Some final thoughts.

Was this a challenge to live on $7.00 a day? Yes it was. I had to really think about what I was buying. I didn't like the fact I had to limit myself. No fancy treats. This also took time. Time not just to think about what I was buying, but time to prepare it as well. Difficult if you are working long hours and have long commutes to work. Simplify is the best answer. Bags of carrot and apple sticks. Big pots of rice to eat all week. Soaking beans the night before. Looking out for specials in produce and good proteins. And absolutely no waste, it's like flushing $$ down the drain. Our stores are full of things that, in my opinion, are useless nutrition, and unfortunately, the stuff that fills you up, heavily processed white flour products, sugar laced drinks and cereals and cheap fatty meats are the leading causes of obesity in America. We need real food facts, education on better ways to eat. 

What I learned about myself. I am a contemplative eater. Some say I'm a foodie, but the truth is, I just love food. Having once been a part time farmer, I know where food comes from. I don't like to compromise, I'd rather wait to eat something that has nutritional value later than to eat something cheap and sugary now. I always regret going for the cheap and sugary as I usually feel lousy afterwards.  

In retrospect, I think I would change some of the things I ate. Need more carbs maybe, spread out through the day. A few times I felt a little spacey.

 No not that Spacey.

What I need to change about how I eat. Not much I think. Though I know I need to drink more water, and eat more fruit. My jaw hurts a lot because of TMJ, so bitting into and chewing an apple is not as appealing. Slicing is the only way I like to eat apples. I thought of some new ways to eat them too. Sautéed in organic Earth Balance (Love this stuff!) or a little butter. Dress them up with a dusting of turmeric or curry powder and it becomes a nice savory side to organic Basmati rice. Toss in some soaked raisins and sliced almonds for fun. Sautéing apples lightly in butter first is also a key in making the best apple pie you ever tasted. I'm also going to try shredding apples along with carrots. add some minced ginger and maybe a light honey yogurt dressing.

What I also missed was sharing food I make. I love baking and surprising people with inventive tasty goodies.

I'll get back to this.

Thank you United Way for presenting this unique and thoughtful challenge. Thank you Sue, our fearless and inspiring Executive Director at KCNA, who though did not blog about it, took this challenge as well. And many thanks to my co-bloggers who by their daily trials, encouraged me to keep going, and at some points made me laugh out loud.

Day Five, my Hunger Challenge will end after today.

(This is what I have left)

For those faced with a daily hunger challenge it will not. Not without help, your help and mine. Find out what you can do for this years United Way Campaign.

I'll post more later tonight, tell you what I ate today. I get to go to work now. Bloggers hierarchy.

Now later, (next day actually), I had the rest of my steel cut oats with 1/2 banana, Rice Dream. Still good, oddly not bored. Took to work a lovely salad of 3 c. organic mixed greens ($.70) with chopped green onions and chopped carrots and one segmented organic Minneola orange. I topped that with one can of kippered sardines with lemon and cracked pepper ($1.25)  squeezed the juice out of the remaining lemon with a good dousing of EVO. Earlier I prepared one organic sweet potato ($.55) roasted, sliced with EVO and the rest of the garlic ($.78). Tasty side. I brought the rest of the coffee I had pressed, along with my Rice Dream. Had that over ice as it was one of those "roller skate" nights at work.

Midnight, I thought, end of Hunger Challenge Week! I could go to Cafe Presse after work and have a big bowl of French Onion soup, but I just didn't have the energy. Went straight home, took a long hot shower, and made an awesome smoothie out of vanilla Rice Dream ice cream and organic oranges. That with a large cup of pistachios I was happily satiated while I watched a very funny DVR'd  Parks and Recreation. Laughter is very good medicine.

Day 4 of Hunger Challenge, meager but tasty eats and a complete breakdown.

Conspicuous consumption. We are blasted by media to eat food that usually is not very good for us. My kids never asked for name brand cereals until my neighbor gave us a TV. (It's okay, Bob Cilman, I would have eventually gotten one anyway). I shouldn't complain; my S.O., love of my life, works in advertising and in an odd roundabout way the sound of "I'm Lovin' It!" helps bring food to our table.

Yesterday Lucy told me I was "A foodie trying to do a Hunger Challenge." Yes. Thanks Lucy, you are right. I've could have gotten more basic I suppose but where's the fun in that?

