Sprouting seeds is an easy way of making an indoor garden!

Have you always thought that real, organic, greens were beyond your reach because of weather or geography or lack of funds?  Maybe not…

When a close friend was diagnosed with a very serious illness she began to sprout her own little crops of seeds in sunny windows.  All she had was a clear glass jar with a cheesecloth “lid” secured with a canning ring She had jars on window sills all over the South side of her house with seeds at various stages of growth.  She ate those sprouts, along with other raw, organic foods and soon enjoyed vibrant good health once again.  It was a powerful lesson for me in how to be well.

It was a revelation to me that real food was so nutrient dense that it takes less volume of food to satisfy our hunger.  At that time, I was content to fill up on cookies and cakes, not veggies and fruits.  Oh, the lessons that have come Mother Connie’s way.  In those days, we were living on a dime and we fell into the trap of believing that cheaper was better.  We found out, thankfully before our health failed, that real food fills up tummies and satisfies appetites better than “fluff food” or “fake food.” 

A trip to the health food store made it possible to procure a package of tiny seeds that would transform quickly and easily by sitting in sunny windows.  I don’t recall how much that first package cost but I can tell you with certainty that it cost much less than a trip to the doctor.  Our children delighted in watching the seeds become salads and garnishes and snacks and each had his own jar to manage.

There is much ado these days about organic gardening and certified organic…the genetically modified “food” is readily available and dangerous as arsenic BUT IT IS CHEAP, so it is pushed to the consumer as “OKAY for human consumption.”  By growing your OWN food in the comfort of your own home you KNOW it’s safe to eat.

Tending sprouts is super simple.  Keep them moist, rinse them two or three times a day; shake of excess moisture and keep them in the sunshine until they get to be the size you like to eat.  Don’t crowd too many seeds into a jar or they might tend to grow mold.  If you like, you can even spread seeds out over a damp cloth or damp paper towel. 

One of my dear friends told me yesterday that her “sleeping porch” which is lined with expansive windows on the South side of their house is filled with baby plants.  She is already harvesting lettuce from the little pots she has there.  This is an excellent way to grow food, and if you have windows with Southern exposure you could really have some family fun with an indoor gardening project.

There is something magical and therapeutic about growing food.  And it is oh, so healthy.

Users of public assistance hold a special place in Mother Connie’s heart.  Here’s hoping that if you are living on a dime or using food from a food pantry or food bank or if you have food commodities these offerings are helpful to you.  You are welcome to contact Mother Connie with an email to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com 

~Connie Baum.

The FTC wants you to know there are links on this page. 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.

It’s all about the $$$$ when it comes to feeding those you love.

You saw the video the other day about eating what $4.00 a day will buy.  No doubt you have opinions about what was purchased.  Responding to the film, some of our faithful Members chimed in, offering the practices they employ in their own budget/menu planning/food prep for the faces around their tables.  If you have not seen these messages, they appear in the Comment panel below previous posts.

Tomorrow the people in our government could lower our resources even more with the infamous ‘sequester’.  If you have a $100.00 for food, the sequester may set you back a couple of dollars or say, half a gallon of milk.   It really IS all about the money!

There is no reason for you who use public assistance or face lower incomes to go into fear over this.  There is, however, good reason to figure out how to feed the people you love by s t r e t c h i n g whatever resources you happen to have.  

You, like the Members who commented, need a PLAN.

Plan what your family will need and study the circulars and prices so you can spend your resources accordingly.  This will be a glorious opportunity for you to experience new choices and experiment with new ways of food prep.

Some users of SNAP or WIC or food pantry foods do not cook.  Maybe their caretakers worked or worked more than one job and did not have the time to teach them.  Perhaps they don’t LIKE to cook.  No matter, by preparing foods at home, great amounts of money can be saved.  Another benefit of cooking at home is the chance to bond with your family members.  Most cooks remember hanging out with Mama or Grandfather or Auntie or SOMEONE who gave them good experiences over food prep–snitching tastes, chopping vegetables, peeling fruit for pies…this gave them the desire to cook as adults.  And let’s face it.  It is the responsible thing to do.

Don’t fall for the idea that cheap food is OK to eat.  Ramen noodles do not support health; they only temporarily satisfy your hunger pangs.  Boxes with “food” are hideous imposters, only pretending to be edible.  Fruits and vegetables may SEEM to be more costly but by eating real food-raw or cooked-your body will be well fueled and sickness won’t visit you so much. Learning to create meals with grains you may not have used in the past can be such fun.  Using veggies you have previously avoided might be more interesting than you imagined.  And please, do avoid those sugary treats.  They won’t even taste good to you once you learn to love other, more nutritious foods.  Sugar can rot your teeth and weaken your bones faster than you know.  Who needs dental bills on top of high food costs?

