Vegan Bean Tamales

Easy {Vegan} Bean Tamales

This is what I made for dinner last night and they were

so tasty!! I've made chicken tamales in the past, but wanted

to try a vegan version. So I just whipped this recipe up, throwing

in ingredients as desired. The recipe is very versatile and can easily 

be made to your liking. You can easily add other veggies and seasonings
to the inside. This recipe made 10 large tamales and I would say the
whole process (prep & cook) took about 45 minutes. Not bad for a week-day!

2 cups beans (I used kidney)

1 large onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 each jalapeno, fresno, and serrano peppers, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

10 oz can of rotel tomatoes

2 cups corn meal

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp each chili powder & cumin

Corn Husks

1. Place your corn husks in a shallow pan and cover with water. Place a lid or plate on top of them so they stay under the water to soak. 

2. Saute onions, peppers, and garlic for a few minutes. 

3. Mash your beans (I just tossed mine in the food processor) and put them a large bowl. Add in the can of rotel, corn meal, baking powder, seasonings, and sauteed veggies. Stir until well combined. 

4. Make your tamales: take a wet corn husk and put a generous spoonful of filling in the center. Wrap it up however your little heart desires. You can even tie a strip of corn husk around the outside. I placed a picture below to give you an idea.

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5. Fill a saucepan halfway with water. Place a stainless colander on top of that. This is a DIY steamer of sorts. Bring water to a gentle simmer. Place a lint free hand towel in the bottom of the colander. Layer your tamales in there, standing up right (opening facing up). Cover with another hand towel. Let steam for 25-30 minutes.

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6. All done!! :) Unwrap your tamales and eat. They're great topped with salsa, avocado, hot sauce, olives, cilantro, etc. Be creative!

Enjoy!! 

Tony's Birthday!!

My Tony celebrated a birthday in April. His mom surprised him with a chess board cake. All the pieces were edible dark and white chocolate. :)

Tony's Ipod: Airlie Gardens

The Draft for March

Better late than never, right? :)

Selah  "Men never break down so long as they keep a happy, joyous heart. It is the sad heart that tires. Whatever our load, we should always keep a songful spirit in our breast. There are two ways of meeting hard experiences. One way is to struggle and resist, refusing to yield. The result is, the wounding of the soul and the intensifying of the hardness. The other way is sweetly to accept the circumstances or the restraints, to make the best of them, and to endure them songfully and cheerfully. Those who live in the first of these ways grow old at mid-life. Those who take the other way of life keep a young, happy heart even to old age."  --  J. R. Miller

In the Kitchen We've really enjoyed listening to Branden Braziers talks on nutrition and have since introduced maca powder and chlorella to our daily smoothies. We're loving grapefruit!! And I tried my hand at sushi making. :)  

Reading Room I read from several books, but only completed Brokenness by Nancy Leigh Demoss.

Gentle Domesticity  I finished a blanket that will be donated in my grandmas honor. 

Hospitality and Relationships Our dear friend Ken was able to spend a few days with us. We really enjoyed his company and are grateful for his friendship!! :) 

Everyday Minerals - Shades of Summer

I always get so excited when I place an order for new makeup!! Look at the beautiful shades I picked out this time from Everyday Minerals ~ new foundation, bronzers, highlighters, and a few pretty blushes. Just in time for Summer! And in a few short days it will be Christmas in my mailbox - seriously they package the makeup so nice, it's like opening a little gift just for me. :)

I have been using Everyday Minerals for nearly 3 years now and I absolutely love their products!! They are 100% natural and the owners take great care in handcrafting each color. Sustainability is their mission, they do not test on animals, their website has a very bohemian feel, and each of their products have a fun, fun name. Love it!!

They are very reasonably priced and since it is all mineral powder a little bit goes a long, long way. Their large foundation (only $13) lasts me about 6 months and the little eyeshadows and blushes last even longer. They have lots of foundation colors to choose from, which can seem a little overwhelming if it's your first time ordering. But don't fret too much! Their mineral makeup is very forgiving and blends real well.

And to boot, Everyday Minerals is so generous! With each order, you are able to put together a practically free little sample pack of 7 items. Seven items!! You get to choose from various foundation colors, blushes, concealers, etc. You just pay 1 cent + the shipping. Like I said, really great prices for an all over awesome product!! This sample pack is perfect if you are unsure about the foundation colors --- just choose 7 different ones and you'll be all set. ;)

Some of my all time favorite colors is their Hot Chocolate eyeshadow and Pearl Pick Me Up concealer (I like to use that as a highlighter)!!