I know we’re moving into Spring and out of typical chili/chowder season but I think you’ll find that this one is a good year round version. Packed with peppers, black beans, sweet potato, corn and spinach it’s a satisfying and tasty meal. You could always change it up with your own fresh herbs and veggies from the summer garden.

A recipe for Sonoma Pesto accompanies the chowder recipe. The pesto, pretty similar to the Cilantro Roasted Pepper Pesto recently posted here, is a nice addition to the chowder but you could certainly top it with sour cream, or your favorite cheese – or both!

Be sure to keep this recipe in your back pocket for a quick, go-to dinner. It’s really an easy and tasty dish. Plus it’s healthy!

And while we’re on the subject of beans, my good friend Michelle at What’s Cooking has a post that discusses the…um…side affects, shall we say, from eating beans. Michelle explains, in a brief scientific way, what is happening to produce gaseous escapeous from eating beans, not to mention a great, kid friendly recipe called “Step on the Gas Baked Beans.” Be sure to check it out.

Oh yeah! The giveaway! Bush’s Beans has provided a fun mix of kitchen goodies for one (1) winner:

• The Sonoma Diet Cookbook signed by Connie Guttersen, R.D., PhD.
• Napa Valley specialty items like olive oil, a candle and chili spices
• Culinary Institute of America items including a dish towel, wooden spoon and decorative spoon rest
• Bush’s Beans items – apron, bean strainer and assorted Bush’s Beans.

To enter, leave a comment (only 1 per person please) with your favorite chili, chowder or soup recipe that uses beans. It can be a link to a favorite recipe form your own site or from a recipe site like Tasty Kitchen. Or maybe you can find one at the Bush’s Beans recipe site called The Vegetable With More. Also if you’d like, just type the whole recipe in the comments section (just be sure to credit where it came from if it’s not your own personal rendition).

All entries must be placed by Friday, March 19, 2010 by Midnight PST. One (1) random winner will be chosen and announced sometime on Saturday, March 20.

Can’t wait to check out your tasty entries!

For another chance to win, Sandy at Reluctant Entertainer is doing the same giveaway. There’s a different question for entering, but the same great prizes. So go by and enter over there too!

BUSH’S^® Spicy Black Bean and Corn Chowder
Created for BUSH’S^® Beans by Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D., nutrition instructor at The Culinary Institute of America, mom and author of “The Sonoma Diet.”
Serves: 6 to 8 appetizer servings     Preparation time: 15 minutes     Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 pinch favorite dry chile or chipotle powder, to taste
• 1 cup chopped red peppers
• 1 cup chopped green peppers
• 2 cans (15 ounces) BUSH’S^® Black Beans or BUSH’S^® Reduced Sodium Black Beans, with liquid
• 1 cup peeled, diced sweet potato
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 cups cleaned baby spinach
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• salt and black pepper, to taste

*Optional Toppings

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons salsa fresca (purchased)
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat yogurt

Directions:

- Place olive oil in a sauce pot. Add onions and cook until caramelized.

- Add garlic and spices, cook until aromatic. Add peppers, sauté 5 minutes.

- Add beans with liquid. Bring to a simmer, cook 10 minutes. Add sweet potato; simmer 10 minutes or until tender.

- Add corn and spinach. Bring to a simmer until the spinach wilts.

- Adjust seasoning with lime, salt and pepper. Add *optional toppings (one option is the Sonoma Pesto; see below), as desired.

Sonoma Pesto
Created for BUSH’S^® Beans by Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D., nutrition instructor at The Culinary Institute of America, mom and author of “The Sonoma Diet.”

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 each serrano chile
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts or peanuts
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 ounces extra virgin olive oil
• 1 each lime juiced with zest
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons salsa verde (purchased)

Directions:

- Combine all pesto ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

- Drizzle the pesto on top of the chile verde and finish with salsa verde, as desired.

For more family favorite recipes, visit www.VegetableWithMore.com.

Almost 8 months ago I started this blog. For me it began as a creative outlet – mainly for photography. But that’s not what got me started. Something happened to tip me over the edge, to move me forward in starting the blog.

