Delivery #8

Today is one of those days that about halfway through you're already wore out.  The good thing is, I have accomplished quite a bit so there is a reason I feel this way.  Anyway, today I was making a meal for a family of 3 adults.  I chose to make this morning homemade vegetable beef soup.  This is my moms recipe.  But I will warn you as I think I have in earlier posts, she and I don't always cook straight from recipes.  It's a little bit here and a little bit there.  But I will do my best to include this recipe on my recipe page.  Anyway, before my piano lesson got here this morning at 8 a.m., I had the stew beef boiling/cooking.  I let it do that while I taught.  I gradually added the ingredients of this soup as some items need to cook before the next thing goes in. So on the side I made my mix for the cornbread and got the oven ready for that.  If you've been following this project, you can tell that I have made the cornbread a lot but it just goes very well with the soups that I have chosen to make so often.  It's a good time of year for it.  As I was putting the last ingredients in the soup, I remembered I was short one, the lima beans.  Ah, man.  I realized another trip to the grocery store was in my near future.  Well, I also decided to try the cake idea that I made the other Sunday for church but instead this time using the cream cheese icing.  So I got that mix going, pretty easy....folded in the cream cheese icing.  I tasted the batter....it was so good and so sweet that I had to get my coffee cup back out for another round.  Mercy.  I put that in the bundt pan again.  While that baked, I balanced my checkbook, went back upstairs and took the cake out.  Then I showered (for my trip to the grocery store) and went back to the cake.  Now on the Sunday that I made it before I know I did not let it 100% cool because we were so rushed that day but the cake turned out beautifully.  Well, not so for today.  Very disappointed.  On one side of the pan the cake didn't come out all the way.  It looked terrible.  I know I greased the pan the same way so I don't know if it was the cooling issue (probably) or if the consistency of a cream cheese icing being added.  Either way, I felt like I had to let you know what happened.  Every day is not perfect and some things are not going to go right....... just the way it goes.  BUT don't let it keep you from doing the good thing or rob you of the joy.
But on with the day.  I decided to ice the cake anyway.  Because really...what is the icing for?  To cover up the mistakes.  hahahaha      I had a bit of the cake that was still left in the pan and Oh My......Yuh-mee!
I have some friends from church whose anniversary is today so I sliced some for them, put a candle in it and ran it by their house and then went to the grocery store.  By about this time I start getting a headache.  If you know me, you know that me and headaches are long acquaintances.  Ugh!  But I saw that Van Halen's I'll Wait from their 1984 album was on.  So I turned that up and did my best to ignore the headache.
I got home, added the limas, made my lunch.  Derek came home for lunch and tasted the cake with the icing.  I think it 'bout "sent him over the edge". (That is mine and his language for "it was too sweet").  Then I began to pack up the meal.
I went to the school, delivered the meal and started looking for my next "hit".  I got the rest of the week lined up.  One lady I am taking a meal to just had a baby right about the same time school started.  She is just back from her maternity leave.  This was the first time I had seen her.  I asked her if I could bring a meal to her and her husband on Friday and she started crying.  Of course I teared up, too.  I think that's how God's love can be sometimes, a bit overwhelming, maybe confusing even.  Anyway, hoping to be "bringing the love" this week again.
By the way, the cake was ugly but it is AWESOME.

Delivery #7

Well, hey there.  Did not post since right before Thanksgiving but I am back at it.  I had talked to our elementary school principal before we left town about delivering a meal for her family today so I got up this morning ready to go.  I made a dish called Cavatini.  It looked and smelled delicious.  I made a dish of it for my family too.  Glad I did because it looked so good.  Anyway, I had made my list on Saturday and went grocery shopping then for some of the items needed.  This is the biggest family so far that I've taken to, with 3 adults and 2 children, so I wanted to make sure there was plenty.  I had bought Romaine lettuce and tomatoes.  I chopped that up and put into a gallon size bag.  I made a lemon icebox pie.  Easy.....I promise....nothing to it.  So I had that going in the mixer while I browned my meat and boiled my pasta.  Multi-tasking at its best.  Oh Yeah!  Next thing you know it was done so I showered, put the meal in the truck and delivered.  Got another hug and I'm taking dinner to her administrative assistant tomorrow.  They also have 3 adults.  Hmmmmm, what to bring, what to bring?  I had my husband go with me since I had a bigger dish or two.  It was nice to have him along. 
When we got back from Thanksgiving, I had a bag hanging from my door from the older couple.  She had returned all of the dishes (she's done that before when I made her something) with a thank you note.  They had not had the 5 cup salad in years so that was a treat. :)   Also, in the mail, I had notes from the other two neighbors thanking us for the meal.  In one note, it said, "Food is love and we thank you for it."  That's a treasure right there. 
I am adding to the recipes page so take a look if you're interested.  Enjoy!  "Food is love."  That just makes me smile.

