Quiet Reflections & Dinner

 This evening starts the final farewell for my friend Bruce. Today has been appropriately gray and quiet. I didn't do a lot today except think and remember. I took a few walks around my yard trying to find my inner peace and tranquility. All I seemed to be able to find was sad and unsettled feelings. While trying to work through the unhappiness of this day I decided to go on a butterfly hunt. Bruce would appreciate the fun and calming balm such an adventure could be.While I only found 1 butterfly and he/ she gave me one heck of a chase to get a few pictures.

I came across a lot more natural beauty that was shining brightly through the grayness of the day. By the end of my walk my heart was still sad but better.

 I smile through my tears as I remember a wonderful friend. It is true I hadn't seen Bruce in a few years, but that doesn't dim my memories or the loving respect I had for him.Thanks for the love, thanks for the memories, thanks for helping me find beauty in life no matter where I walk. 
  " What Was Dinner " This dinner will be repeated often.

 The recipe comes from Allrecipes.com and was a faceless find. The find of the day I must say.
Beef and Beans
 I make a dish similar to this I call dirty rice that we all love. I think we love this version more. Never thought of using ground beef, always we have used sausage links mild and hot.
 The recipe is getting a good rating from me even with the changes I needed to make for my family's health and well being. The fact that you can adjust this recipe to fit your family needs and likes makes this recipe all that much better. 

 My changes
 Based on the reviews I decided to create my own seasoning I used
chili powder
cumin 
fennel seed
curry
Ancho chili pepper ( this has kick but not as killer as cayenne )
old bay 
Also based on the reviews I did the cooking all on the stove top in a heavy cast iron pan. 
 I browned the meat and added onion and garlic letting that all cook together for 5 minutes or so until the onion was tender. I added the seasonings mixing everything up well. I added about 1/2 cup beef broth to the meat mixture and let it simmer until the liquid was almost gone. I added the tomato, I used fresh chopped tomatoes 3 medium fresh from the garden. Also I added the cooked rice( let the rice be a little aldante )  brown rice for us, and the beans drained and well rinsed.I added another 1/4 to a 1/2 cup broth and let simmer until the liquid was almost gone. 20 minutes or so.I topped my dish with green onions and shredded mozzarella cheese. 

 This had so much flavor without being spicy hot. Next time I will make sure to have tortilla chips on hand to serve with it or on top of.I think a bed of exotic lettuce would be good too.
  Happy Wednesday everyone! Thank you for stopping by.