Something very simple.

Our children were getting older, more independent. I could see how, very soon, I would have more and more independence of my own too. And while it would be nice to think I could just waltz back into my old career, who’s going to hire a “former” art director that’s been a full-time stay at home mom for the past 11 years?

Yeah, right.

As a prior creative in advertising, I’m constantly thinking of tag lines, headlines, slogans, funny quips, jingles and visual puns. I secretly rate commercials. It’s what I do. Ideas for Saturday Night Live skits flow through my mind – like it’s my job or something.

And, believe me, I know I’m not alone. Creative people are everywhere. Everywhere.

So one day, about this time last year, when I had an idea for a Chick-fil-A cow commercial, it shouldn’t have been anything out of the ordinary. But it was a good idea.

Obvious really.

So obvious and grand that I decided to contact one of Chick-fil-A’s ad agencies of record in Texas via email to share the concept.

The brilliance. The sheer genius.

That’s sarcasm people. I don’t make a habit of tooting my horn and haven’t contacted an agency for a job since quitting years ago, much less to tell them I’m a creative marvel. So what was I thinking? I was a stay at home mom. The last time I had been in a brainstorming session (with associates much more creative than me) was during the first trimester of my now 11 year old. I could barely admit to others in public that I liked to take pictures and now I’m contacting an ad agency to tell them I’m the bomb with a good idea?

All I can say is that when you hit 40 things change. A new kind of confidence (or carelessness) emerges.

I looked for the actual email exchange. I must’ve deleted it, but as I recall it went something like this…

.

Dear Oh Mighty Creative Ad Agency,

You don’t know me but I rock. I eat Chick-fil-A all the time and had a burst of creative inspiration whilst eating one of their tasty sandwiches last week. As a former art director I’m not just any Chick-fil-A eating numbskull who thinks they have a good idea. I actually have a good idea. An idea for a commercial with the cows.

Please contact me so I can share my great mind with you.

Sincerely,
The marvelous mind of Amy

.

And their response…

.

Oh dear, Amy,

Thank you but we’re disinclined to acquiesce to your request.

Sincerely,
I’m-so-lucky-I-have-a-cool-job-and-you-don’t-agency-chick

.

(Yes, again sarcasm. I’m full of it.)

Of course I’m aware of all the advertising standards, policies, contracts, etc, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when I received a no. I understood and fully expected it. I’m sure they get crazies contacting them all the time.

But, still it was a good idea and I was frustrated. Angry even.

I began to stew about it. It churned my insides. Funny how it took someone saying “no, we don’t even want to hear what you think” to get me going. A conversation with myself ensued and continued over the course of weeks ’til I was convinced that they could suck it and I should open my own agency.

(I would never tell anyone to suck it. That’s not very nice, but it sounds pretty edgy, real dramatic. And my husband thinks I should be more edgy.)

Anyway, out of my frustration grew the desire to push past any barricade for my creativeness and do my own thing. Hence the blog, She Wears Many Hats, was born.

So thank you sweet lady from the ad agency in Texas who wouldn’t even listen to my idea.

Thanks. I now have a blog.

And not only do I have a creative outlet, but I’ve learned to spread my wings.

And yeah, my little ol’ blog is one of several hundreds of thousands, but it’s mine. Mine.

And it’s been fun – it’s made me look at every day with a different set of eyes.

And it’s made me push myself out of my comfort zone many times. It’s given me more confidence.

And while I’ll never call myself a writer (writers have editors, proofreaders, writers know how to always use perfect subject verb agreement;), it’s given me a voice.

And most of all, very most of all, the one thing I never expected, is that it’s given me new friends, from everywhere. So many super, wonderful people I would’ve never met otherwise.

So thank you again advertising chick in Texas. I now have a blog, partly thanks to you.

(And I still have a great idea for a Chick-fil-A ad, so ha!)

So, tell me, what in your life has pushed you out of your comfort zone?

Or are you still stuck and need a little nudge?

.

Modifying Nerf guns.

And a plethera of parts and trips for parts for multiple modifications. I’m over the Nerf gun modification phase for now.

