Backpacking/camping Food

(Picture thanks to Kevin Anderson)

Our family just got back from a long weekend in the St. Francois mountains hiking, camping, and taking in God's awesome creation. We don't camp as often as we'd like, but we've done enough weekend trips as a family that we've streamlined our planning. We like to keep things, especially food, as simple as possible.

First, we bring lots of snacks. Our toddler would be well... an unhappy camper if he were hungry.  We focus on having enough food rather than having fancy meals.

Also, we drive a Scion xA - it's teeny tiny! We don't have space for anything larger than lunch box sized soft-sided cooler, so we don't bring food that needs to be refrigerated. I've heard of families bringing their crockpots and getting electricity at their camp sites, and we've certainly seen plenty of camp stoves, but we don't have the space. It is possible to go without.

We also "cheat" by eating a few freeze-dried meals (pictured above). They are usually high in calories and only require hot water which we boil in our Jet Boil (that's an Amazon affiliate link).

Here's a short list of the things we ate on this trip specifically:

• hummus
• carrot sticks
• crackers
• cheese
• jerky
• hard-boiled eggs
• cans of tuna/chicken to make tuna melts
• bread, pb & honey
• granola bars
• instant oatmeal
• chai tea
• dried fruit
• nuts
• instant soup (Japanese miso and osuimono packets)
• freeze-dried meals

 The most important planning tip is this: don't forget the smores!!! Seriously, folks!

(Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship (an affiliate) just recently released an e-book called Kitchen Stewardship in the Big Woods: A Family Camping Handbook With Real Food Options that has a lot more detail about camping as a family and camping with young children. Click here for more details.)

Swagbucks: Back to School!

If you haven't already signed up for Swagbucks - now's the time! There will be opportunities to earn extra Swagbucks for new and old SB members all week long. If you are signing up for the first time, enter code BackToSchool (case sensitive) for an extra 40 swagbucks - that's on top of the 30 you usually get at sign up!

Other promotions this week include:

• Back to School Themed bucks - collect them all for a 50 sb bonus
• Sales on school supplies and kids items in the Swag Store
• Facebook and Twitter promos
• A Swag Code Extravaganza on Thursday - at least 5 codes will be released!

You earn Swagbucks by searching, filling out surveys, answering polls, completing special offers, and collecting codes. You can then redeem your bucks for all kinds of prizes including the very popular Amazon gift cards and Paypal cash! I've opted for the latter and have earned $45 this year! Don't wait - click the banner below to sign up, and don't forget to use the code BackToSchool!

The links above are affiliate links. I will earn Swagbucks if you use them to sign up.

My Husband Loves Me

and I love him!!!

He just earned an Amazon.com gift card through some online work and wanna know what he bought? Among other things, he surprised me with these:

Did you see that last one? A DEHYDRATOR! I'm soooo excited! :D The first thing I'm going to use it for is the Fish Jerky that Cara at Health Home & Happiness blogged about.

My husband knows me so well! I've mentioned each of these things a few times as things I'd like to own, but he honestly didn't consult me before making this order! Get ready for some super-inspired blogging!

I am an Amazon Associate. I will earn a commission for any purchases made through the links above.

Happy Independence Day!

Just a few reminders:

The Healthy Snacks to Go E-book giveaway ends on Tuesday at midnight!

I'd love for you to take my very short poll about cooking at home.

Please email/leave a comment with your dumb cooking questions for a chance to receive a free copy of my e-book this Fall!

and Have a GREAT holiday! :)

Pretty Pantry Organization

If you knew me in person, you'd know that other than cooking, I am a 'C' student in Homemaking class! I appreciate cleanliness, order, and design, but it mostly eludes me. God has graciously given me a husband who doesn't care (or notice for that matter) if our comforter and pillowcases match, who can't tell when I'm wearing makeup, and who is happy as long as there are eggs and butter in the house. Still, I feel a bit guilty that our home isn't more presentable.

I'm really not being modest when I say that I can't think of a single friend who is a worse housekeeper than I am. Brutal honesty, folks - I've never washed a window in my life and I've only mopped our kitchen floor once this year. Thankfully, my husband still keeps me.

