I had been fancying making Italian Wedding Soup, which I kept thinking was Wedding Ring Soup, since my neighbor brought me some fresh off the stove a while ago.
It needs meatballs, so I noticed some hot turkey sausage when I was out for food yesterday. Fine.
Then the weather turned really warm, windows open, so I still doggedly made the meatballs, if not for soup.
Used up the last of the cooked brown rice, the last egg in the carton, and the last breadcrumbs in the box. I didn't add any seasoning, the sausage being hot and the breadcrumbs seasoned. Just as well, when I came to taste one. Plenty seasoned. Not quick, the fire extinguisher hot, but close.
And I had a nice playtime making meatballs and arranging them on the baking sheet. 23. Why doesn't it ever come out like the round number the magazine cooks claim they get? I had spritzed the sheet with olive oil, then did same to the meatballs. Turkey isn't fat like beef, so it needs extra.
400f for, hm, I checked several times before declaring them done, possibly 20 minutes. Shook them about a time or two to brown evenly.
Then steamed the last of the frozen peas and corn, winter go to, been using these since November. Since they come in plastic bags, washed the bags for future freezing, pinned them to drain over the paper recycle.
At this point my freezer is full of misleading items. That is not milk powder, it's bread. No, not frozen berries, asparagus. I try to be on top of labeling, but you know how it is. Some of the yogurt cartons are soup, some natural dyes. Those are labeled though.
And here's today's lunch. Glass of lemonade left from yesterday's visit. Similar plate in fridge for tomorrow, bag o' meatballs to go into the freezer in case I ever make that soup. Or do spag and mb for visiting son. Or meatball sandwiches for moi.
And the peas are used up before they're in fresh at the farm. But first there will be asparagus. Ahead of which I need to use up the supply from last year. Work, work, work..
Speaking of food and work, the current coronavirus crisis is likely to cause serious hardship among people who can't just stay home, or work remotely, or whose I kids need the subsidized school meals which won't happen if schools close.
So it's a nice idea to pop a check in the mail to your local food bank. $$ is more useful than food items, because they know the current needs. And it's also toiletries.
Most of our local recipients are working but still need help. And they need to be presentable for work, but don't have the money for vital personal needs. When in doubt, ask the food bank people, they're the experts.
Just a thought.
Great idea for meatballs and about the food bank too.
ReplyDeleteI did put my check where my mouth was. It's in the mail. My income is modest, but it's steady and I'm housed and fed. Seems only fair to share a bit.
ReplyDeleteWe eat losts of leftovers these days. I love peas and do think they can go into any meal!
ReplyDeleteA craving for a meatball sub started a few days ago. Your meatball photos is encouraging. I bought a jar of ready made pasta sauce, a rarity for me, because the sign said under a dollar. Turns out to be nearly 3 times the price on the sign. I think the spirits are telling me something.
ReplyDeleteSince there's only me at my house, when I cook I put any leftovers into containers, label and pop them in the freezer. Instant future dinner!
ReplyDeleteIsn't that a comforting thought, that there's another meal ready just to heat up. I like cooking from scratch, but not every day.
DeleteI volunteer at a Food Bank. We've not been hit with increased requests yet and we're still going strong on December donations. But the thin months are coming and we'll soon need to supplement children with backpacks full of easy foods for spring break.
ReplyDeleteChecks are always appreciated because we can buy basic food at greatly reduced prices.
Nice to see you, Patty. And thank you for the support wrt food bank donations. And for volunteering at your local bank.
DeleteYou're right about the food bank people, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteI just this evening announced that I was going to quit putting my leftovers in old butter and yogurt, etc. containers because I am so tired of opening five containers to find the particular leftover I'm looking for. I swear- I spend half my life doing this. Now will I? We shall see.
I'm always quite sure I'll remember what you put in the container. Famous last words.
DeleteI don't like to cook every day, so leftovers are a favorite of mine. In our town, the Salvation Army gets left over food from our local stores and people can come by every other Monday and one Tuesday a month and get all kinds of food items, from veggies, to chicken, cheese, bread and canned foods. It's a wonderful service for our small town.
ReplyDeleteIt's great. Our food pantry can only handle nonperishable items. But the local farmer's market accepts SNAP (federal food assistance cards) for anything food. And when I'm there I make a cash donation to the food organizers for use by SNAP recipients.
DeleteYou run your kitchen along the same lines as I do. My freezers are anybody’s guess, but I always eat up everything, I am not a person to waste food. Once upon a time I knew what hunger feels like.
ReplyDeleteSo helping others to stay afloat is almost a way of life now, rather than an occasional thought. I hate it that we are living in food bank times.
Yes, I've had my years of living on one meal a day as a student living on a scholarship grant that was supposed to supplement parental support. Parents had died, so I had to manage. Scholarship holders not allowed to work on pain of losing scholarship, supposed to free up the student for study, demanding program.
ReplyDeleteAnd a childhood of wartime rationing and scarcity. You never forget, and you live accordingly. Not a bit of waste. Best cooking I can do.
Although my mom used to say, (she was a good cook, her friends not so much): God sends food, the divil sends cooks!
Good thoughts about the food bank. Hopefully they won't become casualties of all the closures. There's little waste in our kitchen and we're thankful to have a small freezer that is kept stocked with soups and chili, ready to thaw and eat. We could manage quite nicely for at least a month (probably more) although we would miss fresh fruit and veg's.
ReplyDeleteI think there would be an insurrection if food banks closed! Ours is in the municipal building, next to the police department, can't be closed. Hoping that the tiny staff keeps well.
ReplyDelete