Boiled peanuts.

And burning peanuts. Yeah, I’ll get back to you later on that.

And this creature, our dog, Jake.

He’s very demanding.

Pretty uneventful around here. I can’t complain.

What about you? What have you been up to?

I’d love to hear.

Nuf said?

Almost.

My daughter is a big Dr. Pepper fan, so I had to try my own version of the chocolate cakes I’ve seen here and there with either Coke or Dr. Pepper added. And boy am I glad I tried it. This cake? It’s a must do. Rich and moist, and oh, so easy – there’s no excuse not to try it at least once. Just make sure you’ve got a group to bake it for, ’cause it’s dangerous to have leftovers hanging around.

Look giant chocolate cake. Ooooooh. Ahhhhhh. Ohhhhhhh.

One of the things I like about this cake is the ease at which it comes together. Seriously simple. It bakes in 20-25 minutes – it’s gone in 10. All ingredients are combined in a saucepan and poured directly into a 13×9x2″ baking pan. Speaking of ingredients, see the brown sugar pictured?

I’ve baked this cake a few times, both using 1 c. brown sugar + 1 c. regular ‘ole white sugar, as well as all 2 c. of white sugar and I couldn’t tell the difference. Maybe I’m missing something, but if you need to combine, or just want to, go ahead. Just make sure at least 1 cup of the sugar is white. You probably would be able to tell a difference if all sugar used was brown. But I dunno.

Also, for both the cake batter and frosting, I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder. It’s good stuff. Hope you can find some.

Begin by combining the Dr. Pepper, oil, butter and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat.

When it comes to a simmer, mix well and turn stove off.

Mix dry ingredients together (sugar, flour and baking soda), add to saucepan and mix well.

You don’t need to beat the heck out of it. It will be a little lumpy at first but just mix well until combined.

In a separate small bowl lightly beat the eggs and buttermilk together then add them to the saucepan.

Combine batter well and pour into a greased baking pan and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake.

(Extreme cake bokeh – sorry folks.)

The frosting works the same way. Combine butter, cocoa powder and milk together in a saucepan, over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. Add in the powdered sugar a little at a time, combining after each addition until smooth.

Pour over warm cake. Yuuuum.

While the frosting is mighty yummy, I think the cake is quite tasty without it, or maybe just with a little dusting of powdered sugar and a tall glass of milk.

So what are you waiting for? Go grab a Dr. Pepper and get to work!

Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cake Recipe
(makes one 13×9x2″ baking pan)
(adapted from “Cracker Barrel Double Fudge Coca-Cola Cake Recipe” found at thatsmyhome.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup Dr. Pepper soda
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 stick salted butter (8 tablespoons)
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder (again, I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350° F and grease or spray with cooking spray a 13×9x2″ baking pan.

- Begin by combining the Dr. Pepper, oil, butter and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a simmer, mix well and turn stove off.

- Mix dry ingredients together (sugar, flour and baking soda), add to mixture in saucepan and mix well. Don’t over beat.

- In a separate small bowl lightly beat the eggs and buttermilk together, then add them to the saucepan and combine batter well.

- Pour into a greased baking pan and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake.

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 stick salted butter (8 tablespoons)
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 8 tablespoons milk
• 4 cups confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)

Directions:

- In a saucepan, combine butter, cocoa powder and milk together over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth.

- Add in the powdered sugar a little at a time, combining after each addition until smooth.

- Pour over warm cake.

- Lock all the doors, draw the shades, don’t answer the phone and get the milk.

Enjoy! And let me know how it turns out.

My husband thinks I’m anal.

(I think that’s pretty lame.)

Just because I fold my towels so they will all stack up the same?

Some people have clean houses –

with no dust to be found.

As long as the towels stack up straight, dust bunnies can keep hoppin’ around.

Okay, talking about lameness, this post? Pretty lame. But seriously folks is it too much to ask that the towels be folded all the same way? My husband, and now my kids, do a lot of folding, so I really don’t care how they’re folded so much anymore (and believe me, there are many ways people recommend to fold towels), just as long as they’re folded and folded alike.