My calculations for stretching my Ballard Blend coffee have been pretty right on. I have had about 1 and 3/4 c a day with my espresso grind to French press. On my occasional "Detox Diet" I have given up coffee and I had thought about giving it up again but wanted to be more true to who I am during this Challenge. So one cup waking up then 3/4 cup mixed with ice and about a cup of Rice Dream to go for the rest of the day. I'm just really enjoying my coffee.

On making broth out of thin air. I saved the drumstick bones, stashed them in the freezer, along with peelings from broccoli, apple and lemon, and added about 5 c of filtered water. Boiled that down to about 3 c and strained it. 

Day 4 eatings. 1/2 c steel cut oats with 1/4 sliced organic cameo apple ($.41), rice milk. Then ta-da! Soup! Made from broth, 1/2 chopped organic celery stick, ($.12) 1 small chopped organic carrot ($.26), one sliced organic white mushroom ($.24) and chopped tops from organic green onions ($.89, previously mentioned I think!)  Added to soup, 1/4 c organic brown rice ($.52) and the rest of the very tasty organic chicken drumstick meat. Salt and pepper snapped it up. Had a cup of that for lunch, before work even! For dinner I had my leftover black beans which I jazzed up by adding sautéed sliced jalapeno and sliced white ends of the organic green onions. With that my left over organic sweet corn  and my flax/corn chips and Frank's Red Hot sauce.

  I find that stress sometimes brings out mindless eating in me. Mid-shift I was feeling carb-low. Having anticipated this I brought to work my toasted oats 1/2c, a 1/2  banana and  1 tablespoon of honey. Had that in a paper cup with about 3/4 c Rice Dream.

I thought that would do it, but sorry, no. The mind obsessed is a powerful thing. You see, on Day 3 of this great and worthy challenge I began to think about a Dick's vanilla milkshake. I REALLY wanted one. The thing about food is it possesses such power, to satisfy, to nurture, to appeal to all your senses. Visual appeal, smell, taste, sensation. Food is happiness. I had to have that vanilla milkshake! And since I was there at Dick's anyway, one order of fries please. Cost: a big guilty $3.40.

Food I ate Day Three, a Continuing Challenge.

Two books by anthropologist Colin M. Turnbull that changed how I thought about life. Maslow and Turnbull would agree about the fundamentals of life necessities. Live in an abundant world where food is at your fingertips, and where no words for anger, fighting or stress exist. Or live in a world where one's very means for being are stripped from you, and watch the social fabric and its community threads unravel. Still worthy reads, years later.

Now what I ate.  First a little change in the oats, hard flaked this time, $.32, which I nicely toasted in the oven first. Brings out a nice sweet crunch. I ate a cup with, again sliced 1/2  banana, Two new ones for $.55.  That with a 1/2 c of my still abundant Rice Dream box. And I had breakfast, which is something normally I don't always do.  I have on a few times have had Korean for breakfast, go straight to lunch I guess,.  Made a big decision to go off a vegetarian diet because honestly that is not who I am. I'm a carnivore. So when I found a nice package of organic chicken drumsticks for $3.17 I could not resist. I roasted these at 425 for 15 minuets then down to 325 until tested done. (initial high heat seals in the moisture and browns nicely) drizzled with a little EVO and lots of salt & pepper. I then stripped the meat off the bones and took that to work with steamed organic broccoli, about 1/2 c ($.36). Then at PCC I found some beautiful organic grey-green lentils ($.52) which I cooked up Al Dente, mixed with some squeezes of  organic lemon ( $.99) chopped organic celery ($.12)  and chopped organic green onion ($.82). Delicious. That was my dinner! Will write more later. Hierarchy of Bloggers Needs. I need to get to work!!!!

Making up for missing food I ate on Day 2 of Hunger Challenge!

 I wanted to talk about the Hierarchy of Needs.

