Brummet's Conscious Blog

Refried Beans  - a weird title for this essential Mexican dish. Made with black, pinto and/or kidney beans - it is kept on a low temperature to stew along with the other ingredients and then blended. The cooking process continues until it thickens like you see below. So nothing is really " fried " except the onions. While it is sometimes called  Mexican Beans or Burrito Beans , this dish is most commonly known as Refried Beans . You'll often see it as an ingredient in "7-layer" dips, which is usually served with nachos or thick potato chips. It is also a common ingredient for burrito, enchilada and other Mexican dishes.  *One can of quality Refried Beans costs $4-$5 at the grocery store By making our own we saved $10 , as the ingredients for the 3 batches (pictured below) cost less than $5.  Today, I used black and kidney beans for this dish. The 2 square containers, below, will be heading to the freezer... the other will be served tonight as Crispy Bean Burri...

Holding strong opinions  In the face of weak evidence, Is a sign that a person  Is not thinking critically. Conviction  Should follow the facts,  Not precede them What you want to believe  Shouldn't dictate  What you believe. The key to learning  Is valuing  Curiosity Over closure. ~~~     Follow us & find our Books:   on Amazon Visit:   Drum It With Brummet Blog Subscribe:   Brummet Media​ YouTube Channel​  ​ ~~~  

One of the kindest thing I have seen in the realm of entrepreneurship are businesses that insist on having a few products, gift certificates and blank gift cards stored in a cupboard.  Business owners that do this find that makes it easier to spontaneously share something nice.  Super handy especially if you didn't know about the event earlier, or that moment where you are inspired to say "Thank you" .   Take, for instance, the scenario that your clients just told you that they were celebrating their 20th anniversary. It is easy to excuse yourself for a moment, go to the back and put a little package or sign a card before returning to the room. Tuck in a few of tchotchkes, sample products or or gift certificates - whether they are in-house or they are for your networking connections.  People will remember you and your business for a very long time. They will feel valued. They will certainly talk about the thoughtful gift for several days to come. They will also ...

The  Recommended Resources  series has been published on this blog since we transferred it from the  Brummet's Muse  biweekly newsletter that ran for 6 years or so, many years ago. When we closed it down, we decided that we just had to continue this series here on this blog and have been doing so now for nearly 2 decades. With this series, Dave and I have the pleasure of sharing some great resources which can include  - positive impact organizations and events - citizen science projects  - helpful articles, amazing resources & exciting interviews We hope our readers will reach out to thank them for their work, find a way to network with them, share these sites with others or get involved in some way. ** Want to see a non-profit listed here? - Send us a  FaceBook   or  LinkedIn  message. Regional Animal Protection Society is Canada's largest no-kill, volunteer run program devoted to fostering, adoption, education, and full-service he...

Quote of the Day Life has loveliness to sell,  all beautiful  and splendid things:  blue waves  whitened on a cliff,  soaring fire  that sways and sings,  and children's faces  looking up,  holding wonder  like a cup.  ~ Sara Teasdale ~~~     Follow us & find our Books:   on Amazon Visit:   Drum It With Brummet Blog Subscribe:   Brummet Media​ YouTube Channel​  ​ ~~~  

Playing With Words - Series Find This Poetry Series @:  (US)  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09YMCRVZ3 (Canada)  https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09YMCRVZ3 Poetic Wanderings E-book https://www.amazon.com//dp/B0CR6WDMZ8 Paperback  https://www.amazon.com//dp/B0CSB8CD2S Hardcover https://www.amazon.com//dp/B0CSB766GQ Poetry has this unique ability to heal as it is being written, just as it heals when it is being read. For Dave's father, Frank Nick Brummet, the poetry began with a few published poems in high-school annuals. He wrote his first serious poem titled  Sentinel On The Hill  in the '70's & it was published in the  Okanagan Historical Society Report . By 1996 the muse had struck & he began to write and study writing seriously. Delve into this poetic journey celebrating love, reflections on nature & a lifetime of memories today. ( Canada )  https://www.amazon.ca//dp/B0CSB8CD2S Rhythm & Rhyme  E-book https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0846SWK...

Today, we'll discuss "Anne" (a fictional character) who is considering a variety of ways to supporting her contacts, valuable connections, cherished suppliers, clients, customers, neighbours and staff. This year, "Anne" is making the decision to create an action plan that will enhance and solidify connections within her networks. She has decided to create dialogue via surveys and by directly asking questions that reveal what interests her contacts may have - both professionally and personally, Learning more about their business means she can refer people to that contact more easily. It also means she is aware of their products and services.  Based on this Anne can now network by obtaining gift certificates from her contacts, and use these in her upcoming contests, door prize packages, or draws. She had done some research on a slow afternoon, and discovered several holiday calendars online and these gave her plenty of ideas for fun and unusual events to celebrate...

