The pot of beans that stays on the back burner now

I cooked a pot of white beans one evening with some onion and a bay leaf. Usually I would put them in the fridge in containers once they cooled. That night I left a small amount in the pot on the back burner with the lid on and the heat off. The next afternoon I was heating some rice205 kcal and I lifted the lid and the beans were still warm. I spooned some over the rice and added a little olive oil119 kcal. It took no extra time.

Now after I cook beans I leave a small pot on the back burner instead of putting it all away. I reach for it when I make eggs72 kcal or warm up vegetables or just want something to add to toast. The beans do not stay hot all day but they stay warm enough that I do not have to reheat a whole container. I use what I want and put the lid back on. Some days the pot is empty by dinner and I make a new small batch. Other days there is still some left and I add it to whatever is in front of me.

The change is that the beans are there when I want them instead of in the fridge behind other things. In the middle of the day when I am warming up leftovers or making a simple plate I lift the lid and add a few spoonfuls. It does not change the whole meal but it adds the protein and the softness. The old way I would have to decide to open a container and then decide to heat it. Now the decision is just whether I want the beans or not.

The beans are there and warm so the eating happens in the middle of the day instead of only at planned times.

I still have meals where I do not touch the pot. The pot does not push. It only removes the step that used to make me stop before I started. I finish more of the simple plates because the beans make them feel more complete. The pot itself is the one I cooked them in, just moved to the back burner with the lid on.