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Easy Cajun Red Beans and Rice You Can Make at Home

Huge thanks to BUSH’S Beans and Soapbox Influence for sponsoring this post and letting me share my easy Cajun red beans and rice recipe. All opinions and photos are my own.
#BushsBeansFallFlavors

I have a special fondness in my heart for New Orleans. My husband and I spent time there on our honeymoon 20 years ago. We didn’t have a lot of money to travel and we both decided we’d love to go somewhere in the country where neither of us had been before. We had always wanted to visit NOLA so we decided that was the place to go. It didn’t disappoint. Despite the cold weather and rain (hey, it was December), we had a fabulous time. So much so that I’ve become a fan of all things Cajun and Creole.

We always knew we wanted to take our kids to visit one day and last year we got the chance. We took a Caribbean cruise that left from the Port of New Orleans so we made plans to spend a little extra time in the city before and after the cruise. My oldest daughter is quite the foodie and she fell in love with the city just like I did. Because, honestly, the food!!!!!

My girls and niece and nephew in New Orleans.

I have NEVER had a bad meal in New Orleans.

Living in Southern California, we don’t have many opportunities for those New Orleans dishes, so I try and make them as often as I can. I’m pretty partial to New Orleans style BBQ Shrimp, and I love a good Jambalaya. But, when you just need some serious comfort food… there is nothing like a pot of red beans and rice. It’s fast. It’s cheap. It’s easy. And it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Just perfect for fall and winter. So without further ado, my red beans and rice recipe.

Ingredients:

2 – 14 oz. cans BUSH’S® Dark Red Kidney Beans
2 – 3 large sausage links of your choice (Traditional red beans and rice call for Andouille sausage. I used chicken and apple sausage but you can experiment with all types of varieties.)
1 cup cooked white rice
Cajun seasoning (store bought is fine)

Prepare rice as you normally would. While it’s boiling, you can slice your sausage into about 1/2 inches pieces and grill/saute them on the stovetop OR keep them whole and grill them outdoors and then slice them up.

When the sausage is done, add 2 cans of Bush’s Dark Red Kidney Beans to the pan. Do not drain the beans because you’ll want all that liquid goodness for the rice to soak up.

When the rice is ready, add to the beans and sausages. Stir well. Add in the Cajun seasoning and mix. Use a small amount at first. You can always add in more if you want it spicier or more flavorful.

That’s it! Really… no soaking beans or spending hours over a hot stove. You have a one-pot meal that will fill you up fast.

Pick up all the varieties of BUSH’S Beans at Walmart and keep that pantry stocked anytime you need a hearty and nutritious add-in or add-on to your meal.

Check out my previous post for additional ways to add beans to your diet.

business

3 Things That Will Get Your New Business Off the Ground

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good paper planner just as much as anyone. But lately I’ve been reading a ton of articles with advice on how to get more business, make more money, live your dreams. The one thing they all have in common is making plans. Plans like lists and vision boards and power sheets and journaling, among others. While plans are great to know where you are going, I can’t help but feel like all that “planning” isn’t really moving you forward. Honestly… a wonderful business plan is great except when you don’t actually end up following any of it.

What is holding you back?

I think for some of you, you are using all that planning as an excuse for not doing the important stuff. I know I am guilty of it too. We need to start taking action… and action doesn’t mean making another list or buying another fancy planner. That planner isn’t going to get you anywhere. Except a little more in debt.

So here is what you need to do if you REALLY want to make a change.

