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a balanced plate with room for dessert


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SNAP Challenge: Day 7

We made it.

I’d like to say that I’ve grown from this experience. I think I have. I’ve learned to think about my life situation in a different light. I hope I can carry this wisdom with me as I continue in my “normal” life now. I’ve learned that I can live without so many things that I’ve deemed necessary in the past. That $5 after-work cocktail to unwind? No longer is it a necessity on a Friday. It’s a luxury. That $5 could feed a person for an entire flippin’ day. That $5 fed me for a day.

I’m well aware that living on a limited budget for a week doesn’t come close to the struggles that low-income families face for weeks, months, or years on end. It does, however, give me a better understanding and a new perspective. It was also a good reminder to why I volunteered for so many years at food pantries. It was the push I needed to get back out there again; because no matter how busy life gets or how hard it may seem, there is always time to help another person out.

What we ate on our last day:

  • Breakfast: oatmeal with egg (me) and whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana (Mike)
  • Snack: grapes (me) and cookies and pineapple chunks (Mike)
  • Lunch: black bean soup with baked tortilla chips and guacamole (me) and sandwich with turkey, cheddar cheese, guac, and mustard (Mike)
  • Dinner: black bean soup

I will leave you with my favorite meal of the SNAP Challenge: spicy black bean soup with a cumin lime sour cream and baked tortilla chips.

spicy black bean soup with cumin lime sour cream | doughseedough.net

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Cumin Lime Sour Cream

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, diced
4 jalapenos, minced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
6 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained but not rinsed
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
7 cups water

for the sour cream:
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 lime, juiced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 green onions, thinly sliced
baked tortilla chips (recipe below)

  1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot, jalapenos, and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent, about 3 – 5 minutes.
  2. Add spices and stir until well combined. Continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add beans, tomatoes, and water and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 40 – 45 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare the sour cream: To make the sour cream, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
  5. When soup has thickened, use an immersion blender and blend soup until smooth or use a blender to puree in small batches.
  6. Garnish with sour cream and sliced green onions and serve with baked tortilla chips.

baked tortilla chips | doughseedough.net

Baked Tortilla Chips

5 flour tortillas
nonstick spray or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Lay tortillas in a single layer on a cutting board. Brush them lightly with oil or spray with cooking spray.
  3. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the garlic powder. Flip tortillas over and repeat.
  4. Stack tortillas and cut into 8 wedges. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
  5. Let cool on pan before serving.


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SNAP Challenge: Day 6 and Slow Cooker Turkey Quinoa Meatballs

Today’s Feeding America prompt: “In November 2013, the government will cut SNAP benefits for all recipients. These cuts will be $36 for a family of four – dropping the average benefit per person per meal to under $1.40.  How would this week have been different for you if you had even less money to spend on food?”

I’ve typed up a dozen really, really long responses to this prompt and I’ve deleted them all. Short version: you’re told to follow MyPlate guidelines for a “healthy diet”. Then you’re given a little over $4 a day to figure out how the hell you’re supposed to do that. How is a person supposed to fit low-fat dairy, lean meat, whole grains and tons of fruits and vegetables into their diet each day with $4? I haven’t quite figured that out. We had a lot less fresh fruits and vegetables around to snack on. My meal plan this week was also severely lacking in the dairy department. I couldn’t fit in milk into our budget for Mike, let alone lactose-free milk for myself!  What if a low-income family had special diets to accommodate for? I’m hoping to give this Challenge a try again in November when benefits are cut (and when I don’t have garden produce). But I can’t imagine it going any easier.

