How to cook dried beans in a crockpot & make refried beans, too!

We love beans in this house. All kinds.
It's much cheaper to cook dried beans than to buy them canned.
A 1# bag of pinto beans costs somewhere around $1.50, give or take a bit.
This 1# bag will make an entire crockpot-full of beans.

Simply rinse the beans and make sure there are no small rocks in there (I have found some in the past so make sure to look).
Then pour into your crockpot, fill with water to within about an inch of the top, and cook overnight on low.
When you wake in the morning, they should look something like this.
If you want to use the beans whole you'll stop here: simply drain off the cooking liquid and they are ready to use.
However, today I want to make refried beans.
First, I remove and reserve the cooking water with a soup ladle (pour into another bowl).
Then I start to puree with my stick blender (you can also use a potato masher), adding back in the reserved cooking liquid as needed to thin it out.

Add spices of your choice. I prefer some salt, chili powder, and cumin.
Then use! These freeze wonderfully and reheat great. Just pull it out the night before you need to use it so it can thaw.