We really encourage you to cook.  If this is a problem for you, please let us know how we can help in this regard.  If you can read, you can cook.  Surely you have a relative, neighbor or friend who could help you learn to shop and cook.  Absent that, there are cookbooks everywhere, video tutorials online and Mother Connie is available to consult with you.  Just drop her an email at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com  and let’s see what we can make happen.  There is no charge for this, of course.

If you are living on a dime and hope you don’t have to manage on only a nickel; if you are concerned about how to feed your loved ones in the upcoming weeks, we do hope we can be of service to you.  The fact that you continue to send your sphere of influence to sign up for the Food Stamps Cooking Club and our little series of cooking tips tells us we are having a positive effect.  THANK YOU.

~Connie Baum. 

.

Living on $4. a Day

Please click on the above link and watch this short video.  As you see it, you will understand why Mother Connie sends out this little blog every weekday.  Wise food choices can make all the difference in how our children feel and how well they perform in life. We hope you’ll come back here and leave your thoughts on the comment panel below this entry.

Those of you who are using SNAP or WIC ALREADY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND HOW EATING ON $4.00 A DAY EVERY DAY WORKS. 

Blessings to you all.  We hope to help as many of you as possible.  Maybe tomorrow we can talk about the choices the woman in the video made.

~Connie Baum

Freshly made, highly nutritious, this makes up great soup in a flash!

From humble vegetables, a great soup can come with no stress or heavy lifting!

Most cooks favor dishes and  meals that take little time because cooking is just one more thing busy people have to do.  Well, today we offer you a simple meal that will satisfy your time AND your nutritional requirements.

SIMPLE BROCCOLI SOUP

1  head fresh broccoli or 4 cups of frozen chopped broccoli  *If you use fresh, cut the head into pieces, wash and chop into smaller pieces.

1/2  onion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream *optional

Cover the broccoli with  a cup of water and bring to a boil.  As soon as the water boils, lower the heat, add the onion and seasonings and cook til tender.  Watch the water lever; you do not want the pot to boil dry.

When the broccoli is tender, put the undrained vegetables and the liquid into the food processor.  *No processor?  No worries; just work in batches and use a blender.  No blender either?  Not to fuss; just mash the veg with a potato masher.

The finished product should be bright green, lump-free and smooth, like velvet.  This will be a very thick soup.  When it goes into the bowls, a dollop of sour cream will top it off nicely.

By using cauliflower in place of broccoli, you can make a thick white soup.  A very interesting, highly nutritious soup could come from using BOTH broccoli and cauliflower.

If you insist that soup should be thinner, feel free to add chicken broth to make the consistency you prefer

This method of making soup really appealed to me because my own mother leaned on canned soups as I was growing up.  That was, no doubt, because my dad either worked in the grocery biz or owned a grocery store and that was the quickest and easiest way for her to put a meal on the table.  I wonder if she would have prepared this…I fancy she would because it is so easy, so simple and takes almost no time.

While my own potful of soup simmered I put together a salad of lettuce, celery, onion, peas and carrot pieces.  I dressed it with a dab of mayo/sugar/milk to make a thin dressing.

We were pretty sure we were eating like royalty.  But the best part is that we were way too full to look for after dinner snacks!

These soup ideas might work well for YOU if you find yourself living on a dime, procuring goods from a food pantry or food bank.  If you use food commodities we hope this gives you some ideas for your dietary needs.  Maybe you are thrifty by nature and enjoy managing your food budget or you have an EBT card from SNAP or WIC. 

Thank you so much for passing the word about the Food Stamps Cooking Club.  We are welcoming new Members every day and this is important to us.  You are welcome to communicate with us by sending your emails to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com  We read every message with delight.

~Connie Baum

.The FTC wants you to know there are links on this page. 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.

No matter where you shop…super store, food pantry, food bank…you need support!

You no doubt know that Mother Connie has had her knickers in a twist over the issue of hunger over the past few days.  The Lincoln Journal Star has fueled my fire with two excellent articles about satisfying hunger in the Lincoln, NE area.

Mother Connie would love for you to cruise by today’s article with can be found here:

Lincoln Journal Star.

There is note within Nancy Hick’s piece about another blogger who helps with food plans and menus.  Please pop in and give her some love, would you?  Click HERE.

You get a break from MC’s ranting today.  Tomorrow I’ll have something good for you to eat.  Thank you for your patience with my passion…

~Connie Baum

Yes, there are hungry children in this country, all over this planet…Hunger is real.  It is painful.  This is totally and completely unacceptable!

