Monster Stew

Each month I hold a book club meeting for preschool age children.  October's book club was held the week before Halloween. We read one of my favorite children's books entitled "Cackle Cook's Monster Stew"  written by Patricia Rae Wolff.

All the children dressed up in their costumes and I in mine and we had a frightfully good time.

We had superheros, witches, and dragons, oh my.

Chowing down on Monster Stew.

Standing in line to knock Scaredy the Cat off the wall.

Scaredy the Cat fell off.

Recipe for Monster Stew

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 Carrots
2 Onions
2 Bell Peppers 1 red 1 green
1 1/4 lb package ground turkey (or you could use 1 lb any ground meat)
3/4  worth of a can of tomato paste
2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed
2 15 oz cans pinto beans with juice
1/2 of package of "Grill Mates" Mexican Fiesta Marinade (Powder) you can find this in the spice isle at walmart for about 99 cents:)
salt and pepper to taste

Chop the carrots onions and bell peppers in a food processor, blender, chopper, whatever you have until they are minced in uniform pieces.  Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the minced veggies and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes.  Add the ground meat and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink about 10 minutes.  Add the tomato paste  and cook, stirring, until it is slightly darkened, 3 minutes.  Stir in beans, Mexican Fiesta Marinade (Powder), 3 cups water, salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender, 20 minutes.  Feed to your little monsters.