Mexican Refried Beans, slow cooker

Simmer the beans in 1-2 quarts of water for 30 minutes (either in your slow cooker on 'high' or in another pot on the stove), then drain the water and rinse the beans. The beans should have expanded and softened slightly. Add to the beans: 3-4 yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 1/2 t. ground cumin 1 t. ground cinnamon 1/2 t. cracked or ground black pepper 1/4 t. ground hot cayenne pepper 1 jar (12-16 oz.) salsa, hotness according to your preference 1 can (6-8 oz) tomato sauce Add a little water if needed (beans should be sloppy but not soupy at this stage), and cook overnight on "auto-shift" setting or on "low" if your pot doesn't have "auto-shift". The beans are generally done enough to eat in 3-4 hours, but they can be cooked as long as 12 hours with no harm to them. Of course, they will taste better if given time to flavor through. If you want to give your beans a "refried beans" texture and appearance, mash with a potato masher. Use in burritos, or scramble some eggs with green peppers, mushrooms and onions, then serve the beans and eggs together as huevos rancheros. They also work well served with tortilla chips for scooping, with melted cheese (monterray jack or cheddar),lettuce, tomato and sour cream layered over the beans. 8-10 servings. Leftovers freeze well.