Poetic Wanderings - reader's comments "Currently, I’m savouring Poetic Wanderings by Lillian and Dave Brummet. This collection is a gentle journey that evokes the feeling of a bee flitting from bloom to bloom, reminding us of the simple pleasures often overlooked. The poems invite readers to revisit cherished memories, with lines that stir up sweet melancholy and nostalgia.  Themes of childhood, solitude, and the passage of time are interwoven with reflections on life and death, prompting deep contemplation. I am enjoying the lighthearted anecdotes mingled with more profound thoughts, making each poem resonate on multiple levels.  The poet's  ability to capture the beauty of nature alongside the complexity of human emotions makes this a delightful read." Thank you Donna Sundblad for this powerful feedback! She published her comments HERE

Organizing kitchen cupboards, making sure all the mixes and spices and herbs are up to date, refilled and ready for a winter of cooking. In doing so, I saw we were out of our homemade taco seasoning. This #reusable jar contains 8-9 batches of fresh, flavourful #taco seasoning.  We spent many years perfecting this recipe, experimenting with a variety of ingredients until it was perfect. We avoid having to purchase $20 of commercial, non-recyclable envelopes that contain  preservatives as part of the ingredients.  It took about 8 minutes, including clean up, to fill this jar that cost  $1.30 in ingredients...  ...A savings of $19  The savings for just this one recipe pays for the cost of the paperback cookbook.  Find the recipe:   https://www.amazon.com//dp/B0B12M6F3C

Poetry Time Most of you know already that Dave & I enjoy  Playing With Words , which is why we chose that name for our series of poetry books.  Did you know that one of the books in this series is actually a collection of poetry written by Dave's father, Frank Brummet?   Beautiful BC was written in 2016 and is Frank's ode to Western Canada, where he raised his family (4 children) and where his ashes now reside.  This poem comes out of  Poetic Wanderings , the 3rd book in the  Playing With Words   series . BEAUTIFUL B.C. The West wind is blowing and calling to me, Come back to the mountains, come back to the sea, Green valleys in blossom with blue skies above, I’ll always come home to this land that I love. There’s gold in the sunset where wild geese still fly, Where proud Douglas fir trees are touching the sky, And wild rushing rivers run down to the sea, Dear land of the dogwood, our Beautiful B.C. The wild flowers are blooming, so fragr...

Singing in the shower Is all fun and games, Until you get soap in your mouth. Then it is just  a Soap Opera. ~~~     Follow us & find our Books:   on Amazon Visit:   Drum It With Brummet Blog Subscribe:   Brummet Media​ YouTube Channel​  ​ ~~~

It took 10 minutes (including clean up) to make 4 batches worth of this awesome fajita seasoning mix and store it in this reusable jar. We spent years fine tuning this recipe.  * Commercial envelopes, cost  $2-3, are not recyclable and contain only a single batch worth of ingredients - which include chemicals and preservatives.  Avoid the chemicals, preservatives and waste envelopes by making your own.  *This jar containing 4 batches worth of fajita seasoning cost around $1 to make, a savings of $11. Want the recipe?  Find it on page 36 of our cookbook:  https://www.amazon.com//dp/B0B12M6F3C ~~~     Follow us & find our Books:   on Amazon Visit:   Drum It With Brummet Blog Subscribe:   Brummet Media​ YouTube Channel​  ​ ~~~

The  Recommended Resources  series has been published on this blog since we transferred it from the  Brummet's Muse  biweekly newsletter that ran for 6 years or so, many years ago. When we closed it down, we decided that we just had to continue this series here on this blog and have been doing so now for nearly 2 decades. With this series, Dave and I have the pleasure of sharing some great resources which can include  - positive impact organizations and events - citizen science projects  - helpful articles, amazing resources & exciting interviews We hope our readers will reach out to thank them for their work, find a way to network with them, share these sites with others or get involved in some way. ** Want to see a non-profit listed here? - Send us a  FaceBook   or  LinkedIn  message. Recycling Council of BC (Canada)  is a multi-sectoral nonprofit organization promoting the principles of zero waste through information service...

Quote of the Day "The most beautiful experience  we can have  is the mysterious.  The fundamental emotion  which stands at the cradle  of true art  and true science."  ~ Albert Einstein ~~~     Follow us & find our Books:   on Amazon Visit:   Drum It With Brummet Blog Subscribe:   Brummet Media​ YouTube Channel​  ​ ~~~  

Today I had the pleasure of answering another submitted questions from one of the Brummet Media Channel listeners.  Carol, from England, asks:  "I understand you are writing a book about Dave's family. Can you tell me about what your doing at the moment, because I think that's really amazing?" Drop in to hear my 5 min. response... https://youtu.be/IfyFNkVKUTg ~~~     Follow us & find our Books:   on Amazon Visit:   Drum It With Brummet Blog Subscribe:   Brummet Media​ YouTube Channel​  ​ ~~~  

ACMG Digital  Podcast featured an indepth conversation with me about our entrepreneur experiences.  Check it out to discover tips on: being flexible exploring services or marketing ideas evolving planning research ...and more! https://open.spotify.com/episode/0VW2vBTfAF0gP0P6CNu3Hw?si=vMTJeI8mSDmmScxzCpKTiw ~~~     Follow us & find our Books:   on Amazon Visit:   Drum It With Brummet Blog Subscribe:   Brummet Media​ YouTube Channel​  ​ ~~~  

World of Writing  - Interview: Part 2 We had such a great discussion with Donna Sundblad re: setting up this interview that we decided to split the interview into 2 parts. Part 2 will be published on January 7th. Donna has a reputation as a maestro of young adult fantasy fiction. She is celebrated for her enchanting tales that explore the timeless struggle between good and evil.  Her most recent release is the  Questing for Destiny collection  ( Next Chapter Publishing) include: The Inheritance Beyond the Fifth Gate   Windwalker    The upcoming  Dragon’s Oath series, promise to captivate readers further with 5 exciting books:  Drake Ascendant   Shadowalkers Sages of Tachnir  Rise of the Variel  ...book 5 is soon to follow. Embracing a healthy lifestyle, Donna values time with her family and friends. When not writing, she enjoys time outdoors, blogging, and sharing her literary passions, reflecting her commitment to her craft....