Here is a statistic that will curl your hair:
Fifty percent (50%) of all babies born in the United States of America are eligible AT BIRTH for WIC!
It’s hard to believe that in the richest nation on earth, so many people are severely impoverished!
So, because Mother Connie has no control over the poverty rate, this little corner of the internet exists to help as best we know how to help people learn ways to deal with managing their food dollars with public assistance, like WIC or SNAP or all the other ways there are. You might think of food commodities or a food pantry or food bank. Now some of our members are living on a dime and others are truly frugal minded and love the challenge of squeezing a nickel til the buffalo bellows. It makes no difference here, ALL ARE WELCOME.
Maybe we can help someone to see that cooking is fun and can help to make treasured memories for children. Food and food prep can involve other family members; we might inspire folks to taste something new. It could be that we might show you ways to prepare things with new methods! THERE IS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT YOU WILL TEACH MOTHER CONNIE as we exchange ideas!
WIC has been emphasizing the use of fresh fruits and vegetables. Back in the day, WIC was more about making sure babies and mommies got milk, cereal and juice. We hope these days that all little people as well as mommies and daddies are getting more vegetables because vegetables are critical to vibrant good health. The more veg/fruit items we take in, the more alkaline our bodies can be. Alkaline bodies are not sick; acidic bodies are always unwell.
Acidic bodies have become out of balance that way because we drank soda pop, we “don’t like vegetables” and we have taken in oils and fats or an over abundance of animal protein that clog up our systems. Furthermore, if our bodies do not get enough good water every day, that creates an acidic environment and illness…in some cases it degenerates into chronic illness. It’s so easy to avoid that.
Oh, dear, Mother Connie means NOT to preach. It’s just that if these simple ideas are not explained, people may not understand WHY they need to eat well and wisely and WHY it’s important to be well hydrated.
We really hope you will offer YOUR thoughts about this by sending a message to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com We read every word of every email, I promise you.
We are not here to sell stuff. We only want to contribute to the quality of your life. We want you to FEEL as important as you are.
~Connie Baum
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All good information and advice Connie! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Thank you, Rainy! I never meant to rant and rave or nag but it’s so important for folks to understand that food and health are closely interconnected.
I appreciate your input! I appreciate YOU.
Hugs
Mother Connie
Yes, food and health are very much interconnected! Thanks for sharing this wonderful information as always Mother Connie, just love love love your little place on the web here.
I could use some help here and I know you will do a great post on it. I have just been diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer and in the last 2 months, my health has been rough yet being frugal for so long I have always made things from scratch with at the moment I am unable to do.
Any very frugal yet healthy ideas for simple quick meals that is not frozen or processed that an 11 or 14 year old child could cook for a family or a husband who’s only cooking skill is with Ramen noodles? Everything I usually fix is an hour or so in the kitchen and this just is not feasible right now!
This is for Carrie, at Poor to Rich,
canned beans, rinsed well, can be added to rice, whole grain pasta or whole grain tortillas.
Frozen veggies, plain not with a sauce, are almost as nutritious as picked from the garden produce, so a good option in winter, and can be microwaved or steamed by an older child/teen.
Minced garlic in a jar, instead of expecting a child or hubby to chop, could give a boost to meals.
Brown rice can be cooked in large batches and kept in the fridge for several days. Your husband or teen could cook a large batch one day, then subsequent meals would be easier.
Actually most grains can be cooked in large batches — quinoa, oats, amaranth, barley. Then your kids can make them sweet with honey or dried fruit, or savory with garlic and herbs/spices. Add some protein, such as scrambled eggs, beans, nuts or seeds, and serve with veggies.
I would focus on uncomplicated. Just try to hit the different food groups, emphasizing the power foods, like dark leafy greens kale/collards/chard/spinach, and berries such as blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Leafy greens and berries are available frozen.