Recipes

Just want to make sure you all have seen there is a separate page to this blog that lists all of the recipes.  It's on the right side of the daily posts.  It lists the home page and the recipes page.  Just click on recipes to see them.  Enjoy!

Delivery #6

Delivered today again at about 3 p.m.  Meril and Mason were with me and she invited us in.  Very sweet lady.  I took over the broccoli cheese soup, 5 cup salad and chocolate chip cookies.  Because they are older I want to make sure I keep a relationship with her.  I'd love for her to feel comfortable to ask us for anything.  You never know when you might need help from a neighbor. 
Tomorrow, we travel to my mom's for the holiday so I am not giving a meal again until we get back.  I still have 2 recipes to post....  the broccoli cheese soup and the 5 cup salad.  Have a happy Thanksgiving!  

Delivery #5

Today, being Sunday, was a very busy day.  I played hooky last night by hanging out with my family and not cooking the pot of soup for today's meal that I should have so today wouldn't've been so harried.  But I got it done.  We got home from church about 2:30.  I had the makings for broccoli cheese soup but I had not even asked anyone for me to bring it to.  So when we got home, I changed clothes and went across the street a few doors down.  I don't know this couple well but I do know them and I asked them if it was too late of notice for me to bring them a meal for tonight.  She already had a pork loin marinating, she said, but would love to have for it for tomorrow night because she is cooking all week for Thanksgiving.  So I walked away and saw the neighbor across the street from her pulling into her drive.  Now I have taken a meal to her and her husband recently.  No reason then except that I had made a big pot of vegetable beef soup and thought I'd share so I took it to her (uninvited) and she brought back my tupperware the next day with a sweet note thanking me.  So when I told her that I was starting a project to make a meal for my neighbors she said, "Oh my, how can you do that?"  And I said, "Well, just one day at a time."  So she graciously accepted a meal from me tomorrow.  Now I scurried home because the one thing I did not tell you already is that we had a chili supper at my church at 5:00.  Fortunately I only had to bring a dessert so I was able to get it done in time....... oh, okay, we were 3 minutes late to church.  But here's what I made for them.  I made the soup (takes no time......recipe to follow) and on the counter next to the soup had my mixer going for a cake I made for the chili supper.  This was the first time I'd made this cake and I gotta tell you it was one of the easiest things I've ever made to be so tasty but when you find out what all is in it you'll know why.  I realize this is not a part of the meal I took but I was cooking so I might as well share.  The cake is made with a regular yellow cake mix (I bought mine from the dollar store, can you believe it?) and you make it exactly according to the directions.  THEN, you fold in a can of pecan coconut icing.  Yes, you heard me right....icing....right into the mix.  Yuh---mee.   Then I put mine into a bundt pan.  Haven't used mine much because I don't bake much but it turned out nice.  Then you ice the outside of the cake once it has cooled with another can of the pecan coconut icing (ya know the same kind you icing you use for a german chocolate cake).  It was mighty fine.
After the cake was out, I put some more chocolate chip cookies on and pulled those out of the oven by 4:20.  While the cookies were going, I made another bowl of the 5 cup salad.  I pulled out a portion of that for the family of 2 and put it in a to-go container.  Derek helped me get the cookies ready to transport.  Then I put the soup in a container.  I laid that altogether on the counter and ran to powder my nose. (I try not to look like a hag, hee hee).  By that time the kids are ready and I gave the meal to the kids to walk over.  While they were doing that I iced the cake.  Derek covered it for me and we were out the door.  Picked up the kids on the way to church.  Whew!  And every bit of it was worth it.  Plus, my meal is done for tomorrow except I may have to make some more cookies because the cake was gone (I thought there might be some left and I could take that tomorrow but that's okay......  I was loving on people at church too). 
We have a saying at our church, our mission statement, if you will.  Loving God, Serving People.  But I'm finding out that I love God and I love people. Have you loved someone today?

