Early Marriage and Graduate School Meals

Once I decided to start this project, I've been thinking about favorite foods, and how they changed over time. Meals we ate in grad school were based on complex carbs such as rice, potatoes and pasta. But the rest of the meal usually included something frozen (veggies and/or soy-wheat gluten), canned (pasta sauce, soup, fruit) or some fresh veggies. The meals needed to be inexpensive and fairly fast. Friends were in the same situation; not much money to live on. One friend scrambled eggs with a can of chinese vegetables. Not bad, really. The big splurge for the week was Baker's Tuesday night "Dental School Special" - 3 (big bean) Burritos  for $1.00.  Lots of students were at Baker's on Tuesday night.

Most of our food was processed in some way and supplemented with a few fresh fruit and vegetables. I tried and tried to make bread. It rarely rose nicely. Always thought it was the temperature. Now I know it must have been the yeast. (I use SAF yeast now. The dough will rise at just about any temperature.) The Pillsbury dough boy was my friend. Canned biscuits, turnovers, and bread sticks were favorites. A treat we had often were frozen honey buns. They came four in a box, but rarely lasted two days.  Popped the honey buns in the toaster oven and they were warm and gooey in 10 minutes.

My mother-in-law taught me the basics of cooking after I was married. She must have worried about her son's diet although she never said a word to me.  She patiently answered my stupid questions and gave me recipes and cookbooks. I always appreciated the left overs she sent home with us! We went to their house for Friday night supper and Sabbath afternoon dinner.  My sister-in-law and her husband were usually there. Cooking with her was fun and enlightening. It was a fun family tradition that we no longer manage because families live in three states.

About the time we moved to the other side of the country, she gave me the "More with Less" cookbook. It is based on using less of the earth's resources, eating in moderation and reducing protein intake.  American meals are primarily protein rather than eating mainly veggies and carbohydrates with a bit of protein. There are a variety of protein sources in the cookbook:  legumes, dairy and grains as well as meats, poultry and seafood.   One of our favorite is Lentil Stew made with lentils, of course, tomatoes, carrots, green peppers, celery, herbs and cheese. It was baked, however, I now make it in a crookpot or on the stovetop. Recipes are made to be tinkered with, and I can never leave a recipe alone. I  add potatoes or we sometimes have the stew over rice.

Another family recipe (from my husband's family) is breakfast hash served over buttered toast. It's very simple to make, can be made ahead, and is good for any meal.  Ingredients are potatoes, celery, chicken stock and chicken. I substitute the chicken and broth because we are vegetarian.

Rice with tomatoes and cheese is one of my early-marriage favorites. My husband does not care for canned tomatoes. There is a 'taste' he doesn't like.  So we don't have this often.

I have started November meal planning by making lists of inexpensive ingredients and dishes we enjoy. Half of our dinners are combining ingredients I have on hand at the last minute (as my husband is on his way home from work).  Often I chop an onion and garlic as I try to think what to have for supper.  Carbohydrate is the next choice: bread, pasta, rice or potato?  Deciding what spices and flavorings skews the remainder of the ingredient choices.  Most days it is pretty good, occasionally, yuck!  Fortunately he is good about my experiments! I always tease that he has no taste buds. :-)

Food Stamp Meals for a Month

The budget was very tight we were in graduate school. We lived on an austerity program.  I didn’t know how to cook very well then, although I thought I was doing well.  The concept of using only ingredients my grandmother would have recognized and few ingredients per dish were not anywhere in my consciousness.  That was more than 30 years ago.  Conservation of resources, making healthy food choices, and as much as possible, making and baking foods from scratch are the way we prefer to live.  The food budget didn’t exist.  I purchased everything I needed to make the meals we loved to eat.    We ate well!  We are healthy, are a healthy weight, exercise almost daily.   So this is not an attempt to morph to a healthier life style.

Why eat on a Food Stamp budget for a month? I catered a wedding dinner for a friend last week. Now, I normally cook for two or occasionally for four or six.  Planning a dinner for 30 is way beyond my comfort zone.  I didn’t want to not have enough food, so I over planned. This week we have been eating up some of the left over fresh food.  We had left over roasted vegetables for breakfast this morning in an egg blanket with left over biscuits.  I was so pleased with myself that all breakfast “cost” was two eggs and a half-ounce of cheese. Then I got to wondering could we eat on well on a very small budget?   It seems to fit the way we eat: all fresh ingredients, foods made from scratch, moderate portions, use everything (I need to work on this more!).  I like a challenge, can I do it?  I love the incentive to create new ways of eating foods and new recipes. 

Although we can afford to buy premium ingredients, I want to see if it is not necessary to spend so much on food.  My husband would like to retire soon. Saving a few hundred dollars a month on food will not determine when he may retire. I am retired, and do not contribute financially. So if I can save some money on food, I feel as if I am earning a little, helping so to speak. I bake and occasionally make meals for friends’ that also earn a little spending money. I am not at all certain these hobbies are profitable, but I earn enough to pay for some of the baked goods we eat.  

I’m getting off track here! November is my experiment month. A challenge because of Thanksgiving.  I expect it will be a humbling, learning experience. The food will be on a budget; how it is processed will not. Last year we built a new kitchen. Induction cooktop, double ovens, tools and utensils, small appliances (toaster oven, mixers, breadmaker, blender, rice cooker, food processor, microwave). I enjoy spending time in the kitchen. Finally there are no frustrations about layout, efficiency, storage, and appliances. I’ve learned a lot about how to cook and plan to use that knowledge to make this experiment work.  We’ll see . .   

Thanksgiving is a great time for this experiment.  One thing I’ve been wondering recently:  food plays an essential role in society, friendships, entertaining, and traditions. What effect does the food budget have on how these human needs are met?  If one does not have enough money for basic food needs, is how human interaction occurs, the frequency and what form it takes different? This may not answer such complex questions. Perhaps that has already been studied. If not, it would be interesting. Do cultural norms arise from one’s financial status? Country club dinners vs. backyard picnics? Okay, side tracked again! 

I plan to prepare these last two weeks of October.  Budgeting will be backwards, because that is just how I do things.  Decide what I need/want, find the least expensive way to get it, adjust or vary ingredients, and take advantage of sales.  Coupons sound good, but rarely do I come across coupons for fresh ingredients.  They are mostly for expensive, processed foods.  Last week the market had a sale on many of the ingredients I use: 10 for $10 and the 11th free.  Bags of fresh spinach; red, yellow and orange peppers, mushrooms.  Buy inexpensive and freeze or use it before it spoils.  So the menus will not be ridged. A good bargain will change my plans. 

I will try to post along the way, every day if possible. How planning is going, menus, recipes, and photos.  It may be pretty basic! I am not a writer or a photographer.  Good luck to me! I think I’ll need it. :-D