Simply Southern

So the other week, like a month ago, I was in a crunch for groceries and I didn't want to spend anymore money on my groceries. I decided to see what I had in my pantry and freezer. You see, I'm the type of wife and cook that makes weekly (usually) groceries lists and they're based off of what menu I have planned for the following week! This way I don't go out and buy a lot of random junk that I don't need to be eating or that I don't need for what I'm cooking. Fortunately, yet sometimes unfortunately, when we're at the end of a week's menu and I haven't gone grocery shopping our pantry and fridge start looking pretty bare. But I like it that way! Keeps me from overspending and buying food that may spoil before we eat it.

Brandon and I are very much of "clean eating", if you want to call it that. I don't buy boxed suppers or frozen dinners. I just don't want all that processed junk going in our systems. It's just straight up not good for you! Plus, I love cooking :). I pretty much have to go grocery shopping weekly otherwise the veggies and fresh food I end up buying a week and a half ago are spoiled or spoiling by the time I plan on cooking/eating them! (I learned that one the hard way. For a little while I tried planning a menu for two weeks at a time. Well, I got pretty frustrated when I got to week two and my asparagus and other things were no good.)

Sorry, I got a little side tracked there. Anyways! I am going to share a SUPER DUPER easy and quick supper idea with y'all! Brandon and I love love love cornbread. However, Brandon is quite picky when it comes to cornbread (and I thought I  was picky about it!), but I finally found this recipe on allrecipes.com (I think). I had this memory the other day of when I was younger and we'd have pinto beans and cornbread for supper and I loved it! Truthfully, pinto beans by themselves don't have a lot of flavor by themselves. I was inspired by this memory to make pinto beans, cornbread, and roasted broccoli (gotta have that veggie!). I was shocked when Brandon told me he had never heard of pinto beans and cornbread. I guess that's what I get for marrying a yankee ;).

Here's my yummylishous Cornbread recipe:
 Prep: 10 min. Cook: 20 min.
8 servings.

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. yellow cornmeal
2/3 c. white sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/3 c canola oil

Preheat the oven to 400 deg F. Mix the dry ingredients first and then the wet. Lightly grease your 9 in. round pan (I don't recommend using a 8x8 or 9x9 glass with this time and heat). Once all the ingredients are well combined pour the batter into your greased pan and slide it in your preheated oven! Cook for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, mine usually just needs 20 min. And enjoy this sweet, moist cornbread!

Nutrition (1 slice):  275.1 calories, 10.7 g fat, 41.8 g carbohydrates, 4.7 g protein

Roasted Broccoli:
Prep:~3 min. Cook: 10 min.

Broccoli
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Garlic powder (optional)

I don't give you exact amounts because it really depends on how much broccoli you feel like eating. So first, preheat the oven to 450-- mine seems to take forever to preheat! Then spread out your broccoli on a cookie sheet, its okay if it's frozen. Then you want to spritz or pour olive oil on your broccoli. I got an oil mister at TJ Maxx for like $7 and it is awesome! (I have a tendency to put too much oil on things and then the food doesn't turn out right). You don't want the broccoli sitting in oil, just enough to lightly cover. Then do the seasonings to taste and pop those suckers in the oven!

Nutrition (1/2 cup): 27.4  calories, 0.3 g fat, 5.6 g carbohydrates, 1.9 g protein

Pinto Beans:

This one is super easy! Like I said earlier, I don't buy canned beans. If you do, then just heat them up and add salt and pepper as you wish. But if you cooked up your beans like I did here, then just take a baggie out of the freezer earlier in the day and let it thaw. Once thawed, throw in the pot and warm it up. Easy peasy! Oh and you'll want to add some salt and pepper to that also. Hint: the pinto beans taste pretty good on top of the cornbread.

Nutrition (1/2 cup): 120 calories, 0.5 g fat, 22 g carbohydrates, 8 g protein
 

So depending on what you're trying to get out of your diet, if you're doing high carb/low fat or high fat/low carb, will decide as to whether this is right for your lifestyle choices!