Rice and Beans 2011

...mostly isn't going to happen for me this year (sadly).

Last year during the month of March, I participated in Rice and Beans month.  It was quite the experience, really.  A lot of people were all "What the heck?!  Are you on some crazy crash diet cuz girl, that's whack!"  (Okay, okay.  Probably nobody said it quite like that....)  Truthfully, it didn't have much to do with losing weight at all.  There are three reasons given by Lahash (the organization that started Rice and Beans month) as to what the purpose behind it is:

1. Solidarity: To join brothers and sisters around the world with a commonly available dish.
   
2. Simplicity: To give up on wasteful and excessive consumption for one month.
   
3. Sharing: To give our savings to kids in East Africa that need help with their nutritional needs. 

It was really hard at first to eat nothing but rice and beans all the time.  I mean, I worked at a Christian camp that actually had REALLY GOOD FOOD.  The cook had mad skillz - she could make anything taste good.  And since I hosted groups, I was with them at every single meal.  Sitting with them.  Not eating.  I watched them chow down on delicious, cheesy, buttery, and sugary things (at least, those were the foods I focused on most) and the smells were pure temptation in the form of...well, whatever smell consists of (flavored air?).  When they were done eating and off to their next activity, I would run and reheat my rice and beans.  The longer I did it, though, the easier it got.  I actually really looked forward to meal times because OMG I FREAKING LOVE RICE AND BEANS NOW!!!  (But really.  Even now, a year later, I eat rice and beans way more than I used to.  Sometimes Matt and I just make rice with onions, garlic and curry for a meal.  And it's SO GOOD.)

I learned a lot that month, and I would totally do it again without hesitation.  So I am sad that I am unable to participate in it this year.  As I've mentioned before, I do the cooking for the family (sans weekends...sometimes) and I highly doubt that my parents would be on board for an entire month of nothing but rice and beans.  I'm not even sure if Matt would be game, either.

So to those of you doing Rice and Beans month, hooray!  It starts off hard, but gets much easier...and it's totally worth it!  I am with you in spirit, and I am planning on making a lot of rice and beans to supplement our meals this month.  For example, I made this Authentic Louisiana Red Beans and Rice on Sunday.  So, so tasty.