Tasty Tuesday-Back to Basics Beans and Rice

Beans and rice is the most basic of dishes.  People eat the combination of grain and legume worldwide.  It's not fancy, but it fills you up and can feed a lot of people on a budget.  Plain and straightforward, rice and beans are like The Parenting Breakthrough by Merrilee Boyack.  What you see is what you get.  Enjoy!

Back to Basics Beans and Rice

1 (1 lb) bag dried pinto beans
1/3 cup picante sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 cups instant brown rice


Directions

Rinse the beans and soak them according to directions on the bag. 
Put in a crock pot.
Cover with water, plus about 2 inches over top of beans.
Add all ingredients, except rice.
Cook on high in crock pot about 3 hours til tender.  May also cook on low overnight.
Add the rice and cook until rice is warm and plumped.
Serve with cornbread.

The Parenting Breakthrough by Merrilee Boyack

Food to eat while reading: Back to Basics Beans and Rice

The Parenting Breakthrough: Real-Life Plan to Teach Your Kids to Work, Save Money, and Be Truly Independent by Merrilee Boyack

“Want your Children to Move out of the House Someday?”

As my children get older and are more capable of doing chores and becoming independent, I wonder if I am giving them too little responsibility-or too much. Merrilee Boyack draws on her experience of raising four boys to shed some light on the subject.

Read the synopsis here.

What I liked:

Personally, I feel that children are spoiled and pampered anymore. The author is a fan of giving children responsibilities as a part of a household. Her attitude made me laugh:

“Not only do I want lots of grandchildren, but I want to spend years watching my children raise them. I want to listen to my kids complaining about how their children won’t clean their rooms, won’t do what they’re told, and are lazy and unmotivated. I’m going to spend decades just laughing. My grandkids are going to think they have the happiest grandma on the planet.”

Boyack talks about the “Mom Martyr Syndrome”, those mothers who do everything for their children as an “act of love”. She believes that a loving mother should teach her children to work and do things for themselves.

Included in the book are great ideas about teaching children to manage finances, do chores, and take care of themselves. There is even a list by age that tells what a child can be taught to accomplish. Her list shows that a four can make his own sandwich, a twelve can make and keep his own dentist appointment and at sixteen, a child can file an insurance claim. As an added bonus, if you email the author, she will send you an email copy of the list so that you can adjust it for your own children (she really does email it-I have a copy).

What I would have changed:

Although the chapters are clearly defined, the contents of each are a bit sporadic.

This book is by no means an all-inclusive fit for every family. Keep in mind that it is one woman’s experiences with how to teach independence to children.

The verdict:

The Parenting Breakthrough is a refreshing way to add some variety to the way you currently run your household.

I gave this book 3/5 stars.

Purchase: The Parenting Breakthrough: Real-Life Plan to Teach Kids to Work, Save Money, and Be Truly Independent
Genre: self-help, nonfiction
Publisher: August 1st 2005 by Deseret Book Company
Where I got the book: Amazon, used

Show vs.Tell in a Montage

How much should be shown or told in a montage?

 Many stories have a stretch near the middle when the protagonist is in a static state.  There are few ups and downs, and he is often training, learning, journeying, and otherwise preparing for the events to come.  For instance, in the movie Karate Kid, the montage illustrates Daniel's training with Mr. Miyagi.  The montage allows the audience to experience a large stretch of time in only a few minutes.  The viewer understands that when the montage is over, the protagonist now has the skills necessary to fight his "demons". 

In my WIP, my protagonist is about to enter one of these training periods.  I can't figure out how to go about showing the passage of time and giving the reader an idea of what has transpired, without spending too much time on unnecessary details.  How much should I show, and how much should I tell?

Do any of you have experience with this part of their story?  Or can anyone think of a book in which the author did a great job of executing a section this way? 
Now if only life could include a montage.  I would spend my day writing and playing with my kids, followed by a five minute montage in which I do the dishes and the laundry.

Blog Hop

Jennifer at Crazy For Books has a great thing going on. Her Book Blogger Hop is a great way to network with other book bloggers. Sign up on her McLinky list and don't forget to check out at least a few of the blogs that are listed there. Please let me know if you found me through the Blog Hop!