This is Day 18 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.
Once again, we’ve got some ‘splaining to do.
John’s back issues ended up putting him in the hospital unexpectedly on October 20th. While driving home from the hospital to take care of the dogs, I was in an auto accident. The following day after banging out the side panel and changing the tire I returned to the hospital where John was released after not being treated so that he could have an outpatient pain block procedure (that didn’t work).
Long story short, we have been blindsided and after dealing with rental cars, auto insurance, health insurance, lack of sleep and pain, the challenge was forced to take a back seat for a few days. While I did announce it on the Facebook page I realize that many readers do not follow me on Facebook and I apologize for the lack of explanation here.
Now on to the good stuff. Over the weekend we had the pleasure of hosting my dear friend Shawna Coronado who was in town for a speaking engagement. She knew we were on the challenge and showed up with a bag full of fresh veggies. As it turns out, we spent the majority of her stay (Days 19 & 20) in the kitchen dreaming up ways to use what we had on hand. We came up with some tasty food, too…
GIFTS
| ITEM | SIZE | PRICE | UNIT | PRICE/ UNIT |
| kale | ||||
| broccoli | ||||
| elephant garlic | ||||
| onions | ||||
| sweet potatoes | ||||
| coffee creamer | ||||
| flour tortillas | ||||
| C: Coupon | P: Price Match | R: Reduced | D: Damaged |
MEALS
Day 18
BREAKFAST: $1.00
coffee
sugar
creamer
turkey bacon
LUNCH: $0.25
leftover veggies & rice
banana
DINNER: $4.54
beef stroganoff
peas & carrots
- Consumed Today: 5.79 [+3.21 for the day]
- Consumed To Date (week): 17.22 [+20.08 for the week]
- Consumed To Date (month): 77.68 [+84.32 for the month]
- Spent To Date: 198.09
- Remaining Balance: $81.00
Day 19
BREAKFAST: $1.45
coffee
sugar
creamer
biscuits
eggs
PITCHER OF TEA: $0.61
LUNCH: $0.20
pb&j sandwiches
DINNER: $6.37
beef brisket
potato salad
sweet peas
- Consumed Today: 8.63 [+0.37 for the day]
- Consumed To Date (week): 25.85 [+20.45 for the week]
- Consumed To Date (month): 86.31 [+84.69 for the month]
- Spent To Date: 198.09
- Remaining Balance: $81.00
Day 20
BREAKFAST: $2.57
coffee
sugar
creamer
breakfast burritos
LUNCH: $0.16
chipped Italian beef in tomato sauce (leftovers from brisket)
rice
steamed broccoli (gift)
DINNER: $4.05
crockpot chicken
gravy
biscuits
braised kale & onions
DESSERT: $.86
sweet potato pierogi
with cinnamon gravy
Consumed Today: 7.64 [+1.36 for the day]
- Consumed To Date (week): 33.49 [+21.81 for the week]
- Consumed To Date (month): 93.95 [+86.05 for the month]
- Spent To Date: 198.09
- Remaining Balance: $81.00
IMPORTANT NOTE: John’s medical problems are ongoing and will require testing and in all likelihood a back surgery in the coming days. We have talked at length and are committed to completing this challenge at all costs. When he is admitted to the hospital for surgery I will be returning home and bringing challenge meals to him to eat unless specifically ordered otherwise by the doctor.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
i raised my children on food stamps. Luckily I garden and know how to cook or we would never have made it.
Do not even tell me that you are going to make him stay on this challenge if he is the hospital!! You, yes. Him? With pain meds and yummy Jell-o available? No.
I haven’t commented in a while.
I would start to type one out and then I would get worried about someone I know seeing the response. Family, really.
But screw it.
When I was on food stamps in my 20′s, I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
I bought 2 bushels of crabs for a birthday party.
We would buy beer b/c we knew the food stamps were coming.
I didn’t have nice things, but I def took advantage. DEFINITELY.
I was on them b/c when I was 18, 3 weeks before my daughter was born, my boyfriend was murdered. Helpful people took me and got me on Medicaid and food stamps. I couldn’t function normally for awhile- but I could sure party like a rock star. I just wanted you to know..know that I was the other side of this debate.