The only thing my husband *does* care about is clutter. And he married a pack rat. *sigh* Alas, God may not have been as gracious to him as to me (kidding of course - we are blessed beyond measure to have every new day). :P When I do something like purge a shelf in a closet or throw out a stack of old magazines, my husband wants to propose all over again. ;)

When my friend Shauna offered these jars and canisters to us (thank you!!) I got all squealy-happy just thinking about them in my pantry. I finally got around to filling them today (weeks later) and look how gorgeous they are!!! My husband was pretty stinkin' impressed too - a happy day for all!

This post is linked to Things I Love Thursday.

When Frugal Becomes Just Plain Cheap

Tawra Kellam at Living on a Dime* has written another very challenging article and offered it out as a guest post. I have a post planned on a very similar subject, so I am excited to share. Enjoy and tell me what you think - what are some ways that you are tempted to be too frugal?

*****

"There are times when it's tempting to lie, steal or break one of the other 10 Commandments to get a good deal but, in living frugally, we all need to stick to being honest. This is not always easy to do, but I want to give some examples that may help you stay honest. Here are some common tactics that some people use that are unethical and sometimes illegal:

You need some pens because you are running short so you take a handful from a store that is giving them out. This is stealing. If you take one, that's fine. Unless they tell you to take them all, it is tacky to take a large number of them. They're offering them simply as a courtesy.

You buy an item and you use it a few times and then return it because you're done with it. Stealing and lying. You probably won't tell the sales clerk you just needed to use it for a few times and even if you do, that's only OK if it is a rental store. If an item breaks, doesn't work or is not the right color, it is fine to return it. If you just needed it "for a few times" (like a dress for a special occasion) and know you won't use it again, you're stealing if you return it.

If you eat a food item with a guarantee on the box and it tastes nasty, return it. That's why they offer a guarantee. If you eat the entire contents of the box first and return the mostly-empty box, it probably wasn't actually nasty.

If you try to pass off your 14 year old child as a 12 year old so that you only have to pay for a child's meal, you are lying and teaching your child that lying is good when it benefits you.

If you find a "great deal" that you can't live without but you don't have the money in your checking account, don't write a check. Let it be the "one that got away" If you knowingly write a bad check, you are stealing and lying.

If you find a "great deal", buy it and then hide it from your husband, you're lying (unless it's his birthday present ;-). If you have to hide it, you know you're doing something wrong.

If you charge up your credit cards with frivolous things like shopping and eating out and then declare bankruptcy, you are stealing from the credit card company and from everyone who does business with that company. Bankruptcy is intended to help people who end up financially strapped because of reasons beyond their control, like catastrophic medical expenses or the death of a spouse. It is unethical to declare bankruptcy because you went on a shopping spree, because you bought something you couldn't afford when you bought it or because you decided to change careers and no longer want to pay the student loans for your old career. You signed that piece of paper when you purchased the item saying you would pay them back and you didn't. It's up to you to pay them back any (legal :-) way you can, even if it does mean feeling "deprived" for a time.

One more thing about bankruptcy: It is unethical to incur lots of debt "keeping up with the Joneses" and then go bankrupt because the debt is so large. Many people look at others and say to themselves, "Those people are the same age as me. I work hard. I deserve that too." or "our house is too small" or "our car is a real clunker so we need to buy a brand need one to "save" on repair costs ( a huge myth, by the way!). If you can afford these things, by all means, buy them. If you can't afford those things, find a way to make more money or learn to be happy with what you have.

Frugal living is about making good financial decisions. There are so many things you can do to spend your money more wisely, so when you think you can get a "good deal", but it requires doing something that hurts someone else, pass it up.

Whenever you're in doubt about whether something is ethical, ask yourself if it would be OK with you if the situation were reversed and you were the person potentially coming up short. Be honest. We've all heard "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If you would object to others doing it to you, you better look for a better way to save."

Tawra Kellam is the editor of www.LivingOnADime.com. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income.

*This is an affiliate link. Tawra's great e-books are available on her site and if you purchase one, I will receive a commission. Make sure to click through to all of the wonderful free information she has, too!

Pantry Fails and Foils

Monday night was scheduled for pizza night while I was away at Bible Study. I returned home to find the pizza still in the freezer. Hubby felt more like PB&J, a banana, and sun chips. Guess what was on the schedule for his lunch the next day? Yeah... PB &J, banana, and the last sun chips. Foiled.