Hunger is real.  It is no game.  Please visit this site to get a view of reality:

The Hunger Games

Mother Connie does not pretend to have all the answers.  This is a serious, growing, ongoing issue all over the planet and we have got to DO whatever we can to alleviate the situation, in my humble opinion.

The Club House is open and all who wish to know better how to eat on a shoestring can come here and get ideas about making the most of their food dollars.  I support our local food pantry.  I make every effort to educate those who sit in my circle about how to cook and how to nourish those they love. 

You ideas about how to solve this dilemma are very welcome.  One person alone cannot do much but many people of like mind, working toward a common goal-helping people to be well fed-can accomplish a great deal.  Our email address is foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com   or you may comment on our comment panel beneath this post.  Thanks, guys.

~Connie Baum.

Pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts…we are nutty for nuts in the Club House!

Did you know that you could pack a major nutritional punch just by adding a few nuts to the dishes you serve your loved ones?

It took Mother Connie a long time to learn this simple, low cost tidbit.  Nuts are not cheap to purchase but you don’t need lots of nuts to get lots of nutrition.  For example, a couple of walnuts, minced finely, and scattered into a salad will add texture, flavor and scads of nutrients.  Nuts are rich with protein and fiber and good oil.  Pecans, almonds, peanuts…various varieties liven up any food!

Another thing to consider is toasting nuts before using them.  This was a foreign concept to me, indicative of how we learn how to prepare food the way our mothers did...my mother never toasted anything but bread!

Here’s how easy it is to toast a small batch-say, the amount you’d use for a potful of oatmeal or a batch of muffins: 

Place shelled nuts into a small, dry frypan over medium heat.  Use whole pieces and chop the nuts after toasting. Shake the pan gently to keep the nuts moving.  If they stay put they could scorch.  When you begin to smell the fragrant, nutty aroma, they are toasted.  Allow them to cool by removing the pan from the burner, pour the nuts onto your cutting board and chop them to the size that suits you.  

These pieces will add glorious richness to cereals, salads, soups, stews, muffins.  And they will jazz up any vegetable side dish.  Is there anything nicer than green beans with toasted almonds?  I think not!

If you are using public assistance for your food source or if you have food commodities, food from a food bank or food pantry we welcome you to our little corner of the web.  We are on a mission to help people learn how to eat well and wisely, even though they hold an EBT card for SNAP or WIC.  Some of  our members are living on a dime or are just thrifty by nature.  Some people grew up  without knowing how to cook or shop and we want to hold your hand and help you learn. We hope we can lure you away from junk food and demonstrate better choices.

Your emails and comments cheer our hearts tremendously.  You are welcome to contact us at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com, where EVERY message is read.  We make every effort to answer each one, as well.

~Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links on this page. 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.

. 

Salsa and black bean cakes are thrifty and tasty!

A few days ago Creative Savv posted a mouth watering piece about “Neat Balls” and it got me drooling and thinking.  I rummaged thru my cookbooks and found a little note about something similar I had made.  You might enjoy making it, too. If you like salsa, you will LOVE this:

SALSA AND BEAN CAKES

Start with your favorite salsa.  You’ll need 1 1/2 cups.

1  jalapeno pepper

2  cans black beans, rinsed n drained  *Cooking your own will save a wad of cash

1  pkg corn muffin mix  *8.5 oz size

1  tablespoon chili powder

2  tablespoons veg  oil

1/2  cup sour cream

1/2  teaspoon chili powder

Drain 1/2 cup of salsa in a colander.  Seed and chop half of the jalapeno.  Slice the other half very finely.  Using a large bowl, mash the beans, using a fork.  Stir in dry muffin mix, drained salsa, 2 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder and chopped jalapeno.

In a 12 inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat.  Add four 1/2 cup mounds of bean mixture to skillet.  Flatten each mound with spatula so each is about 3″.  Cook 3 minutes on each side to brown.  Remove from skillet and repeat with remaining oil and bean mixture.

Combine sour cream and remaining chili powder in a bowl.  Top cakes with remaining salsa, sliced jalapeno and seasoned sour cream.

This will make 4 servings but could easily be doubled.  It will also make the faces around your table smile.

Are you a user of an EBT card from WIC or SNAP?  Do you visit a food bank or food pantry?  Do you receive food commodities or some other form of public assistance to fund your food budget?  Are you simply thrifty by nature or living on a dime?

Before we sign off, we want to thank all the NEW Club Members.  It is heartening to see our Club House so full.  We hope we are helping you manage your food budget while feeding your loved ones wisely and well.  Your messages to us are so treasured and we thank you for all the love you share with us.  You are welcome to contact us at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com    

~Connie Baum.

The FTC wants you to know there are links on this page. 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.

