$25 Emergency Menu

A few things on my mind lately led me to put together this $25 Emergency Menu/Shopping List this afternoon. This is "healthy" in the sense of whole, nutritious, simple, old-fashioned foods. It is obviously short-run in nature since doesn't provide much variety, but in the short-run the focus is on meeting basic nutritional needs as cheaply as possible. I've devised a one-week plan for a time when money's tight and you need to stretch your dollars and make do!

The dollar amounts I assigned to each item should take taxes into account and are also the "real world" prices I experience in my everyday shopping -- not sale prices. I even rounded up, so I truly think if you walked into the grocery store with nothing but $25, you could get everything on my list and eat for a week. Not feast, mind you, but eat. And nourish your body, too.

My Emergency Menu assumes only that you have a means to cook (a pot or two and a stove or other heat source), and probably something to put your water in. There are no hidden ingredients necessary that are not on the list. There are optional or desired ingredients, but no necessary ingredients. AND, as to the healthy part, I've only included foods we eat on a regular basis. Now, on to the list:

Healthy “Emergency” Menu

$2 Oatmeal (water; optional: salt, butter, fruit, honey, milk or powdered milk) – 42 oz container; should make 30 bowls
$2 Bananas – 7 (possibly even more)
$2 Eggs – 1 dozen
$3 Beans and Rice (water; optional: salt, additional seasonings, canned tomatoes) – 1 pkg of each
$3 Apples – 7 small size
$3 Carrots – 2 lbs
$2 Bread – 1 loaf
$2 Frozen veggie – 1 pkg
$3 Peanut butter – 1 jar
$3 Water – 10 gallons

Total Cost: $25

With a few extra dollars, I would buy some salt and butter and a can of tomatoes for my beans and rice. With even more, I would buy some honey (it's one of our staples now!). If you have a way to pop it, popcorn makes a great cheap snack. You can buy a whole package of popcorn for about $1.50, which makes several bowls big enough for snacking and sharing. I also regularly make cornbread, which is very cheap per pan, but if you were having to buy everything at once it would be a bit more expensive (you need corn meal, flour, baking soda, butter, eggs, and salt; my emergency list only includes the eggs and probably not too many extra for baking versus just eating plain).

Some details about the items I included and what I buy:

I buy the old-fashioned oatmeal; just the kind regularly available in the grocery store, but not instant or quick oats. Natural, old-fashioned oatmeal. We eat it for breakfast almost every morning. We have eaten it and do eat it plain, but usually we doctor it up a little with butter, salt, honey, and some fruit. One of my favorite versions is with chunks of frozen peaches and a little vanilla and some milk or powdered milk. I also like our apple-cinnamon, banana, and blueberry versions.

Eggs: I'm thinking if you boiled them they would be easier to ration rather than scrambled. I put $2/dozen because we have local sources of good, "home grown" eggs for $1.25 or $1.50 a dozen. You can't get store-bought cage free eggs for $2 (especially including tax), but you could get some type of grocery store eggs for that, which would be okay. I do it to save money all the time. Sometimes I buy the better, more expensive eggs, but sometimes I choose to spend the money elsewhere.

Beans and rice: You can get a package of dried beans for $1 which should be 2 cups; I usually make 2 cups at a time which is a good quantity in my crock pot (regular size). It always makes us at least 6 full bowls, maybe even 8 (with rice and usually cornbread, too). Our favorites: pintos, red kidneys, navy beans, and lentils. I'm a little more uncertain about the size and cost of rice, but I feel certain you can get a bag of rice for $2. Making the rice is a great way to stretch the beans and from what I know, nutritionally beans and rice make a great combination. If you need more information about preparing the beans and rice, or the oatmeal for that matter, please let me know.

Apples: several of our stores have had lunch size apples 3/$1 regularly lately (conventionally grown, of course). This is what I based this suggestion on.

Carrots: real, fresh carrots in the produce section. I'm usually able to get them for $1/lb (sometimes even organic for that price), so I rounded up and left in some leeway here. We love to slice them into carrot sticks or chop them and boil or steam them for a great supper veggie.

