The Things We'll Do...

I'm such a sucker.  Normally, I don't give much thought or care to stuffed animals or other toys (I have been known on occasion to purge some when the kids aren't looking...shhhh) as they are usually left in a corner somewhere gathering dust.  However.  My heart is breaking right now because we can't find kid #3's green "plushie" frog, interestingly named "Black Beans" - the stuffed animal of choice for well over a year.  I have held him off at bedtime for a few weeks saying "Black Beans must be downstairs, have Pooh Bear tonight"...but there has been no sign of the frog anywhere.  What has finally put me over the edge (I'll explain in a few) was at bedtime tonight...my sweet little boy was saying goodnight, snuggling in, and all of a sudden looks at me with big tears in his eyes and says in the saddest little voice, "I guess I lost my little froggy", then turns into his pillow so I can't see his sad face.  Oh, Lord.  It was all I could do not to burst out into tears right then and there.

Which brings me back to the sucker part.  I immediately went online to purchase another Black Beans until I realized you can't buy them anymore, except on Ebay.  New, for $60 a piece.  Or, I can get a used one....$20 plus shipping.  Ugh.  Might just have to get over the "ew" factor and pony up for a used one.

Anyway, it's amazing what we'll do for our loved ones...whether it's a favor, playing taxi, attending functions which you would never otherwise even consider going to...you know what I mean...it's not really ever an issue to say yes when you know they really need you.  And I believe it's totally reciprocal...while you might really be wishing you were elsewhere, or doing ANYthing else, knowing you made someone else happy makes it all worth it.  And being fully able to count on someone else...that's a true gift.

(and yes, I just purchased another "Black Beans"...but I'll never tell new or used!)

Side note:  Congrats to Kyle Cyphers and his family for staging a successful and very meaningful event to raise awareness and donations for our troops overseas.  It was incredibly moving to see and hear about all the support from seemingly all over the place...and good luck as he's deployed to Afghanistan next week...you'll be in our thoughts and prayers while you are stationed abroad.

                                                                            

So, in honor of our friend Black Beans returning to our house, here's a great alternative to the regular ol' cookout burger...courtesy of Whole Foods (click here).

Homemade Black Bean Burgers

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained 
1 egg 
1/2 yellow onion, chopped 
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs 
1 teaspoon dried oregano 
1 teaspoon dried basil 
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or granules 
Salt and pepper to taste 
Hot sauce to taste 
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive or canola oil 
6 whole wheat hamburger buns 
6 green leaf lettuce leaves 
2 tomatoes, sliced 
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Method

Put beans in a large bowl and mash well with a fork. Add egg, yellow onion, bread crumbs, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Mix well to combine then shape into 6 patties. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange patties in a single layer (working in batches, if needed) and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to buns, top with lettuce, tomatoes and red onions and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 8oz/222g-wt.): 290 calories (70 from fat), 7g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 35mg cholesterol, 450mg sodium, 47g total carbohydrate (10g dietary fiber, 7g sugar), 12g protein