Sizzling adventure

3:08 p.m. Today's project was to make some tortilla chips at home. I had about 2 lbs of stale, previously frozen corn tortillas. I finished off a 5 lb bag I'd bought a while back and somehow dreamed I'd use up with only two people to feed...must have been some kind of irresistible deal!

As I got out my recently-seasoned cast iron Dutch oven, tongs, partial bottles of corn oil, bowls and paper towels to layer the chips on, I reflected that it's the toughest times financially when I "dig deep" in the freezer and pantry and make the most creative meals and snacks. Once years ago, when I was cooking up a large vat of refried beans from scratch, my youngest son Steven said, "I love it when we're poor! That's when you make the best food!" Now that he's a fitness and nutrition coach, I can see that he appreciated food made purely from scratch at an early age!

Steve and I kept on praying, trusting the Lord through our occasional financial struggles, but to the kids it was an adventure. After all, who else did they know who made dog food at home? I almost did that today, actually, but since Winco has a bulk price of .32/lb, and I needed two bananas and some coffee creamer, I drove over there and bought 4 lbs to tide our Labrador retrievers over for two days.

While I was setting up for deep-frying the tortilla wedges, I checked the crockpot of turkey-vegetable-potato soup I had started. One thing about struggling financially is that it makes you dig deep in the freezer and pantry for anything to make a meal out of. I found a meaty drumstick and two wings from our 22 lb Thanksgiving turkey that were buried in a ziploc bag at the bottom of our chest freezer, and with limp celery, 1/2 an onion, and Emeril's "Asian Essences" seasoning for a different taste, we'll have a good meal.

Proverbs 24: 3-4 says,

Through wisdom a house is built,

And by understanding it is established;

By knowledge the rooms are filled

With all precious and pleasant riches.

Our source of riches isn't in the pantry, the freezer, the bank, or within the walls of our home--trusting and knowing the Lord, gleaning wisdom and guidance for each day, is true treasure indeed.

And quite a lot of daily adventure as well!