First let me tell you where I left off on Tuesday. Went to Fred Meyer, which, besides Grocery Outlet, is my favorite food shopping source, especially since they've improved the organic food section. From there I went to PCC. Shopping, even on a non Hunger Challenge Day is challenging . I know how to "read" the aisles for sale prices. Each store has their own colour keyed signs. Country Markets are red, PCC's are purple and so on. So I do a visual sweep of the aisles first. Sometimes one can find "closeouts" of a particular product. Checking the meat, cheese, and dairy sections if you are so inclined, one can find discounts because of pending expiration dates. Freezing these items until you need them works fine. Relating back to the Hate Waste blog segment I want to share a fantastic way to keep produce fresh. Moisture is responsible for most food rot so by shaking out excess water and wrapping them in paper towels then in a plastic bag greatly extends the "fresh" time. You can dry out and reuse the paper towels.

By time time I got home I was starving! Too much energy output for just having a cup of steel cut oats, with  1/4 sliced banana and 1/2 c. rice milk. (Left over from first day purchases). Cook I must! Fast! So I grabbed the box of Annies Mac & Cheese (bought previously at $.99), did it up with a 1/4 c. of a 8 oz bag of Tillamook shredded Mexican cheese blend I bought at Fred Meyer for $1 (had a coupon!). I had about half of the mac & cheese with the organic baby spinach, lightly steamed, I had purchased at the Ballard Market the other night for $.56. Not a bad meal, though I'm not much of a dairy person these days, cheese is an excellent source of protein and calcium. With my aging bones I need the calcium!

By now the cravings have started. Where's my chocolate? I compared prices on chocolate bars but could not find good deals on dark chocolate. I won't even think about milk chocolate, it's a waste of eating in my opinion. What I opted out for was a box organic chocolate soy milk I bought at FM for $1.69. I figured it would last me longer. So for my treat on Tuesday night I had a big cup of steaming soy chocolate with a sliced organic gala apple, (bought on day one for $.42) YUM! I felt satisfied.

Eating is a profound physiological need. I may live without shelter, I may be cold, but I simply can not live if I don't have food.  The physiological needs are the foundation of Maslow's Heirarchy of needs. If I do not have food I can not meet the basics to be a functioning human being. Simple as that. Try going hungry.

On a lighter note.

I also need time to cook and go to work! I guess this is why I'm not a blogger.

Well stocked cabinets. My food pantry.

Which I can't bear to look at, or I'll be tempted! My seasonings! There's more downstairs,  A whole Costco freight load of stuff. For two people. This is my food security, it's a visual thing, I am comforted seeing there is food to eat. The root of this "insecurity" comes from being five, six years old, when my father worked construction. In the winter there was no work for him and the meager unemployment check did very little to feed a family of four or keep us warm.

I'm learning how to be resourceful, so far eating pretty tasty stuff and yesterday I was not very hungry. Probably feeling still full after being a glutton on Sunday.  I've been to three stores so far and I have $20 left. My first stop was QFC, it was on the way. I bought 1 organic gala apple for $0.42, a can of organic sweet corn for $1,  a tiny box of organic vanilla low fat milk for $1, and $2 bought 0.2 lb. of Organic Ballard Blend coffee. I'm just enjoying my coffee! Thanks Diana for the tip to expresso grind it and use it in a French press. Good yield, and tasty! At Grocery Outlet I bought a box of Annie's Mac & Cheese and a 7 oz. bag of spiced flaxseed organic yellow corn tortilla chips for total of $1.98!  Later, after work, I stopped at the Ballard Market, knowing at least I could get a few things in bulk. Meaning buying little ity bitty amounts. For a total of $8.23 I was able to buy 0.39 lb. of organic black beans, 0.26 lb. of organic steel cut oats, 0.01 lb. of organic breakfast tea, 0.26 lb. of NW raspberry honey, 0.13 lb organic EVO, 1 can of chunk light tuna, 1 very large organic banana, 0.08 lb of organic baby spinach, 3 cloves of garlic and my happiest deal, a 62 oz box of organic Rice Dream!!!  

To be fair I must mention I am using coupons, I had a free coupon for Franks Red Hot Sauce!!!!!! I put that on everything, well all most. Also I use my QFC and Fred Meyer member cards for the store deals. These cost nothing to join, just signing up, and you earn points, for future food purchases and now gas! Really, 10 cents off a gallon at Shell. Don't forget your bags, most markets give you $0.05 refund per bag you use. PCC takes that and donates it, which is okay too

Yesterday I started off with coffee and a bowl of steel cut oats with some sliced banana a drizzle of honey and a splash of Rice Dream. I had soaked my black beans the night before and in the morning cooked them up nice and soft with a large smashed garlic clove.  A large cup of beans with a cup of corn became my dinner with a bunch of tortilla chips and lots of Franks Red Hot sauce! I was going to eat an apple later but work got real busy. I had a large cup of tea with Rice Dream instead. When I got home I felt hungry for protein so I drained the water out of my tuna can, gave it to my sweet dog, he loves the taste of tuna water. To the tuna I added a few drizzles of EVO and lots of salt and pepper and ate it with more chips, yum. I didn't finish though, about a 1/4 cup left, as well as more black beans and corn.

