Nebraska is shining a light on the matters of poverty and hunger by directing a colored light on its historic and award winning capitol building in Lincoln, Nebraska
Oh, how good it feels to be back and blogging again! I have missed you all like crazy!
The headline in today’s Lincoln Journal Star screams what we pretty much knew:
“Nebraska’s Poor Can’t Afford More Federal Budget Cuts”
The media reminds us that the farm bill, which includes SNAP and WIC as well as other programs to help people have access to food puts peoples’ needs in jeopardy.
SIDEBAR: Mother Connie thinks that those Congress people who consider these bills have never taken a couple of little children to the grocery store; worried about what to put into their shopping carts and still manage to PAY for their food purchases. Moreover, they probably have not worked at a low paying job all day and then had to go home and prepare a meal for their loved ones. Or if they ever did, they forgot how discouraging the whole process is! END SIDEBAR
We are all painfully aware of how difficult it is to be impoverished. The article in today’s paper sites these facts:
- In Lincoln, NE one in six people are living in poverty. The figure they cite: $23,505 for a family of four.
- 1 in 5 families with children did not have enough food on the weekend the survey was taken.
- 54% were worried about having enough food each week.
- 78% reported having trouble paying utilities in the past year.
This may or may not reflect the situation in your neck of the woods, but I suspect it will ring true in many cases. This points up the need for all of us Club Members to band together and support one another the best ways we know how. Mother Connie is doing what she knows to present food ideas that will help s t r e t c h those food dollars, whether they come from public assistance, such as SNAP or WIC or whether you might use food commodities or goods from a food pantry or food bank. Maybe you just watch your food budget like a hawk because it is your nature to be frugal; it’s likely there are many families who are not receiving assistance but are living on a dime. In any case, this blog is meant to help YOU.
One of the foods often found in bundles from a food bank or food pantry is pancake mix. Pancakes are fine, sometimes even fun, but there is a man in Lincoln, NE who is a French pastry chef and he suggests crepes.
Crepes are cheap to make, thinner than pancakes and you can fill them with whatever suits your fancy, your budget, or the contents of your pantry.
“Skinny Pancakes” aka Crepes
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teeny weeny pinch salt
Whisk together the flour, milk, egg and salt in your favorite mixing bowl.
Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. When the pan is hot add a teaspoon of butter and lightly coat the surface of the pan with the melted butter. I like to use the back of a big spoon to do this.
Pour one quarter cup of the batter into the pan and tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface in a smooth and even layer.
After two minutes, lift up an edge of the crepe with a spatula to see if it is browning. When the underside has begun to brown, flip the crepe and cook the other side until it is also brown; about 2 minutes.
Repeat pouring, checking and flipping to cook the remaining batter. Serve piping hot.
**Kids-yes, and big people, too!- love to sprinkle granulated, brown or powdered sugar over these in lieu of syrup. Then they can roll them…playing with their food in a socially acceptable way makes food fun! If they are having fun and getting their tummies filled, they won’t realize they are in poverty–especially if the adults in their lives don’t whine about it!
Mother Connie would be remiss if she did not thank all the Club Members for their messages, comments and encouragement during the week of “Pie Central” and all the ensuing technological issues that have transpired! You people are THE BEST and I hope you are feelin’ the love I am returning to each of you! Every one of YOU is doing your part in shining a light on how to cope with poverty–with your comments, your ideas, your sharing over our proverbial back fence. Thank you for all that each of you does. You are such treasures.
Hugs
Connie Baum
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