What cookout or casual gathering would be complete without baked beans? Homemade ones are not difficult to make and taste ever so much better than canned. Like most things you make yourself, they are less expensive than canned or deli varieties. I make them a day ahead, starting them in the evening and cooking all night.

This recipe was adapted from The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, which called for parboiling and baking, but I make them in a Crockpot.  (1977 was the year of the Crockpot--we received 3 of them as wedding presents!  I still have the same Crockpot and husband, for that matter.)

You will need a large Crockpot.

Ingredients: 

2 pounds of assorted dry beans, rinsed. I like a combination of navy pea beans, baby Lima beans, and large Lima beans. 

About 2 quarts of water

2 t. salt

1 C. molasses   I like to use about 3/4 C regular molasses and 1/4 black strap molasses (much darker and stronger)

1 - 2 t. dry mustard

2 T brown or white sugar

Ketchup - big blurp. Honest, that is what I wrote on the recipe card. I think about 1/2 C would do 

Barbecue sauce - little blurp. I would call that 1/4 C

2 T cider vinegar

1 small onion chopped

1/2 pound of bacon or ham. Nueske's bacon would be my favorite, but it is pricey. Any will do. You can add raw bacon, but then you cannot taste the mixture until they are done. If you fry the bacon first, you can either add the bacon drippings too or substitute 1/4 C olive oil. You can also omit the bacon/ham altogether if you want vegetarian beans. Then just add 1/4 C olive oil and a few drops of liquid smoke or veggie bacon bits instead.

Directions: 

Soak the beans about 8 hours (overnight works well), drain, then put all ingredients in Crockpot, stir, and cook about 8 hours on high.

I often don't soak at all and just start them on high the night before, cook all night, and turn to med. or low in the morning. Cook time about 15 - 20 hours. You might have to add some water if they get too dry.

If they are done early, just let them cool and refrigerate, then reheat later to serve.

Sorry, I cannot tell you exactly how long they cook. Cooking time depends on the moisture content of the beans I think.

It has been my experience that if I need them earlier in the day, they won't get done, and if I need them later, they cook quickly! That is why if I need to bring them somewhere, I would make ahead of time and then just heat the day of the occasion.

Often I will make a whole crock full just for the 3 of us and freeze remaining beans in pint freezer jars for future use. If freezing, don't let beans get too done. They will reheat better if a little firmer in texture.

Don't be a slave to the recipe. It is not an exact science. Like them sweeter? Add more sugar. Like them more tangy? Add more barbecue sauce, mustard or vinegar. One reader says she uses 2 T molasses, 1/2 C brown sugar, 1/4 C cider vinegar, and adds 4 cloves.
 

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Good German potato salad is a difficult thing to find. To my husband, there really is no other kind of potato salad, except German. The deli varieties and even restaurant offerings are always a disappointment, but my Auntie Lu's German potato salad, ah, now you are talking delicious!

Auntie Lu has been the potato salad guru in my family for years, but a recipe was illusive. She just made it without a written recipe. Her daughters-in-law, wanting to duplicate her delicacy, finally watched her make it. They measured each ingredient as she put it in, observed the order and timing of preparation, and wrote it down. Thanks to their efforts, even I can make it now. So can you!

The first step is to make the sauce. You can also use this sauce as hot bacon dressing on a spinach salad. (When I heat the dressing for a salad [for 4], I use about 1/3 C sauce and just add maybe 1 T cider vinegar, sugar, and olive oil to thin it a little. Then I pour the warm dressing over spinach, bacon pieces, walnuts, and sliced hard boiled eggs.) 

My recipe makes 5# of potato salad. 

Sauce:

1 pound bacon - Slowly fry in a large, heavy pan until very crisp -  Remove the bacon and set aside, but KEEP GREASE

1 large chopped onion -  Put chopped onion into the bacon grease and slowly fry until translucent

1/2 C + 2 T white flour - Stir this into the bacon and onion mixture. Slowly heat and stir until thick and bubbly (like a Roux)

1 1/2 C water - Add this into the fry pan goo. Mix thoroughly. It will get very white and opaque, and you will think you ruined it. You did not.