Granted, I’m 39 now, but it’s still yucky to know that.
YAY FOR GIFTS OF FRESH PRODUCE!!!! Glad you had fun with your friend, glad you survived the accident and didn’t break your leg or hurt that pretty face, and please tell Wilson hello <3
Posted good wishes to you on FB before reading your blog. Glad the car damage was minor . Hope that Johns condition continues to improve and that he is able to avoid surgery if possible. Please don’t feel obligated to this challenge if it means you will in any way skimp on your diet. John’s health and yours are the first priority and given the physical and mental stress you are both under please make sure your nutrition needs are met each day abundantly. Love and Hugs and healing Prayers to you both.
Actually, the car damage was major. It was totaled. Thankfully we are safe and our focus is on getting John well. The challenge is secondary but we can make it happen.
yes, i was really beginning to be worried about you guys, cuz before when you didn’t comment for a few days it was because of health reasons. While i am very sorry for all your bad luck, i have to say it seems as if the universe is giving you a taste of what it REALLY is like to be on food stamps, because it seems like when you’re down, you just never hit bottom, it keeps getting worse and worsse! Although i never had someone show up with a bagful of produce!! (but occasional zucchini and tomatoes in the summertime, very occasional. Certainly nothing this time of year!)
I am slightly overweight, mostly just the post-menopausal “matronly” stuff…i don’t eat a huge amount…but i have to say a lot of your meals look like they would not even fill me up; i can’t imagine that they are filling enough for grown men, or growing children. Case in point: your dinner on the Day 19…maybe if you had your breakfast AND dinner together for one meal. It just doesn’t seem like enough for a dinner, especially when all you had for lunch was PBJ sandwiches!
You said you were going to do something like this again, and may i suggest that when you do, you do it with an eye towards as if you were a single parent with growing children? Because as you’ve obviously proved to yourselves, yes, you can GET BY on the amount that is allotted for food stamps…but can you give adaquate nutrition and calories to growing children?
At any rate, I wish you both the best with your health problems and car difficulties. I just know that as a poor person, I am ALWAYS dealing with car problems, so you are on our wavelength now! Blessings to both of you!!
Thanks for the concern, Mama CeeCee!
I think that sometimes you don’t get a true view of the amount we’re eating from these photos, but it is rare that we are going hungry. We agreed from the start that we would pay attention to portion sizes so as not to overeat.
As for your suggestion about a challenge involving children, we would both love to be dads, but until we are blessed to be parents, we cannot truly do justice to any challenge of that nature.
First, let me point out that I am the one insisting that the challenge go on. How more real can you get having someone in the hospital, they don’t like what is being served and you bring them dinner? Besides, if we were on SNAP for real, it wouldn’t be able to be on hold. Second, CeeCee, I thought I wasn’t eating enough as well. But when I realized a few days in, I ate mostly out of boredom. Now I fill my day with things to keep me busy, spending time with Michael as much as I can not cooking or planning meals, but just being with him. The food we eat puts us in a slightly lower bracket on calorie consumption, but considering my usual thing at work for the first snack was a 600 calorie honey bun, I think we are doing excellent. Last, I want to thank everyone for the concern. I hope to have a speedy recovery and get my butt back to work. I am sure things will be fine here, but everyone must get behind Michael, he’s going to have to take care of me for a little bit.
I think the portions look alright. I think way too many people eat LARGE portions.
I used to eat out of boredom too and was an emotional eater. I used to eat HUGE plates of food. Twice as much as my husband. I ate until I thought I felt satisfied. Food was always on my mind. It drove my husband nuts.
Eventually I turned into a health nut and now look at food differently…..smaller portions of *healthly* food throughout the day and trying to not to spike or drop my sugar levels.
everyone should be taken care of for a little bit! :-)
The silver lining in the cloud, John–enjoy it while you can!
well, ok if it’s enough for you guys, but i know it wouldn’t be enough for me, and i’m not all that active.
John and car–get well soon! Michael, hang in there, and take care of *yourself* too!
Oh my! I have been so busy lately, I have not had time to read. I certainly hope I will find in later posts that all is much better now.
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