Help me

God's timing is just incredible. It is quite thrilling to me when I am dealing with something - whether it be a thought or an idea or maybe even an issue in my relationships - how he brings these little sparks of confirmation. Whhaaa??? You ask. You know when you are thinking about someone and then the next day their name comes up or you run into them at the store. Something like that.

For a while now I have been feeling very inadequate as far as feeding my family. I used to plan out weekly meals, shop accordingly and be very enthusiastic about trying new recipes, serving them to my family and in general, I was quite satisfied with myself. Somehow over time I let myself slip out of that discipline and therefore, let my meals take a backseat.

Last week Lenny and I decided that for grocery shopping we would do a cash system. The amount we chose is adequate for a family of four, however, planning and preparation are crucial to making it work beautifully. I sat down last week with my calendar and the mountain of great cookbooks that I adore.

I went to the grocery store and got what I needed for next 4 days. No problem. My dinner that night was Chicken Pot Pie. I made it while Lenny took the kids to church for their programs. It was awful. I ate one piece and threw it out. Wasted money, time and dinner there. While making the pie, I was also making this awesome chili recipe. I realized that instead of adding the ONE can of water, I had added SIX cans of water. That actually was a good thing as I had added double the amount of cayenne pepper. OOOhhhh gosh what am I doing?

Then I made a blueberry cake. That actually came out ok. Not fabulous but ok. Ok enough that Jacob asked for a piece for his lunch. Progress I suppose.

So why am I telling you all of this??? Because this morning I got an email from someone that I do not know about the value of cooking at home. I thought I was going to cry while reading it. Not because I can not cook or because I don't like to. And not because we are drive thru addicts.

But because this is an area that has been haunting me for quite a while. I believe with all of my heart that the core of society is the family. If the family fails, society fails. I believe that if children are not valued in the home by their parents, then they will try to prove their worth to themselves and others in not-so-innocent ways. And family mealtimes are a fantastic foundation to a rockin' family dynamic.

I try to following the campaign platforms. I know who I am voting for and why. But sometimes I feel like there is so much double-talk that my head spins, then I feel like I am not informed, then that leads to me questioning "hmmm why am I not getting this?" I engage in political conversations that wind up leaving me feel like a huge idiot. My son asks all kinds of questions about the election. Hooooo ya I am glad for that. But my answers seem so surface-like, so uninformed.

Am I faltering as a person? as a mother? as a citizen???

Then I read this article which gave me a new sense of how I am contributing to society.

I know this all sounds completely corny, soooo lame and the opening act to a yawn-festival, but it helped. And clearly I need all the help that I can get.

Read on.





Dear Friends,



In the United States, we are scant weeks away from electing a new resident. Globally, we've all watched our perspective economies hit new lows. The talking heads and news pundits have stirred our fears —we' re all worried about what comes next.



On September 11, 2001, we went through absolute devastation as we watched the horrors of what happened on that fateful day unfold before us, over and over and over again on television. FlynLady said then as she says now, we need to turn off our TVs and take care of ourselves so we can take care of our families.



We cannot change the world. However, we can change the temperature and climate of our own families, so to speak. The most personal change we can affect is the change within ourselves. That change has a trickle down result that can either warm our families hearts or further their fears. We cannot control the world's economy, but we can control our own!



One of the ways to do that is to cook at home. There is a three-pronged proposition that results in three huge positives: 1) we save gobs of money; 2) we better nourish our families bodies; 3) we nourish their hearts and souls.



We have over the years, in the name of saving time, thrown our cooking aside in favor of convenience. That looks different for many of us—for some, it could mean drive-thrus and restaurants and for others it could mean ready to eat frozen foods or just add water convenience viadried instant foods. The way to wisdom is through knowledge. We get that knowledge when we're willing to admit there are things that need to be changed up.



