Fix-It and Forget-It

There are lots of ways to doctor up canned pork and beans. Here’s a recipe we really like. The sauce is augmented with bacon, onion, and brown sugar, and there’s a nice variety of beans, for a pretty appearance on the plate. (Do you care how your food looks?) Continue Reading...

Do you ever have days when a simple question like, “What’s for dinner?” throws you into a tailspin? Continue Reading...

I do not love chopping vegetables. Yes, I know there are all sorts of amazing kitchen gadgets and processors that do this for you in the blink of an eye. But I’m always calculating whether I’m actually saving any time when I use them because I have to wash all their crazy parts when I’m finished. And then I have to re-assemble them in the right way. (I get my French press out only on Saturday mornings since putting it together the right way takes me too long on a weekday morning when I have a schedule. Shameful to admit, I agree.)

Pretty often I need to chop just 1 onion or 3 potatoes or a single bell pepper—hardly worth the effort of hauling out the food processor or even the little buzz chopper our younger daughter gave me a few years ago. Apparently I’ve been talking about this chopping burden.

Merle and I were away all last week, and we got home too late Saturday night to go grocery-shopping. I was glad to be home and wanted to cook Sunday, but there weren’t many ingredients around since I had nearly emptied the fridge and pantry before we left. Except for the good old staples—carrots, potatoes, onions, celery. Right, things that require chopping.
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May makes us think of picnics and springtime foods. And what’s a picnic without a side of baked beans? We decided to boost the basic bean blend, so we made Sweet-Sour Bean Trio. The onion, mustard, garlic, and vinegar add some kick and the brown sugar keeps it sweet and flavorful. We loved this dish for the ease, presentation and…of course…the flavor. What’s your favorite side dish to take on a picnic?
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