Tuesday night was cream cheese wontons that we were both very much looking forward to. Got the cream cheese to room temp, started on the fried rice, and pulled out the wontons only to find that they had molded. Fail.

*big sigh*

So you've got the whole week planned out - meals, snacks, shopping, the whole bit. Then something (or someONE) unexpected happens to throw you way off course. What do you do?

You've got a couple of options:

Throw a Fit

Tempting! But generally unproductive. This was my first instinct when hubby "happened" Monday night. How dare he eat the "wrong" thing! If you have children this probably happens all the time. But guess what? The food is still eaten (or not) and the schedule is still off. Now there are also most likely hurt feelings and tension to overcome.

Give Up

"I just can't deal with this! We're eating out!" I imagine that there are times when this really is a better solution than others (say, murder), but if this is the option you choose, you've probably also now blown your budget - and created the problem of figuring out where to cut back later to make ends meet.

Deal With It

Lists, schedules, rules, padlocks... check! We'll see if they ever mess with my schedule again! ;) If you are motivated by a challenge and thrive on order, you may be tempted to crack down and make sure you do everything in your power to prevent similar set backs in the future. A strict pantry rotation schedule, labels on all foods, a snack sign-out sheet (haha!)? Again, this may be a viable solution in some cases - especially if there is a child to train or a constant problem that needs to be addressed. It may also just give you more work without much positive effect.

Let It Go

Let's face it. Our husbands are adults - we can't (and should try to) order them around. Our kids are, well... kids. We are placed in their lives to train and nurture them, but they are works in progress and we shouldn't be surprised or thrown off by the mistakes they make and the times they disobey - those should be expected (having a plan for dealing with disobedience is important for sure! Just make sure part of your plan is to expect to have to utilize the plan!). Wonton wraps mold when they go open and unused for too long. Sometimes we buy food that is unexpectedly bad even at the time of purchase. We just can't plan for everything. Having a freezer stocked with things to be reheated is a practical help, but even that isn't always possible.

So what did I choose to do? I got up early Tuesday morning and made Macaroni & Cheese (with leftover chicken and peas) to send with my husband to work, and last night we had fried rice and ate fruit for dessert. We mourned the wontons, but were thankful for what we still had. Because that's life, folks. :)

Best Recipes of 2008

I end up hunting for recipes online about once a week. I love to try new combinations and I don't have many years of experience behind me, so even though I'm pretty adventurous, I like to get an idea of what others have tried that works. I don't always stick to recipes that I find, but they are in invaluable resource. Reading food blogs is addictive as well, and there's such a great pool to choose from! This last year I discovered so many great new blogs that I couldn't possibly write them all up. Instead I want to share with you my top 10 recipes found on blogs in 2008. Better late than never. :) They aren't all pantry meals, but they all:

1. are able to be made from common ingredients
2. are hard to mess up
3. are delicious!!!!

These links should take you to the original blog post I took them from. If I blogged about them myself after I made them, I've noted that too.

Powerballs - (I blogged about them here)
Rosemary chickpea soup
Chip and dip cookies - (my thoughts coming soon)
Double good raisin bars - (my thoughts coming soon)
Peanut butter filled chocolate cookies
crockpot applesauce - (I mentioned it here)
Homemade eggrolls
Eggplant caviar, falafel and pita - (I blogged about them here)
Yogurt - (I blogged about it here)
Rustic Garlic Onion Pizza - (I blogged about it here)

Technically 12 recipes if you count eggplant caviar, falafel, and pita as three - but then this wouldn't be a "Top 10" list, and besides I ate them as a meal! :) Thank you internet for access to amazing recipes!!

Eating From MY Pantry

Last day of shopping, Feb 2nd, 2009

That's right - I'm done. :) With the exception of buying asparagus and sliced ham for a meal going to a friend with a new baby, I have shopped my last (for groceries) until April or longer. We are anticipating a move in the next two months and want to deplete our food stores so as to have less to pack and transfer. Should be an interesting ride. :)

Because I generally purchase more than one of any regularly-consumed item that I find at a good price, we are fairly prepared for this little project. So far it has been a small challenge and certainly no hardship. I have frozen veggies and a good amount of yogurt with fruit in it, dried fruit, and a jar of canned peaches. I have at least 8lbs of chicken, 5lbs of beef, 4 pork chops, half a dozen fillet of talapia, 1lb ground turkey, and 2 dozen eggs. I also have 3 loaves of already-made bread stored and plenty of flour to make more.

