Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit....

Beans for breakfast, beans for lunch....we just love beans. One of our favorite hearty breakfasts is made using refried beans, spread over toasted English muffins, topped with a few thin slices of ham, a slice of tomato, then thin slices of cheese. I usually heat up the beans and ham first so it gets nice and hot. Once assembled, it is baked at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until cheese melts (I use my toaster oven). For fun, we alternate slices of Monterrey Jack and mild Cheddar. You have to cut it with a knife and fork to eat it, but you will not be hungry for at least 5 hours after eating this.

Everyone probably knows how to make beans, I use a few ham hocks, a sliced onion, and small red beans. When the beans have simmered 2 or 3 hours, and are nice and tender, remove the hocks and render the meat, smash a few beans against the side of the pot to thicken then, season with salt, a little vinegar, and hot sauce. Serve over pain white rice and make Jiffy cornbread (I use my toaster oven). Serve with additional hot sauce, and onions soaked in vinegar. You will feel full for the rest of the day!

This is a cool lemon from our tree.

Bunnies, Breakfast, and Cattin'

I really just wanted to post the cottontail bunny pictures, but just had to include this shot of my favorite breakfast food which I have been eating almost every day.

As for the bunnies, they show up every morning and evening in our front and back yard to graze on the grass. We usually see two babies and three to four adults. They are so fun to watch and the babies come in quite close. I have some potted plants on the patio and you can tell the ones they nibble on during the night as they leave their calling pebbles all around! We really don't mind that they eat my plants, they are just so darn cute! Miss Kitty seems to be calmed by them rather than hyped up by the baby squirrels at the other house.

Now......this food.....I am telling you, is so good, I think I will never tire of it. I have had it for a snack, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For dinner, I add a can of tuna to the top and make two for Steve.

Here's how it's made (incidentally, this is my take on an old Weight Watcher's recipe which does not call for the lemon, balsamic, salt, or olive oil, but I needed a little more flavor to really enjoy it).

Take a nice piece of rye bread and toast it till it's nice and crunchy, (I like Orowheat Russian Rye, or Trader Joe's Bavarian Rye)

Spread it with the desired amount of cottage cheese, not too much, about 1/4 cup, (I exclusively use Knudsen in the big yellow tub.)

Slice up a nice tomato (on the vine type) and place the slices on the cottage cheese.

Sprinkle the juice of 1/2 of a lemon all over.

Sprinkle with a few dashes of good balsamic vinegar.

Grind a good amount of black pepper over, and sprinkle with a little Beau Monde Seasoning, or celery salt, then a little more sea salt to taste, tomatoes need salt in my opinion.

Sprinkle a scant (about 1 tsp.) EVOO over and eat like a slice of pizza.

You will be hooked in no time. BTW that is a small paper plate, small, golfball-sized tomato, and small slice of bread, and it is not fattening, and in fact I have been losing weight on this food. Between that and the sugar-free iced coffee which I make daily and keep sipping on out of fridge, I think I will survive the hot summer here in paradise.

I thought you would like to see this cute video of Miss Kitty greeting Steve, this is an almost daily ritual they do after he gets home from work and changes into comfy clothes; she loves her some Steve!