What we ate today:

  • Breakfast: oatmeal with egg (me) and whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana (Mike)
  • Snack: peanut butter toast with banana (me)
  • Lunch: macaroni and cheddar cheese (Mike) and pepper chicken with rice (me)
  • Dinner: spicy black bean soup with cumin lime sour cream and baked tortilla chips
  • Snack: raisins

I’ll be honest – it’s been hard keeping up with daily blog posts to document the SNAP Challenge. I’m already thinking about food a lot more than usual; having to not only cook, but photograph and write about it makes it even harder. To top it all off, I spend a lot of my free time reading food magazines and food blogs. Torturing myself, really. Writing about the turkey quinoa meatballs literally made my stomach growl. I’m so tired of eating chicken and bell peppers cooked different ways. I think I need a break from them after the Challenge is over. Sorry chicken, sorry peppers – it’s not you, it’s me. But, it’s not really me… in fact it’s 100% you.

That leads me nicely into today’s recipe from a blogger’s choice swap (not part of the SNAP Challenge). This time, I bring you a dish that I made a couple weeks ago (yup, no worries –  we didn’t cheat during the Challenge!). This dish is something new, something different, something that doesn’t contain chicken or green bell peppers! Drum roll please… turkey quinoa meatballs!

Turkey? With quinoa?  Yup. And they are awesome. I made a few minor changes to Ali’s recipe: I had a plethora of tomatoes to use so I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned. I also left out the cheese from the meatballs, but Mike had a little shaved on top of his finished dish.

I served the meatballs over spaghetti squash, but you can use regular ol’ spaghetti noodles if you would like!

turkey quinoa meatballs with spaghetti squash | doughseedough.net

Slow Cooker Turkey & Quinoa Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash
adapted from Sparks from the Kitchen

2 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 cup cooked quinoa
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for browning
2 teaspoons Italian herbs
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 large sweet onion, cut into rounds
2 cups tomato sauce (I used homemade)
4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
Pecorino Romano cheese, for garnish, optional

1 large spaghetti squash*
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  1. In a large bowl, combine turkey, quinoa, garlic, egg, olive oil, Italian spices, onion powder, salt and white pepper. Mix by hand until combined, being careful not to over-mix.
  2. Roll meatballs into 1 1/2-inch balls and set aside.
  3. Place sliced onions on the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour in 1 cup tomato sauce and 2 cups of the chopped tomatoes.
  4. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place meatballs into pan, being careful not to overcrowd. Brown meatballs on all sides. When browned, place them into the slow cooker on top of the tomatoes. Once you have half the meatballs in the slow cooker, top with another cup of chopped tomatoes. Continue to brown the meatballs and place them in the slow cooker.
  5. When all meatballs are browned, add the remaining tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes, making sure all the meatballs are covered.
  6. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
  7. An hour before serving, prepare the spaghetti squash. Preheat oven to 450°F and lightly grease a baking pan.
  8. Cut spaghetti squash in half and scrape out seeds. Season with olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Place squash flesh-side down in prepared pan and bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove pan from oven and let squash cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, scrape out the squash strands from the skin.
  9. Place spaghetti squash on a plate and top with meatballs and sauce. Garnish with freshly grate Pecorino Romano, if desired.

Thanks again to Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking for hosting! Click on the link to check out the other delicious swap recipes!


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SNAP Challenge: Day 5

Today’s Feeding America prompt: “We know that low-income Americans have to make choices between groceries, prescriptions, gas for the car, utilities, and other household necessities. After living on a limited food budget this week, how has your perspective changed about the decisions families facing hunger must make?“

Simply put? I can’t imagine it. Even thought I have limited our food budget, our scenario in no way even compares to what millions of families deal with on a daily basis. We were hungry, but we didn’t go hungry. I had the comfort of knowing that I could fail out of the challenge and get something to eat if we did run out of food. These families don’t have that option.

While Mike and I try to stick to a budget, we realize that sometimes things happen. We might need more gas one week. I might get sick and need to see a doctor or pick up some meds (Mike never gets sick…). Or my car brakes might decide to die. Or my car wipers might decide to stop working…. Yeah, my car is a trouble maker. But, we deal with these unexpected expenses. I honestly don’t know what I would do if I had to choose between gas to get to work or a meal for my family. Would I walk? Try to catch a ride from a coworker? What if someone got really sick? Do we go to the doctor? Do we pay for their medication? Having to choose between life essentials doesn’t seem right.

