Thursday’s summary:

$0.20 - 3 oz steelcut oats

$0.19 - 2 TBS pluot jam

$0.19 - 1 hardboiled egg

breakfast total: $0.58

$0.21 - pasta

$0.30 - 10 cherry tomatos

$0.48 - 4 stalks chard

$0.60  - bartlett pear

lunch total: $1.59

$0.60 - 2 cups humus

$0.32 - 4 carrots

$0.36 - 2 celery

party snack total = $1.28

$0.14 - the last 2 corn muffins

$0.68 - split pea from yesterday

dinner total: $0.82

total: $4.27

I carry over $0.08 + 0.23 = $0.31

Last night I went to a friend’s house to watch Project Runway.  Instead of my usual last minute wine and cheese offering, I decided to make humus instead.  When I calculated the total cost of the humus and veggies I had this moment when I felt like I was being a cheap guest.  I considered grabbing a bottle of wine from my stash and not drink it at the event.  It seemed insincere, though, since someone on food stamps doesn’t have that luxury.  Read this great post on the shame and embarrassment of living on food stamps.  It’s heartbreaking and gives a real perspective on how hard it is to go without food.

I decided that what I could afford to share was enough.  I also brought some of my s’more sugar bombs, and they were a huge hit.  The financial cost associated with gifts are not important as long as I have something to give.

Things don’t always have to be equal.  I’ve paid for meals and drinks and cooked for my friends when they were in less than desirable financial positions, and others have done the same for me when I was in college and when I was unemployed.  Even though I can’t afford to go out to dinner with my friends right now, I can still attend and organize entertainment that is cost effective without sacrificing fun.

My darling friend Shayla & I made a mess of sweets Wednesday night in addition to the split pea soup.  I asked her to buy the cream for our caramels because I knew that it just wasn’t in my budget.  We’ve been working on perfecting caramels and this time she had some new ideas involving chocolate and gelatin.

$1.50 - 4 cups sugar

$0.60 - 2 packs gelatin

$0.50 - 4 TBS butter

candy making total: $2.70 I’ll be taking this out of my surplus from the previous days.

$2.78 - $2.70 = $0.08 surplus left.  One small indulgent cooking session used up the extra money from the last 3 days.

We split the candies (which Shayla declared too sweet an subsequently threw away).  I wrapped each piece in clear plastic wrap to give out as treats in the following days.

Wednesday’s summary: I went running with my Wednesday Exercise Club today.  I was a little tired from Tuesday’s 6am yoga class, so we did an easier run.  I made juice last night for us to have post run. I am *still* super in love with my juicer.

$0.88 - 10 carrots

$0.18 - 1 stalk celery

$0.24 - 2 pieces chard

$0.30 - tomato juice

$1.60 / 3 servings of 6 oz = $0.53 

 I realize that people who are on a food stamp budget likely don’t own a juicer.  They’re pretty wasteful too, since you’re throwing away more than half of the fruit/veggie.  I’ve been eating pretty conservatively, so this juice was my version of a treat.  Previous weeks, I was making much larger servings of juice every day.

$0.20 - 3 oz steel cut oats

$0.10 - 1 TBS honey

$0.19 - 2 TBS home made pluot jam

$0.19 - hard boiled egg

breakfast total: $0.68

$1.17 - chili from yesterday

$0.14 - 2 corn muffins

$0.33 - 4 pieces pineapple

lunch total: $1.64

$0.76 - sautéed pea shoots / 2 = $0.38

split pea soup

$0.93 - 1 3/4 cup yellow split pea

$0.24 - 3 carrots

$0.50 - 1 sweet potato

$0.25 -  1/2 onion

$1.50 -  organic veggie soup stock

soup total: $3.42 /  5 servings = $0.68

Dennis and I are vegetarian right now and I thought I would miss the flavor of ham in the soup.  The split pea soup was surprisingly cheap, delicious and filling, even without the ham.  I think it could have been made more cheaply too if I had just purchased a ham bone for a few cents instead of using organic vegetable broth. 

Day’s total: $0.68 + $0.38 + $1.64 + $0.68 + $0.53 = $3.91

That leaves me a surplus of $0.59 + $2.19 = $2.78 so far.

Why am I cataloging everything I eat?

