Experimenting with Beans

I love refried beans; at a restaurant.  But the can you buy at the store is just not so appealing.  You open it up and the beans slide out in one bug hunk, similar to dog food.  You squish it down with a spoon into the bowl and add some cheese to top in hopes of masking the unappetizing dish you are about to serve.
Living so close to the border, it seems I should have a better grasp on how to make refried beans, so I started investigating and found this recipe online.  I finally tried it the other day when I was making bean burritos for me and the kids.

Instead of using dry pinto beans, which I have but didn't have time to soak, I did use a can of pinto beans that I drained and rinsed. I cut the whole recipe in half so I wouldn't end up with a ton of leftovers, especially if they weren't well received.

The texture was fantastic! I had control over the amount of water I added and could make them a little thinner, which is what I like. I also had control over how mashed they were, so I was able to keep some whole beans still in the mix. I need to practice with them a little before I can post any recipe on it.  I found it to be a little too salty (and I am a salt lover!), and still a little to thick. I also want to try with dry beans to see if the flavor is different. I want to know if it's worth it to use dry beans.  I going to guess yes, but we'll see.
My daughter loved them, but my son was a little less impressed. I think he didn't like how salty they were.  Hopefully the next few batches I make will go over better with my at-home critics. :)