As we start Week 2, we answer a reader question about food waste.
This is Day 8 of a month long food stamp challenge. If this is your first visit, please check out this link to see all of the posts and get a better understanding of what is going on.
WASTE 
Corey commented on the Week 1 Review post asking an important question about waste. Since the start of the challenge, the only edible waste produced has been 3 pancakes from Day 3. Everything else has been used for all it was worth. Chicken skin and bones become stock. Leftovers are eaten for lunch or incorporated into other dishes. Even the remaining .75 lbs of beef fat left from the brisket we purchased yesterday was cooked down with water in the slow cooker overnight to be used later.
When we started the challenge we had about half a gallon of milk that had gone out of date on 9/25 but was still good, so we assumed it in the starting pantry. After using it several times, its freshness is questionable beyond today. It was used in biscuits and gravy this morning but the last two cups were just not going to waste if I could help it. I minced and sautéed some garlic, added the milk, salt & pepper and let it reduce. Tomorrow we’ll add the last bit of the powdered parmesan in the fridge for a tasty garlic cream sauce to pour over some unsuspecting fettuccine noodles.
MEALS
John got creative with the breakfast biscuits this morning. 
BREAKFAST: $1.35
- coffee w/ sugar & creamer
- scrambled eggs
- sausage (made on Day 7)
- biscuits [source]
- gravy
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup milk
beef fat
salt & pepper
JOHN’S LUNCH: $0.58
MICHAEL’S LUNCH: $0.54
- peanut butter sandwich
- pitcher of tea
DINNER: $1.89
- crockpot chicken & stuffing
- roasted chicken, chunked
- box of stuffing (on hand, out of date)
- 1 whole onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- (3) eggs
- cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups chicken broth (made from chicken cooked on Day 1)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 stick of margarine
- leftover veggies
DINNER NOTES: This recipe makes enough for 4 big servings, so we will have another meal from the leftovers in the future.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON THE FIGURES: Due to a calculation error, the total dollar amount in our budget per day was miscalculated. It should be $4.50 per person, per day. I will not edit last week’s amounts, but will use the corrected amount moving forward.
TOTALS
- Consumed Today: 3.90 [+5.10 for the day]
- Consumed To Date (week): 3.90 [+5.10 for the week]
- Consumed To Date (month): 31.03 [+40.97 for the month]
- Spent To Date: 138.07
- Remaining Balance: $141.11
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
I have noticed over the years that the majority of food banks and soup kitchens are faith-based. Why do you think that is?
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
I love that you admit to using things that are out of date but still okay to eat. A lot of times people seem to want to make themselves seem like perfect Martha Stewarts on the internet. We all do it, even though, technically speaking, the “rule” is to toss something when it’s past the date on the package, regardless of whether the food has spoiled.
As to your question of the day, most religions preach about helping the needy as a way to please their deity(ies) or refine the practitioner’s soul. Both are pretty powerful motivation to do something. That being said, the local food bank in my county is non-sectarian, as are the food banks in surrounding counties. Though there are many religion-backed soup kitchens and shelters.
I used to not think too much about the amount of food that I waste. I actually never thought I wasted *that much* food. I am so much more aware now than before. Leftovers are put in the fridge or freezer…..I try to use leftovers in another meal and any other “waste” (scraps) go to the chickens and that waste will be used too ;0)
Shopping less often = less waste for me. I *have to* come up with uses for all the half eaten stuff in the fridge or pantry.
Stale bread is used for french toast or croutons. Stale crackers for meatballs…
Yesterday, I needed to do something with all the apples that were overflowing in the kitchen. Made some apple pie, apple sauce, and juiced the rest. I saved all the pulp from juicing to be used for apple muffins today. Over ripe bananas are always used for banana bread or muffins.
I try not to waste anything.
I have been watching your progress with much interest. One concern I have is the processed food that you are using. I have learned to avoid MSG like the plague, but I see where you are picking items that contain it, so I would have to do something much different. It does make my choices more restricted and challenging. I have started canning a lot more and am learning how to can soups, meat stock, and even meat.
As far as why many of the food banks and soup kitchens being faith-based. I believe it is because they are following what Christ told them to do. It’s all in the Bible. By helping others, we in turn help ourselves.
Between the chickens, compost pile and me, there is no “waste”. Everything gets used in one way or another. :)
I am so far from the perfect anything, much less Martha Stewart. That said, I wrote recently on Garden Writers Today about our need to present things in the best possible light.even when our gardens are looking kinda shabby. It doesn’t make them any less wilted just because a photo shows one corner that isn’t droopy :) The value in this challenge for me is that there is no polish, it is what it is.
