Beans have always been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, and I think they're as beautiful as they are yummy! With a little glue, patience and a bit of imagination they make gorgeous richly colored and textured mosaics!

Beans grow & thrive around the world, are a great source of plant protein, high in fiber & nutrients AND as pulses can be stored for up to two years before cooking! They can be used as an animal protein replacement, and are so versatile they are used as both a main dish, an ingredient in side dishes and desserts.

Traditional healty and easy Tuscan pinto beans soup

My mom makes this chili for many of our family gatherings, and it's so tasty that we all take some home with us (only if there's any left!). It's a delicious and filling recipe, and very simple, too! You can also used canned beans, if desired. : )

It’s so important it is to know what is in our food and have control over what we put into our bodies. Cooking the whole food way doesn’t have to be time consuming or difficult. I wanted to illustrate how simple it is to cook dried beans from scratch. I created storybook style characters both to engage the viewer but also to reinforce that message of simplicity. Also a fun and healthy way to introduce children to cooking.

Eat this as a salad or eat it as a dip. It’s delicious either way!

Beans are one of the world’s greatest superfoods but did you known there’s some supersized beans around the world!? Let’s take a look at some large legumes!

My granny would make this soup for us when we would come over to her home and I loved it! I especially loved the way the weenie's were cut with slits and the neat bowls that she would serve it in. She also loved Weiner dogs also I had to include them in the illustration too.

Easy white bean skillet!

Something fun for vegetarian kids.. or adults!

A few years ago when wanting to add more fiber and protein to my diet, I came across the humble bean. Packed with nutrients, they adds tons of nutrition to a meal, and are quite satisfying when well seasoned or paired with complimentary foods. When my daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, we learned that complex carbohydrates in beans help stabilize blood sugar because they take longer to digest. Now we eat beans at least 3-5 times a week!
-Cool Beans contest

Convincing a toddler to try new foods can be tough, especially beans! Kids are naturally quite suspicious of foods based on color, texture and smell.

To get the right amount of nutrition into my kids diet, I’ve learned to be a bit sneaky about it. And luckily when it comes to beans, they blend into any meal and no one will be the wiser. That’s why my favorite family bean recipe is chocolate black bean cookies. My kids gobble them up without realizing (or caring) about all the nutritious goodness in them!

Our favorite black bean cookie recipe is by “A couple of cooks”. It uses canned black beans, which makes it totally easy for a busy mom!

There’s nothing more satisfying then when your kids eat something “good” for them. Yay, for beans!!

On stay-at-home Saturdays I enjoy making a pot of pinto beans to use for quick-meals over the coming week; tacos, burritos, soups and bean-grain bowls. I find it magical that from one pot of beans such a variety of good meals can come! This illustration shows the way to my reliable pot of gold.

Many people find these ice-cream flavours strange. But in the Philippines, the Ube (purple yam) and Macapuno (mutant coconut) ice-cream are the most common ice-cream. Serving ice-cream inside a young coconut is a great way to enjoy it. The soft, jelly like meat of the young coconut is a refreshing addition to the taste.