Bliss and Lights: BURKINA FASO: CRS Rice Bowl Soup Supper

The 3rd WEEK OF LENT highlighted the West African Country of Burkina Faso. CRS has worked in that country since the 1960's working on Hunger Prevention and other Food Aid Programs. The Catholic Social Teaching of Caring for God's Creation is the CRS topic for this 3rd week of Lent.

At Christ our Hope Catholic Church, the SVdP Conference Commission coordinated the Sunday Soup Supper. Lisa C. led the prayer before soup was served. CRS Story of Hope video - the story of Safiata from Burkina Faso was shown to the parishioners and some residents of the Josephinum who were present.

The soups were donated by Kristi and Stu Smith who made a delicious African peanut soup. Paul G and Marc W. also donated a vegetarian soup and helped serve and with the clean up afterwards. Jackie and Ann B helped with food preps and soup service respectively.The SVdP Conference members donated the fruits and made the traditional bean cakes from Burkina Faso as featured in the CRS Rice Bowl website.

See video below:

We served 60 plus people that evening..

traditional bean cakes and recipe below

BEAN CAKES

Makes 6–8 Bean Cakes

1 can black-eyed peas, drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 egg, whisked
½ t salt
½ t black pepper
1 c flour
¼ c vegetable oil

Place black-eyed peas in a blender with the onion, carrots and egg. Blend to a smooth paste, and add salt and pepper. If bean mixture has too much liquid to form cakes, add flour, ¼ cup at a time to thicken until you can form into cakes. Divide into 6 to 8 portions and place in hot vegetable oil. Flatten each one into a disc using a spatula. Fry until browned (about 5 to 7 minutes), turning occasionally. Serve with rice.

Here are more pictures of our parishioners and Josephinum residents during out soup supper.