Thursday, September 17, 2009

Bean Day at the Smart's

Before I got married and left home, I remember my dad cooking pinto beans. He always cooked a big pot and we had left overs for days. Some people like them better when they are a few days old. I personally like them the first day.

Now that I'm married, my husband Charley, is the one who cooks the big pot of pinto beans. He makes a huge pot when he makes them. I always tell him that he makes enough for us and all the neighbors.

We've come out of the dark ages and bought a Crock-Pot! Believe it or not, it is our first Crock-Pot!

Here is our pot of beans that he started last night before we went to bed.


Here is the chef tasting his beans. He gave them a thumbs up!


I'm going to fry some of our red potatoes. . .



. . . and make some stuffed jalapeno peppers. Then, I'm going to make a big pan of cornbread and put a bowl of my fresh made apple butter on the table. I love to eat apple butter with my pinto beans.

Supper's going to be good!

Since this is our first attempt at cooking in the Crock-Pot, can you tell me what your favorite and easiest recipe in the Crock-Pot is.

11 comments:

  1. Hi Janet
    Its me just little ole pat in weston I want to send you a receipe using the crockpot.
    COCK POT APPLE BUTTER
    11 cups applesauce
    5/12 cups 4/12 if you want it not to swwet.
    1/4 teasp. oil of cinnamon
    1/12 tsp ground cinnamon
    I use about a 1/2 bag of candy cinnamon drops
    cook for 10 hours in an open crockpot.cover until it gets hot then uncover stir often seal in jars.
    the last time I made it I set the crockpot on the back of my stove and much to my dismay the apple butter popped under my microwave whichis built in on top of my stove.
    if you want you can use your own spices and I buy the large cans of applesauce.

    oh yes janet I think I figured out tto set up the blog but I think I'll wait until I know more about it such as getting people to read it and for them to write ccomets

    pat in WILD AND WONDERFUL WEST VIRGINIA

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  2. Hey Janet!

    Your dinner sounds good! I have been waiting for it to cool down a little more before I cook a pot of beans. I bought a big bag at Sams yesterday. I don't know why but I always forget about fried potatoes! I like them but I hardly ever make them. I think it's been years since I have made them.

    I too don't have a crock pot so I have no recipes to offer. Sorry...

    Hugs,
    Angela

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  3. GIRL...your meal is what we ate a lot of growing up..we didn't wait for cold weather either..we had a HUGE family and ate a lot of pintos and loved them,and still do to this day..good good meal you have there..wish i was there to help you eat them..lol...

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  4. Oh Janet, I love pinto beans and your husband's look yummy! I usually go for a good pot roast with carrots and potatoes. I also use McCormick Pot Roast Bag 'N Season, but I don't use the bag just the seasonings. Mmmm! Good!

    If you look at my blog sidebar, you'll find a link for slow cooker (crockpot) recipes. She's got it going on! Found lots there I'm going to make too. xxoo

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  5. Charlies beans look good but when I eat beans I can't sleep, I know that sounds silly but I can't get sleepy. When my kids were growing up I cooked pinto beans every other day, so we had beans every day. We ate grape jelly with beans.

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  6. I have four crockpots. All different sizes.
    I use the big one for pot roast with potatoes and carrots.
    The smallest one I use for dips. Around the holidays they get used all at once for different things. Great for keeping things hot for a party. Like little weiners and bbq sauce. Or cheese dip.
    Try throwing browning some chicken breasts, putting them in the crock with some water and your favorite seasonings. Depending on the type and size of chicken, four hours on high, 6-7 hours on low.

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  7. My mother-in-law gave me a crockpot several years ago and I still haven't taken it out of the box. You just reminded me of it. I would never have thought of cooking beans in a crockpot. We generally cook beans once a week at our house. And we always have fried potatoes and cornbread and sometimes kraut. That is good eating.

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  8. my husband will be right over! He loves brown beans, as he calls them. The rest of your dinner is right on the money.

    i live beans, but they don't like my tummy and I am always sorry when I've eaten them. But cornbread, fried potatoes, fried apples? the side dishes to the usual beans I adore and can eat.

    charley is quite the cook! tell him the kitty is well, but i have not been able to get photos yet. She's shy!

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  9. It's still morning Janet; but you've made me hungry for a country dinner. I'd also have some fried bacon to go along with the potatoes and cornbread. Green onions are nice too when I have them.

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  10. Believe it or not, I've never had pinto beans. Looks like a soup??

    I love making a pork roast in the crock pot - add one cup water and one onion soup packet. Cook on high for 5-6 hours and the last hour add 2 cans of beef gravy. Yummm

    I also make country style ribs in the crockpot - I actually have some in there right now. I add about 1/4 cup water and cook on high for a couple hours and then drain off the water and add salt, pepper and my BBQ sauce and continue cooking for another 3-4 hours or until very tender.

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  11. Your meal makes me hungry! I love beans and cornbread. Haven't used my crock pot in a long time-but I used to use it for cooking beans-and roasts.

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