Beans and Potatos for Dinner

I would like to share with you my favorite early summer recipe.  It is so simple and I love it soooo much.  It is so hard to patient for the first green beans of the season.  But once they're here, Oh man, I have to make this right away.

There are three simple ingredients.  Ok, four if you count butter. 
1. Butter
2. Potatos
3.Green Beans
4. Mustard

I prefer to use a cast iron pan, but I am sure any pan will do.  First melt about three tablespoons butter in the pan.  This works best with lots of butter.  Meanwhile, cut up the potatoes into small pieces.  The smaller the pieces, the faster it cooks.

 Add them to the pan and mix it around to make sure all potatoes are covered in butter.  (note: you can add diced onion here if you want, it is equally delicious)  Cover the pan and let it cook over medium heat.  Now, prep your green beans.  I like to cut them in half.  They are easier to eat with the small potatoes.  After about 5 minutes, add the beans, then cover again.

 About every five minutes, check the potatoes and give the whole pan a stir.  The point is to get it nice and brown on all sides and to cook the potatoes through.  Once the potatoes are cooked all the way through, turn the burner off and get ready to add the final ingredient.

 Mustard!

 I have the great benefit of having a wonderful farmers market where I can get things like the fingerling potatoes and the purple and yellow beans that you see.  I also can get this amazing homemade mustard.  It is a family tradition from the lady I buy it from and it is delicious.  If you do not have a source for good homemade mustard, any good mustard would do, just not yellow mustard.

I slather the beans and potatoes in this mustard.  Use how much you want depending on your taste.  I use 1/4 cup, you may want less.  Just try a bit and give it a taste.

And that's it!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Baking

I have recently done a lot of baking. I have been taking advantage of the cool rainy days to have my oven going. I decided to share two of the recipes since they were very good.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the easiest cookie recipe and it comes out so delicious. Personally I prefer big, soft cookies. If you do too, you should make these.

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375
Using a hand beater or stand mixer cream together first 7 ingredients. Then add in flour and chocolate. Drop by tablespoon onto greased baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes

I use butter straight from the refrigerator, which means that it is cold. I don't know if room temperature butter will make a difference. Also, I like big cookies, but if you want smaller ones, then use a teaspoon to put them on the cookie sheet.

I also have been making A LOT of granola. My husband loves it, but it is so expensive to buy. I found a recipe that I really like. It is a little on the sweet side, but we like it that way. This recipe came out of an Amish cookbook.

Peanut Butter Granola

10 c Oatmeal
2 c wheat germ
1 1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c oil
1/2 c honey
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c peanut butter
nuts and raisins

Heat oil, honey and peanut butter until melted. Meanwhile mix all other ingredients (except raisins, add these at the very end) Mix all ingredients together until well coated. Pour into cookie sheets and toast in 300 degree oven until golden brown. Be sure to stir often so id doesn't burn. Let cool. Add raisins if wanted.

As much as we LOVE this recipe, I know eventually we may get tired of it. If you have a recipe of your own that you like I would love for you to share.