NW Washington couple take the ELCA Food Stamp Challenge
Jason Mendoza and his girlfriend Krista Oppie worship at
When presented with this challenge I looked at it like a vulture looks at fresh meat. I had plans, I had recipes and I was determined. I went to culinary school and know how took price food as well as cook.
Ashamedly on the second to last day of the experiment unable to weather anymore quiche or peanut butter curry we called it quits for health and sanity's sake. So was this experiment accurate? yes and no. A lot of people can and
must live like this, the greatest reason we failed is that our bodies were in shock, we had been eating so well in the weeks prior that our bodies couldn't adjust fast enough.
Artiicle submitted by Jason Mendoza * August 2007
Can $1 Curb Your Hunger?
Take the ELCA Food Stamp Challenge and find out!
Each month about 25 million people in the
This fall, Congress will reauthorize or write a new U.S. Farm Bill. The Food Stamp program is part of the Farm Bill so now is our chance to make needed comprehensive reform happen. We can help family farmers and reduce hunger for millions of Americans!
Here's what you can do.
+ Take The Food Stamp Challenge: Can $1 curb your hunger? The challenge before you is to live for one week on the national average Food Stamp benefit of $1 per-person, per-meal. Try serving a Food Stamp Challenge meal for your congregation or community. What will you eat? How will you feel? Is it healthy? Are you hungry?
+ Make Your Voice Heard: Call or write your member of Congress and ask her/him to make sure that the per-meal benefit for the Food Stamp program is raised so low-income families can purchase healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. This can help local farmers, too! More and more farmers markets are accepting payment with Food Stamps.
+ Share Your Gifts: Help hungry neighbors around the world and close to home by giving generously to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. Consider sharing the money you saved in food costs by participating in the Food Stamp Challenge. Give online at www.elca.org/giving or call 1-800-638-3522
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3 comments:
It’s comforting to know that even someone with culinary training had a hard time making it the entire week. Our participation in the ELCA Food Stamp Challenge is a powerful act of solidarity with those who regularly rely on Food Stamps. Thanks to you, Krista and the folks at Maple Leaf Lutheran Church.
For years I raised a family on these 'guidlines'. Myself, 3 children, plus any friends they bought home for supper. It seams we always have a guest at our table.
I never even thought of peanut butter curry! I would have liked that...
Here are some tips for the next time you try this...
Out of 1 cheap roast you can get 4 meals - 1) roast with veggies, (get them raw - cut them up yourself) save the stock! 2) chop everything up and add water for soup 3) add more water and flour for stew 4) by this time all the good chunky stuff is gone - gravey on toast.
This works with dead bird as well - whole chicked or turkey. Don't ever buy cut up bird - so much more expencive!
Lots of rice and pasta - in bulk and not fancy brands. go to the china stores to get the rice - 25 lb bag for like $11. if you are lucky enough to have counter space you can make your own noodles with a bag of flour - the kids love cutting their own noodles and if you use the liquid drained from veggies it's even more nutricious!
1 can of diced tomatoes, a 2 lb bag of elbow pasta, 1 lb of hamburger, an onion and some catchup (1/4 to 1/2cup) makes a good filling cassorole for 8 to 10 servings - don't forget to add a tsp of vinager!
Vinager is good for so many things too! You can get vinager and baking soda on stamps and use them for most all your housecleaning needs - think about it - how would someone on stamps afford cleaning suplies? there are no paper towels in my house unless someone gave them to us - rags are cheap and reusable, and disposable if needed.
If you have a chance to get your milk on 'milk monday' when it's cheap (like $2.50 a gal cheap!!!) by the end of the week you may find your last gal ready to turn... just add a tbsp of vinager and let it curdle up for awhile - not to long! - and then drain it thru a chease cloth or clean dish towel (best way is to hang it from a cupboard over a bowl) for a couple of hours - mix it with your fave herb blend and you have a nice soft cheese spred...
10 lbs of potatoes for $2.50? get them! hash browns are so easy to make yourself and are so much better than the expencive baged browns you get in the store (and it takes just about the same amount of time to run the potatoe over the hasher as it does to open one of thoes bags)
Eggs in bulk are the answer - about $6 for 5 dozen at walmart and can be served with the hashbrowns, mixed with last nights stir fry hard boiled for lunch or a snack...
2 ring balonae or kilbasa for $5 = 4 meals for 4 folks (1/2 a ring for each meal) - slice them & fry them with onion and diced potatoes...
Over ripe bannanas @ 10 cents a lb make for good bannana bread if you need a gift for the hoildays...
Day old bread makes good crutons and bread crumbs for adding to meatloaf... or coating fish - salmon is cheap if you buy it as a whole fish...
Oh - while you are doing this food stamp week don't forget that you can use cupons with 'stamps' and don't buy prossesed food - the more you do the more you save!
Thank to Jason and Krista for giving this a good try - and thanks to all for attempting this!
Nice content. Thank you for your information.
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