Do ONE thing each day that will benefit your plan, whatever that is. Make a phone call, write an email, work on some coding, sketch. If you want to start a new business, reach out to a connection, do some research, scout a location, create a budget. This could even be reading up on a new marketing strategy or writing a blog post. But you MUST do something to move you forward.
Ask for help. Now what I mean by this is start looking around at what you can outsource. Do you really HAVE to cook every dinner yourself or can you have your spouse pick up take-out one night? Have a neighbor take your kids to school one day a week so you can carve out an extra 20 – 30 minutes of time to work on your plan. Have you been stuck for days on a new logo? Have someone else work on it. Talk to your friends – maybe you can help them with something you are great at and they can take something off your plate that they are good at.
Make time for you! Really! When you think you don’t have any more time in the day for yourself (especially when you are trying to start something new), do it anyway. Get your nails done, stop at Starbucks, walk through Target (and obviously, you’ll now know where to find me). Those little moments of doing something for yourself will exponentially increase the drive and passion you have for your business. You never know where a new idea will come from and if you don’t get out into the world, those ideas will be popping into someone else’s head.

And if you are REALLY interested in moving forward with your business plan, sign up for The Master Plan Course which will be FREE on Facebook on September 29 from 11:00 am – 12:30 pm. This is a beta we’ve been working on to give you a way to actually get things done. It’s not a planner… it’s a PLAN to simplify your daily/weekly/monthly tasks and be productive! Join our Facebook group today before we start charging for the information.

family technology

You Need the CUJO Firewall in Your Life

I received the CUJO Smart Firewall from Best Buy for the purpose of a review. All opinions and images are entirely my own.

With the recent Equifax hacking that exposed a huge portion of the population’s private information, it’s even more important these days to do everything you can to protect you and your family. My husband and I both have our own businesses and we work out of our home. I am always concerned that our computers will be hacked or be exposed to some kind of cyber virus. Seriously, it’s on my mind a lot. When Best Buy gave me the opportunity to try out a new home firewall product, I knew I had to do it. Enter… CUJO!

Am I a big Steven King fan? You bet I am. I loved reading the book Cujo when I was younger so the fact that this new firewall is named CUJO makes me all kinds of happy. (For those of you who don’t know… Cujo was the name of a rabid dog in the book by the same name.) The point being that nothing got by Cujo… and I’m banking that nothing will get by this CUJO either.

So… what is it exactly?

CUJO is a smart firewall that is super easy to install at home. You plug it in directly to your WiFi router and it will provide business-level security to your home network. It will detect things like hacks and viruses and will also block malicious sites… SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT!

We’ve all had malicious sites pop up on our computers, right? Even with great safety software installed, it’s hard to keep those nasty sites out of our business. CUJO is like an antivirus for the entire network. And… if that isn’t awesome enough… it has a feature that lets you control what your kids are accessing online. Go on… do a little happy dance. Keeping our kids safe? Gimme a HECK YES! This little product will protect our computers AND our mobile phones… AND our kids’ tablets. All in one!

Just plug in, download the app, and feel an overwhelming sense of safety.

Let me share some more about the kid aspect.

So, you have these parent controls that let you set up an internet filter on your kids’ devices. YOU manage what sites they can and can’t go to. And, you can manage how much TIME they even spend on those darn things. Now, I love that my kids have mobile phones and iPads… but I don’t love how much time they spend on them in a day. It’s great to be able to limit their access… like during homework-time and dinner-time. And you can easily monitor what social media platforms they are using. You can’t be too safe these days. The beauty is you can do all this from the app on your device. You don’t have to install crazy things on their devices. Love this!

What do you think? Could you use a product that protects your online security and your kids?

family parenting

Did You Show Up Today?

I’m the mom of three daughters who run in completely different circles. My oldest is a senior and heading to college next year. My middle child is immersed in her love of robotics and competes nationally. My youngest just started junior high and is in the process of discovering what really makes her happy. I parent them all the same… and different. It depends on the day and time and need.

I have friends who have one child. I have friends who have 7 children. I have friends who work full-time and ones who are stay-at-home moms and ones who are somewhere in between. Amongst all our kids, there are some who are honor scholars and some who are failing. Some play sports, others read books. Some are addicted to the internet and others just want to watch TV all day. Some succeed. Some struggle.

