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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Could Your Head EXPLODE?

August 31st, 2010

You won't BELIEVE what is happening to our healthy choices!

SOMETIMES Mother Connie is sure her head may explode!  Get a load of THIS:  There is an advertising campaign which takes baby carrots, packages them like junk foods-e.g. chips, cookies, etc-and trots them out to tempt children!

Oh, this is fraught with issues.  #1, it’s probably a clever concept and someone will likely be handsomely paid for thinking of it.

#2, I have serious issues with baby carrots.  Yes.  Baby carrots are NOT healthy, NOT nutritious and in some cases they are downright dangerous.

#3, is it kosher for people to appeal to kids in this way?  It makes me squeamish.

The reason why baby carrots are not good is that the clever food processing people take all the ugly, misshapen carrots and make them look perfect because after all, we eat with our eyes first.  Right?  Right.

The problem is that after they get them shaped just so, they dunk them in a vat of slush that purports to keep them sanitary.  That vat has CHLORINE in it in order to kill the bad guys that might be growing there.  Those carrots sit in that brine from the time they go in to the time you use the little critters.  Didn’t you ever notice how LONG those things keep and HOW SLIMY THEY ARE? Yuck!

The manufacturers can dress them up any way they like to sell more stuff.  But if you dress up a pig and put lipstick on it, IT IS STILL A PIG.

Does Mother Connie make herself clear, people?

Families who are managing their food dollars with the help of WIC or SNAP and an EBT,  need to have accurate information about the food they purchase.  For people who use Angel Food Ministries, for those who have items from a food pantry or use food commodities, these are important considerations.  If you have goods from a Farmer’s Market or are just plain frugal and you love food, especially comfort foods, you need to have good information about the food you and your loved ones consume!

Good food is good food.  It should be good FOR you, not just perfectly pretty.

If you have REAL carrots, with their imperfections and all, I want to share a prep tip with you.  And if you get your kids involved in shopping or growing or digging or cleaning the produce the chances of them EATING it are much, much greater.  Here’s what’s really good:

COOKED CARROTS

1 pound of real carrots, scrubbed, not peeled.  Do cut off the end pieces for your stock pot.

Cut the carrots the way you want them to look.  They can be grated, cut crosswise, chopped into chunks-however you like them.

Put them in a heavy saucepan and add some water and salt.  Bring them to a boil; reduce the heat to a simmer and allow them to cook till fork tender.

Drain them, add a spoonful of butter to them and let that melt.  Add 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar and a sprinkle of nutmeg.  These will smell divine, taste so elegant and those kids will beg for second helpings!

DON’T EAT THE BABY CARROTS, NO MATTER HOW THEY ARE PACKAGED!

Mother Connie

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Is It ALL About the Money?

August 31st, 2010

Everywhere you look, people are fighting for the money it takes to survive!

According to USA Today there is grim news.  According to an article that appeared yesterday-thanks to Sandra for bringing this to our attention-more than 40 million people are using an EBT card for SNAP to feed their families!

I can tell you for certain that there are also people who NEED this assistance but for whatever reasons they do not qualify for benefits.

People who have Medicare-50 million of us-may have those benefits but paying the bills not covered by Medicare can leave the food budget in a shambles.

Hopefully this page will help you to hone your survival skills, particularly if you  use public assistance OR NEED IT; if you use food commodities or visit a food pantry.  Mother Connie wonders seriously and aloud if the Soup Kitchens of the 1930s will soon reappear.

Someone asked me this question yesterday:  “Why do you wake up every day?”

People who need help with feeding their families propel me out of bed every day.  Scouring newspapers, cookbooks, newsletters, articles online and speaking with neighbors and friends to pick their brains in order to help families manage their food dollars and keep their dignity intact is my main push.

There are a great many factors at work in the world.  Politics, greed, fear, natural disasters and of course, the stinking economy.  It doesn’t matter WHY the issue exists; what matters is that people can feed their loved ones and be well!