All these “what ifs” make it clear to me that programs like SNAP are essential for low-income families. It’s a good reminder to be thankful for what I have in life.

This Challenge is bringing about a lot of emotions. Mike and I talk a lot about food insecurity and poverty on the way to work. It’s a really intense way to start the day. Things are getting a little easier for me now. We only have 2 more days left of the Challenge and I can tell that we will have enough food. It’s still hard not having the luxury of eating whatever we want, whenever we want, but I’m starting to adjust.

Unfortunately, I think I’m also getting sick. All I wanted to do after work is eat a bowl of mango sorbet and go to bed. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t even skip making dinner because if I didn’t cook dinner that would mean I wouldn’t have lunch the next day. Blargh.

What we ate today:

  • Breakfast: savory oatmeal with an egg (me) and peanut butter toast with sliced banana (Mike)
  • Snack: peanut butter toast with 1/4 banana (me) and a cookie (Mike)
  • Lunch: pepper chicken with rice (me) and chili with rice (Mike)
  • Snack: peanut butter toast with 1/4 banana (me) and turkey sandwich with mustard (Mike)
  • Dinner: chicken fajitas with guacamole, tortillas, and sauteed zucchini (Mike also had cheese and sour cream)
  • Snack: raisins

easy chicken fajitas | doughseedough.net

Easy Chicken Fajitas

for the chicken:
1 lime, juiced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 teaspoon canola oil

for the vegetables:
3 onions, halved and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 bell peppers, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
salt and pepper, to taste

to serve:
flour tortillas
sharp cheddar cheese, grated
light sour cream
guacamole (see below for recipe)

  1. In a shallow bowl, combine lime juice, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper*. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.
  2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, Brown chicken and cook until cooked through and meat is no longer pink in the middle. Remove from heat and keep warm.
  3. Using the same skillet, add vegetables and saute until tender-crisp, about 10 minutes. Slice chicken into 1/4-inch pieces and toss with vegetables. Serve immediately with tortillas and garnishes, if desired.

*I made a double batch of this marinade and mixed half of it in with my garden zucchini! I seeded the squash, quartered it, and then sauteed it with the marinade over medium heat for about 15 minutes until tender. Delish 🙂

easy chicken fajitas | doughseedough.net

This guac made not being able to have cheese and sour cream on my fajita a little more bearable. I ate a ton of it. Splurging on an extra avocado during the shopping trip was totally worth it!

Guacamole

2 medium avocados
1 lime, juiced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

  1. In a medium bowl, mash avocados with a fork. Mix in lime juice, tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
  2. Serve immediately.


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SNAP Challenge: Day 4

Today’s Feeding America prompt: “Are you worried about your groceries running out before the end of the Challenge? Do you feel you are eating a healthy, balanced diet? What nutrition decisions did you have to make?”

In a word – yes. I am worried about running out of food. I think that’s something that I’ve mentioned on a daily basis in my summary posts. I have the tiniest bit of money leftover and I keep thinking about what I can do with that money just in case we run out of food.

I think the menu is healthy, but not as healthy as we normally eat. Our house is usually stocked full of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. This week, we only have a few fresh produce items. We have free garden produce – tomatoes, zucchini, hot peppers and I purchased bell peppers, bananas, and grapes. I usually buy exclusively whole grain pasta, rice, and bread, but this week the only whole grains I purchased were the whole wheat bread and oatmeal. I was able to buy some boneless, skinless chicken breast, but I bought 85% lean ground turkey instead of my usually 93% or 99%.