Delivery #4

Well yesterday, I emailed one of my neighbors who had commented to me on the blog.  I asked her if she would be available to receive a meal from me today.  She graciously accepted and in that same email gave me a recipe for white chicken chili for me to use some time.  She said it would feed a crowd.  :) 
My 8 yr old daughter and I delivered it today about 2 p.m. They were working in the yard so I was glad to see when they got done they wouldn't have to worry about what to eat.  I took over the Santa Fe soup, cornbread and cookies. 
I also scored some chicken today from Allison. Another awesome deal. Just making this project more DO-able for me.  Love it. 
I've mentioned before how this affects the family.  Meril has been wanting to go with me to deliver meals but she hasn't been able to as she has been in school while I deliver.  she was very excited to take it with me.  She actually wanted to "scooter" down; thought we could put a basket on her scooter and she could carry everything.  I decided not to chance it.
Also, when I came home from playing volleyball this morning.  My son was in the process of cleaning the house.  He had totally cleaned up the kitchen, reloaded dishwasher, mopped kitchen floor, vacuumed living area and halls, took out all the garbage from every room and cleaned his and his sisters' bathrooms.  This is another reason why I am able to do this project.  Not sure where he got that energy, not to mention the desire to clean that way but I am appreciative and proud. 
Now....on to the next meal.

Meal #3 Delievered

Well, by 9:30 this morning, I had my cornbread made and the next batch of cookies cooling.  I try to send about 6-8 cookies for 2 people so that leaves us a few here.  Well, sometimes the cookies get broken and I don't want to take those so those cookies end up staying here.  Not good. :)
So today I made the delivery of meal #3.  She was very excited, jumped up and gave me a hug.  I just love that.  I gave the recipes to lady #1 because in her thank you note yesterday, she asked me for the recipes, well, actually, her husband asked for the recipes.  How do you like that?  So I gave them to her and she hugged me again.  Even said we should clone me.  ha   I'm not sure this family could take that.  As I'm getting ready to walk out, lady #2caught me and put a thank you note in my hand and gave me a hug as well (I could get used to this). I've talked to the principal since then and have lined her family up for the Monday when we come back to school.
Then I proceeded to Kroger to get the rest of my makings for broccoli cheese soup.  Should be pretty affordable as it has no meat in it, yet still very yummy.  I will be making that soup for my deliveries on Sunday and Monday.  Yes, I'm a planner.
I will be entering a separate post for the recipes.  Enjoy!

Delivery #2

I started today thinking it was going to be a great day of getting things done because my 8 a.m. piano lesson had canceled so it put me in the mindset that I was ahead for the day.  Well, not so.  Apparently I planned too much for today perhaps?  It is almost 10:30 and I am just now getting the chance to write a few words.  I think part of my problem was wanting to write something after I made my delivery but then I almost ran out of time. I do have a job, ya know.  So I taught at 3 until 6, was at bible study til 9:30 and rush home to kiss the kiddos.  Note to self: on Thursdays, deliver meals earlier so that I can blog earlier.  Whew! Anyway........
I went back to the school to deliver my second meal and it almost felt like when I walked in the door that they were waiting on me.  So I gave the sack of food to the beautiful receptionist and the lady who is getting a meal tomorrow told me that she had already told her husband about the meal and they were excited.  It almost made me feel like I better kick it up a notch.  ha   Well, regardless, they are having a meal of Santa Fe soup because it is already in the fridge made and ready to go.  What is not made is the cornbread which I planned to take with it.  I was having trouble deciding what to take with that soup.  We usually eat it with tortilla chips but I didn't just want to send over a bag of chips, although I think I could and it would be received just fine.  I will get up tomorrow and bake the cornbread maybe bake some more cookies.  I haven't decided who I am taking a meal to on Saturday.  Leaning towards a neighbor as school is not in session until after Thanksgiving.  I'll let you know.
NOW..... everybody keeps asking about recipes.  I'm working on it.  In fact, I have two people I need to thank for helping today with this project.  My friend, Becky, from church offered to scan my recipe cards so that I could upload them here.  So she sent that to me today.  I will try to get that put on here for you by tomorrow. Thank you, Becky.   The other person I wanted to thank was my friend, Allison.  She is an extreme-couponer.  If you don't know what that is go look it up.  She may think she's not but she is.   Places are paying her to take the stuff out of their store.  She needs to start a blog on that herself.  Anyway, I asked her to keep an eye out for disposable plastic storage containers.  The aluminum containers from the Dollar Store work great but not when you're trying to transport soup.  And I plan to make a lot of soup because it feeds a lot of people (and fortunately, it is cool outside).  So she calls me this morning (early) with coupons for it and for many, many other things I need to make these meals (I gave her several things to keep an eye out for) and by the end of that conversation she went to the store for me....cause she was going herself, and got them for me.  Also, (and I  will make a mistake here because I will forget something), this is what I got from her today; either from her getting it at the store(s) for me or her giving it to me out of her pantry because she has 20 chicken broths already (that may be a slight exaggeration  but not much)    :)   Several pkgs of plastic containers, small and larger; 5 chicken broths; 4 cream of mushroom soup, vanilla puddings, bananas, vanilla wafers, 3 bags of frozen corn and I can't remember what else and I paid her less than $13.  Now this does not include that 20 or so coupons that she gave me with the instructions of WHO has the sale that will get me cookie dough for a $1 and other equally valuable information while I am doing this project.  Holy cow!  What a help!  Thanks, Allison.
I love how this project is involving more people, directly and indirectly.  Obviously, if you're a friend of mine you see how I'm busy working, running around.  If you're in this family, there are new conversations about what is "free-game" in the fridge and what is not.  haha    But there are those indirectly and directly affected by these meals and again, that's what this is about.  "Lord, please bless this meal"   means a lot more these days.
See you tomorrow.

