Chipotle Refried Beans

Oh Kerri, I agree with your entire entry from yesterday.  Paleo is so en vogue now. Blogs may be on their way out too. I technically follow a few blogs, but I don't read them-ever.  I pretty much read them only when I find a link to something interesting off pinterest.  And I too do not need another cookbook. In a way cooking is such a chore and I get tired of it.  But I don't get more tired of cooking than I do of eating crappy food. So I resort to the internet to find new recipes and my books just sit on the shelf. If there is a book I want, I get it from the library. Try it out. If, after a trial, it's worth buying, I force myself to sell or donate a book I already have to make room for the new one. That keeps my accumulation down.

I too find it difficult to keep up with writing a blog. I've got so much going on raising a family that when I have the time to sit down, there's other stuff to do than writing a blog. What's it all for? I don't create new recipes, just share ones I've found, I don't have any followers. Even with my attempts to get people I know interested in my blog, you are the only one who reads it.

I think Paleo is a fad, like Atkins was about 10 years ago. But  I don't know if it's avoiding dairy that makes people healthier, maybe just reducing dairy intake is enough (everything in moderation, right?-unless you are sick).  I think what makes people healthier is a DRAMATIC reduction in SUGAR and a DRAMATIC increase in VEGETABLE intake. I decided to go vegan because I wanted my diet to center around vegetables, not meat. My kids were still very young and I wanted them to start out life not fearing veggies.  I still haven't lost the last 5 lbs of pregnancy weight, but I feel healthier everyday, and that's good enough for me.

I recently was grocery shopping. I rarely pay attention to what others are doing in the store, other than staying out of their way while I navigate the aisles. All this time I thought that Americans had to be listening to all the nutritional advice from the last 20 years about reducing sugars, eating more veggies, reducing processed foods and sodium, etc.... But I was disheartened on two separate occasions at the store. I just happened to look up and see a lady with a cart-full of chips, soda, and processed food.  Then I looked my cart- it's full of produce and whole foods. Ingredients. The same thing happened a few days later. I felt let down. Because - how could this be happening? How could people not be listening all the sensible advice out there? They are hurting their bodies everyday by consuming junk. Don't they know this?

Now maybe she doesn't normally buy that stuff-maybe she was preparing for a party. Who knows. Maybe she has a dual income household and adding cooking as a chore is just too much. I fully understand that. I stay at home and there are days when I'm just too tired or uninspired to cook a meal. My hat is off to working moms who juggle full time jobs and a household at the same time. I don't know how they do it and I'm not sure I could.

But then I think to myself, this is why I blog, not for everyone else, but to record my thoughts and ideas favorite recipes or activities. I can reference the blog entry if I want to find something interesting to make. I'll read comments from my friends, whose judgement I can trust and decide if perhaps it's something I want to try. And perhaps someone will see my entry, like it and word will get out.

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Tostada with Chipolte Refried Beans
from Eat & Run
By Scott Jurek

Another winning recipe from my new hero Scott Jurek. I've never made my own refrained beans before. It was quite easy. I'd totally do it again.  I made it a tostada by adding jarred salsa, black beans and the tomatillo guacamole from this post and they were good, quick and easy to throw together. 

I know some don't prefer the planning involved to soak beans overnight then to cook and strain them. For me it's no big deal. Pretty hands off and I get a huge pay out in the end. Plus, a bag of dried beans is really cheap. 

Get the book Eat & Run by Scott Jurek and look this recipe up. I think it's worth it. I'd just add more chipotle peppers to kick up the heat.