My coworker bought me this delicious cookie from Slow Club.  This was a generous gesture that I did not want to refuse.  If the exercise were just to spend as little as money as possible, I could coast for quite a few weeks by relying on all my friends to buy me meals.  However, the intent of the gift was to help me out while I’m “poor” and I was very appreciative of the treat.

Today I offered some of my humus to another coworker.

“How can you afford to share your food on a $4 a day?”

I told him that community is the only way to survive, especially in times of distress.  

In 1980 during the midst of the post-war turmoil in Vietnam, one of my parent’s friends was destitute, like many others at the time.  My parents were in a slightly better position, though all their possessions had also been stripped by the government.  Many of their friends and family were dead or missing.  Others were locked in concentration camps.   Everyone was suffering and all resources were scarce.  

My parents gave him a little bit of money to help him out - money he didn’t ask for and money that my parents could ill afford to give up especially since they were also raising my 2 year old sister.  To this day he reminds us that when there was nothing but despair in front of him and destruction behind him, my parents showed him kindness that he never expected.

We can feed our bodies but what gives us hope, the desire and will thrive, is community.  When everyone is having the hardest time, when the economy continues to drag, and unemployment holds steady at 9%, when 43 million families are poor (the highest number in the last 52 years), when times are toughest is the times we need to help each other out the most.

Though I may never use the services offered by the food bank, I need those services to be available for others so we can all focus on building a brighter future together.

Why am I cataloging everything I eat?

Designer pixelated clothes.  Yep. I covet.

Translated text beneath the photos (via google translate)

ANRELAGE 2011 - was held at Laforet Museum Roppongi is 2012 A / W Collection.This season’s theme is “LOW” (low resolution), a collection called by changing the form of higher or lower resolution three-dimensional ones in a two-dimensional resolution. Low representation of something that by using established high-tech theme of Low.

These words were written in the release

See the form

A unsure shape

An obscure form

Reportedly form continues

Even with shapes 変Warou

Quit that form is the form

ANREALAGE past few seasons has been provided the theme for the modeling.Season is a season in which the absolute change in that it is not itself a “form” which focused on. What shape is generally called by the resolution increases, more precisely, is going to be cleaner and, by lowering the resolution, and become more rough. In contrast, “in some absolute form it is not no how,” said designer and Morinaga. By increasing the resolution or lower, is also making patterns, building shapes and what comes Gatatsui all smooth.

Rough shape with respect to the resolution expressed by the form providing the things you know anyone dared deformed. Clothes are clothes I have been there are no curves. All clothing or (by rough) to sew on a sewing machine comes with the usual play is stitched and laser cut in impossible and ultrasound (Ueruda - processing) has been made by all seamless. Some are also drawing in patchwork.Knit fabrics are made and pixelated knitting pattern and crimp the pixel. Music were added to convert two-dimensional sound of the piano live performance.
Colorful collection now. In addition to such camouflage, floral and leopard as well as we usually use what is 落Toshi込Ma ANRELAGE Rashii classic pattern, used deliberately by lowering the resolution.
Look at the last two bodies are of the same shape represent the difference in resolution. Satisfaction was full of visitors on the collection side up again later today to applause greeted the designer.

Before the earthquake, “was the feeling that more and more 壊Shitai shape by reducing the resolution to form (after the earthquake), even if some form of shape to the original form would be. Leave it 離Rere more reminiscent of the original shape. So they go in the form. directing the direction that we went in the direction of a stronger form of the theme. “configuration and styling as the show has remained the same as before the earthquake Kesennuma From the beginning the number of look-the look of the plans unable to because it was using the plant is reduced. Presented at the exhibition, but has thought. “I hate the fashion and quoted Takaga. Who poured your life into something that is a lot of fashion. People involved in the show to do a show, says that customers are ahead, says the buyer, the buyer’s show also I can also tell the customer by doing. there is only virtuous circle “
 

My company was working late last night, so I ordered dinner for everyone.  I made the mistake of ordering 1 too few of one item, and 1 too many of another.  My poor coworker did not get his pumpkin curry but there was a completely untouched pad kee mao.  He wasn’t interested in it.  I love pad kee mao and it’s one of those deceptively simple dishes I have yet to master.  

As I left the office it occurred to me to put the kee mao in the fridge but I figured that if he wanted to eat it later he wouldn’t think to look in the fridge.  I had a sneaking suspicion it would be left out, and unfortunately, it did.  

