Red Beans - for Red Beans & Rice   - Mrs Fowler's recipe 

  This recepie specifies only general quantities, 
I use more of everything than did Mom.  
If you have prepared beans before, you understand that you must soak them--I
use the boil 2 min. then stand 1 hr. and drain method. 

     Put beans in lg pot with ham bone, ham hocks, bacon and/ or saussage.  
Lately I just use my favorite saussage--it adds to the spice that way.  
Also add the following to your taste: 
chopped onion, 
green bell pepper (I think this is a must), 
garlic(fresh or powdered),
bay leaf,.   and 
pepper.  
I just use black pepper, and 
then add pepper sause as needed for personal taste later. 

When the beans are soft, remove ham hocks if you've used them, 
remove the fat and bone and return meat to pot.    
    You can really add what you want before this point.  
Mom varied the ingredients trying to decide what gave Dad indigestion--she 
never learned that 'food' gave Dad indigestion.  Mom's "trick" follows.  
At this point take a slotted spoon and smash some of the beans against 
the side of the pot to create a creamy sauce, then add catsup
and prepared mustard till it tastes  right.  

I find it needs more mustard to be right than you might think.  
My personal trick is to add some vinegar during the end  cooking
stage somewhere. Don't do this if you plan to use a lot of hot sauce 
later as it too contains vinegar.  
Then salt to taste.  That's it. Enjoy.   
Fondly, Susan 

Dear Gerry; 
    I left out an ingredient in my recipie--
brown sugar is added at the end along with the catsup and mustard.   
How much sugar is definately a matter of taste, but the
mustard and brown sugar have the same effect as on baked ham.   
Good luck,  Susan