DRIED BEANS
Tip: Pick out the pebbles and sticks AFTER YOU SOAK THEM. They're only in there because they're the same size as the beans-- the factory sorter missed 'em. The soaked beans get bigger; the pebbles don't, so they're easier to spot!

I never start beans with, "Oh, I want beans for supper on Friday, so I need to start soaking Wednesday and...." Naw! I soak 'em when I know I'll have something ELSE to serve for supper, and when they're done in the crockpot, they're done. We'll eat some, but we'll freeze the rest to be thawed on the night I want to USE them.

Same thing with roast pork-- which is never, ever, ever done in the amount of cooking time the chart swears it will be done. These things just vary more than I can handle, so I've stopped trying to predict them-- who cares???

I just learned, this AM, that I can get excellent Carnegie Deli pastrami in 75-pound blocks, Fed Ex. Maybe I WILL accept grocery donations for that next Mudcat Gathering!

Hardi brought home stromboli slices for lunch, and I told him the next bulk-buy is Boboli-type premade, prebaked pizza crusts. Oh yeah-- sauce them from the freezer, add cooked meats from the freezer, add cheese from the 5-pound bag of shredded-- throw it all in the panini press, viola! On demand, any time! AND cheap! AND lower-salt!

Remind me I must post my knockoff of spinach pies sometime.... what's that fancy Greek word again.... spankopita. Uses filo-- yummy, but I don't! Sophie is selling her place, I heard.... I used to put these up by the 4-dozen-pack for the hungry teenagers..... cheeeeeeeeeeeeeep.


I have got to get Hollowfox to post here. She roasts whole, unthawed chickens! :~) And it's yummy-- she feeds them to Catters who drop in!


~Susan