Dry Bean Revival

The current trend toward frugal living makes it the perfect time to rediscover the goodness of bean soup.  Growing up it was a common meal in our home.  Mom would make a big pot of beans and that was what I consider comfort food.  I carried the tradition into my own family and served with corn bread, garlic bread or a salad to make a complete meal.  Most men appreciate a big pot of chili and for those who like it hot a bottle of Tabasco can spice it up.

On my last move my OLD Betty Crocker cookbook and 40 years of recipes got left behind so in order to share the recipes I will need to get into this new century and pull them from the internet.  What surprised me was that Ms. Crocker has even updated the recipes and added a vegetarian section to keep up with the changing eating habits.  Instead of one recipe for Chili there are more than 24 so browse for a while and see which one or many your family might enjoy.

Chili

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Tasty and spicy chili made with beef and beans - perfect for dinner!

·       PREP TIME  30 Min

·       TOTAL TIME  1 Hr 50 Min

·       SERVINGS  4

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (15 to 16 oz) red kidney beans, undrained

·       1 Peel and chop the onion to measure 1 cup. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

·       2 In a 3-quart saucepan, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked. Place a strainer or colander in the sink; line with a double thickness of paper towels. Pour the beef mixture into the strainer to drain. Return beef mixture to saucepan; discard paper towels and any juices in the bowl.

·       3 Into the beef, stir the chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper sauce and tomatoes with their liquid.

·       4 Heat the mixture to boiling over high heat. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat just enough so mixture bubbles gently. Cover with lid; cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

·       5 Stir in the beans with their liquid. Heat to boiling over high heat. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat just enough so mixture bubbles gently. Cook uncovered about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness.

Next on our list is Navy Bean Soup.

I just love it and look how easy it is to cook.  When I quit eating pork years ago I just wasn’t sure how I was going to give it the taste I loved.  I did find out two things that really improved the flavor.  The first is garlic, LOTS of garlic.  The second is substituting the pork for turkey ham or sausage.  I always like to fry them first even if they are precooked.  It seems to enhance the flavor. Another thing I like to do is use an old fashioned egg beater and blend the beans just a little before adding the vegetables.  I like my soups fairly hearty and thick.

Do your own experimenting and when you find your perfect recipe submit it to Betty Crocker for their selections in this category seemed more limited.

Navy Bean Soup

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Enjoy this hearty soup that comes loaded with navy beans and veggies and is made easily at home on a stovetop!

·       PREP TIME 1 Hr 15 Min

·       TOTAL TIME 2 Hr 15 Min

·       SERVINGS  6

1 bag (16 oz) dried navy beans, sorted, rinsed

8 cups water

1/2 cup chili sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 medium stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

·       1 In 8-quart Dutch oven, heat beans and water to boiling. Boil uncovered 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour.

·       2 Stir in remaining ingredients except parsley. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender.

·       Last but not least is

·       3 Stir in parsley. Cook 2 to 3 minutes.

Last but not least is Split Pea Soup.  I know this is not as popular with others as it is in our house but give it a try.  In making it I use the same modifications as mentioned for Navy Bean Soup.  One additional thing is when the soup is almost completely done I add milk.  That is the secret.  The Betty Crocker site has a number of variations to the soup that all look intriguing that I have not yet tried.  The one with sweet potato and spinach sounds very good. 

Split Pea Soup

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From Betty's Soul Food Collection... Comfort food in a bowl, homemade soup does wonders for the soul!

·       PREP TIME 20 Min

·       TOTAL TIME  3 Hr 50 Min

·       SERVINGS 8

2 1/4 cups dried split peas, (1 pound), sorted and rinsed

8     cups water

1     large onion, chopped (1 cup)

2  medium celery stalks, finely chopped (1 cup)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 ham bone or 2 pounds shanks

3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices (1 1/2 cups)

·       1 Heat peas and water to boiling in 4-quart Dutch oven. Boil uncovered 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour.

·       2 Stir in onion, celery and pepper. Add ham bone. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 1 hour 30 minutes or until peas are tender.

·       3 Remove ham bone; remove ham from bone. Trim excess fat from ham; cut ham into 1/2-inch pieces.

·       4 Stir ham and carrots into soup. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes or until carrots are tender and soup is desired consistency.

Each of these recipes is provided by Betty Crocker and the link is on the recipe name so that you can see all variations by clicking on the link.  Better yet, pull our your recipe box and find your own.  Adding a soup to your menus even once a week can reduce your grocery bill and improve your families nutrition.  As you continue to practice and experiment you may find your own favorite family tradition.

Saddle Shoes - Bridging the Generation Gap

They're back!   Saddle shoes are back on the market and in full colors and whatever size heel you feel comfortable in.  It has been said that if a woman keeps her clothes in the closet long enough they will come back in style and this is one I have been waiting for.  In fact, I have been checking online and ebay for the past three years.

This is how they partied in the 50's but the shoes were so popular they were worn all the time.

I can almost picture my mother wearing this outfit.  Right down to the watch and pedal pushers.

