Day 4

Today I have really been thinking about my childhood. Taking the challenge reminds me how I grew up in Brazil and the great teachers I had. My mom and dad were so good accounting for every cent and I watch them save every coin. “When you have 4 of those–that’s a pound of rice,” she would say. She even reused matches and we made fun of her, but I so appreciate those lessons. Thank God we did not experience food insecurity, but looking back I can see how we could have or we came close at times. Food and resources are very precious. There is a Brazilian song ( Água No Feijão by Jorginho do Império) that says “add water to the beans that one more person has arrived”. For several years, relatives came to live with us. Some meals had to be stretched and my mom was very creative in the kitchen. I am blessed to have watched her cook on a budget my whole life and it is the touch, the spices, the care and the love she adds to those beans that makes them so tasty. Circumstances changes…so many may find themselves in need of help and we hope we can be compassionate…

I had to stop at the store yesterday and tried to by food with my leftover cents and was not able to. I was looking for the smallest garlic bulb and still could not do it.  One thing that I am reminded in this challenge is that I want to reach for all those ingredients I add to make meals tasty and nutritious. With my $22.50 I could not get cheese, olives, nuts or have chocolate and yes, no good coffee! Also missed my garlic! Almost everyday I use a head of garlic on my cooking and we grow our own. We also have been growing potatoes, herbs and beans. We have canned tomatoes and pickles and gleaned apples and canned lots of apple sauce–it is a great feeling to have food in our pantry.

While I was making rice pilaf using broccoli stems I was watching my children eating raw brussels sprout leaves. Hope they will remember these days.

For breakfast I made the blender pancakes again and for lunch I refried Monday’s beans. I can not express how happy that 20 cents jalapeno made me feel!

Breakfast: Blender Pancakes ate 5, have 4 left for snacking

Lunch: Refried Bean with Massaged Cabbage Salad

Add oil to a pan, sautee onions. Add beans and fry until it releases from the pan, let it cool. Massage salt into the cabbage to soften and release juices.  (I learned this from my husband when we got married.) I topped with some tomato sauce I still have and a bit more onion and half of a Jalapeno, diced and pan fried.

Dinner: Brown Rice Pilaf with Grilled Banana

I use a dutch oven pan to saute the onions, broccoli stems and carrots. I added the 1 cup of brown rice and saute for one minute. I added 1 tsp of turmeric and 12 ounces of water. Cover the pan with the lid and baked on 375 oven for 50 minutes. I served with 1/2 grilled banana.