I think that all too often, beans and rice don’t get the credit they deserve. They can be delicious, satisfying, nutritious and very inexpensive, but you have to have the right recipe. This is one of those recipes that makes me love beans and rice.

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Well after an extended holiday hiatus, I think we’re finally back to work.  I guess that’s real life for you, isn’t it?  Part of the reason for my hiatus was that I was putting together some food storage gifts, and although they may have been inspirational to some of our faithful readers, I was nervous that the recipients would see them here and the surprise would be ruined.  Never mind the fact that I didn’t get them totally figured out until it the almost last minute and was running around quite crazy as I’m sure you can relate . . . .

Anyway . . . between my husband and I, we had four college-age single siblings to find Christmas gifts for.  One common theme among this demographic is the deep appreciation for a “Real Meal”.  It is amusing to observe comments, particularly from my 21 year old brother, “oh, they’re having dinner at this thing, ALLLL RIGHT!!!!” And probably most of us can relate–when you’re busy with work, school and both, cooking up a balanced meal for one just doesn’t seem worth the time, money or effort.  But it isn’t long before PBJ, Top Ramen and Totino’s Pizzas just aren’t hitting the spot.

So we opted to create a “Real Meal” in a bag. 

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This quick and delicious soup was the perfect base to my “Real Meal” Christmas gifts.  It’s also great to have on hand as part of a three-month supply

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BBQ Chicken Pizza is one of the great inventions of our time, as far as I’m concerned. I tried the BBQ Chicken Pizza of most restaurants I know of that serve it and I’m convinced that the most important ingredient is the perfect BBQ sauce. Over the past few years I have experimented with various sauces and methods to cook the chicken to develop this recipe that our family loves. One thing I love about this pizza is that I can have chicken and cheese on hand in the freezer and make it any time–a perfect recipe for a 3 month supply of food.

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