Classiest of Taste Buds

Fundraising is going well! I've already raised over $1,800!!! I am so grateful for my family and friends - such generous and loving people. I cannot wait to run the Marine Corps Marathon this fall, knowing that I have been supported by so many people who also care so much about animals. Or they just want me to stop mooching - either way, the animals win! :)

Anywho - I have some other fun happenings in my life. My brother, who was a 4-time Jeopardy! champ last December (winning nearly $92,000) appeared on the Tournament of Champions this week! He unfortunately lost in the first round, but I was absolutely bursting with pride. I like to say he got the brains, I got the looks. :) (We won't get into what the other two siblings got. Ha!) So I needed to give him a shout-out on my blog. Because I think we all know you ain't nobody, 'til you've been mentioned on Eat Your Kale. Can I get an 'amen'?

I've got a new recipe to share! Because I had scheduled a last-minute blood donation last weekend (givelife.org - do it NOW!), I wanted to eat something very rich in iron, to ensure I would be able to donate. In case you're not aware, before donating, they test your hemoglobin to be sure you have enough iron in your blood. I looked through my cupboard and discovered that black beans are a really good source of iron! I immediately thought about how much I love the rice and beans that Chili's restaurants serves. (Sad, but true. I'm a chain restaurant kind of girl.) So decided to try and recreate those. I did some Googling and created my own beans creation and it was SO GOOD. As for the rice, I just prepared some Rice-A-Roni Rice Pilaf. I loooove this stuff and it was a cheap, easy and guaranteed tasty rice to pair with my beans.

Recreation of Chili's Black Beans Side Dish

• 1 can of black beans, drained but leave a little liquid with the beans
• 1 can Rotelle (or any brand of diced tomatoes w/ peppers), drained
  
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• Salt & Pepper to taste
  

Combine all ingredients in pot or sauce pan and let simmer for 25 minutes. Pair with any rice side (I like Rice A Roni!).