The ideal temperature for bacteria to grow is 50-90ish degrees and even though I’m not as paranoid as some east coasters are about food being left out*, I am certainly not going to eat something that’s been sitting in a moist container in a warm office all night. What a waste.

I am more disappointed then annoyed.  I live in a world where we don’t consider foods that are wasted as wasteful.  It’s a nice position to be in and there are many in the world who are not so fortunate.

* I’ve noticed this phenomenon about people who grow up in places that have hot humid summers - they are freaky about putting everything in the fridge.  I grew up in California, where it’s perfectly acceptable to leave peaches on the counter for a week, and nothing happens to them.

Why am I cataloging everything I eat?

Day 3

$0.20 - 3 oz (dry) steel cut oats

$0.10 - 1 TB honey

$0.19 - 2 TB pluot jam

breakfast total: $0.49

lunch total: $1.17 (leftover curry from yesterday’s dinner)

$0.05 - gum (a cost I’d never considered before)

$0.14 - 1/4 cup humus

$0.24 - 3 carrots

$0.51 - 2 oz peanut butter

$0.20 - organic fuji apple

snack total: $1.09

Apparently my snack budget is pretty much a 4th meal.

Dennis made chili late last night that he simmered for 2 hours.  We put it in the fridge overnight and had it for dinner tonight.  It was amazing.

$1.85 - 1/2 pack soyrizo

$0.37 - 5 oz tofu

$0.13 - 1/4 onion

$0.20 - 2 stalks celery

$1.66 - 2 zucchinis

$4.00 - pomi tomato puree 

$0.12 - 1/2 jalapeno

$0.68 - 1/2lb black beans

$0.16 - 2 carrots

$0.20 - additional mysterious spices beyond the normal $0.22 allotment

total: $9.37 / 8 servings = $1.17 per serving

corn bread

$0.09 - 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

$0.09 - 1/2 cup corn meal

$0.05 - 1/4 cup sugar

$0.19  - 1 egg

$0.15 - 1/8 cup oil

total: $0.57 / 8 corn muffins = $0.07 per serving

grand total for the day: $0.07 + $1.17 + $1.09 + $1.17 = $3.50

I carry over $2.19 for tomorrow ($1 from today and $1.18 from yesterday).  I feel a little tired today.  I spent 3 hours yesterday planning and strategizing what to cook and prep for the following days.  It paid off because I didn’t have to do much of anything today but it was a lot of work.  

Dried beans are ridiculously cheap for their nutritional content.  They take more work because I have to soak them overnight and cook them for 20-30 minutes but they’re completely worth it.  I’ll still keep canned beans in my pantry just for those last minute meals.  I used to volunteer with Food Not Bombs and we would always make a giant pot of beans as the staple.  I discovered that there were dozens of varieties prepared an infinite number of ways.  I’ve tapped into that training and experience for this experiment and it’s bean (har har) fantastic. 

Why am I cataloging everything I eat?

Day 2 cost breakdown

Breakfast was leftover pasta and a few pieces of mango.

breakfast total: $0.40

$0.50 - pea sprouts

$0.12 - chickpeas

$0.25 - cucumber

lunch totoal: $0.87

$0.20 - 1 apple

$0.26 - 1 oz peanutbutter

$0.33 - 3 oz yogurt

snack total: = $0.79

Dinner:

$1.19 - coconut milk

$0.99 - corn

$0.83 - rice

$0.12 - onion

$0.16 - carrots

$0.74 - tofu

$0.49 - green beans

$0.10 - cabbage

$0.05 - basil

Total: $4.67 / 4 servings = $1.17

Today’s total is $3.23 + $0.09 from yesterday = $3.32.  I’ve got $1.18 extra for tomorrow.

Why am I cataloging everything I eat?

Day 2 of the hunger challenge

I packed poorly for lunch today.  It turns out that I don’t like pea shoots in large quantities very much so pea shoot salad was super yucky.  I was really sad that I couldn’t eat the tasty cookies I had bought for the office last week and I got home pretty hungry.  I wanted to eat a carrot but I had no idea how much a carrot costs.  I ended up doing an internet search for the weight of 1 cup of carrots, then shredded and measured a carrot.  They cost 8 cents; eating shredded carrot is odd and unsatisfying.

Why am I cataloging everything I eat?