Happy news — our resident opossum, after sub-freezing weather, came by last night to feed. He/She also went to neighbors or a big meal of fruits and veggies.

What a bizarre thread. 😂 Have no idea what you're talking about. Beans and possums?

I rarely remember to soak dried beans overnight. I've had no problems just rinsing them and doing them in the instapot. Sometimes I soak them for a couple of hours, that doesn't hurt either. Then rinse and cook. The instapot is a wonder for making great beans!

Good grief.

So sorry that you'er not feeling well, petalique. I hope you're not alone. Can someone come and help you out? Great news about the opossum!

Last night I too was exhausted and my back hurt. I defrosted the fridge in the garage and did a lot of housework. I was planning on making minestrone but decided to do potato leek soup instead. I had leeks and potatoes to use up. Way less work. Delicious.

I often make super simple bean soups in the instapot. Beans, bay leaf, bouillon or boxed chicken broth, chunked up carrot and onion, slab of meat, usually ham or real or fake Italian sausages. A little garlic for health. After the beans are cooked, I add anything else that needs using up, Or not. This soup is very simple, few steps, and good for what ails you. Someday I may resort to buying the "soup vegetable" packages from the frozen foods aisle. I've decided to splurge and buy the good breads in my old age. I stock up if they go on sale and store in aforementioned freezer.

Worse comes to worse, Campbell's cream of tomato and a grilled cheese or bagel with cream cheese. Also a mood lifter for me. I splurged and got the soft cream cheese with the chives. Easier to spread.

gently(((((Petalique)))))

You don't have to soak the beans, ever, but rinse and sort them. Use the instructions on the screen to pressure cook them. Since they're going in the soup, just use beans and water so your pain and mood won't add mistakes. Go for less squishy, again, since they're going in soup. If they're too firm after cooking, let them soak a little in warm water while you're making the soup, or add them in earlier than usual, Take a breath and 30 seconds in happy place thoughts. Minestrone is wonderful and will be worth it when you're done.

Or just open that can. No need to pile stress onto yourself for the sake of a few beans. Later, on a better day, you can cook up a load of dry beans and freeze them in portions for future rough days.

P.S. I always make minestrone with canned beans.

Yay for learning about instant pot beans and yay for possums. Critters can make one less crabby. So can a good meal of beans.

petalique, it will be wonderful and you’ve prompted me to make minestrone.👍🏻

Thanks, folks!

i made a quick-ish lunch of beef w broccoli. then i eyey the small can of cannelloni, and the other ingredients.

I just put 1 C of dried beans and some spring water into the intant pot and set for 15 mins.. I appreciate your well grounded suggestions. I usually have my brain with me, but sometimes, it goes on vacation.

I’ve had daily pain for over thirtry years and can usually just force/propel my way through. Sometimes, for a while, it gets wins out for a while. So, I am sorry to impose, but grateful for the understanding and cooking tips.

I’ve been cooking since I was about 5 years old, but this morning woke after a bad dream and a few hills of grief after the deaths of several friends and neighbors.

My DH tried making his first Beef with Broccoli last night. I made a bit for a late lunch.

I’ll make the minestrone tonight or tomorrow. I usually no longer use a recipe for more than a guide.

This morning I woke up late and was feeling (again) so exhausted that I thought today that I could die. At 10 am my BP was very scary high.

When I saw that the opossum had come to get his blue plat special and then learned that he/she had also been to our neighbor’s after the 9 deg F temps. It was a happy moment.

In New England it is dark now by 5:30 PM which is better than dark at 4 PM.

70-90 minutes for dry beans in a pressure cooker.

@petalique, hope you’re feeling better. Time to see a doctor?

So sorry to learn of your suffering, petalique.

I also just use canned beans when they are just a small part of a soup/stew.

Hope your minestrone is everything you hope for 🙂

I hope you feel better. I've never made homemade minetrone soup before.

So sorry you are feeling unwell. Pain is nothing to scoff at. My sister ended up in hospital suicidal with severe depression from pain and I had to tell the doctors that her pain wasn't being managed as she couldn't connect the two. They worked very hard on that with her. Her pain is now managed but it was a long long struggle. I hope you find your answers for pain relief even if only for short periods of time.

I know that I spiral very quickly when I have a few days of migraines and the pain won't be relieved by medication. Pain rules you sometimes.

I cook as much as possible myself as well and find it very helpful to have a focus. Hope the soup turns out wonderfully no matter which recipe.

Minestrone is one of the easiest things to make from scratch, kathsgrdn. I often make it when I want something low effort. If I see a bit of old cabbage and a couple of rashers of bacon lurking in the fridge, minestrone is the answer. Chuck in a can of beans, a can of tomatoes and any other odd bits and pieces and voilà. This was the night before leaving to go on holiday and I was clearing the fridge.

Good idea Floral. It looks way better than the watery stuff one gets from a can/tin of Heinz minestrone soup. As I do have some aging rashers of bacon at the back of the fridge, cans of toms and beans and a wilting cabbage left over from our weekly veggie box this could be a cheap meal today, although I think the white table cloth might be a step too far for my mucky family. And DH provides a welcome supply of homemade bread.

Petalique, I hope you're doing some better. I find myself often cranky--and mostly over the news of the world. Meditation helps some.

lacey, you may be cranky, but I am petrified at the imminent destruction of our democracy and society!!!

Petalique, just open a can of beans and give yourself a break. You sound very stressed.

Petalique, I hope you accomplished your soup. I hope too you used your canned beans. But your post reminded me I have a recipe we've enjoyed that is browned pork, cumin, garlic, onion, chicken or vegetable broth and dried pinto beans that I've done in my electric pressure cooker. I haven't made it in ages, don't know why. It's not chili, not minestrone either...

But while my electric pressure cooker isn't an instant pot, I think it would have taken more like 25-35 minutes for dry beans. Still magical compared to soaking and simmering for hours.

I understand how some days can just pile up the stress and its OK to take shortcuts without beating yourself up over them. One I turn to is jasmine rice in 'O' brand kept in the freezer. Microwave in bag 3 1/2 minutes and I have a side dish of perfectly acceptable rice with a little butter and soy.

Last year was our year for losing friends somehow and I certainly want this new one to be better - for us and for you.

I understand the wildlife too. We have deer daily that have become like neighbors. Different personalities and habits that make them recognizable. One of our human neighbors names them! And they will come to him when he calls them. But we have one red Douglas squirrel who makes an occasional appearance and its always such fun to see him - see him active and looking well.

Please be more well yourself today and don't ask more of yourself than you can do. Let us know about the soup....

I hate to quibble but Petalique said she put a cup of beans and spring water in her Instant Pot a ways up topic. Unless they failed (doubtful) the can is moot.

Morz that's how long beans take in my Instapot, 35 min. cooking. Then a few minutes of cool down before opening.