The difficult part of this project will be the fillers. The pre-made granola bars, crackers, chips, and cookies are gone, and we are obviously limited on the healthier choices. This is fine for me and the little guy (who just turned 1 on Valentine's Day!), but harder to manage for my husband who takes his lunch to work and eats, well, like the 6'4" man that he is. :) He has no qualms with leftovers - eats them every day - but it will be a stretch to find things to go with the leftovers he takes.

In an effort to conserve our egg supply, I have been making us oatmeal in the mornings. My husband isn't a fan of plain oatmeal, so I've been sprucing it up a bit. Here are some ideas:

"Home Made" Instant Oatmeal

3/4 cup quick oats

a handful of any or all of the following:

dried fruit (cranberries are our fave)
seeds/nuts (we like sunflower seeds and pecans the best)

1/2 tsp cinnamon
tsp sugar or honey

you can also add a tsp of powdered milk or coffee creamer if you like creamy oatmeal

Add water to desired consistency and voila!

When both my husband and I were working, we'd take a shortcut in this process and combine a dozen or so servings in a large tupperware container or ziplock bag and dish it into our bowls each morning until it was gone. One of our very favorite blogs posted a great "visual guide" to making individual oatmeal packets ahead of time a while back - read it here.

Please continue to follow me the next month as I stretch our food supply. :)

Valentine's Day on a Dime

Yay for freebies!

The folks at Living on a Dime are at it again! They are offering their Valentine's On A Dime e-book free this month!

Click on the image above and download it! It expires Feb. 15.

And if that weren't nice enough, they are also offering a ONE DAY SALE on that great cookbook - Dining on a Dime that I gave away last year! It ends tonight at midnight, so don't miss out!!

New Year New Focus

I apologize for the unannounced hiatus. The holidays are busy here at Hillcrest (and everywhere else, I know) and it took me a while to recoup. However, I have written a million blog posts in my mind and have taken plenty of food pictures over the last two months, so we'll be on a roll now that I'm back.

One of the things I want to do differently here at EFYP in the new year is to focus more on creating a comprehensive resource than a personal memoir about pantry food. I wanted to enlarge my audience last year and so spent the majority of my time on advertising, giveaways, fun posts, etc. While I will still share things like that (look for another freebie next week!!), I want to get serious about eating from my pantry.

We happen to be entering a phase of transition in our lives that will lend nicely to refocusing here. In April we expect to move into another (Hillcrest) apartment that has two bedrooms!! Since we will be moving, I don't want to stock up on a lot of extra food right now just to have to pack it all up.

Therefore, the first part of this transition that will affect EFYP is that I will not be shopping for groceries from now until the time that we move provided that the move actually occurs in April. There will be a few exceptions to that rule like shopping for dinners to bring to friends experiencing illness or loss, and shopping for our church pot luck if I can't find anything appropriate here. Otherwise I will be doing my best to make our current food stretch and I'll be sharing the experience with you. There is a more detailed post about this to come.

The second thing to note about our moving is that I will have to start from scratch when we move into our new place which includes purchasing staples to stockpile and planning out our new pantry space. I am fairly certain that the kitchen in our new place is just as small as the one here, but we may have a linen closet to fill - in which case I'll get to post about labeling and rotating and all sorts of fun stuff.

I hope you'll continue to follow along as our journey unfolds before us, and I am looking forward to posting things to make your life a little easier and your wallet a little bit thicker. :)

Edible Christmas gifts freebie

Tawra Kellam, author of the Living on a Dime book series I've posted about before has sent me a link to a wonderful freebie for all of you!!


"Gifts In A Jar shows you how to make all sorts of cool, yummy gifts that will save you money while endearing you to your friends for life! ;-) Gifts In A Jar features ideas to make delightful Gift Baskets like those in the expensive stores -- everything from the Honeymoon Basket to the Get Well Basket."

Tawra is offering the e-book free to all of you for Christmas!!! That's a $5.95 value! CLICK HERE to snatch it up and make sure you check out all og her other great poducts, too!

random things and an award

Stephanie over at Fun Foods on a Budget has given me two things to blog about today! How nice! First, she gave me another award!! I've always thought this one was cute, thanks so much!


