Laurie asked:

Hi Bethany-
I was wondering why you and your husband initially decided to change your diets to include beans several times a week. Thanks.

Well, there are actually a lot of reasons!

One reason was health...we wanted to try to eat a little better.    We had been eating meat for every meal, and well, we were starting to think that it might not be too healthy.
We also started cutting back on caffeine - started buying decaf coffee and stopped drinking cokes altogether.

Another reason was that my husband was raised on beans and cornbread, and he still loves them.  He never gets tired of beans.    I have never had a taste for them, but I can get used to them, I think.  (My mom always fixed us stuff like lasagna, spaghetti, hamburger helper, and fresh veggies from the garden to go with it as side dishes).
James' mom beans taste really good...but I was never taught to make beans, so I had to learn a little about the soaking and cooking of beans from James.    It's so much easier than I thought it would be, so I'm just giving it a try. 

Yet another reason was because we wanted to cut down on our grocery budget a little.  Beans are a much more affordable food. 

One benefit we've already noticed is that we have more energy and also, we have lost some weight.
I have lost about 5 pounds, and James has lost 15 pounds.  That 15 pounds is not only due to the beans, but also to getting rid of the cokes.     

I also have one other benefit which I never expected (note: if you're a guy- or not yet a mommy, you may want to skip this part): Ever since Noah was born, he has had runny stools.  At first, I thought it might be an allergy to milk.  I stopped giving him milk when he was about 1 and a half, and I thought I saw somewhat of a change, but it wasn't much.    He still had really runny stools.   I tried other things, but nothing really seemed to help. I finally just decided he must just be made that way- where when he goes, it's always going to be runny. lol

Well, it's been a few weeks, and I have noticed that he has actually had solid stools in his diaper the last couple of weeks!  It HAS to be associated with our diet change, and including the beans in our diet.  That is something I certainly didn't expect, but I am very happy, because it makes him much easier to clean!  (Sometimes his accidents could require up to 15 wipes! Yikes!)

Anyway, so it'll be a lot of fun trying out new things, and I'll be sure to post when I come up with a good recipe. 

This morning, we made burritos with Northern beans- I just put northern beans in a tortilla with mozarella cheese, microwave it for about 30 seconds to get the cheese good and melted, and then eat with sour cream and hot sauce (I use Tennessee sunshine).  They were really good. Not to mention simple!

Tonight, I am thinking about trying this recipe...I'll let you know how it goes!

Cajun Beans Over Cornbread

Cornbread
8 oz Stewed tomatoes
1 ts Dried minced onion
Tobasco sauce
15 oz Great north. beans; canned
1 ts Chicken bouillon
1/8 ts Garlic powder
1/2 c Cheddar; shredded

Combine undrained beans, undrained tomatoes, and all ingredients except cheese in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 mins.

To serve, split a piece of cornbread in half. Spoon beans over cornbread and sprinkle with cheese.