…eat dried beans.

I have three giganto bags of assorted dried legumes in my cupboard. You see, I buy dried beans like I buy basil plants: with crazy motivation at the time of purchase but little follow up. If I’m feeling particularly organized, I might get the beans into some water to soak over night in the fridge. And I promptly forget that I’ve done this and two months passes. Or worse, six. Then, one horrible day, I discover an unassuming Ziploc container in the back of the fridge. A container that was pushed around during various fridge cleanings, probably even pulled out a couple of times in the beginning, sniffed at, and popped back in. A container that eventually, forgotten, started migrating to the back of the fridge to hang out with the 300 year old baking soda and the Worcestershire sauce. And I think to myself, “huh, when was the last time we had leftovers of anything that A. didn’t take to work?” Thirty seconds later, I curse Past Ezmy as I begin to peel fuzzy green sweater from yet another destroyed Ziploc container.

The thing is, dried beans are so very cheap. And, as an added health bonus, dried beans have not been sitting in a tin can soaking up salt as well as the contents of said tin can. But most importantly, they are cheap. So a couple of days ago, I popped a bunch of white navy beans in a clear Pyrex container (learning!), added some water, and placed them in the front of the fridge. They are on the stove cooking as we speak. And a new crop of kidney beans is in the fridge, patiently waiting to be turned into chili. Holy organization batman!

Tonight’s dinner will be a Potato and White Bean pie with a side of beets and greens. Stay tuned for a recipe post…