Surprise!

Have you ever gone out on a limb and tried a brand new recipe just out of curiosity? I most definitely have. And while a lot of the times my high hopes end up being deflated by my crock pot's tendency to cook things WAY too fast, or my lack of culinary expertise, there is occasionally a recipe that makes being adventurous TOTALLY worth it!

I had an experience like this not too long ago... I found a recipe for red beans and rice and decided to check it out. I was REALLY hesitant - as I said before, my hubby's a little on the picky side, so I didn't think it would be something he'd be into... but I was willing to take that chance (it sounded WAY good to me! haha).

Now this is not a recipe that I'd ever even considered before because we're not really into soups and stews in our house (there are a few exceptions, of course). But this particular recipe is for the crockpot and I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for new/delicious/easy crockpot recipes, so I figured - why not?

The list of ingredients is pretty basic, and really inexpensive too (that's always a plus, right?). So even if my husband hated it, we could go pick up some Wendy's afterwards and still not have spent much on dinner. :)

Well, as the heading obviously suggests, we absolutely LOVED it! Like really loved it... like my DH has bragged about it to friends and family, and asked to have it every WEEK kind of loved it! YES! It's moments like those that make me feel like a hero of my little home - like I've accomplished an amazing feat, or created a priceless work of art. Oh, the simple joys of being a stay-at-home-mom... :) and then I do the dishes... haha

Anyway, here is the recipe. Go ahead and try it - take a risk and enjoy the wonderful rewards!



The ONLY adjustment I made, per my DH's request, was to leave out the cinnamon. The first few times I made it I left he cinnamon in. The change in flavor is very slight, so it may not make a difference for you either way, but that's the way we usually do it now.

Also, this is a staple on our OAMC list and it's super easy to convert to a freezer meal. You just throw everything except the water into a gallon-sized freezer bag. The day that you decide to cook it, pour the ingredients into the crockpot, measure 6 cups of water into the bag and then pour that in over the other ingredients (I do this because seasonings ALWAYS end up getting stuck to the insides of the bag and this way they all make it into the pot. AND who wants to make 6 trips back and forth between the sink and the crockpot? Not this girl...) Then simply cook as directed, serve over rice and enjoy! I hope this recipe is as successful in your home as it was in mine!