And with all these differences, it’s hard to always be the parent they need. Sometimes it’s damn near impossible. It’s exhausting… and frustrating… and disappointing. And we don’t have time for ourselves or for our husbands. And we feel like we’re failing. Hugely failing.

And we look at each other and think the grass is greener over there. And in our hearts we know it really isn’t. But something has to be better than this.

And at the end of the day, when we climb into bed, even though some of us know we’ll be hopping back out when the baby cries in about 10 minutes, we wonder if we are totally screwing them up. We all think it. The ones who have just had their first babies and the ones that have already sent their babies off to college.

We didn’t do enough.

We didn’t care enough.

We didn’t love enough.

We didn’t read enough.

We didn’t play enough.

We didn’t cook enough.

We didn’t clean enough.

We didn’t hug enough.

We didn’t travel enough.

We didn’t DO enough.

But what did we do? We showed up. Ever day. Every damn day.

We got out of bed.

We managed to kiss the boo-boos.

We filled out the paperwork.

We got them to school. And home again.

We kept them fed.

We kept them clothed.

We took care of them when they were sick.

Did we DO enough? It doesn’t matter. No parent will ever think they did enough. The fact is… we showed up. We showed up when it was important. And our kids saw that. And sometimes it doesn’t matter how well we did. It just matters that we did.

beauty

IASO Skin Care Products

Full disclosure: I’m not a beauty blogger. Not like I really had to tell you that, but since I don’t regularly post about makeup and skincare and fashion, it’s kind of a big deal when I actually find products that I love and want to share. That was the way it was with IASO. I received a box of goodies to sample before the ConnectHER Media Conference this past weekend. IASO was our title sponsor and I’m pretty careful when promoting products – they have to be high quality and I have to use them myself on a daily basis.

The first thing you’ll notice with IASO is the packaging. Beautiful. I’m kind of a sucker for pretty boxes and these were almost too gorgeous to open.

I always hesitate when trying new products because honestly, most of them don’t work. I’m not sure if it’s me or I’m just not using the right ones, but after using the IASO products for 2 weeks, I’m loving all over them!

IASO (pronounced ee-ya-so) is a brand of Korean skincare products using only premium ingredients and recently took 1st Place in Skin Care at the 2016 Korea Consumer Satisfaction Index. Personally, I love everything about these products: the way they look, the way they smell, and especially the way they work.

These are what I’ve been using.

First, I wash my face every morning and night with the IASO Ghassoul Black Cleansing Oil. Made with Morrocan Ghassoul Clay, Bamboo Charcoal Powder, and Moringa Seed Oil, this is a super light cleanser that gets rid of all the blackheads and fine dusts living in your pores. Rinses completely clear and makes your skin feel amazing. Don’t let the black color fool you… this doesn’t turn your skin black in any way.
Next, I use the IASO Intensive Clear Conditioner. I use it with a cotton ball after cleansing. This is a retexturing lotion and I love it because it helps reduce the oil in my skin (without drying it out too).
My favorite product is the IASO Progressive Age Care Serum. Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s a miracle worker. Reduced those fine lines and wrinkles and oh boy! do I have those. This also evens out my skin tone and lightens those horrible age spots. My husband always tells me I have soft skin but this really makes it so.
I don’t use this every day like the above items, but I do use it a few times a week… the IASO Extra Hydro Cream. I use it when it’s super hot out and I know my skin will be taking a beating. It gives a little extra protection and reduces the amount of dirt and oil that will cling to your face.
Once or twice a week I’ll use the IASO White Peeling Gel. This stuff is fantastic. It’s a gentle scrub that will remove all that dead skin and leave you glowing. You need such a tiny amount of it that this is a huge bargain and will last you months.

Since I’ve become a huge skincare fan, I am dying to try their makeup too. That will be my next purchase. And in October, they are coming out with a nail polish line (ooohh and ahhh).

Have you tried IASO products or do you think you’d like to?

