September - Hunger Awareness Month - Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Happy Monday all.  This is a continuation of a series on hunger awareness in the United States.  Since the onset of the Great Recession as it is called, need for assistance in obtaining food has risen drastically.  Here are some statistics from FeedingAmerican/Second Harvest concerning the SNAP program, or Food Stamps as many call it.

SNAP (Food Stamps): Facts, Myths and Realities

    

SNAP: PROGRAM FACTS

SNAP is targeted at the most vulnerable.

• 76% of SNAP households included a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person. These vulnerable households receive 84% of all SNAP benefits.^[i]
• SNAP eligibility is limited to households with gross income of no more than 130% of the federal poverty guideline, but the majority of SNAP households have income well below the maximum: 85% of SNAP households have gross income at or below 100% of the poverty guideline ($22,350 for a family of four), and 62% of SNAP households have gross income at or below 75% of the poverty guideline ($16,762 for a family of four).^[ii]
• The average SNAP household has a gross monthly income of $731, net monthly income of $336, and countable resources of $333.^[iii]

SNAP is responsive to changes in need, providing needed food assistance as families fall into economic hardship and then transitioning away as their financial situation stabilizes.

• Because SNAP participation closely follows unemployment, SNAP responded quickly and effectively to the recession. As the number of unemployed people increased by 110% from 2007 to 2010, SNAP mirrored that growth with a 53% increase in participation over the same period.^[iv]
• The average length of time a participant stays on the program is 9 months.^[v]
• As the economy slowly recovers and unemployment begins to fall, SNAP participation and costs too can be expected to decline. The Congressional Budget Office projects that SNAP will shrink nearly to pre-recession levels as the economy recovers and need abates.^[vi]

SNAP has a strong record of program integrity.

• SNAP error rates declined by 61% from FY1999 to FY2010, from 9.86% to a record low of 3.81%.^[vii] The accuracy rate of 96.19% (FY2010) is now at an all-time program high and is considerably higher than other major benefit programs, for example Supplemental Security Income (90%), Medicare fee-for-service (89.5%), and Medicare Advantage Part C (85.9%).^[viii] [ix]
• Two-thirds of all SNAP payment errors are a result of caseworker error.^[x] Nearly one-fifth are underpayments, which occur when eligible participants receive less in benefits than they are eligible to receive.^[xi]
• The national rate of food stamp trafficking declined from about 3.8 cents per dollar of benefits redeemed in 1993 to about 1.0 cent per dollar during the years 2006 to 2008. As you may have read in local news, USDA is aggressively enforcing individual cases of trafficking, but while there are individual cases of program abuse, for every one allegation of fraud, there are hundreds of stories of heartbreaking need.^[xii] 

The need for food assistance is already greater than SNAP can fill.

• SNAP benefits don’t last most participants the whole month. 90% of SNAP benefits are redeemed by the third week of the month, and 58% of food bank clients currently receiving SNAP benefits turn to food banks for assistance at least 6 months out of the year.^[xiii]
• The average monthly SNAP benefit per person is $130, or less than $1.50 per person, per meal. ^[xiv]
• Only 55% of food insecure individuals are income-eligible for SNAP, and 29% are not income-eligible for any federal food assistance.^[xv]

SNAP: MYTHS & REALITIES

Categorical Eligibility

 Categorical eligibility allows many people to automatically enroll in SNAP who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for the program.

• Categorical eligibility does not allow households to enroll automatically; they must still apply through the regular SNAP application process, which has rigorous procedures for documenting applicants’ income, citizenship, work status, and other circumstances.
• Categorical eligibility allows states the option of aligning SNAP eligibility rules for gross income and assets with TANF to reduce administrative costs and simplify the eligibility determination process. While three-fourths of SNAP households were categorically eligible, almost all would also have been eligible for SNAP under standard rules.
• While a small number of households would not have met gross income and asset eligibility rules without categorical eligibility, SNAP families are still among the poorest households:
• SNAP rules limit eligibility to households with gross income under 130% of poverty and net income at or below 100% of poverty. The average SNAP household has a gross monthly income of $731 and net monthly income of $336. Only 1% of SNAP households in 2009 had monthly net income above 100% of the poverty line.
• SNAP rules limit eligibility to households with assets of no more than $2000. The average SNAP household still has assets of only $333. ^[xvi] Additionally, the SNAP asset limit of $2,000 has not been adjusted for inflation in 25 years and has fallen by 48% in real terms since 1986.  
• FeedingAmerica.org