Bread: you could get cheap bread for less than $2, but I wanted to make this realistic for us and what we buy. Sometimes I buy bread more expensive than this, but I commonly buy a package of 10 wheat n' honey pitas at Brookshire's for $1.50 -- so that would qualify. Or, it's not a regular purchase any more but I would do it again in a crunch -- Nature's Own offers a wheat bread that according to the label does not include high fructose corn syrup. Sometimes I see it for $1.50/loaf. So these two options are what I had in mind for the $2 I suggested.

Frozen veggie: pick your favorite. Many times the Brookshire's brand veggies will be about $1.25/package, so I rounded up and left some leeway (since some veggies are more).

Peanut butter: I've been buying the organic PB Brookshire's and Super 1 offers which is usually about $2.50/jar, but often goes on sale for $2/jar. I only buy natural, sugar-free peanut butter (and usually organic, but sometimes have to settle).

Water: We've been buying the "water by the gallon" from either the Monroe location (Hwy 165 where Brookshire's used to be; in between Albertson's and ULM -- 30 cents/gallon) or the West Monroe location (at the RV park right at the Well Road exit -- 25 cents/gallon). My figure gives you 10 gallons at 30 cents/gallon.

I enjoyed working on this. Let me know if you have questions! Praying God's blessings on you and your family....

Aleecia

Overfed but Undernourished

"As a society, we are over-fed but under nourished, and Dr. [Weston] Price proves beyond a shred of doubt how this under-nourishment leads to physical and mental degeneration, as well as to degenerative diseases. So, what are the nutrient-dense foods we should consume?"

Read the entire article online at http://blog.wellnesstips.ca/blog/index.php/?p=87

(Aleecia's Note: I'm not sure yet about the organ meats and I would disagree about the shellfish, but disregarding those teeny parts this is very much worth posting. I may be getting to read Dr. Price's book very soon! I'm excited!)

Fruity Frozen Treat

David whipped this up for us tonight, and it turned out good -- especially for a first attempt. I think it will be a do-over:

2 bananas
6 frozen strawberries
1 small can pineapple
Crushed ice (2 cups? -- "lots"... or maybe that was "a good bit")

Blend well and serve. It was very thick; thick enough to use a spoon at first until it melted a little bit, and then we could sip on it. This made two big glasses for us plus some Jayden could have by herself. I think we'll try all different combinations of fruit, too. It was plenty sweet for me as is, but you could always add a little honey or other sweetener if you wanted it even sweeter.

Recipe: Eggplant Creole

I made this for supper tonight (first time at this recipe and first attempt at eggplant), and I must say it was a winner. I imagine I'll make this again -- it may even become a "regular."

Ingredients
1 large eggplant, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 can water, 1 clove (I used ground cloves), 2 bay leaves, 1 bell pepper (chopped), 1 onion (chopped), 1 teaspoon salt; (Optional: 1/2 cup grated cheese, 1/2 cup bread crumbs).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut eggplant in cubes; cook in boiling water for 8 minutes; drain. Place butter and flour in skillet; when blended, add tomato sauce and water; stir until smooth. Add clove, bay leaves, bell pepper, onion and salt. When sauce thickens, fold in eggplant. Transfer to casserole dish and sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs. (I omitted the bread and cheese.) Bake for 1/2 hour at 350 degrees. Serve with rice or pasta. (Next time I may try putting my noodles or rice on the bottom of my casserole before adding the sauce and baking.)

After making this recipe tonight, it seems like it would be very easy to adapt/substitute with additional or alternative vegetables. I think zucchini would be good either in addition to or instead of the eggplant; extra onion and bell pepper would be good, too. Any vegetables that you think of with an Italian-type tomato sauce would be good. You could also add some type of meat if you wanted.

Good thoughts worth sharing

A comment posted on Dr. Mercola's blog by "Dr. David Spitz":

In the 1960's only 5% of meals were eaten out. During special occasions, it was a 'treat' and something really different to go to a restaurant. Most of the time it was a mom & pop place with good 'old fashioned' cooking--(not that it's really good for you anyway--but better than fast food).Today, almost 60% of meals are eaten out of the home. Restaurants will do whatever it take to get you there; hence the Burger King commercial enticing 'real men' to eat their cardiac special...enough fat, salt and who knows what to stop your heart.As usual, it boils down to common sense:
Eat breakfast at home
Never use salt
Bring your own lunch to work
Eat Dinner at home with your family
Once per week go out to dinner, but watch for the oily, salty, fried food.
Don't drink soda---drink 2-3 liters of pure water per day
Eat 5-6 smaller meals per day...snack with fruits, veggies an nuts. You will save money, save your waistline,,,,add years to your life.