Then there was my generation.  In the transition between the 60's and 70's we had everything from the flower children to the short skirts and fish nets.  During all of my high school years we had to have red tag Levi's, a shirt I think was called a feldman, a zip up sweatshirt that they now refer to as hoodies, and our shoes were either waffle stompers or saddle shoes. The minute we got home with our new pair of shoes we literally would take them out to the side walk and scuff them all up. No one could know they were new.  It took a while to find a picture of the look but I found a site called CHICTOPIA that had a section called Saddle Shoes With Jeans that was right on the mark. 

Now we enter 2012. And what a change the years have made but it's still Saddle Shoes

Check these out!  I would love to have a pair!
 

Google Saddle Shoes to see all the available colors and styles.   And, yes, I was thrilled to find a pair of traditional black and white ones at a garage sale that were worn only three hours.  The price?  $3!  I was SO HAPPY that everyone was laughing at me.

So whatever your age, whatever your style, get your Saddle Shoes NOW!  If you miss your chance it may be another 20 or 30 years!

More than you wanted to know about Wood Furniture

Q.  Do you know the motto for Walmart?
A.  Save money, live better.

Q.  How about Sears?
A.  Where America Shops

Don't get me wrong - I love Walmart and am there about once a month.  But the truth is that the longer or more exclusively one shops at Walmart the less one knows about quality. 

I know people who would not be caught dead in wearing or buying something used.  In their minds new is better.  That's PERIOD.  Their noses practically turn up at the idea of hand me downs, give aways, or second hand stores.  Yet they happily shop at Walmart because they choose or cannot afford to go someplace else for new products. 

As you know from previous posts garage sales get me excited!  I have found Coach, Nike, Levis, Bebe, Ann Taylor, Express, Guess,  Liz Claborne, Gap, Cuisinart, Kitchen Aid, Hoover, Princess House, etc.  This is just an abbreviated list but you get the idea.  In addition to clothing, furniture, everything one might need for a baby, and decorative items, practically new expensive exercise equipment is available.

The prices are unbelievable.  Most of the tags are 25 cents , 50 cents, or $1.  Anything over $20 is considered a big purchase item. 

In a previous post I shared our furniture shopping finds.  One item left on the list was a shelving unit.  Between the books, crystal, Mom's doll collection, and storage there is just no way there can be enough shelving in this house.  A spot had been designated in the living room for shelves when they were located. 

Yesterday was Community Garage Sale day!  We were up at 5 a.m. and out the door at 7 a.m.  fresh and ready for the day.  We walked from house to house with all the other shoppers and everyone on the street was enjoying the almost festive feel of the day as each scouted for their own idea of treasures.

And there it was.  11 feet of wood.  Far larger than what we were looking for but something about wood draws me.  The price was higher than planned also.  $400.  That's almost more than all the other furniture combined.  But, look at the beveled glass.  But, it would take up the entire wall.  I began running my hands over the smooth dark finish and noting all the heavy glass interior shelves.  What a deal.  How could it be passed up?  The question was asked that would have been the deal breaker so we could go on with the shopping.  "Will you deliver?"  No trucks were in sight so we could walk away with a clear conscious.  The owner replied that he was a professional furniture mover by trade and could deliver it that afternoon. 

In the meantime another shopper had approached and heard me singing the praises of the quality and as she listened intently I apparently cinched the deal.  One way or another one of us was going to buy it.  Who was going to get to the owner first.  So while I continued to run my hand over the wood the now competing buyers both headed to look for the owner and be the first one to put money in his hand.

As you can see the fit is perfect.  The arrangement of the rest of the furniture is still being decided. 

What kind of deal is it?  Out of curiousity an internet search was made to find a comprable item and the current retail price.  The picture is not the same in ornamentation but Signature Home Furnishings  is the manufacturer of both and the size and basics are the same. 

The photo in the top does have the upper shelf but it is not installed to allow full access to the window.  The unit will not be used as an entertainment center and the top piece may also be removed to make it a more traditional looking book shelf and bench.  The two bottom side panels have exchangeable speaker covers and the bottom middle section has a replaceable wood piece if the glass is not desired.

Walmart's option:

My next step was to determine what kind of wood the new unit contained.  In the past I had often shopped the antiques stores and usually could tell at a glance what type a wood a piece of furniture was made out of as well as checking any drawers to make sure they were dove tailed joints.

As I researched the wood type I found so many that I had never even heard of.  The following is from Your Antique Furniture Guide.  I thought it interesting enough to share in it's entirety.  The site has much more information if you are interested.  The pictures on their site can be enlarged to clearly see the patterns and colors


Amboyna: A yellowish-brown burred wood type somewhat between 'bird's-eye' maple and burr walnut. Used in the eighteenth century and on into the nineteenth, nearly always as a veneer, both for cross-banding and for whole surfaces.
Origin: East Indies.

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Apple: One of the popular fruitwoods used in the solid country pieces in the eighteenth century, although it had some use as a veneer earlier. A light reddish-brown in color with some mild figuring. Fairly close-ground and hard.

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Ash: A whitish-grey fairly hard wood used in country furniture in the eighteenth century and for drawer linings.

