Boston Baked Beans

When I graduated from university at the end of April, my family came from Colorado to visit. They loaded me up with cans of green chile, Mexican seasonings, enchilada sauce and beans. I love Mexican food, and let's just say Canada does not know how to do Mexican cuisine so it is always a pleasure when I get a care package from la familia filled with food, especially Mexican food!

Well, then my mom handed me a bag of Great Northern Beans and a card from my aunt and uncle in Arizona. At first I didn't understand the connection, but upon reading the card I found two recipes: one for classic Boston Baked Beans and one for my Grandma's Bean Soup! So exciting because I associate baked beans with growing up and visiting my grandparents' house. My sister and I often spent weekends and portions of summers there, playing hide-and-seek in the house, eating mulberries in the yard, and searching for hidden boxes of Russel Stover's chocolates. I have a large family, and summer "get-togethers" were quite frequent. All family barbeques (or so my memory tells me) included some variation of potato salad and a pot of baked beans, so I require both dishes throughout the summer to keep myself normal.

Thanks to my lovely aunt, I now have a recipe for baked beans that I can rely on!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cooked great northern beans
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 lb bacon, cubed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon mustard (hot or mild)
• pinch of pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients and pour into a casserole dish. Add enough hot water to cover the beans. Bake covered at 350 f for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. 
2. Uncover and cook til it has achieved the desired consistency.

Enjoy!
PS - Keep an eye out for grandma's bean soup!