And second, she tagged me for this list of 7 random things about myself. I actually just did this one over at my personal blog, but there are way more than 7 random things to share about me - especially when most of you reading this don't know me outside of the internet . So let the fun begin!

Here are The Rules:

• Link the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.

• Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.

• Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links.

• Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I just got a new laptop and I *love* it. It's an Asus eee and its perfect for blogging sitting on the bed while Aidan runs around and plays.

2. I am sitting on my bed blogging and Aidan is running around playing. Is that cheating? haha!

3. Growing up, I loved peanut butter, but hated peanuts. I loved fresh green salads, but hated cooked spinach. I also loved coconut milk, but *hated* flaked coconut. Texture issues much? (I've gotten over all of the above and love them equally now.)

4. I spent 9 months in Japan studying at Nanzan University and ended up getting my Bachelor's degree in Japanese Area Studies. How's that for random?

5. I had braces from middle school until my second year of college. They wanted me to keep them on longer but I was *not* going to go to Japan with braces! I was supposed to get them put back on when I returned to the states and guess who hasn't seen an orthodontist since? :)

6. I have all sorts of crazy aspirations to write books and record music. I want to record a vocal cd of jazz standards and another of all of my favorite hymns. I actually have a long list of book titles and ideas ranging from parenting issues to crafts to onomastics (the study of names and naming practices).

7. I plan to homeschool my child(ren) in the method of Classical Education.

There you go! I know the rules are to tag people, but I don't want to make anyone feel obligated. So how about this: if you decide to complete it on your blog, let me know, and I'll give you that cute little award up there and even make a post about your blog! :)

Baking Day

I love the philosophy behind this: set aside a day to use up what you have on hand, make a lot, freeze for later.

Money Saving Mom posted about a very successful baking day last month and just announced that she'll be doing it again today and invites us to join in! She'll be posting a Mr. Linky so there are sure to be lots of other bloggers to get inspiration from. I wish I could participate, but to be honest, I don't have enough clean dishes or counter space at the moment! My father in law made an unexpected (though welcome) visit this weekend and I can't get caught up.

I *will* be baking a pumpkin pie today though! I will share the recipe tomorrow. I'll be making at least half a dozen more this season and even be getting paid for some! I make a mean pie... what can I say?? ;)

In any case, hop on over to Money Saving Mom to see who cooks up what! She's listed her plans already and I'm impressed!:

Healthy Harvest Muffins
Cranberry Wheat Muffins
Pumpkin Apple Breakfast Bread
Cranberry Pumpkin Scones
Banana Apple Carrot Muffins
Whole-wheat waffles
Apple pie
Cook up rice and freeze

Featured on The Back Burner

I am so excited to have my Chicken Crescent Calzones featured on the Back Burner (the companion blog to Key Ingredient). Haley did such an amazing job writing up my blog that I'm impressed by me! haha! And my calzones sure sound yummy... :)

Here's a glimpse, but do read the full post:

"Who doesn’t love a warm, buttery roll with dinner? What if the roll were dinner! That is exactly what Anjanette created when she was in a pinch for dinner, and didn’t have the time or money to run to the grocery store. She was originally inspired by a recipe from Pillsbury, but altered the ingredients quite a bit to accommodate what she already had. These tasty calzones are stuffed with turkey, mushroom and lots of cheese! What’s not to love! This recipe is quite versatile and will easily work with whatever you prefer or have on hand."

Vote!

And then go get free stuff!!!! Money Saving Mom has a good list, and others have left comments on her post with other deals. Check it out!

The Omnivore's Hundred

I found this very interesting list from Very Good Taste through Adaptations the other day and am fascinated with making it a goal to try them all. I looked the ones I wasn't familiar with up at Wikipedia and some of them look wonderful! I've scored 52/100 so far.

Here are the rules:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (Alligator, yes)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush (*want* mmm!)
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi (but this looks sooo good!)
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (blueberries!)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras (do you remember those smoothies, Joy?? ick!)
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda (oh my goodness, I'm getting so hungry!)
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted Cream Tea
38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail (I guess I didn't realize you could eat this!)
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (ants and grasshoppers if you're curious)
43. Phaal
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more (oh if only I weren't still nursing...) :)
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel (oh my... yuck yuck yuck!! It *squished* in my mouth)
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi (pickled plum... oh how I love thee! And miss Japan!)
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores (Friday night!)
62. Sweetbreads
63. kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings or andouillette (this is the only one I'd have to say um... no to)
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill (oh, ok, I'd probably veto this one, too)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
l79. Lapsang Souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom Yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky (woot! That's pantry food at it's finest!)
84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Angel Food Ministries

Please forgive the silence, I have a teething 6 month old who has been very hands-on as of late. He loves the computer keyboard, so if I were to try and type an entry with him on my lap the results would be humorous at best, but most likely unintelligible.