Bringing you food ideas, recipes, tips and including you in our circle is critical to all of us.  We want to teach your children the best ways to create meals as well as memories.  We want to help you learn better and better ways of preparing foods in order that you can be well and happy and do it all within your means, no matter how meager.

We cannot do this alone.  We need one another in this Club.  We must have one anothers’ backs in order to bring out the best in everybody.

Today is the last day of the month.  If your house is anything like ours, your cupboard might be looking bare.  Your canisters may be low or empty.  The fridge sounds hollow; so does the freezer.  It is so easy to run out of food dollars before the end of the month.  I want to share a simple dish we turn to on EOM (end of the month) days:

Eggs with Zucchini

1 small onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

Saute these in a bit of oil in a skillet until the veggies are “sweaty”.

Add 2 cups of peeled and grated zucchini.  Be sure to squeeze out excess moisture before you add the zukes to the other vegetables.

Let these hang out in the skillet until the zucchini is soft.

Add 1 cup of cooked rice, quinoa, oatmeal or barley

Stir well until everything is heated thoroughly.

Add 4 beaten eggs and cook on medium low heat until the eggs are cooked.

As soon as the eggs go into the skillet, season the whole shootin’ match with salt, pepper and curry powder (or whatever else your gang likes best!)  to taste.  It won’t take much of any of it.

If you have toast and jelly to go with this dish, you have a total meal and everyone will be too full for dessert!

Speaking of dessert, it’s apple season around here.  Find yourself a neighbor with an apple tree.  They are most likely to be happy to share the bounty.  If you HAVE an apple tree, please look for someone who could benefit from your harvest. You might even make some new friends under the apple tree!

This horrible economy and all our serious needs could really turn out to be a blessing in disguise, people, as we come together for a common cause and help one another in every way possible.

And, club members, if nobody has TOLD you yet today, please understand that you ARE loved and you ARE appreciated!

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.


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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Cutting SNAP?

August 11th, 2010

HOLY COW! What are the Feds THINKING???

The headlines are screaming a 26 BILLION dollar cut in the program known as Food Stamps.  We know it, of course, as SNAP.

Just when food prices are getting out of reach, the government, in its infinite wisdom, expects families to do more with less!  One expert panel expects that the amount families receive will be $59.00 less by 2014!

Well, the saving grace might be that the economy may turn around by 2014…we can always hope.  However, it behooves us to do the best we can with what we have and learn every way there is to stretch those food budgets whether we use EBT cards for SNAP or WIC or if we order Angel Food Ministries; procure food from food pantries or use food commodities.  Maybe we are just thrifty.  In any case, making the food last as long as the month does and meeting our loved ones’ needs is of primary concern.

What are YOU doing to trim your food bills?

  • If you use canned beans, you may decide to cook dry beans.
  • Use the “waste” from celery, onions and other vegetables to brew your own homemade veggie broth.
  • Learn to garden.  Even if you  grow in containers only, you will be amazed at how much money you’ll save on food.
  • Buy the lowest cost cuts of meats and prepare crock pot meals or slow cook in the oven.
  • Don’t turn up your nose at produce that is GIVEN to you: experiment with zucchini recipes, cucumbers and other abundant garden goods that others may share

These are but a few suggestions; experience tells me you have more and better ideas than this, dear Members. Leave your comment here below and/or mail your ideas to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com .  We LOVE hearing from our Members.

If you find this blog helpful, you might appreciate The Healthy and Wealthy You or Mother Connie Sez. Those blogs have places for comments, too-hint, hint.

Connie Baum

Follow me on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/motherconnie

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.


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Food Stamps Cooking Club: SNAP Users Are UP?

August 5th, 2010
The numbers of people in need is growing!

The number of people in need of food assistance is growing!

According to Boston.com  the number of people who are receiving public assistance for their food requirements is staggering and growing!  This comes as no surprise to your humble blogger.  As one who is acutely and painfully aware of rising food costs and works with those in need, this brings a tear to Mother Connie’s eye.