I’m also not used to the lack of variety we have. For example – I don’t think I’ve ever eaten oatmeal every single day (sometimes several times a day) before this. I like to switch up my breakfast items! Before, I would choose between cereal with almond milk, a breakfast sandwich, egg and veggie scrambles, or half a bagel with Tofutti cream cheese and some fruit. I’m not huge on “sweet” breakfast foods (pancakes, waffles, and the like have no place on my plate during breakfast!), but I love savory breakfast foods! I got sick of eating oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar by the end of Day 2 and ended up making a savory oatmeal with spices mixed in. Mike found it revolting, but it was just the change I needed!

For the MyPlate recommendations, we’re pretty darn close to meeting all minimums except for dairy. I’m getting no dairy at all. Like I’ve mentioned before, I can’t handle it any more. I didn’t fit lactose-free milk into our budget. I’m not a big milk drinker anyway, so getting rid of that was no big deal to me. Mike’s getting some from cheese, but not nearly enough. Something to work on for next time, I guess…

All that said, I am so thankful that we have a garden. Even though it’s 2 hours away, Mike was able to bring down cherry tomatoes, zucchini, herbs and a few hot peppers from the garden the day before the Challenge started. In a way, it kind of feels like cheating… but when I think about it, we haven’t really used much from the garden “stash” at all aside from the hot peppers and my occasional cherry tomato snack.

Snack wise, we’re doing a lot better. I don’t have access to any of our popcorn supplies (gosh, I miss kettle corn), rice cakes, or baking supplies. Another thing I really miss? Chocolate from my favorite Appleton chocolate shop, Wilmar’s. I’m obsessed with their cherry pie chocolate bar: milk chocolate with Door County dried cherries, almonds, and sea salt. Swoon! I keep a bar in my desk drawer and I eat one piece almost every day when I’m in the office. Having the bar in my desk drawer and not being able to eat it is hard. Mike doesn’t have access to his go-to snacks either. Good for our waistlines, not so good for our mood.

What we ate today:

  • Breakfast: savory oatmeal with an egg (me), whole wheat toast with peanut butter and raisins (Mike)
  • Snack: cherry tomatoes and grapes (me), grapes and a cookie (Mike)
  • Lunch: three bean turkey chili with elbow macaroni,
  • Snack: nothing for me… I ate it all in the morning 😦
  • Dinner: sweet & sour chicken with rice (Mike) and pepper chicken with rice (me)
  • Snack: peanut butter with raisins (Mike)

I think Mike and I were both struggling with not having a snack or dessert, so I whipped up a batch of healthy cookies for us. I had to improvise with what we had purchased for the SNAP Challenge. They’re super simple (4 ingredients!!!) and surprisingly tasty!

healthy 4 ingredient banana oatmeal cookies | doughseedough.net

Banana Oatmeal Cookies
makes 1 dozen cookies

2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
½ cup raisins

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
  2. Mix bananas with oatmeal and peanut butter until well combined. Stir in raisins until evenly distributed.
  3. Roll into 1.5” balls and place on prepared baking sheet 2” apart. Gently press down on each cookie with the bottom of a cup to flatten slightly.
  4. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.


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SNAP Challenge: Day 3

Today’s prompt: “How has eating on a limited budget impacted your mood? Your concentration? How has that impacted your interaction with family and coworkers?”

I’m not as happy and motivated as I normally am. My concentration is a mess. I’m constantly thinking about food – whether we will have enough, when I can eat next, why the hell is my stomach always grumbling?!, what I will do if we run out of food. It’s definitely affecting my productivity at work.  I can’t say my interactions with family and coworkers has really changed. The biggest change between Mike and me is that I am constantly asking him if he’s doing ok, if he’s hungry, if I can get him anything. I’m worried about him and obviously don’t want him to be hungry. I feel bad for making him go through this when he’s trying to study for his exams.

My energy levels are l-o-w. I went for a 7 mile run after work today and it… sucked. I don’t know how else to put it. My legs felt like lead the entire time. My stomach ached. I didn’t have gum to chew. At the end, my body felt like it had just done a 20 mile run, not a 7 mile run.