Food insecurity is a real and serious problem, especially for America's children.  Do what you can to help food pantries in your area.  By donating to FeedingAmerica/SecondHarvest, you can increase your buying power 4 fold due to arrangements they have for purchasing food and distributing it to pantries and those in need.

The East Nashville CoOp Ministry, where I volunteer preparing healthy and nutritious meals, receives food from Second Harvest for food boxes.  We feed anywhere from 50 to 100 people a day on a budget of only $50.00.  That is a true challenge when it comes to feeding that many people.  

Today was a rainy Monday and it makes for a hard day for shelterless people.  They come to the CoOp to get in out of the rain and enjoy a healthy dinner prepared by a staff of volunteers.  We make our menus in advance and little did we know when we decided to make delicious home made chicken noodle soup that it would be a really great day for enjoying a bowl of steaming, delicious soup.  We also served jicama lime tuna salad sandwiches with lettuce and tomato garnish and fruit salad.  I make every effort to incorporate fruit and greens in our clients diets several times a week so that they receive proper nutrition and fiber.  

To make our soup, we cooked 4 whole chickens in a gigantic pot and used LOTS of ingredients that you would not use for making soup at home (same ingredients, different portions).  I like to make at least one "marrow" soup a week so that everyone receives the added benefits of the marrow which aids digestion and adds lots of muscle and bone building nutrients.  Besides that, it tastes wonderful.  This is how you can make a nice pot of delicious home made chicken noodle soup to enjoy.

1 whole chicken (innards removed)

1 large onion, halved and cut into thin sliced "moons"

4 carrots cut into "coins"

2 ribs celery, halved and diced

salt and pepper to taste

1 bag egg noodles (I like Aldi's)

Place the chicken in a large soup pot and cover with water.  Boil until the chicken starts to come off the bone, or leg and thigh separate from the chicken body.  This should take 30-45 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the pot.  Add the vegetables to the broth (don't skim the "foam" that is the marrow).  While the vegetables cook, let the chicken cool down and remove the skin and discard.  Pick all the meat from the bones and set aside.  Cook until the carrots are getting soft.  Add about 8 cups of water to the broth, or enough to make sure the noodles will be covered.  Add the noodles to the broth when it begins to boil.  This keeps the noodles from sinking to the bottom and sticking to the pan.  Let the noodles cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once just to keep them from sticking.  Add all the chicken meat to the pot.  Stir to incorporate all the chicken.  (too much stirring will cause the noodles to disintigrate).  Let the noodles finish cooking, add salt and black pepper to taste.  If you want, add 4 or 5 sprigs fresh thyme which has been removed from the stems or 2 tsps. dried thyme.  Your soup is ready to serve.  

This soup is soul and body satisfyingly delicious.  Serve with a sandwich or nice crusty bread and you have a complete meal.  Personally, I like the soup all by itself.  

Remember to think of all the shelterless people there are including children.  Remember all who may have a roof over their head but live a life of food insecurity.  Do what you can to make a difference.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

When you have a good stock, you can make a good soup.
Martin Yan 

Ode To Potato Salad And My Favorite Recipe

Who loves potato salad?  I love potato salad.  Almost every kind I've ever had, but I like to make it this way.  With just a little mustard for some zip.  I like shallot (or onion) and celery in it for crunch.  I like it made with mayonnaise with olive oil for the binder (such delicious flavor) and I like white potatoes.  They are my favorite.  You can use red potatoes if you want, but I like white potatoes.

Do you love potato salad?   Ooh doggies, I love potato salad - especially with a good baked ham.  Yum.  Yum.  Yum.  This bowl was made for a recent Sunday family dinner when I had baked a ham and what goes with it?  Why, potato salad of course.

