"Lesmond" <lesmond@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:yrfzbaqirevmbaarg.jzderx6.pminews@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:55:03 -0400, Lisa Ann wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>"Lesmond" <lesmond@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>>news:yrfzbaqirevmbaarg.jzc6y55.pminews@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>> On 14 Apr 2008 22:35:49 GMT, Opus the Penguin wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Food prices are increasing sharply, according to this article:
>>>>
>>>><http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080414/inflation_squeeze.html?.v=4>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>The antepenultimate paragraph interested me in particular: "But for
the
>>>>poorest U.S. families, the higher costs may mean going hungry. A
family
>>>>of four is eligible for a maximum $542 a month in food stamps, which
>>>>never lasted the whole month before, Food Bank of New Jersey's
DiChiara
>>>>said."
>>>>
>>>>Is there something about food stamps I'm not understanding? I can
>>>>understand that you won't be living in luxury on roughly $17.50 per
day
>>>>to feed a family of four. But does it really mean going without?
>>>
>>> A lot of people don't know how to buy food. They buy ready made meals
>>> instead of food staples. They microwave dinner instead of cooking it.
>>>
>>> I feed a family of three on less than $200 a month. And we eat well.
>>> We've
>>> having beef teryaki stir fry tonight.
>>
>>Well, Scott and I spend a lot more than $200 a month for just the two
of
>>us...but we also tend to splurge on good steaks when they go on sale.
And
>>we drink a lot of milk and juice.
>>
>>But you're right, a lot of people don't know how to cook. When I was
>>working as a security guard at Aldi and Sav-a-lot, it used to make me
nuts
>>seeing all these people on food stamps buying frozen dinners and
packaged
>>dinners. (Contrary to the stereotype, I rarely saw them buying
expensive
>>cuts of meat and seafood. Then again, I was working at freaking Aldi
and
>>Sav-a-lot.)
>>
>>Right now in my pantry, I've got rice, several types of pasta, barley
and
>>lentils.
>
> I thought lentils were only good for filling up bean bags.
Well, they're good for that too...but Saturday I made a *great* lentil
soup.
I just didn't make enough of it, we ate it all and I didn't get leftovers.
:(
It helps that Scott likes soups and stews - and that I like cooking them.
> But yeah, we've got all the pasta, the kidney beans, the rice...you
know.
>
> I found ****k roast on sale last week for $1.98/lb and chicken leg
>>quarters for $.88/lb. We still have a lot of beef, mostly cut up for
stew
>>meat or stirfry from the last sale.
>
> Exactly. Some very nice bonelss ****k chops were on sale a couple of
months
> ago for $1.79/lb, so I bought like 20 pounds. The ones we have left
have
> been frozen so long they're best for stew, but we can still get by just
> slathering some mozzeralla and tomato sauce on them. Yes, it's ****k
parm!
I'll have to try that with some of our ****k...the loin roast I bought
Saturday got cut into 3 smallish roasts, and about 10 fairly thick ****k
chops. So for $18 I've got enough for 8 meals. The chicken was $5.50,
and
we'll get another 5 meals out of that.
>
> And we'll buy the whole beef tenderloins on sale for $4.99/lb and grill
> filet
> mignon for a few weeks. It helps to have an extra freezer, which is a
> luxury
> for poor people, I realize.
>
> We've also got almost every kind of
>>frozen vegetable you can imagine.
>
> Oh, yeah. I even buy canned veggies on sale, even if I'm the only one
> who'll eat them.
>
> About the only thing we buy that's
>>packaged is Kraft Mac & Cheese, because Scott can't get enough of that
>>crap.
>
> We bought a case of mac 'n cheese about 5 years ago. We still have
some.
>
>>Oh, and I buy jarred spaghetti sauce when it's on sale, because I've
never
>>been able to make a good spaghetti sauce. So I guess I do buy packaged
>>food. :)
>
> I'll buy jarred sauce for something quick like mozzarella sticks, but
I've
> got about 50 cans of whole, crushed, diced and pureed tomatoes here.
(All
> bought on sale for 50 cents a can or less.) People rave about my sauce.
> I
> make it like my grandma did. Lots of garlic, lots of basil and fresh
> onions.
> And dump a buttload of parmesan cheese in it, too. Oh...and a ton or
two
> of
> ground beef or ****k. And it has to simmer for a few hours. I make a
> couple
> of gallons at a time and freeze it.
Okay, I'm going to have to try making my own sauce again. I can't figure
out how I can make really great soups and stews, but my tomato sauce never
seems to work out.
I used to bake my own bread, but when I lived in Indianapolis I had no
counters (seriously, no counters) so I got out of the habit. I need to
start doing that again. I've tried it once since I moved down here and
seriously miscalculated how long I needed to let the dough rise, or I
killed
the yeast off or something. Mom and Daddy said it tasted good, but my god
we could have used that thing for an anchor.
>
> I'm not saying I never buy prepared food. I think my little one would
die
> without frozen pizza and fish sticks and once in awhile I absolutely
> *require" a can of Chef Boyardee ravioli. But we don't make it a
> lifestyle.
> And we still just don't spend $542 a month.
I think we're probably around $350/month, but like I said, we'll buy good
steaks when they go on sale. That also includes our wine and beer,
cleaning
supplies, etc.
Now I'm hungry. Is it lunchtime yet?
Lisa Ann
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