Crock Pot Refried Beans

It's been an interesting week here in our farm house, without a stove, no microwave and um even the toaster oven went away when our oldest boy moved out. So we were down to a crock pot, gas grill and then a two burner hot plate my mom brought over. We found a few things out:

• we CAN live without an oven for a week
• you can bake bread on a gas grill--does anybody need directions for this?? I'll share
• but we eventually realized that in the next month I will be making 200 pounds of apples in to sauce, jelly and butter--I have cauliflower to pickle--strawberries and raspberry jam to make--green tomato relish-beet zucchini relish-tomato sauce-and what ever else I can glean from others to put up for winter--hopefully we'll get some moose meat too(HINT HINT)
• it's roasting season and I want to make a BIG beef roast soon
• it takes a LONG time to pop corn in crank handle popper on the gas grill...especially if you run out of gas and don't notice
• as soon as you replace the stove the washer will die-no joke! 
• you can cook beans in a crock pot-no soaking, no pre boil-in as little as 6 hours

This last one was especially a life saver for me! The day after the range tried to kill me I whipped out the crock pot and figured if the beans didn't get done we could always eat them the next day. But lo and behold after 6 hours in the crock pot we had hot fresh refried beans for simple burritos that blew my kids away. This was really nice because the rest of the day we were eating cold food. It was not a pleasant experience for us. I could never go raw, I need heat. I think you'll love how easy these beans are, I do.

Crock Pot Refried Beans  6-8 hours depending on your crock pot
1 pound dry pinto beans
2 quarts water
1 clove of garlic minced-use onion or chives too
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
wash and pick over your beans
add the beans and water to the crock pot
add the garlic if using
turn it on high
cover and cook for 3 hours on high, don't open the lid just let them cook
check for done-ness, if the beans are soft add the cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper
if they are not soft cook for another hour then add the above
after 2 hours taste the beans, they should be soft and delicious and tasty
adjust seasonings if needed
if they are not soft continue cooking with the lid in place for another hour
if they are soft vent the lid and let some steam escape but continue cooking
mash lightly with a potato masher
keep vented and cooking on low until ready to use


I find it's best to make a dish like this in the crock pot on the weekend, when you might have more time for dinner to be late. You never know how a your crock pot might differ from mine, so take a day when it doesn't really matter too much and try this recipe. Once you figure out your cooking time this will become a staple and you'll waltz in to the house late and dinner will be ready to go. I made them twice in a week and my kids want them again. Mama does too.

because we all KNOW what beans look like and they aren't pretty enjoy my dahlia instead

Peace and Love--