Ok, so i have much to teach you, my little pumpkins. My experiments are fording new gastronomical streams & puddles. The first thing we need to discuss if we haven't is the amazing (nearly) free food source of soaking your own beans. Don't buy them in a can! It's a huge rip off. You only get like a cup & 1/2 for a buck & change, where the same $ for dry beans goes a long way. I have the big cans from the Welfare Square Cannery of black & white (aka great northern). I like kidney too & pinto. Just soak a bowl of 'em in water overnight or while you're at work or even just a couple hours is ok. Then just bring to a boil, & simmer for....a long time. Like 1.5 hours or so. I did finally get a crock pot so that would be really simple to.

So i recently did so w the white beans, like maybe a quart of them, boiled with garlic, garlic salt, lots of salt & some cayanne (of course). They are awesome just wrapped in tortillas w cheese. Who needs taco bell? I had one yesterday at my computer while charting on my cancer patients & happily averted eating some lucious- looking, but dangerous cookies that would have ruined my day..

The other thing i did w the white beans has been mixing them w this greek-ish rice pillaf i made up. Now the oven is not my strongest arena, but i'm working on it. I suppose that's because you need recipes & i'm clearly not really into that.

Greek-ish Rice Pillaf:

2 cups brown rice

1/4 cup amaranth (a tiny grain like quinoa)

1/4 cup 9-grain hot cereal

juice of 2 lemons

1/2 inch ginger root diced tiny

1 onion diced

like an inch of a butter square or more

what else?.. beef broth 1 can, a bit of parmesano

some of that mrs. dash or somthing like on top

after the butter melts & onions are clear-ish

put the rice & stuff in mix it well & fill the casserole dish up w water

bake at 375/400 for 45 min on the top looks bubbly done.

The key now..is to serve the beans & the rice together WITH WHOLE PLAIN YOGURT.

It rocks with the lemony rice. I put some yellow bell peppers on top too.

Next,

My neighbors made this last night; it was so awesome. They certainly know about food.

Pork loin wrapped in prosciutto

baked with sliced yams & pears!

i think there was balsamic over it?

maybe ACV

it was so lovely, especially the pears.

They say the brussel sprouts @ Eva are important. Keep meaning to go there..

I feel like i had more fabulous discoveries in the kitchen, but i will keep you posted.