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Day 188: Yay for Beans!

My daughter called last night. She and her husband want to save money on the food budget. She asked if I would pick up some beans and brown rice on my way home.
 I was thrilled. I love saving money on food, love beans and rice and was ecstatic that my oldest offspring was wanting to collaborate with me! She even asked me to teach her how to make a proper pot of beans! Twas a proud mamma moment indeed!

Luckily I was close to Fred Meyer's on Hawthorne when she called. One of my favorite grocery stores. The Hawthorne Freddy's has a huge organic and natural food selection. And massive fresh produce! Not to mention a sushi bar! :)

I was even happier to discover that I had $10 rebate card I had stuck in my wallet and forgotten!

I got two bags of brown rice, a bag of black beans, a bag of pintos and a bag of red beans.
 I also got a head of garlic, two onions, a chunk of fresh ginger root, two bags of frozen peas and carrots and a bag of fresh baby spinach. Total was $11.07. After my rebate card: $1.07!

I felt like a shopping Boss with a capital B!!

My method of cooking beans is simple. I rinse and sort the beans, picking out any stones or wrinkled up beans.Then I toss them in a crockpot and cover them with water. I do not turn the crockpot on. Soak overnight. In the morning I pour off the soaking water and cover with fresh water -about an inch above the beans. Our crockpot cooks hot, so I turn it to low and check them after 3 hours. Usually takes 3-4 hours on low. After they cook I season them. But I prefer the basic batch fairly plain. The texture of the bean holds up better. Then I can throw them into a  chili  or soup or  dal or other recipe as needed.


I believe bean s are one of God's perfect foods. High protein, low fat rich in fiber. They also take time to digest, keeping me fuller longer.

They are great for lunches too. When I was vegetarian, I cooked at least a pot a week. I have not made much since I moved back in with my kids and son-in-law. It was too much for just me. They weren't too keen on them at first. But cold weather is perfect for a pot of beans! And we will save money to boot! Yay for beans!!

I am off to the gym. Going to do a lot of cardio today.

Happy Friday! :)


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