When I started this rice and beans challenge I was fairly ignorant. I mean, I knew beans are full of fiber and brown rice is healthier than white, but I challenged myself mostly because I wanted to cut our grocery expenses. Dave Ramsey encourages to get out of debt and live within your means with his popular phrases: ”beans and rice, rice and beans,” “be weird” and “live like no one else so later you can live like no one else.” I needed a daily accountability reminder so I committed to preparing beans or rice every …

Easy, really. I used to only use canned beans because cooking the bags of dried beans seemed like too much work. Plus I liked the convience of canned beans and didn’t always plan dinner far enough ahead to cook the dried beans.
But then I started the beans and rice challenge, and discovered dried beans are much less expensive–a pound bag of dried beans ($1-ish) equals about four 15-oz. cans of beans ($3-ish). Then I found out I could FREEZE cooked beans!! So while I do keep canned beans on hand for a quick …

Welcome to Sneaky Snacks Tuesday where every Tuesday I share a healthier snack idea. Go here to read more about why I started Sneaky Snacks.
The last time I tried combining bananas and beans they turned out awful but I was determined to try again after buying several bunches of ripe (marked down) bananas last week. This time I used white beans–milder than lentils in taste. I was so happy when these muffins turned out super yummy. No bean taste. The chocolate was an added bonus but they would have been tasty without. …

Welcome to Sneaky Snacks Tuesday where every Tuesday I share a healthier snack idea. Go here to read more about why I started Sneaky Snacks and go here to read about why I’m putting beans in these cupcakes!
Ok, I’m not really sure how “healthy” these cupcakes are, but they certainly are sneaky!
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

white cake mix
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup water

In  blender or food processor, puree beans and water until smooth. Add cake mix and mix well. Bake in cupcake paper lined tin at 350F about 18 minutes or until done.
Just a …

Wondering what this beans and rice thing is all about? Read my challenge here.
 

Baked Pasta

2 lbs. ground beef or sausage (or 1 lb. each), browned
1 24 oz. jar pasta sauce
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
minced garlic
chopped onion
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 box pasta (penne, ziti, shells, etc.)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Brown meat; drain. Add chopped onion and garlic to meat and cook for a couple of minutes until tender. Add sauce, tomatoes, beans, and seasoning. Add pasta to …

Wondering what this beans and rice thing is all about? Read about my challenge here.

2 cups beef broth ($0.50–free if you make your own)
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed ($0.70)
16 oz. package frozen mixed vegetables ($0.30)
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained ($0.24)
minced garlic
chopped onion
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. (or to taste) salt
pepper to taste
1 cup dry pasta (free–on sale with coupon)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large pot combine all except pasta. Bring to a boil; add pasta. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Add …

Read about my 365 Days of Beans and Rice Challenge here.
Monday (Day 110): (Lentil) Carrot Cake
Tuesday (Day 111): Creamy Black Bean Soup, rolls
My son declared at dinner that he liked beans. It’s a miracle ladies and gentlemen! This picky kid wouldn’t touch them before I started this challenge! Made this soup up as I went, and we thought it was pretty good.

3 cups cooked black beans
1-2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 (4-oz.) can diced green chiles
1 tsp. salt (or more to …

Wondering what this beans and rice thing is all about? Go here to read my challenge.
All three of my kiddos woke up with the sniffles today so we stayed home from church and spent the day in our sweats cuddled in blankets reading books and watching movies. And I thought it was the perfect day to make homemade chicken noodle soup. I added a little white bean puree to the broth to make it a bit creamy and give it some extra fiber. I also like to use the Smart Taste pasta because it has more fiber …

Wondering what this beans and rice thing is all about? Go here to read my challenge.

We hosted a game night at our house this weekend and it couldn’t be complete with lots of snacks! I had planned to make a yummy-sounding black bean and corn salsa my sister-in-law suggested, but one of our friends offered to bring bean dip, chips, and salsa so I provided drinks instead.
I forgot to take a photo, but I wanted to mention the bean dip because it was so yummy! Put a can of refried beans …

Wondering what this beans and rice thing is all about? Go here to read my challenge.

Went for attempt number two at cream of broccoli soup thickened with pureed beans. This time I used a favorite soup recipe which I’ve made many times before, except that I don’t think I’ve made it since I’ve had kids. I should have taken this into consideration because the soup is made with milk and it has to be stirred constantly on a fairly low heat so it doesn’t scorch. Trying to do that the half-hour before dinnertime …