According to the aforementioned website, 19% more people in the USA are using SNAP.  Some of those are first time users.

If you stay with the article long enough to read the comments you realize how these facts incite anger in people. It would seem to be reasonable that there should be outrage that this need EXISTS.  No.  People who commented COMPLAINED ABOUT THE BEHAVIOR OF THE RECIPIENTS!  Incredible!

To those insensitive commenters I would pose these questions:  “What about the behavior of greedy CEOs and stockholders?  Does that affect the price of food?  Has the fact that many American jobs have been shipped across the pond affect our ability to earn a living to feed our families?  As Americans, isn’t it our duty to help one another?  And what about all the VALUES we hear politicians brag about?  Don’t we value one another enough to see so everyone in this country is well nourished?   Shouldn’t each of us be responsible for his/her own behavior?”

So Food Stamps Cooking Club, hopefully, is a soft place for you to fall.  You have to eat, for heaven’s sake.  If you have children to feed it is imperative that you have help in doing so.

We love you unconditionally, dear visitor.  We want to help you learn how to stretch those food dollars as far as possible.  We understand you might be working long, thankless days for little pay and you are dog tired when you get home.  We hope to help you create meals and memories that will bond your family and help you along life’s way.

Here is an idea I pulled together yesterday that might be of help to you:

BEAN SOUP-AGAIN

Soak a package of beans overnight.  DO NOT SALT.  Drain and rinse the beans after they have soaked and cover them with cold water.  Set on medium heat, cover, bring to boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer.

In a saute` pan, put:

1  onion, chopped

2  carrots, chopped

3  ribs celery, chopped

After the vegetables are tender, add a pinch of red pepper flakes and add that mixture to the beans.  Taste occasionally to make sure you have great flavors.

If you have chicken broth, add some of that.  If not, no worries.

When the beans are tender, add salt and pepper to taste.

**For variety, add a package of thawed spinach after you have squeezed out the excess water.

***Another variation: Toss in 1/2  cup of toasted barley or 1/2  cup of rice.

This soup is very good when served with cornbread.  For dessert, if you provide a rice pudding, you have given your family  complete protein on a very tight budget!  You can stand back and be proud of yourself!

As for those complainers–they would complain about the price of a free dance!  Pay them no mind.  Now go hug your loved ones!

For users of SNAP, WIC, food pantries or food commodities, we invite you to sign up for our series of cooking tips and occasional messages.

If you are just frugal or thrifty, we extend the same invitation to you!

You are welcome to send your ideas and comments to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com or leave your message at the end of this post.

And please remember that you ARE loved and appreciated!

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Another Love Affar; Another Chef?

July 17th, 2010

 

 

Bit by bit and bite by bite I continue to find foodies to follow!

 

You had my confession about watching TV chefs.  Now I’ve found yet another food hero to follow.  I know; you think Mother Connie needs to get a life.  It’s just that food and people totally fascinate her and she is eager to learn everything possible from every source.

Food Network, a cable channel, features a competition between successful chefs called “Chopped” where 4 chefs create an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert.  The chef who manages to impress three judges, who are also celebrity chefs,  wins a hefty $10 K for his talent and effort.  The most recent winner I saw was Chef Joshua.

Chef Joshua struck a chord with me because he teaches people about food on the streets at Farmers Markets.  You can ask him any food question and he will explain the answer in terms home cooks can understand.  He does this at no cost because he feels it is the right thing to do. His blog is adorable and he is completely accessible.  He has a newsletter that is very interesting, as well.

This way of life is noble; who wouldn’t fall in love with a guy like that?  Besides, he spoke about his baby daughter and I saw a photo of the little child that plucked at my heart strings.  The winning money will help Chef Joshua provide a very good life for his little family.

