Mardi Gras (or anytime) Red Beans and Rice     Warm up a chilly day with a steaming bowl of red beans and rice. 1 pound dried red beans 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 4 cloves garlic, minced 8 ounces smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" slices 1 cup diced ham 1 teaspoon thyme salt and pepper to taste 4 - 5 cups cooked rice to serve Sort through beans, removing any shriveled beans or stones. Soak beans in water to cover for 2 to 3 hours. Drain and rinse beans well. Place beans in an 8-quart stockpot and fill with water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are tender. Add water if beans get too dry---always make sure the beans are covered with water. Add remaining ingredients to beans and cook for an additional hour, until mixture is very tender and flavors have blended. Add hot pepper sauce, if desired, and serve over rice (1/2 cup cooked rice per serving). Notes: Mash the beans slightly with a potato masher if you want a creamier gravy.  If you can't find plain red beans, substitute red kidney beans, pinto beans,  or black beans. Recipe by: Carol Ritchie www.cookinwithcarol.com Read Carol Ritchie's other Archived articles! Click here. Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com