Potato salad is relatively easy to make, and I have always made it by the big bowl full because I want left overs to enjoy.  You know how the flavors all meld together and it tastes better the second day?  Yes, that is why I want to make sure there are some left overs.

On labor day, we made a very festive holiday picnic type lunch for all of our clients at the East Nashville CoOp Ministry to enjoy.  Let me tell you, I was a bit intimidated by the thought of cooking 20 pounds - yes your read that right - 20 pounds of potatoes and turning it into potato salad.  I just did the same thing I always do in much larger quantities and it turned out fabulously.  So fabulously, that there was not one eensy bitsy tiny bit left.  Not one sliver of onion, or celery or anything.  Guess that means they liked it.

Here is how I make my potato salad.  Wash however many potatoes you want to use.  I used 12 for this bowl full.  Put in a large pan and cover with water.  Boil until potatoes are soft.  I like to cover the pan with a lid so the steam is trapped and they cook faster.  When the potatoes are fork tender, remove the pot from the stove, drain the hot water and cover the potatoes with cold water.

As soon as you can handle them, remove the skins by simply peeling them off with your hands.  No knife needed.  Place potatoes on a cutting board, halve and then quarter each potato.  Cut into bite sized pieces, about 1 to 1.5 inches in size.

Clean 3 ribs of celery.  Cut each rib down the center and then dice in small pieces.  I used on large shallot and diced in small pieces.  Shallot are a bit milder than onions, but if you don't have a shallot on hand a medium onion works fine.

If you like bell pepper, dice 1/2 of a red or green one and toss it in.  Peppers don't agree with Dan, so I leave them out.

Place all the potatoes in the bowl and add salt.  I can't tell you how much salt, because it will depend on your taste buds.  I start with some and then add if it needs more.  You can always add, you cannot remove, so use salt sparingly.  Add fresh cracked black pepper.

Next, add about 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I like mayo with olive oil).  Squirt about a tablespoon of yellow mustard or dijon mustard on the top of the mayo.  Now, mix, mix, mix, mix, until everything is combined and coated with the mayo and mustard.  Taste and see if more salt is needed.  Add the salt and a little more fresh cracked black pepper, mix, mix, mix some more and ta da!  You are done and ready to dive in.

Just make sure and save a little for later, or the next day.  Potato salad is one of those things that gets better and better as it sits.  It is such a guilty pleasure, I just can't explain it.  Just be sure and refrigerate it overnight.

We are enjoying some of the last late days of summer and maybe this weekend would be a perfect time for a cookout and a nice big bowl of fabulous potato salad.  You know how to make it, now go!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

“I think someone should have had the decency to tell me the luncheon was free. To make someone run out with potato salad in his hand, pretending he's throwing up, is not what I call hospitality.”

Jack Handy quotes

(Sorry, this quote cracked me up and I just had to use it!)

Chile and Cheese Rice - Delicious!

Mmmmm, cheese, rice, green chile's, fresh corn, sour cream, I mean what's not to like?  This is chile and cheese rice which is so delicious I can't even begin to tell you.  My family also loved it so that is confirmation that this is one good recipe.

Rice is one of the most adaptable and creative ingredients you can put on  your table.  I can't even begin to imagine how many hundreds or even thousands of recipes there are that use rice.  You can eat rice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  It makes great desserts and can be a tasty snack.  Most kids love rice too which is a BIG bonus.  Therefore, rice is surely one of the most universally accepted grains on the face of the planet.

I just had to know, so I looked up how much rice is grown world wide.  Care to take a guess?  In 2009 there were 678 million tons of rice grown in the world.  Now that's a lot of rice.

You know I'm a big fan of the Food Network.  Watching chefs and cooks on the network have given me so much confidence in my cooking ability and has allowed be to branch out and be creative in the things I make.  This recipe inspiration came from a show on Food Network called Mexican Made Easy.  When I watch Marcella Valladolid whip up her amazing recipes, I want to rush to the kitchen and try every one of them.  Why?  Because Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine are my favorite and her recipes are fantastic.  I like other ethnic foods, but if I had to choose it would always be Mexican.

