Be It Ever So Humble

When you're on a tight budget, you learn to accept the fact that sometimes you have to cook and eat things that are not exactly restaurant-worthy. This can be especially true when you decide that you're just not motivated to make a big fancy meal, or spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Sometimes you just gotta make something fast, cheap, and effortless. This was one of those dinners.

I started by making Southern Hoe Cake, substituting whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup of the white. As it finished baking, I realized I needed something to go with it, so I thawed out a bag of cooked garbanzo beans (1 1/2 cups, plus about 1/2 cup broth) I had in the freezer. I heated the beans and broth on the stove, and seasoned them with cumin and House Seasoning. When they were hot, I thought that the broth was a bit too watery, so I used a spoon to smoosh the beans a bit so they would soak in more broth.

The result was a very humble, but very delicious meal. It was fast and easy, and without having to resort to packaged convenience foods so it was budget-friendly. It was enough for my two little kids and I. To feed more, I would use two bags of cooked beans instead of one.