Here’s what we ate today:

  • Breakfast: toast with peanut butter (Mike) and savory oatmeal with fried egg (me)
  • Snack: red grapes
  • Lunch: three bean turkey chili with elbow macaroni
  • Pre-run snack: 1/2 banana each and a couple raisins
  • Dinner: pepper chicken with white rice
  • Snack: spoonful of peanut butter (Mike)
  • Snack: peanut butter banana oatmeal raisin cookies

The best thing I had today were the grapes. They were so sweet and juicy and I had to stop myself from shoving fistfuls into my mouth. I brought about a cup of grapes to work and rationed them throughout the morning. Every time I finished a project or approved a contract, I got to eat a grape. Oh, and the iced tea with lemon juice I had with dinner? So good. I’m usually a plain water kinda gal, but I really needed something else to drink!

I’m not gonna lie – dinner was pretty fabulous, too. During my run I went past a couple Chinese restaurants (and a few bars… and a few chocolate shops…) and it all smelled so good. Like it was taunting me. Jerks. I was sweaty, tired, and worst of all – hungry. I wanted to cave in and get takeout for dinner, but that obviously wasn’t an option. Thankfully, this pepper chicken hit the spot! Mental note: do not run down streets lined with restaurants/chocolate shops/bars/bakeries any more this week.

takeout fakeout pepper chicken | doughseedough.net

Takeout Fakeout – Pepper Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 small onions, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 chile peppers, thinly sliced, optional
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

steamed white rice, for serving

  1. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper and the salt over the sliced chicken. Dust chicken with cornstarch until well coated.
  2. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 3 – 5 minutes. Move to a bowl and keep warm.
  3. In the skillet, add in onions, garlic and chile peppers (if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add in bell peppers and mushrooms. Stir in soy sauce, white pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper until well combined. Cook for 3 minutes or until bell peppers are tender-crisp. Stir in cooked chicken and toss to coat with sauce.
  4. Serve hot with steamed rice.


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SNAP Challenge: Day 2

Today’s Feeding America prompt: “How would this experience be different if your spouse and children were also eating off a limited food budget for the week?”

Well, I guess it wouldn’t be any different since Mike is doing the challenge with me. I actually think it would be more difficult for me if he wasn’t on it because he would have the luxury of eating whatever he wanted while I was stuck with what I’ve already purchased! That said, I think Mike would be happier if I were doing the challenge alone; he’s studying for some big exams this week and not having food to munch on has been hard for him.

Day 2 was a little more than Day 1. Yesterday, we spent a lot of time outside at the farmer’s market and just walking around outside. Today, it was raining the entire day. So, instead of doing our 7 mile run and doing other stuff outside, Mike studied all day and I worked on blog stuff. Sitting around usually leads to mindless munching for us, but this time it wasn’t really an option.

What we ate today:

  • Breakfast: oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins, tea, water
  • Lunch: sweet and sour chicken, white rice, tea, water
  • Snack: spoonful of peanut butter with raisins
  • Dinner: sweet and sour chicken, white rice, water
  • Snack: Mike had another spoonful of peanut butter
  • Late night snack: oatmeal with pepper, salt, and dried herbs

sweet & sour chicken | doughseedough.net

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 teaspoons canola oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2-20 ounce cans pineapple slices, chopped and juice reserved
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons corn starch

cooked white rice, for serving

  1. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides, 3 – 5 minutes. Add in onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and corn starch. Pour into skillet and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and add in bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened. Stir in pineapple and let heat through, about 1 minute.
  3. Serve hot over white rice.


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SNAP Challenge: Day 1

Today’s prompt from Feeding America: “What have you cut out of your routine to stay on budget (e.g. COFFEE)?”

On paper, I thought that little had changed in our routine. After a half day, I knew things were different.