Don't you get tired of making the same old tacos and rice over and over?  Well, here's a new recipe for you to try and I can say with much confidence that you will really, really love it.  Here is what you need.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 large white onion, minced
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups water
2 ears fresh corn kernels removed from the cob (or 2 cups frozen corn)
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 cup sour cream or crema
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
2 poblano peppers charred, peeled and chopped*
*I used one can chopped green chiles, works just great if you don't want to go to all the trouble of charring peppers.

Heat oil in medium sized skillet.  Add onion and saute until translucent - about 5 minutes.  Add rice and cook until opaque (stir so it doesn't burn) - about 10 minutes.  Stir in water and corn.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Cover.  Simmer until rice is tender - about 15 minutes.

Preheat broiler.  Fluff rice with fork, stir in chiles.  Transfer to 7x10 baking dish.  Drizzle with sour cream (or crema), sprinkle cheese on top.  Broil until brown in spots and cheese has melted - about 5-8 minutes.

Serve.  Yum.  All I have to say.

Next time you are looking for a different way to serve rice with taco or enchilada night, give this recipe a try.  It is absolutely outstanding.  Makes me want to whip up a batch right now.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

“Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook”

Chinese Proverbs quotes

Six Fall Centerpieces for $31

In order to make the noon dining experience at the East Nashville CoOp a little more joyful and colorful, I decided that the tables needed some centerpieces.  Fall is such a beautiful time of year with so many lovely colors to choose from, so I headed to my favorite place for inexpensive, but oh so usable items, The Dollar Tree.

First I needed some containers.  Now we know that everything at Dollar Tree costs one dollar, so cost is not the issue, it is finding the very thing you want to use.  I wandered up and down the aisles just checking things out.  The thing about Dollar Tree is, you never know just what you are going to find that will make that little lightbulb go off in your head and you'll say, that's it.  That's the perfect thing.

I am walking up and down aisles, and ta da, there they were.  Just the very thing I needed.

Have any idea what these are?  They are ice cream bowls and they looked like little pumpkins to me AND they were 2 for $1.00.  Now that's my price.  They even had cute little spoons that I didn't need for the centerpieces, so I put them in the drawer because Halloween is coming and I know some grandsons who I can use these for.  I got so many useful items for $3.00 - 6 bowls and 6 spoons.  Yes!

They were putting out fall items and I spied these lovely felt fall leaves in different colors.  They are about the size of a place mat.  Six of those in different colors went in my basket.

Now, I needed some styrofoam to use for my arrangements and they had these wonderful little pieces that fit exactly inside the ice cream bowls.  I LOVE when that happens.  Score!

 (You will want to anchor the styrofoam to the bottom of your container with hot glue).

Next, I needed flowers, so I went to the rack with all the fall flower bushes and picked assorted mums, black eyed susans, and fall leaves in oranges, burgundies, yellows and browns.  I realize I am always using the term "flower bush" and you may not know what that is.  A flower bush has multiple stems of flowers attached to one main stem.

On this particular bush, there are 6 flowers for $1.00.  That is quite a bargain.  I guestimated 3 bushes per container and I even had a couple of flowers left over.  I wanted round centerpieces (or what we always called roundy moundies in the floral business), not too tall so everyone could still converse without the interference of a centerpiece.  Here is the result of this effort.

Six lovely centerpieces in a variety of colors with different felt leaves to sit on.  Now, do I have a picture of the tables at the CoOp?  Oh no.  I keep forgetting to take one, BUT they look lovely in the middle of the tables.  They add color, fall flare and ambiance - like eating at a nice restaurant which is the effect I was going for.  Everyone deserves a pleasant dining experience, don't you think?

