Ceres Secrets

Rather then complain for a week about how hungry and lightheaded my husband and I are on a Food Stamp Budget of no more then $1 per meal/$3 a day each, we have decided to do something different. For the many people that live on $21 or less due to various reasons, for far longer then a week, we have been inspired to offer a grocery list, menu, quick, easy, and fairly healthy recipes that can be made in 15 minutes or less with no prior experience in the kitchen. Grocery items were chosen due to their ability to stave off hunger, consistent low prices, and year round accessibility. Wal-mart was not my first choice of places to shop and was chosen strictly because it is a national store that can be found in many communities across the US. Our participation in the Food Stamp Challenge will kick off tomorrow morning and I will post our menu directly after breakfast. Recipes and updates will follow for the next 7 days.

The Grocery List
($42 for 2 people/$1 each per meal for the course of 7 days)

$5.00 for 2 Loaves of Baker’s Inn 100% Whole Wheat Bread (5 gr. of Protein and 3 gr. Fiber per slice with 16 slices in each package)

$1.47 for 18 oz. of Wal-mart’s Great Value brand Crunchy Peanut Butter ( 2 Tablespoons will give you 7 grams of Protein and there are 16 servings in a jar)

$.96 for 18 oz. of Wal-mart’s Great Value brand Concord Grape Jelly

$.76 for 7 Bananas @ $.38/a pound

$.20 for Fresh Garlic @ $1.97/ a pound

$.43 for 1 small Baking Potato @$.82/ a pound

$1.16 for 2 small Vidalia Onions @ $1.08/ a pound

$.98 for 1 large Green Pepper

$.64 for 6 oz. of Texas Pete Hot Sauce

$1.28 for 16 oz. of Wal-mart’s Great Value brand Zesty Italian Dressing

$.84 for 3 Telma brand Chicken Consomme (Bullion Cubes found in the Kosher section))

$1.64 for a (1 LB 10 oz) large jar of Sam’s Choice Thick and Chunky Salsa

$.88 for a regular size (13.25 oz) box of Heartland brand Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (7 servings per box with each serving containing 5 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein)

$.98 for (1 Lb 10 oz) large can of Delmonte Garlic and Herb Chunky Spaghetti Sauce

$.48 for a (14.5 oz) regular size can of Wal-mart’s Great Value brand Chili Ready Tomatoes

$.62 for a (6 oz) regular size tin of Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna (2.5 servings per can with 13 grams of protein per serving)

$.50 for a (15.5 oz) regular size can of Wal-mart’s Great Value brand Dark Red Kidney Beans (3.5 Servings per container with each serving containing 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber)

$.48 for a (15.5 oz) regular size can of Wal-mart’s Great Value brand Black Beans (3.5 Servings per container with each serving containing 7 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber)

$.46 for a (15.5 oz) regular size can of Wal-mart’s Great Value brand Great Northern Beans (3.5 Servings per container with each serving containing 7 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber)

$.40 for a (14.5 oz) regular size can of The Allen’s Cut Green Beans (3.5 Servings per container with each serving containing 2 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber)

$.50 for a (15 oz) regular size can of Wal-mart’s Great Value brand Sliced New Potatoes (2.5 Servings per container with each serving containing 2 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber)

$1.72 for 2 pounds of Wal-mart’s Great Value brand Frozen Whole Kernal Golden Corn (each 3/4 a cup serving contains 3 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber with 10 servings in a package)

$.68 for a 10 oz box of frozen PICTSWEET Chopped Spinach

$2.92 for 2 (12 FL oz) containers of (Wal-mart’s Great Value brand) Frozen Concentrated Country Style Orange Juice

$.98 for 1 Totinos’s Combination Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza (1 Pizza serves 2 people and contains 14 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber per serving)

$1.20 for 2 Artesian French Bread Baguettes that were found in the bakery reduction racks in the dairy section of the store (40% savings as bread was originally $2.00)

$2.27 for 1 gallon of 2% Milk (The higher fat content may be helpful for staving off hunger)

$2.47 for a 30 pack of Large Grade A Eggs (1 Egg contains 6 grams of protein)

$2.34 for a pound (4 sticks) of Wal-mart’s Great Value brand Unsalted Butter

$2.00 for an 8 oz block of Heluva Good Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Borden Brand was only $1.50, but I chose Heluva Good because the sharper taste and better flavor will allow me to use less and stretch how far it can go.)

$4.98 *Splurge Item* 1 pound (large bag/26 servings) of Wal-mart’s Sam’s Choice brand Mountain Trail Mix (Each 1/4 cup serving contains raisins, peanuts, cashews, and M&Ms Milk Chocolate Candies as well as 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. Trail mix makes a great healthy snack and is perfect for staving off hunger in between meals.

Grand Total = $42.22

I am officially $.22 over budget, but this could easily have been remedied by purchasing the less expensive block of cheese. If I had done this, my grand total would have been $41.72.

$42 Emergency Menu

Why did we decide to do all of this?

The reason why we had to postpone our participation…

Why we choose to take this challenge a step further and offer a solution…

The reasons why we decided not to utilize our garden, coupons, store savings cards, or attempt to buy local, organic, and sustainable foods…

Food Stamp Challenge eat cheap