Need to add a couple of things....

This is something I should add to today's earlier post.  In making the soup (and by the way, it is Santa Fe soup rather than Mexican soup which I called it before.  I was given these 2 recipes for these soups at the same time from Allison and I use the titles for them interchangeably forgetting which title goes with which), I realized that I had bought a few extra of the cans so I actually have the makings for a 3rd pot of soup, minus the 2 lb. of ground beef that I will need to complete that recipe. So the $100 I spent was even better.
The other thing I wanted to add is my cousin did not comment on the blog but you can find her comment on my facebook page saying that this idea inspired her and she made lasagna for her neighbor last night and called her today to say don't make dinner because she had already made it for her.  She would deliver today when she got home from work.  So cool!  Be inspired, each of you, you can do this too, even if you're working a job during the day.  Cool, cool, cool. 
Gotta run.  My next piano lesson is at the door......

First Meal Delivered

Well, I have so many things to tell you since yesterday.  I hope I don't leave anything out.  Yesterday I began cooking at 1 p.m. knowing I had to be teaching at 3.  I cooked my chicken and spaghetti noodles first thing and then began to chop and mix together the Chicken Tetrazzini.  The recipe I used called for 4 cups of cooked diced chicken.  I had about 5 cups so I added a little more pasta than it called for and was able to stretch another meal out of it.  I made an 8 x 8 casserole dish that I fed my family with last night.  There are 5 of us so we nearly ate it all.  But I also made (2)  8 x 8 cake pans which would have been a more shallow dish than the one I used for my family because I knew the family I was delivering to today was for a husband and wife.  That one cake pan  made enough for one meal for them with definite leftovers.  I also took the 5 cup salad which I mentioned yesterday.  I made plenty of it as well so that I had enough for my family and enough to take for 2 more meals with the tetrazzini. 
Yesterday, I went to the grocery store with the ingredients for this meal (which remember...it fed 3 families).  I also bought the makings for Mexican soup times 2 which will also feed more than one family with just the one pot not to mention the second pot that I bought for.  I put all of those cans and envelope packets all into one bag and sat it at the bottom of my pantry keeping it all together so no one will pull from it and I don't have to re-think a meal.  I also went to the Dollar Store.  I went mainly to purchase items for 2 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.  What I got for this project are several aluminum cooking pans so that transporting meals would be easier.  They are very cheap here.  Kroger had them almost 3x's as much. 
Last night after I was done teaching, I put in some store-bought cookies in the oven.  My family had a few and then I bagged them for the dessert today.  I bought the Kroger brand cranberry oatmeal walnut.  The dough  may be store-bought but they are delicious and "home-madey" tasting.  (I made up that word as I'm sure you figured out.)  By the way, my total bill was $100 at Kroger.  That was 7 meals for sure, maybe 9 depending on the Mexican soup but I also added to that bill my own family's milk, orange juice, bananas and bread.
So today, I gathered my meal which included the tetrazzini, salad and cookies.  I put directions on top of the entree and I also included ingredients to the salad in case of allergies or dislikes.  I took pictures of what I took.  I'll see if I can figure out how to add those pix or not. :)   I went into the school and gave the meal to the nurse.  She hugged me, thanked me and there was the neatest atmosphere in the office with a couple of other ladies talking about what a generous lady (the nurse) was and it was a neat thing for them to see her being given to.  So, once that was done, I turned to the other 2 office ladies and said, "Which one of you is next?"  Looking specifically at one of them I continued, "May I cook for you tomorrow?"  She said yes, got up and hugged me.  I asked how many in her family, she said 2 which I knew that meant I could give the same meal of Tetrazzini which was already in my fridge. :)   I turned to the other lady and asked if I could bring her one on Friday, she said yes.  I asked if something was a little spicy would that be ok and she said it would.  So I know I am getting ready to cook the Mexican soup.  My family will eat it tonight and hers on Friday.  There may be enough for me to give it on Saturday, too.  I'll get back to you on that. 
Ya know, one of the ladies said to me after I offered to make her a meal..."you don't have to do that."  I replied, "I know, and that's the beauty of it."  I really think this IS the beauty of it.  Giving with no ulterior motives, no looking-for-something-in-return.  Just giving....because you can, because you want to, because Someone gave to us.  Pass it on......