I've wanted for a while to introduce you to Angel Food Ministries and I grabbed some photos for you when we visited last. Our organization utilizes this ministry every month, but it is especially relevant for families who are struggling to make ends meet at the grocer these days.

What it is/how it works: "Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States." Each month, Angel Food offers a box of fresh and frozen food items with an approximate retail value of $65.00 for just $30.00. The contents vary month to month, but let me tell you from experience that everything is good!

Sample Menu:

• 4 lb. IQF Leg Quarters
• 4 oz. Beef Back Ribs
• 1 lb. 80/20 Lean Ground Beef
• 2 lb. Breaded Chicken Tenders
• 1.5 lb. Bone in Pork Chops (4 x 6oz.)
• 1 lb. Ground Turkey
• 18 oz. Stuffed Manicotti (Cheese)
• 12 oz. Smoked Sausage
• Betty Crocker Seasoned Potatoes
• 7 oz. Cheeseburger Dinner
• 16 oz. Green Beans
• 16 oz. Baby Carrots
• 2 lb. Onions
• 1 lb. Pinto Beans
• 1 lb. Rice
• 7 oz. Blueberry Muffin Mix
• 10 ct. Homestyle Waffles
• Dessert Item

Specials with additional food items are available each month for a little bit more. You can view this month's menu and specials here.

Who is eligible: This is the best part of Angel Food Ministries, everyone is eligible. You don't have to prove income or convince anyone that you need a break - Angel Food understands that food prices are a burden no matter your distance from the poverty line. "Everyone is encouraged to participate. Some churches even encourage participants to apply the money they saved to help someone else in need." And for those who are on that line, Angel Food accepts food stamps and never sells expired or low-quality items.

Where to find Angel Food: "Angel Food Ministries distributes to nearly 4500 volunteer host sites across the nation, who in turn provide boxes of Angel Food to individual families. " Angel Food isn't available in every state yet, but the website says that over 200 new host sites are added! To find your nearest host site, click here, and sign up to *be* a host site if this ministry could help those in your church or organization.

Online Food Courses

Trent at The Simple Dollar reminded me in a recent post that MIT offers free lecture notes, exams, and videos. I thought I'd look around and see what had been added since my last visit and found two courses that might interest you lot:

Kitchen Chemistry

Food and Power in the Twentieth Century

That got me curious and I did some more looking. If you check any of these out, tell me what you think!

Free Online Cooking Classes

Free and Affordable Distance Education - Food and Beverages

Food Policy for Developing Countries from Cornell University

The Nutrition and Food Web Archive Website Directory - Free e-courses

Pay Per Post

I have very much enjoyed running this blog for the short month it has been up. Blogging has been addictive, and blogging about food has turned out to be surprisingly fulfilling. I love to cook and I love that I get to stay home to devote time to doing it. Blogging about eating from our pantry has also saved us money as I've had to take my own advice! I've ended up blogging much more frequently than I anticipated just because I enjoy it so much!

Spending so much time at this has gotten me interested in getting some exposure for the site in hopes of helping a larger base of people and possibly earning a little bit of revenue for my time. I hate when blogs has unrelated/annoying advertising though so I am making an effort to make all of the advertising on this blog and the other sites I'm working on add to rather than take away from the usefulness of the content.

I was happy to come across PayPerPost the other day while searching for relevent ways to generate income. Rather than strictly posting banner ads and the like, I can get paid for doing what I'm already doing - writing! Pay Per Post will pay me when I accept writing assignments and post them here. I get to choose which assignments to accept so I can tailor the content of my blog. I'm looking at it as getting free writing prompts! I will of course continue to post my usual recipes and tips as well.

I'm excited to get paid to blog and I hope that it enriches the site overall. Let me know if you have used PPP and whether or not you've had a good experience with them!