Well, if'n yer thinkin' along the same mind as I am, why yer gittin' mighty tuckered out from all this dern cold weather. Fur as I kin remember, it's been some time since I had ta shovel this much snow an' keep such a big wood pile handy fer the fireplace. Well, I knows you cain't do nothin' 'bout the weather, but sure as the good Lord made l'il green apples you kin stay fit 'n' sassy with a pot o' good 'n' tasty cheap grub.

I tell ya true, what keeps this ole gramdma goin' is a nice pot o' chowder you kin cook up without goin' clean broke. I keep hearin' on the news that prices fer yer eats is goin' up. I see it come true just a tad at the store. But if'n yer able ta turn yer eye away from the fancy foods an' git right down to the real good solid "stretch-them-dollars-grub," you kin save a heap o' money an' still eat hearty.

What y'all need ta fill them l'il bellies is a good pantry full o' onions, carrots, sweet p'taters, an' cabbage. Them's good fer starters. Then keep plenty o' beans, split peas, an' lentils on hand. An' don't fergit them good grains like brown rice, barley, rye an' wheat berries, buckwheat, 'an' them such. If'n ya got them staples, why you kin cook up practically anything fer almost nothin'.

When my eye set upon the bag o' red lentils in the store, why I near kicked up my heels jes thinkin' 'bout the hot bowl o' chowder with sweet p'taters that was gonna set on my table come suppertime. Nice thing 'bout lentils is ya don't even have ta soak 'em. Jes put 'em inter the kettle with the vegetables ya likes an' start a'cookin. Purty soon, afore ya knows, why there's supper!

Now here's some real honest ta goodness things y'all might want to know 'bout lentils so's you kin feel good 'bout puttin' 'em on yer table: they's mighty low in calories and low in fat. What they's best at is given' ya plenty o' soluble fiber ta keep ya regular an' help take down high cholesterol. Lentils got a heap o' minerals, 'specially iron, potassium, zinc, an even selenium. Can you imagine, lentils even got vitamin K that helps yer blood clot. But vitamin K is a mighty important vitamin 'cause it makes the special protein that regulates calcium. That's mighty good ta know.

Because them l'il red lentils cooks up mighty fast, why you kin have that bowl o' chowder ready in 'bout 40 minutes from start ta finish. An' when it's time fer cleanin' up yer fixin's, there's only one pot ta clean. I knows you'll jes love this kettle o' chowder.

Yield: about 8 servings

2 medium onions, chopped
2 large carrots, diced
7 cups (1.75 liters) water, divided
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 sticks cinnamon

2 cups red lentils

4 cups (960 ml) chopped green cabbage
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 28-ounce (795g) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons lemon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons minced parsley

1. Combine the onions, carrots, 1 cup of the water, garlic, and cinnamon in a heavy 8 to 10-quart (8 to 10-liter) stockpot and cook over high heat, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft and transparent.
2. Add the remaining 6 cups of water and lentils, partially cover the pan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the lentils have broken down.
3. Add the cabbage, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and lemon pepper, and simmer gently with the pan partially covered for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender
4. Season with salt and cook 1 minute longer to blend the flavors. Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of green onions and parsley,

Nowadays, Aunt Nettie just shakes her head and complains, "Nobody cooks anymore. They have no idea about puttin' a meal together." She's on a mission. She wants to help those younguns eat better so they can grow up healthy like her own eight kids.