Perhaps your family budget needs changing up? The best and most dramatic way to get there is cooking at home. Eating healthy via eating seasonal whole foods will save you money. The notion that healthy foods are more expensive than eating unhealthy is a myth—there are ways to do it and save more than you ever thought possible.



One of my favorite methods for doing this is through soup. Yes, soup is good food according to the people at Campbell's. But making ityourself is a whole lot cheaper and healthier, too. Add to that, the ability of soup to be a forgiving meal—you really can't make a bad soup unless you burn it! Yes, there may be better tasting soups than my Cream of Green soup (my daughter gagged over it, but I liked itokay…not great, but okay!), but there is always a next soup if you're willing to go there.



To make soup, you need to start with a good liquid base. That means you need a stock or broth. You can do that with chicken, beef or vegetable broth to cook nearly any soup. In some soups, you can even use a fish broth, but you're limited on that one. I make mine with chicken bones from Rubber Chicken (it's on my website!) and carrot,onion and celery, simmer in water for about an hour. Then..ta da!You've got chicken broth.



Another way to get broth quickly is to buy it. I buy low sodium chicken broth and keep it in my pantry if I can't make a homemade one. Obviously, the way to keep soup at it's absolute frugal-best is tomake your own broth, but that isn't always possible. I have a wonderful soup recipe that I haul out this time of year and keep on hand. It's wonderful for cold weather, the sniffles and just watching your family's wallet. Here it is, in all its glory. Feel free to play with the ingredients—you can add just about anything. Justkeep the broth in mind and the core ingredients of onion, celery and carrot and the rest is up to you!



Here's my soup:Leanne's Basic Vegetable Soup Serves 12



1 large onion -- chopped

4 cloves garlic -- pressed

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large carrots -- chopped

2 small celery stalks -- chopped

1 medium turnip -- chopped

2 cups green beans -- cut in 1" pieces

1/4 head cabbage -- chopped

1/2 teaspoon thyme

salt and pepper to taste

2 small russet potatoes -- peeled and chopped

2 cans diced tomatoes -- undrained

6 cups chicken broth



In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook till nearly translucent, now add the garlic. Don't let the garlic brown and saute another couple of minutes. Add the rest of the chopped veggies, sauteing for just a minute ortwo. You're not cooking them just sauteing for the wonderful flavor this quick step will infuse in your soup. Add the thyme and salt and pepper while sauteing.



Now put the veggies in the crock-pot, add the tomatoes and broth. Cookon low 7-9 hours (depending on your crock-pot) or high 4-6 hours (but all crock-pots are different, depending on size, age, brand etc. Remember, your mileage may vary).



Just before serving, gently mash some of the potato chunks against the side of the crock-pot to thicken the soup, give it a stir and serve.



Per serving: 88 Calories; 4g Total Fat; 5g Protein; 2g Dietary Fiber;9g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 658mg Sodium.Food Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit;1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.



SERVING SUGGESTIONS:



Grilled cheese sandwiches on whole grain bread and a spinach salad.



Quick Fixes for Variations on the Basic Chicken Soup:Now remember, don't do this to the whole pot of soup! Just the little bit you pull out to fix yourself for lunch, etc.



Quick Fix #1: Tex Mex Veggie Soup. Add some (eyeball it—how much doyou want?) canned black beans (drained and rinsed), a little bit ofcumin and chopped cilantro. Top with some tortilla chips and cheese,or serve with a quesadilla.



Quick Fix #2: Tuscan Veggie Soup. Add some (eyeball it again) canned cannellini (white kidney beans) or white beans (drained and rinse), a little bit of Italian seasoning and some chopped kale. Cook till heated through and the kale is tender.



Quick Fix #3: Minestrone Veggie Soup. Add some cooked pasta, a little dried basil and top with a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese.



Quick Fix #4: Autumn Veggie Soup. Add some diced acorn squash or butternut squash, some cooked brown rice, a sprinkling of nutmeg andsome chopped parsley.



Love,Leanne