Linda's Favourite Vegetable Stock

This is a versatile stock for a wide variety of dishes, especially homemade soup. Homemade stock is far superior to store-bought, as you can adjust the sodium levels and use the freshest ingredients. Unless I am using chicken stock made from a roasted chicken, this is my main stock for soup. This stock recipe was given to me by an English friend years ago, and it is so easy to make.


Ingredients:


2 leeks, cut into pieces
2 sliced onions
3 celery sticks, chopped
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, if you like that flavor
1 tsp. dried parsley
black pepper to taste
salt to taste, but no more than 1 tsp.
2 litres water
20 grams butter


Melt the butter in your stock pot and add all the vegetables. Cover and sweat the vegetables on low heat for 20 minutes . Add the herbs, pepper and salt and stir in the water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 40-45 minutes. Strain and use immediately, or store in a container or in ice cube trays and freeze as soon as cold. Ice cube-size portions are wonderful for when you just need a little stock for a recipe.


Written and submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

G-free Pizza Crust & A Cookbook Review

Learning to cook and bake gluten-free has been a bit challenging. I am sure it's that way for anyone who's used to doing something a certain way all her life, only to have to abruptly change it. Thankfully, the learning curve is generous, and I've had some great friends give me a good handful of g-free resources and recipes.

My sweet friend Linda, who helps tremendously behind the scenes here at Penny-wise, sent me a wonderful cookbook: The Gluten-Free Kitchen. This cookbook, written by Roben Ryberg, doesn't have any recipes in it that might seem daunting or weird. It's just plain ol', simple, cooking...my kind of cooking. I have already made the pizza crust (recipe posted below) and the traditional pie crust; and both were easy and tasty. In fact, I made two pizzas, and there were no leftovers! A few of the recipes contained in this cookbook are:

• Fried Chicken (YUM!)
• Hot Cross Buns
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Pancakes
• Gravy
• and of course, pies, cakes, and even streusel!

I plan on trying many more recipes. Linda, thank you AGAIN for this invaluable resource!

And now, The GF Pizza Crust (which is, by the way, much less expensive than buying a mix or a pre-made, frozen crust...very penny-wise!):

Ingredients:

1 packet yeast (about 1 Tbsp.)

3/4 cup milk, room temperature

1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour)

3/4 cup cornstarch*

1 Tbsp. xanthan gum

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup shortening

Preheat oven to 375.

In a small bowl, combine yeast and milk. Stir to dissolve yeast and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine all other ingredients and mix well. (I used my KitchenAid mixer, and it worked very well.) To these ingredients, slowly add the yeast/milk mixture and mix well. Dough will look wet, thick, and pasty but is quite workable if you spray your hands with nonstick spray or keep your hands damp with water. This is a soft dough.

Roll or pat out dough onto a lightly greased baking tin or pizza pan. For a thick crust, pat out to 1/4 inch thickness. For thin crust, pat out to 1/8 inch thick. A 12-inch circle will produce "hand-tossed" thickness.

Top as desired.

Bake 15-25 minutes, until crust is lightly browned. Use a spatula to lift up the pizza to check for light browning on the bottom of the crust the first time you make it.

This crust is freezable! Bake the crust and freeze it without toppings. Then you only have to thaw, top, and bake briefly.

*Lindsey's Note: I made this crust exactly according to the recipe the first time. Then, I wanted to see if I could add more nutritional value by using other flours in combination with the cornstarch. For my second crust in place of 3/4 cup of cornstarch, I used 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup brown rice flour, and 1/4 cup sweet white sorghum flour. The taste and consistency were not noticeably different from the original recipe, so I will probably use this method in the future.

Written & submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Morning Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt, if desired
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup coconut
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 cups grated carrots
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 grated apple
1 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together.

Fill paper lined muffin tins 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 35 minutes. These freeze well.

I like to have these muffins for breakfast or a mid-morning snack. They are delicious and healthy!

Submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

Gluten-free Flour Mixes

Here is a basic Gluten Free Flour Mix that I like to use. This works well for using when a recipe calls for flour. You can mix this up ahead of time and store. You can double or triple it. Then when a recipe calls for flour, just sub in the same amount of your GF flour mix!

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup tapioca starch or potato starch

1/3 to 1/2 cup almond meal, buckwheat flour, millet flour or quinoa flour (whichever I have on hand)

1 tsp. xanthan gum

If you want a self-rising GF flour mix use this one below! Again, make extra ahead of time and store.

1 cup of the GF flour mix (from above recipe)

1 1/2 TSP baking powder

1/2 TSP salt

Written and submitted by Carrie

Butterfly Cakes and Two Yummy Icings

This is the recipe I like to make most often from scratch for little cakes to go with tea or at any time. This is a recipe my mother and I used to make all the time–it is British so the measurements are in ounces. You will need a measuring scale or convert to US measurements. 

Butterfly Cakes

Ingredients:

6 oz. self-rising flour

1 rounded tsp. baking powder

3 large eggs, room temperature

6 oz. caster sugar (fine baking sugar)

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Strawberry preserves, if desired 

Cream margarine and sugar until fluffy and light in your mixer or beat thoroughly by hand. Beat in eggs one at a time, adding a little flour with each. Baking powder should be mixed with the flour. Mix until well blended.

Use paper cases and half fill with the mixture.

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and cool.

When completely cooled, cut a slice from the top of the cake and cut this piece in half.  Place a small amount of preserves  and a little butter cream, or fresh cream in the hollow and arrange “wings” on top. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

NOTE:  This recipe also make a great sponge cake, known in England as a Victoria Sandwich Cake.

I prefer to use fresh whipped cream in my cakes, and I only assemble what I know we will eat. The rest of the cakes I freeze intact and assemble when I need them. This recipe freezes well. In case you don’t wish to use fresh cream here are two recipes for filling.  I am not overly fond of super-sweet, rich fillings, but it you enjoy them for a treat, then these should do the trick.

Butter Cream

1 oz. butter

2 oz. icing sugar

Mix together until creamy, adjust sugar to your own personal taste. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 lb. cream cheese, room temperature

¾ lb. butter, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ lbs confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Blend together cream cheese, butter and vanilla, add the sugar and mix until smooth.

Written and submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

Tortilla Chip Casserole

Depending on finances, I sometimes cut the amount of meat in this recipe and add extra beans. If you want to spread the meat further you can add extra beans anyway, and it then really goes a long way. If you buy large packages of beans, go through your normal sorting and soaking routine and cook at least partially before adding to the casserole. This makes a tasty and filling dish, and it freezes reasonably well. We do not often have too many leftovers, just enough for a quick lunch the next day.

Tortilla Chip Casserole

Ingredients:

1 package lean ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

1 or 2  (8oz.) can crushed tomatoes or even better Italian Passata in a jar if you can find it in the store

1 or 2  (8oz.) can chickpeas - drained

1 or 2  (8oz.) cans red beans - drained

1 package tortilla chips

Brown ground beef, drain fat and take off burner. Add packet of taco seasoning and mix in well – do not add water. Stir in crushed tomatoes or passata. Set aside enough tortilla chips to cover the top of the casserole and crush the rest. Mix the crushed chips into the beef mixture and then finally add the chickpeas and beans. Mix well, place in a casserole dish and then cover top with saved tortilla chips.

Bake uncovered in oven at about 350 degrees for about an hour to an hour and a half.

Serve with grated cheese, taco sauce/salsa and a salad.

Submitted by Heather @ Penny-wise

A Tea Time Favorite

I like to make scones from time to time as a little luxury to have with our afternoon tea. Here's one of my favorite recipes:

Buttermilk Scones

Ingredients:

2-3 Tbsp. buttermilk - plus a little for brushing tops

8 oz. self-rising flour

pinch of salt

3 oz. butter at room temperature

1 1/2 oz. caster sugar

1 large egg

Sift flour and salt into a bowl.

