Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Forty-two Ways in Forty-two Days- Food on the table.

There can be something very satisfying about cooking a meal, especially when you prepare that meal for the ones you love. Taking beautiful,fresh ingredients and transforming them into something that delights the senses- whether you are following a recipe or just making it up as you go along- can bring joy to both the cook and those that benefit from you labor. On the flip side of that, taking inexpensive staples when you are trying to stretch your budget and turning them into something new and exciting can be just as fulfilling.

For far too many in this world, cooking is not so much a joy but another stressor and a meal on the table is a luxury. Even in our own abundant country- there are children who go to bed hungry or parents who give up eating so that their children can. These are tough economic times and more people than ever are feeling the pinch.
Thankfully, there are places out there that can help. There is a wonderful website: Feeding America that can provide information about local food banks, food drives and other ways to help in your community. From volunteering your time, to donating funds, to hosting a food drive or filling some of their "most needed items" requests, every little bit helps when it comes to making sure that our neighbors have a meal today. Personally- I am adding some of those "always needed" items (for example protein items like tuna and peanut butter) to my list so that I will be ready to donate at our next food drive.

So tonight, when I am enjoying a meal with my family, I will give an extra thanks for the food that I have and that I have the ability to help, if only a little.

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