Recipe: Spinach Mushroom Egg Bake

From mercola.com: Sounds yummy!

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Delicious-and-Easy-Spinach-Mushroom-Egg-Bake-10264.aspx

Live Longer: Keep Learning!

An article from mercola.com (I know you'll be surprised that I liked this one)

=-)

http://www.mercola.com/2007/jan/18/one-secret-to-a-longer-life-keep-learning.htm

Is Organic Good Enough?

An article from mercola.com:

http://www.mercola.com/2007/mar/20/is-organic-good-enough.htm

Recipe: Roasted Ginger Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Ginger Sweet Potatoes

A nutty, gingery confection of sweet potatoes that will enhance any of your favorite cold weather foods.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed
2-3 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
½ cup real maple syrup
1-2 tsp. grated ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
Black Pepper, freshly ground to taste
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to moderately hot temperature (375° F). Combine potatoes, olive oil, syrup and spices. Toss well. Lightly oil a medium sized baking dish and spoon in the potato mixture. Top with chopped nuts.Bake 35 to 45 minutes. Cover with foil halfway through baking if the nuts are getting too brown.

Recipe: Banana Ginger Jam

Banana Ginger Jam
There are two types of banana jam. One type is real jam with sugar and pectin that is put up in jars and processed in a water bath. The other type, which I have been making more and more lately is just a thick banana mush with a little seasoning. It must be kept in the refrigerator and after a couple of weeks (if you don't gobble it up) it will turn into a science experiment. I make it differently each time because I make it from the bananas which get so ripe my family won't eat them. Since I had the happy combination of over-ripe bananas just as I wanted to post the recipe, I made some this morning. I like a lot of ginger flavor so I used 3 Tbsp. You might want to try less at first. This morning I cooked it up in a pan on the stove before I put it in the crockpot. That shortens the crock pot time to about three hours. Here are the proportions:

Banana Ginger Jam

6 ripe bananas
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
pinch of allspice
pinch of cloves
1/4 cup unsalted butter (this adds a lovely silken taste)
2/3 cup citrus juice (today it was 1 lime and the rest orange juice)

Slice the bananas into a crockpot. Add the other ingredients and mix. You can use a potato masher if you like a smoother jam. Cook at least six hours and spoon into jars. Keep in the refrigerator.

Source: Mary Filmore

Recipe: Carrot Ginger Soup

Carrot Ginger Soup

Carrots are available year round, but for some reason, the warm, golden color and the use of a spice like ginger make Carrot Ginger Soup feel like an autumn food. Depending on what type of liquid you use to cook the carrots and whether or not you add cream to the soup at the end, you can make it vegetarian or vegan.

1 diced medium red onion
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp of minced fresh ginger
2-3 cloves finely minced garlic
1½ c. chopped carrots
3 c. vegetable broth
¼ c. orange juice
salt and pepper to taste
¼-½ c cream or milk (optional)

Heat olive oil over medium heat in the bottom of stockpot. Add onions and cook until soft, but do not brown. Add ginger and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.Add carrots, broth, and orange juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until carrots are exceedingly tender, about 20-30 minutes. In batches, puree soup in blender (or do it in the pot if you have an immersion blender). Thin with additional broth as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe: Spicy Sourdough Ginger Cake

SPICY GINGER CAKE
This is a simple spicy cake made the sourdough method.
INGREDIENTS (Makes 12-16 small slices):
1 cup Kefir.
200 grams butter, from pasture fed cows.
1/3 cup molasses.
2 eggs, from pasture fed chickens.
3/4 cup Californian dates, chopped.
1/2 cup of sourdough starter.
3 cups Spelt flour.
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.
1/4 teaspoon cloves.
1 teaspoon mustard powder.
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt.
2 teaspoons ground ginger.
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger.
Tablespoons of water, optional.

