July marks National Baked Bean Month. Sometimes I wonder if anyone loves baked beans as much as I do. (The jury’s still out.) This classic dish can be prepared to recipe specifications or ‘jazzed up’, in a variety of ways. Really, it’s just a matter of taste.

You might be surprised to learn that beans are good for you. Recent studies have shown that including beans in your diet may reduce the chance of heart disease and certain types of cancer. The USDA recommends that all of us eat three cups of beans, per week.

I prefer to bake beans in my crock pot… especially during the summer months. I can start them in the coolness of the morning. They slow cook all day without heating up my kitchen.

Why not celebrate National Baked Bean Month, by adding them to your menu this week? They’re quite simple to fix and require just basic ingredients, all of which you probably have on hand.

Lately, instead of starting out with dry navy beans, I used canned beans and add in my extras. Bush’s Grillin’ Beans is my current bean of choice. I mix-in additional ketchup, brown sugar, onions, green pepper and bacon that I have diced and partially fried.

(If I bake beans in a traditional oven, I arrange uncooked strips of bacon on top instead of dicing and pre-frying.)

Summertime is hot dog time. In fact, July is National Hot Dog Month. Billions of hot dogs are consumed in June, July and August, alone. With all of the sauces and condiments readily available, for your dogs, they are truly ‘fun on a bun’.

On average, a hot dog is consumed in 6.1 bites. The most popular topper among adults is mustard. Kids, on the other hand, vote for ketchup. Surveys indicate that most Americans prefer their hot dogs grilled.

Many people view the hot dog as a very unhealthy dish. Be that as it may, they have the approval of both Weight Watchers and NASA. Who would have thought that wieners would one day make it to the moon!

Cary Grant, Al Capone, Marlene Dietrich and Babe Ruth all adored hot dogs and dined on them frequently. Marlene preferred hers with champagne, while The Babe washed his down with his favorite brand of soda… between double headers.

Speaking of ball parks, now you can recreate the feel of the park at home, with the Old Fashioned Hot Dog Roller with Grill Pan (from Nostalgia Electrics). It’s pretty darn nifty, if you ask me.

It grills 8 regular or 4 foot long dogs, at once. There is a bun warmer conveniently located, in the canopy.

What is your favorite hot dog topping? I’m partial to coney sauce or cheese and bacon. YUM!