Beans.

Grandma Brown’s Baked Beans were a staple of my childhood. Originally conceived by Lulu Brown in the first half of the 20th century, the plant that made her recipe was about 10 miles from my hometown. The plant endured until the pandemic, then it “temporarily” shut down. It hasn’t opened back up; the family of the late Lulu have said they can’t find workers in the area. Grandma Country and my Aunt Lucy both used Grandma Brown’s Baked Beans in their baked beans. My husband doesn’t really care for the consistency of the Grandma Brown recipe, but it reminds me of where I grew up and I’ve always enjoyed them, especially when topped with bacon and with a bit of molasses mixed in. I found a copycat recipe of the famous beans and had a go at it. They came out really well and Earl actually enjoyed them. He said my attempt tasted the same but didn’t quite have the paste-like consistency of the original, but they came close. I was really pleased with the way the beans came out and I look…