The week-end before . . . . 

"How are you preparing for your food stamp thing?" Alison asked.

My reply was simple: I am trying not to.  Over the past few years, many of the people who ended up unemployed, underemployed and on food stamps were people who one day had a great job, and the next day didn’t.  It would have been easy to take the time between making this commitment and the start date to stock up on supplies.  But I have not done so, and I am working hard to resist the urge.

I did do one thing most people didn’t do before landing on food stamps: celebrated my own little Mardi Gras.  Friday evening, Alison and I met at Pour at Four, a fantastic wine bar in the Proctor District of Tacoma.  We had been trying to get together for several weeks, and I knew with my food stamp challenge commitment starting the following week, it was now or never.  So, despite being on the tail end of cold, I was going to enjoy my evening.

And there I was, running late.  People kept popping into my office unexpectedly.  And my old friend J. called out of the blue to chat.  So, as 5 o’clock (our designated meeting time) approached, I picked up my cell to tell Alison I would be late.

“I’m running behind too.  And I was ready for a glass of wine at noon.”

Despite stopping at the bank and the gas station, I still managed to beat Alison to Pour, and was drinking a decent chardonnay when she walked in.

We spent the evening talking, sipping wine and enjoying our meal.  For the record, the Artichoke-Parmesan soup, at $5 a cup, was warm, soothing and delicious.  The brie with raspberry-tarragon compote—DIVINE.  And the Vanilla Crème Brulee (which I was not going to have, until Alison ordered the chocolate peanut butter pie) was probably one of the best I have ever had.  Two glasses of wine with my meal, and it was still under $30.  Not bad, but in just a few days, I will be spending less than that on a week’s worth of groceries.  I went home, snuggled into bed and got a great night’s sleep.  And awoke in the morning with no cold symptoms, for the first time in 5 days.

Still, it would be wise to take stock. I have a half gallon of milk, which for me is nothing.   I love milk, drink a gallon of it a week, and I am picky—I drink organic.  I will have to keep my eyes peeled for bargains and coupons.

But I have cheese—and it is all still in date. A bag of spinach.  This is a staple for me—I love to put a hand full in pasta soups, or just sauté it with mushrooms and garlic. 

The cupboards are not bare, but they have an odd assortment.  Five jars of pasta sauce (and I never eat it as pasta sauce, I use it in other recipes); four cans black beans, three cans green beans, two cans of chili.  Several boxes of various kinds of noodles.  A half a bag of rice, a small bag of barley, and some polenta.  And (again, I don’t know how this happened) 8 boxes of red beans and rice mix.  I bought them on sale a while back.  Four cans of tuna.

One box of Cheerios.  I love Cheerios.  They are a favorite of mine, and I usually eat them as a snack instead of a breakfast food.  Pour some in a bowl and eat them like they were popcorn.

I don’t have any canned or frozen fruit.  I do have half a dozen baby oranges, which I love.  I want more. Time to go grocery shopping.

For week one, I will be shopping at Fred Meyers.  I know what I have at home, so I am going to try to purchase groceries that will fit in with what I have.  

1.54 lb carrots (.59 cents a pound) = .90 cents

2.34 lbs yellow potatoes (.79 cents a pound) = $1.85 (8 medium potatoes)

2.08 lbs cabbage (.99 cents a pound) = $2.06

0.97 lbs polenta (.99 cents a pound) = 0.96

1.16 lbs yellow onions (.69 cents a pound) = 0.80  (2 onions)

1.87 lbs sweet potatoes (.99 cents a pound) = $1.85 (4 small sweet potatoes)

3/heads garlic = $1

Small carton brown mushrooms=$1.99

Bag of satsuma oranges = $6.98

Eggs = $2.69/dozen

Bread = $2.50

TOTAL =  $23.58 

Three heads of garlic may seem excessive, but I use it in making soup and pasta.  And the bag of satsuma's was more than I would usually spend on fruit.  But as I am coming off a cold, I justify it.  Besides, I do this shopping on Saturday--part of it will feed me on Sunday, the day before I start my little experiment.  

And here we are--it is Sunday night.  And tomorrow this starts for real.