Yesterday both of my daughters had a soccer game after school. I knew I would be busy and not have time to make dinner when I got home at 5pm so I hit the crock pot. I love my “crack” pot, it is so easy to throw a bunch of stuff in and set it for 5-6 hours and out pops a really yummy, hearty meal. So cool. I searched my cupboards for some inspiration and found a bag of dried beans. Normally you need to soak beans overnight and cook them the next day. Obviously I didn’t do that, that would take planning! Instead I hit the internet for a quick solution, what an amazing invention, can you imagine researching this in the Encyclopedia Britannica? Wash your dried beans in cold water and then boil for 10-15 minutes in enough water to cover by a couple of inches then let them sit for a couple of hours. You must do this step because as I also learned on the internet, kidney beans contain toxins. So unless you want a stomach ache and a cleanse don’t forget that step. Next up put all of the ingredients into the crock pot and set for 5-6 hours. You can be creative and pretty much add whatever you want but I’ve also included a basic recipe. When I got home I whipped up some quick corn muffins and we sat down to dinner. I served mine with cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Most everything tastes better with cheese.
Now onto the important part of our evening, American Idol. My daughters and I love to watch together. My youngest often makes signs for the people she is rooting for. She is definitely into the rocker type, dark and moody. I guess the apple does not fall far from the tree. We both love Colton, plus his name alone should guarantee him rock star status. I love to read the blog Reality Rocks by Lyndsey Parker and almost always agree with her. I did think the boys did a pretty good job last night and I have to agree with Lyndsey on who I think should get voted through. Not sure the rest of American feels the same. Here are my picks: Colton, Phillip, Joshua, Creighton, Aaron and Heejun (because he is so funny!). I know I have an extra in there but there is a wild card spot, so we’ll see. I should vote for Deandre since he is a hometown boy but I am not into his swinging hair or falsetto, sorry.