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I’m excited to be sharing with you our family’s wonderful baked beans recipe: Betty’s Best-Ever Baked Beans! These beans will become your new favorite BBQ side dish. They are so simple to make and they taste amazing. They are a must-have at family barbecues and a wonderful ‘cooking for a crowd’ side dish at cook-outs.
You’ll love the smell of the beans and sautéed onions, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, and bacon… all bubbling away in the oven while the flavors merge together. And speaking of bacon….the bacon gets chopped and fried before going into the oven so you get a savory, bacon-y taste in every bite. It’s a nice compliment to the jam-y sweetness of the brown sugar and syrup.
These baked beans are the perfect side dish for potlucks, picnics and barbecues – easy to make and so good. They are sure to become a new favorite.
Serves: 20
Combine all ingredients in a large Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot.
Make in Slow Cooker These can also be cooked in the slow cooker set on low for 6 to 8 hours as well. They won't get that nice caramelized top, but they’ll still be delicious if you're in a pinch for time.
When serving these baked beans as part of a buffet line-up, I plan on about 4 ounces per person. A 6 quart (192 fluid ounces) slow cooker will hold a double batch of this recipe, serving 44 – 50 people.
An 8 quart (256 fluid ounces) slow cooker will hold a triple batch of this recipe, serving 66 – 70 people.
I’m so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share the aloha on instagram and tag me@alohadreams so I can see your masterpiece!
Follow me on Instagram . Have fun cooking, and be happy!
I'm so glad you dropped by. I'm Betsy. Here you'll find my favorite fabulous, trusted recipes - everything from delicious, quick meals for your family to wonderful classics made easy.
I'm also here to help you with large group recipes from 20 to 200. So next opportunity you get to cook for a large group - Say 'Yes!' Then relax. I've got your back.
Ever wished you could build your dream home? How about building your dream home in a tropical paradise? Join me, room by room, as we design and build a fabulous dream home in Hawaii!
If you're planning a vacation to Hawaii, I've got you covered on the very best places to go! From many amazing restaurants to incredible adventures in the surf and on land, this is your go-to source for unique and exciting things to do on the Big Island of Hawaii. Or just take a Virtual Vacation!! Let's go!
If you've been asked to cook for a large group activity, be it a Girl's Camp or a Graduation Party, say Yes! I'm here to help. From Menus to Game Plans to Recipes, I'll help you keep on schedule and turn out amazingly delicious food if you're cooking for a crowd! My recipes are tested and trusted. Let's cook!
Ever wished you could build your dream home? Like amazing house design and home building ideas? Me too! Join me as I design and build a home on the Big Island of Hawaii. Follow along while I design each room. Enjoy a front row seat for the entire amazing construction process. Let's play!
Would you like to throw a Luau, but not sure where to start? Want to know how to build a tiki bar and roast a pig? Here's everything you need to have a luau. How about a Christmas Feast or even a fabulous dinner for your neighborhood supper club? You've come to the right place. Let's party!
NOTE: This is the fourth of a series of posts on designing and building a dream home. We just happen to be doing it in paradise. If you’re interested in home design, or just enjoy amazing home design pictures, follow us room by room in the Ahonui section of Aloha Dreams as we design and build our home. The posts can be accessed in chronological order at the bottom of the page.
Although I’d agree the kitchen is the heart of the home, we still need at least one, if not several, comfy spots where we can relax and hang out with friends or even a good book for company. Residents of Hawaii are fortunate in that there are often many places, including a shady lanai, which are perfect for this. But regardless of this wealth of options, Hawaiian homes always have a living room. The design principles of this room are no different than those of living rooms anywhere. They may be executed differently, but in essence they are the same. Let’s consider each design principle in detail, starting with function.
Possibly you’ve heard the old saying “Form follows function.” This is the first, and most important, principle in designing any room and too often it’s forgotten. So let’s think about the function of our living room, or in other words, how we’re going to use it. Are we going to be entertaining guests in it at some point? How about wanting a cozy place to snuggle up with a great book? Will there be a fireplace that we’ll want to sit in front of or gather round? How about a TV? Will we be watching TV in this room, or will we have a separate media room? Will we need more than one TV viewing spot? These are all important considerations for our living room.
The function of a room is supported by the furniture arrangement. Too often contractors (and even architects) simply carve out a space and designate it as the “Living Room”. And all too often the space allocated to these “Living Rooms” is entirely devoid of consideration of the furniture necessary to support the function. Let’s think about one of the most basic functions of any living room – entertaining company. We often have company over, and when we do, we need a place that is reliably clutter free to sit and talk with them. While this will probably be out on the lanai at Hale Ahonui, there will be times when we’ll prefer to be indoors. For those times we want a furniture arrangement in the living room which lends itself to conversation.
