Author: Michele Minehart (Page 139 of 311)

Today my kids inadvertently learned that some people don’t have enough food to eat. I didn’t aim to make it a “teachable moment” but when I mentioned that I was buying food for the local food pantry, H Boy didn’t quite follow what I was saying. That some people might not have food was a foreign concept to him. 

The second lesson of the day centered around internal conflict while walking past boxes of pasta and beans. The plight centered around our contribution to the church’s food pantry and my basic and strong convictions that half of what is sold at the grocery qualifies as “food” in only the sense that it is, in fact, edible.

Food pantries notoriously need non-perishable items because of the nature of their work. We just don’t know how long an item will sit on the shelf before heading home, let alone be opened. So the list of needed items contained canned soup, boxed pastas and pre-packaged meals. Do you know what keeps those meals consumable for months and years on end? Salt. 

Take a guess at the leading cause of death among those living in poverty (in the US) for ages 20-59. That’s right. “Diseases of the circulatory system.” (According to Google search, this is heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, atherosclerosis…). Yes, I’m sure stress plays a role in the health of those living in poverty, among other factors. However, ask anyone under a doctor’s care for these issues and they’ll say the instructions start with cutting out sodium. 

As I heard once, our problem with salt doesn’t come from a shaker. It comes from a can. 

But it’s exactly what is requested on behalf of those who deal with hunger on a regular basis. 

I actually said aloud, “Kids, I wouldn’t let you eat this.” Why would I want someone else’s kids to make a diet of it? Doesn’t loving others as I love myself translate into how we treat the body and the ways in which we nourish it? 

Some say, well, at least they’re eating. I agree, hunger is a real battle we’re fighting. But if we only focus on hunger and not nutrition, how will we help others live well? And is eating really the only goal? 

Others try to provide healthier versions of the requested foods, but I have trouble thinking my Aunt Annie’s will make a huge difference and instead I join the battle for cost-effectiveness. I could feed 3 families for the price of my one Aunt Annie’s purchase. Quantity over quality, right?

I’ve also heard, if they don’t care, why should I? But I’m not convinced people in poverty don’t care. Perhaps they just aren’t in a position to care to the same extent. Everyone has a choice, but the level to which we’re empowered to make difficult choices varies across economic status. 

JJ and I made a conscious decision to allow more freedom in the food budget for quality fruits, veggies and meats. We feel it will pay off in years to come in co-pays, deductibles and medical costs. But finding dollars in the pocketbook for good food isn’t the same option for everyone, including non-profits who feed the hungry.

In an ideal world, we would have means to buy fresh and cook food. We could provide places that those who lack appliances other than microwaves would be able to prepare a meal for their families. I suppose, in an ideal world we invite our neighbors,who we know are struggling, to eat from our own table, in communion with us. Instead we give our conscious the excuse that “if they were hungry, there are places that can help them. I give food to the pantry every month. That’s what it’s there for.” 

I ended up purchasing as many seemingly better options – low-sodium soups, canned chicken and tuna, the spaghetti sauce we buy with considerable less sodium, and the requested pastas and mac ‘n cheese. But I need to say a prayer as I deliver these goods that we move in a direction of health for all people, not just the ones who can afford it. I still don’t know what that looks like, but I know $0.87 mac ‘n cheese doesn’t have the answer. 

• The way H boy makes up words and rhymes them
• The way Miss M sees hilarity in everything; every time she “toots bubbles” she breaks out in giggles
• The way Baby C sticks out her tongue. It looks like she’s concentrating. 
• The way H boy puts his arms around your shoulders when you climb into bed to wake him up
• The way Miss M does everything H boy does and uses the same phrases
• The way Baby C will randomly lay her head down – on my shoulder, on the floor, on her high chair…
• The way H boy’s imagination is taking off. He’s fighting “turkeys” with a broom, being the daddy while asking Miss M to be the Mommy, he tells the girls that “there are tigers coming!”
• The way Miss M is so proud of herself for getting dressed and going potty by herself
• The way Baby C laughs when everyone else is laughing, though it’s clear she’s not sure why
• The way H boy always wants Miss M to accompany him places, even if just upstairs to get his ears & shoes (“You want to come with me?” while nodding his head)
• The way Miss M doesn’t want to look at you when you’re in the middle of a teachable moment
• The way Baby C answers “yes” or “no” even with only about 75% accuracy
• The way H Boy coddles his “baby buckeye” and enjoys changing his diaper
• The way Miss M will pick up her baby and kiss it on the head after she drops it
• The way Baby C sees herself as the baby and is constantly climbing in and out of the toy cradle
• The way H Boy bounds out of school and tells me all about his morning there – where he played, the songs they sang, the snack he ate.
• The way Miss M asks for “2 ponytails” on some mornings and to wear it down on others
• The way Baby C becomes happier when you take of her clothes in the evening after a bath. 
• The way H boy flings himself on the ground while “dancing”
• The way Miss M asks for David Crowder because she wants to dance and sing.
• The way Baby C will bob her head along with the dancing siblings
• The way H boy enjoys helping – getting the salt, setting the table, getting the muffins out of the freezer and putting them in the toaster oven
• The way Miss M loves to brush her teeth
• The way Baby C loves to climb on any available stool
• The way they all look forward to daddy coming home, running around playing chase, asking him to play a little bit longer

