Day two: waking up, still.

A blessed day off. Time to gather my thoughts about this year's Challenge. I recognized I was cranky from the start, not just because I felt like I didn't have time to prepare, but truly because I was anticipating being without what comforts me so. FOOD. When I want it, how I want it and how much I want. Granted, I do not normally go to excess. My addictive qualities do not gravitate so much toward food, well except for chocolate maybe. What disturbs me most is where this takes me. To periods in my life, especially as a child when I  either did not have enough to eat or what I could get was substandard and very unsatisfying. Not to mention the social degradation of not being able to enjoy what I thought most people never gave a thought to.

This aside, let me tell you where my day began in the Hunger Challenge Part Deux. Actually started the day before with shopping. First stop, as always (it's their motto, Shop Here First) Grocery Outlet. A bit disappointing this time around. No cheap hot sauce. :(  I did find rice noodle Kitchen Lemongrass instant soup for $.50 each. Not a lot of protein but I can add to that. One can of Lemon Pepper Herring. Mmmm, good stuff, protein, calcium and all. One box of gluten free onion and chive rice crackers. Yum. Happy find as they will help in the salty-nosh-craving category. Total cost for this trip, $3.75!

QFC was my next stop. The great search for cheap organic coffee.  0.31lb @ 7.99 lb of medium roasted Guatemalan . I love Guatemalan. Love you Mario. :) Add to this a fabulous orangic zucchini, 3 sticks of celery (yes you can do this, anything that is sold by the pound right?) 2 bananas, 1 lovely fuji apple and out of impulse and thoughts of fulfilling a future need, a Chocolate Brownie Cliff Bar, gluten free and mostly organic. (Note: for future reference, produce and most other food stuffs I buy will be organic unless otherwise noted.) Add to that one box of Rice Dream rice milk, so important. Total outlay for this trip $8.35.

Next stop Fred Meyer, more produce. Green onions, lots of ways to use them. A few cloves of garlic, essential seasoning!!! Another lovely Fuji apple. ( Have you ever just closed your eyes and smelled an organic apple?)  A happy find of a 12 oz bag of mixed broccoli florettes and baby carrots! Two small red jalapeño-like peppers, not organic but from Fresno. Love my Bobby. Total cost $3.75

But wait, there's no breakfast! So one more stop after work, Town & Country Market in Ballard. Open 24 hours and another good place to look for bulk items.  Black beans, brown rice, rolled oats. Popcorn, the uncooked kernel kind, remember those from the days before microwave bags? My beautiful daughter (in-law) gave me a hot air popcorn popper for Christmas.. Makes amazing popcorn without oil. A few kernels will fill up an entire bowl! Lastly, in bulk thank you, local raspberry honey, Napa valley olive oil, and yerba mate tea. An addition of a 16 oz. package of firm tofu. Lot's of ways to enjoy this, really. Yes REALLY Amy & Seth.

Total cost, $6.08.

I have $13.07 left. Next shopping search will be more protein.
Please check later in your regular unscheduled time for the next post. I'm going to tell you how I am putting this all together. You know, money (food) where my mouth is.