My Mother's PA Dutch Style Baked Lima Beans

Mom's PA Dutch Style Baked Limas

My mother came from Pennsylvania Dutch roots.  Her idea of baked beans had always been baked limas or otherwise known as baked butter beans.

Our Uncle Clarence who was married to my dad's oldest sister Marge hailed from New England and he always said that my mother made the best baked beans! 

Whenever I take them to a gathering I always receive compliments and just the other day someone asked me for the recipe. So here it is:

• High in dietary fiber
• Kosher (non-Passover) certified
• 26 (1/2 c.) servings per can

Many cooks prefer to use dried beans that have to be soaked overnight. I choose Furmano's in a can and for a picnic I use the restaurant size, the average cost is less than $5.00 for a *26 serving can.


Drain the butter beans add to aluminum pan or pan of your choice.  Cut up and on medium heat saute 1/2 lb of bacon in a fry pan, remove add to beans, then to the bacon grease add 1 medium chopped Vidalia onion, reduce heat saute until onion is transparent. Scrape all contents of pan onions and grease into the beans.  Add 1 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of molasses, 1 small can of tomato sauce, 1 cup of ketchup, 1 heaping tablespoon of mustard, 1 tablespoon of onion powder, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder. Stir ingredients through.  Bake for about an hour until thickened stirring occasionally.  My mother always added a few strips of bacon toward the end as garnish to the top.



*You can obviously double this recipe for large picnics.  Everyone loves these beans!

Tomato Soup Cake So Easy A Third Grader Can Make It...

Yesterday I taught my 7 year old granddaughter how to bake a delicious cake using tomato soup. This is a recipe I got from my mother Ruth M. Dunwell.

Tomato Soup Cake
350 degrees 40-45 minutes

Beat together sugar,cinnamon, eggs, oil,tomato soup -gradually add the combined ingredients of flour, baking powder,baking soda, beat on high scraping bowl. Turn into greased & floured cake pan(s). We used a Bundt pan.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/3 cups dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 -10 ounce can tomato soup
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Let Go, Let GOD

Let Go, Let GOD

My mother forgave everyone. She was the most pure form of unconditional love I had seen on this earth. 

If Jesus, the son of GOD could forgive us our sins and die a horrible death because of them, then why should it be so hard to forgive each other?

Each person is walking their own path and many are struggling with depression, mental illness, or a form of addiction. Is it for us to judge them for their mistakes or illness? No it is not! Jesus has told us to love even our enemies, and to take care of the least of these. 

Not one of us is privy to what is in store for us in the future. I have seen people who had been extremely wealthy and highly educated come into the Welfare Office when I worked there asking for help because of an unexpected illness, accident, or loss of employment.

Debbie Reynolds the famous actress was on top of the world with fame and money and had lost her fortune through wrong decisions and an unscrupulous manager. She actually ended up homeless living out of her car at one point. 

Never think that you are better than someone who is financially less fortunate, and never mistake wealth for happiness. The most peaceful soul is one who can let go and let God handle everything. That person loves everyone and never judges another. The wealth they have is in the life they lead filled with the unconditional love of Jesus.