I usually make up a big batch of brown rice (made with chicken stock) and eat that w/the beans and chicken breast for lunch during the week. We thin the beans with some veggie stock (my son's a vegetarian) and eat it like a soup, add a little cilantro, bean burritos, beans and cornbread (ala Pioneer Woman), etc.

I agree - I even tried chicken stock once and felt like it took forever for the beans to become soft.

I make at least one batch of beans every week. I soak the beans in water overnight. In the morning, put in a saucepan, cover with water and heat to boiling. Turn down to a high simmer, add more water when needed and cook until soft. I save some of the liquid, too. Rinse the beans and they are ready to eat! I like to saute onion, garlic and sometimes jalapeno minced w/a little olive oil and cooking liquid, add some seasoning (salt, pepper, cumin, etc.) then mash with a potato masher so they are still chunky. Top with a little cilantro and sour cream - delicious alone, over rice, etc. Same method for pinto, I use rosemary and chicken stock for northern beans.

BTW, for low-sodium chili, I soak a mixture of beans overnight, cook until soft, set aside. Saute 1-2 onions and 2-4 carrots (chopped together in food processor to desired consistency) until translucent and soft. Add a chopped jalapeno and 3 cloves of garlic, cooking until fragrant. I add a restaurant-sized can of crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce (about $3 at Sam's). Then I add chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt & pepper and the beans. Heat to low boil and them simmer for about 20 minutes. It freezes very well!

Does she believe it is a health risk or that it affects the taste of the food? IMO, neither is true! Anyway, for this many potatoes we rubbed olive oil generously over the potatoes and then sprinkled w/kosher salt.

http://www.customcatering.net/Rec_Veg...
Check out the link above for more complete directions. As a caterer, we often par-baked the potatoes and then held them in coolers for hours. They stay hot and finish cooking (the idea originally came from Martha Stewart, but I met this chef later and his website has a wealth of information on big batch cooking.)

I agree with Mexican and Indian food. We have a four sons - a 14 year old vegetarian (for 2 years), a 6 year old who only eats bacon, a 4 year old with a great appetite and my husband and I. The easiest trick I've found is to label each night - Monday's Mexican, Tuesday is Indian/Asian, Wednesday's Italian, etc.
We eat a lot of homemade pizza, soups w/good bread, fajitas and taco salad. Breakfast for dinner is also a great option - eggs, quiche, etc. Meat is now our side dish and we serve vegetarian entrees so everyone's nutrition needs are met.
Some of our favorite recipes are;

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Wild-Mushroom-Lasagne-101195
I play with this recipe endlessly - cheaper mushrooms and cheese, veggie broth instead of sherry, added spinach...it's still delicious.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-Curry-with-Cashews-231358
I often leave the cashews out - double the sauce and add tofu or mushrooms in place of chicken.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/bow-ties-with-pesto-feta-and-cherry-tomatoes-recipe/index.html
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mulligat...

My brother loves babies and has waited years for to have one. His wife has four children from a previous marriage, so it was fitting to have a little party for him. We didn't play any games, it was really just a dinner with gifts.
Yes, it was a layer of cake, brushed w/Kahlua straight, a thin layer of ganache and a thick layer of amaretto-flavored meringue. crumb-coated ganache (I may do the meringue next time) and second layer of ganache to finish. 2 cakes (fairly thick, baked in deep pans) split into four layers. I made it the day before, but we had no leftovers. I used a chocolate stout, instead of the Guiness, too.

I wanted to add that I served the Guinness cake w/Sono Baking Company's ganache and an amaretto italian meringue filling (on top of the ganache). I also brushed the cake with Kahlua before filling. It was delicious! Everyone swooned, the kitchen staff/wait staff heard the commotion and asked if they could taste a piece. I'd made plenty and sent some back and the chef came out to talk to me about the recipe. Great advice, thanks!

Love it! I'm leaning towards pie, too. We're going to be at my friend's restaurant so I can't bring alcohol w/me but he's graciously letting my make the desserts for after dinner. I'm thinking about throwing a stadium wool blanket over the dessert table and bring cake stands to give it a 'bake sale' kind of look and just bring 2-3 pies, brownies and the coconut cupcakes (on a 3-tiered stand).

I was thinking Ina Garton's brownies, Harvey Wallbanger cake or bread pudding with whiskey cream sauce so I must be on the right track! Another option is mini-tart sized pumpkin, buttermilk and pecan pies.

I'm creating a dessert buffet for a couples shower we're hosting for my sister-in-law. Most of the men are being dragged by their spouse, wanting nothing to do with anything associated with a baby shower (including my husband).
I'm thinking my standard shower spread of cupcakes, tarts and cookies might not suffice.
What desserts will make the guys glad they came?