KATHY'S CHILI

I found this recipe in a cook book I got for my wedding and I used it so much when I was raising my family.  Some Monday mornings I would start the pinto beans, mix up a batch of granola and then start a batch of bread.  All the while I was doing the laundry.  My oh my, where did all that energy go?

Anyway, this is a simple but delicious recipe

2 cups pinto beans

2 cups of tomato juice (or 1 quart bottled tomatoes)

1/2 pound of hamburger, browned

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 tablespoon salt (or less)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Put the beans in a large pot and cover them with at least 2 quarts of water, the beans will double in size.  

If you want to, you can add onions at this time, either diced fresh or dehydrated. I use about 2 TBS dehydrated onions. 

Bring the water to boil and boil for 2 minutes. Cover the beans and turn off the heat, let the beans sit for 2 hours. 

After two hours turn the heat on and boil softly for 1 more hour. I you keep the lid off, make sure the beans are covered with water.

After that hour add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer again for 1 hour.  It could take longer for the beans to get soft.  I like to make sure they are soft.

Fresh beans cook up nice and soft in this four hours, older beans take longer to get fully cooked. I often just rotate out my old beans each year because they are so cheap and fresh one are so good. They food bank will take them.

TACO SOUP

1 lb of ground beef, cooked

1 onion chopped (or 1/4 cup dehydrated onions)

2 cans kidney beans with liquid

1 can black beans
1 can corn

1 quart canned tomatos

1 4 oz can green chilies

1/4 cup taco seasoning mix

Put everything in a crock pot, stir to mix

Set on Low for 8 hours

Serve with shredded cheese, frito chips and sour cream,

Best Baked Beans

I got this recipe from Glenn's cousin Renee Peterson.  I like baked beans but I want them to be good, I was at a family reunion on year and I looking at several pots of beans and thinking to my self, "I wonder which one's are the best?"  Then came a voice beside me and a finger pointing, "THESE ARE THE BEST BAKED BEANS!"  It was as if she had heard me.  She gave me the recipe right on the spot and I have used it ever since.

3 28 ounce cans of pork and beans (I use Van Camps)

1 pound lean bacon sliced and cooked
1 onion chopped and sautéed
1 green pepper chopped and sautéed with the onion

1 cup catsup
1 cup brown sugar (a little packed)
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

Mix all the ingredients together, cover


Bake in the oven at 300 degrees for three hours,
Stir occasionally.
Take the lid off the last 1/2 hour.

OR bake in the crock pot on low about 5-6 hours.

I like the crock pot, much less hassle.