I know it’s silly. But I want them to match.

I want them to stack neatly in the cabinet – be straight and uniform. I suppose I should be happy that they’re folded and put away at all, straight or not. I’ll work on that, but in the meantime let me show you what I mean.

See…the same.

Different.

Can you tell?

Sure you can. The results above are from two folding approaches. Here’s number one…

And here’s the second folding technique…

Tadah!

Did you see the difference? I know you did. Now, is it anal that one would start a job or task in one fashion and continue in that same fashion throughout the task?

No. I think not.

On the contrary, I think that it’s just plain haphazardness on the part of a towel folder to start folding towels one way and switch to another technique. Why would you do that? Why? The horrors!

So, please, for me, fold your towels all the same way – whatever way you choose, just so it’s the same for each and every single towel. They deserve at least that much.

Now I’m curious, how do you fold your towels?

Hey Hope! Come here and show me how you fold your towels. I’m taking a poll.

You’re doing a grand job sugah pie…

Lookin’ good!

Nice.

Hey Hope, sweet child of mine, you wanna fold the rest of the pile?

Hope?

Hello?

Bueller?

Shoot. I thought I snagged her for a while. She’s slick and fast.

And gone.

So, again, how do you fold your towels?

Are they neatly stacked all in the same direction? Do you fold in half and half and half? Or thirds? Or are you a ruler measuring towel foldererer?

Last week I went for a stroll through our pitiful garden plot that needs tilling and a bunch of attention before spring. Of course the only thing that’s looking alive is the cilantro (and the damn mint – damn you mint). The cilantro is only a few inches tall but it’s held its own through the winter and in a few weeks will be going strong until the summer heat zaps it.

In hopes of a bumper crop of fresh cilantro I began thinking of how to use it up. Pesto is a favorite that I love to make with fresh basil throughout the summer but I’d never tried a cilantro pesto.

After some thought I threw together a combo of a bunch of green things hoping for the best. Cilantro, roasted peppers with pisatchios pesto is now on my list of regulars.

Yum.

That’s all I’m gonna say.

I served it with pasta and shrimp but it certainly could be used for bruschetta, added to chili, or thinned for a sauce over chicken or what have you. As far as the pistachios, I had some leftover from the holidays so that’s what I used. You could certainly substitute the traditional pine nut or walnuts.

The ingredients for the pesto are simple: cilantro, poblano peppers (roasted), a jalapeno pepper (roasted), pistachios, garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Begin by roasting the peppers. Everyone seems to have their favorite way to roast peppers but here’s one way to do it. First cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and seed knob.

Coat them inside and out with olive oil then place them, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake in a 500° oven for about 15 minutes.

They turn a deeper color and look a little shriveled but, oh, they smell so good! For the pesto, I removed the skins but if you were using them in a soup or sandwich the skins on would be fine I think.

To loosen the skins on the peppers for easier removal, put the roasted peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or foil and let sit for another 15 minutes or so.

To remove the skins, lay the peppers skin side up on the cutting board and with a knife or your fingers peel the skins off.

Now you’re ready to put the pesto together.

It’s basic. Basic. Basic.

Basically, you put all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

I usually process the garlic and nuts alone first so they’ll be more finely chopped, then add the cilantro, peppers, olive oil (streaming in slowly) and ending with the cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. The recipe that follows makes roughly a cup of pesto.

To proceed with the pasta dish, I used half of the pesto to about 4-5 oz. of pasta. I’ve been looking into making pasta by hand for the first time but haven’t yet. I did buy some good quality egg pasta though. It’s not cheap.

This box, which serves 5-6, was $7-8. But it’s so worth it. If you’ve never had egg pasta before, go find some. It’s good. Really good. Tagliolini is my favorite noodle size. It’s like linguini but thinner.

(FYI – The pesto plus pasta recipe is not posted below, just the pesto recipe but I thought I’d show you how I add the pesto to the pasta for perfection on a plate.)

Okay, so prepare the pasta as directed on package – don’t forget to salt the water! Hold back some of the pasta water – about a 1/2 cup.