But I digress…

There are a jillion food blogs out there on the internet.  Mother Connie is so happy you found this one; welcome and thanks so much for popping in! But how many bloggers offer real help for the home cook?  Some bloggers just want to show off their high end kitchens; others simply want to show off.  Some of the food blogs are great fun in spite of being silly.  Some blogs offer foods you could never afford or could never procure the ingredients for the esoteric dishes they demonstrate.  Others go on and on about the proper wine choice…I’m not even going to shine a light on that one because those who are on SNAP or WIC food budgets or those who depend on food pantries and/or food commodities are NOT going to worry about the wine!  The same is true for users of Angel Food Ministries and people who are just plain frugal, watching their food budgets carefully.

Associating with people like Chef Josh and Chef Shawn Bucher reinforces my hope for mankind.  These are good people who have a passion for food as well as for people.  They are concerned about the health of every generation in every income group.  They are passionate about growing and preparing food.  They have real affection for the health of Mother Earth.   I like that about them.  I would highly recommend you visit their sites and return here to comment on what you find. I think you will agree with me that their work is really helpful to the masses.

Incidentally, nothing is being sold here; I am only sending you to some food sites that will help you in the kitchen.  That’s Mother Connie’s JOB.

We are greatly enjoying your messages to us.  You can send your message to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com  and make our day!

Here’s hoping you are enjoying your weekend!  Check out those blogs mentioned above and let us know what you think!

 

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should those links be clicked and sales result, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Do business only with those you trust implicitly.



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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Program Note?

April 23rd, 2010

 

 

This little person and all his peers are not expected to outlive his parents because of the poor food choices he and his generation will make!

 

Today, Friday April 23, on ABC TV Jamie Oliver ends his series regarding the school lunch program he has been struggling to revamp.   We mention this because the truth of the matter is that his cause is noble and his timing is of the essence!

It’s important for people to understand that the generation that is having lunch at school now is not expected to outlive their parents’ generation!  Is that shocking to you?

Americans have been programmed to eat processed food and guzzle soda pop.  Because of processed foods and poor choices for dietary intake, childhood  health has been compromised.  The medical establishment cannot compensate with drugs, procedures and surgeries what real food is designed to do in the human body.

The Food Stamps Cooking Club members are strongly encouraged to look in on this final episode of the series and take heed.

Even those who depend on WIC and SNAP, food commodities and food pantries can benefit from the information Jamie Oliver has for the public.  If there are users of Angel Food Ministries and Farmers Market Coupons, or if there are folks who simply realize they MUST s-t-r-e-t-c-h their food budgets-we all can learn from the example Jamie Oliver sets.  Using public assistance to fund your grocery list is no reason to eat without wisdom.

Fresh, simple ingredients make for healthy bodies.  Learning how to cook is a skill that will serve anyone all through life.  This outlook is not unique to Chef Oliver; indeed, our own Chef Shawn Bucher and The Dinner Diva, Leanne Ely, adhere to the same philosophy, as do many of our Club Members.

Speaking of fresh, simple ingredients reminds us all that this is prime time for gathering and snipping dandelions for luscious salads.  The little violets are popping up all over the yards and if you are sure there are no pesticides, these make for wonderful, nourishing salad fixings.  They work well alone or you can add those beauties to your lettuce or vegetable salads.  Drizzle a bit of oil over all to make them glisten, add your favorite herbs or flavors and veggies and you have yourself a spectacular, easy and ECONOMICAL menu item.

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should those links be clicked and sales result, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Do business only with those you trust implicitly

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Are We Stigmatized?

April 21st, 2010

 

 

Americans cannot in good conscience allow our senior citizens to be hungry nor can we allow them to feel stigmatized!

 

 

Someone who supports what we are doing on this blog sent a piece from her local newspaper about users of food stamps-SNAP.  The article was primarily about senior citizens who have desperate need but are not taking advantage of the SNAP program.  They do not wish to be stigmatized.

Seniors, more than younger people in the population, seem to be forced by poverty to choose between meat and medication.  Or they buy cheap food, full of empty calories, and their health suffers anyway.

