5 Lessons I learned in 3 Hours...

My kids are 7 & 5, so most nights we eat dinner around our kitchen table.  I know - who actually does this? - but I am savoring these moments as I know the older they get the more full our nights will become.  We try to each go around and talk about our day, and tonight our girls were EXTRA chatty so I didn't get a word in edge wise.  BUT at bedtime devotion tonight, I finally got a word in.  During prayers Eliza usually prays that tomorrow Daddy has a good day at work, she & Lydia have a good day at school, and mom has "whatever she does all day with PTF, MomsTogether, volunteering, cooking, or whatever she does all day we pray that it's good."  Yea babe it's a MIX - and I love it!  Today I volunteered at Dorcas Ministries in the food pantry.  I got to share with my girls & Bentley five things I learned today (I learned more, but I want you to finish reading this post so I am going to be concise.)  In my 33 years of living, God never ceases to amaze me at what I can learn if I will only be open to His teaching.

Some Food for Thought When Volunteering at a Food Pantry:

1.  Don't give the food pantry your leftovers.  Bentley thought I literally meant people brought their leftovers - NO.  But I saw some interesting food in those bags today.  My first job when I arrived was to sort the food dropped off by donors like myself.  I have done this - so no judgment - but dropping off things in the back of your pantry that you won't eat and are expired Does Not Count.  They can't put it on the shelves.  My friend Katie really changed me on this one when our MomsTogether group "adopted" the applesauce shelf.  We try and keep that applesauce shelf full!  She volunteers there often and calls or texts me with items to buy that they are low on that month.  So the next time you are asked to donate food to a pantry or a group you belong to is collecting food, GO to the grocery store and BUY items that are need.  You can get a quite a few pantry staples with $10 - applesauce, cereal, pasta, beans, etc.  

2.  Smile even if you don't "feel" like cooking your family's dinner because you have groceries.  The 6 people I helped shop today were not sure they could feed their kids by the end of the week.  I came home tonight and smiled and thanked God for the food we have and the fact that I get to prepare it for my family.  I needed that reminder.

3.  A hug is free but worth so much more.  Two of the moms I helped today were really discouraged.  By the end we were talking and smiling and gave hugs goodbye.  I know I am only planting a tiny seed by telling them to not give up and that there are people who care about them!  I have no idea why they were there and I honestly don't want to know because then I get to love on them freely with no judgments.  One of those more rewarding to give than receive moments.

4.  Just because you shop at a food pantry doesn't mean you only eat processed crap.  I was shocked by how much the shoppers today knew about what foods were healthy and how they wanted to feed their kids the right things even though they were in the middle of hard times.  After shopping the pantry aisles, they were blessed by a church that is running their food pantry out of Dorcas temporarily.  Two sweet retired gentleman from this church get in their cars each day and drive to various grocery stores and restaurants picking up expired or overstocked food.  (We throw away so much good food in and I am SO thankful these two gentleman help put that to good use.)  The amount of produce, fresh salads, dips, and baked items was overwhelming today!  When the shoppers saw the fresh food they just kept shaking their heads and one mom cried.  Made me realize what an impact a container of berries can have on a person.

5.  Fresh flowers make any woman's day.  We were able to give each mom that shopped a bouquet of fresh flowers.  One lady told me her birthday was Thursday (she got a cake too from the stash of baked goods) and that this was the first birthday gift she received in 9 years :).

I will not add a sixth one, but I will tell you one sweet thing God did for me today.  I volunteered 3 hours this morning.  Not a lot, but when you are a busy mama that is a chunk of your day.  Last night my friend Cindy texted to see if BOTH my girls could ride home with her after school for a playdate with her daughter.  Bentley picked them up on his way home and guess what?  That gave me exactly 3 extra hours this afternoon.  God never ceases to amaze me!

And for those of you who read until the very end, here are 2 RECIPES for you that are crazy easy.  And for those of you who scrolled to the end looking for recipes - enjoy too!

It's good to be back-

leanne

Quinoa Salad (from the kitchen of my dear friend Angela)

I've made this at least seven times in the past few months.  So yummy as a side dish or with tortilla chips as an appetizer.

Mix the following ingredients in a bowl & chill.

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (follow directions on package)

1 red bell pepper chopped

5 green onions chopped

1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 cup corn (I use frozen and thaw out)

3 - 4 tbs. apple cider vinegar

1 tbs. olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Chicken Verde (from the kitchen of Dawn when I needed to take dinner to a friend - and I've made it for other friends since)

Place all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 7 hours. (Crockpots can vary on cooking times, so read your manual for further instructions.)  Use a fork to shred the chicken apart.  I served it in tacos.

4 - 6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 - 1/2 Jars Verde Salsa (Green Salsa - I used Whole Foods 365 brand)