The Checkered Churn

So I told you that my sister was up visiting me a couple weekends ago.

We had a couple of things on our weekend bucket list.  Three of which we were able to check off in one day. Score!

Today I'll update you on the first item we checked off the list:

1. Visit cousin at her restaurant:

    

Our cousin Kitty owns a charming luncheon restaurant and coffee shop. It's located downtown in Merrill, WI.  They call it The Checkered Churn, and they serve the most delicious lunches everyday from 11:00 - 2:00.  Everyday the menu is filled with fresh new entrees you didn't have the chance to eat day before. They are especially well known for their amazing rolls that are baked fresh daily in the store and used to make the yummiest sandwiches.

 Here the kids are posing with the daily menu. Unfortunately for you they covered it up so you can't see what the choices were.

  

Wyat and Ian enjoyed a little PB & J on one of the Churns yummy rolls. 

Jen opted for the 1/2 & 1/2.  That means you get 1/2 of a yummy wrap and also a 1/2 sized bowl of soup.  Mmmmm.

I opted for the full size sandwich.  Actually, it was supposed to be a wrap, but I love the rolls so much I had them make it on that instead of a tortilla. I mean if you're going out to eat, you may as well enjoy it to the fullest right? This had a cream cheese spread with a hint of pineapple in it, chicken, lettuce, and maybe some other yummy things in there, I can't remember exactly now. I just remember that it was delish!

Here the kids are being delightfully well behaved while Jen and I sat with Kitty catching up on the latest family news.  We were there for over an hour and a half and the kids were fantastic.  We only had 4 of them along, Tate and Lincoln stayed behind, but still, kids usually go a bit stir crazy when their moms are sitting around talking for that length of time.

And of course the kids needed to have a picture taken with 'the Kitty'.  It is always incredibly confusing for them when we tell them we are going to visit Kitty.  As you may guess, they have a hard time remembering that this is actually a person and not a small furry pet.  We have suggested that the Churn get a honorary 'Kitty' to dwell in the restaurant so the children don't have to be so confused (and slightly disappointed) each time we go, but we've been turned down. 

Something about health codes etc., etc.

Stay tuned, in the next post I'll tell you more about our 2nd bucket list item: the Museum

A Bowl Full of Yummy!

In my quest to eat healthier I learned that eating more fiber is a good thing.

So I went looking for some high fiber recipe's.

Did you know that dried beans have a good amount of fiber in them?

Since I like to feed my inner Mexican, I have always wanted a good Mexican rice and beans recipe.
I stumbled upon this recipe on the website, Home Sick Texan. 

This just goes to show you that sometimes it pays to read through that loooooooong list of comments at the bottom.  Because that's where I found this recipe.  Hidden down there in the comments list.  It was posted by a woman named Kelly and she credits the Houston Chronicle Newspaper.  Where it came from beyond that point, the world may never know. I'm just glad she put it on there, because it is sooooo good. 

I made the dish with bacon, but if you had smoked ham hocks, this would be a good time to use those up.  I think you could make it without the meat too and it would still be good.  I ended up serving these beans over white rice, I just thought putting them over Mexican rice would be too much.

PAPPASITO'S FRIJOLES A LA CHARRA (PINTO BEAN SOUP)
Makes about 1/2 gallon

3/4 lb. dried pinto beans
3 quarts water, divided use
3/8 lb. bacon, cut into 1-inch squares
1/2 cup coarsely chopped white onion
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped garlic
3 to 4 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, divided use
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (cominos)
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
3/4 Tbsp. salt
1 cup chopped Roma tomatoes

Soak beans in 2 quarts water 8 hours.

Drain beans and set aside.

In a 1 gallon heavy pot, cook bacon until well done. Do not under cook or it will look raw in finished product.

Add onions, garlic, 1 to 2 Tbsp. and chopped cilantro to hot bacon and cook until onion is transparent, about 10 minutes.

Add the drained beans, cumin and chili powder. Stir and add remaining 1 quart water. Turn heat to medium-low. Stir in salt. Cook beans slowly until fork tender, about 1 hour. Stir frequently to avoid burning the bottom.

Stir in tomatoes and remaining cilantro and heat through.

Serve in bowls.

Beans may be cooled to below 40 degrees, then reheated when ready to serve.

Source: Houston Chronicle newspaper
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This dish was actually a hit with my kids, and my husband. I didn't even make any corn bread to complete the meal.
There was a chorus of mmm's and yum's all around the table as we filled our belly's with a bowl full of yummy.
A very satisfying feeling for a mama who wants some yummy and kinda healthy food to feed herself and her family.

Let me know if you give this recipe a try.  It has my five star (*****) recommendation.

I plan to go back to the Home Sick Texan website and try out that Mexican rice recipe.  I'll let you know how it turns out after I do.

5:09 PM