Beans and Grains Mix

As some of you know, I have been anxious to reduce my workload in order to
spend more time with the babies, with my pets, and writing. To that end, I have
been trying a new way to make up the beans and grains mix, which is a staple part
of the soft food diet that I feed.

This is what I've come up with and the birds really like it:

I mix up a couple of pounds of brown rice with 4 packages of grain products
made by Near East - I get mine at Kroger. Some of the grain mixes include
Roasted Garlic, Roasted Pecan & Garlic, Almond Pilaf, Rice Pilaf, Couscous
Toasted Pine Nut. 

There are probably a dozen different grain mixes with a
flavor packet. I mix them (along with the flavor packet) together with the
brown rice, put the mixture in a plastic bag, and store it in the 'fridge.

You can also mix in very small quantities of other grains but you have to be
careful though or it cooks up wet. If you just use the Near East products
and brown rice, one and three-quarters cup of water should be sufficient
instead of the more usual 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. Kroger often has
the Near East mixes on sale and sometimes there is a coupon inside the Near
East package.

I have a mega cheap rice cooker that I got on sale for $6 about 15 years
ago. I figured if I hated it at least I didn't have a lot of money tied up
in it and could pitch it with no regrets <g> It is great and I highly
recommend using a rice cooker.

I have been getting pasta made with buckwheat, quinoa, and spelt grains at
the health food store so I haven't been adding those grains to my mix.
That's 3 less pots to wash. <g> I've still been using hot peppers in the
pasta cooking water. My health food store has bulk vegetable flavored pasta
and I use that too.

I have a Black and Decker Handy Chopper Plus that holds about a cup of nuts
that I use. I discovered (?) that the almonds are a LOT easier and quicker
to chop if I start out with the sliced ones than the whole ones. I rotate
using walnuts, pecans, or almonds depending on whether they are on special
or the price is better for one or the other.

Some of the other things I add are:

Toasted sunflower seeds
Pine nuts
Roasted pumpkin seeds or pepitos
Roasted Corn nuts
Boiled Popcorn Kernels

I've been adding frozen veggies like collard, turnip, or mustard greens to
the beans during the last 10 minutes of cooking. I once found frozen cubed
turnips and turnip greens. I check the package of the frozen veggies and if
they are from Mexico, I cook them with the beans. I also add the frozen
mixed veggies to the beans/grains mix - I add them with the hot items to
cool the mix down.

I get several different kinds of beans to add to the 15 bean soup mix from
the supermarket. I get mung, adzuki (Chinese red peas), and whole green peas
from the health food store and add them to the other beans. I use fresh hot
peppers in the bean water - or a head of garlic. My birds seem to like both
equally.

I cook the beans, the rice mix, and the pasta separately.

If you try this, please let me know if your birds like it. I may have to do
another article about the beans and grains recipe.

Bobbi Brinker