What I Learned From Canned Beans

“Here’s the deal,” as my friend Joyce says. “Here’s the deal.” It pays to say yes to a party. It pays to have a few cans of beans on your pantry shelves. It pays to have well trained help.

Anny asked me on Monday to make dinner for us —Roger Anny and I—and a couple friends of hers coming in from Pittsburgh on Friday, and another local friend home from college. I said, “Sure thing, bring them over,” then forgot about the whole thing. So on Friday when she called to say it would be an hour or so before they arrived, I panicked—for a moment.

            Then I went to the pantry and took inventory. Anny is a vegetarian. I had cans of kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, tomatoes. I had peppers, onions, garlic, in my fridge. I began to put together a pretty respectable vegetarian chili.

I used an old tried and true recipe for coffee cake and made one of those too. The chili wasn’t quite done when the company came in the door so I pretended I intended it that way and made them talk to me in my cozy kitchen while I finished the chili.

The coffee cake took forever to bake, but it smelled good as its cinnamon topping browned and it was an event of its own when we took it out of the oven piping hot.

            Dinner was delightful because Anny and Roger are well- trained assistants. We’ve thrown together enough parties that they know the drill. Roger comes in the kitchen and says, “What do you need?” does the required job and then comes back for more.

            Anny knows how I want the table set in the dining room; she puts on the water and the napkins and the salt and pepper. Roger cleans up the kitchen right behind me as I make a mess creating dinner. Then after dinner, the cooperation reverses as we clear the table and fill the dishwasher.

I thoroughly enjoyed the party I’d forgotten about. I also never stressed except for that one moment. When I saw my cans of beans, and heard Roger and Anny offer to help, I just relaxed and enjoyed my company.

Maybe I’ll make all my parties last minute deals. As long as I have good help and canned beans.