Not Everything is Hard

Photograph by Sarah Commerford - All Rights Reserved 2016

There was a time when living here wasn't all bad. We had a nice little lot with a few apple trees and a stream running through the back. All in all, it was almost as good as the house we lived in before my brother went to Afghanistan and my dad went off the rails.

It wasn't big, as you can see, but I had my own room in the loft over the kitchen, and unless it rained exceptionally hard, we were, for the most part, warm and comfortable. You'd be surprised how little you really need when you have to make big choices about small things. You have to let go.

Besides my room, and the stream, the kitchen was the place I liked the best. I'll admit that we didn't have the best appliances, and our propane tank was often empty. But you adapt. Some might think that cooking in a trailer is hard, but we had a little two burner stove, a microwave, a mini fridge and a sink with running water. A girl like me learned early how to make a meal out of half empty boxes of anything.  I liked to say that if you put a pot of water on to boil, the meal practically makes itself.

Here's my best and most filling recipe:

1 box or macaroni or shells
1 can of tomato sauce
 A few squirts of ketchup
A few shakes of grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Boil a big pot of water
Add macaroni or shells and cook until soft
Drain
Mix in sauce, ketchup and cheese

Serve in bowls.