getting ready: rice and beans

hey guys! i told her a few weeks ago about rice and bean month coming up in march. well, it's almost here. my church held a bean feast to let the congregation know about it. we made up a bunch of beans and lentils recipes and had a nice time.

we've also spent quite alot of time figuring out our 'rules'. the rule for the month is whatever... there are no rules. just whatever you want to do. we want to do mostly rice and beans as a fast and so we'd have alot to give. but we had to come up with some rules to make it easier. so here they are:

• we are eating beans, rice, lentils, and oats
• we are not eating meat, dairy (except for the kids' milk), sugar, and processed food
• i'm buying 4 bottles of wine to last the whole month 
• we are also permitting the eating of anything in our fridge or pantry, but not stocking up. so that weird venison might just get eaten. and maybe the bizarre canned soups. 
• we're also letting the kids eat vanilla yogurt, bananas, and apples for snacks.
• will can eat regular cafeteria food at school and the kids can eat whatever at grandma's and stuff
• we are calling it on Easter sunday. that'll be the day we go back on regular food. 

 if that sounds really intense to you, let me tell you about what some other people are doing...

• my mom is eating beans for lunch everyday
• our best friends are eating rice and beans every sunday after lunch instead of eating out
• some people are only eating what's in their fridge and pantry as a way of saving money
• even one meal of rice and beans is a few bucks to donate. a few bucks in africa goes a long way!
• some people have an 'opt-in jar'. we do. will likes to see things in a tangible way, so when he eats a rice or beans meal we put a dollar in the jar. he's pretty stoked about that. 

remember what it's for: standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in africa, and providing relief! real relief in a real way. the money you donate will go to lahash's feeding programs in east africa. they are even working on starting farms so they always have fresh food. that's amazing and i'm so excited to be a part of it. i'll keep you posted!