I’m not sure if he heard about it somewhere or came up with it on his own, but around the start of the school year the boy declared that Tuesdays were for tacos, and so our Taco Tuesday tradition was born. Now we’re fortunate to have a great taco place in the neighborhood (District Taco for you locals), but I try to do it at home most weeks. The kids are really into bean and cheese “tacos” (they’re really more of a quesadilla or burrito, but no need to get technical) which makes it even easier as I can make a pot of beans ahead of time, and then quickly cook some chicken breasts or fish when we want a little more protein. For meatless nights, we just use a generous scoop of beans, fresh avocado and tomato and some queso fresco. Having recently conquered my fear of the slow cooker, it was high time to try beans in the crock pot.

I’ve read conflicting things about soaking dried beans and Rancho Gordo recommends cooking the beans in the soaking water to retain nutrients, so I took their advice. You can drain and fill with fresh water if you prefer. Rancho Gordo makes gorgeous heritage bean varieties unlike any beans you’ll find in the supermarket, so they’re worth seeking out if you can. Or, just use your favorite brand of dried beans. The Rio Zape beans I used here are like pinto beans, but bigger and very flavorful. I just added a few things to season the cooking water and let them go all day. They were perfect by dinner time.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Pinto Beans (or Rio Zape)
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried Rio Zape or pinto beans
• water
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 4-ounce can mild Hatch green chilies
• 1 bay leaf
• sea salt

Instructions:

1. The night before: Rinse and pick over beans. Place in slow cooker bowl and cover with water. Let soak overnight.

2. In the morning, add garlic, chilies and bay leaf. Add additional water to cover beans by one inch. Set slow cooker on low and cook for 8-10 hours, until desired tenderness.

3. Season with salt to taste and serve. Can freeze leftover beans; be sure to include some of the liquid to keep them from drying out when reheated.

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Do you have a themed dinner night at your house? If not, try it! It’s a fun way to get kids involved in planning the meal. Getting to have chips and salsa at dinner, just like at our favorite Mexican restaurant, makes our Taco Tuesday extra special.

Some of our favorite family-friendly markets are reopening this weekend, including Alexandria’s West End Market (Sundays, 8:30am to 1pm at Ben Brenman Park) and Reston Farmers Market (Saturday, 8am to noon at Lake Anne Village Center). (All Fairfax County and Loudoun County markets are now open for the season). And a brand new market is opening in Arlington’s Westover neighborhood (Sundays, 8am to noon on N. McKinley Rd.).

(Psst…are you on Pinterest? I’ve pinned a few Mexican-inspired recipes for Cinco de Mayo.)

today in the foodie tots kitchen garden:

(1) great job for tots: weeding around the edge of the bed
(2) peas coming up
(3) first strawberry is almost ready!

How’s your garden growing?

While the youngest is a toddler now, and eating whatever we eat, purees can still provide an extra boost of nutrition at meal time. They can be mixed in to soups or pasta, used as a dip for veggies and crackers, or used like you would applesauce to reduce the fat (butter or oil) content in baked goods. Take these Carrot Oat Cakes I developed for Plum’s Little Foodies Cookbox campaign. Full of fiber and a little sweet, they’re perfect for a quick breakfast or after school snack.

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GIVEAWAY: Plum Organics has provided a “Yum Kit” for one lucky reader, which contains coupons, stickers, and a variety of Plum pouches. To enter, leave a comment below sharing your little one’s favorite early food. The giveaway closes at 11:59pm Eastern on Sunday, May 6. Please include a valid email in the comment form. Giveaway is open to US residents only.

Three ways to increase your odds of winning (must leave a separate comment indicating you’ve done them):

1. “follow” @foodietots AND @plumorganics on Twitter
2. “like” FoodieTots AND Plum Organics on Facebook
3. “pin” this post to Pinterest

Good luck!

Disclosure: I was compensated by Nest Collective, parent company of Plum Organics, for developing a recipe as part of the Little Foodies Cookbox campaign and received products for the purposes of hosting this giveaway. All comments and opinions are my own.

DC Food Blogger Bake Sale
Thursday, April 26, 2012
2:00 – 6:00pm
at the Washington Post building,
1150 15^th Street NW (inside on the first floor)
(Can’t make it? Donate here and help us raise $5,000 to fight child hunger.)

Not in Washington? Find a Food Blogger Bake Sale near you, or host your own! Even simpler, click here to take the No Kid Hungry pledge and learn more about how you can help.

If you are in DC, don’t miss your chance to purchase treats from these talented bloggers, cookbook authors and bakers:

Alla Cucina
Anna Saint John
Bon Appetit Foodie
Cook Like a Champion
Cookography
Domenica Marchetti
Feastie
Florida Girl in DC
Foodie Tots
Food Wanderings
Frijolita
Healthier Kitchen
Mother Would Know
Not Derby Pie
One Vanilla Bean
Pati’s Mexican Table
Remaking Christine
The Bitten Word
The 6?oclock Scramble
The Chubbette
Whisked DC
Washington Post Food Writers