Red Beans and Rice

Hey everybody! This is Nutmeg! :) Koko is on vacation so I'll be posting for her today and Monday. :) I have a really yummy recipe for red beans and rice that I thought I would share with you! What my family does is after we eat a ham, we freeze the bone that is in the middle and add it to our beans. It gives them a really good flavor!  I live in a family with seven kids, so any dinner recipe I put up here will make alot... :) This one makes quite a bit, so you can half it if you want. :) Happy Eating! :) 

                                    
                                   Red Beans and Rice

                                   2 bags dried red beans
                                  12 cups water
                                  2 stalks of celery
                                  3/4 onion
                                  dash of basil
                                  2 bay leaves

                                 13 ounces of beef smoked sausage (just a tube   of sausage from Walmart)

                                  ham bone, optional
                                  4 cups brown rice

Pour red beans and ham bone in a crockpot with water. Cut up celery, sausage and onion in small pieces and add to the beans. Sprinkle basil on top and add bay leaves. Cook the beans for several hours until soft. 
For the rice, we use a rice cooker, but if you do yours on the stove, then cook the rice and add it to the beans. Serve and enjoy! 

(Sorry for the bad quality in the picture...I used my little hand-held camera for this one. ;)