Blessings From the Angels

A few weeks ago, my husband was speaking candidly with a financial counselor - really by accident - and she recommended this great grocery ministry called Angel Food Ministries. It is not income based, and you can order as much restaurant quality foods you want each month for less than 50% the normal sale price. The whole idea is to fit the Gospel into a grocery box every month for a family interested in buying excellent groceries at a discount price.

Anyone who knows me knows that my greatest adrenaline rush comes from serving my family. I am completely "made" when I am baking something warm and buttery from scratch, or roasting citrus chicken one Saturday evening after the 4 o'clock Mass. Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning heralds in fresh everything - the biggest fast-breaking brunch the world has ever seen. These traditions come from my Catholic Italian stepfather and my Russian/Hungarian great grandmother who owned and operated her own boarding house and restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. Her genes are as strong in me as my stepfather's years of pasta cooking lessons were.

Early on in life I knew that I would be a writer but that, unless I became a mother and a wife, I would feel truly unfulfilled. I realize this is not everyone's vocation, but I knew it was mine. And so each time I roll out cookie dough with my daughter and my five year old son, I am reminded of how God has blessed my every prayer request just to have a happy family of my own one day.

So...grocery shopping is one of only enjoyable versions of shopping (true story), because I know that from many pertinent ingredients come hours of family satisfaction. My kids actually get excited - akin to being promised a movie night or $10 bucks to spend at the Dollar Store - if I tell them I am baking their favorite pie or making them chocolate fudge walnut brownies for dessert. I call my sweetheart ten minutes before he leaves every day from work to give him the dinner menu, so that he has something to keep him awake on the ride home. No matter the stress he endures in a myriad of meetings, when he is home eating his favorite Sephardic Rice Pilaf or Baked Chicken Parmesean, he is a happy man.

I love cooking and serving and making people fat, dumb, and happy. Well, maybe not dumb. Too book nerdy for that. But I love a happy crowd of people who fear fatness because they are so overjoyed at what they have just eaten in my home. It's a love language - to cook unto happiness.

So, when "cheapo/from scratch" me heard that there was a ministry (God-inspired) that would allow me restaurant quality ingredients for even cheaper than my beloved Aldi and in a greater abundance...I had to check it out.

We placed our first order a week ago. We picked it up last night. For $60.00 we came home with two laundry baskets full of...

3lbs Ribeye Steaks

6 lbs Split Chicken Breasts

2 lbs Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops

4 lbs Mac and Beef Dinner Entree

3lbs Breaded All White Meat Chicken Nuggets

2lbs Lean Ground Beef

2lbs Fish Sticks (We cooked these for Fishy Friday last night and there was not a smidgen of grease to be found. There were absolutely the best fish sticks I have ever consumed, and generally, I hate fish sticks! But these, I actually missed when the cookie sheet was empty of them)

2lbs of Fresh Frozen Corn

2lbs Fresh Frozen Baby Lima Beans (Made these Southern style with butter, onions, and a dash of black pepper. Everyone devoured these FIRST. True story.)

2 Heads of Lettuce

4lbs of Fresh Sweet Potatoes (Made these Southern style as well last night - with butter and a dash of brown sugar. They were scooped up in less time than the fish sticks).

30oz of Pork and Beans

2lbs of Rice

2 32oz Cartons of Milk

2 Dozen Eggs

2 Boxes of Baked Apple Tarts (every month Signature Box gets a dessert)

My family had the most wonderful home cooked meal last night, and when we were out school shopping today and had to eat out because of the heat and lengthy drive from home, everyone enjoyed lunch but commented on how much they enjoyed their meal from the night before at home so much better. Cheap and satisfying. How can I ask for more? They wanted my "sweet taters" more than Chili's chips and salsa.

The Signature Box is the monthly menu, but there are organic and vegetarian boxes, food allergy boxes, senior boxes, an amazing fruit and veggie box that I will be ordering with my boxes next month. We only have to get lunch supplies from the grocery store now- most of which I make from scratch for school lunches - so our new grocery bill has shrunken from $150.00-$200.00 a week to about $80.00 a week for a tremendous amount of nutritious food that we are loving. Remember, there are six of us in this family and only two of us are female. Lots of food being consumed around here - and now we have a teenage football player. But our Signature Box is enough!

Angel Food Ministries is for absolutely every income. We saw Mercedes outside the beautiful 100-plus year old UCC Church where we placed and picked up our order. The director told me over the phone when I called with inquiries, "There are families here making a hundred grand who buy 8 or more boxes at a time each month." It is such a savings and it's a ministry...who doesn't want to be part of this? I am going to see if I can get my equally beautiful Eastern Catholic parish involved.

Go to the website by clicking here Angel Food Ministries. Hope to see you on the September distribution day.