The Real Bargain

Michael Getty

Breakfast: Oatmeal with diced apples, half a glass each of orange juice
Lunch: Round 4 of lentil soup for me - for Brian: Round 3 of leftover pasta, a cheese sandwich
Dinner: Ramen noodles with steamed broccoli and grated carrots, bananas and peanut butter for dessert

Thoughts for the day? I cannot imagine facing unemployment or disability while also worrying about going hungry. For now, it seems like $63 for both of us is enough to get by on for a week -- no frills, no margin for error, but keeping 45 million people out of the direct threat of hunger -- all for about $75 billion per year? That seems like the real bargain, and I can't comprehend the moral direction of politicians who would hold it hostage for the sake of  ideological purity. And in my eyes, who thinks voluntary, spontaneous, and uncoordinated efforts by faith communities could ever be a good substitute for this program is -- pardon the pun -- out to lunch.

Eating Early Tonight

Lenna Tasley-Broome

So here it is:  peanut butter sandwich / jelly - thick peanut butter- cut into 3rd's - banana on it  - chips, frozen veggie - peas.  Beverage - hot tea (chai - in the house already).  I'll have apple and hot tea for when i get hungry again.  Actually - my eating pattern is:  1st. meal is dinner.  Then bedtime then
  wake up snack sleep wake up - a dysfunctional lifestyle.  At work have salad and snacks - restaurants lend to this behavior -  but on vacation now.

I'm deducting cost of chai tea and peanut butter from my allotment - Sunday looms in the faint distance..  We're at midweek tomorrow.  Hang tough.  We could  eat 'ramen' all week - or the knock-off.  Many many many Food Stampers do - bags of chips, starch starch starch - fill the belly.  Like a blogger wrote - getting in touch with our hunger - mental or physical.  But we all know how strong the mental is - nice full belly.  From the blogs - my teamers are a healthy bunch - this is an experiment -  remember:  you joined in and that makes you all winners!!!!!

The Good News ...

Nancy Weigley 

I had a good weigh-in at Weight Watchers this morning!  Andy and I are actually doing pretty well so far with the biggest challenge being “to keep it healthy.”   We are both creatures of habit, so we found a few things that work and are repeating menus.  Breakfast for me is Trader Joe’s frozen oatmeal ($.85) and coffee ($.36).  Andy has two pieces of toast ($.33) and a banana ($.19) and coffee…he drinks it black so it comes out to (.04 per 6 oz. cup).  Not good coffee by the way. Lunch for me consisted of a left over piece of Trader Joe’s lasagna ($1.50) and Andy had PBJ ($.56), and an apple ($.18). I was totally happy eating half a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for dinner ($.50) and Andy had a frozen chicken pot pie ($1.37).  Now if we can repeat that for the next 4 – 5 days, we are there.

Obviously, we both realize how this will get progressively more difficult as the week goes on.  And, while we can have a little bit of levity with this challenge, we also are not making the hard decisions where we are deciding between paying the heating bill verses putting dinner on the table or buying prescriptions instead of grocery shopping.

I will say that shopping on Saturday afternoon at Aldi’s in University City, was also a sensitivity reminder.  Again, as a group we were doing our shopping and comparing notes on what to buy.  As we shopped we were among folks where the hunger challenge is their reality. They most likely aren't thinking about what they plan to eat next Sunday when the challenge will be  over for us. A lot to think about.More to come.

Day 2

Cheryl Lyons

Left work yesterday on the metro link from BJC Hospital to Delmar Metro Station. It was very cold and dark at 5:30pm. I saw some people on my journey home and I knew that many would go to homes with no heat, food, etc.  or maybe no place to call home. I was thankful to go heated home and dinner of crackers hummus, veggies (from frozen bag), and apple.    

Day 2: Don’t Be Confused

Michael DiPlacido

At 4:44 PM, on the second day, I think: It’s not even 5:00 PM, and I’m thinking about dinner.  I pause, step back a moment, observe myself: I can’t say that I am really hungry; my stomach isn’t growling; I’m not experiencing any discomfort, but I’m thinking about food.  I will put off eating dinner until around 7:00 PM.  I think many Americans, those of us who do not experience food shortages on a daily basis, have too much to eat; or, maybe just eat too much.  In doing so, we always have a full (or over full) stomach.  Our stomachs are not used to emptying out; we are not used to not feeling full.  So, when we no longer feel full, we confuse this state for “being hungry”.  I need to be mindful of my real needs, and be more aware of why I am eating; why I feel “hungry”.  I must not confuse the need to eat with the desire to eat; nourishing with consuming.  At 7:10 PM, I sit down to my only meal of the day.  Calmly, I joyfully survey the plate of food.  I notice myself taking my time (compared to my normal dinners), eating slowly, seeing the food, tasting the food, and enjoying the food more than usual.   I am thankful for this opportunity to learn.

Nervous

Joel and Patti Smiley

Nervous about running out of food at the end of the week...we are reducing consumption. Processed turkey sandwiches with mostly lettuce, carrots, pasta, watered-down orange juice are our new staples.

Thoughts

Cheryl Lyons

I take the metro link home from BJC hospital to Delmar metro link....very cold and dark at. 5:30pm....thought more of homeless and those hungry rather than what I would have for dinner from my $27.48 food purchase for the week.....

Day 2

Joel Achtenberg

Before even sitting down to make my shopping list, I knew there were a couple of quick NOs:  

•NO fast food, NO meals out. Fortunately I like to cook. 

•NO Soda. Water is better for me anyway

I was worried it might be hard to get decent fresh fruit and vegies at Aldi's, but in fact I was able to find some nice broccoli and carrots, and a small bag of apples. I usually try to have fruit at every meal, but will be limited to "an apple a day..." this week. 

Shopping for one person, I knew I wouldn't be able to take advantage of buying in bulk. For example, I planned to get some fresh ground beef to make chili, but Aldi's only had 3# packs, so I ended up with a small pack of frozen meatballs. 

Sunday was our monthly havurah brunch. I took a sandwich, carrots and an apple. Hard to say "no thanks" to the great offerings prepared/brought by the others, but a good opportunity to talk about the Challenge. 

I'm eating pretty well so far, and should make it through the week, but saved some money in case I get desperate for something extra by Saturday. 

More later...

Hard to be easy-going

Janet Rodgers

Yelled at one of my kids today for eating some of my carrots. It's harder to be easy-going when you are on a tight budget. Heading back out to the grocery store to fill in holes in my menu planning.  I have $10 left to spend, and then that will be it.