Tex Mex Rice

Yesterday I worked hard all day. I completely rearranged the kitchen. I found a used small (narrow) entertainment center on Craigslist and bought it for a microwave stand. It also holds a small convection oven and assorted supplies. Now there are counters to use to prepare food. The best part, is that there is now room for both of us to be in the kitchen at the same time and not be in each others way. To rearrange a kitchen is a big task, it includes washing everything and cleaning up the organization in each cupboard.

Mondays are my cleaning, laundry, yard work day, so my day was a bit extra busy. I also change the sheets and the laundry gets folded, put away etc. I was not able to try to keep up on the weeds, but I did keep the date to have the granddaughter for a little fun.

This morning is hard rain, I have been listening to it since 2:00 a.m. The yard will get a good watering, so weeding will be quick and easy. Maybe a couple of nights this week, I can get in an hour in the front, and then next night an hour in the back.

I need to pick the rhubarb, simmer it with orange juice and cinnamon, then sweeten it with honey. That over a slice of yellow cake and a bit of vanilla ice cream is wonderful. I have not planned tonights dinner, but in hearing the rain, it would be a good time to use up that carton of white chili in the freezer, along with some biscuits and salad should keep us happy till bedtime.

With the return to a "green" or simplified lifestyle, along with reuse and recycle, I would like to add rethink. Rethink, what you have and use it in another way. Rethink what you need and what would work, maybe something out of the ordinary. Like a small entertainment center as a appliance shelf. Rethink what is important, and then set in place a plan to complete the project.

My "new" desires are chickens in the back yard, a clothes line, and remove the deck. The deck is where the sun shines and I would rather have a kitchen garden there. The wood from the deck can be reused in the storage shed that needs to be built.

We have a small house, but a happy home. I like comfort and efficiency. I probably won't give up the dishwasher, but probably will return to canning and jam making. I probably won't make my own bar soap, but will make cleaning supplies. I already use vinegar and soda. There is a clean jar waiting to have holes punched in the lid to be a "shaker" for soda, it will be under the sink in th kitchen. There are some great recipes for cleaning supplies on down to earth, a blog that I read. She is an interesting woman, and it is fun to see their home and garden pictures, and learn from her. Speaking of bar soap, if you unwrap the soap and place it in a basket, it will freshen the air, and dry out. Dry soap lasts a long time. It might shrink and crack a bit in the drying process, but the bars once taken to the shower or bathtub will last a long time. You will not see a bar of soap melting in a couple of weeks. If you do not have room for a basket of soap in your bathroom, scatter the bars in your drawers and your clothes will always smell fresh (think sock drawer!).

This is quick and easy, it uses leftover rice* and you could use ground meat of your choosing.

Tex Mex Rice

1 pound ground beef
1 c chopped onion
1 c chopped pepper, any color will be nice
1 T oil
1 t salt
1 t garlic salt
2 t chili powder
1 beef bullion cube
1 16oz can tomatoes, you can use Mexican stewed if you like - do not drain
3 c cooked rice

Crumble beef in large skillet and brown, drain fat and set aside. Add oil, onion and pepper to skillet and saute. Add seasonings and tomatoes with their liquid, breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil, add the beef and cooked rice, simmer 5 minutes.

Serves 6

Enjoy!

M


*freeze leftover rice until you have 3 cups.