Howdy Darlene and welcome!

I lived in Alaska for many years- where in Canada are you from?

I also have a pair of kitties!

We're fine bunch of folks here at Spice Place- we're glad you stopped-by and look forward to having you become part of the family!

Thanks,since you live in Alaska,you'd know where The province of British Columbia is.
I live on Vancouver Island.

Darlene

On my low sodium diet dried is about the only beans I can have. We can share any ideas about them or Mama can jump in and tell us how to do it.

Oh wow- Darlene! Tea at the Empress!

My mother was from Canada, she became a citizen of the US when I was a teenager! So nice to hear you're doing Christmas gifts by hand! Truly almost a lost art (crochet) and so beautiful when you finish a blanket or whatever!

Now about dried beans...so simple really...just place the entire contents of a bag of your choice beans in a colander wash and sift thru to find any rocks or clumps of dirt, after cleaning place into a large pot or a dutch oven and cover with water adding enough water to cover the amount of beans you have 3 times. Place onto stove top on high and bring to a boil, let boil 1 minute only; then cover and let soak for an hour (longer if you like) and then drain after they have soaked and swollen up completely. At this time add fresh water to the pot of beans and make sure it covers them 2 times at least and season your beans (I add garlic powder, onion, chicken bouillon, and celery, bell pepper if you like it, sometimes I even use finely chopped carott and some Season salt, taste for amount to use because the chicken bouillon is salty also) Bring to a boil and then lower heat and cook at a low boil until the beans are soft and done thru & thru (usually an hour or so). You may desire to add a few slices of raw bacon or bacon drippings or a few ham chunks or a ham bone or smoked sausage chunks to your beans when they come to a boil. It makes a nice flavor with smoked pork added!

Cheers, CCCathy