58 / How to complicate canned black beans in 10 simple steps

Turn off the lights and don't measure anything

You’ll Need:

Instructions:

1. Make sure there’s a baby sound asleep nearby, preventing you from making any noise at all. This recipe works best when it’s dark outside and when your light source will affect the baby sleeping nearby, so you must work under the glow of the streetlight.

2. Put your onion, knife, and cutting board away. This was a bad idea — we’re not using these anymore because chopping sounds are risky. The baby.

3. Delicately place your pot on an appropriately sized burner and turn the heat to medium. The gas flames provide a little more light.

4. Open the beans, drain the bean liquid into the sink, and dump the beans into your pot.

5. Fill the bean can halfway with water and shake the beans loose that are stuck to the sides. Dump the water and loose beans into the pot.

6. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. You can’t see how much you’re shaking out, but these are the moments when secret family recipes are made. 100% of “grandma’s recipes” are vague instructions like “this is when you add a little paprika.”

7. Let the beans gently boil for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Once cooled, place a spoonful in one of the tiny compartments in your son’s lunchbox.

9. Mash them with a fork because he only has three teeth.

10. Enjoy, you’ll never be able to replicate this flavor profile again!

The creative process with a baby

Monday, October 21: 5:14am
This idea came to me while making beans. I emailed myself notes so I wouldn’t forget.

Monday, October 21: 7:52am
I thought about the newsletter while walking to and from daycare drop-off to keep the idea percolating. I typed the instructions as soon as I got home.

Tuesday, October 22: 8:03pm
I illustrated the ingredients after the baby went to sleep.

Wednesday, October 23: 4:28pm
I scanned the illustrations while my son was crawling after the dog. I picked him up and brought him back into the room I was in after each scan.

Wednesday, October 23: 5:01pm
I brought everything into Substack while he was preoccupied for 10 minutes with a piece of paper.

Wednesday, October 23: 7:34pm
Post baby bedtime, fine-tuning and sending off!

Some things I enjoyed this week:

• Grant Snider
  ’s Autumn ABCs. Link ↗

• Stefania Culafic
  ’s mosaic collection. Link ↗