I didn’t have snacks to munch on when I got hungry or a little bored. I’m used to being able to whip up a batch of kettle corn if I craved something crunchy. This week, I can’t do that.  Mike’s used to having his morning (and afternoon and evening) coffee. This week, he gave it up and got tea instead since it’s a lot cheaper. My lactose intolerance was already hard for me to deal with since it’s so new. This week, I couldn’t fit almond milk or lactose-free cheese into the budget.

Our first day of the SNAP Challenge was already… well, a challenge. We did all our grocery shopping on Friday and planned to start the SNAP Challenge on Saturday. I didn’t sleep well that night. I had dreams about not having enough food for the week.

Breakfast for me was some oatmeal with a sprinkle of brown sugar and raisins and Mike had some whole wheat toast with peanut butter. We both had some tea and water with our meal.

Mike’s dad came in to town to visit and we went off to the farmer’s market with him. I always love going to the market, but this visit was a little less enjoyable – I couldn’t buy any of the fruits or veggies that looked good. I couldn’t give in to the freshly-baked breads. I instantly regretted spending all my money already, but I knew it was a smart move – buying food from the farmer’s market is way more expensive than buying it at Aldi.

By the time Mike and I got home, we were hungry. We didn’t have anything to snack on,  so Mike drank tea while I threw together lunch (and dinner) as quickly as possible.

I had decided that chili would be a great meal to make during this week. I stretched the turkey by adding in lots of beans and I used simple ingredients to cut down on cost. I’m used to eating “chili seven ways” aka chili with elbow mac, cheese, olives, onions, sour cream, hot sauce, and Fritos. I obviously couldn’t afford to buy Fritos and olives to use as a garnish for one meal , so those were nixed. My main attraction to this chili was that I knew it would reheat wonderfully for lunch during the week (if it lasts that long…)

The chili was hearty and delicious. We ate it with elbow mac for lunch and then had it over a baked potato for dinner to switch it up a little.

Three Bean Turkey Chili | doughseedough.net

Three Bean Turkey Chili

1 pound turkey
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 ounce can black beans, drained
15 ounce can kidney beans, drained
30 ounce can pinto beans, drained
2 quarts tomatoes, diced
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprkia
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound elbow macaroni

garnishes – 
light sour cream
2 green onions, thinly sliced
extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

  1. Heat a large non-stick pot over medium-high heat. Place turkey in pot and cook until browned. Drain off excess fat. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until onions are tender.
  2. Pour in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer chili for 30 minutes.
  3. While chili is cooking, cook elbow macaroni according to package directions.
  4. Place a serving of macaroni in a bowl and top with a scoop of chili,. Garnish with sour cream, green onions, and cheddar cheese.


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SNAP Challenge: Menu Planning & Grocery Shopping

Prepping for the Week – Menu Planning and Grocery Shopping

Prompt from Feeding America – “How did your shopping cart look compared to a normal week? What choices did you have to make about the types of food you could afford, where you shopped, or the nutritional quality and variety of food?”

I’ll be honest – the thought of being limited to $63 for an entire week of groceries made me anxious. I started to over-think everything. I carefully planned a menu that used similar ingredients. I’m guilty of letting things go to waste simply because the ingredients weren’t going to get used in another recipe. Or, I will have good intentions and then lose the food in my fridge. It’s disgusting, really. I was determined to not let that happen this week. I wrote down a few ideas. Scratched them out. Repeat. Repeat again.

I finally ended up with the following plan for the week:

Breakfast:

  • Oatmeal with raisins and a bit of brown sugar
  • Whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana
  • Breakfast sandwich with whole wheat bread, turkey, and an egg

Lunch:

  • Leftovers, leftovers, leftovers!

Dinner:

  • Sweet and sour chicken with steamed rice
  • Chicken fajitas heavy on the veggies with tortillas and black beans; possibly a side of rice
  • Spicy black bean soup with baked tortilla chips
  • Chili with macaroni
  • Loaded chili baked potatoes
  • Leftovers!

