Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who showed up for tonight's kick off! I thought it went wonderfully, didn't you?

Many thanks for all of the suggestions for the blog and for workshops. Next time, bring a friend or neighbor. I know it was a little crowded, but we can work on that problem, so bring them anyway!

Thank you, Janet, for those great black beans burgers; and to Megan for the yummy rolls. The recipes follow:

Hamburger Buns II

1 cup (8 oz) water

2 tablespoons (1 oz) butter

1 large egg

3 1/4 cups (13 3/4 oz) unbleached all purpose flour

1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)

Combine all ingredients and mix and knead them together- by hand or mixer- until you've made a soft, smooth dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each piece into a flattened ball. Place the buns on greased baking sheets, cover, and let rise 30-40 minutes, until they're quite puffy.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the buns for 12 to 15 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven and cool them on a rack. Split and use for burgers or sandwiches.

Black Bean Burgers

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces

1/2 onion, cut into wedges

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 egg

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.

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2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.

3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.

4. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.

5. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.

6. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

Don't forget to keep track of your purchases for the next two weeks. Sort them by fresh, staple, and convenience. Also - keep a list of your meals for two weeks so it will be easier to determine what kinds of food you need to store.