, I'm also trying to use up a lot of things.  I'd like to streamline my pantry a bit if I can.  

Yesterday I discovered that somehow there were still two acrylic contains in my bulk pantry.  I thought I had given all those away, but I suppose I just missed these two.  I've moved over completely to glass jars for my bulk items.  

These both had dried beans in them, and although I knew they must have been there a while, I decided to give all those beans a good soak and see if they would 'cook up' properly. 

Awaiting their new home with someone else!

One contained 2 cups of black beans.

The other contained 2 cups of pinto beans.  The small white navy beans you see below were from a non-bulk bag I found in the cabinet.  

I cooked the navy/pinto beans, then added the fixings for chili (tomato paste, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes--really just whatever tomato products I have at the time--onion, bell pepper, chili pepper, and TVP that I am also trying to use up.)   I wound up with 3 pint and 3 quart jars of chili in my refrigerator when all was said and done.  The black beans were cooked up separately and will be bagged and frozen in 1-cup servings for use in soup or chili in the future.  

Yesterday was also the day to make up a new batch of oatmeal.  We add nuts (usually walnuts), ground flax seed, hemp seed, dates, raisins/dried cranberries, a bit of salt, and cinnamon to ours.  I believe Mr. GV also adds some agave.  Yesterday I added some goji berries, since I found a partial bag in a cabinet.  

No picture to go with this, but we are working our way through Mr. GV's stash of tea bags as well.  I admit, a couple years ago when I found that Big Lots had organic tea bags in a brand that Mr. GV likes, I stocked up.  Maybe too much, because it has taken quite some time to get through them, even with 2 servings equaling 3 teabags.  

Junior Gardener

Our local organic farm offers a club for children. Each month they do a different craft and learn about an aspect of nature.  J has always seemed interested in how plants grow, and loves scientific information, so it seemed a good fit for him.  

The first meeting for the year was in February, and it was snowing just a bit as we drove there.  J got to catch some snowflakes on his tongue.  

Listening to information about herbs.....

Getting some help making his soap

So proud!  He made 2 bars of soap and a lavender sachet/necklace.  

Dogs and Veggies

My dogs enjoy a good raw vegetable every now and then.  Large organic carrots make a great substitution for chew bones.  

Milo likes to beg for his veggies.  Here he is with a piece of collard he was about to run off with.  And he is particularly fond of baby carrots, so anytime I am getting Mr. GV's work lunch together, I have to hand over a carrot or two.