I've 

slept nearly 12 hours last night. I needed it! I'm off today so I'll venture out to see what I can buy next. Hunting for some more protein and good produce. Fred Meyer here I come. I've got coupons 

First Official Day

This is what a healthy plate should look like. I don't think mine will look much like it. My attempts to finish my shopping yesterday fell by the wayside because I ran out of time. Got to stop staying up to 4 in the morning! But watching the Bourne trilogy this weekend was fun! And yesterday I did eat very very well, too well probably, still feel full. Oh yeah, vegan rice banana pancakes with hazel nut topping, thanks Portage Bay!  So, a little shopping, feeling worried I will not make my goal of eating healthy organic. I did find some good buys though. A big bag of  spicy organic corn and flax seed chips for $.99! My snackoholism will be met. I hope I find some good fresh produce soon. Sorry I missed the farmers market Sunday. I think there's another one Tuesday somewhere.

Got to go to work!!! Will write more, I'll tell you what I ate today.

My $35 for the next 5 days

A Jackson, a Hamilton, and one tired Lincoln go in to my little Guatemalan coin purse. This is how I'll keep tract of all my food purchases, keeping in mind this will have to last me 5 days. Already there's a little anxiety.

Strategy, check local store flyers for sales, stop at Grocery Outlet first. I'm not thinking about what I'll buy but searching for cheap good protein will be a priority.

LOVE FOOD HATE WASTE

I never heard "eat what's on your plate, there are starving children in Africa (India, South America...)". I was happy to see any food in front of me. For those of us who take for granted unlimited amount of food available to purchase too much is wasted. A 2004 report noted 75 Billion dollars of food wasted from restaurants, institutions and homes. Think about what you buy today. Take a food, refrigerator inventory. Use your food. Don't waste.

Hunger Facts: The United Way Hunger Challenge

I missed a post yesterday, but it wasn't because I was hungry. Got busy and away from my computer. I did eat fairly well and didn't think much about it. A cup of multigrain cereal with a pear and soy yogurt, a cup of turkey chili with 2 rice cakes, a bowl of salad greens with a cup of cooked chicken, 2 wheat free ginger cookies and a cup of pistachios. And coffee all the live long day!

The USDA reports that 14% of Washingtonians experienced food insecurity in 2009, and 5.8% experience hunger (very low food insecurity) .  Check out www.uwkc.org/news for for more food/hunger facts.

Love Food? Try a Hunger Challenge?

What's your relationship to food? Do you think about food all the time? Or only when you get hungry? Does it matter what you eat, how it's prepared? Do you have strong dislikes or likes? Do you have food allergies?  Carnivore or vegetarian, vegan?  I believe everyone has a relationship to food. Even someone who can't smell, can't swallow, and their food must be safely delivered by a feeding tube in their stomach has a relationship to food.  What's yours?

5 DAYS AND 5 WAYS

1st on the list, Take the Hunger Challenge.

Go to the web site of  United Way of King County. Sign up at www.unitedwayofking county.org/hunger

Ever go to bed hungry? Think about it today as you freely choose the food you like to eat.

One week to United Way Hunger Action Week.

Just one week to go and I'm already planning my "Hunger Challenge".  Thinking about all the things I want to eat and what food I have in the refrigerator that I need to eat now so it won't be wasted. To be fair and accurate I plan to start to completely from scratch, $35 bucks, spend it all on food, then live on that for 5 days.

In a odd sense of contrast it happens to be "Dine Around Seattle" month. You know the dining deals at favorite restaurants, lunch 3 courses for $15 or dinner 3 courses for  $30? As a self proclaimed homegrown foodie, this is hard to resist!  I doubt I'll have an opportunity to get very "gourmet" on $7 a day. What am I going to do about seasoning??