Ham and Beans My Way

Growing up, I hated ham and beans. Hated. With a passion. The only way I could choke them down was to add an ungodly amount of ketchup to my bowl. Then when I got older, I would add raw onion to my bowl as well... but I still had to choke them down.

I'm poor, and ham and beans is such an economical meal. I had to suck it up and face the fact that ham and beans were gonna be a part of my life. So I tinkered with it, fixed it up a bit and came up with a dish that Em and I both love... as long as I don't burn it.

You see, we moved about 5 months ago to a new home -- a new stove. A new stove that is a whole lot hotter than any stove I've ever cooked on. I can boil foods on LOW, people. So it's taken some trial and error to cook our favorite meals. Last time I attempted ham and beans, the water cooked down a lot faster than I had anticipated and burned the ham and beans.

I share that story because yesterday, when I told Em I was going to be fixing beans for tonight's dinner, her reply was "Okay, I guess I will eat them, just not if you burn them this time." Gotta love her honesty!

And I'm very happy to say I did not burn them this time!

:: Ham and Beans My Way ::

1 lb. dry beans (I use either great northern or pinto beans.)
water
3 chicken bouillon cubes (I use low-sodium.)
3 stalks celery -- leaves included, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 ham hock (You can also use leftover ham.)
1/2 tsp. pepper

You need to plan ahead and soak the beans in water overnight. I don't measure how much water I put in, just dump the beans into the pot and fill it up with water. The next day, drain the water from the beans and fill the pot with water again. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Let simmer all day long, adding water as needed throughout the day until you're ready to serve dinner. Take out ham hock (or leftover ham) and shred or chop the meat and return to pot.

This ended up being the perfect meal for today, as we've been in the 20s for most of it -- brrrrr!