If you have a fall event in your future and you need some inexpensive centerpieces, don't forget to check out your local Dollar Tree.  You will be amazed at the wonderful things you can find there and how much money you can save.  Just use your imagination.  Think outside the box.  Of course ice cream bowls make lovely containers for floral arrangements, or maybe some wine glasses, or fish bowls.  Look at things with new and different eyes.  Or, check out Dollar Tree Crafts.com for some great ideas!  Why spend more money than you have to?  Your project can still look terrific, even with a little economy.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

He who does not economize will have to agonize.  ~Confucius

Hunger Awareness Month - Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup with Kale

Happy Monday to everyone.  How was your weekend?  Hopefully, it was all that you wanted it to be, especially restful.  How is it that those days we wait for all week fly by in such a blur that it's Monday once again and all you did was work - some more.  There is the never ending list of things to do around your home, the yard, grocery shopping, laundry and it's all necessary, but is it fun?  Did you get to spend a little time with yourself, your family, your friends?  We got to watch our oldest grandson play his first "fall" ball game Saturday.  The sun was shining, it was a beautiful day and we had a great time.  Don't spend all your time working and fretting about things and forget to make some memories.  Work will always be there waiting for you.  As Ralph Waldo Emerson says, life goes on.

Today, I am continuing a series on Hunger Awareness which takes place during the month of September.  Here are some statistics about hunger among children in the United States provided by ConAgra.org.  These are very disturbing figures indeed.

Hunger Means Children Rely on Support from Food Banks

• Hunger disproportionately affects children—nearly 40 percent of the people who turn to charities for hunger relief are children, although they represent only 25 percent of the U.S. population.
• Households with children experience food insecurity at almost double the rate of households without children.
• Nearly 1 in 5 children in this country is served by Feeding America, the nation’s largest network of food banks.
  • Nearly 14 million children are estimated to be served by Feeding America.
  • More than 3 million of those children are ages five and under – representing nearly 13 percent of all children under age five in the United States.
• Feeding America clients with children in their households were often faced with the tough decision of providing food for their family and paying for other necessities. For example:
  • More than 35 percent had to choose between food and medical care.
  • Nearly 55 percent made trade-offs between food and utilities.
  • More than 46 percent had to choose between food and paying rent or the mortgage.

Children who live in homes with food scarcity or insecurity have more difficulty in school.  Hunger makes concentration almost impossible, there is increased illness and lack of energy.  There is increased fear and insecurity in not knowing where your next meal will come from.  Yes, some are able to participate in school food programs that provide breakfast and lunch, but there may be no food over the weekend or for an evening meal.

At East Nashville CoOp Ministry, we are striving to provide healthy food for the homeless and those living in poverty.  Feeding America/Second Harvest stocks our pantry once a week for food boxes that are distributed to those in need.  This is a crisis that is occurring nationwide and worldwide.  The fact that we are the wealthiest nation in the world makes it hard to understand why anyone should go hungry.  Feeding America/Second Harvest has fed 1 in 8 people this year.  They have distributed 3 billion pounds of food and have fed 37 million Americans.  But, the problem persists.

The CoOp has had to stop serving breakfast due to a lack of funds, but we are continuing to serve lunch.  Today, we prepared lemon chicken orzo soup with kale, grilled cheese rounds and baked apple crisp.  This soup was inspired by some that I had at Panera Bread Company.  It is really good, healthy and easy to make.  We made enough to feed 100 people today, but here is how you can make it at home on a smaller scale.

1 whole chicken
1 large onion, diced in small pieces
2 carrots, diced in small pieces
2 ribs celery, diced in small pieces
1 package orzo pasta
1 bunch kale ( or use fresh spinach if you prefer)
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried oregano

Cover the chicken with water in a large pot and boil until the chicken is done.  Remove the chicken and add about 4 cups of water to the remaining stock cooking in the pot.  (you will have to use your judgment)  Add the vegetables and let them cook until soft.  Meanwhile, remove all the meat from the chicken, cut in bite sized pieces and return to the stock with vegetables.  Add the oregano and lemon juice.  Add the orzo and let cook until done, adding more liquid if needed - water or chicken stock in a box.  If using kale, remove the stems from the leaves and chop the leaves into bite sized pieces.  Add the kale once the orzo is cooked and let cook for about 15 more minutes.  (If you are using spinach, give it a rough chop and add when the orzo is cooked).  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add more lemon juice if you prefer.

This is a delicious and filling soup with a nice lemon flavor that has a wonderful Mediterranean flare.

