Jill, Derick & the Kids: Moving On!!

[QuinnInND]

So the cornbread doesn't look bad.. But what is with those beans?? And beans and cornbread is one of my favorite meals. 

[McManda]

I mean, the cornbread is doctored up Jiffy mix. It would be hard to screw up.

I think part of the issue with Jill's chili is the uniformity of her meat. I makes it look gross and processed (because it is) instead of homemade and yummy. How hard is it to cube and cook up your own beef?

[Albanyguy]

15 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

This is a big deal over on the Lily and Ellie blog. Their commenters are constantly wishing that the Duggars would move to the same network as the Bates so that the entire family including Josh and Derick could be featured a la 19 kids and Counting. 

This is one of the many things about the Duggars that defies explanation. Over on the Duggars' Facebook page (as well as the Lily & Ellie blog), the leghumpers can't stop talking about how much they love Josh and how desperately they want to see him back on the show. I just don't get it. Even if you put aside the molestation and adultery, what's so damn attractive about him? He was always a pompous, boring lump and yet they carry on like he was so loaded with charisma and brought so much to the show that they can't live without him. 

[Temperance]

I went to Lily and Ellie's blog. There are a few comments about how people wish the absent Duggars were back on the show, but not as many comments as often gets represented. 

I think the viewers are looking for the whole family together to complete their fantasy version of the Duggars. It's less about the individual people and more about the Duggars being a united family.  I also get the sense that people miss Anna and Jill and their children more than their husbands which makes sense. Part of the appeal of this show has always been cute little kids. 

I'm still not sure why the Dillards aren't on television. Derick's tweets seem to have started after they had been let go. I think possibly Jill's midwifery efforts would be liability for any network foolish enough to show her being a midwife. It's one thing for them to show a family member (like Joy) in labor and have something go wrong, but a stranger with no loyal to the network could end up suing if something went horribly wrong. 

[ginger90]

21 minutes ago, Temperance said:

I went to Lily and Ellie's blog. There are a few comments about how people wish the absent Duggars were back on the show, but not as many comments as often gets represented. 

I think the viewers are looking for the whole family together to complete their fantasy version of the Duggars. It's less about the individual people and more about the Duggars being a united family.  I also get the sense that people miss Anna and Jill and their children more than their husbands which makes sense. Part of the appeal of this show has always been cute little kids. 

I'm still not sure why the Dillards aren't on television. Derick's tweets seem to have started after they had been let go. I think possibly Jill's midwifery efforts would be liability for any network foolish enough to show her being a midwife. It's one thing for them to show a family member (like Joy) in labor and have something go wrong, but a stranger with no loyal to the network could end up suing if something went horribly wrong. 

According to Derick, he and Jill  “were going in a different direction as a family and decided to stop doing filming.”

[humbleopinion]

 Dreck should have posted that he is so arrogant that he thinks that he can attack cast members of a TLC  show....forgetting that he cannot bite the hand that feeds him, the same TLC teat he has been sucking on until they got fed up with his lunacy.

[Minivanessa]

8 hours ago, QuinnInND said:

So the cornbread doesn't look bad.. But what is with those beans?? And beans and cornbread is one of my favorite meals. 

I just can't with her terrible food photography. WTF with all that stuff, on the stovetop no less? How about she just shows a serving of each item, without also the full pot of beans and the baking dish of cornbread and the bean serving spoon randomly plopped down between them? 

[MrsClaus]

What, no pictures of the wonderful graduation?

[kalamac]

I think the problem with the beans is that the sauce is too thin, making it look like a weird soup. (I'm assuming it's supposed to be a baked bean type thing, and thus should have the thicker consistency.)

[queenanne]

We know what's "fancy" about the cornbread, lol.  if you're Caucasian, you get a 2x3-inch piece, instead of Jill's standard 1x1 square of Danger America banana bread.

....Seriously, I'm not interested enough to go look at the recipe so probably my fault but just what, exactly, makes it "fancy"?  A handful of whole corn kernels?

[louannems]

1 hour ago, queenanne said:

We know what's "fancy" about the cornbread, lol.  if you're Caucasian, you get a 2x3-inch piece, instead of Jill's standard 1x1 square of Danger America banana bread.

....Seriously, I'm not interested enough to go look at the recipe so probably my fault but just what, exactly, makes it "fancy"?  A handful of whole corn kernels?

Sugar, added to already overly sweet Jiffy packaged cornbread mix.

