Anchored Souls presents
Ms. Ruby’s Kitchen
Good food. A little know-how. A seat for you.
“Come on in, sugar. Tell me what you’ve got, how many we’re feeding, and how you want to fix it. Let’s see what we can put on your table.”
Let’s Make Something GoodWhat’s in your pantry, sugar?
What’s on Your Table?
“Three little questions. Then we’ll see about supper.”
Choose the ingredients you have, the number eating, and one way to prepare your meal. We’ll show the amounts you need and anything extra to pick up.
A little something just for your table
Your Kitchen Table
Keep it for your kitchen
A Recipe for the Counter. A List for the Store.
“You don’t have to remember every little thing, sugar. Let’s put it on paper.”
Make your selections above, then print your large-print recipe and shopping list. Your copy includes portions, directions, missing ingredients, your optional Mississippi-grown addition, and leftover guidance.
Set your kitchen table first to create your printable.
Let’s fill your basket
Grown Here. Connected Here. On Your Table.
“A little Mississippi goodness is just a click away, sugar.”
Mississippi Agriculture · MDAC
Find Local Goodness
Mississippi growers, products, and farmers markets.
MDAC · USDA-funded program
A Little Produce Help
Check fresh-produce benefits for eligible older adults.
Mississippi State Extension
Fresh Ideas for Supper
See what’s in season and find something good to cook.
Mississippi Human Services · USDA Foods
Help Filling the Pantry
Explore senior food boxes and local food assistance.
More Mississippi & USDA Resources
Check current eligibility, application dates, hours, and authorized sellers with each program. Resources are independently linked by Anchored Souls; listing does not imply agency sponsorship.
Pull up a chair · Ms. Ruby has a story for you
Pass the Plate,
Tell the Story
The food brings us together. The stories keep us at the table.
“You know every family has that one dish—and a story to go with it. Pull up a chair, sugar. I’ve got a little of both!”
Today’s kitchen story
The Bowl That Came Home Empty
The first time I took my potato salad to the family dinner, I carried it in my prettiest bowl. I figured if the potato salad didn’t impress anybody, at least the bowl would.
My sister Louise looked under the foil, looked at me, and said, “You made this yourself?”
Now, there are several ways to answer a question like that at a family gathering. I chose peace. “Every potato,” I told her.
Keep reading, sugar
At dinner, I watched that bowl like it was a child in the Christmas program. A spoonful here. A second helping there. Then my nephew scraped the bottom and asked if there was any more.
I tried to look casual. “Well, I only brought that little bowl.” Sugar, that bowl could have held a small watermelon.
When we were packing up, Louise handed it back to me, washed and dried. “Bring this again next time,” she said.
“The bowl?” She gave me that sister look. “You know what I mean.”
I still have that bowl. There’s a little chip underneath the rim now, where you can feel it more than see it. Every time I get it down, I hear Louise asking if I made that potato salad myself.
And every time I take it somewhere, I hope it comes home empty.
With love, Ms. Ruby
A little table talk
What dish did your family always ask someone to bring? Can you picture the bowl or pan it came in?
A little help for healthy eating
Good Information at Your Table
“Sometimes we all need a little help making sense of our food choices, sugar. Here’s a place to start.”
Choose a topic to read guidance from MyHealthfinder, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services resource.
Choose a topic above. Your meal selections are not sent to this service.
Source: MyHealthfinder, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This guidance is separate from Ms. Ruby’s starter recipes.
Read healthy eating guidance on MyHealthfinder ↗