In a pinch, have your kids make smoothies, with whatever milk you’re using, frozen berries, a tiny bit of frozen leafy greens, banana, and a bit of nut butter for fats and protein.
Carrie, do you have a juicer? Or does someone you know have one you could borrow? Fresh juices are powerful, too. Fresh carrot, apple, and ginger is easy on a tummy that doesn’t feel well. Fresh carrot, apple and kale always helps me regain energy. Even your 11 year old could wash, trim and use a juicer, to bring you something. You can mix green tea with fresh fruit juice to give you a calorie boost.
Take care : )
I am SO GLAD to have you here, dear one, and sooo sorry to learn of your diagnosis.
I see that Lili has offered you some great and helpful ideas…I would offer that any time there are raw veggies around or fruit, that is a quick and easy way to handle snacks and add those to meals. If there could be some veggies chopped and bagged in the fridge to use for quick meals that would be helpful.
***BOOHOO…If only Mother Connie lived closer; I would be happy to spend some time chopping veg and making meals in a bag that could just be tossed in a crock pot. Could you tap into your network to find a “Mother Connie” who would be willing to help in this way? A church group? A neighbor? Someone in a friend’s office? I bet a nickel if you called your local Senior Center they could find some grandmotherly type who is just aching to do some kitchen work for you. It never hurts to ask. Another idea is to phone a chapter of the American Cancer Society; they may know of someone who could help you provide meals for your family without busting your budget.
Slow cooker meals might be doable–scrubbed potatoes and other root veg with a hunk of meat could be put into the cooker before Daddy goes to work? Salads with lots of leafy greens might be something even Daddy could handle.
I strongly agree with all of Lili’s ideas and suggestions. All of us will be pulling for you to recover as quickly as possible and good nutrition will surely help that process along. BTW, Carrie, you just zoomed to the top of our prayer lists!
Hugs
Mother Connie
PS/ I would also caution you and yours to keep things SIMPLE. Don’t fret. Don’t attempt perfection. Do remember that you are dearly loved. Please keep us apprised, Carrie, and let us know how you are doing and how well feeding your gang is going.
Lili, thank you so much for all your life supporting ideas. I’m sure it will give Carrie the boost she needs right now.
Big Hugs,
Mother Connie
I love how all of your blog fans pull together in a pinch Connie. All of us have had challenges multiple times in our lives and we learn from that…so anything, in each of our experiences that can help one another is good, right?
Carrie…first let me say that i love your approach to fighting back the cancer with the first line of defense…healthy foods and drink. It is awesome that your family is willing to do what they can to help in that department.
I too thought of the crockpot as a great help Connie. Throw in some lean meats, lots of veggies (frozen if you don’t have fresh) and some broth and spices and it is healthy, filling and tasty to boot. Some great information is that both tumeric and garlic are great fighters in the body. They can even help to fight cancer cells and shrink tumors. Always check with a health professional though when going through treatments that involve medications. Another great tool is pure mint oil in your drinks whether it be lemon-aid (mint oil is powerful so only a drop or two), hot deal or a minty flavored coffee.
Aside from that, meals that teens/hubby can prepare that are healthy, easy and not too time consuming for them will just take a little forethought. Individual pizzas on bagels or hamburger buns, with low fat cheese, veggies and lean meats.
How about french toast, omlettes , spaghetti with garlic bread , chilli in a crock pot; or, even chicken & stuffing in a crockpot (spray the inside of the crock pot with olive oil pam, put some boneless chicken breast in the bottom & then layer the bread bread, cream of chicken soup/cream of mushroom/celery, more bread, and a can of milk) let it cook on medium for the day and at dinner time…you have a one pot dish to serve. This could be done quickly before the hubby/kids leave for the day and dinner will be done when they return. Baked sweet potatoes & cranberry sauce alongside of some baked fish or chicken takes less than an hour; and can cook while the kids are doing their homework- potatoes just require some scrubbing & oiling up.
