The End

I'm hanging up my spatula and my whisk. Well, not really. 

My friend Charlie invited me to his temple to speak about my three months on SNAP.  I went on a Friday night, even attended a little bit of the service first. The congregation was about to embark on a one-week SNAP challenge and they wanted some direction, information, inspiration.

All the things that occurred to me that night have occurred to me before: it's not hard for someone who isn't really on SNAP to take the challenge. Although most people who take it subsist (unwisely, I believe) on junk food and frozen food and feel awful after a few days, they start with a baseline of health and well being, which may not be the case with real SNAP recipients. If you are basically healthy, one week of hunger and frustration won't kill you. Much as we think we can get a glimpse into the life of someone on SNAP by reducing our budgets, it's clear that we cannot. We have warm homes, too much clothing, cars that have been paid for, can go off SNAP any time, have lots and lots of options in lots and lots of areas. Plus, for me: I love love love to cook and I especially love to cook within really tight parameters, whatever they may be. I have skills that not everyone has. And on top of all that, I have quirky eating habits. And am on the small side.

But I'm not saying that the congregation is doing this indiscriminately, insincerely or lightly. They are doing just the opposite: they are taking the challenge so that they can get a little bit of insight into the lives of people on SNAP but more importantly so that they can do more; their challenge (unlike mine was intended to be) is not an end in itself for them. What can we do, they ask, to change policy, to make a big impact? Can they get their town to offer Bounty Bucks? EBT at farmers markets?  Can they donate the money they save during their challenge to make someone else's real-life challenge easier? They are doing the SNAP challenge as a kick starter for themselves but are really interested in making a big impact. 

I went into this challenge to prove a point: that if you have the skills, desire and know-how, you can cook and eat well on such a limited budget. And what I discovered is that you can. 

What did I learn? 
Doing this challenge has definitely changed the way I think about shopping/cooking/eating and I have  no doubt I will save thousands and thousands of dollars as a result.  That isn't/wasn't really the point but any kind of consciousness helps, right?

Cooking really, really matters (ok, I already knew that).
Having a limited budget sucks. 
Having to pinch and save is draining in every way possible. 
It's embarrassing to be on SNAP (I don't care how many talking heads say that people take advantage of the system, I do not believe that anyone feels good about being on SNAP).
If you have a few very simple recipes in your arsenal you can cook all the time. 
It's hard to walk by raspberries and not even be able to think about buying them.
Shop sales. 
Having to worry if you will have enough money to get through the month is unimaginable. 
You have to get used to eating the same thing over and over. 
Don't waste your money on empty calories (which includes a lot of things that are not classified as junk). 
Comparison shop.
Buy food that gives you a big nutritional bang for your buck. 
Pay attention to serving size.
Be sure you get enough protein.
Having staples really matters (should SNAP offer staples to first-timers? should grocery stores offer discounts on items like oil, vinegar, flour, spices, etc. to SNAP recipients?)

What would I recommend to the USDA if they knocked on my door:
Sorry but I don't think recipients should be able to buy "non-food". I'm not sure where I would draw the line but I surely wouldn't allow soda and I surely wouldn't allow any kind of chips. I understand the argument that the government shouldn't tell you what to eat but if they are giving you the food or the money for food, strings attached seems like a fair bargain to me. SNAP should be more like WIC.

SNAP should offer basic cooking classes, with incentives for participation.  Maybe if you take a cooking class, you could get a discount on the items used? Or cooking equipment. 


Now what?
I'll keep posting SNAP friendly- meaning inexpensive, simple and delicious - recipes.

Thanks for reading......

My Trip to Walmart

There are no Walmart's near me and I happened to be meeting a friend near one so without really thinking about what I needed I went in and scoped out their food section. They have a ton of groceries. I thought it would be more like Target but it seemed to me to be a full grocery store within. The fresh options weren't bad but unlike the dry goods, there weren't enough options so that you could get everything there. 

Everything was less expensive, in some cases a little bit, in some cases substantially. But it was overwhelming!

I bought 2 dozen Eggland's Best eggs ($2.68 each) and 3 lb bag onions ($2.48). 

Sick of This

I am really sick of keeping track of everything I buy, sick of keeping and totaling the receipts, sick of pinching pennies, sick of taking pictures that don't look very good. And yet, I am not the least bit sick of cooking and coming up with recipes. I like that part.

I am the sort of person who doesn't turn in business receipts for reimbursement and up to now, my SNAP behavior has been completely in opposition to my natural self. But I've now started getting sloppy about keeping them in one place, keeping them at all, writing them down (guess I am reverting to what comes easily). 

