at home with ann

I've shared my version of red beans and rice with you before .  But that was almost a year ago, and I found a way to simplify it even further.  My crock pot (are you not supposed to say crock pot? Is that like kleenex and scotch tape?  I can't be bothered) has come in very handy in the past few weeks.  I don't know when I'll have time to cook during the day, but I can almost guarantee it won't be between 6-7 in the evening.  Around 11 in the morning my little guy is usually asleep in the sling, so I can carry him and work in the kitchen at the same time.  Perfect timing for setting up the crock pot.  Of course, you can do all the prep the night before or first thing in the morning if you're fancy and have a job that requires you to dry your hair and wear clothes not made out of yoga material.  Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice Serves 6 as a Main Course Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked brown rice 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 2 stal...

Mardi Gras around here will not involve beads.  It will involve beans!  I am hysterical, I know. I also know that this is probably the furthest thing from authentic red beans and rice, so I apologize if anyone has ever had the real thing and is horribly offended by my interpretation. Totally Inauthentic Red Beans and Rice Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked brown rice 1 Tablespoon canola or olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 12 oz sausage (I used spicy mango and jalapeno chicken sausage) 2 cans red beans, drained and rinsed (I used small red beans, I think kidney are more authentic) 14 oz crushed or diced tomatoes 1 bay leaf creole seasoning (I didn't have anything like that, so I used a mixture of chili powder (~1 tsp) and cayenne (~1/4 tsp) Tabasco sauce (to taste) Start your rice cooking.  I do double the amount of water as rice and cook on low for 30 minutes. In a large pot, heat the oil...