[ Winner announced below ]

I walked up to the weathered brown door, and looked around. The porch was dusty, cobwebs hung from the corners, and dirt dobbers had built their mud packed homes on the awning that covered the porch.

It was a beautiful old home. Old. Brick. Maybe built in the early 1900s. It lay right in the middle of prime real estate district. Yet, it looked so lonely, and unkempt.

I placed my knuckles onto the wood and knocked.
Nothing.
Again, I knocked, but harder this time.
And as I rapped on the door,  thumbnail size bugs began crawling out the crevices where the door met the brick facade.
One brown bug. Two. Three.
And then more than I was willing to count.
I beat on the door this time.
“Hello! Hello! Meals on Wheels! Meals on Wheels!  I have your dinner!!!”

The door swung open, and a stench hovered over me and the woman who opened it.
The woman was dressed in a white night gown, that was soiled and stained, and she looked disoriented. Confused.

As I held her meal, I peered into her seemingly once grand home, and noticed the breathe of filth that layed within. Old food cartons, soiled sheets, and a damp, deep darkness.

I asked her if she was okay, and she seemed to snap out of a trance she was in. We spoke for a little while, I gave her the meal, thanking God that she would have something good to eat, that wasn’t ridden with bugs.

Slowly  I walked back to my van, got in and cried.
I cried for that woman, who was living in that home.
I cried for the possibility that anyone I loved could be forced to live that way.
I cried for my ignorance of the world around me.
And I cried for love. For hers. And mine. For all of ours.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

I was in college back then. 1997 or so. I wanted to join the Peace Corps and eat granola. That I didn’t do. But I did join the Meals on Wheels Team in my area, and I delivered Meals in a HUGE A** van to 100’s of seniors in my neighborhood for many years.

Most of their stories weren’t sad like the one above (and we did call VNA and get that woman help), but they all had stories that touched my heart. Some funny, some sad, and some more marvelous than any Hollywood story could tell.

So today, I wanted to share with you a New Celebrity Cookbook that benefits an organization that provides more than one million meals a day for seniors across America,  The Meals on Wheels Association of America.

The title.. . . .
Made With Love: The Meals on Wheels Family Cookbook.

Made with Love is a compilation of recipes from the tables of well known actors, chefs, athletes, writers and more. Contributors include Helen Mirren, Martha Stewart, Kurt Warner, Barbara Bush, and Al Roker, many, many more.

What I like about this Cookbook:

• Hard Bound
• Lots of Color Photos
• Easy Relatable Recipes, Family Favorites
• Diverse Regional and Cultural Favorites
• Most recipes have easy to find ingredients. Written simply with fun excerpts from the contributor that explains (in their words, why this recipe is important to them)
• Proceeds support Meals On Wheels

We made it with strawberries instead of blueberries, but I think any berries would have been marvelous.

What I love about this recipe.
1.)You can whip it up in less than five minutes, its perfect for a dinner party. Pull it straight out of the oven, and serve warm.
2.) Want it Gluten Free? Use a Gluten free cake mix!
3.) Want it Vegan? Use vegan butter:)
4.) It makes the house smell glorious with no effort.

Blueberry Supreme

serves 10 to 12

1 quart fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
1 (20-oz) can crushed pineapple
1 (18.25-oz) pkg yellow cake mix
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 c) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, and stir until well-mixed.

Pour batter into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish and bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the top of cake is golden brown. Remove from oven, cool and serve.