Because our budget is limited, we make lots of soups and casseroles that will stretch our money and feed as many people as possible.  It is a real challenge, but ever so rewarding.

If there is a food pantry in your town or at your church, support it in any way you can.  People need to eat every day of the year, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  If you have spare time, volunteer to help at your local soup kitchen or pantry doing what you can to help alleviate hunger in our country.  The thought of a hungry child is heartbreaking.  

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Food brings people together on many different levels.  It's nourishment of the soul and body; it's truly love!  Giada deLaurentis

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Hunger Awareness Month - Baked Apples, Sweet Potatoes and Dried Plums

As I continue talking about Hunger Awareness during the month of September, I will share with you some of the recipes we have been making for our daily lunch guests.  Remember, colorful food is full of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and healthy nutrition that is good for their bones and muscles.  We also want to serve tasty food that leaves them satisfied and happy.  Good food encourages conversation and feelings of comfort.  Not only are we dealing with homelessness and poverty, we are dealing with addiction and mental health issues that can be aided with good nutrition, compassion, and caring.

I have been going to the Farmer's Market and buying local ingredients that are seasonal and preparing them in healthy ways that also taste good.  We served the dish in the picture above as one of our sides last week.  When I was putting it together, many people kept commenting about what an odd combination it was.  My reply was just wait until you taste it.

I also try to incorporate ingredients that are available in the food pantry.  One of the USDA items available for food boxes were prunes (dried plums).  Lots of people didn't want to take them because they said they didn't like them.  Perhaps, they had never really had them, especially used in cooking.  Prunes are fantastic as a snack.  They are simply dried plums which is a much friendlier name than prunes.  Prunes are associated with old age and sluggish digestive tracts when actually they are sweet and hold amazing nutritional properties.  They are full of vitamins, anti-oxidants, they are superior for digestive health acting as a probiotic, they help lower cholesterol and are good for liver health.  The benefits are fantastic.  Look up the nutritional information, it will knock your socks off.

The combination of ingredients that everyone considered odd were apples, sweet potatoes and prunes.  Now, before you judge or say yuck, you really need to try this recipe.  It is like eating dessert it is so delicious.  I used Golden Delicious Apples, sweet potatoes, dried plums, brown sugar, some butter, and cinnamon, and just a little salt.  Wowsa, it got raves and several people said they would be making this recipe at home.

Since I am making quantities to feed 100+ people, it is hard to give you an exact recipe.  You can make this in a smaller quantity and just reduce the amount of the ingredients.  I don't really measure anything.

Here is what I did.

I cut Golden Delicious apples into 1 inch pieces.
Peel sweet potatoes, halve, then quarter them.  Cut them into 1 inch pieces.
I used a bag of dried plums and cut them into 1 inch pieces.

I put the apples, sweet potatoes and dried plums in a pan and tossed them with my hands.  (We do wear gloves at all times).

I melted a stick of butter and poured it over all the diced fruit and vegetables and mixed.  I sprinkled about 1/2 bag of brown sugar over the pan and cinnamon.  (lots of cinnamon).  Toss everything together and put it in the oven at 350 until the sweet potatoes and apples are soft.  Remember, this is a huge pan of ingredients and it took about 1 hour to bake.  Just keep testing the sweet potatoes with a fork.  When they are soft, it's done.

This is an easy and amazingly good side dish.  Everyone LOVED it.  There was not one tidbit of it left.  It would be an excellent side with any meat entree, or you could put a streusel topping on it made with flour, oats and butter and eat it as a dessert.  Yum!!  It would also be super good at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

Because our budget per meal is limited, we have $100.00 for breakfast and lunch total, I really try to be creative, use local and fresh ingredients because it is less expensive and make the food delicious and nutritious.  Our cooking facilities are limited.  Our stove has only two burners that work and the oven.  There is a new kitchen in the future and we pray that is happens soon.  Of course, it depends on funds.  I must say, there is nothing as gratifying as seeing all the smiling faces asking if we have seconds and the daily thank you's for feeding them.  The challenge is more than worth the effort.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.
Dwight D. Eisenhower