Hearty Bean Soup & Sweet Cornbread Muffins

This is a healthy and filling soup.  A friend of mine gave me the recipe.  I loved it.  It is so versatile, I change it once in a while to suit my tastes (you are welcome to do the same), but this is by far my favorite version.  Best news is you can put it in the crock-pot and let it cook while you are at work.  Who doesn't like coming home to a meal already prepared?  

Missing black beans in the photo

      Ingredients

• 2 cups of mixed beans (your choice of beans to total 2 cups--I like kidney, black-eye-pea, navy, red, and black), SOAK overnight prior to making soup.
• 8 cups water
• 4 chicken or beef bouillon cubes (I prefer chicken)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 whole hot peppers *optional but I love them!
• sprinkle of spices such as turmeric, garlic, and paprika 
• splash of red wine vinegar *optional
• 3 celery stalks finely chopped
• 4 carrots peeled and chopped
• potatoes (I don't measure--I just put how many I think I want) chopped with or without skin

1. You can do this all at one time if you will be absent throughout the day, but I break it up into two parts.
2. I put the soaked, drained beans, water, bouillon cubes, bay leaves, peppers, and seasoning in the crock-pot, and heat on high.   I usually start this in the morning around eight or nine o'clock.
3. At noon I add the rest of the ingredients to the crock-pot.
4. By evening, the meal is ready.  Serve with sweet cornbread muffins (recipe below).  Enjoy!



My children love helping!

Sweet Cornbread Muffins
I love serving cornbread with soups, stews, and gumbo.  Or how about any time I serve biscuits, cornbread follows?  :)  The only thing is...I'm not a fan of dry, plain cornbread.  I like mine sweet!  If you like yours sweet too, try this with your next meal.
      Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup butter-flavored shortening, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375.  
2. Spray or grease muffin tin.
3. Mix dry ingredients.
4. Stir in wet ingredients but do NOT over mix.
5. Spoon into muffin tins 1/2-3/4 full.
6. Bake 15 minutes or until golden-brown on top.
7. Enjoy!