Extras:

  • Fruit
  • Coffee

My original grocery list changed as I realized that I wouldn’t be able to afford certain things on my budget. I got rid of the English muffins that I use for my breakfast sandwiches. Whole wheat bread was cheaper and we would get more food out of it. Lactose-free cheese? No way was that going to fit into the budget! My breakfast sandwiches are now cheese-less. My beloved pink lady apples? Too expensive; I would look to see what was cheaper at the store. Greek yogurt instead of sour cream? Nope, it’s three times as much. I was ready to get rid of the sour cream and cheese since I can’t eat it anyway, but I felt bad for Mike and put it on the list.

Normally, I would buy whatever I thought looked good. If I wanted extras or snacks (rice cakes!), I’d grab them. This time, it wasn’t an option. My cart, for the first time ever, had only items on my grocery list. Anything that wasn’t on the list subbed in for something else. Example: coffee. Mike decided that he could drink tea for a week instead since it was cheaper. So, we took the coffee off the list and put tea bags on. This swap saved up $0.80. It doesn’t sound like much, but a lot of the prices on the items I was shopping for were $0.10 or $0.20 more than what I was expecting. I didn’t have much wiggle room, so every penny truly mattered. I made substitutions that I wouldn’t have normally done. I bought the cheaper, fatty ground turkey instead of the 97% lean stuff. I wanted multi-colored bell peppers to make dishes look more vibrant, but the green bell peppers were $1.40 cheaper per 3-pack. Pretty dishes weren’t really a priority any more.

Mike and I started shopping at Aldi a couple years ago and fell in love with the store. It’s small, but it carries great staples and the prices can’t be beat. In Appleton, we split our shopping between Aldi, Copp’s, and Piggly Wiggly. In Madison, we are a half mile from a Woodman’s, so we end up doing most of our shopping there. This week, I knew I had to keep food cost low-low-low, so we headed to Aldi. There, I was able to get everything on my list except for the apple cider vinegar. A quick stop at Woodman’s on the way home took care of that.

Aldi shopping trip for the SNAP Challenge! | doughseedough.net

The Breakdown: Food Item, Size, and Cost

Produce:

  • Onions: 3 pound bag, $1.49
  • Bell peppers: 2 – 3 packs of green peppers, $1.89 each
  • Garlic: 3 pack, $0.99
  • Avocado: 2, $0.89 each
  • Limes: 1 bag, $0.99
  • Carrots: 2 pound bag, $1.29
  • Grapes: 2 pounds, $1.58
  • Bananas: 3.24 pounds, $0.44/pound
  • Potatoes: 5 pounds, $2.49
  • Green onions: $0.79
  • Mushrooms: 8 ounces, $0.69
  • Tomatoes: from the garden
  • Cilantro: from the garden
  • Hot peppers: from the garden
  • Zucchini: from the garden
    Subtotal: $17.30

Dry/Canned Goods:

  • Salt: $0.39
  • Rice: 3 pound bag, $1.59
  • Canola oil: 48 ounces, $2.69
  • Black beans: 7-15 ounce cans, $0.59 each
  • Pinto beans: 30 ounce can, $1.19
  • Kidney beans: 15 ounce can, $0.59
  • Apple cider vinegar: 16 ounces, $0.69
  • Tea: 100 bags, $1.99 (Mike gave up his coffee and got tea instead because it was cheaper!)
  • Pineapple slices: 2-20 ounce cans, $0.89 each
  • Low sodium soy sauce: $1.19
  • Corn starch: $0.89
  • Lemon juice: 32 ounces, $1.79
  • Oatmeal: 42 ounces, $2.19
  • Raisins: 15 ounces, $1.79
  • Peanut butter: $1.89
  • Macaroni: 2 pounds, $1.49
  • Brown sugar: 1 pound, $1.29
  • Flour tortillas: 10 count, $0.99
  • Whole wheat bread: $1.29
    Subtotal: $29.84

Meat and Dairy

  • Chicken breast: 3 pound bag, $6.49
  • Deli turkey lunch meat: 9 ounces, $2.29
  • Ground turkey: 1 pound, $1.69
  • Light sour cream: $1.29
  • Extra sharp cheddar cheese: $1.79
  • Eggs: 1 dozen, $0.99
    Subtotal: $14.54

TOTAL: $61.68 ($1.32 left over)

Overall, I’m happy with the variety of foods that we got and the plan I have the week. My biggest fear is that we will be out of main dishes by the middle of the week and we’ll be left with oatmeal for all three meals.