[Gemma Violet]

19 hours ago, QuinnInND said:

So the cornbread doesn't look bad.. But what is with those beans?? And beans and cornbread is one of my favorite meals. 

It looks like bean soup.  I love bean soup, so I'd eat it, although I make mine a little thicker and with chicken.  And I like sweet cornbread. 

I'm not one to give Jill compliments, but that's not a bad dinner.

Edited August 2, 2018 by Gemma Violet

[leighdear]

Sadly, that's a dinner loaded with carbs, fat and sugar.  Not healthy by any means, but that never seems to be her focus.  However, It IS a cheap meal, which does seem to be main focus of the Dillards.

I imagine her children see more green gummies than green vegetables, despite the occasional "Look, it's salad" proclamations.  She's a fail in every sense of the word.   

[queenanne]

7 hours ago, louannems said:

Sugar, added to already overly sweet Jiffy packaged cornbread mix.

Wow, that's pretty bad.  I've known for years that Jiffy already had sugar in it, though I grant this is because a friend told me - I never used to be any kind of an ingredients-conscious reader.  My mother used Jiffy only sporadically, usually for stuff like strawberry shortcake; and of course, for decades I thought little about "added sugar", being a child of the 70s.  

[Minivanessa]

UPDATE edit on August 3: After I posted all my musings about Derick and this ministry school, @sheshark posted an update from the Cross Church website to the effect that the graduation apparently didn't happen on July 29 because the pastor was out of town. It may happen this Sunday. So Derick may graduate after all, and the joke's on me. That's what I get for wasting time thinking about these reality TV people. Derick seems like a very unhappy person, which is worrying, but maybe the outcome of his year of paid "residency" in the ministry will be not too bad after all.

Original post:

I think @Sew Sumi posted that the Cross Church School of Ministry graduation was scheduled for July 29. That's the one-year program that Derick started last summer. Here's a screen shot of the schedule in case it goes away:

 

 

So, what's Derick tweeting on July 29? Photos of his happy graduation? Nope. A 'trials and tribulations' tweet:

 

Perhaps he was just in a thoughtful mood the morning of his graduation, and all is well. Or, maybe he didn't graduate. After spending a year of his life and paying $10,000 to the church, and perhaps renting student housing, he has achieved - what?

Edited August 3, 2018 by Jeeves
Update about graduation and the joke's probably on me

[ginger90]

Perhaps they are saving the graduation pictures for their August blog post. Seems strange not to acknowledge it.

[Minivanessa]

19 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

Perhaps they are saving the graduation pictures for their August blog post. Seems strange not to acknowledge it.

I wondered about that. I checked their website, and Jill's Twitter feed too. Nada about graduation. And they both post frequently, with all kinds of trivia and random stream-of-consciousness comments. You'd think a big deal like his graduation from an expensive one-year ministry course would be plastered all over their SM in a hot minute.

Edited August 2, 2018 by Jeeves

[graefin]

Maybe highlighting "graduation" conflicts with their "working" narrative?

[BitterApple]

For those familiar with this sort of thing, what exactly does this one-year program qualify him to do? 

[Ohiopirate02]

I honestly think that this program did not go the way Derick envisioned it.  He is not walking away with a plum ministry job after completion, and that is the reason for the radio silence.  Also, why broadcast that they are now jobless and probably homeless as well. 

[Minivanessa]

22 minutes ago, graefin said:

Maybe highlighting "graduation" conflicts with their "working" narrative?

That's possible.

Derick's LinkedIn profile says this about his current position - his top-of-the-page LinkedIn profile identifies him as "Resident Missions Minister at Cross Church":

Quote

Resident Missions Minister
August 2017  -  Present
Work with leadership in the missions department to reach Northwest Arkansas, America, and the
 world for Jesus Christ!

August 2017 is the beginning of the year-long "School of Ministry" program that he entered with a certain amount of fanfare. In the ensuing months IIRC he's tried to blur the picture as to whether he's working or not. But I think it's clear that he has paid money to Cross Church via their School of Ministry, and I doubt that Cross Church is paying him for his work as a "Resident Missions Minister."

Edited to add: I have a bad feeling about where Derick and Jill are, in terms of life and their emotional well-being. Especially Derick. I don't think anything has gone as well as Derick expected, and it must really sting that this week the TV show started airing a new season - without the Dillards. I bet that's been a real jolt for Jill. I assume that while TLC was shooting all the footage in Arkansas for this new season, she was in and out of the TTH, and otherwise associating with her parents and sibs. I wonder how awkward it must have been to see the TLC crews around, but not to be invited into their shots or sat down for those TH sessions. 

