Tep, we've scored a batch of extra delicious white peaches and Emmett's gone on a binge.

We did wind up doing a smoothie to finish them off.

Also, when I make the black beans: saute onions in butter and olive oil, add beans, add cumin, add fresh salsa, add pinch of brown sugar.

Trick with black beans is also to add a dusting of cinnamon. Richens up the flavor, but doesn't taste of cinn. You can add an amazing amount before that happens.

Me, I do black beans after sauteeing garlic and onion and chile, plus chile. Did I mention chile? Green, please. Cumin, fresh only on top. If you do meat, throw in previously cooked and chopped chicken. Don't do the sugar.

Make it more souplike (keep in mind when I do this, I do several large cans at once) I puree a cup or two and remix. Burritos, soup, beans and rice.

I'm curious, Seattle folk: why aren't Bainbridge or Whidbey Islands on your short list of wonderful places to buy a house in the area?

Because the commute would be doubleplus insane?

I know people who commute from there, but they're NUTS.

Also, large sections of Bainbridge apparently have no high speed internet.

Kathy, healthma to your brother.

Go pink, sarameg!

They really have made the ordering process feel just like calling a technical support line.

Can't you do it online? I only order pizza online, but I haven't tried Pizza Hut. Just Dominos and Papa John's.

Just heard that the last job that I interviewed for and craved has been shelved--that's what my karma is--the positions I like keep getting shelved. Pisser. Not even anyone to be mad at.

Also, large sections of Bainbridge apparently have no high speed internet.

That's really reason enough.

I dunno about that, ita. Strange turn of events, but there've been a lot of those this past 6 mo.

Back during the last recession, had family friends sunk with a property on Bainbridge, trying to unload it. Wonder how they made out.

I'm curious, Seattle folk: why aren't Bainbridge or Whidbey Islands on your short list of wonderful places to buy a house in the area?

Because the commute would be doubleplus insane?

We've got a couple of Bainbridge houses on our list of faves-- there's one job Lewis really, really wants that, if he got it, would be about six blocks from the ferry stop downtown so on paper, it seems like six of one, half dozen of another, commute-wise. And I like the idea of island living-- I know a few of the Seattle area writers who live on Bainbridge. But in everyday application? That would require a lot of thought, I think.

The internet would be an issue for sure since it's such a huge requirement for me professionally.

Tep, we've scored a batch of extra delicious white peaches and Emmett's gone on a binge.

We did wind up doing a smoothie to finish them off.

Smoothies may be in our future, at least at the end of the week. When I pack our lunches,* peaches are definitely included.

Also, when I make the black beans: saute onions in butter and olive oil, add beans, add cumin, add fresh salsa, add pinch of brown sugar.

Oh, yum. Do you leave them in more or less intact bean form, or do you puree them to be more refried-bean-texture-like?

*(The way household jobs have been allocated is amusingly along traditional gender roles** -- because The Boy's ADD is inattentive-type, it can take him [seriously] 30 minutes to pull together a bagel, veggie burger, peach, carrots, and string cheese. But since I'm already making my own lunch, I just fire questions into the other room to find out what he wants, and get it all together.

In return, he mows the lawn, picks up dog poop, and cleans the litter boxes, among other things. Although the litter box cleaning is really because my allergies won't let me do it -- my lungs would collapse.)

**(And I actually really dig making his lunch. Somewhere, Andrea Dworkin is shaking a fist at me.)

Oh, yum. Do you leave them in more or less intact bean form, or do you puree them to be more refried-bean-texture-like?

Basically bean form, since the advantage of doing this dish is it's ease and I don't have to get out the blender.

However, I have done it as sarameg suggests - soupier and pureeing a portion of it to add some body.

Can't do chiles, though, because I've got to slip it by youngish, unappreciative palates.

I usually meat mine up on the side by broiling some Fancy Wienies.

When I make bean burritos, I just kind of mash some up near the end with the back of the wooden spoon to thicken it up.