Recipes

Easy Hummus Recipe and 30 Other Ideas for Beans

Huge thanks to Bush’s Beans and Soapbox Influence for sponsoring this post and letting me share my hummus recipe and 30 other uses for beans. All opinions and photos are my own.
#MyBestWithBushBeans

Let’s talk summer meals and beans.

I know… you’re wondering if I’ve lost my mind. My biggest issue with summer break is that although the kids get time to be lazy in front of the TV and can hang out at the mall with their friends, I still have all those pesky Mom responsibilities. Those I don’t ever get a break from. The thing I hate more than anything during the summer is figuring out what to make for dinner. Summer days kind of get away from you, don’t you think? We’ve been getting up really early due to summer school and tennis camp, which means that by the afternoon we’re all exhausted and just want to be lazy and watch TV or hang at the pool. By 6:00 pm it’s still hot and sunny and the thought of making dinner makes me cringe. Eating out isn’t affordable so I’ve had to get creative on my summer meals. One thing that has become a staple in my recipes… beans!

First of all, beans are awesome. They are an amazing source of protein and fiber, especially great if you are trying to cut back on meat and dairy. They have all kinds of antioxidants, along with all those vitamins and minerals that you’re probably not getting enough of anyway. And, they are pretty inexpensive. A can of beans can go a long way. And they are tasty. I mean, one of my girls will sit and eat beans right out of the can if you let her.

I’ve had to really focus this summer on keeping staples in the house so I can throw together a meal at the last minute. Bush’s Beans is one of those products that I always have in my pantry. Those, along with pasta, eggs, tortillas, and veggies, always means I can provide a healthy and fast meal for my family. I make a point to stock up at Walmart on canned goods at least once a month. Fresher ingredients get purchased each week but I hate doing a big shopping every week so having those canned goods and staples available makes everything so much easier.

So to give you some ideas, I’m giving you 30 ways you can use Bush’s Beans for your family meal planning.

30 WAYS TO USE BEANS

Burritos – add beans, rice, cheese, meat or shrimp, salsa, and avocado inside a tortilla
Tacos – top off a taco with a few beans to add extra protein
Enchiladas – we love adding refried beans to our cheese enchiladas
Salads – garbanzo beans are an amazing addition to any type of salad
Omelet – add a few of your favorite beans along with some cheese and salsa
Chili – use several different kinds of beans with your tomatoes and ground beef
Soup – either keep beans whole or blend for a creamy soup
Franks and Beans – a family favorite
Three bean salad – not just for picnics
Bean dip – a party favorite and also a great lunchbox snack
Mashed beans – add to your mashed potatoes
Bean Burgers – when you are trying to go vegetarian or vegan
Tuna Fish – add beans to tuna
Red beans and rice – I fell in love with this when I was in New Orleans
Brownies – yep, black beans ground up is a great alternative to flour
Stew – throw a can of beans into any savory stew you are making
Stuffing – great addition for Thanksgiving
Succotash – add your favorite beans to vegetables
Corn, tomato and bean salad – you can also throw in some avocado
Stuffed peppers – add beans to your rice and meat (or forego the meat)
Pasta sauce – add beans to your tomato sauce
Sandwiches – mashed beans is a great alternative to sandwich spreads
Coleslaw – black beans take this up a few notches
Bean fritters – make like you were doing a potato pancake… but with beans.
Hummus – the ultimate use for garbanzo beans
Casseroles – any type of chicken casserole works better with beans
Chicken Pot Pie – mix in some black beans
Vegetarian Meatballs – beans are a great alternative to meat
Quinoa – any type of beans would be great as an add-in
Traditional baked beans

One of my favorites ways to use beans is to make hummus using garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas). I always have at least one can around and this is so easy that my kids can make it. It’s healthy and hummus goes great with so many things: pita bread, chips, vegetables, chicken, fish, rice, and the list goes on.