INSTRUCTIONS
Process the Kefir, butter, molasses, eggs, chopped dates and sourdough starter in a food processor. In a separate bowl mix the flour and spices, then process them with the other ingredients in the food processor until you get a smooth batter. If the mixture is too dry then you will need to add a little more Kefir or water until you get the desired consistency.
Grease and dust with flour a 12 x 8 x 1 1/4 inch baking tin. Spoon in the mixture and level out with a spatula. Leave the mixture to rise in a warm place (28C) for 12-20 hours or until the mixture has not quite doubled in size. Bake at 180C for 40-50 minutes or until a clean knife comes out dry.
Serve with Kefir cream and All-Raw Red Plum Jam.
NOTES: Depending on the thickness of the Kefir and sourdough starter you may need to use some additional water to reach the desired consistency for the cake mixture.
MEASUREMENTS: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml / 5 gm. 1 tablespoon = 15 ml / 15 gm. 15 tablespoons = 1 cup / 225 ml. 1 cup = 8 fluid oz / 225 ml. 1 US gallon = 3.6 litres. 1 lb = 16 oz / 454 gm. Temperature 20C = 68F. Conversion from Fahrenheit to Celsius: °C = (°F - 32) / 1.8. Conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit: °F = °C × 1.8 + 32

Ginger

Some info on the health benefits of ginger:
http://drbenkim.com/ginger-health-benefits-ginger-ale-recipe.html

Homemade Hot Chocolate or Mocha

This has been a nice treat (a favorite indulgence) of mine this winter. Dry milk is not the most nutritious, but it's easy to have on hand, making this an easy AND convenient hot dessert drink or anytime treat. (If I had fresh goat's milk on hand I would use it rather than dry milk.)

Ingredients (for one large serving): 1/3 cup dry milk, 1 tbsp unsweetened (baking) cocoa, sweetener to taste (1 tbsp sugar, 1 pkg powdered stevia, 1 tsp maple syrup, etc.), hot water (8 oz. or to taste).

Blend well and enjoy!

(I use my over-sized coffee mugs and my hand mixer and blend right in the mugs, but you could always blend it up in a bowl or use a blender, and then pour it over into your serving mugs.)

To make a homemade mocha, use fresh brewed double-strength coffee rather than water. Tonight I made us cinnamon mochas; I put cinnamon both in the coffee pot with the grounds and some extra in the mugs with the powder mixture. Yum!

Whole Wheat Doughnuts?

From mercola.com:

"Don't be fooled by a whole wheat doughnut" (Krispy Kreme's new marketing ploy) --

http://www.mercola.com/2007/mar/17/dont-be-fooled-by-a-whole-wheat-doughnut.htm

Sweet Savvy

A website I just found which looks like good info for my sweet tooth:

http://www.dld123.com/sweetsavvy/

Recipe: Sourdough Pancakes

Originating in Alaska, this recipe was popular in the late 1800s, when a sourdough starter was the common and reliable way to provide leavening for bread products. Preparation begins the night before.

Ingredients:
1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water
1 large egg
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Place the sourdough starter in a nonreactive mixing bowl, add the flour and water. Stir and leave, loosely covered, overnight in a warm place.
The following morning, stir the mixture and remove 1 cup, adding it to your sourdough starter in the refrigerator.
To the warm sourdough mixture, add remaining ingredients, stirring well.
For each pancake, pour scant 1/4 cup batter onto a hot griddle. Cook pancakes until dry around edges. Turn and cook other sides until lightly golden brown.
Makes 2 servings.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup maple syrup, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup water
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
Serves: 8

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a food processor and mix until smooth. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix oats, nuts, flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside. Mix 1/4 cup maple syrup, butter, and water separately and add to dry. Mix. Divide dough in half. Butter an 8x8 baking dish and press half of dough in the bottom. Spread the sweet potato mixture over the dough evenly. Crumble the remaining half of dough evenly over the sweet potato. Press gently. Bake for 20 minutes, until slightly crisp on top and golden. Let cool before serving.

Recipe: Carrot Raita

A quick side salad for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:
2 large carrots, grated
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Cardamom
1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt
Serves: 2

Instructions:
Grate carrots in a bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients and chill.

Recipe: Strawberry-Papaya Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup papaya, cut into chunks
4 large, ripe strawberries
1/2 cup crushed ice
Serves: 1

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.