Learning from Feedback

January 28, 2020

Beloved:
  
          I can count on one hand the times I’ve received as much feedback on my Tuesday notes as I did last week, concerning my $4-a-day food budget experiment.  All were kind.  Some shared their own experiences.  One dear friend expressed her concern that I might be in need of a sabbatical.  Be assured, sweet Charlotte, I am finer than fine and nowhere near starving.
A church member commented that so many people don’t even have basic kitchen equipment for cooking, which got me paying attention there, and I discovered that the SNAP recipe website filters recipes accordingly, always noting what tools are needed for each recipe.  So smart!


Here is my current meal plan: 

• Egg & black bean tacos  
  
• Brown rice, black bean avocado bowl (.80 avocados at Walmart but I have to eat it today)
  
• Turkey skillet chili — batch big enough to freeze some
  
• Oven-baked chicken legs and green beans
  
• Spinach & chicken pesto
  

          This is enough meals for most of two weeks and uses a bunch of food Carl and I put up from last summer’s garden — which is a total cheat on the whole experiment.  I can’t imagine many people on this food budget have the means to grow, freeze and store the tomatoes, green beans and pesto involved here.  Still, I want to use the food I already have.
          I fall off the $4-a-day wagon in other ways too.  My husband popped in for a quick visit this weekend, taking a break from his “sabbatical,” and we didn’t cook a thing the whole time.  We picked up Chinese Friday night and went out for pizza Saturday lunch.  Saturday night we ate chili from the freezer and Sunday morning he brought me a bagel before he left town.  All yummy, all amazingly rich.  The cheesy pizza gave me a wicked tummy ache and  Sunday afternoon I was back in the saddle again, scouring my almost empty fridge for supper.
          Pretending to identify with someone on a $4-a-day budget is a lie, so long as I can go out for pizza and order Chinese anytime I please.  All the same, I consider it an experiment worth the effort in learning about my own assumptions and biases about poverty, health, and food, to name just three.  As always, I welcome your feedback, especially your own experiences around shopping, eating, cooking, and reading about food.

~peace & prayers, 
pastor annette

Egg & Black Bean Tacos for One 
Prep — 10 minutes

Tools Required 

• Cutting board
  
• Knife
  
• Colander or strainer 
  
• Skillet
  
• Fork 
  
• Spoon
  
• Bowl
  

Ingredients

• Cooking spray or butter, or 1 Tbsp butter
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 2 6-inch corn or flour tortillas
  
• ¼ cup shredded cheese
  
• ½ cup black beans, drained and rinsed
  
• ¼ cup salsa or chopped tomatoes (I like Rotel tomatoes, store brand.)
  
• Salt, pepper, chili powder, favorite seasoning to taste (I like chili lime.)
  

Directions

• Heat skillet dry and toast tortillas on both sides. Remove tortillas and add butter or oil.
  
• Scramble eggs, add seasoning and pour into skillet, cook like an omelet, in a round shape. Turn over and shut off the heat.
  
• Spread half the cheese over each tortilla, cut egg in half and lay each half on one side of each tortilla.  Top with beans and salsa, fold over.
  
• Eat!