Leave It Hanging

It has been a while since I have written here and was going to write about cooking and kindness and then I stumbled upon this sotry. I thought this was a great reminder and way to regenerate this section of my site and my writing

There is a little coffee shop, where two people arrive and aproached the counter.

“Five coffees please. Two for us and three hanging.”

They paid, they took their two coffees and left.

I asked the waiter. "What’s this about hanging coffees?"

“Wait and you'll see."

Some more people came in.

Two girls asked for a coffee each, they paid & left.

The followng order was for seven coffees and it was made by three women - ‘three for them and four hanging coffees.’

I was left wondering...what is the meaning of the hanging coffees, they leave.

Then, a man dressed in worn clothes, who looks like he might be homeless, arrives at the counter and asks sincerely...

“Do you have a coffee hanging?"

“Yes we do, sir.”

They serve him a coffee.... I got my answer.

People pay in advance for a coffee that will be served to whoever can't aford a hot drink.

This tradition started in Naples.

Amazingly, it has spread throughout the world’s cities and towns.

It’s also possible to order not only "hanging coffees" but also a sandwich or a full low cost meal.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all start doing this in the cities and towns where we live?

Small kindnesses like this can impact so many lives, in ways we could never imagine.

Maybe we should all try it.

- author unknown

Food for Love

Food for Love

I want to thank Milo for the inspriation for this blog. Our discussion got me thinking about what I was aught when I was young about cooking and feeding others. Growing up, one of the things my mother and my Bubby taught me is that feeding others was a way of saying I love you. They taught me that serving others food was a way of saying I love you.  I may not have much in my life, but the one thing I have is the ability to feed others.  I love helping others and lightening their load by taking one thing off their plates, like cooking for them. Feeding others is a way to say I care, I want to help and sometimes thank you .

My neighbors, for example, kind of adopted Zoe and I about 11 years ago when she was battling cancer. They would snowblow the driveway, mow the yard or perform other random acts of kindness and always did things out of the goodness of their hearts. I decided to thank them with one thing Zoe says I do best – cook. My neighbor Phil loves my lasagna, Larry used to crave my homemade bread and my cookies.  Phil’s wife wanted to go out with the girls one night and was behind schedule so I made her a tray of lasagna. Other times I have made them pepperoni cheese bread, soups, and other dishes they would let me know they loved.

I always cook Zoe’s favorites, even when I don’t like them.  Like her cabbage casserole, which I have veganized so she can still eat it.  It fills my heart to watch her really enjoy each bite on her plate. She likes simple things like lemon butter angel hair pasta, mac and cheese, lasagna, baked ziti, and anything crispy, crunchy, and comforting.

Some of my fondest memories the last year have been in helping others. There was the time my friend Bek and their wife were going through a really rough time. So a friend driving out that way bought them hot meals in the midst of a snow storm. I don’t remember what I sent them while they were in quarantine, but I remember how much it meant to them and how it made them feel loved. (I think it was some leftover chili mac and some other little goodies)That made it so worthwhile.

Then there was the containers I left for my chair and his family when they were coming home after having given birth to their 2nd child. I remember making a huge container of my vegan chili, one of baked orzo, one of my favorite dishes, and one of vegan brownies and one of vegan chocolate chip cookies. They sent me a video of their 4 year old negotiating for more cookies and showing me how 5 really looked more like 10. 

The thing about feeding others is about lightening their loads. My friends could have taken care of themselves, but I know I could do something to make what they were going through a bit easier and so I did.

Cooking for others, whether is a tin of cookies, a loaf of bread or food left on their front porches, makes me feel like I am making a difference in the world. Sometimes, Zoe and I invite others over, although not as often since Covid. There is nothing like thinking about the people I love and the foods they enjoy, preparing them and watching them enjoy each bite. Below are some  of my friends favorite recipes which are so easy to make and always make them feel loved.

Healthy Slow Cooker Chipotle Bean Chili – if you can open a can, you can make this.

Baked Orzo

One Pot Vegan Chili Mac

Meat Lasagna, which I make vegan for us and our friends, but with meat for my neighbors  I use Violife Mozzarella and Parmesan vegan cheese. I Make my own ricotta cheese from Tofu, Tofutti or Violife Cream Cheese and salt, pepper, basil, spinach and nutmeg. Use your favorite vegan meat substitute or combination if making vegan.

Brownies for non bakers (also can be made vegan)

Chocolate Chip Cookies for non bakers (also can be made vegan)

White Bread

Need some recipe ideas or help with products, just ask or visit pamperedchef.biz/sharonjacobson

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Resiliency

Resiliency

It is hard to believe how long it has been since the pandemic started. Going through this individually, as an online professor, and as a Pampered Chef consultant has taught me hot to go with the flow and be resilient. Honestly, I think my life lessons about being resilient began the day I was born. The pandemic, however, has been a time that has challenged all of us to be resilient. We have all had to make changes in our lives and adapt to the ever going changes in what is happening with Covid. We have gone through times of just learning about it, having to shelter in place, having to learn new ways of living, talking with people who feel differently about the virus then we may, finding how and where to get vaccines if we chose to, deciding when and where and around whom to wear masks and the list goes on. Fortunately for me, I began social distancing 11 years ago when my paratransit services disappeared. 

That did not mean this pandemic has not taught me to be resilient, it has. It taught me to have compassion for others, who were adjusting to social distancing. It taught me to be more compassionate with my students who were experiencing all kinds of additional stressors with the changes in their life. It taught me to listen to my Pampered Chef hosts and guests who were finding themselves experiencing major changes in their meal preparation because they were cooking more and spending more time in the kitchen then they had before. I found myself being resilient with the company that was and has always adapted to the circumstances and juggled inventory and supply chain issues. Being able to bounce back from ongoing changes has kept me balanced, focused and centered in the midst of diversity.

Being resilient has enabled me to be loving and kind with others who are not adjusting as well to the changes we are going through as a global community. Being resilient has also been challenging at times as it is also a reminder that not everyone I interact with is as resilient as I am. Not all businesses have bounced back or been able to pivot like others. Life is not always easy and at times we are more resilient then others and some of us are more resilient then others are. As we move through life, may we remember to be compassionate with all, those who appear resilient and those who are not.

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