Rub butter lightly into the mix until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, then add the sugar. In a jug beat the egg and 2 Tbsp. of buttermilk together, then add to the mixture with a palette knife.

When it begins to come together, finish off with your hands. It should be soft but not sticky. If dough is too dry add a little buttermilk a teaspoon at a time.

Form the dough into a ball. Place on a lightly floured surface and roll into a circle about an inch thick. Use a circle cutter to cut out the scones and carry on until you have used all the dough.

Place scones on a baking tray, brush the tops lightly with buttermilk. Bake on top shelf of oven for 10-12 minutes or until they are well risen and golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

Serve with clotted cream (or whipped cream if clotted unavailable) and raspberry butter (recipe below) or preserves of your choice.

Scones should be eaten fresh as they do not keep well; however they can be frozen.

Raspberry Butter 

Ingredients:

1 lb. raspberries

6 oz. sugar

Puree raspberries in food processor, then pass through a nylon sieve and press with a spoon until all the juice possible strains through (about 15 fl. oz.). Place puree in a medium saucepan with the sugar and heat very gently until all the sugar has dissolved stirring all the time. Turn up the heat and boil rapidly for 8-10 minutes and keep stirring. When it is done, it should be reduced by a third. Do not overcook.

Pour into a serving dish and let it cool at least an hour. Butter can be kept in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

It is delicious with the scones and fresh butter.

Written and submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

Chile Relleno Casserole

I love this recipe! First, it's simple. Second, it requires very few ingredients, most of which we will all have in our pantries already. Third, it's versatile. It can be served for breakfast, brunch, or supper. It can be made with or without meat, and tastes great either way. It's easily doubled or tripled, freezes well, and is very economical. Try it!

Ingredients:

2/3 lb. Monterrey Jack cheese, grated (can substitute Colby Jack, Mild or Sharp Cheddar)
1 can whole green chiles, drained
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cracker crumbs, crushed (I usually use saltine crackers.)

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 baking dish. Then layer half the cheese and half of the whole chiles. Mix the eggs, milk, and flour. Pour half of that mixture over the chiles. Repeat the layers a second time, ending with the milk/egg/flour mixture. Top with cracker crumbs and bake 30 minutes.

Variation:
Add 1/2 a pound of taco meat to the milk/egg/flour mixture.

Serving Suggestions:

For breakfast, make the casserole without the taco meat. Serve a spicy breakfast sausage on the side.

For brunch, make with or without meat. Set out a tray of fresh fruit with fruit dip and two different types of muffins, scones, or both.

For supper, make with or without meat. Serve with beans and chips with homemade salsa or guacamole.

If freezing, assemble the casserole, but do not bake. Thaw before baking.

Written and submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Turkey Pot Pie

Pretty soon many of us will be looking at our leftover Christmas turkey wondering how we can make another meal from it. Hopefully, we've already given you a few easy options, but here's another.  A pot pie is one of the easiest ways to use up cooked meat.  Whether you have a little or a lot of leftover meat, you can make a pie. The following recipe is really easy and very delicious. The filling can be made any time and frozen for future use.  If you are pressed for time, you can use a ready-made pie crust from the store; however, I prefer homemade. 

TURKEY POT PIE

(you may substitute with chicken or beef if you choose)

Ingredients:

For Pastry

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. salt (if desired)

1/3 cup shortening

4-5 Tbsp. cold water

1 beaten egg

For Filling

2 Tbsp. margarine or butter

3 medium leeks or 1 large onion chopped

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

¾ cup chopped red sweet pepper

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

¼ tsp. Salt to taste if desired

¼ tsp. black pepper

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 cup half-and-half, light cream or milk

2 ½ cups chopped cooked turkey (or chicken or beef)

1 cup frozen peas 

Directions: 

For the Pastry Top:

In a medium mixing bowl stir together 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour and salt if desired.  Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle one Tbsp. of cold water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork.  Push moist dough to sides of bowl.  Repeat with 3-4 Tbsp. of water until all mixture is moistened, then form into a ball.

