Mexican Cornbread Bake and Monday Update

This weekend Sarah and Joseph along with their high school Green Team put on the annual "Greenstock" event in one of our town's local parks.  Local bands, and singers, along with other entertainment and informational booths help to raise money for a local river watch group and other groups who help make the environment nicer in Oregon.  The weather was perfect, not too hot, and no rain until the last band left the stage, and then only a light sprinkle while the volunteers got everything put away.

We have gone to this event for the past few years, and it grows every year.  Fun for everyone, plus a great way for the kids who volunteered for this event to learn leadership and event planning skills as well as fundraising.  

The first group we heard preform was the high school jazz band, what a treat, they did a fabulous job!

We visited some of the booths set up with vendors and information.

We heard songs from Sedona and Alex (friends of Sarah and Joseph), who did a wonderful job preforming, they wrote a couple of original songs that were very well done!

 
The event took place in one of my favorite parks in town, surrounded by a memorial Oak grove that was looking very beautiful.

A new performer this year, Rancho Tres Potrillos Dancing Stallions, brought a couple of their stunning horses.

Here Joseph is listening to some guitar music.

We packed a simple picnic for lunch, some yummy wraps, grapes (which I just love snacking on), some classic Pik-Nik shoestring potatoes, and some "green" rice krispy treats, and pretzels.  I bought the turquoise reusable trays a few years back, and they are great for picnicking, they reminded me of the old lunch trays we had back when I was in grade school, easy to bring with and nice that they are reusable.

The Green Team was also holding a bake sale during the event, so I made up a few big batches of Rice Krispy treats for the bake sale.

Here they are all wrapped up for the sale. :)

Greenstock was fun, we enjoyed the music as well as the sunshiny park, I look forward to next year as well.

Out in the garden the flowers are looking very nice, Gary got this beautiful hanging basket as a thank you gift for volunteering at the high school this year.  I love these pink petunias!

I found this purple shamrock type plant, that I thought would be perfect in the moss garden.  I love the purple next to the Irish moss.

My rose bush is also in full bloom right now, lots of gorgeous orange/pinkish red blossoms.

I also thought I would share my recipe for Mexican Cornbread Bake.  Last week, to save time with dinner prep, I made up a few pounds of taco seasoned ground beef.  The first night we had one of my favorite meals, make your own tacos.  With the left over seasoned beef I made a simple dinner the next night.


Mexican Cornbread Bake

Mix 1 pound of Taco Seasoned cooked ground beef, with one can drained sweet corn, and one can drained and rinsed black beans.

Spread into a 9x13 baking pan, and top with a thin layer of shredded cheese (cheddar, cheddar/jack, or Mexican blend cheese will all work) about 1/2 cup maybe 3/4 cup.

Then prepare two boxes of Jiffy Brand Corn Muffin Mix according to box directions ( I love having Jiffy Cornbread mix in the pantry, great for a quick side dish of cornbread, or tasty cornbread pancakes, and usually pretty inexpensive)  Pour the cornbread mixture over the beef,corn and bean mixture, and top with a sprinkle of cheese.

Bake at 400 F. for about 20 minutes until golden brown, and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Slice and serve with a side of sour cream.  This dinner goes great with a salad or side dish of fruit.  Quick and yummy weeknight dinner.

The rain has returned with close to a record breaking 14 or 15 days of no rain (pretty long time for the Pacific Northwest), the garden will be happy, the green beans and squash have been planted, and the annual flower bed is starting to have a few seedlings popping up.  

Hope everyone has a great week, what's growing in your garden?