Dinner is home made vegetable soup and cornbread. Yumm Yumm.

Nothing finishes off a cold day quite like vegetable soup and cornbread. That is if you do not consider chilie and cornbread. This brings me to the conclusion that an iron skillet is required for good cornbread whether you start from scratch or from a mix. You must put some type of shortning (I prefer olive oil) in the skillet and set the skillet on the stovetop to heat. Once a drop of water will fizz in the shortning then pour in your cornbread mixture. This simple process assures that you will have a nice crust on the bottom of your cornbread. Of course if you do not want a crust, then do not follow these directions.

So what does that have to do with COPD? It is very important that we eat well and that means nutritious food. Start from scratch home made vegetable soup is one of the most nutritious things that you can have to eat. It is low in fat and high in nutrients. My soup contained potatoes, cabbage, onions, peas, carrots, tomatoes and zuchinni squash. The questionable ingredient was 2 all beef hotdogs.

The squash and tomatoes were from my stash of home canned goods. The peas and carrots were from purchased frozen stock. The potatoes, cabbage, and onions were fresh.

The other thing about vegetable soup that is important is that a big batch can last in the refrigerator for quite some time and then can be canned or frozen to be prepared on those days that you do not feel like cooking..

Be sure to join the COPD Foundation Social Network page at http://copdfoundation.org This is the site where you will find correct and reliable information under the “learn more” tab and also have the opportunity to meet with people like yourself who are COPD patients and/or caregivers. Bill Clark the site manager does not allow soliciting nor does he allow people posting false and misleading claims. You will find genuine caring people that you can trust. Full disclosure I am a member of the steering committee for the foundation.