According to the article I read, many senior citizens don’t know how to apply for assistance.  They don’t know who to call and they are afraid to ‘ask around’ for fear of losing face, being embarrassed, or stigmatized.  THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE in the USA!  Our elders deserve the utmost respect and care.  They certainly ought not to be hungry!

In Nebraska we have the Health and Human Services Department and it is listed in every telephone book.  There are 800 numbers listed all over the map.

You can contact your public library for information about local offices in your own area; you may have the informational 211 service in your area.  The local newspaper would have information in that regard, as well.

You can contact your county’s extension service educators. They have oodles of helpful information about food, nutrition, and how to get into the loop.   People from the Salvation Army or Red Cross can link you up with the right people to get help, as can your health care provider, your pharmacy or your mail carrier!  People at your Senior Center or Action Center will know how to direct you, too.  Don’t be shy; ask around.

One of the people interviewed by the newspaper was an 82 year old woman who has vivid memories of the Great Depression and declined to ask for help with her food needs because “I think a lot of other people need it worse than I do.”

That’s noble, but quite unnecessary.

There was mention on the radio recently that Americans waste $500.00 worth of food per household per year.  Why should some waste while others do without?  Unthinkable.

If you are using SNAP or WIC or Angel Food Ministries, you may know the sting of need all too well. And perhaps you know the pain of being stigmatized.  I pray not.

Maybe we all need to become more aware of our fellow human beings.  When we ask our elderly neighbors and acquaintances ‘How ARE you?’ we need to pay very close attention to the answer.  We might be more help to them than we know.

There are so many ways to share the bounty of our lives.  We could share a bowl of soup with an elderly neighbor; we could invite them to sit with us at our  Sunday dinner table.  We could cultivate community gardens or even sprouts in a jar to share.

Hearing from you Club Members about your solutions to this dilemma many Seniors are facing will be heartwarming; I just know it! Send your ideas to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com     Thank you so much!

If you have ever visited a food pantry; if you have ever used a debit card supplied by SNAP or WIC; if you have availed yourself of food commodities or Angel Food Ministries you can surely relate with the reluctance of these senior citizens to ask for help.  The best way to remove stigma is by education. We need to teach by loving, caring example so people will understand there is no shame in need.

The Food Stamps Cooking Club is on a mission to teach people wonderful ways to use the resources they have at their disposal to be as well as possible, to make as many terrific memories as can be made, and to have fun with it all!  We hope we will capture the fancy of our visitors and they will all want to come along for the ride!

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know that there are links in this post.  Should these links be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger or your guest blogger will be fairly compensated.  Always do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Only do business with those you trust implicitly.


 





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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Whole Grain Rotini?

April 12th, 2010

 

Whole grain pasta-fusilli in this case-can be easy on your mid month budget and soooo delish!

 

Here we are, way too close to the middle of the month and you peer into the freezer, the fridge, the cupboard and wonder once again why the month, the money, and the food don’t all come out even?  Are there middle-of-the-night GREMLINS getting into your supplies? It makes one wonder, all right.

Just when we thought there were no more pasta recipes to be had,  The Normanator spied an interesting one on the empty bag of rotini.  As you know, we are big on cooking once and eating twice (or more) so a big pot of rotini will be convenient.

ROTINI WITH ZUCCHINI AND OLIVES

1 and 1/2 lbs plum tomatoes, chopped

1/2  cup red onion, chopped

2  cloves garlic, minced and mashed with 1 tsp kosher salt

DON’T GET WEIRD!  The Kitchen Police will not arrest you if you do not use kosher salt and do use whatever salt you use in everything else you cook!

2  tablespoons red wine vinegar  **APPLY ABOVE ADVICE to the vinegar

1/4  cup olive oil

1  1/2 lbs zucchini cut into thick slices

2/3  cup kalamata olives   *I know; our market didn’t have them either so I used black olives.  Not to worry.

