Black Beans and Rice...Mmmm!!!!

Black Beans and Rice
adapted from the MOMYS cookbook, courtesy of J. Wilson


I made this the other night and my family was so impressed! It's often a difficult thing to please eight people with the same meal, but even the baby enjoyed this one! The way I've written it out will serve 10-14 people so you may want to divide it or freeze half if you're not feeding that many!

*4 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*4 c. chicken broth (I used water and bouillon cubes...cheaper that way!)
*2-3 c. diced smoked beef sausage
*1 tsp. dried oregano, 1-2 tsp. cumin powder
*2 TBS. red wine vinegar
*8 c. cooked rice
**This recipe also calls for 1 diced onion and 1 diced green pepper but I did not add these to ours.

In a large stock pot, saute onion and bell pepper (if using) in oil until tender. Add garlic and ham and saute a few minutes longer. If you are not using the onion and pepper, just mix all ingredients (make sure meat is pre-cooked) except rice in a large stock pot and cook 1-1.5 hours. Stir occasionally. This will thicken the longer you cook it--especially if you leave the lid off. I left the lid on for the first half hour and then took it off for the rest. Serve over rice or mix cooked rice in at the end. This is good with cornbread or other country bread.

I've Got a New Look!!

Has everyone seen my new look? Thanks to Rachel at Bubbly Nature Creations, my blog is now the most adorable on the block! Check out her site for lots of cute ideas and please consider her the next time you need a refreshing new look for your blog. She's also got some great free craft tutorials and recipes posted there, as well as some tips on taking your own professional-looking photos on a budget!

Thanks, Rachel, for taking the time to make my blog so cute...I love it!

Am I Complete?

Colossians 2: 8-10: "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."

How many times do we go looking for someone or something to "complete" us? If we are single, we say we need a spouse to complete us. If we are married, we say we need children to complete us. After that, we start saying things like, "If only I...was not so overweight, would gain a little weight, didn't have this debt, had a cleaner home, owned my own place", etc.

We have this sense that we, in and of ourselves, are not enough. We know that we are lacking, so we go on a quest to lose the weight or adopt the newest organizational system or find the perfect spouse. So why, when we do finally accomplish these things, do we still feel the empty spot? Why do we immediately recognize the next big thing that needs to happen for us to feel complete?

The problem is that while we know that we are lacking--that we, in and of ourselves, are not enough--we are going in the wrong direction to find that fulfillment. Verse 9 says "in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead"--the Three In One--the Trinity...and we are complete in Him. We have been cheated and lied to--and we have bought right in.

The Bible gives us a caution--that we wouldn't be cheated or deceived by the traditions of men or principalities of the world. Have we made the world's deceptions our truths? Has media and magazine covers become our gospel?

The funny thing about God is that He knows our hearts. He knows and understands that empty place where we feel the need for completion. What's more, He knows exactly what we need to fill it. We can find all we need in Him.

Even in Christ, completion won't come by forgiving our brother or cleaning up our act. Yes, those things are important and that time will come, but it can't come until Christ has our hearts. Completion and fullness in God must first take place in our hearts as we surrender everything to Him and ask Him to teach us and to work on us in His timing. Once this surrender to Christ is complete and we are being filled by Him, we will begin to emulate Him. People will begin to see Christ in us as we forgive our brother and get our act together one step at a time through Christ.

My challenge for myself and my readers today is to not accept the lies and traditions of the world. Instead, invite Christ to fill you with his truth and power and find completion in Him.