I was looking for some inspiration for a new bean soup recipe. A quick search of Amazon.com turned up the newest book about beans…so I ordered it. The first thing I noticed was the name of the author. Really? How in the world does someone get a name like Crescent Dragonwagon? Well, that’s her name, so I guess it’s her business…that’s what I was thinking. Later I found the story behind her name, which makes me love the author even more!

On to the book. It’s almost impossible to put down! If you have ever had the slightest interest in beans…eating them, identifying them, hearing stories about them, growing them….and who hasn’t wondered why some beans cause more flatulence than others? Honestly, every question you might have about beans is answered in Bean by Bean. This is a world tour of beans!

The reason I wanted bean ideas is that I have been invited to be a guest blogger for Bob’s Red Mill later this year. Just being asked to be a guest blogger is a huge thrill for me, as my own site is still less than a year old. The invitation stated that I could choose among the Bob’s Red Mill products, so I picked the 13 Bean Soup Mix and also decided to try their Bean Soup Seasoning. The invitation encourages creativity (yay!)…so I decided to get some inspiration by ordering Bean by Bean. Plus, I’m always looking for an excuse to order a new book. Not only have I found creative ideas for cooking with beans, but this entertaining guide to all-things-beans has opened up a whole new path to fresh inspiration in other areas too!

First, I must tell you that The Farmer was intrigued by the book. His father and uncle farmed together for 40 years, and one of their main crops was lima beans, in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. We still have a small burlap bag of dried lima beans that were given out as a promotional item at the Lima Bean Association meetings in those days. The Farmer mentioned that his Aunt Catherine is known far and wide for her barbecue lima bean recipe, which she served at big family parties for years. So when he found the new book on the kitchen table, he began to leaf through it. Pretty soon he was reading sections to me, which rarely happens with any book, let alone a cookbook! Such a fun thing…to connect over a cookbook about beans!

I noticed on the back of the book that the author-with-the-curious-name-Crescent-Dragonwagon has a blog! Off I went to explore Nothing Is Wasted on the Writer.…and guess what! She lives in Vermont! Not only that, but she teaches writing workshops called “Fearless Writing“! And guess who one her students has been. Julia Child! After she was in her 80’s!

Now I’m all excited about taking her class, which is offered at her home near Putney, Vermont on Labor Day Weekend every year. She even includes improvisation and movement in the class, which dovetails with my music education experiences in Orff- Schulwerk. My summer trip to Vermont this year is already planned for July 19- August 1st, but maybe I could go back for Labor Day? Even if it doesn’t work out for this year (and the class may already be filled since she accepts only 15 students), the information on her website is an inspiration all by itself. I followed a link to Seattle Tall Poppy’s blog post about the class in 2009 (right here in San Diego!) and found a terrific reading list for more inspiration!

So there you have it. An invitation leads to one new book, which leads to a fun connection over Sunday breakfast, which leads to a new blog, a new list of books to read, and a potential new adventure…

Beans really are a magical fruit!