The $1 Challenge!!

In these challenging economic times, most people are trying to find way to spend less and save more. We watched a video clip this afternoon about a couple that decided to try feed themselves on only $1 per day, per person. So, they spent the month eating plain oatmeal for breakfast, pb & j sandwiches (1 Tbs. of peanut butter and 1 tsp. of jelly) for lunch, and tortillas with beans, tomato sauce, and a little cheese for dinner. They drank Tang (Blech!!) to get their vitamin C and occasionally ate a banana. The wife felt tired all month (go figure!) and the husband lost 14 pounds. Their conclusion was that it IS possible to feed yourself without spending a lot of money, but that the only foods that are affordable on a small budget aren't going to provide the best nutrition.

While this may be true for a single person or very small families, in our experience the larger the family, the easier it is to stretch the food budget while still maintaining a balanced, nutritious diet. With the rising food costs I've definitely had to increase our food budget, but still manage to feed our family on less than $400 a month. I end up spending a little more during the holiday months, which pushes us closer to the $400 mark, but our usual monthly grocery bill is around $350. That includes all food, paper goods, dog food, cleaning products, & toiletries. If I eliminate the non-food items, we spend right about $300. Divided by 30 days and 8 people, it costs us $1.25 per day, per person to feed our family.

So, what does $1.25 a day get you for the week if you live in my house?

Sunday:
Breakfast- whole wheat cinnamon-swirl raisin bread, toasted
scrambled eggs w/cheese
Lunch- turkey dogs in whole wheat buns,
baked beans,
apples
Dinner- spaghetti w/ chunky veggie sauce,
spinach salad w/craisins & pecans

Monday:
Breakfast- oatmeal w/choice of fruit
whole wheat toast
Lunch- tuna sandwiches
carrot sticks
Sun chips
bananas
Dinner- Stackee-up (brown rice w/curry sauce & choice of veggie toppings
green salad

Tuesday:
Breakfast- fruit & spinach smoothies
Lunch- left-over spaghetti
salad
green beans
Dinner- taco salad- leaf lettuce, beans, tomatoes, onions, olives, cheese, sour cream, salsa,
tortilla chips

Wednesday:
Breakfast- whole grain muffins
bananas
Lunch- tomato-rice soup
whole wheat bread
carrots & cucumbers
apples
Dinner- lentil-brown rice casserole
spinach salad w/hard boiled eggs

Thursday:
Breakfast- egg casserole using left-over bread
bananas or pears
Lunch- pb & j sandwiches
tangerines
carrots & cukes
Dinner- left-overs
green salad

Friday:
Breakfast- whole wheat pancakes
fruit
Lunch- quesadillas w/beans & cheese
green salad
tortilla chips
Dinner- veggie barley soup
spinach salad
whole wheat rolls

Saturday:
Breakfast- cold cereal (my cheat day!)
Lunch- veggie sandwiches (cukes, tomatoes, lettuce, bell peppers, jalapenos, cheese)
deviled eggs
fruit
Dinner- chili
green salad
corn bread

In addition, we always have fresh fruit or veggies on hand for snacking throughout the day and we usually make one or two sweet treats during the week. Cookies, cinnamon rolls, brownies, once in a while a cream pie. I try to make our meals healthy enough that I don't feel too guilty about the sweet stuff! ;) It dawned on me this week that our kids haven't ever tried baked apples, so that will be one of our treats this week. Cheap, easy, and good! (I can even make them in the crockpot and save oven space.)

So, rather than be discouraged by rising food costs let's all rise to the challenge. With a little planning even a big family like ours can be fed on a small budget. It doesn't take more than a few minutes a day to make bread and the results are so much more delicious and satisfying than the processed garbage at the store. One sandwich made with homemade bread fills my biggest kids, while it takes two made with store bought bread to satisfy my teens. Brown rice costs a little bit more than white, but because it contains the bran and germ it's more filling than the white. Food that's more filling = less food consumed = less cost. Dried beans are economical, nutritional, and filling. They're loaded with fiber and are a great source of protein. I cook and freeze baggies of beans to be used in soups, salads, and side dishes, or mashed into refried beans. Soy milk is easy to make, economical, and really good for you. It tastes great, too! Including the costs of shipping the soybeans overseas, a gallon of soymilk only costs me .67 to make.

Here's my proposition for you:

Take the $1 challenge and see how close you can come to feeding your family on $1 per day, per person this week. Send in your daily menues for the week and total food costs. The person with the healthiest, most economical menu for the week will have the dubious honor of being named Queen (or King) of Frugition (frugality/nutrition...I know it's lame, but it's the best I could come up with off the top of my head!) and receive a package of their choice of German chocolates. How's that for a deal?!

What's a girl to do???

We all know there are certain days when a girl's just GOT to take a headlong dive into a vat of warm chocolate have some chocolate. This doesn't hit me very often, but every few months I've GOT to have something ridiculously rich and chocolatey and full of all the stuff this blog isn't supposed to be about. I'd like to say I never succumb, but why lie? I truly do aspire to be as disciplined in my diet as my dear sis-in-law Anne, but I'm not all the way there, yet. Yet! I will, however, keep trying to take steps in the right direction, while realizing that every once in a while I might find myself sliding back into fantasies of secretly living in a hidden cave next to the chocolate river in Willy Wonka's factory, where I can sneak out at night, lean over the bank, and drink til my stomach explodes needing a little treat. These little babies did the trick this time.

Yeah, Baby!! Brownies
3/4 C. butter
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1-1/2 C. pure cane sugar
pinch of salt
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C. + 2 Tbs. flour
1/2 C. chopped nuts

Frosting:
1/4 C. butter, softened
1/2 C. shortening
pinch of salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. baking cocoa
1 lb. powdered sugar
2-4 Tbs. milk or cream

For Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350. In microwavable bowl melt butter and chocolate. (Microwave for 1-1/2 minutes, stir, then cook 30-60 more seconds.) Whisk in salt, vanilla and sugar. Cook for 2 more minutes. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour and nuts and blend well. Pour into a lightly greased 11x7" or 8x8" pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. The sides will be slightly pulled away from the edges of the pan. Cool completely on a rack before frosting. (In chocolate emergencies this only takes about 10 minutes on the balcony in 35 degree weather! ;))

For Frosting:
Beat everything together in a stand mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue beating on medium-high for 10-15 minutes. Let the mixer beat the frosting to a light, airy, silken texture before stopping. Add a little more powdered sugar if it's too thin, or milk if it's too thick.