​Seriously, yes, sort of. They exist and I can only wonder why on Earth I didn't know sooner.  Talk about simple.  I am a little upset that I have wasted so much time every year clearing a planting area, fertilizing, and planting seeds to grow my beans.  Why not plant something once and enjoy the benefits for years to come? This is just common sense! Well, it is common sense if it actually works out that way.  I intend to try this spring though!

These special 'perennial' beans are called scarlet runner beans, but buyer beware! If you don't purchase the correct latin name for the perennial version you will find yourself planting every year as usual. This is exactly what I did the first time I purchased the beans. Foolish me for not doing my research first (one of the things about me I usually am very good at).
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​You want to buy the Phaseolus Coccineus - not Phaseolus Vulgaris - both of which are titled Scarlet Emperor Runner beans and look EXACTLY the same but aren't.
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The Coccineus beans are supposed to grow back every year as a perennial. However, if you aren't careful they can die off in the winter and act like an annual anyway. I read that if you live in zone 7 or greater it's important to mulch over it in the winter to increase the chances of it surviving to come back in the spring.

The vines grow beautiful orange flowers that many simply like as an ornamental. In fact the flowers are so lovely that they are known to attract hummingbirds!  

I read that the beans grow rather large and the outsides become rough so if we want to eat them like a string bean (which we do) that it is best to pick them early.  However, all is not lost if they do get big because they can be harvested for the beans inside the pod which can be dried and used (eaten) in a variety of ways.

I will plant them for the first time this spring in zone 7 and get back to you this time next year to let you know how they worked out!

Some other basic information:

• Can't be excessively watered or root rot will occur
• Needs a well draining soil (clay, loam, sand)
• Should be planted in full sun in higher zones
• Beans need to be picked frequently to promote more flower growth
• Plant along a fence or trellis
• Mulch over in the winter if in hardiness zone 7 or greater - otherwise they will be an annual
• Can be eaten as a string bean when young
• Older beans can be harvested from the pod and either cooked fresh or dried and then used later in soup, stew, chili, etc. NOTE: Mature beans are poisonous in large quantities so they MUST be eaten cooked.

Thanks for visiting!
Any comments? I would love to hear from you so please add them below!
Sincerely,

Sources:

• http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/3533/plant-some-runner-beans
• http://www.learn2grow.com/plants/phaseolus-coccineus/
• http://inhabitat.com/re-discovering-perennial-vegetables/
• http://www.pfaf.org/User/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Phaseolus+coccineus
  

I seriously can't believe I am saying this: "I love my cast iron skillet."  I really do, and believe me,I never thought I would ever even consider using cast iron!  

Using cast iron was really sort of an accident for me. Cast iron is a pan that I have never even attempted to cook with.  In fact, my go to pots and pans have always been stainless steel. But if you have ever had to sit and scrub and scrub and scrub to get a pan clean then you know what I mean when I say stainless can be a real pain in the $%#.  I have also been through multiple skillets coated with teflon.  I say multiple because never has a skillet lasted more than a year in my house before the teflon started to come off. Thats how often we use the skillet!  More recently we were buying and using Green pans. They have a ceramic coating that is much healthier than using teflon and they did last a little longer. The big downside however was the price.  Not cheap by any means and still needed to be replaced after a lot of use.

Cast iron was never an option for me.  I didn't even consider it because I always thought it was cheap, horrible to cook on, and even more horrible to clean. I imagined needing to literally scrape eggs off the bottom of the pan and never really getting it clean....ever.  So imagine my surprise when my daughter and future son-in-law cooked a meal for 8 people using ALL cast iron pans and I volunteered (unknowingly) to do the dishes!  As soon as I saw what I had volunteered to wash I groaned and did my best to go at it with a smile on my face....only to find out how easy they all were to clean!!  In fact, they were easier to clean than the Green pans I had at home which were supposed to be non-stick!  After the simplicity of cleaning those cast iron pans that night, and eating amazing food that was perfectly cooked in them,  I was 'sold' on how awesome cast iron can be!  

I immediately purchased my first cast iron skillet and I have never looked back! I absolutely love cooking in the pan and am able to cook certain foods like steak and chicken indoors better than ever!  I have since added more cast iron pans to my list of must have's for the future.  

Here is a simple list of why I love my cast iron skillet so much:

• Cooks amazingly well. Meat seers just like it was grilled!
• Cleans so easy, almost like teflon and way easier than stainless or even ceramic. It really is a non-stick pan!  And my crochet scrubby's clean it perfectly! Buy my scrubby's or get the FREE pattern!
• *Cooks extremely evenly (see cons below).
• Great for gas or electric stove tops (not glass), can go in the oven, and can even be used over the camp fire (so long as it is not ceramic coated).
• Made of extremely simple, all natural, Iron (Fe)!
• Iron is actually good for your health and does not contain any harmful chemicals or toxins. If a little of it gets into your food, no problem! The same is not necessarily true for other metals such as aluminum.
• Can be used to cook at much higher temperatures than any other pan material out there.
• Extremely economical to purchase.
• Will literally last literally forever so you will only need to buy a skillet once.  Many people are currently using cast iron skillets that belonged to their great-grandparents!
• Lodge is a United States company! I chose Lodge Cast Iron specifically because of the quality and the fact that I wanted to support US businesses. Read about Lodge Cast Iron here.  Note that all but their porcelain enamel cast iron is made in the US.

Some of the cons:

• Heavy -  I choose to look at it as a form of exercise.  Using it daily keeps my arms in shape!
• Will rust if exposed to water for long periods of time - just don't put it in the sink!
• MUST use potholders and pot handles to touch or move pan.  Good habit to use them anyway especially since it can also go right in the oven. Talk about versatile...
• *Needs to be preheated in order to cook evenly.  Iron has a high specific heat meaning it takes time to absorb the heat.  This means that I need to turn on the burner and heat the pan for about 5 minutes before I cook on it. But, on the other hand it also means that the pan cools down slowly so I can literally shut the burner off 5 minutes before I am done cooking and it will still continue to cook! 
• Preheating is also important for the pan to remain non-stick.
• Must be allowed to cool down before handling to wash it. No problem, I just use a cup to add water to the pan while it is still on the stove cooling. After dinner it's ready, and super simple, to wash!
• Can't be used on glass stove tops. For me this is no problem. I have regular old electric burner and will be getting gas in the future. Glass top is not even an option for me!

Even the 'cons' aren't so bad!
And check out this video of a comparisson between this skillet and the Lodge seasoned classic skillet in action and the MUST HAVE Kitchen Tools video below it!

Thank you for visiting :-)
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​Sincerely,