our play kitchen: an ikea duktig makeover

yes, yes.

i jumped on the bandwagon for moms-who-makeover-the-ikea-play-kitchen.

and honestly, it was such a fun project.

my mom was so good at prioritizing play for us three girls. and really all I can remember in my childhood is playing. so I love doing the same for KK. and - thanks to my fond, fond memories - I wanted KK to have a play kitchen.

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my favorite slow cooker pinto beans

FIRST OFF I AM NOT A FOOD BLOGGER I JUST LOVE FOOD SO TAKE THIS ALL WITH A LARGE GRAIN OF SALT OK


2.5 cups dried pinto beans
1.5 TB pinto bean seasoning
bouillon+ 8ish cups water (or omit bouillon and do 8ish cups chicken broth)

optional: 12-14 ounce smoked sausage. i prefer this recipe without the sausage because I loveeeee a good bowl of plain pinto beans, but it’s also good with the sausage. (When we do add sausage, we usually use something with a kick, like heb's 3-pepper smoked sausage or something jalapeno-y from trader joes. And I slice the sausage, then quarter each slice bc I like my chunks of sausage smaller in size.)

I never presoak the beans and I think they're fine, but you do you, boo.

throw all ingredients in a slow cooker.
I cook on low for 8 hours, but your slow cooker may differ from mine. play around!

ALSO. Start with 8ish cups liquid, and, add more later if you want to - or, alternatively, if 8ish cups liquid was too much for you, drain some out at the end. (It’s fine, everything’s fine. Luckily this recipe is flexible AF.)

when beans are finished cooking, I turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid, mash a hefty portion of the beans to release the starches, and let the crockpot of beans sit without a lid (this thickens the broth further). season, if needed. add some liquid, if you want them less thick.

(also, just another reminder this is just how I make the beans. you do you!!)


my absolute favorite way to eat these beans is over a bed of brown rice, topped with thick, shredded cheddar cheese and mashed avocado. YUM. (brett also adds sour cream, hot sauce, and/or salsa.) with this cornbread in muffin form or cast iron on the side. SO GOOD.

or, we omit the brown rice and use frito scoops to scoop the beans and toppings into our mouth. YUMMM.

or, my favorite restaurant growing up had a big pot of pinto beans you could grab a bowl of as a starter, and it was served with club crackers. and I love to eat it that way - nostalgia at its finest.

one of my favorite meals! I loved making a big pot of plain pinto beans (no sausage) on Sundays and eating them allll week for breakfast, lunch, or dinner as a teacher.

this post has my full list of favorite make-ahead breakfasts and lunches. beans definitely makes the list.

maple pecan baked oatmeal

if you’ve been around here for more than a minute, you know i’m a picky eater.

but i’m finally learning to like oatmeal.

in fact, kk and I have “some sort of oats” two days a week as apart of our meal rotation, “some sort of oats” is one of my favorite things to meal prep for the week, and “some sort of oats” is one of my favorite make-ahead breakfasts and lunches.

below is the first recipe that also had me realize that I may even be learning to like baked oatmeal.

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