Saute your shrimp or chicken in a little olive oil and salt and pepper.

When the shrimp or chicken is done (this is where I probably break every rule of Italian cooking), I push it to one side of the pan and tilt the pan so the remaining olive oil drains to the other side of the pan, then add the pesto and 1 tbsp. of the pasta water.

Whisk the pesto and pasta water together over low-med. heat until blended smooth.

Next add the pasta right into the pan, and gently (gently, don’t squish the pasta) toss the pasta with the pesto sauce and shrimp/chicken.

You’re ready to serve!

Cilantro, Roasted Pepper & Pistachio Pesto
(makes about 1 cup)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup pistachios; roasted (pine nuts or walnuts may be substituted)
• 2 whole garlic cloves
• 2 poblano peppers; roasted, seeded and peeled
• 1 jalapeno pepper; roasted, seeded and peeled
• 1 cup cilantro; loosely packed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese; shredded
• pinch(s) salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

- Process nuts and garlic in a food processor until finely minced.

- Add peppers and cilantro and process while slowly streaming in the olive oil until smooth.

- Add cheese and pulse a few times until blended.

- Salt and pepper to taste.

- Refrigerate covered until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

I’d love to hear back if you try this one to see if you enjoyed it as much as we did.

This guy was rockin’ y’all. He’s got skills. Or is it skilz?

Anyway, John was turnin’ the beat around. He was movin’ and groovin’ – definitely to the beat of his own drums, much of which was junk, or what most would consider trash.

(Okay, is the droppin’ the “g” and addin’ an apostrophe botherin’ you yet?)

You have to wonder if the people who threw out some of this stuff out would be surprised at what joyful sounds come from it now? One man’s trash…

I was so enthralled with his energy and performance that I didn’t read his signs until I got home and viewed the pictures. Look he’s got a website.

You can watch videos, hear audio and read more about John here at Kingdrums.com. He’s even got a mission statement – that’s more than I have. And if you have kids be sure to show them some of the videos. Fun stuff. You never know, it may inspire an impromptu jam session in your own kitchen.

If you’re ever in San Francisco during the weekend, look for John and his drums near the Ferry Building. And don’t forget to tell him you like his hat!

So, have you met or seen anyone that inspires you lately? Do share…

My recent trip to Napa was full of cooking and exploring an array of ways to use beans. We discussed how cooking with beans is more than just opening a can, heating them up and serving them as a side. Beans are an ingredient to be used creatively in sauces, salads, dips and as thickeners to name a few.

Soon after starting this blog I started a series called “The Bodacious Bean” highlighting a variety of bean recipes. And with inspiration from all the great people I cooked with in Napa (and a little creativity of my own), I can’t wait to continue to add to “The Bodacious Bean” recipe file. I’d love to hear any ideas you have utilizing the bean too.

The first recipe I want to share is for a salad dressing. We cooked many recipes and shared endless ideas but this caesar salad dressing, using bean puree instead of eggs, really surprised me. The flavor and texture offer a pretty good match for the original. Plus it’s healthier.

By no means am I saying it’s better than the original but it is a good option for those with egg allergies, or others who can’t eat raw eggs for one reason or another.

The ingredients are basic: white beans, olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, pepper, anchovy paste, garlic, and water to thin if needed.

Begin by pureeing a whole can of white beans and their liquid in a food processor.

You’ll only need one cup of the puree – 1 15 0z. can of beans makes about 1 3/4 cup of puree. You can use the remaining puree in a soup or as a thickener for a sauce.

In a blender add all ingredients, except the water and blend until smooth.

Yum…parmesan.

If needed, add water to desired consistency but I didn’t add any to mine. Also, feel free to adjust the amount of anchovy paste if you’re not an anchovy fan. You can also use whole anchovies minced.

Toss with some chopped romaine hearts and serve. Yum. Yum. Yum.

That’s it. So simple.

