Bean & Sausage Soup
Recently, my mother-in-law bestowed upon us several 2 lb bags of dried Great Northern Beans. I figured that would be about enough dried beans to last us the rest of our lives. 
Even more recently, I had cause to use up some (turkey) kielbasa, and I ran flat out of ideas after sausage samiches, pierogies and sausage (yadayada) and lay in bed wondering how to use up that great stuff before it went bad in the fridge.
And then I remembered those beans. (Eureka!)
Bean soup is such a classic Depression Era recipe, and I was taught to cook by two Depression Era cooks in my own youth. Ham and bean soup has long been one of my favorite fall/winter soups, though the good ladies of my family, wishing to make it a bit hardier, would thicken it with mashed beans to ladle over homemade bread. (I know it sounds sort of “soggy” but believe me it is pure comfort food!)
Instead of ham, I used up the sausage in this classic soup. Apart from rehydrating the beans, which takes a good bit of time (I do it the long-soak way to take the fart factor out of the beans. LOL), the rest of the recipe is almost unbearably simple. You can’t mess this up, new cooks!
My own recipe;
1 lb dried Great Northern Beans (you can use a mix of dried beans if that’s what you have on hand)
1 1/2 lbs cooked, sliced kielbasa or smoked sausage (or you can use ham, of course, diced into bite sized pieces)
2 large carrots, diced
2 large stalks of celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
roughly 3 cups chicken stock and 3 c. water, or 1/8 c. chicken soup base and 6 c. water (this is approximate – you can certainly add more)
1 tsp poultry seasoning (this is instead of individual seasonings)
1 tsp kosher or coarse salt
about 1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 bay leaf
Because it takes dried beans quite a good deal of time to cook out even after they’re hydrated, I start the beans in the water (or broth) first, for about 1 hour. From there add the veggies, sausage and seasonings and simmer for 1- 1 1/2 hrs or until beans and veggies are tender. During the last half hour of cooking time, remove about a cup of beans (only) into a small bowl and mash. Return those to the soup pot to thicken the soup. You can mash more than a cup if you really favor a thicker stew-type soup (or wish to serve it the way my grandmas did, over bread or biscuits.)
For something that sounds so boring, it just hits the spot on cool evenings, and really keeps well in the fridge for at least 5 days. Also freezes well, and that’s always a plus.
People ask for the recipe everywhere I serve it. My sister-in-law would rather skip the dessert altogether and just eat the whipped cream. Here at the Cabin, we’re really not wild about it. I’m pretty sure the Beloved assumes that wherever there is “topping” it darn well better be frosting. heh.
I won’t make this a pictorial entry because I make it only about once a year, usually around Christmas, and needless to say I don’t have photos of my own handiwork.
Here’s someone who does, and she uses exactly the same base recipe I do. It’s just three ingredients and no real fuss to speak of. There’s really no reason to buy another tub of cool whip, and happily, in this recipe you get to control how much sugar goes in.
The important “note-worthy” about making your own whipped cream involves temperature. If the heavy cream isn’t ice cold, you can stand there whipping away til the cows come home, without results. It’s best to place the heavy cream in the coldest area of your fridge, or in the freezer for 10 minutes or so. Additionally I use a stainless steel mixing bowl, which I also subject to the Big Chill before I start making the whipped cream. Whip at about medium speed til it starts to form, then mix at a little higher speed to the desired consistency.
It’s wonderful on the apple cake down yonder.
I should do a “this and that” post, because in my advancing years and commercial cooking experience, I’ve come to learn that I’m not the only one who won’t eat this unless it’s with that, for instance, tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, oatmeal cookies without chopped walnuts…and gingerbread without homemade whipped cream.
Ahh, the memories.
In my effort to find creative ways to use up the rest of my apples, I went on a hunt for Apple Cake recipes. I have a standard favorite that I do not frost but instead make homemade whipped cream for, which is this;
(and I’ve used this for so long I honestly don’t know the origin of the recipe)
Apple Cake
4-5 cups sliced Granny Smith apples (like you would do for apple pie)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup salad oil
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
2 eggs, well beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix apples and sugar thoroughly. Add oil, nuts, eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together and add to apple mixture. Bake in a greased 13×9 inch pan for 1 hour. Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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But I’m sick of cake. Since I don’t make pastry (and thus no pies, much to my Beloved Mountain Man’s chagrin) I was looking for something a bit different..
And happily for me, I hit the motherlode on AllRecipes.com. This recipe, submitted by Steven Dale, is named “Grandma’s Fresh Apple Cake” but is described as a “loaf cake” and that’s precisely what it is. We absolutely love it, and the first loaf I made lasted approximately not long enough to even pull together an amateurish photo op of.
My notes aren’t many on this recipe, except to say, whenever you are using apples in a loaf type recipe, be sure to chop the apples quite finely. Some folks grate them, but I still want that little chunk of texture in every bite.
Additionally, if you are using a sweet/tart apple like McIntosh or Cortland, you can probably cut back the amount of sugar by a third unless you really love sweet.