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Beech: Brownish-whitish wood type with a distinctive flecked grain. Used in the solid from the 17th century for the frames of upholstered furniture (doesn't split when tacked). In the late Georgian and Regency periods it was painted, particularly in chair work. Early caned chairs of Restoration period were made from beech instead of walnut for economy and then ebonized.

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Birch: A light yellowish-brown woof type and fairly soft. Used in eighteenth century for chairs and country furniture.

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Boxwood: A whitish-yellow color, without any figure. Used mainly as an inlay or for stringing lines from the sixteenth century.

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Cedar: Reddish-brown, like a soft mahogany. Used for chests and interior work from the middle of the eighteenth century.

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Cherry: Reddish-brown wood type. Used for country furniture and for inlay or crossbanding from seventeenth century. Also popular for American Queen Anne and Chippendale furniture. Usually used in the solid.

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Chestnut: Ranges in tone from light to dark brown. Horse chestnut is light, almost white and mainly found as a drawer lining material. Sweet chestnut matures to a reddish-brown and is reasonably hard for a country wood. Used for legs and in chairs from the seventeenth century. In the 18th century for French provincial furniture made in the solid.

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Coromandel: A yellow and black striped wood used mainly for crossbanding from the late eighteenth century onwards.

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Deal: Plain, straight-grained Scots pine. Used mainly for carcases (of chests, etc.) and drawer linings of lesser quality pieces. From seventeenth century onwards.

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Ebony: Dense, heavy, almost black wood, often used as a contrasting inlay in marquetry veneering.

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Elm: Light brown wood type with distinctive blackish figuring when old and ingrained with dirt. Used extensively for country furniture and chairs, including seats of Windsors. Cut into burr veneers of fairly small sheets with extremely pleasing effect

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Harewood: This is just sycamore which has been stained to a greyish-green color. Much used in later eighteenth century and Regency as a decorative veneer.

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Holly: White wood type, used for inlay and marquetry work from sixteenth century.

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Kingwood: A brown and black striped wood like rosewood, particularly used for crossbanding on tables in late eighteenth century. Was used previously in late seventeenth century also as a veneer.

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Laburnum: Cut as plain veneer, a yellow-brown with streaks of darker brown. Cut as an 'oyster' very dark rich blackish-brown. Used as veneer from late seventeenth century, particularly in parquetry.

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Lignum vitae: Dark brown with black streaks. Very hard, used from seventeenth century as veneer and in solid

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Lime: Whitish-yellow wood type; used by carvers.

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Mahogany: Rich golden-brown or red-brown wood type, excellent for carving and takes varnish very well. Can be finely polished and possesses a pleasing depth of tone. There are several types of mahogany; San Domingan, Cuban, Honduras and Spanish are most common.

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Maple: Light yellow; used as veneer and inlay. 'Bird's-eye' maple used more in the nineteenth century.

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Oak: Deep, rich, chocolate-brown or pale golden-brown coarse-grained wood used predominantly in Britain from Middle Ages to late 17th century. Also used as a secondary wood on good-quality antique furniture.

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Olive: Dark, greenish with black streaking wood type. Used in parquetry, as 'oyster' and in veneers, from late seventeenth century.

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Padouk: Red, with blackish figure. Used in solid from mid-eighteenth century and particularly from early nineteenth century for military chests

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Pear: Yellowish-brown wood type. Used for country furniture and for carving.

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Pine: Soft, pale, honey-colored wood used in England and America as a secondary timber for drawer linings, and in the 19th century for inexpensive furniture (which was often painted).

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Plum: Yellowish-red wood type. Used for country pieces and as an inlay from the seventeenth century.

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Rosewood: Highly figured dark red-brown wood with blackish streaks. Used from the sixteenth century, but most found during the Regency and Victorian periods in England in solid and veneer for high-quality furniture.

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Satinwood: Light, yellow-colored West Indian wood, favored during the late 18th century. Usually used in veneers as it was expensive, and sometimes embellished with painted decoration. Painted satinwood furniture was also popular in the Edwardian period.

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Sycamore: White with fleck. Used from the late seventeenth century as a veneer. Often found on sides or banding of marquetry furniture of the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century.

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Tulipwood: Yellow-brown with reddish stripes. Used for crossbanding from the late eighteenth century.

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Walnut: English walnut: golden brown with dark figuring. Much used in veneers from the sixteenth century but particularly 1660-1740. Also cut in burr and oyster form. Black walnut: also grown in England from the late seventeenth century and much darker. Used in solid and can be mistaken for mahogany at first glance. Walnut was also popular in America and in the Victorian era.

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Yew: Reddish-brown, very hard wood type, with some burr effects. Polishes magnificently. Used from the sixteenth century; often found in chairs of country origin, Windsors and tables but also used on fine furniture in burr veneer form.

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Zebrawood: Brown with dark stripes. Used as a veneer from the late eighteenth century.

If you have gotten this far you may now know more about wood and furniture contruction than you ever did before.  In fact, more than you may have wanted.

Has living In The Trenches and shopping the way I do caused me to feel cheated?  Not at all.  I have more interests, more appreciation, and more fun in the hunt.  I would feel poor and cheated if I had to go to Walmart and spend $750 on a chip board piece of furniture.