Edited August 2, 2018 by Jeeves

[ginger90]

From the school FAQ page:

 

How is the Cross Church School of Ministry different from other schools?

The Cross Church School of Ministry is a one-year ministry residency. In the same way a doctor goes to medical school and then must participate in a residency before he is released to practice medicine, so we exist to fill a major gap in ministry training – a residency. Our colleges and seminaries do a wonderful job with formal education. Our goal is not to compete with these schools, but to complement them. Students may enter the Cross Church School of Ministry anywhere along their academic journey from post-high school all the way through post-seminary and anywhere in between. We are convinced that your one-year residency with us will be the difference maker in the future of your ministry career.

How is the Cross Church School of Ministry different from an internship?

Internships are typically the “grunt-work” of ministry, things like picking up pizzas, hauling chairs, making copies, etc. While you are never “too good” to ever do any of these things, the Cross Church School of Ministry is designed to offer you a true-to-life ministry experience for one-year that goes far above and beyond any internship. You will effectively be functioning as another staff person of Cross Church under the mentorship of a seasoned Cross Church minister. You will attend upper level staff meetings, deal with budget issues, develop and do ministry in context, etc. And if you mess-up and fall, you will have a safety net—something you would not have if you were out on your own. Our goal is to get you into full-time vocational ministry, but not until you are ready. And getting ready means one year with us!

What is an Oxford-style learning environment?

The Cross Church School of Ministry employs an Oxford-style learning environment for our one-day a week “classroom” experience. Unlike the traditional lecture format common to most schools, our students will engage with the mentor-professor in a round-table, collaborative learning environment. Exchange of ideas, learning from one another, and reading and writing (as opposed to tests and quizzes), will be the defining elements of this style of learning.

What does the $12,000 program cost include and not include?

The cost of the program includes: one international mission trip, two North American mission trips, program fees, housing and utilities, tuition, ministry mentoring, and customized ministry tracking. It does not include food, insurance, transportation, and miscellaneous personal needs.

[Minivanessa]

Thanks, @ginger90. That clarifies that his position with Cross Church is over as of July 29, and was essentially an internship, whatever they call it. He was paying them, not getting paid. I believe that although they talk about medical "residency" programs, even medical residents get paid (although not much). So his LinkedIn profile wasn't really a lie as to his position. 

[libgirl2]

11 hours ago, kalamac said:

I think the problem with the beans is that the sauce is too thin, making it look like a weird soup. (I'm assuming it's supposed to be a baked bean type thing, and thus should have the thicker consistency.)

When my mom would make a bean soup she would mash some of the beans in order to thicken the broth. You could stand a spoon in it! 

[Minivanessa]

Hmm. Now I'm wondering if the Cross Church School of Ministry has a "graduation" ceremony. Their description of the program as @ginger90 has posted above, suggests that they expect to "prepare" their students, over a year, for vocational ministry. The school website refers to their "graduates" but is quiet about what kind of credential it actually issues to those "graduates." They are specific about the number of credit hours that certain seminaries/colleges will grant to their students (presumably those who complete the program and "graduate," whatever that means).

However, the school website lists "graduation" as a specific date, which is also a Sunday. I wonder if, at the least, they recognize the graduates during that Sunday's services?

However it works, the bottom line for me is that neither Derick nor Jill is busting out with prideful/grateful/joyful messages about Derick's just-completed course of study with the school. Maybe they are saving the news for later, as has been suggested. But what better time to announce good news than during the week that Counting On starts a new season on TLC? Viewed positively, the Dillards would be just adding to the good buzz about the Duggar family despite no longer being on the show, which would be generous. On the other hand, and also a positive, they would be basking in the glow of their own positive news despite not being on the show. Good news announced this week would be a win-win for the Dillards. 

Edited August 2, 2018 by Jeeves

[ginger90]

Quote

But what better time to announce good news than during the week that Counting On starts a new season on TLC?

Instead, on the day the new season started, she posted this:

 

 

[lulu69]

Maybe the Dillards are holding out on the grad news. Maybe Drek didnt graduate from the program. Or just maybe Drek realized the program qualifies him for nothing & he doesn't want to answer the inevitable question of when he's getting a real JOB.

[Gemma Violet]

3 hours ago, leighdear said:

Sadly, that's a dinner loaded with carbs, fat and sugar.  Not healthy by any means, but that never seems to be her focus.  However, It IS a cheap meal, which does seem to be main focus of the Dillards.

