Pantry Soup

So, I got to go home to NC after my first few weeks in Puerto Rico. I was a happy girl. The kids have been keeping the house in pretty good shape, although my puppy was in desperate need of a bath. It took me a while, however, to get back into the swing of things in terms of being in charge of the household again. I hit the ground running with doctors appointments, meeting friends for coffee and following up on construction projects that we had started.

I wanted to cook something for everyone who would be home that night, but I was tired after a long day of running around, and the last thing I wanted to do was hop in the car and go out for groceries. This is when one's culinary skill is tested: what can you make with what you've got in the house?

There had been several cans of beans and peas in the pantry for months. I don't know if someone bought them for a food pantry and never delivered them or if they were the collected leftovers from some retreat. But I was tired of seeing them in there and put together a plan to turn them into something delicious. A can of peas is nothing special on its own, but with the combined magic of oil, garlic, bacon...mmmmm.

I don't have any photos to share, so you'll have to use your imagination. But I've learned when working with beans, though filling and satisfying, they need some help in the flavor department. A basic beginning to any bean based soup is a combination of oil, some sort of cured pork product (think bacon, sandwich ham, smoked ham, sausage), thyme, basil, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, a cube of chicken boullion, salt and a lot of black pepper. Once you get all that going, simmering the vegetables down to a nice soft consistency, you can add the beans. If you are using dry beans, of course soaking them and cooking them first would be necessary. But since I was cleaning out the pantry I used the cans I had on hand: cannelini, peas, limas, black. I drained all of them first, using the liquid as needed to make a soup. I warmed all the beans in the oil and vegetable mixture, to spread all the flavors around evenly. I added the liquid from the beans a little at a time, and some water. And then as I was finishing up, it seemed the soup wasn't quite thick enough. I thought about blending half the soup to create a thick consistency, but I saw a lonely can of refried pinto beans at the back of the shelf. In the pot and give it a good stirring. Instantly perfect consistency! I made some cornbread and we had a very veggie meal.

This made a pretty huge pot of soup, so it was great for lunches, etc. To me, it always feels good to clean out the pantry. I like to wait until I've made use of almost everything in the house before I go shopping again. That way, I know we are eating everything I buy and nothing is going to waste.

A couple of photos are always a good idea on a blog...even if they have nothing to do with the entry! So, here's what else we did while home on this little break from PR:

I really enjoyed my fall garden...

...and we got in a great visit with our kids in the mountains!

Vacation Home Kitchens

There is always something new, isn't there? Just when you turn 50 and think you're settling into that comfy, albeit lonely, world of the empty-nester, God throws you a curve-ball. “I have to work in Puerto Rico for a year,” my dear husband says to me one day in late August. “And I have to be there next week.”

What?

I hear the mental brakes screeching, and the gears grinding as I search to re-adjust my thinking. A thousand thoughts run through my head. Where will we live? Do I need to be there? What about all our responsibilities at home? What about my dog? Our kids in college? What about the two weddings coming up in our family? My kids' weddings!

But, after the initial shock, and rapid departure of my husband, I collect my thoughts and settle into this new adventure. I find out that we will be living in someone's luxury vacation condo, at a resort, right on the beach. Complete with 5 pools, spa, the rainforest in our backyard, etc. Can't complain about that. I get all my ducks in a row at home in terms of getting my daughter settled into college life, my dog taken care of, our mail and household obligations covered, and start packing my swimsuits. I arrive on a hot and humid September afternoon, and rush through a quick trip to the grocery store. My husband has been here for two weeks alone, and he is ready for some home-cooked meals and companionship.

For the first two days, I clean up the condo, do lots of laundry, and plan and cook fabulous meals. I mean, my husband's been living like a lonely bachelor; it's the least I can do. Then we find out that we have to move into a hotel (sans kitchen or laundry facilities) for a week. Although it's another lovely location on another beach, I am starting to get antsy. WHAT will I do with myself? So after crying over missing my friends and kids (and dog) for a few days, I embrace what looks to be an extended Caribbean vacation. I read. I write. I pray. I tan. I swim. I text. I work out. I spend way too much time on Facebook.

Then we move back into the condo, and I have got to get a grip on life! My husband's office is a two hour commute each way with our only vehicle, so I am alone for 12 hours a day at least. There is nothing within walking distance except the hotel and I feel a little like a prisoner in paradise. And on top of all that, we find out that there has been some crime on the resort property, and that maybe long walks on the empty beach is not such a good idea alone.

I finally make peace with this. I decide that I will never have this time in my life again. I can remember raising little ones. Of course there are lots of fond memories, but I remember many days and nights being near complete exhaustion and thinking I would never make it through another day, longing for time alone, longing for adult conversation, longing for a nap! But I also remember thinking that this season of life would pass all too quickly and never repeat itself. I had to embrace the good and the bad about that season. Enjoy each little victory and joy with my babies, even if they cried all day and got up a lot at night. Even if I didn't have a relaxed date with my husband for months.

So I find myself in that same position again. Will I embrace the good and the bad about being in Puerto Rico? There is certainly a lot to be thankful for. Never again will I have hours on end of uninterrupted time to write, to journal, to think, to plan, to prepare. I can use this time to hone my skills in these areas and concentrate. I expect that with two children getting married, grandchildren will start arriving in the next few years, and then I'll be happily occupied with them and serving their exhausted parents.

So for now, it's just me and my lovey. We can use this time to renew our romance; it's been pretty saucy up 'til now anyway, but we can always improve! We do feel a lot like newlyweds since we are completely alone and have no one really pulling on us day to day. Of course, I have to chat or text with my college freshman often (poor thing...she's really homesick!) but otherwise it's just us. Candlelit dinners, long walks on the beautiful beach, romantic day trips sailing or snorkeling. It's kind of nice.

So what of the challenges? One of the big ones for an avid gourmand, is the sparsity of a vacation-home kitchen. I think these folks rarely cooked beyond brewing bad coffee and making popcorn in the microwave! So I fought with the dull knives for a day or two, then decided to take my husband to work one day to shop and hang out at the local Starbucks. I bit the bullet and bought a decent knife, along with a skillet, some wooden spoons, a small charcoal grill, and some basic pantry staples. I also got a basil plant. I hope it makes it on the balcony.

Ahh. I felt like I could breathe once I had some yeast, olive oil, dried herbs, fresh garlic and lemons. I planned a week's worth of amazing dinners for two, and commenced cooking. I have run into a few challenges, like trying to bake a spice cake in a saucepan and rolling out pizza dough with the side of a glass, for lack of a rolling pin. But I sure wow-ed my husband with my creations and his delight was my reward. I did indeed feel like a newlywed, only without all the insecurities! This really is a sweet time of life.

To top off a great meal, we often share a glass of red wine and listen to the waves break on the sand.

And one of my personal favorites, is greeting the morning on the balcony with a cup of coffee and my Bible, with the crashing waves as a backdrop to the hours spent there each day.

I've also taken up quilting with some scraps I've brought from home. My mother just gave me one like it that my grandmother made in the 1930s and I want to create one of my own. Instructions on this type of bed covering (called a “yo-yo spread”) will be forthcoming on this blog.

My daughter's fiance told me recently about something he'd read: “Our lives can be like river water just swirling around in a jar. Sometimes we must just sit, and let the sediment settle.” That is what I get to do right now. Clarity will come, but for now, just relax.