Food Glorious Food

The main attraction Tuesday night was Nancy Pickard, but my mother's recipe for the Bean Bake might have come in a close second.

For those who asked for the recipe, here it is:

8 slices bacon

4 large onions, sliced & ringed

1 C. brown sugar

1/2 t. garlic powder

1 t. salt

1/2 C. vinegar

1 t. dry mustard

1 can baby lima beans

1 can butter beans

1 can green beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can baked beans

Fry bacon & set aside. Put onion rings, brown sugar, vinegar, & seasonings in (large) pan with bacon grease. Cover & cook 20 minutes.

Drain liquid from butter, lima, green, & kidney beans. Combine with baked beans & onion in a large casserole dish. Cook in a 350 degree oven for an hour or until heated through. Sprinkle bacon over the top & serve.

This makes a large amount--I tripled the recipe for Tuesday night. My usual MO for it is to combine all the ingredients & heat in a crockpot for several hours. That way I can do the prep work the day before & heat it the day I'm serving it.

Dinner with Nancy

Can there be a more gracious author than Nancy Pickard? I really don't think so--and I suspect there are another 50-some people who agree with me.

The icing on the cake for Tuesday night's gathering was Nancy's presentation over The Virgin of Small Plains, the 2009 Kansas Reads pick. Yes, the food was good, but Nancy was definitely the draw for the nearly 60 persons who packed our meeting room. Nearly all in attendance had previously read the book and no doubt some wanted to see just what the woman who came up with that story looked and sounded like! (I still don't understand those who find the book "grisly" or"graphic", which no doubt says more about me than it does them). I'm sure that even if Nancy didn't live up to their mental image (she does rather look like a writer of gentle, refined fiction--not that her books aren't refined!), they went away as fans.

As one who has been reading Nancy's books since Generous Death--and I've never forgotten how Jenny Cain stopped the bad guy!--I'm thrilled to have served with her on the Kansas Reads committee and have her in my email address book. For those who still haven't been introduced to her writing, do it now! Although you may have to wait until her books come back in.

Kansas Reads "The Virgin of Small Plains"

The Pittsburg Public Library kicked off its observance of “Kansas Reads The Virgin of Small Plains” on Monday, February 2nd. Nearly thirty attendees enjoyed a lunch of either vegetable beef or Mexican bean soups (or both!) before hearing from Kaite Stover, Head of Reader’s Services at KCPL, about the importance of reading Nancy Pickard’s award-winning book. Thanks to the extreme generosity of the local Friends group, complimentary copies of The Virgin of Small Plains are available to 125 lucky readers. Well, that number is much lower now, since those in attendance quickly snatched up their own copy after hearing Kaite talk up the book. Hopefully those copies will be passed around to friends and family.

And they’ll want to be prepared for our next event, Nancy Pickard’s visit on the 17th. A picnic supper—to pay homage to the Memorial Day events in VOSP—will be served before Nancy takes center stage. Those who have heard Nancy speak before at our library are eager to see her again and are promising to bring their friends. Let’s hope Nancy will be ready for their many questions.