I liked the smoothie idea as well. So many wonderful healthy drinks can be done in the smoothie fashion or in a juicer. These would be a quick, easy and healthy “lunch” while the family is away from home. It can be done the night before or in the morning and kept in the fridge and won’t tax your energy to grab it and consume it for a nutritious lunch.
Best wishes Carrie in the battle you are waging; may you be blessed with a healthy outcome; hugs and prayers to you and your family. Connie…thanks for the platform to allow your readers to interact and help one another with ideas and suggestions.
Oh, Rainy…thank you so much for all your great ideas and loving thoughts. I do hope Carrie feels the love that is surrounding her NOW.
Please excuse me…tissue time. sniff
Hugs
Mother Connie
I am right with you, Mother Connie
Any way that we can help families learn more about eating and drinking this way, the more joy and delight will be found in families AND individuals.
If one watches the sales fruits and veggies are often on sale even in these winter months. This spring it might fun to focus on teaching “how to garden”, “can” n “freeze”. Ways to save AND be more healthy!
Kathy
I appreciate you taking time out of your busy life to comment, Kathy!
Fruits and vegetables need not be intimidating…whether it’s meal planning, shopping, prepping, canning, freezing or snacking, isn’t that so?
Here’s hoping every Food Stamps Cooking Club Member can enjoy food the way we do here in the Club House!
Thanks again, Kathy. Here’s a cyber hug for you: {{{Kathy}}}
~Mother Connie
Just want to add my 2 cents also. Carrie, I am so glad you had the feeling you could come to this blog that has so much love and you knew you could trust the people for help here. Mother Connie is the only one where I know anyone can feel safe and well taken care of and I see you are getting much of that here.
You are so fortunate to have a family that is willing to take care of you. There is a book that I am going to recommend you get and read and that is Wheat Belly, by William Davis, M.D. I think he will have some helpful ideas for you as well as all the great help you have already been giving.
Another fun thing you and your family can do during this time is get some old movies that will make you laugh. Laughter is good for the soul and so many people have proven that they can get well with laughter.
So with all the great cooking ideas (above) and reading the Wheat Belly and having some good deep laughter in the house, I think you are going to pull thru this just fine.
Oh, I almost forgot, start asking yourself questions, like Where did this cancer come from? then send it back to sender with consciousness. Another thing to repeat over and over thru out the day is Return from Whence you came never to return to me or this reality.
Another question I have for you is What is right about this cancer that I am not getting? Everything that is times a godzillion will you destory and uncreate it? Right and wrong, Good and Bad, POD and POC, all 9, shorts, boys and beyonds.
Last question is always, How can it get any better than this?
Don’t try to answer these, just sit with them and let the universe take control of the situation.
I wish you and your family the very best in your future.
Renita
Oh my goodness, Renita, you have given Carrie so much more than how to put good food on the table. Her heart has to be overflowing with all the love that has poured forth in Carrie’s direction!
Thank you for all your good help and for taking the time to respond.
Carrie, dear, get well SOON, please! We are all pulling for you and yours!
Great Big Hugs,
Mother Connie
Thankyou everyone for such loving positive comments, I have been overwhelmed by the support I have been recieving online and off and it is very appreciated.
These are all wonderful suggestions, some which I use but many that I did not think of and will implement all of them.
Lili, I did not know you were over here, nice to see you!
for those who would like to follow, I am chronicling my journey to getting well over at my wholeistic blog at http://awhole-isticlife.blogspot.com/
That site is also co-authored by my adult daughter who was born with cerebral palsy.
Again thankyou for such overflowing love and support from everyone and such wonderful suggestions I can use!
Darling Carrie,we are so happy to be of help to you and yours. Thank you so much for the link to your journey. I do hope our Members will scoot over there and follow you..
Thank you to all those who have reached out to Carrie – each of you personifies the passion that carries this little blog forward.
It’s really true that love makes the world go round.
BIG Hugs,
Mother Connie