I love recipes that require little effort, that you can pull the ingredients out of your pantry at a moment’s notice, and taste heavenly! This is the recipe. Easy, easy, easy and good, good, good! I cannot tell you one time that I have had pinto beans other than a Mexican restaurant. My mother always made black eyed peas, but no pintos or black beans. Well, now I have broadened my horizons or rather my tastebuds. I love this recipe and have made it several times now and each time there is not one spoonful left and there are just two of us eating these beans. I made homemade cornbread, but also being the nutrition teacher that I am I sauteed spinach with a little olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes and topped it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Oh, my gosh!
One of my best childhood memories is my hometown bakery. My sister and I would stop by on our way home from school almost everyday. I had quite a few favorites such as huge butter cookies, cream horns dusted with powdered sugar, and date nut bars. All of the above were enjoyed with a Tab or a big cup of coffee depending on the season and the weather. I have been searching for the recipe to make the perfect date nut bars and this one is pretty close. The bottom layer is similar to a shortbread cookie and the top layer is a mixture of dates, coconut, and nuts. Delicious! Sorry, but I’ve got to run. I brought home school work which is calling my name. I have about 400 papers that are graded, but have not been put into the gradebook. So I am off to do my real job!
The Teacher Cooks 