On a floured surface roll dough into a rectangle about 1/8” thick. Trim to be 1” bigger than a 2 quart rectangular baking dish. Cut some shapes with a cookie cutter to decorate the top from scraps of dough, then set aside.

For the Filling:

In a large saucepan melt margarine or butter over medium heat.  Add the leeks or onion, mushrooms, celery and sweet red pepper; cook for 4-5 minutes until tender. Stir in 1/3 cup flour, poultry seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt if desired, and black pepper.  Add the broth and half-and-half, light cream, or milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in your cooked chopped meat of choice and the peas. Pour into your baking dish.

Place pastry top over the hot mixture; turn edges of pastry under and cut an x into top.  Brush with beaten egg, place pastry shapes on top and brush again with egg.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes until crust is golden brown. Cool about 20 minutes before serving. This will serve 6.


Written and submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

And from all of us at Penny-wise...MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Do-It-Yourself Frozen Waffles

Tired of paying grocery store prices for my usual brand of organic, whole wheat waffles, I decided it was time to try something new. I wanted the convenience of frozen waffles (without the hefty price tag), and I wanted the wholesomeness of homemade waffles. I owned a waffle iron. I knew how to make waffles from scratch. Why not put two and two together and save a few extra dollars? I searched the Internet high and low for a waffle recipe that I would be proud to serve my family--one without too much oil and sugar, one that would be a good source of whole grains and fiber, one that I wouldn't feel guilty about. That's why I started buying the box of six organic, whole wheat waffles to begin with, wasn't it?

Well, turns out I couldn't find the *magic* recipe. I've never been a follow-a-recipe-to-the-letter kind of girl anyway. I finally bit the bullet and came up with my own recipe, and we LOVE it! I am happy to share it with you. I will list the exact ingredients I used, but you can feel free to substitute what you already have on-hand:

Ingredients:

3 cups Bob's Red Mill whole wheat flour
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill flax seed meal (can substitute wheat germ)
1/2 cup Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. organic sugar
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine:

2 sticks butter, melted
4 cups organic, fat free milk
4 large eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. local honey
2 tsp. real vanilla

Pre-heat waffle iron. Slowly whisk wet ingredients in to dry ingredients until a batter forms. Don't over-whisk, but make sure most of the lumps are out of the batter. Add batter to your waffle iron, making sure not to overfill. Cook until golden brown. Remove to cool on wax paper.

To freeze, make sure waffles have cooled completely, otherwise they will stick together. They can be wrapped in foil or put in a gallon-size or larger freezer bag and frozen. When you're ready to cook, simply take out the waffles, pop them in the toaster, and serve with the topping of your choice. You may find these waffles have enough flavor (not necessarily sweetness) to serve with just a little butter.

Other toppings we like:
Peanut butter and raisins
Strawberry fruit spread
Pure maple syrup
Local honey

This recipe made 28 waffles on a Krups Belgian waffle maker. The number and size will vary, depending on the brand of your waffle maker.

Calculated savings from what I was buying before: $17.68

I don't ever want to go back to buying boxed waffles again!

I hope you and your family enjoy these waffles!

Written and submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Turkey/Chicken Noodle Soup

Need another way to utilize those holiday turkey leftovers? Try this healthy and comforting classic.

Ingredients:

up to 2 lbs. chicken or turkey, cubed and cooked (or less - I only use a few handfuls)
2 medium onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 large carrots, sliced or a few handfuls of baby carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
several quarts of turkey/chicken stock OR 3 to 6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 c. or so frozen peas
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. rosemary
pepper to taste
pasta (I like to use egg noodles)

Fill a 6 quart pot about 3/4 full of water (or turkey/chicken stock). Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Add the spices and bouillon cubes (if not using stock). Simmer an hour or so. Bring to a boil and add the turkey/chicken and pasta. Cook on a low boil for 20 minutes or until the pasta is done. A few minutes before you turn it off, add the peas.

