Bean Taco Dip ...p11

CATALINA DRESSING in a bean taco dip?  Hmmm.  Intriguing. 

At first dip, my husband said, "this looks like the sauce needs to be poured off."  We all looked at the bowl and thought, "wow!  maybe he's right - it looks too wet!"  This certainly doesn't interfere with the taste and dipping ability.  The combination's tasty and not the least mushy (though maybe pouring off a little of the liquid or cutting down the Catalina dressing to 1/2 cup might make it look more "dippable?").  Of the three dips I brought to our Steelers' play-off party, this went the fastest - that must say something.... 

Like the critic when she said, "I really like this!"

Hardy Appetit!

Three Bean Salad ...p31

Memories of dinners at Grandma Alma's and Aunt Bernice's flooded in as I made this cold, colorful salad.  And as a kid, I remember not liking it.  My, how we change.  Now I find it so refreshing, I can't imagine turning my nose up to it.  Though if your kids do, it may be in their GENES.

Truly, they may have two bitter alleles opposed to just one.  CHECK IT OUT !

Might make a nice science experiment in your multiple-kid households, especially for my home-schooled friends.  Who's got the extra bitter allele? 

Hardy Appetit!

Tomato & Bean 15-Minute Stoup

This stoup calls for a whole cup of basil and I just happen to have a whole lot of basil goin' on.  I intended to make a bunch of pesto fresh from my garden, but my garden has been a dismal failure.  The flowers have been wonderful.....but the veggies have been a wee bit disappointing for the work I (we...) put in to their cultivation.  If learning were my aim, it'd be one thing, but my goal was a mini-supermarket.  I am happy to report my Chinese Red Long Beans are prolific and adding vibrant color to my cooking!

Of course the pictures above have nothing to do with this recipe, so.....Back to stoup - a catchy new cooking term for a cross between soup and stew, though long known in religious circles as the holy water font in the front of the church.  Considering it's the [amount of] water that makes the difference here, stoup fits. You'll love this tomato-based version, and though it seems a lot of basil, trust me, you'll love it.  Or trust the critic on this one!

Hardy Appetit!

Mumsy's US Senate Bean Soup ...p24

Yes, if the Senate has its way, this is all we will be eating now that Health Care Bill has passed.  Beans are after all nutritious, filling and can be stretched to satisfy any budget.

All jesting aside, this is one of my favorite soups.  I remember the first time I cooked it, I couldn't believe all the celery that went into it - but it does and the flavor is barely noticeable.  Served with some good warm bread, this a very satisfying meal.

I think it appropriate to print the lyrics to an old children's song that Pappy would sing everytime Mumsy made beans.  Hey!  Maybe it can become our new national anthem?

Beans, beans the musical fruit,
The more you eat, the more you toot,
The more you toot, the happier you feel,
So let's eat beans at every meal!

Here served with pumpernickel bread and, as dessert, a lemon meringue pie.  Now that's a luxury tax!

Hardy Appetit!