Being Mindful &Thankful in these harried times

As I was waiting in line at my local big box store, I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds that reached my ears. There was a cacophony of voices, muzak, angry mothers and whining toddlers. There was just a hint of the melody from a Beatles tune coming to me through the din. "All you need is love, true love, love is all you need." I added the lyrics and sung along in my head.

"Wow, the Fab Four really had a great deal of wisdom, 44 years ago," I thought, as I started an inner dialogue with myself. What pure advice. We don't need all the extraneous things that the world around us insists we clutter up our lives with. Except for some toilet paper, is there truly anything else in this cart that I require in order to live? I looked at the items I would shortly be placing on the conveyor belt when I got close enough to do so.

1. Cat litter - well Annabel, my cat, thinks about litter the same way I feel about the toilet paper
2. wrapping paper - I could make my own, stencil something festive on the newsprint roll I got for free from local newspaper
3. cheese - hard to make mac 'n cheese without it
4. juice - vitamin C source
5. lettuce - red leaf romaine, good on tacos, wash and shred myself (not the readymade, expensive bag) note to self: start early spring greens in the coldframe in the garage next Spring, grow more of my own.

The total cost in my cart went down by 50% after I walked the cart back to the gift wrap section, and placed the $5.97 roll back on the shelf. I decided that I would harvest the rose hips on my wild roses when I got home. They are loaded with Vitamin C, and they taste great. I put the juice back. I contemplated the comfort foods I wanted. I mulled over what I had in mind for dinner - Mac & Cheese, everyone's favorite at our house.

Quick and Easy!

1 - box Kraft Macaroni n' Cheese

1 - 7 oz. package of frozen petite peas (any brand)

1 - oz. can of albacore or tuna packed in water

1 - small can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup

Prepare boxed macaroni, following directions on box. Microwave frozen peas in glass bowl, following directions on packaging, drain water. In larger bowl, fold mushroom soup and tuna into the prepared mac and cheese, Fold in 1/2 c. milk and cooked peas. Spread into greased casserole and top with crushed Ritz crackers and grated cheese (any variety).

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes, serve immediately with a tossed green salad. Garnish bowl with green onion stalks and carrot strips.