Variations:

• Substitute potatoes or barley for the pasta to turn this soup into a stew.
• Leave the pasta out altogether or use rice pasta for a gluten-free soup.
• Increase the amount of veggies used to make it less soup-y.
• Beef or sausage would be a great variation. Just use beef broth instead of chicken broth.
• This soup freezes well. Don't add the pasta before freezing, though.

And don't wait until you've got leftover holiday chicken or turkey to make this soup. Any time chicken goes on sale, stock up. Use it to replenish your supply of homemade broth and cooked chicken. This soup just gets better with age, so make enough to have leftovers for a few days.

This Holiday's Leftover Turkey

If you're having turkey (or chicken) for Christmas dinner this year, chances are good that you'll have lots of leftovers. You know we all get tired of leftover turkey for days and days after Christmas, so why not re-purpose all that meat and bones?


Done correctly, you can have broth and meat for several meals just by treating your leftover turkey with some TLC.

First, remove all the meat you can find from the carcass. All that should remain are skin, bones, and fat. If there's enough, dice up the meat and freeze it in 1-2 cup portions. If not, use what's left to make a turkey noodle soup or turkey pot pie. That meat can be used later for casseroles, salads, and soups.

Then, jam all those bones, fat, and skin into a large stock pot. At this point you can break it up if needed.

Take two or three onions and peel them, then cut into four to eight chunks. Add them to the pot.

Scrub several large carrots (no need to peel) and cut them into two or three pieces each. Add them to the pot with the turkey and the onions.

Next grab four or five stalks of celery and wash them up. Cut into two or three large pieces (leave the leaves on) and add to the pot.

Now, fill the pot with enough water to cover everything if possible.  If your turkey is still sticking out over the top, fill it to within 6 inches of the top.

Add a few tablespoons vinegar to help draw out the calcium and a few tablespoons of salt.  We like sea salt. You can also add a couple of bay leaves, some ground sage and thyme, a little black pepper, and some garlic powder, if you like. 

Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and  let it simmer for several hours. If your turkey fits into the pot, cover with a lid while simmering. If not, it will slowly get soft and cook down and after a while you should be able to get the lid on. You may need to add a little water as it simmers to keep everything covered.

I typically start this the morning after Christmas (or Thanksgiving) and let it cook all day. If we want, we can have turkey noodle soup for dinner. 

Pour everything through a large strainer (or colander) into a massive bowl or pot. Pick through the bones to find any remaining meat, and add that meat to what you stored before boiling.  

After the broth is cool, package it in one cup to 1 ½ cup portions in Ziploc bags (or glass pint jars). Most recipes call for “a can of broth” which is about 1 ½ cups; but others say “a cup”, so I package them both ways. Freeze the freezer bags flat, like CDs, and when I need them I pull them out the night before or run it under hot water for a few seconds before adding it to a recipe. 

Submitted by Heather @ Penny-wise

Addendum: I (Lindsey) did this exact process just last week with some chicken breasts.  I had four, uncooked, bone-in-skin-on chicken breasts. I boiled them, adding the onions, celery, carrots and spices. After straining that initial batch of broth and de-boning the chicken, I put the bones and skins back in the pot, added more veggies, spices, and water and did it all over again. From those four chicken breasts, I yielded 7 cups of meat and 15 cups of homemade broth. It really is worth it to take the time to go through this process!

Conquering Brown Rice

I know when I first started buying my brown rice in bulk from my co-op, I had never made a successful batch of rice! I tried a wide variety of times and liquid amounts, but to no avail. The only benefit was that my chickens were receiving a lot nourishment! However, thanks to finally receiving a wonderful recipe, my husband is finally pleased and I am no longer anxious when making a rice meal. I assume perhaps others have had the same experience and are in need of a solution.