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SNAP Challenge

September is Hunger Action Month. I’m joining many others and I’m taking the SNAP Challenge for the week of September 15 – 21. Simply put, this is a challenge to eat on what the average Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit is – $1.50 per meal, or $4.50 per day. That gives me a grand total of $63 to feed Mike and me for the entire week. The rules:

  • $4.50 a day per person for all our food and beverage
  • No eating out is allowed – you can’t use SNAP benefits to purchases restaurant meals
  • I can’t use any items that I’ve already purchased (excluding spices & condiments)
  • No free food from friends, family, and co-workers
  • Keep track of spending with receipts

I’m nervous about not being able to stay within budget. Sure, we normally make one massive trip a week and spend about $50 – 60, but that doesn’t include all our last minute purchases like late-night ice cream runs. Mike doesn’t think he can live without coffee. I don’t know how I’m going to kick my Sour Skittles habit.

I’m determined to not sacrifice taste, nutrition, variety, or quality in our foods. And I’ll make sure Mike gets his coffee.

Are you up for the SNAP Challenge?


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Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn

I love going to the farmer’s market. I’m proud to say that Madison is home to one of the greatest farmer’s markets ever. I’m also proud to say that the Appleton market is also pretty darn spectacular. I try to go to the market every weekend. Since we have a garden full of veggies, I don’t usually end up buying any vegetables. The one thing I make sure I walk away with? Kettle corn.

Yum. There’s something about that sweet and salty combination that just get to me. It’s dangerous. One minute I have a warm, foot-tall bag. The next, it’s empty and my stomach hurts. To make it worse, I am left kettle corn-less for a whole week until I buy another bag on Saturday. Repeat over and over and over.

Well, I finally figured it out. I can make it at home with my Whirley Pop! This is bad news. I made my first batch on Friday night as a movie snack. I inhaled it. Then Saturday night I ate kettle corn for dinner. I’m going to be out of town for work for a couple days, and I’m contemplating cooking up a huge batch of it to bring with me. A suitcase half full of kettle corn… Hmm.

sweet & salty kettle corn | doughseedough.net

Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn
make this easy snack in a Whirley Pop* or a large lidded pot

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 cup sugar
salt

  1. Whirley Pop directions: Heat canola oil in a Whirley Pop over medium-high heat. Place  a few popcorn kernels in the popper. When the kernels pop, it means the oil is hot enough! Place remaining kernels in and pour in sugar, stirring constantly. Stir popper over heat until popping slows down to 3 – 5 seconds between pops. Remove from heat and continue to turn handle until popping stops.
  2. Large pot directions: Heat canola oil over medium-high heat with a few popcorn kernels. Once these kernels pop, pour in the remaining kernels and sugar and stir quickly with a wooden spoon to coat the kernels. Cover the pot and shake vigorously every 5 – 10 seconds to keep sugar from burning. Continue to shake until popping slowly to 3 – 5 seconds between pops. Remove from heat and continue to shake until popping stops.
  3. Pour popcorn into a large bowl, shaking salt over it as you go.
  4. Popcorn may stick as it cools – simply give it a good shake in the bowl or gently break it up with a wooden spoon.
  5. Serve immediately. Sharing is optional 🙂

*Don’t have a Whirley Pop? Get one. Now. I use mine all the time to make popcorn! I’m pretty sure that there’s no such thing as too many popcorn makers. I also own an air popper and I’ve been known to make microwave popcorn as well once in a while. YOLO.