January 10, 2025
Sandy Munoz has worked for Meals on Wheels for over twenty years. During her junior year of high school, Sandy began working at her local Meals on Wheels in Abilene, Texas. Serving a population of 40 neighbors, each staff member at the Abilene branch wore many hats. This included preparing meals, distributing meals, and delivering nourishment and social connection to neighbors' homes.
Upon meeting her husband, the two joined families having had children prior to meeting each other. Sandy reminisces on this moment and shares she would compare her big happy family to the Brady Bunch. The happy couple and their children moved to Austin for a fresh start. That is when Sandy joined the Meals on Wheels Central Texas team. Over the years, Sandy filled several important roles with MOWCTX. From working in customer service to intake services to home repair, she's learned the network of operations around here. Many of our staff members look to Sandy as a fountain of knowledge, a trusted colleague, and a loyal friend.
She reflects on the days her children would help around Meals on Wheels Central Texas. One special memory she shares is about her son and his love for delivering hot, nutritious meals, social connection, and gifts to neighbors' homes around the holidays. When her son was 12 years old, he formed a special bond with a neighbor named Fannie Simnacher who was 103. She shared amazing stories of her own childhood with the young boy, and their friendship blossomed.
Sandy, a dedicated MOWCTX staff member and loving mother and wife, decided to share this recipe because of its association to family gatherings. Stories made around meals shared are precious. This Charro Bean recipe is one her and her husband collaborated on. Her family requests these beans for every social gathering. Below you will find the ingredients and preparation for the hot, nourishing bean recipe.
Recipe for the Beans
Ingredients for Beans
- 1 lb uncooked pinto beans
- 12 cups of water
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1/2 a white onion
- 3 garlic cloves
Ingredients for the Charro Add-in
- 1/2 package of thick-cut bacon
- 1/2 lb of Mexican chorizo
- 1 strand of smoked sausage (Eckrich brand)
- 3 roma tomatoes
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon (Knorr brand)
Preparation
Step 1: In a large pot, add uncooked beans and rinse until water runs clear. Remove unwanted beans and broken pieces. Once clean, fill the pot of beans with water, add 1/2 white onion, several garlic cloves and cover. Keep the beans on low heat for 1 1/2 hours and then remove the onion.
Step 2: Cut up the sausage and the bacon into small bite-sized pieces. Slice the onion and dice the tomatoes. Wash the cilantro and cut into pieces. Begin cooking the chorizo in separate pan and set aside in bowl when cooked. Cook the bacon and add the sausage, cooked chorizo and onions in the pan.
Step 3: Once the onions are caramelized, add the tomatoes and cook until soft. Add the charro mixture into the beans (which should be almost done). Add cilantro and a small can of jalapenos (with juice) into the pot. Cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
This dish is very nourishing and hearty. Beans are a great source of protein, fiber, iron, magnesium and other nutrients. The beans can be enjoyed as a side dish or main entree. Enjoy with tortillas or pair with Spanish Rice.
Meals on Wheels Central Texas strives to deliver nourishment, social connection, and care to help older adults and people living with disabilities. Learn about our commitment to delivering nutrition to help combat hunger in the community. Join us in delivering hot, nutritious meals today!