Living With Intention -Healthier

Living with intention changes many of my food/meal choices now. When I grocery shop I am reading labels, looking for calorie content, sodium etc. It takes a little longer to go up and down each aisle. It takes time to return home with bags of food and then spend several hours prepping, chopping and cooking items in order to have the best food choices available.
While looking at cans of refried beans I was a little shocked to see the sodium content. I guess that makes it tasty so we will continue to buy their product. So, I decided to buy pinto beans in bulk and look for a recipe online and make my own. I used to make them in the 80's when I lived on the Covert Bailey Fit or Fat diet. I had an idea that there might be a crockpot recipe that would cook them while I'm at work. I tried the following recipe but I didn't have a jalapeno on hand ... they were tasty anyway. The next time I make them, I think I will eliminate the salt all together.
Beans are inexpensive and a good source of protein. They are easy to make and freeze well. Give them a try. It's one small step to a healthier ... and richer YOU!

• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 5 teaspoons salt
• 1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
• 9 cups water

Directions

1. Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.
2. Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

Amount Per Serving Calories: 139 | Total Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 0mg