Frijoles Negros - Cuban Black Bean

Frijoles(Freeholes) Negros (Negross) (Cuban Black Beans)

Mr. Deepend's Family Recipe (Dad's Beans)

My mother in law was a great cook, she could make any potaje (bean dish) that you would want to eat for days. Before she passed my husband and his siblings learned how to make all of her signature Cuban dishes. These are called Abuela's Beans, my kids have renamed them Dad's Beans because he makes the dish just like is mother did, with lots of love, and memories of her. Whenever these are made in my house there is not a missing person, everyone no matter what is happening in their corner of the world, comes home for dinner. I let one of the kids know and it triggers a chain reaction they will call each other and annouce "Dad's making beans", this in my house can only mean one thing Cuban Black Beans.

Ingredients:

1 med onion finely chopped
1 med green pepper finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
½ cup of olive oil 1/4 for the boiling and 1/4 added in stock pot
3 bay leaves
½ tsp of salt
2 Tbsp of Complete Seasoning
½ Tbsp of Ground Cumin
1/3 cup of Vino Seco (Dry White or Golden Cooking Wine)
1 pkg (14oz) of Black Beans
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp of sugar
1 small can of Tomato Sauce
½ Tbsp of Tomato Paste
3 qt of water

Clean the beans in a strainer, taking out the broken beans any rocks etc.

Place clean beans and water into the crockpot, with ¼ cup of olive oil, the bay leaves and salt.




Turn on high for four-six hours until the beans are soft. This can be done in a pressure cooker also, but I don’t like them and don’t really use one. But if you have one and can use it the process is faster with the same results. After the beans are soft place them and all the water in a stock pot. Be careful not to get any water on your clothes it will stain them and getting it out is almost impossible (this tidbit might be great for any fiber dyers out there to try)

Chop the onion, green pepper and garlic and add to the pot. (we mince because the kids don't like chunks of "stuff" in their food.

Add the rest of the ingredients into the pot and give it all a good stir.

Put the heat on to med high and let is slow boil for about 55- 60 mins until the water has thickened. Serve over white rice with a nice pan fried pork chop and some fried plantains, now that is a typical Cuban meal from the homeland.

Thoughtful Thursday

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness you are more blessed than the millions who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation you are ahead of 500 million people in the world

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are more blessed than 3 billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead, and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

May the Lord ease your worries, your troubles and heartache, for only through Him are we truly blessed.

Picture is of Michael Gaffney's House, in Gaffney S.C.

Completed, Hemed and Ironed Out

It's finished!! Done!! Yes (with fist gesture and all) This is Hermia five months of knitting with fingering weight and 3.5mm needles, lace pattern and top down. I'm so happy it's finished. I washed and dried it, then I killed the acrylic yarn in it with a steam iron. That helped with the picot edge which was turning on itself, but after a good steam it laid flat as a board. I love the pattern and the feel of this yarn, I bought the yarn a year ago on Ebay at an estate auction the name is Fantina and it came from Belgium circa 1975 85% acrylic 15% nylon, 2 ply, very fine and soft I used 1050 yds and have 550 left over for something else. For being lightweight it was warm as I was doing my photo shoot, I guess in 85 degree heat a sweater even a light one is going to be warm. I'm hoping we'll get a temp cool down for Thanksgiving because this is what I'll be wearing, sans shorts of course, but it did look cute with the walking shorts.. I'll keep that option open.

God I need to loose weight ;) yet another goal that will not be accomplished during the holidays, at least I'm a realist, no pressure for the next two months.

The ladies from my knit group were really impressed with the crew sock rug, and wanted me to explain just how the weaving works. They asked if I could bring my loom with me to the coffee shop, well a 32" RH loom is really not the most portable thing to carry around never mind trying to set it up at a coffee shop, not happening. So I told them about my inkle and kid loom which are portable and are basic looms to get the weaving concept across to them. I could so see a small weaving shop for people to get excited and start weaving. ::dreams that this might one day be true::

The inkle has been in various stages of un-finish for over a year. I've been working on this very painfully slow, but I was playing with Mary Atwater's How to Weave on the Inkle Loom with no goal other than to get the sequence correct. I'm going to try to finish it off at knit nite and maybe use it for straps on a tote bag, especially since Delighted Hands had a great tutorial on her plastic bag totes.

This is a Brio Kids loom, this thing is not really a loom, but a toy. I warped it and tied it up because it's small and it really is a basic tabby weave visual for them to get the weaving, I wish I could get the plastic heddle thing to not wiggle around it's just a pain to maneuver. But for explanatory purposes it will have to do.

Baby Alpaca Yarn

This is the final purchase of yarn for me this year ::sigh:: the yarn was on clearance for only $ 3.99 a hank, I couldn't resist and have the perfect lightweight cardigan pattern for it. I promised Mr. Deepend that I would not buy anymore yarn until I put a dent in the current stash, I have promised this before and failed with panache, but this time it has to be a commitment. Mr. Deepend's company is reducing salaries yet again, but keeping the employees and still paying for health insurance, which in a way is a double edged sword. You are thankful for not standing at unemployment and having health care, but also trying to figure out how to be able to pay for all the things you have without going broke or dipping into the savings every month to compensate.

I've been carrying it around with me to work and back(in my knitting bag I knit at lunch time) so I can touch it, I just can't believe this fiber is so so soft and lovely. I can't wait til I start the new cardi, as I have finished my Hermia sweater that I wanted to wear for Thanksgiving, and I can! I'm so excited that I completed it, well it needs hemming, washing, iron (I want to kill the acrylic) and button, but really it's finished ;0)

I hope everyone has a great weekend, don't eat too much candy!!

Thoughtful Thursday

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-6

Pictures taken at Henscratch Farm Vineyard and Winery, Lake Placid Florida