EASY HUMMUS RECIPE

Ingredients:
1 cup of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/4 cup of olive oil
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 cloves of garlic
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
paprika (to taste)

Take all the ingredients and blend them together in a food processor. You can add a little extra of what you need to make it taste perfect to you. Make some up and store in small food containers for school lunches or to take to work.

Super easy, right?

Now I know you can probably come up with at least a dozen more ideas of ways you can use Bush’s Beans… leave me a message and tell me what recipe you would make.

create

What’s Stopping You From Being Creative?

For me, the hardest part is just getting started. I like to think I’m crafty but I’m really not. I like to purchase craft supplies and then I watch them gather dust. I keep telling myself I’ll get to it when I have more time, when the kids are out of the house, when I can actually sit down in a quiet house and create. All lies I tell myself to keep me procrastinating. I think I’m afraid that my creativity will disappoint me. I also can’t ever figure out HOW to create and WHAT to create.

I was an interior designer for many years and I always loved putting color boards together. You know the ones with different colors and fabrics and photos of pretty things. That was what made me happy. I also love beautiful magazines and books… the ones where I can get ideas on decor and DIY crafts. A few days ago I was in one of my favorite craft stores and came across this plain chipboard journal. They had it in large sizes and small sizes (I got the small one because I didn’t want to overwhelm myself). I had a brand new pack of colorful fine-point Sharpie pens and a stack of magazines I hadn’t gone through in forever. I went to Pinterest and started researching different ways to do creative journaling. I thought this might be the one thing that I can do… anytime… anywhere. I like pretty things… but those things don’t always make sense to anyone else. I like inspirational quotes and pretty colors. I like vintage everything. I love old cameras and typewriters. I like hand lettering and song lyrics. I love lists!

So I’m starting with a blank canvas and I’m going to see where it takes me. Do you do creative journaling? I’d love to see your ideas.

family

Theme Park Secrets from the Legend Himself

Who doesn’t love a good theme park?

Those close to me know that my husband’s uncle recently passed away. It was cancer. And it sucked! What most people don’t know is that he was one of the premier theme park designers in the country… okay, probably the world. He wasn’t flashy and he wasn’t as well known as Walt Disney, but he knew theme parks inside and out and could tell you in minutes if one would sink or swim.

After his death, we found a podcast he did for The Season Pass where he shared a little about theme park design, how he got into the business, and how parks have evolved over time. If you have ever been to a theme park, you’ll want to sit back and take a listen. Chances are, you’ll hear some info about your favorite one. It’s some pretty awesome stuff.

The Season Pass Podcast with Ira West

In loving memory of Ira West, the “fun” uncle.

travel

Traveling with Teens and Tweens

I was lucky that I got the chance to travel on business when I was in my 20’s. I worked for a company that purchased the FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment) for luxury hotels so that meant I needed to oversee the installations. Back and forth every month to Hawaii wasn’t too shabby a job if you know what I mean.

Traveling on the company’s dime is definitely the way to go. Once I left that job, my traveling was relegated to more local places. I used to love driving around California to see the sights but once the kids came, we didn’t want to spend our travel time focusing on the kids instead of the locations. Our kids are now older (teens and a tween) and we’re picking up the travel pace again. Traveling with older kids can be a ball… but it can also be debilitating if you don’t plan in advance. Here are some tips for traveling with older children (10 – 18).

