Refried Beans

Thanks to Leann Georgeson, our dear friend from Seattle, for this great recipe idea. She says it's a fine way to mix in lots of nutrients--even spinach--so her son, Jeremy, will eat it. I thought the recipe was smart for keeping burritos from being too boring, and it proves how easy it can be to make the filling go as far as it needs to for however many mouths you are feeding. When you run out of flour tortillas, you can just use the beans as a base for nachos.

Cost to Make Burrito Filling

• $0.79 Organic Fire-roasted Tomatoes (Publix, plus coupon)
• $1.19 Taco Bell Vegetarian Refried Beans(Publix)
• $0.86 Black Beans (Walmart)
• $0.86 Pinto Beans (Walmart)
• $0.25 Corn (Aldi)
• $0.50 Onion (Costco)
• $4.45 Total serves 6-8 persons depending on size of burrito

Recipe for Bean Burritos

• 1 diced onion, sauteed
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can sweet corn (or frozen bag of equal portion)
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can black beans

Cook onions in a skillet first. Open the cans and add the ingredients, stirring until mixed and warmed through. Place in serving bowl and on dinner table with warmed tortillas to make burritos. Toppings may include but are not limited to, salsa, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salad greens, and black olives.

Cost Per Person $0.74

I just got Gourmet Mag's June issue in the mail two evenings ago and have only been able to glance through it for about 10 minutes while also talking on the phone at the same time. (I know all about what happens when you multi-task. That is why I'm not promising I read everything properly.) This issue seems to have interesting information about tofu and a number of fabulous summer recipes that would appeal to meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. I have attached links to topics that are available on Gourmet.com. Otherwise, I recommend making a trip to your local library and check it out--although you'll be surprised with all the vegetarian recipes considering the large slab of steak(?) on the front.

Homemade buns and condiments to go with vegetarian barbeque

Grilled Avocado, Fresh Corn, Romaine and Chipotle-Caesar Salad Dressing

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

Eat Like a Rabbit is home from a fabulous field trip to study food across the Atlantic. The experience was incredible, and I invite you to stay tuned to the entire story of the trip with specific reviews of restaurants. Unfortunately, we are suffering from jet lag and are trying to get back into the swing of things both at home and at work. ELAR prides itself on sharing pictures of food and other experiences and therefore will delay in posting stories about the trip until the photos and/or videos have been edited. Please forgive the delay.

This is a report on three trips to the newest Aldi in town. I have enjoyed shopping at Aldi and enjoy trying new items. I have spoken with some people who think that Aldi is a horrible idea. They don't want to bring their own bags and do not realize they are nice, thick, strong bags. I also hear complaints that the items are not brand-named. These are obviously people who have been fooled by marketing. Mind you, I don't complain about the concept of marketing. After all, that's how my husband makes a living. But I have found items such as Pine Sol, Colgate, Pringles, Anchor, and the same names I see on produce at Costco. I give these people the benefit of the doubt and call it an oversight.

We're big fans of Mexican, and generally don't mind a visit to Taco Bell when it's good. However, since Taco Bell has come out with a line of products in grocery stores, we prefer to do Taco Bell at home. We use the vegetarian blend refried beans and on occasion their medium taco Sauce. Most of the time Paul likes his Cholula sauce instead. It has a stronger vinegar taste.