A New Life for Old Bags
is the name of the organization
who hosted our second foray into volunteerism today...
We found this event via Chicago Cares,
a group which pairs people with volunteer opportunities...
Kate was my wing man as we walked tentatively
into the church community room...
In the center of the room
sat about eight senior citizen ladies,
who were crocheting up a storm...
But this was no ordinary quilting bee...
Their yarn was "Plarn",
plastic yarn made from plastic bags...
They were crocheting sleeping mats
to be used by the homeless...
Started by in 2010 by Ruth Werstler,
Director of Life Enrichment at a senior center in Chicago,
she learned about turning plastic bags into mats...
Since then, over 150 groups have sprung up,
over a half million plastic bags have not
met their fates in landfills
and hundreds of mats have been created...
It takes about 700 plastic bags to make a mat,
which is a whole lot of Plarn!
Kate was timid, surveying the unfamiliar scene...
She even became a little whiny
when her scissors were not cooperating
as we cut the bags into loops...
After water, a cookie and a trip to the bathroom,
she relaxed and got the swing of plarn construction...
Next to us were strangers,
who quickly became friends as we talked,
laughed and shared scissors and bags...
People filtered in and the group swelled
to 65 Plarn Makers, a new record!
Soon Kate tired of simply making plarn...
She wanted to do the fun stuff....
She wanted to crochet the mats...
But this activity looked like it was dominated
by the senior set...
Their hands were flying with ease and experience...
How many blankets and potholders had they crocheted
in their lifetimes?
I tried to ease Kate's disappointment
while gently explaining that this skill was beyond
her still pudgy fingers...
But Kate was not to be deterred
and when I looked up, she was in a corner of the room,
receiving instruction in the art of crocheting...
She smiled with satisfaction,
having acquired a new skill...
Soon her fingers were flying
and the crocheted plarn was growing...
But this was not enough...
She had to pass along her newfound knowledge
and thus she taught her neighbor,
a kindly retired lawyer named Ellen,
to crochet.
What did we give?
Our time and hands...
What did we receive?
New friends, a spirit of giving and a new skill...
Will we return next month?
Yup.
This is a fantastic way
to give of your bags and your time,
once a month...
Or start up your own group...
Ruth encourages people, schools
and girl/boy scout troops to start their own groups, too.
The only cost is the crochet hooks,
which cost about $3.00 a piece...
Check out their facebook page,
for more information...
The snow is coming down in splotchy clumps,
which makes it a perfect evening
for Cheeseburger Soup.
Light the fire, grab the cozy throw
CHEESEBURGER SOUP Courtesy of The Recipe Critic
"Things that I changed: I added 16 onces of Velveeta cheese. Since it makes such a big batch it was the perfect amount of cheeseiness. I also added about 1 pound of ground beef."
Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef (use 1 pound)
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups of Velveeta processed cheese cubed (I used 16 ounce)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
1. Brown the ground beef in 3 quart saucepan. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same saucepan add 1 T butter and add onion, shredded carrots, and celery. Saute until tender.
3. Add the broth, potatoes and beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. In small skillet melt remaining butter (3 T) and add the flour. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
5. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.
Yield 8 servings
Recipe Adapted from: Taste from Home
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