The food bank I ran in Atlanta only received things (donations from grocery stores) that WERE out of date. It’s why we got them. :) They are still good, after.
I was the only practicing, for lack of a better word, Christian there. I think, just my opinion, that if you say you are faith based, it opens the door to more donations. I actually know a certain man who would rather hide behind the guise of ‘doing God’s work,’ than to admit that he is just a really good person.
I never had this much money left, this far in the game. Good job.
Just checking in on day 8. Great job illustrating how someone has to juggle their budget to still be able to eat at the end of the month.
Our local food bank is not faith based. But I think a lot of organizations are because tithing/church collection is a dependable form of support.
There is no waste in my household because I have an 85 lb dog who loves any leftovers we don’t get to. She had split pea and ham soup over her dog food last night. The vet okayed her eating this way and she is in excellent health. I am just careful she doesn’t get any chocolate or other doggie no-nos.
There are several processed items in the menu, but overall the percentage is pretty low. The entire process is a challenge for us because we love fresh food and home preservation and there is a pantry full of items that we made and canned ourselves that we have to look at every day and not use!
“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”
Matthew 25. 31-40
Molly wrote: “One concern I have is the processed food that you are using. I have learned to avoid MSG like the plague,” A series of studies conducted last year concluded that MSG does not cause headaches. The people were told that they were eating Chinese Food with MSG, developed headaches whether it was in their food or not. Many vegetables have naturally occurring MSG and, as with mushrooms, surprisingly high concentrations of the chemical. The headache issue is an urban legend.
I need to do some research on these studies. Thanks, Ed.
Consider that the Chinese and Japanese have been using MSG for a very long time with no ill side effects. Do people get head aches from Mushrooms? I didn’t see anything about headaches until maybe the 1990′s? Certainly the Cantonese Chinese have been here cooking since…. 1850′s? G.I.’s whole were billeted in Japan never complained about headaches fro m the indigenous food. So I wonder….
I’m not denying the validity of the statement, just saying that I need to see some facts and the data on studies.
“As far as why many of the food banks and soup kitchens being faith-based. I believe it is because they are following what Christ told them to do. It’s all in the Bible. By helping others, we in turn help ourselves.”
There are other faiths than Christianity, even though I know that’s hard to believe in some parts of the country. ;-)
I think Chris V. put it the best…that is what i believe too. Anywayz, i am still wondering what part of the country you guys are in, and i can tell you your prices are MUCH cheaper than in Portland, Oregon! just the onion, soup and 3 eggs alone would already put you @ 1.89, and Stovetop Stuffing here goes for $1.79 AND UP. Rarely now, you might find it 4/$5. A lot (most) of your prices seem way, way cheaper than ours. I do know that we are on the higher end of the scale here, but i wouldn’t think there would be THAT much difference!
I also try to go by the adage, “waste not, want not,” but i do use my compost pile to ease my guilt on some things…what the guinea pigs can’t use, at any rate. Bread goes to the seagulls and crows if it’s started to mold. ( I hate bread pudding or anything similar, so birds are my disposal of choice. Besides i love birds!). Anything that had meat, eggs or rice in it used to go to my dog, but he died last month, so making more soup… and sometimes i just eat too much to get rid of it!
We’re in Alabama, CeeCee. The stuffing was purchased on clearance and was out of date which is why we used it. As for prices, we are shopping for the lowest possible sale prices, ad matching and using coupons to keep them low. Prices are higher in PDX, but so is the amount of money food stamp recipients get.
ah, hence the grits, eh? I never go by the dates on canned food or boxed, but i’m with you…too far over the date on dairy goods can be a bad thing! I try to disguise it too, but sometimes that bitter taste ends up ruining something, so you got to be careful. I should make more yogurt…
A woman after my own heart! I’ll be making yogurt next month :)
Do you find all the coupon-clipping, and constant checking of ads exhausting and time-consuming, or is that a fun part of the challenge for you? Would you have a different answer if you weren’t doing this by choice? I admire your willingness to put up with all of that, knowing that you don’t really have to.
