Open Three Cans and You Have Dinner

I knew I was in trouble when I was leaving daycare at with our toddler at 5:45pm. He already looked tired and hungry. Ideally, he would be happy with getting dinner at 5pm. He’s only 16 months, so he hasn’t told me that – it’s just what I’ve inferred. Dinner at 5pm is nearly impossible with our work schedules.
By the time we get home, he’s grumpy, tired, and hungry – and so are Mom and Dad.
While Aidan was grabbing items out of the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen, I had about 1 minute to grab 3 cans from the pantry; Chicken and Rice soup (larger can), diced tomatoes, black beans. I poured the soup in a small pot and let it start warming up. Drained and rinsed the black beans, threw them in the pot. Drained a little juice off of the tomatoes, threw them into the pot. I wanted to add some Mexican flavors but I was wondering if that would bee too much for Aidan. I decided to forgo any spice or cilantro. I added a bay leaf, dehydrated onions (maybe a 1/4 cup), tiny scoop of pre-chopped garlic. Brought the stew-like-soup to a boil and let simmer for a couple of minutes. I would’ve let it simmer 20-30 minutes but the kid was now falling apart. We both had a bowl. This was nice because we were able to enjoy the same food. If I heat up some spaghettios for him, we don’t eat together.
I must admit, it was a tiny bit bland for my taste, but it wasn’t bad. The beans are a great source of fiber. Most adults and kids do not eat nearly enough fiber every day. Tossing in a couple of beans here and there can boost your fiber intake.
Maybe the leftovers will be better tomorrow – let the flavors meld?

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