Living Well...er, on a "budget."

There is no hiding the fact that we are currently using certain programs offered to help low-income families. There is also no hiding the fact that society has a stigma about people on low-income assistance. I've mentioned in a previous post wanting to focus on eating better sharing my experiences of eating healthy while using Public Assistance-- showing the things I receive when I need aid from Food From Lane County, and the things I do with my limited SNAP budget. 

It's my hopes that I'll be able to educate myself and others, and shatter stereotypes-- I don't want to be on public assistance, and the people I know that are currently using public assistance are grateful, utilizing what's available to them to better their situation, and move away from it once it's no longer needed.

Read this, because this little cartoon does a GREAT job explaining privilege. 

So, here's a little about our current situation-- my partner lost his job, and we've been waiting for a denial and/or acceptance letter for unemployment since he lost his job in April, I work as many hours as I can at my job, but with my health condition it is sometimes really hard to have STEADY hours, so they vary anywhere from thirty hours a week to ten hours a week, at $9.25 an hour.

With everything going on, I continue to try and get Buckleberry Hoops running, pursuing my goals of someday teaching, and performing...sometimes, Buckleberry Hoops isn't a lucrative, but an expensive hobby, just depending on how well things are going.

Keeping that in mind, while we are waiting for Bradford's assistance to kick in we are both living as best we can with what we do have. I get $192 a month for SNAP benefits-- at three meals a day, 30 days a month that's about $2.13 I have to spend on a meal, just for myself. My SNAP benefits do not include my partner since we are waiting on his benefits.

Food For Lane County allows families to receive up to one food box a month, and you're allowed two extra boxes during the year, in case of an emergency. Since moving to Eugene in May 2014, I have received an emergency food box from our local pantry three times (you know, because people abuse the system).

Here's a look at what we received in yesterday's food box:

Food For Lane County Emergency Food Box

Lots of frozen and dried goods, with some fresh things to supplement

Not only did we receive a lot of really awesome things (two pounds ground chicken, loaf of local wheat bread, cereals, beans, rice, organic local beets, blanched frozen veggies such as corn, green beans, and a mixed veggie, peanut butter, almond butter, Annie's Mac & Cheese, Nancy's Yogurt, pastas, plus snackies, etc, etc), but we also were lucky, because the OSU Extension was at our pantry the other morning giving out free information-- a little cookbook, a couple recipe sheets, and also some information on the a program St. Vincent de Paul offers to people that are on SNAP. 

I've collected additional information to share, unfortunately, living like an artist has made it difficult to find everything. At my local WinCo there is a store map, showing you where everything is laid out-- they offer recipes in their bulk food section, and at the front of the store with coupons attached. I'll be sharing those as soon as I can.

Until then, after putting away the food from the food box, I sat down after looking through the food I have on hand and came up with a few meal ideas for the next few days. We have eggs, cereals, different granola, yogurts, 1% milk and soy milk alongside a few hot cereals-- so that takes care of us for breakfasts for quite sometime. Here are some of the meals we will be able to make thanks to the extra help we got this month:

Bow-tie pasta with Tomato sauce

Pinto Beans and Cornbread

Veggie Stir-fry over brown rice

lentils & barely, roasted beets, and fresh oranges

Bean burritos

10 Bean Soup

White Chicken Enchiladas
Almond Butter Sandwiches, soup, and applesauce

I know it's not tons and tons of ideas-- however, these are the things I am able to make, because of the food I received for free. And, lemme tell you the food we are able to put together from this list aren't bad at all! Mind you, as I purchase things from the grocery store after this coming up weekend the menu will expand, and include other things-- I received my SNAP benefits today, but would like to use what we have in the house first before buying unnecessary things. And, I will continue using the dry things I got yesterday for the remainder of the month, for example, with all the plain yogurt we currently have I know I will be making yogurt cheese, which means homemade smears, and Indian curries in our near future. 

Stir-fry veggies over brown rice with a little sriracha on top

So, so grateful that we were able to make this because of local programs!

Brown Rice
1 cup brown rice to every 1.5 cup water into the rice cooker

Veggie Stir-fry
First I steamed the frozen veggies, then adding it to a non-stick pan with a little fat (evoo, sesame oil, butter, whatever floats your boat). Cook at Medium-High heat for about 5-8 minutes stir every so often. Top with salt and pepper if desired-- I like to put a little sriracha on top.

I hope this helps others in our situation, or similar situations. I will be trying to post recipes as I go along...<3