Guacamole, salsa, and pinto beans. Oh MY!

I finally found pinto beans wahooooo! Oh yeah, Baby and I made me some refried beans tonight that turned out pretty darn good. Perhaps not as good as ones I've had back home but good enough for now!

C~ and I have been doing this thing each month where we decide just before the first of the month what we will be having each night, with a few "free nights" thrown in for leftovers and when we just don't feel like cooking. So, after planning 4 weeks meals in advance, C~ does all the shopping for everything except the perishables and it's cut our monthly grocery bill significantly and all we have to do each week is buy eggs, bread, milk, fruit, and veg. Oh yeah, and stuff we may have forgotten but we are getting much better at it. February will be our 4th month at it.

Anyway, back to da beans! Pinto beans aren't exactly a huge item here in Oz. Don't ask me why but they just aren't. I seem to be able to find pretty much every other type (except speckled butter beans and crowder peas) but pintos have been elusive. That is until someone on the Americans in Brisbane group told me to look at a health food store...so, I checked out the nearest Mrs. Flannery's and lo and behold! Got 'em!

Now, Mrs. Flannery's is a nice small 'neighborhood' kind of organic store that's only slightly larger than a 7/11 but it's no Whole Foods Market but I suppose I shall just have to suffer mightily and make do.

But I got pinto beans! I got pinto beans! Got me some pinto beans, oh yeah!

Luckily this foray into cooking refried beans for the first time coincided with our night to have quesadillas...also the first time cooking it. But they turned out great! I tossed the chicken breasts in some taco seasoning, sauteed them bad boys, shredded them, mixed up some cheeses, topped the tortillas with cheese, tomato, chicken, and onions, cooked them till done and served with freshly made pico de gallo (aka salsa cruda) some home made guacamole, and not so home made sour cream lol! Oh yes, and let's not forget the side of refried beans!

Heck I needed something to make me feel better. Ok, so not to make this too long a post but two nights ago C~ put the dog barrier up between the living room and kitchen. It's not a child gate, it's 2 pieces of x-pen that have been ziptied together and can be slotted between wall and book cases on either side of doorway.

I was following C~ into the kitchen at full tilt, completely oblivious to everything and so I missed what was right in front of me and bashed into the gate, taking a huge nose dive onto the tiled kitchen floor with a HUMONGOUS cup of Coke (Coca Cola you naughty minded people!) in hand - which of course, I spilled everywhere including all over myself. My toes got tangled up in the wires of the gate, my knees look like hamburger meat, and I have twisted ankles, toes, and knees. How lovely I must look!

And how STUPID I must feel!!!!!! Oh my god, I feel like a huge moron, but hey it could happen to anyone right?

When it first happened, all I cared about was getting the Coke off me and out of my hair! But then I thought my toes were broken. After bawling my eyes out for about an hour or so and scaring a couple years of both my dog and my husband I was able to take stock, figure out I was not all broken up and didn't need a trip to the ER. What I needed were strong drugs, ice packs, and some Voltaren rubbed into my knees.

So, two days later, I feel a little better after having some attention from the massage therapist and chiropractor, and lots of rest. Now I just look like someone tried to run me over with their car...or at least my knees do. The problem is that if I wear shorts people will see why I'm hobbling and not think I'm all weird and stuff and if I don't wear shorts I'll bet that people will think my husband beat me because I was naughty as evidenced by my hobbly walk and slight hunched over-ness.

But! I have pinto beans!!!!!! And the world is a better place!!!!!