1 C WHITE vinegar - Add this right after the water. Stir until incorporated. (You must use white vinegar. For years I used cider vinegar and could not figure out why my potato salad did not taste quite up to par. In a conversation with Auntie Lu, as to why my salad never quite measured up, she said, Do you use white vinegar? That was it!)

2 C white sugar - Add this into the mix. You will notice the goo changes from opaque to translucent :)

1 T + 1 t. salt - Stir this in too

Now you have the basic sauce made. It can be kept in a glass jar/s for a long time in the refrigerator. I often make a batch of sauce and then use it for the next month or so for smaller meal sized batches of potato salad or making spinach salads.

Finishing the salad

Boil 5 pounds of red potatoes. I wash them and cut them in half or quarters if they are not small (they cook quicker.) Russet potatoes will work in a pinch, but do not have that characteristic waxy, firm texture.

Cook potatoes until a fork can be inserted in the potato, so they are cooked but still firm. (You might want to try one for proper consistency: too crunchy isn't good either.)

Drain off the hot water, pour in cold, and let potatoes soak a bit. As soon as you can touch them, start rubbing the peelings off. They should come off rather easily. You can leave the skins on for a more peasant type salad, but then scrub them more thoroughly before cooking. Cut out any imperfections and eyes.

Slice the cooked potatoes into 1/4 inch or so slices and put in a large pot with the sauce. (You can wash out your potato cooking pot and return them to it, or if you are doing the sauce and salad on the same day, place the sliced potatoes into the fry pan with the sauce.)

Crumble or chop the crispy bacon and add to the mix. 

Gently heat sauce, potatoes, and bacon together, mixing carefully. The sauce will soak into the potatoes at this point. If it gets too thick, you can add a little water to thin.

Add 1/2 C chopped fresh parsley. (You can use dried in a pinch, but fresh is better.)

You are finished! 

Potato salad may be served cold, room temp. or warmed.

To serve, garnish with hard cooked egg slices and more bacon crumbles and chopped parsley if desired. 

Of course, no recipe is written in stone. If you like yours a little less sweet or more salty, etc. just adjust accordingly.

Enjoy! 

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Since many of you might be needing an easy salad recipe for your July 4th festivities, I thought I better honor my promise from the Aldi's comments to share my 3 Bean Salad recipe. (I will try to post my German Potato Salad and Baked Beans recipes too before the 4th.)

I adapted this recipe from the Victory Garden cookbook years ago. You can make it with just 3 different kinds of beans or add however many you wish. Martha Stewart once had a 10 bean salad, so let your imagination run wild!

The recipe:

1 1/2 C green beans (1 drained can or use fresh or frozen but lightly steam first. I use Aldi's or Roundy's brand--they are fine)

1 1/2 C yellow wax beans (same as above)

! 1/2 C dark red kidney beans (one can, drained, or cook your own)

1 C slivered green, red, orange, and/or yellow peppers 

3/4 C thinly sliced red onion (optional)

1 clove garlic peeled and split in 2. (Allow to marinate in dressing but remove prior to serving)

2/3 C wine vinegar

1/3 C sugar (I like brown)

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C veg. oil (I omitted this)

1/2 t. Worcester sauce 

1 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1/8 t. celery seed (I added this)

 
Mix the dressing in a large salad bowl and then add the beans. Chill. Pretty simple!

 
Now for the variations :)

I have added frozen baby peas (just pour them in right from the bag), garbanzo beans (I cook my own, or canned is fine), whole green beans (Aldi's cute little whole frozen type), C&W frozen yellow and green Italian green beans, black beans (if using canned, wash well), light and dark kidney beans, frozen Lima beans (lightly steamed), 1 cup sliced quartered cucumbers, 1/2 C. celery slices....did I miss anything?

Use whatever beans and peas your family likes. If you are adding a lot of extra beans, make extra dressing. For a large gathering, I would double the dressing and non-bean ingredients and then add up to 5 C extra beans.

Beans are very nutritious and contain soluble fiber. If you add any grain (bread, corn on the cob, rice, etc.) you get a complete protein.

Bean salad is great because you can make it in advance and don't have to worry about it spoiling at the picnic.

Enjoy! 

