In the Bean Pot...Quick Starting Beans

I am amazed with my hubby...not starry-eyed amazement...more the "Really?" kind of amazement. This man who doesn't seem to hear what I say most of the time,  remembered me saying I would make a pot of venison chili during the next cold front. I said that? The venison isn't the problem since he hunts and keeps the freezer full (his job) but I wasn't ready for a pot a chili. I had some of the ingredients on hand but no cans of beans, then I remembered I had dry beans. I thought I would share a quick start method for beans just in case an overnight soak is out of the question...like in my case.

I wanted to make chili with a variety of beans....black, red, pink, pinto, and navy...all of which I had on hand....because sometimes I just don't want to go to the store and I want something different. 

I took about a 1/2 cup of each of the dried beans and put them in a pot. I picked through the beans to make sure there wasn't any stones (I found one once), then rinsed the beans in cold water.

Next I covered the beans with cold water. 

Since I was making chili and these were going to be Chili Beans (sans can...I am practicing my French) I added a little cumin and garlic to the water for seasoning.

I then brought the beans to a boil. The beans boiled about 2-5 minutes then were turned down to a simmer. The beans then simmered for about 2-3 hours until soft. That gave me time to clean up, do laundry, and all the other stuff I needed to do in the house. 

The chili meat and sauce was started separately in another pot. Everything then went into the slow cooker on high. 

The chili was ready in about 6 hours. The slow cooker gave me enough time to shop, go for a walk, and do whatever else I needed to get done outside the house. 

 The chili came out great and was a big hit with the hubby. 
The quick start isn't as fast as canned beans but the beans were awesome...and I didn't have to make a special trip to the store....which gave me more time to goof off....
Post by Eileen...who's GoofingOff.

Thrifty Crockpot Cooking: Taters N Beans with Ham

I always look for ways to save a buck but still create good tasting meals and, because I am usually busy doing something, I try to use the crock pot as much as possible. This recipe is easy to make, cooks in the crock pot without tending to it, and tastes good.

One year I saved the ham bone after a celebration and, instead of making a pot of beans or split pea soup, I decided to try something a little different. I heard a friend talking about eating Taters n beans when he was a boy and it made me wonder what if I used green beans. Too easy. A few potatoes, ummm, and one ham bone. Not bad. Since then, I monkeyed around with the recipe. It  is still as simple as before but you don’t have to wait for Christmas or Easter dinner to make it.

To feed a family of four, you need:

2 cans of green beans (15 ounce cans)

3 or 4 pounds of new potatoes, scrubbed and cut in chunks (you can use other potatoes but little red new potatoes are pretty. Yukon Gold is good, too)

2 1/2 pounds of ham (buy a ham when it is on sale and have the butcher cut it in four big, thick slices with the bone. You can use a picnic, too)

Black Pepper to taste

Rinse the ham and place in the crock pot. Set the crock pot on low.

Place the potatoes in the pot with the ham. Add the green beans. Sprinkle with about 1/4 tsp black pepper and let it cook.

You can add more potatoes if you have hearty eaters. Corn bread, corn muffins, or biscuits go well with this dish.

            Drop Biscuits (you can use canned)

Pretty easy. Good alternative to split pea soup (I love split pea but I need variety) after Christmas or Easter dinner.

Cost: The ham was on sale at $1.48 per pound. I bought the smallest one, $14.34, and had it cut into four pieces.  $14.34/4 = $3.58 each. Two cans of green beans $0.60 each. 2 x 0.60 = $1.20. New potatoes were $0.40 per pound at the green grocer. I bought 2 pounds. $0.40 x 2 = $0.80.

Total: 5.58 or $1.39 per serving.

Enjoy!