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 waffles!
We usually make waffles on the weekend for brunch or an easy Sunday evening dinner. A few weeks ago Jared said, “Hey you should come up with a waffle with BEANS in it!”
Well, you know I love a challenge so I played around one morning and came up with a recipe I was pretty happy with. Not …

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 …

Wow, if this challenge was like having a baby we’d be half way done! Crazy. Anyway, go here to read more about my 365 Days of Beans and Rice Challenge.
Week 20
Monday (Day 138) : Steak Fajitas, black beans and corn

Tuesday (Day 139): Orange Chicken over rice
YUUUUM. I can’t wait to share this recipe with you. It was sooooo worth it!

Wednesday (Day 140): Leftovers
Thursday (Day 141): Black Beans over rice, Garlic Bread, Salad, Brownies

Friday (Day 142): BLT Rice Salad, Garlic bread, fruit

Total experiement and I didn’t really like it. The flavors were …

This post is part of my 365 Days of Beans and Rice Challenge.
It was the evil hour before dinner. You know the one. I had no idea what to make for dinner, the were kids starving, hanging on my legs, bickering, the baby was waking from her nap, and the phone kept ringing.
Every week I swear I will plan my meals ahead of time to eliminate this relentless time, but Monday came and went and it didn’t happen once again and I’ve been floundering every day this week. 
Anyway, so the hour before dinner I’m searching the fridge trying to figure out what to make. …

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 …

Read about my 365 Days of Beans and Rice Challenge here.
Monday (Day 131): Tuscan Calzones with marinara dipping sauce, fruit salad  
(WE LOVED THESE!)

1 batch pizza dough
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked from dry)
1 box (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
1 tsp. basil
2 TBSP olive oil
minced garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
shredded mozzarella cheese
marinara for dipping (we used Classico pasta sauce)

Mash beans. Mix in spinach and seasonings. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Add a scoop of filling to each and top …

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 …

Read about my 365 Days of Beans and Rice Challenge here.
To paraphrase my mother-in-law, ‘It’s nice to have a plan. Know that the plan won’t always work.’
That’s how I feel about this week. I didn’t stick to my plan very well.
Monday (Day 124): Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, rolls
Tuesday (Day 125): Mexican Noodle Bake with black beans and corn, cornbread

This worked in my head a lot better than in the pan. I thought it was just okay so I’m not going to share a recipe. Luckily my husband liked it–there …

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 …

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 …