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I just got back from a trip to the Elm Grove Sendik's. Wow, lots of tasty samples, good deals, and drawings for prizes.

Reason? It is Sendik's 82nd anniversary celebration. Food and drink samples will be served all weekend, I believe, at all Balistreri Sendik's stores. So if you are out and about, stop in--especially if you have children. (Kids always like samples.)

I filled out a two entries for their drawings while I was there--Brewer tickets, gift certificates, a TV, and even a $1,000 shopping spree are being given away.

My bargain of the day was a pound of very nice strawberries for $1.50. 

Growing up on the east side of Milwaukee, Sendik's was a household name. As kids, we loved to go in their stores and watch the fresh orange juice squeezer machine. I think it automatically cut the oranges in half, squeezed, discarded used halves, and started over again. It was a source of great fascination to most children in the neighborhood.

My grandfather came from Sicily and knew all the Italian shop keepers. He did all the grocery shopping and would often bring home interesting vegetables from Sendik's like fennel and artichokes. 

These days, I find I am going to Sendik's more and more. I'm afraid my usual grocery stomping ground, Pick 'n Save, is letting me down more and more. They are eliminating some of the more unusual products from their line, one being coconut oil. That has forced me to seek other shopping venues. I checked at Sendik's and sure enough, they had it.

Sendik's, although more expensive on some things, has great bargains on others. Their quality is very good, and I like the atmosphere of their stores. They also respond to requests for products. My favorite Cedar Crest ice cream is Coconut Joy. The old Sentry always carried it, but when the new Sendik's moved in, they did not. I asked at the customer service desk if they could order it, and they said yes. I like that kind of service.

Check out Sendik's bargain shelf in the produce department too. Often they have great deals there. I picked up a 3 pound bag of green beans for .99 and a bag of red and yellow peppers for $1.50. Can't beat that.

So Happy Anniversary Sendik's. May you have many more. Having you here evokes many happy childhood memories.

(I am not affiliated with Sendik's in any way) 

Links: Kinsey Park Clean Up and Pier

This is not a political commentary posting! It is about soup.

I grew up in a home that was not very enthused about turkey, but I married a turkey-a-holic!

It must be an inherited trait on the Y chromosome, because both my guys cannot get enough of the big bird!

Sadly, our turkey leftovers are history, but there is one last meal to be had from our Thanksgiving feast, and that is turkey soup. I make it just as I would chicken soup.

I take the roasted carcass and pick off all the meat I can and refrigerate. Place the bones, scraps, and even the skin into a large soup pot.

Cover with water and add a small onion, stalk of celery, and carrot. A few parsley stalks are good too. Simmer for a few hours.

Strain the contents through a collandar into a big bowl or another pot and return the broth to the soup kettle. Skim off excess fat.

Peel a few carrots and slice into disks, chop a med. onion, and slice up a few celery stalks and add these to the pot.

Simmer an hour longer and taste. Add salt and pepper to taste and some freshly chopped parsley (or dried).

By this time the bones are cool enough to go through, removing any pieces of meat. Put the meat in the broth.

Add more of the meat you set aside when you started the soup and cut into bite-sized pieces and toss in the pot.

Now you have a choice to make: Turkey Dumpling Soup or Turkey, Rosemary, Rice Soup.

For Turkey Dumpling, just take 1 beaten egg, 1 t salt, and 1 C white flour. Mix together until you can't get any more four into the egg and break off little pieces of the dough and toss into the boiling broth. Cook about 20 min. My guys really like these crude dumplings, so I make double the amount.

For the Turkey, Rosemary, Rice soup, add a sprig of rosemary to the soup, some cooked brown and wild rice (if you have any), and a few drops of Tabasco sauce. This of course it to taste. Simmer 20 minutes and then fish out the rosemary. If you have a herb bag or large tea ball, this would keep the rosemary leaves together. This soup creation came from a friend and we really like it just as well as the dumpling variation.

Depending on how much turkey you had to start with, you might have to add a little chicken bullion to make it more flavorful.

Anyway, turkey soup, either variation, has become a real family favorite. I freeze the left overs and keep them for future meals. It is like money in the bank!

Try it with your Christmas Turkey.