BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Healthy Foods Delicious & Nutritious Beans Make Thrifty Meal

Looking for ways to [url=http://www.thriftculturenow.com] save money[/url] on food? Pick up a bag of dried beans for between $1-$3 or canned beans that go for anywhere from 69 cents to $1.25. Beans like navy beans,black beans, black eyed peas, pinto beans, or kidney beans, are excellent sources of protein and vitamins and are a wonderful alternative to meat. Add beans to your soups or stews, roast a butternut squash and combine with white navy beans, lots of time and sage and toss with pasta, or add some cumin and chipotle pepper to black turtle beans and serve it inside tacos or fajitas. Or, one of the yummiest, comforting winter meals around: homemade molasses baked beans and pancakes!

Thanks Travis for your post. If you have never made your own beans before, try making them in a slow cooker. Add beans to a slow cooker and drench them in water (about 2-3 inches of water above the beans). Let the beans sit overnight. When you are ready to cook the beans, drain them, add a teaspoon of two or three desired spices (try garlic, pepper, cayenne, onion, cumin), add water (about 5 cups to every pound of beans) and turn on the slow cooker for about 3-4 hours. Beans can be stored in your refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy!