Have you ever had meal preparation time delayed? Or last minute unexpected visitors to feed? Listen in as we delve into the challenges, discover some new ideas of how to prepare for this inevitable hurdle in the kitchen, and what sorts of snacks and meals can be easily put together with just a few raw ingredients. You don’t have to send people away from your home hungry!

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Here is an easy and frugal recipe for Split Pea Soup. I usually have all of these ingredients on hand, so other than just a few minutes to throw stuff into the pot, it cooks itself so I can concentrate on other things. Enjoy!

1TB coconut (not extra virgin!) or palm oil (better for you than olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 small (preferably red) potatoes, cubed
1 tsp. cumin
black pepper to taste
1 cup green split peas
4 cups water or vegetable stock (I really like this brand; I buy it singly from my market)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried dill

In a soup pot, saute onions in oil until soft. Add celery, carrot, potatoes, cumin and pepper and saute about 5 more minutes. Add split peas, water/broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat, simmer for 90 minutes. Then, add peas, salt, and dill. Stir and serve! Mmmm….

Adapted from Feeding the Whole Family.