I saw it on my Facebook -
It was happily lurking there '2014 Virginia SNAP challenge, Eat Smart, Move More'. The challenge is to eat for just a week with a budget of $32 in solidarity with millions in USA, who eat on that budget week after week.
( I cry as I type this. I am on day 6 and I have 5c left from my $ 32 budget. I do have enough lentils, rice and vegetables to last me until end of day 7. But I have only 5c for buying all things that I miss eating. And, I cry. How privileged! As my mom would say- how spoiled!)
Oh I digress!
This is my story so far:
Day 0: To a week well planned!
On Friday evening last week I went to Eats and got yellow split pea lentils (- they were cheapest of all lentils, total was $4.97), cheapest organic brown rice ($3.02), fruits and vegetables on sale (Eggplant -$0.65, 4 apples -$ 1.98). The plan was to eat lentils and rice with vegetable here and there. And, have apples as snacks.
Day 1: Oh my innocence and the rain!
It rained heavens on Saturday. I do not own a motor-driven vehicle, so I walked to farmer's market (~3.5 miles). By the time I reached campus I was half drenched and felt lazy and cold and decided to take shelter in my workplace (a lab at VT). I was convinced that I could make it throughout without using match benefits from Farmers Market. (Aah! The glory of innocence (ignorance - as I say now)!
Breakfast: 3 cups of hot water and an apple
Lunch: rice, lentils and more than half of the eggplant.
Dinner: I was so full with the heavy meal of Lunch that I had another apple for dinner.
Day 2: The work begins~
Breakfast: Hot water and apple
Lunch: Rice, lentils, and leftover eggplant
Dinner: Went to Eats again. (why! oh why!) Had got seduced by the thought, "Oh my budget is great and I am only going to hunt for vegetables on sale. And few yogurt covered almonds and chocolate covered cashews will not really amount to much!" Aah! The ease of addiction to these habitual privileges!
Got sweet-potatoes, ginger, handful of chocolate covered cashews and yogurt almonds, more apples at sale and few prunes. Total = $ 12.03
Day 3: Another oops and ouch moment!
Breakfast: Apple and microwaved sweet potato
Dinner: Regret, Apple and microwaved sweet potato
Day 4: ...
Okay... I must admit and share what happened on the lunch day of Day 3! I had my cooked lentils and rice at work for lunch and it was great. Then my best buddy at work asked me -
"Hey do you wanna go to (our favorite place) for our (favorite salad)?"
It was so tempting. I said -'yes!' And I spent 5.53 dollars of my SNAP budget in a single meal!!!
When I realized it during lunch I told my friend about this SNAP challenge and how I had just spent 1/6th of my budget for a single meal! She offered me her corn cake (as she always does- it is so so goood!) and I refused. She laughed and said, "It is free." I joined her laughter and refused again. How many people living on SNAP benefits eat out with their buddies, who offer them free desserts? No thank you. I will not eat it.
Back to Day 4: Recalibrating... ... ... ...
Breakfast: Microwaved Sweetpotatoes
Lunch: Lentils and Rice, I am missing vegetables. I will buy some tomorrow.
Dinner: More Lentils and Rice
Day 5: Farmers Market!
Yay! I still have some 4 bucks left and I can buy vegetables and apples at farmers market worth $8! Wednesday is the best day in the world!
Breakfast: Some more lentils and rice - and this batch that I cooked was not really appetizing.
Snack: Apples and microwaved sweetpotato with a ginger - try it sometime!
Lunch + Dinner: Met the people behind the scenes of this challenge and farmers market. It felt great to talk to them!
I got a picture clicked- yay! First picture of the challenge- and I know I know- no one likes to read anything without pictures.
Bought a $3 bag of kale, a $2 mighty big celeriac with superfluous greens on it. For two bucks I get both the tuber and the greens! Of course, I picked the celeriac that had most greens attached on it.
For Linner, Dunch or whatever one calls it - I had the tasting sample of the soup at the farmers market. I know it has come to this that I am munching on free samples. It was delicious! Oooh! I en-joy-ed it. Thank you Farmers Market SNAP challengers for cooking so well and offering! And I got the recipe too!
I chewed on celeriac leaves until I could take it no more. Had an apple- it was the sweetest and most juiciest apple that ever landed on my tongue. Eating celeriac leaves earlier, definitely helped to give the apple juice explosion shock therapy to my tastebuds.
Picked up two candies from a workshop that I attended in the evening.
Day 6: The SNAP day! Another Oops and ouch moment, and I am still continuing!
Breakfast: (Had 4 prunes from my landlord's pantry- and this is where I broke my $32 SNAP challenge) Celeriac leaves with lentils and rice. Oh! Microwave chopped celeriac leaves! They are the best microwaved greens that naturally start smelling like fenugreek leaves. I thoroughly enjoyed eating lentils and rice with microwaved celeriac leaves.
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| Celeriac (without most of its greens that at time of writing this post are the glory of my tummy. Bag of kale and my bowl of lentils-rice with microwaved celeriac leaves.) |
Lunch: Two apples and left over lentils-rice with microwaved celeriac leaves
Dinner: On the menu right now: More lentils and rice with celeriac leaves
There will be a Day 7 tomorrow- I promise me.
There will be a Day 7 tomorrow- I promise me.
