Soup Beans and Fried Potatoes: A Lesson In Hospitality
My grandmother--better known as Mamaw--was a hospitable woman. No matter what time of day or night, if you went to her house, you were going to eat. Sometimes it was a whole meal. How she had enough food in the house to feed a family of six, who were unannounced, at any given time, was beyond me. Other times she'd bake a peach cobbler and serve it hot, with ice cream.She also had a history of feeding strangers. Mamaw worked in a factory and raised seven children on her own. It was the 1940s. They were poor, but Mamaw and her brood never went hungry. They had soup beans (pinto beans) and fried potatoes every night for supper. Very often, they had unexpected guests for dinner--hoboes.Willard, Ohio was a railroad town. The tracks went near Mamaw's house, which meant the hoboes did, too. Whoever knocked on her door in the evenings was invited in to eat supper. Sometimes they just asked for water. But they got soup beans and fried potatoes. These homeless men were always respectful. They never molested this poor, generous family. Always grateful, they would quietly leave when dinner was over.Times are different, I know. I would be so afraid to open my home to homeless people, especially if I had no husband around to protect me and my children. Perhaps hospitality has gone the way of the dinosaur.Hebrews 13 [2] says, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." I wonder how many angels enjoyed soup beans and fried potatoes at my grandmother's house?
6 comments:
I had fried potatoes for breakfast today! I was born in Ohio...maybe fried potatoes is an Ohioan taste! I am glad to see you start a blog.
My parents to this day still keep strangers in their home. Which causes me alot of anxiety! But they have done this for many years. We've had to just put them in God's hands and ask him to protect them from danger. God has always blessed their giving to others even when we didn't have anything ourselves. Many times growing up we had beans and potatoes for dinner. With 5 kids to feed it was the cheapest food and it filled you up. Along with the beans and potatoes we had homemade flour tortillas. My Mom would fry chopped franks and onion then add some beaten eggs and mix it altogether. Wow, you talk about a great breakfast burrito along with the fried potatoes. Now that's good eating mmm...mmm...good! Ooh and don't forget the salsa!
Pinto beans & potatoes, well you got my ears perked up! No respectable Mexican household would be without 'em!! :)
Hello Angie,
Glad to see you started a blog. Now you got my attention with the whole beans and potatoes thing! My grandma is from Mississippi and can cook up some mean beans and taters. Then the breakfast burritos! Well, let me say I would much rather have that then the good-for-you cereal I normally have,but you know......... Anywho, keep on writing, and God bless.
Who knew that beans and potatoes were the universal language? I have thoroughly enjoyed all these responses!
Hi SIs!
Glad you started a blog and I look forward to dropping by daily during my blog hop!
MMmmmmmm.... pinto beans are yummy! Love them beans!
What a wonderful life you had as a child. Unfortunately, some of us had divorced parents and working mothers which left us as latch key children. What a shame. There is no substitute for a stay at home Mom who will give herself to her children and family. It really is a blessing!
Post a Comment