Next time you’re in someone’s home, look at their living room furniture arrangement and consider whether it lends itself to conversation. If the furniture is in an L shape or, worse, a straight line, it probably doesn’t, especially if there are more than 2 people. And this limitation on furniture arrangement is generally caused by the builder, or architect, not allocating sufficient space for the function of the room.
To allocate the correct amount of space for our Hale Ahonui living room, I’ve drawn it out on graph paper and then, in SketchUp. I started with the furniture. I knew we wanted a conversation pit (sounds like something from the 60’s, doesn’t it?) to accommodate at least 6 people. I also knew we wanted it in a semi-circle to facilitate easy conversation. But we have an additional consideration. We also want to accommodate TV watching. We will have a media room/library in Hale Ahonui, but it will be a more private space. We need a second location that multiple people can sit and watch television, so on one side of the ‘conversation circle’ (I like that term much better) we’ll incorporate a media wall. Perhaps something like this?
So to support these functions, how about this for the living room furniture arrangement with the TV console running along the empty right side similar to the picture above?
And speaking of function, when you design a room, it’s also important that you measure and mark the location for each electrical outlet and switch. You’ll want the outlets located where you plan to put the electronics and the switches located at each entrance to the space. You’ll also want to determine the location of each heating and AC vent to ensure that it doesn’t detract from picture placement. Next, measure the furniture you plan to use and place it in your floor plan. Generally, we’ll want the main furniture pieces directed toward the focal point, and we’ll want to keep the major traffic patterns open. We also want the 2 main couches at least 5 – 6 feet apart and preferably about 10 feet. In American culture this provides a comfortable conversation distance.
Here’s an interesting experiment. Next time you’re in a pool where some people are sitting on steps around the edge talking with other people who are floating free in the pool, note the distance the floaters (who can place themselves wherever they wish) end up from the stationary people. You’ll find it’s often about 11 feet.
Another consideration is tables placed so that each guest has a place to park their frothy Hawaiian drink.
When you’re designing a room, it’s also important to visually establish a focal point. Often that can be a dramatic fire place, or an attractive work of art. Designing a home in Hawaii requires an entirely different mind-set. When you design a home on the mainland, you think about the living room, the dining room and the bedroom. And those things are all indoors, right? Well not so much in Hawaii. Given the year-round beautiful weather, very often those rooms – and especially the living room – have a sliding window wall which opens up the room to the outside. Like this.
Isn’t that gorgeous? This sliding window wall is made up of large retractable glass door panels which retract into the wall to allow the home to open up to the beautiful setting beyond. You’ll notice the ‘blank’ wall space to either side of the opening. That’s to allow the panels a place to stack inside the wall. I love the golden glow this room has. Don’t you think we want to incorporate that into Hale Ahonui? Me too!
One of the hallmarks of a successfully designed room is a focal point. That’s the feature you want to highlight and draw the occupant’s eyes towards. When you have a window wall the opening definitely becomes the focal point of the room, especially if you have a view beyond it like this.
You’ll notice there’s minimal art in this room. That’s because the view, or focal point, becomes the art work.
Ever see a living room that just invites you to sit? I’m talking about a space that whispers, “come in, kick off your shoes, and curl up here with a good book and something wonderful to drink.” This is another important design principle. Here’s an example of that kind of space. Doesn’t this whole area just invite you to sit down and snuggle up? Everything looks soft and inviting. Without being too casual, the furniture looks like something you could get comfortable on, tuck your legs up under you and burrow back into the overstuffed pillows.
Like we discussed, you’ll notice it’s arranged for conversation. I think this is one of the most inviting living rooms I’ve seen. I think we need it!
Here’s another space that begs for a small group of 5 or 6 friends to sit awhile and chat (it’s called talk story in Hawaii.) Can’t you just imagine you and your friends relaxing here.
Here’s another example. Can you spot the similarities between these 3 pictures?
If you said the furniture in each picture is arranged essentially in a circle, reward yourself with a 3 Minute Virtual Vacation.
The last design principle we’re going to take into consideration for our Hale Ahonui Living room is incorporation of a WOW factor. If you’ve been following my AlohaDreams recipes and my Hale Ahonui design series by now you probably know I’m a firm believer that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing over the top. Why not? Folks get a kick out of being made to feel special. So whether it’s the guests at our table, or the guests in our home – let’s WOW ’em if at all possible.
With that in mind, I think we need a WOW factor for each room in Hale Ahonui. Wouldn’t you agree? So for our living room WOW factor, I can think of nothing better than a window wall view of the beautiful infinity pool melting seamlessly into the royal blue ocean beyond. We can even flank that infinity edge with a couple of fire pots! (I just love, love, love fire pots!! More on those to come.)
