Sorry for the silence

I've had quite the weekend! 19 hours in 3 days at a craft show on top of my normal Hillcrest and household duties. All of the proceeds from the craft show went to support Hillcrest - read more about it at my craft blog, Ambistitcherous.

I love FoodBuzz

I am so excited for the upcoming launch of FoodBuzz! It's been a pleasure to work with them so far - especially since they send loot! And not just any free junk. Look at this awesome apron and spatula!!! I love FoodBuzz! View my FoodBuzz profile here. Stay tuned for more info!

Edible or no? Black Bean Brownies

When I saw THIS RECIPE over at Cheap Healthy Good my first reaction was, "UG! Who would eat that?" And then I thought, "but it IS the perfect pantry food, only two ingredients! ... darnit." So yes, I made it. And yes, I ate it. And yes, as of this moment I have survived.

I fed them to two people without informing them of the ingredients beforehand. The first, my husband, loved the texture and immediately said, "I only get one?!?!" and then his face changed and he said, "wait, what's IN this... I don't know if I can finish it." So the initial taste/texture combo was good, but then the beany-ness set in. The second person, my boss (daring, yes I know), enjoyed them thoroughly even after finding out what was in them. She said they had the same slightly- grainy texture as the little debbies brownies but she felt much better about eating these.

My review? I liked them... I think. I'll eat them, that's for sure. :)

Black Bean Brownies

1 box brownie mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1 14- to 15-ounce can black beans

1) Drain and rinse beans, then place them back in their original can. Fill the can to the top with water, and put both beans and water into a blender. PUREE THE CRAP OUT OF IT. There should be no graininess, or too-visible brown specks.

2) Combine bean mixture with brownie mix and follow the remaining cooking directions as listed on the package.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
136 calories, 2.6 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.14

Calculations
Duncan Hines Brownie Mix: 2400 calories, 50 g fat, $2.39
1 can black beans: 315 calories, 1.75 g fat, $0.50
TOTAL: 2715 calories, 52 g fat, $2.80
PER SERVING (TOTAL/20): 136 calories, 2.6 g fat, $0.14

There you have it. And I had this thought... when I was in Japan I consumed more adzuki beans than any human really should (just soaking up the culture) and since they are amazing when sweetened, I think they would make a fantastic substitute for black beans. Would the brownies turn out maroon??? I think I'll have to try it and report back. :)

The Omnivore's Hundred

I found this very interesting list from Very Good Taste through Adaptations the other day and am fascinated with making it a goal to try them all. I looked the ones I wasn't familiar with up at Wikipedia and some of them look wonderful! I've scored 52/100 so far.

Here are the rules:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (Alligator, yes)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush (*want* mmm!)
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi (but this looks sooo good!)
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (blueberries!)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras (do you remember those smoothies, Joy?? ick!)
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda (oh my goodness, I'm getting so hungry!)
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted Cream Tea
38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail (I guess I didn't realize you could eat this!)
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (ants and grasshoppers if you're curious)
43. Phaal
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more (oh if only I weren't still nursing...) :)
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel (oh my... yuck yuck yuck!! It *squished* in my mouth)
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi (pickled plum... oh how I love thee! And miss Japan!)
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores (Friday night!)
62. Sweetbreads
63. kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings or andouillette (this is the only one I'd have to say um... no to)
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill (oh, ok, I'd probably veto this one, too)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
l79. Lapsang Souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom Yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky (woot! That's pantry food at it's finest!)
84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Praise the Lord for Peanut Butter Balls

Yummy, high in protein, and so satiating! How I love every variation of thee!! And I've just discovered two more!!! I wanted to wait until the first of the two was available online before posting about them and Wondertime has updated it's recipes, so here we go!

Powerball Cookies - SOoooooo good!!

Makes 40-48 cookies

Mix together 1 cup peanut butter and 1 cup honey until smooth. Gradually add in 3 cups old fashioned oats and 1/2 cup ground flaxseed. Add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup any

combination of nuts and soft dried fruit(try 1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts and 1/4 cup each of raisins and dried cranberries) and mix gently in your stand mixer or smush together by hand.

Roll into Ping-Pong-size balls and, for maximum presentation value, put in paper mini muffin cups. You can eat them right away, but they'll be less sticky after a night in the fridge. They freeze well too, layered on wax

I used Schmuckers Natural PB and lemme tell you... wow! Thanks Wondertime and thanks to my sister for recommending this recipe!

Peanut Butter and Honey "Truffles"

This recipe from Hold the Gluten tied for second place over at Peanut Butter Boy's PB Exhibition #4 and it's easy to see why!

1 cup DRY milk (I used non-fat)
1/2 cup peanut butter (Crazy Richards Chunky)
1/3 cup honey (local)
1/4 cup ground flax seed (Bob’s Red Mill)

Mix all ingredients together. Form into small balls. Roll balls in coconut, cinnamon & sugar, or cocoa mix. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and enjoy!


So simple! I love it (and loved eating it)!

Angel Food Ministries

Please forgive the silence, I have a teething 6 month old who has been very hands-on as of late. He loves the computer keyboard, so if I were to try and type an entry with him on my lap the results would be humorous at best, but most likely unintelligible.

I've wanted for a while to introduce you to Angel Food Ministries and I grabbed some photos for you when we visited last. Our organization utilizes this ministry every month, but it is especially relevant for families who are struggling to make ends meet at the grocer these days.

What it is/how it works: "Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States." Each month, Angel Food offers a box of fresh and frozen food items with an approximate retail value of $65.00 for just $30.00. The contents vary month to month, but let me tell you from experience that everything is good!

Sample Menu:

• 4 lb. IQF Leg Quarters
• 4 oz. Beef Back Ribs
• 1 lb. 80/20 Lean Ground Beef
• 2 lb. Breaded Chicken Tenders
• 1.5 lb. Bone in Pork Chops (4 x 6oz.)
• 1 lb. Ground Turkey
• 18 oz. Stuffed Manicotti (Cheese)
• 12 oz. Smoked Sausage
• Betty Crocker Seasoned Potatoes
• 7 oz. Cheeseburger Dinner
• 16 oz. Green Beans
• 16 oz. Baby Carrots
• 2 lb. Onions
• 1 lb. Pinto Beans
• 1 lb. Rice
• 7 oz. Blueberry Muffin Mix
• 10 ct. Homestyle Waffles
• Dessert Item

Specials with additional food items are available each month for a little bit more. You can view this month's menu and specials here.

Who is eligible: This is the best part of Angel Food Ministries, everyone is eligible. You don't have to prove income or convince anyone that you need a break - Angel Food understands that food prices are a burden no matter your distance from the poverty line. "Everyone is encouraged to participate. Some churches even encourage participants to apply the money they saved to help someone else in need." And for those who are on that line, Angel Food accepts food stamps and never sells expired or low-quality items.

Where to find Angel Food: "Angel Food Ministries distributes to nearly 4500 volunteer host sites across the nation, who in turn provide boxes of Angel Food to individual families. " Angel Food isn't available in every state yet, but the website says that over 200 new host sites are added! To find your nearest host site, click here, and sign up to *be* a host site if this ministry could help those in your church or organization.