What can a few cans do for someone else? Have you walked though your local grocery store & noticed an elderly person with less than a few pantry items in their cart? Have you checked out in the grocery store just behind someone who is buying meat items you did not know existed or so few items for the amount of children they have with them you are baffled? When we lived in Mexico I saw hunger & need around me each day. The government programs & volunteer organizations are over run with need versus ability to meet the needs. Here in the United States we are so fortunate to have so many volunteer organizations as well as well run government programs to meet the needs of our population. No, I am not talking government expansion, more red tape or anything radical, just neighbors helping neighbors. The issue often is matching those in need to the programs which can meet their needs. The Capital Area Food Bank will help guide & assist those in need here in Central Texas.
The Soup we made from our Food Pantry items was rather like the proverbial Stone Soup. Once we added the canned Spaghetti Sauce, Garbanzo beans & the H2O the soup seemed to grow. The veggies from the Austin Farmer's Market & my garden it just seemed to be more than a meal for our family alone. By the end of the meal we were making up containers of soup for Bytes from Texas boyfriend & trying to find a place for our leftovers. Isn't it all about sharing? Grandmother used to talk about giving out food to strangers who came to the door during the Great Depression. She taught us a long time ago to use our resources wisely & take care of others along the way. Next time there is a can for donations at your local grocery store or your mail carrier puts a note in your box saying they will collect donations make sure you make an effort & help others help themselves. Let's Stamp out Hunger.
Italian Veggie Crock Pot Soup
1 Can of Hunts Spaghetti Sauce + 2 cans of water
1 cup of sliced fresh Carrots
1 Parsnip, sliced
1 small Onion, diced
1 can of Garbanzo Beans (chick peas)
1 cup of fresh green snow peas, garden peas or green beans (frozen is okay)
3 zucchini, sliced
1 small cabbage, sliced = 3 cups of cabbage
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh Oregano
1 Tbsp fresh Thyme
1 cup pasta, uncooked
Put the Spaghetti sauce in the crock pot, mix in 2 cans of water. place all the vegetables in the crock pot but not the pasta. Stir in the herbs, pepper & celery salt. Cook on low in the crock pot for 5 hrs. in the last hour I placed the uncooked pasta noodles into the pot. Once the pasta is cooked serve the soup with a slice of crusty bread & garnish with Parmesan cheese.
For a simple desert we had canned pear halves with cottage cheese. A very sweet ending to our Soup Feast!
6 comments:
Oh nooo Dee you had me until the last photo, lol, that is SO my grandmother and aunt Earlene's favorite dish, when I was in Texas last summer, my aunt went straight for the peaches and cottage cheese at the Tea House my cousin took us too, too funny! No too southern for our own good :)
Love what you did with the soup!
Your very kind heart is certainly in the right place. I love your blog and will visit as often as I can. Your soup looks really fabulous. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary
The veggie stew looks very good!
Chef E~it is so very southern isn't it? When our family lived in Alaska in the late 1960's-1970's the winters were filled with canned & frozen fruits. This was a pretty standard dessert my mother served. This week I was sick & blogging my Days for the Food Bank was slow in coming. I thought of a pear tart but never made it happen. I still have an entire can of fruit cocktail...dessert ideas?? LOL
Mary~thank you! I too enjoy your blog & cannot get my mind off of the Fry Bread.
Angie~thank you, I am still coveting those oatmeal cookies!! ha!
Dee,
Reading this humbled me. It also reminded me, that we should not only show compassion for those overseas, but those closer to home.
A few years ago when I was a student in Glasgow, I was getting some chips from the local chippie. In front of me and my boyfriend was a woman and a child, and the woman had about a £1 all in loose change and asked for some 'floaters' for her little. Floaters are deep fried batter, this wasn't a choice, but what she could afford. It saddened me and reminded me how poverty and hunger is close to home too. We should do more for our neighbours.
Mangocheeks~It really is everywhere we go. I doubt that anywhere in the world is without those in need. It has showed me we can always find someone to help! Thanks for your comments.
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