I have watched ads and coupons all my life, even when I didn’t have to. Please don’t mistake the fact that we are not on government assistance to mean that we don’t have to be careful with our money because we’ve never claimed such and that’s simply not the case. I don’t find it any more exhausting or time consuming than growing my own vegetables, cooking and preserving them, making my own laundry detergent, etc., generally striving toward a simpler life. I did this – and taught on frugal living – long before this challenge and don’t do it because it is fun, I do it because being broke is not fun and I would much rather keep that dollar in my pocket than hand it over in the store.
just make sure that you don’t have a hole in your pocket! AND that your pockets are deep enough! I lost a $10 bill out of my pocket just this Friday…and it was needed for gas money! I went to answer my phone (that was in my pocket), just before i got in my car. 20 minutes later, stalled in traffic, i thought, i better put that money in my wallet…not there! i immediately knew what had happened, and the frosting on the cake is that the caller hung up when i answered, so it was all for absolutely nothing! and that is not the first time i have lost money in that exact same way! now i barely have enough gas to make it to work and back tomorrow…
CeeCee, I’m just south of Portland. There are awesome deals in this area. Go to frugallivingnw.com They list all the deals by store ….makes couponing very easy ;0)
Plus, we don’t have sales tax here……so when somehting is free with a coupon, it’s free!
You can easily buy Stove Top for $0.24 by waiting for the right time combined with a coupon and double…..stock up and you’ll never pay $1.79
“Molly wrote: “One concern I have is the processed food that you are using. I have learned to avoid MSG like the plague,””
Actually Ed, It was Buffalomary that wrote that ;)
…..But I do agree with her….MSG is bad in my opinion. I *try* to avoid it as much as possible, but I’m not perfect either.
Naturally occurring MSG binds to proteins and digests slower……when you are not using it in it’s natural form it digests too quickly and spikes blood levels with glutamate…overstimulating brain neurons….causing headaches etc.
Everything is best in it’s natural form the way God made it ……. man’s “improvements”….affect the body in a negative way imho….
Excuse me, Ed, but I did not describe my reactions. I don’t care what your research says. I know how I feel and how my body reacts after I have eaten foods that have MSG in them. How about a link to the research you are referring to? I would be very interested in knowing who paid for it.
Good question about the research. As I said, I am interested in reading it as well.
Well….to answer your original question of “Why are food pantries primarliy faith based”? I would say that most folks may be inclined to help when they are able to while others feel a calling or perhaps an obligation to share their abundance whether it be their money, food or time. I personally volunteer my time in a community garden. We grew 1,435 lbs of food this year and donated it to area food pantries. My vision with working in the community garden is to teach people gardening techniques so that they may supplement their food bill each month. It reminded me of the bible quote, “give a man a fish; feed him for the day. Teach a man to fish; feed him for a lifetime.” I think this philosophy is wise and prudent considering our current economy.
I agree with your thoughts, but the origin of that quote is Chinese, not the Bible :)
:)
One more thought for the night. I really like what you and John are doing here Michael. While I am following your posts on the website because this is truly and interesting learning lesson; I think creating conversations and asking questions of ourselves on how we live gets us thinking about what we are doing and what we should be doing, even if it pushes us out of our comfort zone. Afterall, there is nothing comforting about going hungry.
One note on checking milk — if you just take the cap off and smell it, the milk may still be good even though the milk around the lid may smell sour. I always pour a little into a cup and then smell/taste.
Regarding your question of the day…As a part of the Christian community I can say that there is an overall resurgence in serving the needy in our neighborhoods, not just in food banks but many other areas too, such as providing child care for NA (Narcotics Anonymous) families so the adults can regularly participate in the meetings or by in helping to build community in challenging neighborhoods (I happen to live in one of those neighborhoods). So hosting food banks is only a portion of this effort. We see it as one more way to love our neighbors and clearly see that even established food distribution streams are over burdened by the needs of the many and cannot ignore the call to action.
If milk is going a little off, do a google on what to make with sour milk.
In one one my stroganoff/romanoff recipes it says for me to add vinegar (to sour the milk).Add some tobasco sauce, tomato soup, spices etc
Most foods are fine after their “best before” dates have expired. It is just required by law, to have a date on products.If you think you can’t use milk and other stuff…freeze it.
Our local food bank is not religous. recipients are permitted to go once a month. My daughter has used it twice…because of poor choices.
One son works for minimum wage in a restaurant and gets a free meal every day. He also shares the apt with 4 other guys. He doesn’t go to a food bank or is on any welfare.He doesn’t ever complain.
I rarely buy chicken pieces, because I prefer to cook a whole chicken.Always make soup with the carcass. Save my bread crusts for homemade stuffing.
Did you know (I just learned by googling) you can make apple jelly by only using the cores and peelings of apples. This is a great use f you are making a lot of applesauce/pies/crisps/apple slices for the kids/.
Seems if you save the tomato skins (from canning tomatoes) and deydrate/then powder them…you have instant tomato paste, when you add water…or use as stock.
{ 1 trackback }