Actually, beans are extremely nutritious:

https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/a20429596/health-benefits-of-beans/

Quote

Health benefits of beans. One cup of beans provides a whopping 13 g of fiber—which is half of what we need daily—with no saturated fat. Beans are loaded with protein (about 15 g per cup) and dozens of key nutrients, including a few most women fall short on—calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Studies also tie beans to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast and colon cancers. And surprisingly, red, pinto, and kidney beans are the highest antioxidant food, beating out both blueberries and cranberries.

My mom, who was a health fanatic, ate beans at least 5 or 6 times a week, not because she loved them, but because they were so jam-packed with nutrients.  She used to tell me, "If you can ever only have one food, choose beans."

[libgirl2]

25 minutes ago, Gemma Violet said:

Actually, beans are extremely nutritious:

https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/a20429596/health-benefits-of-beans/

My mom, who was a health fanatic, ate beans at least 5 or 6 times a week, not because she loved them, but because they were so jam-packed with nutrients.  She used to tell me, "If you can ever only have one food, choose beans."

I love beans. 

[Marigold]

I wonder if Jill is ostracized from the Duggars for Derick's crazy TLC rants?  

[graefin]

1 hour ago, Gemma Violet said:

Actually, beans are extremely nutritious:

https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/a20429596/health-benefits-of-beans/

My mom, who was a health fanatic, ate beans at least 5 or 6 times a week, not because she loved them, but because they were so jam-packed with nutrients.  She used to tell me, "If you can ever only have one food, choose beans."

Yep, and they do contain protein (not just carbs!), as you point out. Eating beans probably helps to make their diet more well rounded than it would be otherwise.

[Spencer Hastings]

My students are immigrants and refugees from roughly 18 countries (in my classroom alone—52 are represented in our school).  No matter what we serve for lunch, beans and rice are always side options.  Beans are how they got their nutrients in their countries and how they manage to sustain health when they get here looking for familiarity. Can’t knock Jill on that dish. ;-) 

On another note, seeing all of the daughters get together on camera was weird.  Even though Kendra and Lauren were there to fill the spots, I kept trying to figure out what was missing.  Same with the nail salon. I wonder how Jill feels watching her sisters go out without her, filming for TLC’s produced outings.  She was essentially the mouthpiece for the girls and got a great deal of screen time over the years.  I feel bad for her in a way because leaving TLC was absolutely her idiot husband’s doing, but unfortunately, she married the idiot and chooses to follow his headship.  Her life has been so different than she thought it would be, but she doesn’t know to stand up for herself. 

[EAG46]

I never found the Jiffy cornbread especially sweet, but it is extremely DRY when prepared according to the package.  Only egg and milk, no oil or butter.  So I add frozen corn kernels, whipped cream cheese, and either sour cream or Greek yogurt to make a really moist and dense corn bread.    It's rich but really good.   When I use another corn bread mix, I only use one of the dairy items.    Beans and rice are in many New World cuisines, but probably much tastier versions than whatever Jill made.

[MyPeopleAreNordic]

Why is Jill cooking (& posting pics of) stew/soup and chili during the summer in freaking Arkansas when the heat index is in the high 90s/100s????

I live in south Louisiana, and the idea of eating hot stew or chili right now is absolutely disgusting. I get nervous thinking about how sweaty my face would get just by cooking it or eating it. 

Please wait until at least October to post stew and chili, Jill. It’s making me feel hot as I sit inside with my a/c blasting.

Also, until proven otherwise, I totally am on the side of Derrick flunked out of the ministry program (or got pushed out of it due to negative publicity he brought it). We will see. 

Edited August 2, 2018 by MyPeopleAreNordic

[BitterApple]

2 hours ago, Gemma Violet said:

Actually, beans are extremely nutritious:

https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/a20429596/health-benefits-of-beans/

My mom, who was a health fanatic, ate beans at least 5 or 6 times a week, not because she loved them, but because they were so jam-packed with nutrients.  She used to tell me, "If you can ever only have one food, choose beans."

I love beans as well, especially in soups and quesadillas. They're a great way to add a ton of nutrients to any dish.

[zoomama]

11 minutes ago, MyPeopleAreNordic said:

Why is Jill cooking (& posting pics of) stew/soup and chili during the summer in freaking Arkansas when the heat index is in the high 90s/100s????

 

honestly, i use my crockpot year round and i make stews, ham-and-beans, and that sort of thing all the time. this avoids use of the oven i  the hot months.  FYI:  if anyone wants a simple recipe for ham-and-beans, let me know in the small talk chat and i will share. unfortunately, it will be a jill-like recipe....dump this, add that sort of thing but yummy!

