Hello here I am 6 years later returning to my 6 posts in blog.  My intention with this blog was to be consistent and possibly create a resource.  That didn't happen, instead life did and I put this blog on the back burner.  I am picking it back up.  I will try to post at least once a week to show food prep and shopping that fits in the $11.00 A Day model.  See you soon!

Lois

One of my goals with this space is to create menus and recipes from the food that I source for/find locally and this would especially include corner stores and markets that are in neighborhoods that do not have access to stores like Berkeley Bowl or Whole Foods or even farmer's markets.  In my shopping expeditions I will take into consideration price, nutritional impact and taste.  My $11.00 a day project is based around finding foods that can be used as a way to support health and have a low impact on a family's stretched food budget while having taste appeal.  The $11.00 price is based on a friend's allotment of food stamps for her and her son for the month. $11.00 is the per day breakdown she receives to feed 3 meals a day to 2 people.  That is less than $2 per person per meal. 

My experience has been that often times nutrition is compromised due to lack of knowledge and funding so folks buy what is cheap and convenient and often not very healthy.  We all have bought a bag of chips or a soda as a treat but what if those items are part of the components that make up a meal in your household on a regular basis?  What impact will that have long term on your family's health and the way they view food as nutrition? What impact will that have on your child's/children's ability to develop and learn? What impact will it have pschologically to you as a parent having to feed your child/children food that is not good for them because that is all you can afford?  And only because you were not taught how to shop and prepare healthy foods?

I have found my first store and got the green light from the owner's to go in and take pictures and shop.  I will do that this weekend and have photos and a recipe for you all next week.  If there is a store in your neighborhood that you would like me to visit please suggest that to me here.  I currently live in Berkeley Ca but would also invite folks to take up this challenge with me and source in your neighborhoods.

Bean Recipe

 Here is a picture of the almost finished product.
 I added these sauteed veggies and sausage to my cooked beans and voila a meal was made.

Toal cost: $9.56 / this made 3 meals for my son and I

Recipe:
I will give you all the quick cook method of making beans so you don't have to soak them over night.

Rinse one bag of pink beans and add to a large pot of luke warm water. Place on high and boil beans for 30 minutes being sure to stir occasionally so that the beans do not stick to the bottom of the pot.  After 30 minutes turn the heat off and cover the pot with a lid that has a snug fit and let them sit for 1 hour.

After an hour stir the beans and place them back on the heat at medium and let them cook for another hour stirring so that the beans do not stick.  In the mean time begin to saute your veggies and meat (or no meat if you choose) in 2 table spoons of olive oil.  Saute until tender and then add 1 can of tomato paste (tomato paste tastes better when cooked) and add the veggies and meat to beans when the beans are done.  Continue to cook stirring frequently until all flavors are incorporated.  I ususally serve this over rice (I reccomend brown rice) but they can also be served solo with tortillas or salad greens as a base. 

Receipt from food purchase for Beans & Rice Recipe

Bean & Rice with Veggies and Meat

 Here is a picture of the first recipe I created shopping frugally .  It was a beans and rice recipe with veggies and sausage as the meat. All of the items I purchase are either organic, preservative free or made from companies that follow best food practices. 

$11.00 A Day: Hello,I have just started my blog today! It is n...

$11.00 A Day: Hello,
I have just started my blog today!  It is n...: Hello, I have just started my blog today!  It is named $11.00 A Day and it is a food blog dedicated to providing information to folks who l...

Hello,
I have just started my blog today!  It is named $11.00 A Day and it is a food blog dedicated to providing information to folks who live on fixed food budgets.  On this blog I will post food sourcing information (where to shop in your neighborhood) as well as healthy nutritious recipes that I have made from that food. 

This was born from an idea that all people want to eat well but do not always know how to put foods together to make that a reality.  This blog and it's content is for people who are not over exposed to foodie info but are trying to make healthy food decisions day to day in their own worlds.  Please feel free to contact me with content and ideas for content as this journey is not mine alone.  Welcome!