I bag of dried Pinto beans
1 large jar of Picante Sauce
2 packs of smoked sausage
Your choice of rice


Soak beans in water overnight. The next morning, rinse and pour beans into crock pot. Next, pour Picante sauce over dried beans, Fill Picante jar with water and pour into pot.(I always add a little brown sugar to the mix) Turn crock-pot on low and let cook about 8 hours. About 2-3 hours before you eat, cut up smoked sausage and add to pot. If you will be gone all day, I have added sausage in the morning. Finally cook any kind of rice your family eats, pour beans over rice, and enjoy. (We love to eat ours with cornbread and a salad.)



My family thinks it is wildly funny that I am writing recipes. I don’t love to cook but I do love to eat! So, I look for easy, quick preps and delicious ideas to try out on my family. They are usually very willing participants. I do like watching all of those guys and girls on the cooking channel but let’s face it, here in the real world we are on our own, no TV crews to help us prep and clean! So enjoy this easy (that word is in all of my recipes!) dish for these cold winter nights. And remember: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” Col 3:23 For me that even means cooking!

My daughter has gotten many ideas off of Pintrest for the holidays. So many in fact she has been banned several times from the sight. She wants to make everything and try every idea then leave the mess for” little elves” to clean up. One evening about an hour before a birthday party, she decided to go on Pinterest and make a treat for the birthday girl. How sweet you might say, all I could picture was the huge mess, and lots of dirty bowls. After a few “words” she pressed on with her project. When she was finished, or so I thought, she asked “Don’t we have a mixer, there is icing to go on these things?!” Now, I am picturing more bowls, and a bigger mess. I needed to take control of this situation. After a few minutes and more heated words very loudly spoken, mostly by me, the icing was made. My daughter then ran to get ready for the party. While she was in the shower I asked the Lord for forgiveness and then asked Him what I should have done. Sometimes I can’t seem to do that part first!! While I was having this talk with the Lord my” precious” daughter calls out “Mom will you please ice those treats? I have to get ready “. Well after another “help me Jesus” prayer, I iced her treats. She quickly packed them up and raced out the door to her party promising to clean up when she got back. One thing I have taught her, she is never to be late. She has also learned to be thoughtful to others and that a gift from her huge, kind heart is greater than anything from a store. She lives out Ephesians 4:32 everyday with great joy and enthusiasm. No control from me needed; just grace and guidance from the good Lord. P.S. I left the mess and dishes for her to cleanup later; I guess a messy kitchen for a few hours isn’t so bad. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians4:32

Easy Cookie Bars
In the spirit of forgiveness and compassion my daughter and I made these cookie bars. Pintrest, messy kitchen or lots of bowls not needed!!!

1 sleeve plus 2 extra graham crackers (crushed up) 
1 stick butter
1bag semi sweet chocolate chips
1c peanut butter chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk

In a 9x12 pan melt stick of butter and add crushed graham crackers, stir together in pan. Next add bag of semi sweet chocolate chips and then peanut butter chips, last pour condensed milk over everything. . Bake @ 350 for about 25 minutes.
Enjoy your delicious and” mess free” treats!