6 oz feta cheese

1  1/2 cups fresh basil

1lb whole grain rotini

In a large bowl, gently stir together tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil.  Brush one side of zucchini slices with extra oil and season with salt and pepper.  Heat a well seasoned grill pan over moderate heat until hot and grill zucchini, oiled side down, in batches, brushing tips with more oil before turning.  One to two minutes on each side, or til tender but not soft.

In 4 – 6 quart pot cook passta in salted boiling water for 13 to 15 minutes.  Drain but do NOT rinse.  Add hot pasta to tomato mixture and toss well.  Stir in zucchini, olive, cheese, basil, salt and pepper to taste.

With fresh fruit for dessert, this would make a guest-worthy dinner meal!

This may be may 4 hours ahead and kept covered at room temp. Serve warm or room temperature.

For those using Angel Food Ministries food or supplies from a food pantry or food commodities this meal idea will be helpful, we hope.  If you used Farmers Market Coupons or SNAP or WIC or if you fell heir to somebody’s fridge contents cuz they were moving this could be advantageous to you.

We love hearing from you Club Members.  You are sending those in YOUR circle to join; it’s as easy as putting your name and email into our box in the upper right hand corner.  We have a little series of tips and we send out what we hope will be informative info for you once in awhile.  Your comments on the blog mean the world to us; they encourage other members AND your emails are just the best.  Please keep sending them to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com .   THANKS.

Just so you know, we are in contact with Chef Shawn Bucher, author of The First Timer’s Cookbook. He will play a pivotal role in our offline cooking class but we want EVERYbody to benefit so do stay tuned for all the latest updates!

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should those links be clicked and sales result, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Do business only with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Ovens vs Ovens?

March 25th, 2010

 

Working with someone who loves you, using a conventional oven, will conjure up wonderful memories!

When the Lancaster County supplement arrives in our mailbox it is a good day.  Today?  Not so much.  The headline on the ‘Food and Fitness’ feature screamed, “Cooking Safely in the Microwave Oven.”  WHAT AN OXYMORON!

I understand you are busy.  I GET that you are tired and always in a hurry.  I completely know how it is to have forgotten to thaw meat for a meal and need it ASAP!

But here is the 411, kids:  There is no such thing as cooking safely in the microwave.  I don’t care how seldom you use the thing.  It makes no difference that you only use in on low power or that you only run it 60 seconds at a time.  IT IS NOT SAFE TO USE A MICROWAVE OVEN.  PERIOD.  Those are SOUND WAVES we are talking about.  Their job is to rearrange the molecular structure of the food.  This would be the food that God created, btw. After the structure is rearranged, the food is rendered sans nutrition.

I know.  I just rained on everyone’s parade.

But the facts are indisputable.  A microwave oven will literally fry a child’s brain inside his skull if that child is anywhere near the oven as it operates!  Furthermore, the food is void of nutrients after being nuked and not only is it of no value to the body-the food is now toxic!  This is not how you build healthy bodies!

We ditched ours years ago.

For those die hards who must have a nuclear device in their homes, at least I hope they have the decency to place  protective chips on the silly thing.  These chips will help to neutralize the harmful effects of the microwaves.

The redeeming feature of the publication I mentioned was their Apple Bean Bake, which sounded intriguing and delicious.  Of course, they offer the nuclear version, but we will stick with the StoveTop Method:

APPLE BEAN BAKE

1   16 oz can pork and beans, with the pork removed

2  golden delicious apples, cored and cubed (Like Gaia better?  Use what YOU prefer!)

2  tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a 1 – 2 quart saucepan.  Simmer til the apples are tender.  Stir occasionally.

There is a note with this:  The source is The Bean Cookbook, Sept 2004; Northwest Beans Growers Assoc.  50072 East Lake Seven Road; Frazee, MN 65644.  Those Minnesotans know their beans!

So, if you are guarding your food budget with your life and you are using WIC or SNAP or Farmers Markets Coupons this may be of value to you.  Furthermore, if you are a devotee of Angel Food Ministries or you depend on food commodities or food pantry food this may help you put some variety and spice into your life.

