Last weekend I heard about a local group of women who were preparing
make-ahead meals for three colleagues who are battling illnesses. I was
compelled by their selflessness, especially during the busy holiday
season, so I asked them if I could pop by and see what they were up to,
take a few pictures and hear their story.

Jan, Nancy, Shari, Peggy and Laura

These women are some of the staff at Fairhaven Middle School. Two of their
colleagues are battling breast cancer and another is also ill. On a
blustery Saturday, with a sky threatening snow, they gathered at Nancy’s home to prepare several entrees spanning six different recipes.

Lest you think this is simply an endorsement of our own book, it is not!
Of the six recipes the group used, only one is ours: Chicken Broccoli
Bake. The rest were from various sources, Scallop Chowder,
epicurious; South of the Border Quiche, recipezaar; Apricot Chicken, Don’t Panic it’s in the Freezer; Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork, an internet source not cited; and Basic Marinara, Cooking Light.

Besides their compassion, what I loved about this group is how well they
adapted - several decisions had to be made about adapting a recipe or
ingredient and they took it all in stride. When they discovered they had
no cider vinegar, they substituted balsamic and rice wine vinegars. Yum!
The quiche recipe had an odd assembly technique; they modified it so the
filling and crust were frozen separately rather than try to transport and
freeze the filling in the crust (what a mess that could be!). The chowder
recipe had a redundant and unnecessary middle step that they forfeited
altogether. This is exactly the kind of thing that encourages Kati and I
so much when we hear about it. We were happy to give detailed description
about our method when we wrote our book, but we never want it to be so
prescriptive that cooks don’t feel like they have room to adjust. Good
work, ladies!

I was thrilled that this group would allow me, a virtual stranger, to come
in and hang around while they worked. Thanks to these generous women,
three Whatcom County families will have an easier time feeding their
families this holiday season. As Nancy said, “there isn’t anything we can
do about their illnesses, but we can cook for them!” I commend these women for their hearts of compassion and the blessing they have brought to their friends.

Merry Christmas!

Ouch! Thanksgiving dinner cost me way more this year than I planned. Yes, prices were a factor. But, when I went to pick up my turkey the “system” didn’t have my order. Therefore, there was no small turkey left for me. So I got the BIG turkey and the BIG bill that goes along with Mr. Gobblypants (he was so big I felt he deserved a name!).

Of course when I told my husband about my turkey turmoil at the store earlier that day, he immediately went into Seinfeld mode: “It appears this store can TAKE the reservation. But it has trouble KEEPING the reservation.” Apparently so.

Lucky for me, I had the ingredients on hand to make Lindsay’s Chicken Curry. I substituted turkey for the chicken. I’m sure it will be just as delicious.

But because of this unanticipated holiday expense, I spent the next few days scouring my cookbooks for ultra-inexpensive recipes for the family. I found a good one: Texas Corn Chowder. I pulled some of the ingredients from the pantry, but I think it cost me less than $5.00 for the meal. I also managed to save the left overs for one lunch too.

This recipe comes from a new book by Kathleen Hanna, The Good-to-Go Cookbook: Take-Along Food, Quick Suppers, and Satisfying Snacks for On-the-Go Families. I’ve emailed Kathleen and we’re going to coordinate schedules so she can join us on a podcast or have a guest blog in the new year. So stay tuned!

In the meantime, enjoy her recipe:

Texas Corn Chowder

1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15-ounce) can creamed style corn
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onions
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium pot over medium heat; simmer for 5 minutes and serve.

Kati’s note: I substituted regular diced tomatoes and added 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning. As Kathleen notes, this soup can be topped with diced green pepper, jalapeno, or sour cream. I used sour cream and cheddar cheese. Green onion would also be nice.