Due to it's low-phytate amounts, it isn't absolutely necessary to soak brown rice; however, because of the effect of phytates on the thyroid, I intend to experiment with soaking the rice in the near future. In the meantime, here is my very effective long-grain brown rice recipe, in two serving amounts, courtesy of Alton Brown at Food Network. This recipe allows you to make quite a bit of rice, so you'll have some left to conveniently freeze for another meal. You can easily halve the recipe, if you don't want to make so much.

Ingredients:

Large Serving

5 cups liquid (half water/half broth)

2 Tbsp. butter

2 tsp. salt

3 cups brown rice

Put rice in a greased 9"x13" baking dish. In a pot, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil and stir to dissolve butter and salt. Pour over the rice. Cover tightly with foil and bake on a middle rack for one hour at 375 degrees. Then fluff with a fork.

Written and submitted by Rachel

White Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

This recipe was submitted by our friend Hope. She makes balls of dough and freezes them in individual bags. Before use, she defrosts the dough in the fridge overnight and proceeds with the baking instructions.

Ingredients:


4 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil

1 3/4 cups water, ice cold

a few tablespoons chopped herbs (optional)

Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer. By hand stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed. Add the herbs. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. Add a touch of water or flour to reach the desired effect. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky.  You can also use the “dough” setting on your breadmaker to mix this together.  Or just knead the heck out of it with your hands!

Transfer the dough to a floured countertop. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and mold each into a ball. Rub each ball with olive oil and slip into plastic sandwich bags. Refrigerate overnight.  These can also be frozen.  When ready to use, set them in the refrigerator overnight and they’ll be thawed out by dinnertime.

When you are ready to make pizza (anytime in the next few days), remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before making the pizza. Keep them covered or they will dry out.

At the same time place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you do not have a baking stone, you can use a baking/cookie sheet, but will not need to preheat the pan.

Generously dust your pan/stone with cornmeal. Uncover or unwrap the dough balls and dust them with flour. Gently press a dough round into a disk wide enough that you can bring it up onto your knuckles to thin out - you should be able to pull each round out to 12-inches or so. If the dough is being fussy and keeps springing back, let it rest for another 15-20 minutes. Place the pulled-out dough on the prepared sheet pan, and jerk the pan to make sure the dough will move around on the cornmeal ball-bearings (you don't want it to stick to the pan).

Add your toppings and slide the topped pizza onto the baking stone. Bake until the crust is crisp and nicely colored. Remove from the oven.

Makes six 6-ounce pizza crusts. That means they’re pretty small. You probably want to double this and still use it for 6 good-sized pizzas.

Submitted by Hope

Basic Beans

I know, I know. You're probably thinking, "Beans are so easy. Why would anyone need a blog post about cooking beans?"

Well, to be honest, I (Lindsey @ Penny-wise) didn't know how to make beans until just a few months ago. Shock and awe, I know.

They intimidated me. I thought there was something magical to the perfect pot of beans. It was the same feeling I had the first time I made a pot roast--sheer intimidation.

Now that I have conquered my fears (and made a few successful pots of beans), I have to say that cooking beans in the Crock Pot is, in my opinion, the easiest way to go. It takes very little effort, other than remembering to put them on the night before you want to eat them!

I like to sort my beans first, and I usually find at least one rock in every bag. Then I rinse the dirt off.

Then, put your beans in the Crock Pot, cover with water, and allow the beans to soak overnight. Next morning, turn the Crock Pot on and let the beans simmer away all day. Adding about 1 Tbsp. of salt, 1 tsp. of pepper, and 1 1/2 Tbsp. of chili powder before cooking will give your beans great flavor.

They'll be ready by supper time to eat with cornbread and sour cream or to use in any recipe calling for canned beans.

If you have lots of leftovers, divide them into 1 1/2 to 2 cup portions (about the equivalent of a 15 oz. can) and freeze.

And now, if you were at all intimidated by beans before, rest easy. Your Crock Pot will do all the work for you.

Submitted by Jen. Written by Lindsey.