Roasted vegetables are sooo sweet and delicious!

When it was that I discovered the joy of roasted vegetables I do not recall.  All I know is that it is the easiest and tastiest way to prepare veg.  As a fan of cooking once and eating twice, this makes that plan work hard. 

Recently, I found an idea somewhere on the net for roasting broccoli.  We have broccoli often in the Club House because it is an excellent source of nutrition and a sort of “insurance policy” against dis-ease.  Besides, the bright green color makes for a pretty plate.  I might steam it or saute it with onion but that’s been the standard method UNTIL NOW.

Oh, my goodness!  If you have ever eaten roasted broccoli, you may never like it fixed any other way again! 

Preparing broccoli in this way is so easy even a child can do it!  Here’s how:

Preheat the oven to 400*    Ovens vary so be sure your veg does not get incinerated…watch over it very closely…

Cut the head of broccoli and trim the ends.  **Save these pieces to make veg broth!  Wash the florets and stem pieces and DRY THEM TO A FARE THEE WELL.  You do not want any moisture on these babies.

Scatter them on a baking sheet that has been lightly oiled with vegetable oil.  Drizzle a few tablespoons of vegetable oil over the broccoli to coat it and sprinkle some salt and pepper over the whole works.

Pop them into the hot oven and cook them until they are slightly caramelized.  This might take about 15 to 20 minutes,  depending on how much broccoli is on your baking sheet.  You can turn them carefully half way through the roasting process.  They should smell divine and have that wonderful light brown glaze on them.  That tells you they are almost ready for the table…

Put the whole business into a good sized bowl.  Drizzle the juice of a lemon over the broccoli and zest that lemon, scattering the zest over it.  Toss everything gently and add 1/3 of a cup or so of Parmesan cheese to top it off before taking it to the table.  Just for fun, put just a PINCH of nutmeg over your dish…it might make people inquire, “What IS that deliciousness on my broccoli?”  grin

BE PREPARED FOR RAVE REVIEWS.  Even picky eaters might be delighted with this one!

Regarding the ‘cook once/eat twice’ thing…feggitabout it.  You probably won’t have any leftovers this time around.  grin/giggle

Do you use public assistance to help with your food budget?  Do you find yourself living on a dime?  Do you stand in line at a food pantry or food bank?  Do you have an EBT card for WIC or SNAP?  Do you enjoy the challenge of s t r e t c h i n g your food dollars just because you are thrifty by nature?  Do you receive food commodities?  If you have answered a resounding YES to any of these questions, we are here to serve you.  We want you to eat well and wisely for as little money as possible.  We dearly hope our ideas are helpful to you, because you matter to us and we appreciate each and every one of you.

You are welcome to brighten our day by sending us an email at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com.  Oh, how we love mail AND YOUR COMMENTS here on the blog!

~Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links on this page. 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.

Surely spring is just around the corner!

If the cranes and the geese are any indication, Spring has got to be on the way.  All the talk around town has to do with an expected winter storm but hope in Mother Connie’s heart is that winter will soon come to an end!

In any case, asparagus has popped up in the grocery store and it is such a great veg to build health.  It  makes us think about our Easter menu, which is a ways off now but will be here very quickly!

There is a beautiful way to bring good health and great flavor to your family table and here is the way to get it done:

CORN AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

2   cups frozen corn, cooked and cooled  *Don’t panic.  You are allowed to use canned corn.

2  cups asparagus, cut into 1″ pieces   *Yes, canned  and drained will do but fresh is prettier.  Use what you have and make no apologies. If you prefer to cook the asparagus, that’s acceptable, too, but uncooked will offer crunch…

1  medium red onion, diced

1/4  cup fresh basil  *No one will rat you out to the Kitchen Police if you use  a tablespoon of  dried basil.

2  tablespoons sugar

1/2  cup rice vinegar *No worries; use whatever vinegar living in your pantry

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the corn, asparagus, and onion in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Pour the whisked ingredients over the vegetables and toss gently to coat the veggies. 

This amount will serve 4 and can easily be doubled.  It will travel well to a carry-in meal, too.

Do you find yourself living on a dime?   Do you fund your food budget with public assistance like WIC or SNAP?  Do you visit a food pantry?  Are  you getting food from a food bank?  Do you s t r e t c h your food dollars for the exercise?  Maybe you receive food commodities.  No matter; this little corner of the internet is dedicated to you.  We are happy to help you feed your loved ones well and wisely on a shoestring.

Your ideas and comments mean the world to us.  What ideas do YOU have about asparagus or corn?  Or putting a meal on the table with or without a holiday?  We love to hear your stories.  Our email address is foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com  and WE LOVE MAIL.

~Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links on this page. 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.