Remembering those in war
The news lately is full of the unrest, conflict and war in Kosovo. Growing up in the home of a Second World War veteran, this news invokes strong emotional feelings in me.
My father was born in March 1923, and went to war overseas in November,1941. My two brothers and I each have teenagers turning 18 this spring. This year on March 28, when we celebrated Dad’s birthday at my sister’s home, my niece, Becky, presented her grandfather with this essay with which she placed second in Saskatchewan. I chose to share excerpts of it with readers, because it helps to remind us all of the disasters of war.
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I Shall Remember
“This year will be my last year of writing for the Legion and watching the school’s Remembrance Day service. It will not be the last year I feel grateful to our veterans nor the last year that I feel proud to be a Canadian. And it will not be the last year that I pray I won’t have to endure the awful experience of war.
“Only this year I began thinking about how much war would affect my life. If a war broke out, it could be my boyfriend going overseas and my classmates leaving to fly bombers and trudge through countrysides. I could be the one waiting at home and praying for their safe returns. Or I could be the one viewing the horrible sights of war myself, my heart yearning to go home. Many soldiers and their families went through all of this. They sacrificed so that you and I could have freedom, and for that, we owe it to them to keep peace.
“This year I attended the Remembrance Day service in my hometown with my Grandma and Grandpa. My Grandpa is a veteran of World War Two. I watched the veterans walk down the aisle of the hall, carrying the flags. They all looked so solemn, yet they had an air about them. Maybe only I noticed it, but to me, they were like the heroes. For that one day of the year, in his uniform, my Grandpa was someone else. He was a step above because he gave up so much for us. When I was young, I used to ask my Grandpa why he went to war. He always replied, “It was for you. I wanted the children of the future to have good lives and to be free.” When I was five, I didn’t understand what he meant, but now I do. …
“Heroes. This is how I see our war veterans. Many people think of Superman and Spiderman as heroes. But they’re not real. War veterans really did save our country. Every year there are fewer veterans walking down the aisles.”
Hospital stay
Another item in the news is the nurses’ strike in Saskatchewan. Two weeks ago, I underwent surgery in City Hospital in Saskatoon. The care was second to none.
Because I’m laid up for a while, our daughter, Marla, home from her travels, is looking after the household and me. This recipe from Saskatchewan Pulse Growers makes a nutritious burrito, making good use of our home-grown lentils:
Lent-ole burrito
11Ú2 cups lentils 375 mL
3 cups water 750 mL
2 teaspoons olive oil 10 mL
1 medium onion, diced 1
1 cup diced green 250 mL
pepper
2 large cloves 2
garlic, minced
11Ú2 teaspoons chili powder 7 mL
1Ú2 teaspoon ground 2 mL
cumin
1Ú2 teaspoon garlic 2 mL
powder
1 cup water 250 mL
6 tablespoons 100 mL
tomato paste
6-8 flour tortillas 6-8
Rinse and drain lentils. Bring lentils and water to a boil, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Slightly undercook, drain if necessary.
In fry pan, using medium heat, saute onion, green pepper and garlic in the olive oil. Stir for two minutes and do not brown. Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cooked lentils, water and tomato paste. Stir for a few minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. Cover and cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and cook another five minutes.
Lay flour tortillas flat and spoon 1Ú3-1Ú2 cup (75-125 mL) lentil-mixture down centre of each tortilla. Roll up, place on top of shredded lettuce on plate. Top each burrito with a dollop of low fat sour cream, a large spoonful of salsa and a light sprinkle of low fat cheddar cheese.
Chopped onions, green peppers, jalapeno peppers or sliced black olives may be used as garnish.
Nutrients per serving include energy 347 kilocalories, protein 19.1 grams, total fat 8.4 g, cholesterol 18.4 mg, unsaturated fat 4.02 g, sodium 137.61 mg, dietary fibre totals 6.6 g (1.9 g soluble.)
For more information or other pulse wrap ‘n’ roll recipes, including recipes using pinto beans, chickpeas or split peas, contact the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Saskatoon, 306-668-5556 or fax: 306-668-5557, or Sask. Pulse Growers home economics consultant, 306-652-2691, fax: 306-664-4404. Check out foodfocus@quadrant.net or www.skpulse.sk ca.
