Surviving Tough Times

A quick perusal of the blogosphere reveals that a lot of people are looking for ways to cut down on their living expenses--recipes and grocery shopping tips seem to be in high demand. As a native of eastern Kentucky, I can say that I have seen a lot of people endure some mighty hard times over the years--you can say that thriftiness and frugal living are almost ingrained in our culture. From this point on, I'm going to share some of the recipes I grew up with--as well as some frugal dishes I have either invented or discovered since then.

Today, I will show you how to make soup beans--a staple food for many people from Appalachia:

2 cups dry pinto beans, picked over to remove any stones or other debris, rinsed
2 slices bacon, cut up
1 tsp. baking soda
Salt to taste

Soak the beans in cold water along with the baking soda over night. (This helps make them less "gassy.") The next morning, drain and rinse them. Place them in a large kettle along with the bacon slices and a little salt. Cover with about 3 inches of water. Cover and simmer on low heat several hours until the beans are tender, checking periodically to add water before they cook dry. If you like, you can add some chopped onions to the beans or you can substitute ham or salt pork for the bacon.

Tomorrow, I'll show you how to make cornbread to go along with the beans.