(no subject)

[camwyn]

Things I did yesterday:

- bought Christmas present for my father (magazine subscription)
- bought Christmas present for my sister (Amazon wish list item)
- almost bought present for my mother, but I need to check her car first to make sure it'll work
- went to hairdresser's, called up picture of Boomer from BSG on my phone, said "like that but shoulder length"; got it done
- fifty crunches in one session OH GOD WHY
- twenty 'bicycle' ab exercises AGAIN OH GOD WHY
- found two good baked beans recipes starting from dried beans, one of which involves coffee for that extra cowboy flavour
- discovered that oat bran sesame sticks are a cruel cruel joke when there is no salt involved
- confirmed that yes, the guy on LinkedIn with the unusual first name and the Marine Corps in his employment history and the technical background was in fact the gunnery sergeant I had as a penpal back in the first Gulf War
- got an order in for all the stuff I'll need to make miniature Beef Wellingtons for the Christmas party my dad's family is having on Saturday, assuming the puff pastry thaws in time
- discovered that my nephew has somehow picked up the habit of saying 'please hold' before turning away from the phone to talk to someone on his end- at age six

And some other stuff but that's most of it, I think.

Comments

[bastets-place.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[derien.livejournal.com]

Okay, a six year old saying 'please hold' is adorable, awesome and kind of scarey. ;)

[ceitfianna]

I'm curious about those baked bean recipes and hee, kids pick up fast.

I was learning things like that when I was little because my dad's patients would call the house phone and I had to learn what to say.

[camwyn]

Barbecued baked beans, per Cook's Illustrated:

Ingredients
4 ounces bacon (4 slices), chopped fine
1 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic , minced
1 pound dried small white beans (2 cups), rinsed and picked over
8 cups water
1 cup strong coffee (black)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce , plus extra for seasoning
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons brown mustard (prepared)
1 tablespoon mild molasses
Tabasco sauce (or something similar)

Instructions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in the beans, water, coffee, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cover and transfer to the oven. Bake, stirring every hour, until the beans are tender, about 4 hours.

3. Remove the lid and continue to bake, uncovered, until the liquid has thickened to a syrupy consistency, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Season the beans with additional barbecue sauce, Tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste.

4. To Make Ahead: After cooking, the beans can be cooled to room temperature and refrigerated, wrapping tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 4 days. Reheat over medium-low heat before serving.

[camwyn]

Boston baked beans, per Cook's Illustrated:

The beans can be made ahead. After cooking, cool them to room temperature and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Ingredients

4 ounces salt pork , trimmed of rind and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 ounces bacon (2 slices), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup mild molasses
1 tablespoon mild molasses
1 1/2 tablespoons brown mustard
1 pound dried small white beans (about 2 cups), rinsed and picked over
Table salt
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Ground black pepper
Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Add salt pork and bacon to 8-quart Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and most fat is rendered, about 7 minutes. Add onion and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup molasses, mustard, beans, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 9 cups water; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Cover pot and set in oven. Bake until beans are tender, about 4 hours, stirring once after 2 hours. Remove lid and continue to bake until liquid has thickened to syrupy consistency, 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer. Remove beans from oven; stir in remaining tablespoon of molasses, vinegar, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

[ceitfianna]

Thank you, I'll have to try these at some point.

[camwyn]

I bought some dried beans yesterday. Tonight I'm going to get some bacon and give the recipe with the coffee in it a go. (Salt pork only comes in 12 ounce packages in supermarkets around here and I don't think they sell it at the local butcher shops. I'd have to freeze the rest.)