Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit...

I love me some pinto beans. And I can make a mean pot of them (recipe here). But when there's a special occasion, I like to change them up a little bit. So when I saw the Pioneer Woman cookin' up these Cowboy Beans, I knew I had to give them a try. They're like the best of pintos and the best of baked beans all in one pot.

Ree's recipe makes a HUGE batch, so I cut it half.

To make this yummy goodness, you'll need:

• 2 cups dry pinto beans
• half a pound of thick cut bacon, cut into pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• half an onion, chopped
• 1/2 brown sugar
• 1/8 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder, optional
• 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Now I ask you, with ingredients like that, how could this be bad?

(I know, Kav, we lost you at bacon. Sorry, girl.)

Rinse the beans under cold water and set aside.

In a heavy pot, saute the bacon pieces until halfway cooked and the fat is rendered. That just sounds wrong, doesn't it? But instead of sauteing the veggies in butter, we're gonna use the good stuff. 

Add the bell peppers and onion to the pot and cook until they start to brown.

Mine aren't quite there yet.

Add the beans and cover with water by one inch. Bring to a boil, then add the brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, chili powder, salt, pepper and garlic.

Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until beans are tender and the liquid is thick (3-4 hours).

Oh...let me tell you, the flavor infused in these babies is Y.U.M.M.Y. The perfect accompaniment to barbecued brisket or just about any slab of meat you want to throw on the grill. 

Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the finished product. Remember that birthday party I threw myself? 

Yeah, they were for that. 

However I do have something else to share with you. You know, it's not very often someone has a fire truck pull up in front of their house. At least, I hope not. 

So imagine my surprise when I peered out my office window yesterday as the big red truck came to stop in front of our house. Not to mention the two nice-looking firemen that emerged from said truck, but we won't go there. 

No matter how old I get, this is one of those things that I think is kind of awesome. 

I only wish I'd hit record sooner.