10/3 update.
I purposefully didn’t plan out what I was going to eat prior to starting this month long adventure*. I figure a lot of those that end up receiving SNAP benefits really didn’t have foreknowledge they were going to be in the position that they’re in. I knew that I was going to do this, but I wanted to have some uncertainty, even if it pales to the amount that they experience.
That means for the past few days I’ve been eating lots of cheese omelets on toast and savory oatmeals. But that will change tomorrow. I’m going to start delving into some of the more complex recipes in the book that look appetizing. I’ve already examined some of the “Cheap,” and while they’re good, I don’t think they’re what the “Good” in the title was referring too.
So tomorrow I’m going to make some stuff I can freeze and use the most of the week. First up are the Whole Wheat Jalapeño Cheddar Scones - believe it or not with all the baking I’ve done, I’ve never baked a scone, it’ll be a first - and some Beef Stroganoff. Both make 6 servings so I should have enough for a while.
Funny story, after volunteering at Open Arms this morning, and seeing The Martian for the second time (both things people should do) I went to buy the stuff for the Scones and Stroganoff, I bought everything I needed. Except for a jalapeño. I forgot to buy an ingredient that is in the recipe title 😞. So I went to a different grocery store and bought 2 jalapeños. For 18 cents. Using Apple Pay. Also, if you’re using self checkout and need to search for a “jalapeño pepper” they’re not listed under “j” they’re listed under “p” as in “pepper, jalapeño.” 😡
After I make a good number of the recipes from the book, I think I might try my hand on recipe creation. Most of the recipes I’ve created prior to this were because I wanted a specific combination of flavors, textures, or both. Using cost and the recommended equipment listed in the book will be an interesting framework to create in. The idea of green chile, cheddar, and corn fritters is creeping into my head.
*Disclaimer: I did do some analysis of calorie content and calorie efficiency of each recipe based on cost, but that’s for after this is all done and it won’t influence what I decide to eat.
Day 1: $6.45 (I didn’t realize how much my free SweeTango apples were worth)
Day 2: $3.71
Day 3: $2.52
Total: $12.68
Average: $4.22 (I’ll try to get this down under $4 as time goes on)