Whimsy Beading - Facebook coupon code contest!

I've got two contests for reaching 500 fabulous Facebook page fans, each for a coupon for 50% off whatever the winner desires in the Whimsy Beading Etsy Shop

The first contest closes at 5 pm today, so there's still time for you to head over and enter!

Pantry Suppers

Growing up, dinner was a "meat and three" affair, but after I moved out of my parent's house, I developed a taste vegetarian/low meat dining, especially when I'm cooking dinner just for myself. Over the years, I've developed a list of pantry/freezer friendly items that I try to keep on hand at all times, so on the nights when I don't feel like going into the kitchen, much less cooking, I have something I can pull together quickly with minimal dishes involved.

Here's my list:

Black beans
Chick peas
Great Northern beans
Cannellini beans
Basmati rice (LOVE my rice cooker)
Minced garlic in olive oil
Sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
Butter
Olive Oil
Soy Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
Penne Pasta
Sour cream
Cream Cheese
Squeezey Lemon
Squeezey Lime
Parmesan Cheese
Feta Cheese
English Baked Beans
Cheese Ravioli or Tortellini
Diced tomatoes
Rotel
Individual servings of table white and table red wine
Chicken stock
Vegetable stock

With these items on hand, I can almost always whip up something easy for dinner. Tonight's dinner is mixed tortellini with toasted garlic brown butter sauce and sundried tomatoes, with Tinto de Verano to drink.

Today's Dilbert

I think George, my house ghost, would appreciate today's Dilbert.

Silver prices just crossed the $40 threshold. Ow, my aching checkbook.

Joey's surgery - Update

Joey will be having gallbladder removal surgery at 11 am on Friday, April 29th. My mother asked me yesterday if I would like her to come with me on that day, and to be honest, I hadn't really thought that far ahead. Everything has been a bit of a blur with everything else I've got going on right now. This is an odd numbered year, so I've got things going on at work that I only do every two years, and on top of that, there's planning for my upcoming furlough day (yay for day off, not so yay for no pay) prep for a craft show we're attending in May, Etsy team stuff (go TeamBluegrass!), Wear the Lilac charity work, filing state income and reseller certificate taxes and just the normal day-to-day stuff like cat feeding, cat slavery, cat petting, cat worshiping, and doggie love.

So, long story short, I gave my mother a blank look yesterday at lunch, then told her it would be fine if she wanted to come up for the surgery. Joey's mother will be there too, and whoever else shows up, shows up. As long as Joey comes out in one piece, less the bit giving him pain, I'll be happy.

Recipe Time - White Bean "Cassoulet"

This is a great pantry friendly recipe for wintertime, and fabulous when the tomatoes are ripe in the summer time. It's both hearty and refreshing and you can make it in one pot. It's not a real cassoulet because the beans aren't cooked slowly with fat, but added at the end. I usually double the recipe to use up a pound of sausage since we don't eat sausage that often, and because it tastes even better the next day.

White Bean "Cassoulet"

½ pound bulk sausage, Italian sausage links, chicken sausage, ground pork, ground turkey or tofu crumbles (if you are using a ground meat/tofu, season it with a bit of Italian seasoning, salt and pepper)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1-2 medium onions, halved and sliced thin lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 1/2 teaspoons mixed chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and/or sage or 3/4 teaspoon mixed dried herbs, crumbled
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves (wash and dry before chopping)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-sodium added diced tomatoes including juice
2 (19-ounce) cans white beans such as cannellini, navy, or Great Northern, drained and rinsed. (or about four cups of homemade cooked white beans)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions
In a medium skillet brown meat in oil over moderate heat, then remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In fat remaining in skillet cook onions and garlic over medium low heat, covering and stirring every few minutes until golden. Stir in herbs (including bay leaf), scallions or parsley, tomatoes with juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover mixture, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. At this point, you're going to look in the pan and say to yourself "Wow, that's a lot of tomato sauce. I thought this was a bean dish?" Just wait.

Slice sausages into ¼" pieces if using link sausage. Add meat and beans to tomato mixture and cook, stirring, until heated through, marveling at how the tomato sauce you thought you had disappeared and turned into a lovely bean dish, accented with tomatoes. Discard bay leaf and keep "cassoulet" warm, covered. Add balsamic vinegar just before serving and stir through. (Don't skip the balsamic vinegar! Seriously, if you don't have any in your kitchen, go get some. You will never want to be without it. It's like Italian soy sauce.)

Serve with rolls or a loaf of crusty bread.

The Charming Miss Phyrra

I was very fortunate to make the acquaintance of Phyrra last year when I was researching indie mineral companies. On top of being completely gorgeous and incredibly talented with makeup looks, Phyrra is a lovely lady to know and a kind, considerate friend. And now, we're teaming up to give you fine folks a chance to get some free Whimsy Beading goodness!

Head on over to Phyrra's blog and check out the lovely goodies that she helped me create and you could win!