And so went the beans...

Thursday night I call to see how many homeless to expect Friday night and hear 70 showed up Thursday.

Yikes! It used to be 30-35.

Thanks to the replies I got in the other thread and some further research, I started on the great bean quest.

I loads up my biggest (16 quart) pot with 12 bags of beans. Navy beans, Great Northern beans, pinto beans, kidney beans... all sorts of beans. Sure enough, it's not big enough when the beans get soaking. Two Dutch ovens later, I think I have enough room for the soaking beans.

Beans, beans beans... Beans to the left of me. Beans to the right of me. Beans taking over the kitchen, and perhaps the rest of the house...

Finally, I start to cook the things and barely miss beans boiling over the stove, into the living room, and maybe out the door to suffocate the neighbors' cat.

Crap! Where'd that jar of molasses go?

Chicken stock, chipotle powder, sage, cinnamon, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne, molasses, brown sugar, onion, garlic, a jar of spaghetti sauce I found somehwere, half a bottle of ketchup (don't ask!) Some other stuff I can't remember, but sounded good.

And two pounds of chopped up bacon.

It's kind of soupy, but don't have time to go back to the store for tomato paste. And don't have time to properly bake it anyway.

Finally! The 16 quart pot is filled to within an inch of the top and another 5 quart Dutch oven is filled and I'm on my way to the church with 5 gallons of beans. (BTW, did you know that a 16 quart pot filled with food weighs around 35 pounds?)

Pot's on the church stove, I look over the other stuff-- meatloaf, a whole ham, mac&cheese, 3 trays of lasagna, tons of bread and donuts donated by a local bakery, salad, and more to come.

And just 25 people showed up.

(They ate well, and a lot of beans.)

were greatly appreciated. I would have enjoyed seeing the beans taking over your house :rofl: :hug:

beans always taste better reheated. I'm sure they'll get eaten and be singing your praises...or maybe just whistling them. ;)

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the incredible effort to make a lovely dish for people who desperately need it.

You are awesome in my book, bud! :D

So well done. :loveya:

Making 25+ people very happy with well seasoned beans must feel very good to you but I am sure that your joy in preparing it added an unforgettable dimension your guests' enjoyment of the meal. Good job!

Thank you!!!

:yourock::applause::yourock:

:*