Pintos in a Crockpot

Place beans in a 4-quart crock pot. Fill crockpot with water to a level about 3 inches above the level of the beans. Add remaining ingredients, stir to mix well, and disolve the bouillon, cover, and cook on high for four hours. Stir, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook on low two hours or until ready to serve (see note below). If the beans get dry and you need to add water, bring it to a boil on the stove first. Never add cold water to beans while they are cooking. Add meat, such as cooked bacon or sausage, about 2 hours before serving if desired.

Note: To keep the water level from getting too low and allow the beans to cook a little faster, fold a bath towel and place it over the lid of the crockpot (just large enough to cover the top of the crockpot and droop over the sides a little bit). This keeps the steam from escaping to a certain degree and holds in more of the heat.