It’s all about the snacks. No matter the age, a kid is still a kid. You would think that as they get older, the whining and complaining would slow down. Not so fast! They might not be calling out for their sippy cup, but they still get thirsty and they still want snacks. Always take their favorite drinks (if they are in a cooler, all the better). Water is great for dehydration, but if your kids are Snapple drinkers or like a soda now and then, make sure you have those on hand too. My kids have perfected the eye roll over me suggesting a bottle of water when they are bored and thirsty. Our snacks of choice are granola bars and gummy bears. Having some favorite snacks will make the trip much smoother.
Keep them busy. Travel games are NOT just for toddlers. My teens still like to play the license plate game. If I don’t print the States out ahead of time, they get uppity. Give them something to DO in the car. We always have headphones for all of them (WE don’t want to hear them playing Minecraft on an 8-hour car ride) and plenty of car chargers. They can each listen to their own music or watch a downloaded movie. There are also some great apps that we all love to play:

Charades!
Dubsmash
Logo Quiz (there are several versions of this)
Guess the Movie

Research rest stops and restaurants ahead of time. When we do road trips (and even when we go by plane) we always check out the Food Network recommendations for the area we’ll be in. Best diners, best ice cream shops, best breakfast places, etc. We’re a house full of foodies so we love trying places that the “experts” loved.
Let the kids plan excursions. As parents, we might have the final say where we’re heading, but let the kids do their own research on fun things to do while you are there. If they are invested in the trip planning, they won’t be quite as likely to complain that this place is “stupid.”
Be comfortable. When you aren’t comfortable, you aren’t happy. Period. Bring pillows and blankets in the car for comfort… and consider bringing a blow-up mattress if you will be in a hotel. With a family of 5, renting 2 rooms isn’t affordable so we bring a blow up wherever we go. Since no one really wants to sleep on it, we rotate each night.

Mitigate fights before they happen. What do you argue about most when you travel? Fix the problem before it becomes one. For us, we constantly argue about the kids never having their shoes on when we stop the car. We fixed this by having them wear flip flops or sandals on long road trips so they can slide into them at a moment’s notice. We don’t want to argue with them about how long it takes them to lace up their sneakers when we stop to use the bathroom.

Whether you are road-tripping or flying cross country, traveling with older kids isn’t much different than traveling with younger kids. Keep them busy and comfortable and you’ll have a much more enjoyable trip.

family parenting

Bye Bye Childhood

I feel like I’m in limbo… some weird place where I come to figure out the next stage in life. My youngest daughter just finished up 6th grade. We are finally (after 12 years) completely done with elementary school. It was something I had looked forward to for a long time and now that it’s here, I’m feeling a little lost… empty.

No big rah-rah moment, no balloons and confetti. Just this quiet space where I no longer have small children. Officially.

It feels awesome… and then it just makes me feel strange. Summer will go by fast and in August, we’ll be starting school again, but this time with 2 in high school and 1 in junior high. And I won’t have to run into the office every day to pick up my PFO mail. And I won’t have anyone to wait with me at pick-up under the shade of the old trees. I won’t have family nights to plan and PFO meeting to attend. Sure, I could join all those parent groups in the junior high, but I don’t think I want to. After volunteering for 12 years, I’m kind of done. I’m tired. I’m ready to focus on just me.

I will miss my mom friends and my teacher friends… but I also relish the quiet of sitting in my car waiting for my daughter to get out of school. I can sit and read a book or scroll through Facebook. I don’t have to get dressed and do my hair. I’ll have time to exercise (yea… right) and clean the house (guess again). I’ll have no excuse for not writing more or working harder.

This new no-more-little-kids phase is starting to settle in. No more arts and craft projects (or tiny ceramic bears)… no more letters home from the teacher… no more class parties. No more feeling annoyed when I have to make a run to school and no more feeling guilty when I decide not to show up for an event.

I have the time to do all those things I’ve always wanted to do. I just need to try and remember what they are.

I’m trying to make sense of this new place I’m in. The one where they don’t need me every second of the day. The one where my children are now all learning things they didn’t teach when I was in high school. The one where they make their own plans and have their own interests. There are times when I’m feeling a little left out… and then I remember how awesome it is that I don’t have to drive them everywhere or make every meal for them or get them dressed. They have grown into beautiful, independent women. Probably less a testament to my parenting than to their own characters.

So onward and upward. And I just might be stopping a few times this summer to smell the roses.