And it begins....

Last night, before turning off my light, I had a legal pad in my lap and I began to take notes for meal ideas, a tentative schedule for this week.  That turned into a grocery list and then, that turned into another list of who all I'd like to take a meal .  I'm excited.  Before I went to the grocery store today, I called my daughter's elementary school and talked to the school nurse.  I told her I had started a project of making a meal for 30 families in 30 days.  She was very gracious and accepted my offer of a meal.  So my first delivery date is tomorrow, November 17.  I will deliver that and find out who in the office (at the school) would like for me to bring a meal on Thursday as well as Friday.  Some people may feel put-on-the-spot by this so I am being very careful to allow people a way out.  I don't want to force it on anyone. 
I am making Chicken Tetrazzini as her husband only eats chicken and fish.  Make sure you always ask that question.  I will make the dish for my family tonight as well and split to feed her family and mine.  I am also making 5 cup salad which includes pineapple, madarin oranges, sour cream, coconut and marshmellows.  Not sure about dessert yet.  Will get back to you on that.  starting to cook now so that it's all done before I start teaching this afternoon.  I'm on a schedule, ya know. :)

30 Meals * 30 Days

Well, this is my first time ever blogging.  I thought I would post something immediately to get it going.  I will design and embellish the page later.  I'm good at the talking part...not designing.  Or perhaps, I should say, I like to talk....not design. 
I am starting to blog to record a project I am beginning.  I am planning to make a meal for other families for 30 days. I am going to "hit"  my neighbors, school administrators, friends, acquaintances OR just where I feel led in the moment.  I think that part will be easy.  But before I get to the "doing" part though, I thought I'd shortly explain how this came about.  Without boring you with details (although you may already be bored), I have been interested in writing.  My husband suggested starting with a blog so I thought I would link it with something that I care about, something I enjoy.  I enjoy making meals for people.  I like the organizing of it, the shopping for it, the doing of it and the loving-on-people part of it.  It's one of those practical things that everyone could use every now and then.  In the past, I have made meals for those who've lost family members, who've added family members, who've gone through a rough time or simply those who lived near me and I felt like it.  I'm hoping to bless someone with this project and I'm just old enough and smart enough to know that I will be blessed in return.
I am going to begin by organizing some meal ideas.  I am not trying to make this difficult, such as creating a unique and different eating experience every day.  I may give a lot of time one day that will make 2 - 3 days worth of meals and then simply deliver 3 consecutive days, or make extra of whatever I am making for my own family.  We have to eat, too. :)  Whatever I do, I will record it here.  Maybe even add in some pictures.  I will let you know what I deliver, who I deliver to and how I deliver it.  Perhaps someone would be encouraged to do the same.....hitting their neighborhood, their schools with the end result of impacting our communities, and ultimately, in the name of Jesus Christ because really, why else do it?  So I'm delivering, what I hope is, the love of Christ for 30 days.