Another Frugal Meal

Few things are as emotionally sustaining to me as good food.

And that's generally all it takes to boost my mood and remind me how blessed I truly am.

At times when I'm tempted to measure happiness by my financial security, or lack thereof, I'm reminded that much of the world lives hand-to-mouth every day. And then I focus on preparing a meal that truly nurtures me, and I realize I really do have all that I need.

Like this morning when I looked into the vegetable bin of my refrigerator and pulled out a couple of carrots, some celery, part of an onion, some asparagus, and some cabbage. I diced the vegetables and scooped them into my crock pot, along with some vegetable broth, a couple cups of water, some basil and Italian seasoning, some frozen corn and a few black beans, and some salt and pepper. A few hours later it was ready to eat for lunch.

My husband then chopped the remaining asparagus, cabbage, and celery, and added a couple cans of beans, some chopped cilantro and red peppers, and mixed it with some barley he had cooked earlier. It was a raw salad that only need a sprinkle of vinegar and some lemon or lime juice for flavor. That was dinner, along with a small filet of tuna, seered on either side for a minute or two and sliced into thin strips.

All those vegetables left me feeling full and satisfied ~ and they were just sliced and "put together" ~ without using a recipe.

 It's a reminder that eating well is really eating simply.