HAPPY FRIDAY!

Brazilian Black Bean Stew

Happy Friday outstanding readers!

The best thing about Fridays is that they come around once a week.
That’s right!  Fridays always come back around once a week (same as Mondays).
But who cares about Monday right now?
It’s Friday!

Well, the winter blast thing I wrote about on Wednesday  — came and went.
Yes, temps got cold and are still cold, chilly, cold and we did get beautiful snow flurries that lasted all day Wednesday.
Peaceful and pretty.
But no ice slip and slide on the roads – huge plus for sure for all who had to travel the roads.

Delighted to present today’s 5 for Friday for enjoyment!

BEGINNING WITH

“I’VE LEARNED”

I love one and all.
So meaningful when we actually stop and pause and reflect.

BEST OF THE BEST SYNDICATED CARTOONISTS

Who are experts in tickling our funny bone once or twice or thrice!

“GOD IN THE POST OFFICE”

Such a cool, beautiful heart story.  I wanna believe it’s true!

BRAZILIAN BLACK BEAN STEW

That’s right, stew not soup.

Ready?
Set.
Here we go!

THINGS I’VE LEARNED …

  1. I’ve learned … that the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
  2. I’ve learned … that when you’re in love, it shows.
  3. I’ve learned … that just one person saying to me, “You’ve made my day!”  Makes my day.
  4. I’ve learned … that I feel better about myself when I make others feel better about themselves.
  5. I’ve learned … that having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
  6. I’ve learned … that what we have done for ourselves alone, dies with us.  What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
  7. I’ve learned … that one sincere apology is worth more than all the roses money can buy.
  8. I’ve learned … that words harshly spoken are as difficult to retrieve as feathers in a gale.
  9. I’ve learned … that being kind is more important than being right.
  10. I’ve learned … that I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help in some other way.
  11. I’ve learned … that no matter how serious life requires us to be, everyone needs a friend to be goofy with.
  12. I’ve learned … that sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to hear.
  13. I’ve learned … that money doesn’t buy class.
  14. I’ve learned .. that it’s the small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
  15. I’ve learned … that under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
  16. I’ve learned … to never humiliate a person.  Always give him an honorable way to back down or out to save face.
  17. I’ve learned … that even the Lord didn’t do it all in one day so what makes me think I can.
  18. I’ve learned … that if you are still talking about what you did yesterday, you haven’t done much today.
  19. I’ve learned … that to ignore the facts does not change them.
  20. I’ve learned … that it is best to give advice in only 2 circumstances:  when it is requested and when it is a life threatening situation.

~ author unknown
from my wonderful email collection

Brazilian Black Bean Stew

Brazilian Black Bean Stew
turn turn turn
pharmacy

LAZINESS KILLS AMBITION
ANGER KILLS WISDOM
FEAR KILLS DREAMS
EGO KILLS GROWTH
JEALOUSY KILLS PEACE
DOUBT KILLS CONFIDENCE

(( NOW READ RIGHT TO LEFT))

GOD IN THE POST OFFICE

And the story goes —

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month.

The day after she died my 4-year-old daughter, Meredith, was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.  She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to Heaven, God would recognize her.  So we did.

Meredith dictated these words to me:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog?  She died yesterday and is with you in Heaven. 
I miss her very much.
I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her.
She likes to play with balls and swim.

I am sending a picture of her so when you see her, you will know she is my dog.

I really miss her.

Love,
Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven and we put our return address on it.  Meredith pasted several stamps on it because she said it would take lots of stamps to get to Heaven.

That afternoon, we dropped the letter off at the post office.

A few days later she asked if I thought God had got her letter yet.

I told her I thought He had.

Then, yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on the front porch addressed “To: Meredith” in unfamiliar handwriting.
Inside was a book titled, When a Pet Dies, and taped to the front cover was the letter we had written to God.
In its opened envelope on the opposite page, was the picture of Abbey and Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in Heaven.  Having the picture was a great help.  I recognized her immediately.

Abbey is not sick anymore.  Her spirit is with me just like it stays in your heart.

Abbey loved being your dog.

Since we don’t need our bodies in Heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your letter or picture in so I am sending them back to you with this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for your beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and send it to me. 
What a wonderful mother you have.  I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings and remember that I love you very much.
By the way, I am easy to find; I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

~ author unknown
from my email collection
this one circa 1998

BRAZILIAN BLACK BEAN STEW

This recipe is adapted from the cookbook COLORADO CACHE by the Junior League of Denver Colorado.  My dad gifted it to me way back in 1989.  I have enjoyed many recipes from this cookbook – this being one of them.  When I first made this black bean stew I’d never heard of  ‘salt pork’ — but discovered it’s readily available in most grocery stores.  Ask the meat department pros where to find it.  I generally find it near the bacon wrapped in plastic.

HERE’S HOW WE MAKE IT
INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound black beans
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1/4 pound salt pork, blanched, sliced and diced small
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 TBSP beef stock base
  • 1 1/2 – 2 pounds meat, cooked (use a combination of the following:  smoked pork sausage cut into 1 inch cubes, meaty ham hocks or thick slices of deli ham, cut in 1 inch cubes)
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 ripe large tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 TBSP fresh, minced parsley
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 oranges, peeled and sliced
  •  2 medium tomatoes, peeled and sliced
  • Tabasco sauce
  • Prepared rice

NOW WE PREPARE THE BRAZILIAN BLACK BEAN STEW

1.  Soak the black beans overnight in enough cold water to cover.

2.  Next day, drain water and place beans in a large kettle and add enough fresh water to cover beans by 3 inches.

3.  Add large chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt pork pieces and beef stock base.

4.  Bring to a boil – then lower heat to medium low.

5.  Cover and simmer for 2 hours until the beans are tender.  Stirring occasionally to prevent beans from sticking.  Add more water if necessary.

6.  Remove 1 cup of cooked beans from pot and set aside.

IN A SMALL SKILLET

1.  Heat olive oil over medium heat.

2.  Add chopped onion and saute until soft.

3.  Add chopped tomatoes, garlic and parsley and saute about 1 minute.

4.  Add reserved 1 cup of cooked beans and mash into onion tomato mixture with the back of a wooden spoon.

5.  Cook, stirring for about two minutes.

NOW ADD SKILLET MIX TO THE KETTLE OF BLACK BEANS

1. Simmer one hour over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

SERVE IN BOWLS OVER PREPARED RICE
TOPPED WITH SLICED TOMATOES, SLICED ORANGES AND TABASCO SAUCE

THANKS ALL FOR
JOINING US TODAY
SHARING + CARING + ENGAGING
GRATITUDE (!)

WISHING YOU A BEAUTY-FILLED WEEKEND
CATCH YA MONDAY
SAME TIME
SAME PLACE

5 replies
  1. Carol says:

    Every one of the Things I’ve Learned is a basis for meditation. Profound all.

    Great cartoon chuckles!

    The heart warming God in the Post Office reminds me of Amy in our local PO. At Christmas she makes sure all the children that write a letter to Santa get a reply. So sweet.

    Thanks for all the fun reads this COLD week in our neck of the woods!

  3. Marty says:

    I’m with Carol in Daymaker’s 20 Items of things that I have learned. #1 “THAT IT’S BEST TO GIVE ADVICE IN ONLY 2 CIRCUMSTANCES: WHEN IT IS REQUESTED AND WHEN IT IS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION.” There’s a Quaker proverb that parallels that and happens to be my favorite self talk: “WISDOM is knowing what to ignore.” Good, huh?

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