"I'm glad I put beans to soak last night, " said Ma. She lifted the lid of the bubbling kettle and quickly popped in a spoonful of soda. The boiling beans roared, foaming up, but did not quite run over..."There is nothing like good hot bean soup on a cold day," said Pa... At noon Ma sliced bread and filled bowls with the hot bean broth and they all ate where they were, close to the stove. They all drank cups of strong, hot tea. Ma even gave Grace a cup of Cambric tea. Cambric tea was hot water and milk, with only a taste of tea in it, but little girls felt grown-up when their mothers let them drink cambric tea. The hot soup and hot tea warmed them all. They ate the broth from the beans. Then Ma emptied the beans into a milk-pan, set the bit of fat in the middle, and laced the top with dribbles of molasses. She set the pan in the oven and shut the door. They would have baked beans for supper. -The Long Winter by, Laura Ingalls Wilder
When I share my grocery budget with other mothers, they are often shocked at how little I spend to feed my family of seven. It seems that I actually spend less on a weeks worth of groceries than many families of four spend. How do I do it? Well, I like to say that its because of my "peasant meals". We do not eat fancy meals in our house. The meals I fix are hearty, filling, nourishing to the body, and cheap. One of my favorite peasant meals is Bean Porridge. It could not be more simple to prepare and a big pot of this soup will feed your family for one evening supper and at least two lunches, if done right. To prepare this, you simply soak a good variety of dry beans such as, navy, northern, black-eyed peas, yellow peas, or whatever you have on hand. Let soak overnight and rinse in the morning. Chop a large onion and several cloves of garlic and add to the pot of beans covered in fresh water. Bring to boil for a few minutes and then lower heat, cover beans and simmer on the back burner for a few hours. Around lunch time, I slice up some carrots, potatoes, celery, and some herbs, salt, and pepper. By the time supper time rolls around, the kitchen is warm and inviting and the soup is ready to serve. The beans and vegetables are soft and the porridge is creamy and delicious! I serve this with a large salad and a crusty loaf of bread. Nothing could be more pleasing during the cold winter and certainly, nothing could be more simple! This is another one of those staple meals that we eat once a week during the coldest part of the year. Meal time does not have to be elaborate. What is important is that you fix something nourishing and that you take the time to eat together as a family. It may take a bit longer to fix a healthy meal than it does to yank it out of a box, but isn't your family worth it? They should be! You do not have to be Julia Childs or Martha Stewart, but learn a few simple recipes and you will begin to gain confidence in the kitchen over time. Cooking can be fun, but even if you do not enjoy it, it is one of those things that must be done. You owe it to your family and to yourself. Our bodies need to be taken care of and that begins with feeding them properly.
