Making do

I decided I was about to get in trouble. So, I stopped quilting and looked for something to cook for dinner. Shrimp-Stuffed Shells.  

I had to make up a recipe. I saw something similar in a magazine but didn't exactly have all the ingredients. So I made do. I used giant shells, cooked shrimp with onion and peppers, used Artichoke Parmesan Marinara (Napa Valley Bistro—Kroger) and a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. 

My mother used to say that my Grandmother Dandridge's cooking was never the same. Sometimes it was great, and the next time not so good.  If it called for Ritz crackers, she might use saltines. One cup of sugar might be substituted with brown sugar.  But then she lived out here in Barr and didn't drive.  So, she really had to make do.

Every day she cooked lunch for two sons, teen aged grandsons, and all the farm laborers. I never saw her sit down and eat. She just hovered near the end of the table, refilling tea and getting seconds. She spent summer working her garden and canning.

Well, this looks pretty good, but looks can be deceiving. Now that I've done that, I can go back to sewing.