tgif: black bean & corn salsa.

Why yes indeed this blogger is posting a recipe. I don't think I've ever done that before. I'm not a cook who makes big, fancy meals. Well, not very often these days.
I found this yummy black bean & corn salsa-like salad at the salad bar at New Seasons. It's yummy. And after treating myself to a lovely salad with this black bean and corn mixture and their to-die-for homemade buttermilk ranch dressing, I realized I could probably just make it myself and not pay an arm and a leg for it.

What you'll need:
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can sweet corn, rinsed
3-4 green onions
1 tomato
1/2 a sweet onion or red onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
cilantro

Finely chop the green onions, tomato, sweet onion, red pepper, green pepper and cilantro.
Rinse and toss the black beans and sweet corn in a big bowl.
Toss in all those yummy veggies.
Chop more of any of those veggies you can't get enough of... like tomato. ;)

You can eat as is in a big bowl with a big spoon.
Or you can shred some cheese and make throw a little of that goodness into a quesadilla.
That's what we did.

And I garnished with a little more salsa and a squeeze of lime juice.
Are you drooling yet?...

I know I'm ready for seconds!
And this concludes my first, and perhaps only, recipe blog post.
You're welcome!

Happy Friday, friends!

(And if I ever figure out how to make a delicious, homemade buttermilk ranch dressing I will most certainly share with you!)

52 linked: breakfast.

This, my friends, was his breakfast yesterday. Apples, pistachios and berry juice from Starbucks (and some random foreign coin, which was not for breakfast.) Breakfast is a struggle as of late (along with lunch and dinner.) He used to reliably eat peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Every single morning. Then dad turned him on to Fluffernutters (marshmallow fluff with peanut butter)  without the nutter. And that was the end of that. Now Max claims that he doesn't like PB & H sandwiches. So he eats whatever I can get him to eat these days. He claims his tummy is always telling him that it is hungry for candy or popsicles or ice cream.

I won't be winning the "mother of the year" award anytime soon...

And those apples were still in that bowl at dinner time. And he didn't eat a single one.

(Side note: This is a perfect example of thinking that things around my house are uninspiring and not worth photographing. I really don't like this photo. It's also a perfect example of me procrastinating and taking the photo the day before our Linked Friday. Next week I will not wait till the last minute to take my photo.)

*****

52 Linked 2012 A new theme every week.

A few other friends are joining-in on the adventure.

Please stop by and see their interpretations of our word of the week.

Want to join us? Leave a comment and let me know, and I'll send you more information.

Michelle

Stacey

Tracey

Heather

Jenn

Kristin

Jessica

Amanda M

Lesli

Amanda

  Sara 

Janet

 Tracy

Naomi

Rhonda

Rose

Lena

52 linked: cold

Cold. I don't mind the cold. We get some nice, cold, sunny weather in the winter. And the twice a decade snow storm. I like my room cold when I sleep. And I love that we have air conditioning now that we've moved to Camas (no one has AC in Seattle. Seattlites just suffer through the twice a decade hot summers they get.) I can handle cold temperatures much better than hot. Perhaps that's because you can layer on the clothes as thick as you want. When it's hot there is only so much you can take off, and then you just have to endure the heat.

But cold is the nemesis of my teeth. And nothing makes me cringe more than seeing people bite into and chew a popsicle. Or chew ice. It sends shivers up my spine. My dental hygienist knows - only use warm water in my mouth unless you want to have to peel me off the ceiling. And I will never, ever forget the time when the dentist used a small stick of ice to find the sensitive spots on my teeth. That may be the easiest way to narrow down those areas, but also the most torturous way. Worst. Pain. Ever. It took everything in my power not to slap his hand away from my face.

So, while this peek into my freezer may look "cool" (pun intended), the ice cream and popsicles give me chills (pun intended, again.) But that bottle of whipped cream vodka...delicious in root beer or orange soda.

*****

52 Linked 2012 A new theme every week.

A few other friends are joining-in on the adventure.

Please stop by and see their interpretations of our word of the week.

Want to join us? Leave a comment and let me know, and I'll send you more information.

Michelle

Stacey

Tracey

Heather

Jenn

Kristin

Jessica

Amanda M

Lesli

Amanda

  Sara 

Janet

what to do with all the broken candy canes.

I love the small candy canes that are available this time of year. I need to buy a few boxes to help me make it through the year. A lot of the times a few of them are broken (or in the case of the one box I bought, most of them are broken and Max would only eat the whole ones, but I digress...) So, what to do with all of those broken candy canes? Make peppermint bark! I first made this last year after a neighbor brought some over. And let me say, I just love it. So did my husband and he's not a big chocolate guy.

It's really quite simple to make. You just need really good quality semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, peppermint extract, oil, and broken/crushed candy canes.

Melt the chocolate. Add the peppermint. Spread in pan. Toss some candy canes on-top.

Then chill (the chocolate in the pan, though you are welcome to chill as well.)

Next you melt the white chocolate. Add the peppermint. Spread on-top of the semi-sweet chocolate.

Toss on more candy canes. And chill some more.

I didn't read the recipe well enough this time and used a bigger pan than the 9x9 they suggest.

That chocolate was spread pretty thin.

Once it's all chilled, just break it into pieces and enjoy!

Enjoy!