How to Make Pot Luck in 5 Easy Steps

When I was little, I would step gingerly into the kitchen to find my mother and say, “Momma? I’m hungry. What are we having for dinner?”

“Pot luck.” She would say in her no-nonsense way, pursing her lips and swaying her hips as she moved from one bare cupboard to another.

“Huh? What’s that?” I would ask with a scrunched nose.

“If there’s something in the pot you’re lucky,” She’d laugh and smile, hugging me, and turning me about so that I walked back out of the kitchen to the living room, which was as sparsely furnished as our cabinets were stocked.

This was her recipe for food and for life and she shared it with me over and over again until it became a part of me. I carry this recipe not just in my mind but in the marrow of my lived experience. I carry it in my soul and now I share it with you.

Step 1: Choose Wisely

When you go to the store fresh meats and vegetables are a delight to cook with; but they are perishable and can’t be stored for hard times. Always remember to choose a few things that can be stored far into the future. When your money runs out and your onions are moldy, cans of beans and salmon will hold you over like nothing else can. Likewise remember to choose things for your life that will last over time, knowledge, faithful friendships, and the love of God.

Step 2: Use What You Have

When you search the landscapes of kitchen and life for tools and ingredients never underestimate the impact of the littlest things. Chicken that’s been sitting in the freezer for eight months won’t look very appealing when you want McDonalds for lunch; but come dinner time, a little seasoning will turn that chicken into a feast. So too in life small bits of wit, humor, faith and friendship are as vital as salt, pepper and water are in cooking. Even a very small amount can go a long way to get you through tough times.

Step 3: Be Imaginative

If you want to accomplish wonders, you can’t be afraid to be different and do things differently. What’s for dinner, if all you have is half a box of pasta and a can of beans? It should be relatively easy to create something new when the alternative is starvation. (I was eating vegan pasta long before it was trendy). In a world where everyone clamors to fit in, the people who aren’t afraid to stand out have the greatest of impacts. If you can think outside the box during difficulties with limited resources imagine what you could do with a windfall.

Step 4: Share

The person you feed today may be the one who blesses you tomorrow because people remember how you treat them and how you make them feel. For as little as you may have in your pot there is always someone somewhere with less—less joy, less hope, less love. Share what you’ve got, even when you have very little, you have the power to change someone’s whole world for the better.

Step 5: Enjoy

You have eaten a small feast from what appeared to be nothing, risen to the challenge with creativity, and possibly had the luxury of someone’s company, you’re an overcomer. The lessons contained in this recipe will carry you through life in the best and worst seasons and situations. Smile at your good fortune, wisdom gained is worth celebrating.

Disclaimer: This recipe is best when served with large portions of laughter. Mom says, “When you’re broke you have to laugh to keep from crying”.

Bon Appetit!