Sabby Ann

I don’t often cook vegetarian meals, but tonight was an exception to that. Natalie came over for dinner and she doesn’t eat meat… So we attempted a new recipe for black-bean burgers. It turned out absolutely delicious, although I wasn’t able to convince Eric to try it!

Here’s the recipe, taken from this month’s All You magazine:

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• Salt & Pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 375.
2. Warm oil in a skillet over medium-high.  Sauté celery, onions, & garlic (about 5 min).
3. Pour beans into a bowl and mash into a paste. Stir in sautéed vegetables, egg, bread crumbs, and seasoning. Form into 4-5 patties.
4. Place patties on a baking sheet and place in oven. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes per side.

For 2010, Disney’s big promotion is the “Give A Day, Get a Disney Day” program. They are trying to get 1 million people to volunteer a day of service (in their local communities), and in exchange they are giving each volunteer a free one-day ticket to Disney World or Disneyland.

Since we’re planning a couple of trips to the Cape Canaveral area this year, this seemed like a great way to get a free pair of tickets to Walt Disney World (and save $150!). I signed us up for the program, and then registered to volunteer with a local chapter of Project Linus. They’re a national non-profit whose mission is  … to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.”

While I’d originally planned on crocheting two small afghans to donate, I had a difficult time getting the yarn to cooperate. I had purchased two types of yarn, both ones that I’ve never worked with, but that felt extra soft & cozy.

So Plan #2 was to make fleece no-sew blankets. Eric & I went out shopping and picked out some kid-friendly fleece prints, with matching solids for the back side. The fleece that I used had pink & purple kittens, while Eric’s was mostly rocket ships and robots.