So with all that in mind, what do you think about this for the view from the front door into our living room?
With this being the view once we’re in it.
I hope you’ll join me again next month as we design an incredible dining room for our Dream Home in Paradise. Meanwhile…
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
I'm so glad you dropped by. I'm Betsy. Here you'll find my favorite fabulous, trusted recipes - everything from delicious, quick meals for your family to wonderful classics made easy.
I'm also here to help you with large group recipes from 20 to 200. So next opportunity you get to cook for a large group - Say 'Yes!' Then relax. I've got your back.
Ever wished you could build your dream home? How about building your dream home in a tropical paradise? Join me, room by room, as we design and build a fabulous dream home in Hawaii!
If you're planning a vacation to Hawaii, I've got you covered on the very best places to go! From many amazing restaurants to incredible adventures in the surf and on land, this is your go-to source for unique and exciting things to do on the Big Island of Hawaii. Or just take a Virtual Vacation!! Let's go!
If you've been asked to cook for a large group activity, be it a Girl's Camp or a Graduation Party, say Yes! I'm here to help. From Menus to Game Plans to Recipes, I'll help you keep on schedule and turn out amazingly delicious food if you're cooking for a crowd! My recipes are tested and trusted. Let's cook!
Ever wished you could build your dream home? Like amazing house design and home building ideas? Me too! Join me as I design and build a home on the Big Island of Hawaii. Follow along while I design each room. Enjoy a front row seat for the entire amazing construction process. Let's play!
Would you like to throw a Luau, but not sure where to start? Want to know how to build a tiki bar and roast a pig? Here's everything you need to have a luau. How about a Christmas Feast or even a fabulous dinner for your neighborhood supper club? You've come to the right place. Let's party!
Wow. Ree Drummond has the best, and I mean the very best, Vanilla-Orange dressing for a fruit salad. I. Wished. You. Could. Smell. THIS. Wow. Just, Wow. It smells like you have been plopped down in the middle of an orange grove with a basket of vanilla pods. Wow. You have to try this. It’s so simple and so easy. To ensure it coats the fruit well, I’ve thickened up the syrup. Even with my few small changes, this is classic Pioneer Woman at her (always great!) best.
This is so easy. You just make the simple syrup by boiling the sugar, water, orange juice and zest and you’re there. Remove from heat to add the vanilla bean, let it cool and pour over the fruit.
And speaking of fruit, let’s talk about what kind of fruit holds best for large group serving.
Obviously, this list depends on the condition of the fruits and veggies when you buy them. If something is in sad shape when you buy it, you can’t expect it to last a full week; use common sense and if something doesn’t look (or smell!) right, throw it out!
SIDE NOTE: One of the best things I ate last summer was ice cold watermelon chunks. We prepped a large batch of watermelon for a church Youth Conference, piled them on very large platters, covered them and for the next 2 days pulled them out to serve. They were ice cold and WONDERFUL, but best of all they were just as good on day 2 (and even day 3) as day 1.
An average pineapple peeled and cored should produce about 4.5 cups of fruit
A quart of strawberries, hulled and quartered, is about 4 cups
One pint of blueberries should fill 2 dry cup measures—and should come right to the top of the pint container in which they are sold. Chances are, your pint will weigh about 12 ounces…give or take a little.
Seedless grapes weigh less on average than similar-sized grapes with seeds. When I measured my pound of seedless grapes it contained about 2.5 cups
This smells heavenly! All fruit except bananas, kiwi and apples are a good choice for this fruit salad.
NOTE: If serving as one of several side dish items, most people will only take 1/2 cup and this should easily serve 35 - 40 people.
In a small saucepan, add the sugar and water. Zest the orange over the saucepan. Then split the orange and juice the orange to produce about 1/3 cup of orange juice. Add orange juice to the saucepan and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes to thicken. While dressing is cooking, split vanilla bean and scrape out seeds. When dressing is done cooking remove from heat and stir in the vanilla seeds then store dressing in the refrigerator until cold.
Meanwhile, prep the fruit: Wash the berries and grapes and hull and slice the strawberries. Thoroughly drain the mandarin oranges.
When ready to serve, place fruit in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing evenly over the fruit. If necessary, thin dressing by adding 1 - 2 tablespoons juice or water. Gently toss to coat all fruit.
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
I'm so glad you dropped by. I'm Betsy. Here you'll find my favorite fabulous, trusted recipes - everything from delicious, quick meals for your family to wonderful classics made easy.
I'm also here to help you with large group recipes from 20 to 200. So next opportunity you get to cook for a large group - Say 'Yes!' Then relax. I've got your back.