Not-So-Caesar Caesar Salad Dressing

adapted from Joyce Goldstein; 2010 Worlds of Healthy Flavor Conference
(makes about 2 cups)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of white bean puree (canned beans & bean liquid pureed in food processor or blender)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of about 1 lemon)
• 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 2 large cloves)

1/4 cup water

Directions:

- In a blender combine bean puree, olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, pepper, anchovy paste, and garlic until blended and smooth.

- If needed, add water to thin to desired consistency.

- Refrigerate until used.

Enjoy!

I’d love to hear about any favorite bean recipes you may have. Are you a classic chili bean lover? Is there a tasty bean dip you can’t pass up? Please share – can’t wait to see hear from you!

But, for me, Napa was more about the people.

Thanks to the gracious people from Bush’s Beans, I had the privilege to travel to Napa to cook at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA for short) for a day with three other bloggers. Sandy from Reluctant Entertainer, Tina from Mommy’s Kitchen, and Aggie from Aggie’s Kitchen were my cohorts in the culinary adventure. They’re wonderful, beautiful ladies, inside and out. We had great fun in the kitchen.

I’m so tickled for the chance to get to know each lady – hope to see them again soon!

We cooked, ate and shared creative ways to use beans. It was a blast. (Be on the lookout for new recipes that I’ll be posting soon adding to my Bodacious Bean recipe file.)

Ken, Katie, and Christina, all representing Bush’s Beans, were our hosts along with Connie Guttersen.

Their genuineness and relaxed demeanor was passed on to all of us. You feed off of people like that. I have to admit that I left home a little concerned about not measuring up or feeling uncomfortable, but they certainly set me at ease immediately. Their companies hired well.

Under the direction of Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D., author of The Sonoma Diet, and Andy Wild from the CIA, we managed not to lose any digits and succeeded in cooking up some tasty eats.

Connie Guttersen is as refreshing and positive about what she does as anyone I’ve ever met.

She knows her stuff and was a wealth of information in the kitchen. She’s an encourager – a cheerleader. Connie will be starting her own personal blog soon and I can’t wait to share it with you as soon as it premiers.

Andy Wild from the CIA was our instructor in the kitchen for the day.

I’m not sure what he thought about all of us taking pictures of every single thing he said and did, but I was thankful that he was chosen to be our go-to man.

He taught us the basics in knife skills as well as other tips.

I was sad to say goodbye to the CIA Friday afternoon. It truly was a day I’ll not forget.

Later that night my husband (yep, Randy was able to go with me and I’m so glad he did) and I met Michelle from What’s Cooking and her husband, Glenn at Ad Hoc for dinner.

Once again the food was fabulous but the company was even better. We laughed and talked for hours, practically closing the place.

Look how cute and tan she is? And I’m so, so…pink.

How is it that you can meet people for the first time in real life and feel like you’ve known them forever? It’s amazing to me. Michelle is a forever kind of a friend. Be sure to check out her site – especially if you’re interested in cooking with kids.

I know this sounds like a bunch of hiney kissing, but honestly, everywhere we visited over the weekend we met super people. Whether a cab driver, wait staff, door man, or a stranger on the street, at every turn there was a smiling face, a helpful hand – definitely noteworthy hospitality. And I’m from the South where we’re known for hospitality.

Truly the people made our experience a real treat and I’m very thankful for that.

(While Bush’s Beans covered much of the cost of our trip, no one paid me to say these nice things. There are nice people in this world – real nice people – everywhere. No bull. Nice people. Nice.)

Anyway, since I’m eating yummy stuff all day long I may be having one of these for breakfast this morning.

KIND bars, found at many places, but I usually get them at Starbucks when I’m on the go. Yeah, I know not the most nutritious breakfast but it’ll work in a fix – or if you’re attached to the morning shows you never get to watch and are being too lazy to go find breakfast.

KIND bars come in many flavors but my favorite is Cranberry Almond.

So good and tangy and crunchy and perfect with a Mocha from Starbucks. Wish I had one of those right about now.

I hope y’all have a great weekend– thinking about ya!

(The great people that make the KIND Fruit + Nut bars or Starbucks didn’t pay or give me anything to promote their products – but that would be pretty cool wouldn’t it?)