Mmmmmm.... delicious baked beans...

Cooking - Herb and Garlic Croutons, roasting pumpkin & garlic for tonights soup & also some lamb stock on the boil for tomorrow nights dinner....
Reading - The Thyroid Diet http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780007211838/The-Thyroid-Diet Interesting book, and food for thought. Also reading this blog http://mollysthyroidjourney.blogspot.com/?spref=fb which has prompted the re-reading of the above book.
Crafting - Finally learnt to crochet! So crocheting granny squares for a belly~dweller blanket.
Contemplating - Going gluten free....

In our home we try to eat all organic. We also have no foods in the house containing preservatives/additives/colourings etc etc etc. They effect LM REALLY badly. Esp Barley Malt Extract (It is in SO many things... didn't realise how many until we cut it out about 8 months ago. It is also in organic foods. The processing to become BME actually produces and MSG which explains the night waking a mood swings :/) which has her waking up to 10 times a night needing to be resettled. The other stuff doesn't help in that respect either, and also makes her grumpy and emotional as all get out. It is like Jekyll and Hyde. The tantrums start, the tears start, the sleeping stops... it is alllll bad and lasts for days. So I make all our meals/snacks etc from scratch, to ensure there are no nasties in it. This has also had a positive effect on TH, he has gone from needing his asthma puffer at least 3 times a week, to needing it max 3 times a year. He needs it so little, that when he DOES need it, he can rarely find it because it has been so long since he has used it. Which would be funny if it where not for the fact he needs the thing to breathe lol...

The other night I made baked beans from scratch for the first time. Without a recipe, I just winged it. They turned out so well I thought I would share the recipe... LM loves baked beans, but the prepackaged variety REALLY doesn't agree with her. So it has been a long time since she had any. Which is very slack of me. Is there anything more simple/cheap/nutritious than a delicious bowl of baked beans?

Baked Beans

Ingredients....

2 Cans of organic tomato's, blitzed in the blender
1 Organic brown onion, finely diced
1 Can organic kidney beans
1 Can organic cannellini beans
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sweet paprika
Tsp Cumin
Tsp Sugar
Oil of choice...

Method....

1.) Brown finely diced onion in oil in your saucepan until translucent
2.) To the onion's, add the paprika and cumin and fry, stirring, for a minute or 2 (releases the delicious aroma's)
3.) Add the blitzed tomato's to the saucepan, with a little water, pinch of salt, tsp sugar (this helps break down the tomato's. Lemon juice could also be used if you don't want the added sugar) and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Not sure how long I cooked it for tbh... I cook by smell and how it looks. A very aquarian trait I am told lol...
4.) Once the tomato mix is cooked to how you like it, add the drained and rinsed beans and heat through.

I served these with potato's in their jackets, topped with grated organic cheddar. So yummy! Would be delicious with your choice of crusty bread also. My favourite is organic ciabatta (toasted under the grill, with garlic olive oil brushed over it) You could also sub whatever beans are your favourite, or whatever you have to hand :)

Enjoy!