Kicked Up Baked Beans

Perfect side dish for BBQ's

Here's my approach to making something new. First I will Google what I want to make, because we know someone out there already has a recipe. As you know Google when you key in a word or phrase it will kick out about a billion search results. I will go through 5 or 6 recipes trying to figure out how to make something and what ingredients are needed. I am also thinking of what I like and don't like in a recipe.

This is what I did for my kicked up baked beans.

I found a few recipes I liked for the most part, then adjusted it to suit my taste buds.

Ingredients:
1 28oz can Bush's Original Baked Beans
1lb ground Beef
6 stips of bacon - diced
1/2 yellow onion - diced
1/2c your favorite BBQ sauce
Worchester Sauce
Dijon Mustard
Brown Sugar
Salt/Pepper

First I rendered some bacon in a very large pan til it looked like this:)

I always make a few strips extra because I know I will eat some.

Bacon cooked so add the onions and cook until translucent about 8min.

Here are the onions after about 8 minutes

Add ground beef and brown

YUMMY!

Add all of the other ingredients to the party and simmer about 20min.

This is what you end up with.

After I made this batch I realize some red bell pepper would be very tasty. IF you would like some bell pepper in yours add them with the onions

Made a Frito Boat with mine:)

MJ's 1st Vacation w/o Us

MJ's trip home to visit his Tias

 Before MJ came along, I did not understand why you would want to take a vacation w/o your kid/s.

I totally get it now. It's a time for us to reconnect as a couple and not as parents.

My fabulous sisters offered to watch our little Monkey so the Big Guy and I we could have much needed time alone.

We talked about a couple of places and decided that Carmel/Monterey would be the perfect place for us to go. So we dropped my Sister and the Monkey off at the Amtrak Sacramento and went our separate ways; MJ and my Sis off to Fresno and Mark and I headed to Monterey.

I didn't take any pics of our trip, instead are the pics MJ and my Sisters took on his trip back home.

Here are some pics MJ took in Sacramento. It was early morning and we were on our way to the Amtrak station to drop off MJ and my Sister.

MJ taking a pic of Dad's belly as we walked into the station.

 

Us saying bye to MJ. This was tougher than I thought. It took everything for me not to start balling.

MJ is very sweet little boy and I know if I started crying he would too.

Comic relief, but yea I still cried on the way to the car.

Busy Bags

A must for any trip!

What MJ saw from the Amtrak:

 

 

Yep, lots of farmland.

I have no idea how to do this with the camera, evidently MJ does.

And this is what my sister was doing while MJ was taking in the sights.

BUSTED!!

I love my sis Yoni, she showed him the map of where they were going on the

Great Amtrak Adventure. He still has it and talks about how he and his Tia Jitos

took the Amtak train.

Self Pics

When they finally made it to Fresno my Sister Lu was there to greet them.

And they took him to the Zoo.

Time for some lunch!

My sis Lu

This is who MJ gets his picture ham from

Tia Jitos, my sis Yoni

The reason I exist:)

LOOOOONG DAY!

I am thankful for the many blessings in my life. At the top of the list is my family. Last year was a very rough year for all of us, but with family, you can get through anything. I will never take them for granted. I know, I honestly know the pain of loosing family.

OH, and a humongous thank you to my sister for completely potty training him while he was there.

Seriously, how lucky is that!?!