F0llowing The Course of Hospitality...

It was 1974, and the doorbell rang unexpectedly, late one Autumn afternoon, just about an hour before dark.  My mother Helen, looked up from her McCall's magazine in surprise. “See who it is honey.” She called, reaching for her Revlon "Love that Red" lipstick and the small mirror she kept hidden in an empty tissue box, at the side of her reclining chair. 

I stood up on tip toes and looked through the peep hole: “It’s Earl, Mom. Earl Beebee!” I cried with excitement.

Earl Beebee was about 70, an older bachelor friend of our family, who showed up unannounced on our front porch every three months or so...for twenty-five years.  He was the head of the local chamber of commerce and was a kind but lonely man who lived nearby and took care of his 95 year old mother.

No matter what we were doing individually the moment Earl arrived we drew together as a family, each with our unwritten assignment.  

After she quickly preened in the mirror, I would watch my Mom painfully pull herself onto her crutches and make her way to the front door. She always opened the door with a beautiful smile of greeting on her face, she welcomed him as if we had not seen him for a hundred years.  

He would plop his big gray fedora hat on top of my head as I giggled and threw my arms around his tweed sports coat, feeling the rough texture against my cheek and breathing in the clean smells of soap and Old Spice cologne.

My teenage brother Gary would be called to come out of his room and with the sudden scratch of a record needle the constant background drone of Led Zeppelin stopped cold. We would call to Dad working in the garage and he would drop what he was doing and come running in.  Gary and I would get the coffee set to percolate on the stove and piled cookies high on the prettiest plate.

Gary and I served the adults and once Dad and Earl fell into a deep conversation about sports, boxing, airplanes or some such thing, Gary would quietly back away into his room and Mom would get up and motion for me to come into the kitchen and we would 

start preparing dinner together.

Earl’s favorite food was my mother’s baked beans. Mom always kept the ingredients in the back of the cupboard, ready for whenever he showed up. It was my job to crawl into the low cupboard and hand out to her the heavy cans of pork and beans.

Within an hour the house became filled with the sweet, smoky, smell of bubbling brown sugar beans. Earl’s old blue eyes would glisten with joy and he would say “Now Helen you didn’t go to any trouble just for me did you?”

Mom would open her mouth in mock surprise. “Why Earl, I don't know how you do it, but you always seem to know just when I am making my beans. I think you must smell them when you are driving up the road!” Dinner was special that night.  Not because we had anything big, fancy or unusual, it was the company and the ability to show hospitality that made the evening bright and brought the best out in each of us.

Watching my dear little mother, I learned that sincere hospitality involves more than an outward show of politeness. Like so many things, hospitality is only valuable when it stems from a gracious heart.

Time moves on, and each new generation of young women, wives and mothers bring with them, new traditions and their own unique and special “flair”. The styles and recipes may change, but, the need for graciousness remains the same.  

Too many times these days women sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that everything has to be perfect.  If it doesn't look like an influencer's table, it isn't good enough. Or, entertaining becomes an expensive way to express their own creativity and has little to do with love or the needs of the guests.  

To Earl, the simple gesture of those baked beans meant to him: love and the recognition of his honorable place in our family. When I think about the rewards that come from striving to be a gracious woman, all I have to do is remember my mother’s smile and the look in old Earl’s eyes.

Helen's Baked Beans

1 large can of Van de Kamp pork and beans

1/2 c. ketchup

6 - 7 Tbsp. dark brown sugar

1 large onion finely chopped

4 - 6 slices bacon

Preheat oven 325 degrees.

Pour pork and beans into a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Add ketchup, brown sugar, and onion mix together well. Layer raw bacon over the top of the bean mixture.

*Now here is my Mama's secret...

Cook beans at 325 F for about 2  hours maybe less or maybe more. They need to cook very slowly and are not done until bacon is brown and crisping on the edges and the beans are bubbly. 

Let the beans set for another 2 hours before serving. As the beans set the brown sugar will help them to "candy" and become nice and thick. You can heat them up briefly in the microwave before serving. If you have time to make them the night before that is even better! 

Be sure and refrigerate them though after they cool down, don't forget and leave them sitting on the stove overnight like I have done a million times. :)

They are a delicious side item with ham, turkey, BBQ, fried chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs. They are especially good when served with homemade potato salad!

Have a happy Friday evening!

With Love,

Delisa