And when I start to feel "enough already, I've proved my point" 

I start to feel that people on SNAP are sick of it too. 

Maybe sick and tired of different things than I am but sick and tired nevertheless.

On the other hand, I have a feeling that my shopping habits have changed forever. I now pay attention to price and am really good about cooking what I have on hand: I don't throw anything out. I don't buy cauliflower when it's $4.99. In the past, I didn't notice. Now I wait. 

Chunky Pasta Sauce with Beef

Recipe: Chunky Pasta Sauce with Beef 

2 teaspoons olive, canola, or vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or chopped
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound ground beef (can sub ground turkey)

Two 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, including the liquid
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Shaved or grated Parmesan cheese

Put the skillet on the stove and turn the heat to medium-low. When the skillet is hot,   add the oil. Add the onion, garlic, basil, and oregano and cook until the onion is golden, about 10 minutes.

Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until it is no longer raw, about 10 minutes.

 Add the tomatoes and cook until it starts to come together, about 1 hour.  Mash down if you want to make it less chunky. 

Serve right away or cool, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

 

After eating with spaghetti several times I sliced up
zucchini and used it instead. Much lighter. 

Zucchini spaghetti. 

What else I purchased

After my trip to Costco I was in for $130.66. So, 69.34 to go.

Here is what else I purchased this month:
Greek yogurt 5.70
Sharp cheddar 3.99
Firm tofu 1.99
2 Stonyfield Yogurt 7.98
2 Jalapeno peppers .68
scallions .89
2 onions .84
2 lemons .79
1 large zucchini .58
2 cauliflower 3.96
1 fennel 1.98
1 broccoli rabe 1.89
Savoy Cabbage .60
1 English cucumber 1.49
2 Cottage Cheese 5.58


subtotal: 38.94
minus Bounty Bucks 10.00
total= 28.94

$130.66

total=  159.60

its the last day of the month, so I'm off to the grocery store!!!
I've been overly cautious about what I buy and am almost having trouble spending all the money!!

Store brand yogurt 2.50

and now I can't find my last receipt but be sure 

I didn't go above the allotted $200.!

Chicken with Anise-Brown Butter and Lemon over Garlicky Broccoli Rabe

Recipe: Garlicky Broccoli Rabe

I have cooked broccoli rabe many times but found this version so good I ate half of it while cooking the chicken that was supposed to go with it. Sometimes I am amazed at how good something so simple can be. 

Serves 2-4 (but served just me)

2 teaspoons olive oil 

1 large or 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bunch broccoli rabe, washed, stems removed, the rest cut into thirds

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Place a skillet over medium heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add the broccoli rabe and water and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.  Serve right away. 

Recipe: Chicken Tenders with Anise-Brown Butter and Lemon Juice

I hadn't intended to combine these with the Broccoli Rabe but discovered that the anise was amazing with it, a big surprise to me!

Serves 2-3 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/4- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 teaspoon anise seed (or finely chopped fennel) 

Juice of 1/2 lemon 

Sprinkle the chicken tenders with salt and pepper and then the anise seed.

Place a skillet over medium high heat and when it is hot, add the butter. Cook until the butter just browns. Add the chicken and cook until deep brown, about 5 minutes per side. Drizzle with the lemon juice and serve over the Garlicy Broccoli Rabe. 

Your Basic but Ever Adaptable Chicken Soup

Recipe: Chicken Soup 

There is nothing quite so comforting as chicken soup nor as versatile. Add more broth if you like it brothy, less if you like it stewy. Add diced tomatoes at the end; fennel, mushrooms, kale or zucchini at the beginning; fresh herbs like cilantro or basil, or spinach at the end, cooked leftover broccoli rabe, butternut squash, just about anything your imagination inspires. And if you don't like chicken, substitute tofu. 

Yield: about 10 cups

1 tablespoon canola, vegetable or olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, sliced

2 carrots, scrubbed or peeled and sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger root (if you have it)

8- 10 cups low-sodium chicken broth 

1/2 cup rice, barley, or small pasta (optional)

about 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

 Place a soup pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium. When it is hot, carefully add the oil.

Add the onion, celery, and carrots, and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and chicken and raise the heat to high. Bring just to a boil and then lower the heat to low and cook, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked throughout, about 20 minutes.  Set the chicken aside and when it is cool enough to handle, shred it. 

 Add the rice and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. (If you want, you can use leftover grains or pasta. If so, skip this step and add them about 5 minutes before serving.)

Add the shredded chicken, stir, and cook until heated throughout, about 3 minutes.

Serve right away or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.