[DragonFaerie]

3 hours ago, lulu69 said:

Maybe the Dillards are holding out on the grad news. Maybe Drek didnt graduate from the program. Or just maybe Drek realized the program qualifies him for nothing & he doesn't want to answer the inevitable question of when he's getting a real JOB.

I think this is it exactly.  The moment they say he graduated, the questions of where he will be working will start and he doesn't have the gotomefund set up yet to grift for his "law tuition" if the rumors are correct.  Or for a place for his family to live.  Maybe Derick has finally realized he's screwed at life for the moment.  No job.  No where to live.  No TLC contract.  4 mouths to feed.  Um, Mommy? what do I do now?

[BitterApple]

26 minutes ago, DragonFaerie said:

I think this is it exactly.  The moment they say he graduated, the questions of where he will be working will start and he doesn't have the gotomefund set up yet to grift for his "law tuition" if the rumors are correct.  Or for a place for his family to live.  Maybe Derick has finally realized he's screwed at life for the moment.  No job.  No where to live.  No TLC contract.  4 mouths to feed.  Um, Mommy? what do I do now?

I agree, and hell, it seems like Cathy's already subsidizing them as it is. Most of Izzy's and Sam's toys and clothes seem to come from her end. I know it's normal for grandparents to do that, but in most cases the parents are holding their own or at least doing their best to make ends meet. Derick and Jill just want everything handed to them.

[Albanyguy]

28 minutes ago, MyPeopleAreNordic said:

Also, until proven otherwise, I totally am on the side of Derrick flunked out of the ministry program (or got pushed out of it due to negative publicity he brought it). We will see. 

I think you're right...either that or he may have dropped out because they made it clear that there wasn't a guaranteed minister/missionary job waiting for him upon graduation. Or he may have become disillusioned about the program and his prospects at Cross Church and finished the course by just going through the motions and then decided to move on. 

I've always thought that Derick was the kind of guy who starts a job/project or joins an organization (Wal-Mart, SOS Ministries, Cross Church) with great enthusiasm, then loses interest when it becomes too difficult or he feels he's not being appreciated or rewarded enough.  So he quits (or is asked to leave), then moves on to the next big thing. If he really is going to law school in the fall, he must have set the wheels in motion earlier this year, probably right around the time that the Cross Church program started losing its appeal.

[PradaKitty]

If the law school thing is true, I really want to see his LSAT score. 

[Lunera]

I was searching the Cross Church social media for graduation info and found an article from 2014 that described the Cross Church School of Ministry.

"For the low, low price of only twelve thousand dollars and a year of free labor, you can be given “practical ministry experience.” In other words, essentially, pay them to let you intern. In short, if you’re just starting out climbing that SBC career ladder, you can buy your way into an internship under mega-church pastor, Ronnie Floyd (and to be honest, it’s probably a steal for the connections you’ll make)."

http://pulpitandpen.org/2014/05/25/2056/

[Loves2Dance]

2 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I love beans as well, especially in soups and quesadillas. They're a great way to add a ton of nutrients to any dish.

I add a cup or two of black beans to taco meat for added nutrients. We eat a ton of beans in our house, but something about Jill's don't look yummy. I think it's too watery for my taste---it looks more like ham oil then anything else. But beans are awesome---and in Florida, I only have about a 3 week window to make them and enjoy them, so for those 3 weeks of cold it's beans, beans, beans in my house!

[Barb23]

I forgot about them losing their housing. Where will they go?  

Jill has to remember what is was like living in the McMansion as well as their stint in the Pool House. I know shes not much into material things but leaving such nice houses to be living basically on the street has got to mean something to her.  

ETA:  I haven't eaten too many beans in my life but after all this talk, I think I may start. Plus with my health I need all the nutrients I can get.  Putting them in taco meat is a good idea. 

Edited August 2, 2018 by Barb23

[bigskygirl]

2 hours ago, zoomama said:

honestly, i use my crockpot year round and i make stews, ham-and-beans, and that sort of thing all the time. this avoids use of the oven i  the hot months.  FYI:  if anyone wants a simple recipe for ham-and-beans, let me know in the small talk chat and i will share. unfortunately, it will be a jill-like recipe....dump this, add that sort of thing but yummy!

