Frijoles de la olla ( Beans In Da Pot)

Oscar de la hoja... is the ONLY way I can remember the name of this Soup! In fact, I had to text my daughter to get the correct spelling! Here's the back story.
Ma.. bless her lil Mexican heart, ( God I miss her!) would not let us girls learn Spanish. We were to speak English only.  ( No Italian either). Being the nosey lil stink that I am was, I would listen when she spoke to the relatives on the phone. I can still hear her now asking her cousin Nikki whats for dinner over there? Now, of course I loved to watch her cook , and I soaked up all that I could. When trying to remember the name of her beans, I could not! BUT... when Dad would watch the fights on TV, this name sounded a great deal like moms beans! :::ingenious right?:::: In yesteryear when I made a pot, Heather would invariably show up. I miss that. I still look out the window...LOL
 Now you all know how I feel about a few things in the kitchen right? one of them being what? Bacon starts! Do not skip this step, or I won't claim the recipe.



• 6 slices of  finely diced bacon
•1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves mince garlic
•Dried beans, 15 bean bag PLUS 1 cup pinto ,rinsed and soaked overnight -- 3 cups total  ( sometimes I will use only pinto. I only do that when I want to specifically make refried beans. For this soup, stick to the mix.

1 especially yummy honey baked ham bone! ( u can sub this out with pork neck bones, ham hocks, or NOTHING at all. Always fabulous, its just my personal favorite with honey baked bone, after a holiday.

• Sea Salt -- 1 to 2 teaspoons

Remove beans from soak and rinse and reserve in colander.
In a 5-7 quart pot, fry bacon and add onion and garlic and saute until translucent, over medium heat.
Stir in the soaked beans and enough fresh water to cover beans by about 1 inch or more. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for  2 hours, or until the beans are cooked through and tender. Add water as needed to keep the beans covered. Remove bones if you used them, pick meat off and return to the pot. Ginger loves a good bone.

Near the end of the cooking time, stir in salt to taste.

Crumble some Mexican cheese over the top before serving if you like.

TIP: Hoping that my kids see this and will not scold me in my senior years for not telling them. Gramas secret ingredient, always in a hidden hand behind her apron, was a sprinkle of sugar. Altho when I use honey baked ham, I omit this due to the honey obviously. But Grama loved those secret ingredients.. so here ya go... I divulged!
TIP #2... We all know that beans are just better on day two right? Well to get that same effect on day one, because we are impatient.. ( I say we like I have a turd in my pocket) Afer beans are completed, remove a cup or more with juice into the blender of food processor. Puree and add back to the pot. Oh Mama if you only knew I have my own tricks!
TIP #3: If you can, get someone  to clean up the horrid mess you just made on your pretty stove top! Gives more time to quilt. Or drink wine.