And around here, the hardworking crew LOVES sweet, so I follow this recipe exactly as written.
Do give it a try if you want a little something lovely for a snack or for breakfast with coffee to use up this season’s apples!
Every once in a while, I’ll get one of these Central Bank of Nigeria emails from Spammy McScam, and this quite wordy one I received today is a real beaut….
(Those sentences in bold are my LOL-alert notations)
ROBERT MUELLER III
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FBI
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION FBI.WASHINGTON D.C
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION SEEKING TO WIRETAP INTERNET
ATTENTION: BENEFICIARY,
We believe this notification meet you in a very good present state of mind and health.The Federal bureau of investigation (FBI) Washington,D.C in conjunction with some other relevant Investigations Agencies here in the United states of America have recently been informed through our Global intelligence monitoring network that you presently have a transaction going on with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as regard to your over-due contract payment which was fully endorsed in your favor accordingly. It might interest you to know that we have taken out time in screening through this project as stipulated on our protoco of operation and have finally confirmed that your contract payment is 100% genuine and hitch free from all facet and of which you have the lawful right to claim
your fund without any further delay. Having said all this, we will further advise that you go ahead in dealing with the Central Bank office accordingly as we will be monitoring all their services with you as well as your correspondence.
In addition, also be informed that we recently had a meeting with the Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, in the person of Mr Sanusi Lamido and Mr. Paul Jones along with some of the top officials of the ministry regarding your case and they made us to understand that your file has been held in a base depending on when you personally come for the claim. They also told us that the only problem they are facing right now is that some unscrupulous element are using this project as an avenue to scam innocent people off their hard earned
money by impersonating the Executive Governor and the Central Bank office. We were also made to understand that a lady with name Mrs. Joan C.Bailey from OHIO has already contacted them and also presented to them all the necessary
documentations evidencing your claim purported to have been signed personally by you prior to the release of your contract fund valued at about US$8,000,000.00 (Eight million united states dollars),and as soon as i have received an immediate response from you do note that we shall begin with the process of the transfer of your funds to
your mailing or address.
We was further informed that we should warn our dear citizens who must have been informed of the contract payment which was awarded to them from the Central Bank of Nigeria, to be very careful prior to this irregularities so that they don’t fall victim to this ugly circumstance.And should in case you are already dealing with anybody or office claiming to be from the Central Bank of Nigeria,you are further advised to STOP further contact with them in your best interest and then contact immediately the real office of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) only
with the below informations accordingly:
NAME:MR.SANUSI LAMIDO
OFFICE ADDRESS: Central Bank of Nigeria,
Central Business District,
Cadastral Zone, Abuja, Federal
Capital Territory, Nigeria.
Email:sanusilamido08@gmail.com
NOTE: In your best interest, any message that doesn’t come from the above email address and phone number should not be replied to and should be disregarded accordingly for security reasons. Meanwhile, we will advise that you contact the Governor of the Central Bank immediately with the above email address and request that they attend to your payment file as directed, so as to enable you receive your contract fund accordingly.
To this effect, you are required to reconfirm and authenticate your given particulars below for certainty and onward processing and release of you funds as we may not be held liable for any wrong payment.
FULL NAMES: __________________________________
CITY: _________________________
STATE: __________________________________
ZIP: ______________
COUNTRY________________________________
SEX: _______________
AGE: __________________
TELEPHONE NUMBER: _____________________
Ensure you follow all their procedure as may be required by them as that will further help hasten up the whole procedures as regard to the transfer of yourfund to you as designated. Also have in mind that the Central Bank of
Nigeria equally have their own protocol of operation as stipulated on their banking terms, so delay could be very dangerous.
Once again, we will advise that you contact them with the above email address and make sure you forward to them all the necessary information which they may require from you prior to the release of your fund to you accordingly. All
modalities has already been worked out even before you were contacted and note that we will be monitoring all your dealings with them as you proceed so you don’t have anything to worry about.
All we require from you henceforth is an update so as to enable us be on track with you and the Central Bank of Nigeria. Without wasting much time,will want you to contact them immediately with the above email address so as to enable them attend to your case accordingly without any further delay as time is already running out. Should in case you need any more informations in regard to this notification, feel free to get back to us on this email so that we can brief you more as we are here to guide you during and after this project has been completely perfected and you have received your contract fund as stated.
Thank you very much for your anticipated co-operation in advance as we earnestly await your urgent response to this matter.
Best Regards,
Robert S. Mueller III
Federal Bureau of Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW Washington, D.C
robmull721@aol.com
What, exactly, would one say in reply if one deemed to reply?
It’s Be-Dark-At-An-Unreasonably-Early-PM-Hour time, folks, already. Remember to turn your clocks back tonight, and enjoy the extra hour of zzzz’s in the AM. Here at the Little Cabin, we plan to kick off DST (as though we actually consider it a reason to celebrate, LOL) with a leisurely morning including a big pancake breakfast.
This is a good time, as well, to change the batteries in all of your home smoke detectors. DST, I mean, not the pancake-fest.
By the way….
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