Maybe he is moving in with mommy and step daddy, or she is helping them out. #canwesayenabler

[Wishing Well]

Does she even like food?  Or does she see it as just fuel for the body?  A friend of mine only eats like Jill does, and doesn’t see cuisine as something special and enjoyable.    Granted, she’s not trying to be the Pioneer Woman online.  But I would imagine that growing up Duggar would have left Jill with a very unrefined palate, so she thinks this is actually good.  Derick though, years in Nepal eating and enjoying their food should have left an impression on him, so I wonder how he eats this bland shit without gagging.  

 

Ben, on the other hand, you can tell enjoys food.  He’s taking over cooking duties and branching out and exploring new things, instead of just Jessa’s slop.

[sheshark]

From the Cross Church Sunday bulletin:  

"August 2nd, 2018

THIS WEEK AT CROSS CHURCH | SEE YOU SUNDAY

This Week at Cross Church

I Look Forward to Being Back with You on Sunday

The past two Sundays we have been away from Cross Church. ....

This Sunday we have the opportunity to graduate over twenty students from the 5th cohort of the Cross Church School of Ministry. The School of Ministry exists to train leaders in life, leadership, and Gospel advancement globally. Our Cross Church Staff Team has been working alongside these men and women for the last year, training and equipping them to lead in churches and ministries all over the world. Along with the graduates, we will present six candidates to be licensed into ministry before the church. I hope you will make it a priority to join us this weekend as we pray for this group and send these men and women out to make a difference in the Kingdom of God."

 

So if the pastor was away maybe they held it until this coming Sunday?  

Edited August 2, 2018 by sheshark

[ginger90]

16 minutes ago, sheshark said:

From the Cross Church Sunday bulletin:  

"August 2nd, 2018

THIS WEEK AT CROSS CHURCH | SEE YOU SUNDAY

This Week at Cross Church

I Look Forward to Being Back with You on Sunday

The past two Sundays we have been away from Cross Church. ....

This Sunday we have the opportunity to graduate over twenty students from the 5th cohort of the Cross Church School of Ministry. The School of Ministry exists to train leaders in life, leadership, and Gospel advancement globally. Our Cross Church Staff Team has been working alongside these men and women for the last year, training and equipping them to lead in churches and ministries all over the world. Along with the graduates, we will present six candidates to be licensed into ministry before the church. I hope you will make it a priority to join us this weekend as we pray for this group and send these men and women out to make a difference in the Kingdom of God."

 

So if the pastor was away maybe they held it until this coming Sunday?  

Maybe they can hire Derick to keep their website up to date !!!

[sixlets]

Wow.  Cross Church thinks quite highly of themselves with that program description.  They compare their program to med school?  That's laughable and an insult.  My cousin-in-law is in med school now.  She has gone on missions with the Doctor's Without Borders team on multiple occasions, oddly enough to Central America.  She instantly fell in love with the countries and the people, and I can see her doing that once she graduates as opposed to a hospital or private practice.  I've known her since she was 4 years old, and I'm so incredibly proud of her.  And she does more than handing out a piece of dried out banana bread.

At first glance, I thought Jill's bean thing was a pot of berries simmering.  And then I remembered, it's Jill.  I would love to hear the conversations that have been occurring this week with the premiere of the new season.  Do you think J&D would watch?  They have to be somewhat curious (and then pissed off that they weren't mentioned).  

[Minivanessa]

If the graduation has been postponed to next week then the joke is probably on me and Derick will be participating and posting about it. That's what I get for thinking so much about these reality TV people. ?

[Jynnan tonnix]

2 hours ago, Loves2Dance said:

I add a cup or two of black beans to taco meat for added nutrients. We eat a ton of beans in our house, but something about Jill's don't look yummy. I think it's too watery for my taste---it looks more like ham oil then anything else. But beans are awesome---and in Florida, I only have about a 3 week window to make them and enjoy them, so for those 3 weeks of cold it's beans, beans, beans in my house!

Since it's just me in the house right now, my dinner was mostly a big pile of beans and broccolini from the garden. And some new potatoes I dug up (they are still a bit small, but I couldn't resist checking to see how they were coming along), boiled and topped with just a little butter & parsley. Plus a few baked mushrooms stuffed with cheddar cheese, pretty much for dessert, because I don't really have a sweet tooth, but can put away a great deal of cheese. Not really sure exactly how healthy all that adds up to be, but I figure I have protein from the beans and cheese, a good amount of fibre, some halfway decent carbs, and not tooo much fat. There was some wine as well. Fruit! (actually, the only lunch I had was a variety of tomatoes that are all starting to ripen up as well, so there was fruit there, too).