Life Saver

Thank heaven for broth! When you've got broth in the freezer, you've got dinner. No matter how crazy the day gets or how forgetful I become in my late middle age, I can make dinner in a flash if I have broth.

Chop an onion or two, slice some celery and carrot, cube some squash, brown a small handful of leftover hamburger, add garlic, splash in the broth - in this case, beef left over from crockpotting - (if it's frozen, it will thaw in the hot pot), sprinkle in a generous dash of Penzey's Northwoods Fire seasoning (a blend of hot and black peppers), some s&p, yadda yadda and less than one hour later, you have tasty, filling, sustaining dinner for a household. The dog will circle the table twice before reluctantly settling down with a heavy sigh as close to your chair as she can get. Discreet slurping noises will be heard. The next day, lunch will be even better than dinner was.

The moral of the story is: Make broth, not war. You listening, President Obama?