Awhile ago I heard a story on WAMC about the leakage of Bisphenol A (BPA)from the plastic liner on the inside of canned goods. It turns out that another food we thought was perfectly safe for our consumption really contains a toxic chemical that the Center For Disease Control states has reproductive and developmental effects when exposure is high(www.cdc.gov). The Environmental Working Group's testing found that canned pasta's and soups contained the highest levels of BPA. However, all canned foods were found to have BPA leaching from the plastic liner to the food itself (www.ewg.org/bisphenol-a-info).
After hearing this distressing information I set out to reduce the amount of canned goods my family was eating. The biggest thing we regularly ate from a can was baked beans and I had been wanting to try my hand at making them from scratch. I got out my trusty crock pot cookbook and looked up a recipe I had looked at longingly for years. I have made them a number of times now and the family is hooked...no more Bush's for us. This recipe is so simple and the ingredients are most likely already in your possession, except maybe the bag of dried beans. I have gotten into the habit of making large batches of these and freezing the leftovers for another quicker meal. Put the beans in the water to soak before you got to sleep and in the morning throw all of the ingredients into the crock pot and let them cook all day.

1 lb or 2 1/2 cups dried navy beans (I have used lots of different kinds but overall the smaller the bean the yummier they are)

2 onions, peeled, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp ground cloves (optional)
1/3 cup tomato ketchup or tomato paste
2 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Dash of smoke flavor (optional)

salt and ground black pepper to taste after cooking

Rinse beans and cover them with cold water and leave to soak for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse beans. Place them in a large pan, cover with plenty of cold water and bring to a boil. Boil gently for about 10 minutes, then drain pour them into the crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and stir to combine. Turn the crock pot on high and let cook for 8-10 hours removing cover during the last 2 hours of cooking to thicken.

We first discovered this recipe in a Fine Cooking magazine labeled "Buttermilk Spiced Cake", however I feel that is misleading. I almost didn't try this recipe because I didn't notice there was butternut squash in it until my husband read it through. We were both surprised and had to try making it immediately. Well, it is simply great and many who have tried it think that it would make a great addition to a brunch menu. The original recipe had 1/2 cup of oil that I have since replaced with applesauce and the cake was still fabulous. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups flour
1/2 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups peeled, grated butternut squash

Icing:
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 1/2 tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 10 cup bundt pan.

Beat butter and sugar until well combined. Add applesauce and beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time on low speed. Add vinegar and vanilla and mix again. Add baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and half of the flour. Mix on low speed until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk. Stir in the squash and transfer into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool for 30 minutes. Invert cake onto cooling rack or plate and cool completely. Mix together icing ingredients and drizzle over cake. Let icing set at room temperature for about 45 minutes. ENJOY!