We do hope we are of service to you.  You notes and comments encourage us far more than you know.  It’s not always easy, when life comes  at warp speed and you still need to provide something substantial for the people you mean to help…YOU CLUB MEMBERS always lift our spirits when you bring your friends to the “meetings” and send us your dear and thoughtful comments.  THANK YOU SO MUCH.  For the newbies we offer our mailing address: foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com

Before we end this session, you are reminded to scope out the link with the protective chips; your lives literally depend on it.

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Always do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Do business only with those you trust implicitly.



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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Spice Things Up 4 Flavor?

February 19th, 2010

 

A snowy February day makes us all long for spring and gardening season!

WE PREFACE THE MESSAGE ON THIS BLOG TO BRING YOU  CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOOD INFORMATION:

 

“For everyone who wants to keep up on how they slip aspartame into our foods, drugs, vaccines (yes, vaccines), OTC meds (especially child products), aspartame has a new name of AminoSweet. Since aspartame has gotten such a bad name (as it should), Ajinomoto has renamed this toxic chemical sweetener.   Start double checking your labels.“

Thanks and kudos go out to Rachel Kincaid, who gave us the heads up.  Thanks, also to Business Week  and Shaun Weston from FoodBev.com for providing great information to help us consumers protect ourselves.

Now we return to the blog’s main message:

You Food Stamps Cooking Club members are to be commended for your quick response to any post that hits you like a brick.

There was a delightful message from Max and here is what Max offered us:

“Just a couple of my own tips, learned from experience, to help stretch food dollars even more when it comes to dried spices and herbs.  I have found that the baking aisle is an excellent start to shopping for these products, but you can often find them additionally in the ethnic foods areas of many supermarkets, and other less-thought-of resources.

For many varieties of spices and herbs, those little red-capped bottles are kind of non-budget price, but if you go to a different aisle, you may find it more within your budget if you look under a different brand name, and sometimes in different packaging such as a cellophane packet.

I buy spices at the dollar store.  I find some things such as dried dill weed, at Ikea, if you live near one, in a very large paper/foil packet (look in the marketplace among the kitchenwares).  There is a large Asian supermarket near my home, I recently bought a large bottle of ground coriander for $1.69 there.  They also have many other varieties as well, paprika, cumin, ginger, even lemongrass powder.  Hispanic markets are another great source, as are Middle Eastern shops for even more variety.
One last thing: I have read that spices and herbs are past their prime when they no longer have a fragrance, but I find that if you can rub it in your hands and still have fragrance, it is still going to flavor your foods well.

I do think you should have specified whether you were talking about dill seed or dill weed; it’s the dill seeds that are used in pickling.  But it’s the dried or fresh dill weed that “makes” the dishes you mentioned.  I also sprinkle dried dill on the top of creamy tomato soup, and it goes into the pot when I make homemade chicken soup.

Can you tell I use lots of spices and herbs lol?  I hate boring food.  I have gourmet tastes on a food-stamp budget.  Also, I simply do not have the budget to allow me to dine out as often as I’d like, so I try to recreate different tastes at home.”
See?  Now THAT’S the kind of neighbor you wish you had if you do not live next door to Max!  Can you just imagine the wonderful aromas that waft from that kitchen?  Mmmmm…

For people who utilize SNAP or WIC funds; people who depend on food pantries and/or food commodities; for people who use Farmers Market Coupons and Angel Food Ministries; and for those who simply pinch pennies wherever possible to stretch their food budgets this is helpful information.

We are so happy and grateful to have the Maxes and the Sandras and the Rainys who are so faithful to share their kitchens and cooking ideas!  KEEP them coming, kids! Here’s where to direct them: foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com.

Are you something of a health nut?  You might like to visit

Do you need more income in your household?  These sites have ideas to help you with that, if you are inclined:  Rapid Cash Marketing and Work At Home Freelancing.

Our intention is to be helpful.  We are far more effective in that endeavor because of YOU, dear Club Members!  THANK YOU.

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