I ordered a few chickens from a person at the farmers market. Fortunately they called me when the birds were ready for drop off because I forgot to get any information from the person to whom I handed over $20 and my email address. So I added one to the fridge to thaw while the rest made friends with the side of beef we’d just picked up on Tuesday. Freezer buddies, I call them. 

I made my most delicious roasted chicken recipe (below) that tastes just like a rotisserie bird from Meijer. Not that I – or you – have ever bought one as the dinner hour grows near. I popped it in the oven Sunday morning and it was ready after church at the same time as the fried potatoes. 

As I do with all roasted chickens, I picked off the remaining meat (I know, the least favorite part of mine as well, but it needs done) and then filled the pot up with water and bones to make me a fresh broth. You can’t beat this broth – so rich and golden. The seasonings from the roasting stick around. I suckered two batches of broth out of that bird. 

The leftover chicken meat only filed a small bowl, so we used it for fillings in chicken quesadillas on corn tortillas. A big hit, with both the hubby and the kids. Meal victory #2 for the day. 

But since the bird was gone and we rely heavily on leftovers as a source of lunches, I had to get creative. I like to simmer a pot of soup on Sundays – it’s a nice, simple lunch that can last all week if played correctly. But since I had no meat – but a lot of broth – I needed to think creatively. Then I noticed the leftover fried potatoes from lunch. A few quick searches and I created my own version of baked fried potato soup. 

Now, I love a good creamy soup. My mom’s recipe for broccoli cheddar uses half and half for the whole thing. But we’re trying to limit the dairy intake around here. I decided to roll the dice. I started with a roux of butter and (a small amount of) flour and cooked it golden. Then I added a touch of half & half (that I didn’t use to make pumpkin spice creamer) and then a good amount of coconut milk. After that thickened, I added 4 cups of my fresh made broth. Looking back, I could’ve added water as well, it became a mighty rich soup. 

I diced up the carrots and celery that remained leftover from our buffalo chicken dip lunch on Saturday (FB confirmed that it’s an actual meal on gamedays) and chopped up some cauliflower that I hadn’t decided how to use. After it boiled for a few minutes – while I constantly stirred – I let it simmer for a bit on the stove. I added the bacon leftover from breakfast and just a handful of cheese. 

Today, as of 12:02pm, the soup bowl sits empty. H Boy finished off a second bowl, as did I. JJ would have if he’d packed more than one – it’s the first time I’ve gotten a “good lunch” text this school year. 

Now, while I love a good kitchen victory, can I tell you why I am most excited about such culinary adventures? Because I used up a variety of items in my fridge. I’ve become more and more aware of just how much food gets wasted in my home (and in society) and have decided that I cannot get more food until we eat what we have. This has been a spectacular exercise in creative cooking. If I’m missing an ingredient, I simply have to figure out how to substitute. Also, when I have a few lingering items – like the cauli and broccoli, I challenge myself to find a new way to use them. The broc is going in our creamy chicken lasagna tonight. 

Feeding my family makes me proud, especially when they eat it up so well. But being resourceful gives me a heightened sense of enjoyment. Thanks to a new awareness of what is already in the fridge, my grocery bill was $87 today. And we have more than enough food for the next week. 

And now, as I promised, the Roasted Chicken recipe. I didn’t make it up. It probably came from Allrecipes. 

• Thaw a whole chicken and wash it. Make sure, if it came with the gibbets, you remove that package before cooking. Pat the bird dry. 

Mix in a small bowl:

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. cayenne

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Chop an onion into 1/4s and insert into the cavity of the bird. Rub the spice mixture all over (top and bottom). Place breast-side down in a dutch oven (if you mess that up, no worries. I’ve baked more than one bird on her back). Bake at 250 for 5 hours uncovered. Remove and let rest a few minutes before slicing and serving. 

Leftover meat goes great in quesadillas, chicken caesar (or other variety) wraps or even chicken salad. And don’t forget to broth that bird! Just fill with water, bring to a boil, then simmer all afternoon. It’ll stay fresh in your fridge for about a week. Read the ingredients on any box of Swanson’s and you’ll decide the effort of filling the pot is totally worth it.