Green Beans, Blake Shelton and Food Pantries

Green beans are a very common food in this country.  I have to admit that I prefer fresh green beans - I will buy them whenever they are in the grocery store and look fresh.  And I don't cook them until they are mush (like baby food or canned green beans) because I like them with some crunch in them.  The only time I ever buy canned green beans is to make the ever beloved green bean casserole - not because I cannot make them with fresh green beans - but because they are just supposed to be made with canned green beans.

I think many of us would say we like green beans, but I think perhaps we just like the idea of green beans.

Blake Shelton was recently asked about his favorite dish at his family's Thanksgiving celebration.  He said that hands down it was his mother's green bean casserole.  He did then share that the funny thing was that his mother never could remember what she put in it the year before, so every year it was different - but it was still his favorite.  See what I mean!  It's the idea of that green bean dish.

(I bet most of you didn't know that I secretly adore Blake Shelton.  He's half bad boy and half Mr. Nice Guy.  He's so good with people - appreciating them for who they are.  And when he sings 'I could be there in 5', I believe him!  I hope if I ever need him in 5 that I'll be wearing cowgirls boots.  But I digress.)

One of the things that food pantries that rely primarily on donations from individuals have in common is that we have an overload of canned green beans.  In our food pantry we get 25 cans of green beans to 1 can of corn.  We get 40 cans of green beans to every can of carrots or peas or mixed vegetables.  (And by the way, the favs are corn and mixed vegetables.)  We literally have difficulty giving away those green beans.

What should we do with them?  And why do you all buy so many cans of green beans for food pantries?

If you insist on giving them, please please also suggest some inexpensive, innovative, tasty ways to prepare them - or at least also give cream of mushroom soup and French friend onions in comparable amounts so people can make the ever beloved green bean casserole.

But thank you for everything else you donate.  We appreciate it!  We could not do what we do if you did not do what you do.

Blessings!