Ever wished you could build your dream home? How about building your dream home in a tropical paradise? Join me, room by room, as we design and build a fabulous dream home in Hawaii!
So tell me, does this look good, or what? It is!!! This is a fabulous salad for a large group or you can make it for your family. The recipe is very easy. The dressing can be brought together in minutes made the day before. And, with the exception of the kiwi, the fruit can also be prepped the day before. An hour prior to serving simply peel and slice the kiwi and add it to the rest of the fruit. Drizzle the dressing over, gently toss to coat and serve.
And the taste? Really, really good. The zesty lime and ginger go great with the tropical fruit. It’s not too heavy, and it provides a wonder sweet glistening drizzle. If you can find star fruit, it would be fun to add one of those, sliced, to garnish the bowl. This is a great dish to accompany the breakfast tacos.
Did you know ginger can be stored up to 3 months in the freezer. Just peel it, wrap in a freezer proof bag and freeze. When ready to use, you can easily grate it with a micro-plane grater.
Makes 10 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, powdered sugar, and ginger until all the powdered sugar is dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cut fruit into bite-size pieces and combine in a large bowl. NOTE: If prepping the fruit the day before, don't cut up the kiwi.
Up to two hours prior to serving, peel and slice the kiwi. Add to the salad. Gently stir to distribute.
Did you know ginger can be stored up to 3 months in the freezer. Just peel it, wrap in a freezer proof bag and freeze. When ready to use, you can easily grate it with a micro-plane grater.
I'm so glad you dropped by. I'm Betsy. Here you'll find my favorite fabulous, trusted recipes - everything from delicious, quick meals for your family to wonderful classics made easy.
I'm also here to help you with large group recipes from 20 to 200. So next opportunity you get to cook for a large group - Say 'Yes!' Then relax. I've got your back.
Ever wished you could build your dream home? How about building your dream home in a tropical paradise? Join me, room by room, as we design and build a fabulous dream home in Hawaii!
This salad-to-go is perfect for summertime events without a kitchen. It’s a ridiculously easy, quick salad that teens and adults really enjoy. Just stick a fork in the straw hole and you’re good to go. It’s handy for weekday lunches too. In a hurry? Grab a cup and head out the door.
Salad in a cup is a fresh, easy side dish that requires no cooking and little prep. Served by itself or with Cheesy Garlic Bubble-Up Bread, it’s a great summertime large group option to take advantage of summer’s bounty in backyard, your neighborhood or your local farmer’s market.
Fill it with all the goodies you like in a salad – lettuce, cucumber, crunchy red, yellow and orange bell peppers for color, hard boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, carrot slices, or radishes could all make an appearance. Whatever’s fresh in your garden (or your neighbor’s.) If it’s mid-summer, he’ll be looking for a home for his extra produce. Other fun add-ins could be: celery, chopped broccoli, snow peas, cheese (crumbled or shredded), cauliflower, sunflower seeds, bacon bits, bean sprouts, or ham cubes.
The clear beverage cups make for a fun presentation. This recipe is sized for the 16 ounce cups. Party City carries these in 50-count packs. Pick up the clear plastic cup lids there too. The lid has an opening for a straw. Instead of that, just insert a plastic fork, and they are ready to serve. You have an easy clean up with this one as well, or they can be washed and reused several times.
If you desire a larger serving size with easier access, you could also use a clear plastic 19 ounce container and increase the lettuce by 1.5 ounces per person.
It is easy to fill a lot of these at once. Either do it assembly line fashion (like I did with these) or combine everything in a bowl, toss and spoon into the cups. I pack the dressing separately. Vinaigrette dressings are a good choice with these because the thinner dressing is easier to get to the bottom of the cup. Leave a little space at the top so your guests can mix up their salad if you filled the cup in layers.
A fun, easy way to serve salad on the go! Try it for your next event.
Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. You can either dress the salad now or provide your guests the ability to pour the dressing on at the event. (my preference so the lettuce stays fresh)
Divide between the cups. And cover the cups with a lid. Transport to serving area.
When ready to serve, if the salad is not already dressed, insert the fork, handle down into the opening on the lid. Set out to serve, include dressing if not already dressed.
I’m so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share the aloha on instagram and tag me@alohadreams so I can see your masterpiece!
Follow me on Instagram . Have fun cooking, and be happy!
I'm so glad you dropped by. I'm Betsy. Here you'll find my favorite fabulous, trusted recipes - everything from delicious, quick meals for your family to wonderful classics made easy.
I'm also here to help you with large group recipes from 20 to 200. So next opportunity you get to cook for a large group - Say 'Yes!' Then relax. I've got your back.
Ever wished you could build your dream home? How about building your dream home in a tropical paradise? Join me, room by room, as we design and build a fabulous dream home in Hawaii!
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