Pantry planning yields great rewards. If properly stocked a meal is only a few steps away. Strategic shopping. Buying staples like pasta, soup, beans, cooking oil and fresh garlic and fridge items like a big chunk of cheddar, butter and milk makes the deal go down. I keep a clipboard handy so I can jot something down like I’m out of foil. Then when you need to make a grocery run for fresh ingredients you’re ready. Do you have certain comfort foods? Include them in your planning. Here’s how this happened. Yesterday I put a bag of dried black-eyed peas into a large crock pot, put smoked pork hocks on them, added smashed garlic and a chopped onion, salt and fresh pepper and, for a NM touch, one diced jalapeno pepper. Add two or three bottles of beer. Bring to heat then turn to low and leave it overnight. Next day make your skillet cornbread according to the recipe on the box, reducing or eliminating the amount of sugar called for. Wash a couple bunches of greens (I used mustard greens) and de-stem and chop them. Using a tall pot, add a bit of oil to heat, and then add more smashed garlic to soften and brown. Throw in the greens. Season with pepper and salt, stir to coat then add ¼ - ½ cup broth or beer. Cover and simmer. When tender add a TBS of ground dried mustard. This is my mother and her mother in Arkansas, and the results are real southern home cooking. Have plenty of butter for the cornbread. I had to go for a second bowl.