Welcome to my blog....

This is the blog for those raised on fast food and take-out food. The people who have huge, beautiful kitchens but are afraid to use those great kitchens. This is the blog for those who need to eat out less for their health and their budgets. Let us get started.......

You are going to need a few things. Every kitchen needs to have.....

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Decent priced medium sized)
• Butter ( used sparingly it adds flavor and few calories)
• Lemons (3)
• Garlic
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Italian Seasoning
• Salt and Pepper
• Mustard (yellow and brown)
• Sugar
• All purpose flour
• Raw carrots
• Celery
• Ketchup
• Texas Pete hot sauce
• Salsa (medium or mild)
• Chicken broth in a box
• Flour tortillas

Let's make something easy.....
You just got home and you need something for dinner fast. You need something cheap to eat too.  How about black beans and rice with a tortilla filled with chicken, salsa, lettuce, tomato and cheese.

Chicken Tortillas with Black Beans and Rice
10 Flour Tortillas (medium sized)
8 Raw Chicken Tenders (no coatings...plain boneless and skinless) (frozen is fine)
1 cup of long grain rice (NOT converted...plain, cheap rice)
Box of chicken broth
Tomato
Lettuce (any kind)
Shredded Sharp or Mild Cheese (1 package)
onion powder
garlic powder
Can of black beans

What I Need To Do....

1. Rice from scratch is easy. Heat twice as much chicken broth as dry rice and you are good. Four people eating? This will give you enough rice and enough for left overs for lunch. Boil 2 cups of chicken broth....then add one cup of dry, long grain rice (not converted or precooked rice). Stir, cover, and turn down the heat to low and set the timer for 20 minutes.
2. Open a can of seasoned black beans and sprinkle with some onion powder and garlic powder.  Heat in the microwave in a bowl that is covered. Take it out of the microwave.
3. Heat four cups of salted water to a boil on the stove....drop in 8 raw chicken tender strips. Boil ten minutes....15 they are frozen.  ( I buy a big bag of resealable frozen chicken tenders)
4. Chop a tomato or two and some lettuce. Chop the chicken. (Good job for husbands and older children)
5. When the rice is done....timer goes off after 20 minutes....add the black beans you heated in the microwave. Mix.
6. Heat your flour tortillas in the microwave wrapped in paper towels for three minutes or you can heat them one at a time on a hot nonstick skillet without any oil. (30 seconds per side)
7. Fill tortilla with chicken, salsa, chopped lettuce and tomato, and sprinkle with bagged shredded sharp cheese.
8. Put one on four plates. Add some rice and beans. Put extra salsa on the table.
9. Make sure that everyone is at the table with the television off and all phones in a basket on the table. (If someone answers their phone, they must wash the dishes right after dinner)
10. Eat and enjoy. 

Variation: My kids wrap the rice, black beans, chicken, lettuce and tomato, cheese, and salsa in one tortilla and call it dinner.