A True Temporary Challenge

I vividly remember my meals during Food Outreach’s 2009 Hunger Challenge, and I haven’t eaten brown lentils since. One my frugal recipe ideas included a lentil dish that oddly combined mint, brown lentils, and tomatoes… long story short, it wasn’t good, and I ate a lot of it. A couple of weeks ago, when I saw an email from Food Outreach in my inbox, it sat there unopened for a couple of days. I admit that I was avoiding it. This hunger “challenge” is just that, truly challenging, and I felt guilty for not wanting to address the email. Many individuals and families in St. Louis and in our country don’t have the option to say no to this email invitation. They live it each day.
I decided to start my challenge on Monday the 13th. This year, Food Outreach gave us the option to choose the week in which we would live off of our $28/week, $4/day food allotment. I chose next week because I am not traveling anywhere, don’t have any visiting guests, and my husband will be on the road with work, so I only have to worry about feeding myself. This timing makes it easier for me to live off of a food stamp budget, but those that are food insecure don’t get to pick and choose.
Before Monday, I will be forced to plan out a week’s worth of meals, re-think any dinner plans with girlfriends, and peruse the newspapers for grocery sales. I already know from last year’s experience, that I can’t afford my morning caffeine jolt, enjoy an after lunch dark chocolate fix, or visit my neighborly restaurant Winslow’s Home. Doing this for the second year lessened the initial shock that I couldn’t afford these indulgences, but my hunger challenge only lasts one week. The following week I am back to mindlessly enjoying foods that others would think hard about before throwing them into their grocery cart or ordering off a menu.
Like last year, I plan on posting any recipes I try, but you can be rest assured one ingredient you won’t see on my grocery list are those brown lentils…