The $25 Food Project: Day 7

I’m attempting to feed my 6-foot, 205-pound fiancé for one week for $25. This is our story.

Folks, we’re done. Wrapped. Fini. If this experiment was The Beatles, today is Let it Be. (Or Abbey Road, depending on what country you occupy.) We’re mostly pretty triumphant, and came in a penny under the $25, which I will now frame and hang in the shower.

There’s a ton coming tomorrow - conclusions, a shopping list, an exit interview – so we’re gonna cut straight to the numbers and a few notes tonight. Hope they’re informative, and we’ll see y’all soon!

DAY 7 TOTALS: 2575 calories, 98.3 g fat, 43 g fiber, $3.72
GRAND PRICE TOTAL: $24.99

BREAKFAST
2 servings Maple Morning Polenta: 516 calories, 9.2 g fat, 8.2 g fiber, $0.63
1 banana: 121 calories, 0.4 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, $0.23
TOTALS: 637 calories, 9.6 g fat, 11.7 g fiber, $0.86
PREP TIME: 10 minutes

LUNCH
1 serving Traditional Mashed Potatoes (skim milk): 250 calories, 9 g fat, 3.7 g fiber, $0.17
1/2 serving Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili: 122 calories, 3.3 g fat, 4.6 g fiber, $0.35
2/3 cup mixed baby greens: 5 calories, 0 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.20
1/2 tablespoon olive oil: 60 calories, 6.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.06
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar: 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.01
2 ounces chicken breast: 62 calories, 6.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.21
3 Snickerdoodles: 450 calories, 20.4 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, $0.30
TOTALS: 949 calories, 46.2 g fat, 10.8 g fiber, $1.30
PREP TIME: Made most of it during breakfast, plus 5 minutes

DINNER
3 jumbo eggs: 287 calories, 19.3 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.63
1 medium potato (5,7 oz): 157 calories, 0.2 g fat, 3.7 g fiber, $0.11
1 tablespoon veggie oil: 124 calories, 14 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.09
1/3 onion, minced: 15 calories, 0 g fat, 0.5 g fiber, $0.10
1/2 cup spinach: 15 calories, 0 g fat, 0.5 g fiber, $0.10
1 banana: 121 calories, 0.4 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, $0.23
TOTAL: 719 calories, 33.9 g fat, 8.2 g fiber, $1.26
PREP TIME: About 30 minutes

DESSERT
2 servings Roasted Chickpeas: 270 calories, 8.6 g fat, 12.3 g fiber, $0.30
TOTALS: 270 calories, 8.6 g fat, 12.3 g fiber, $0.30
PREP TIME: 35 minutes, mostly roasting

NOTES

• Dinner was a spinach frittata, home fries, and a banana. I loves me some frittatas because they’re easy and look good. Which is also how I like my men. (HAHAHAHA sorry.)
• He’s a big fan of breakfast in general, but the Maple Morning Polenta was a real hit with the Husband-Elect. I don’t know if it’s the taste or his love affair with corn products, but I’ll take it.
• I finally kicked the Chili tonight. Henceforth, it will be called Infinity Chili.

Easy Chicken Teryaki

This is a simple, healthy version of Chicken Teryaki. My kids love it! It has far less sugar than bottled Teryaki sauce and no perservatives/additives. I always have *Tamari and honey on hand, making for a quick, last minute super. I cook my chicken in my pressure cooker (which I couldn't live without!) I can throw in frozen solid chicken tenderloins and they cook in 3 minutes and all of the moisture is locked in. The chicken falls apart and is very moist and flavorful. If your not lucky enough to have a pressure cooker, first, put it on your next birthday wish list, and for now bake, boil, poach or grill your chicken, do not fry your chicken!

* Tamari, unlike regular soy sauce, does not have any additives/perservatives in it. Use the low sodium Tamari.

Ingredients


6-8 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
2 cups snow peas
2 cups chopped bok choy
1/2 cup low sodium *Tamari soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 cups cooked basmati rice

Directions:

1. Cook chicken: bake at 350 deg. for about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet or Wok on medium heat, add oil

3. add garlic and ginger, saute for 2 minutes.

4. add Bok Choy, saute for about 3 more minutes until cooked down.

5. in a small bowl, mix together Tamari & honey.

6. pour into the Wok stir until it starts to boil softly. turn down heat a bit, cook for 3-4 minutes.

7. Add chicken and snow peas.

8. Serve over basmatil rice.

Prep Time: 5 min. Cook Time: 25 min.


Calories 167 , Calories from Fat 23 (13%)
Amount Per Serving %DV

Total Fat 2.6g 3%
Saturated Fat 0.5g 2%
Monounsaturated Fat 1.1g
 Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1385mg 57%,
Potassium 219mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 31.9g 10%,
 Dietary Fiber 1.7g 6%
Sugars 13.7g,
Protein 5.5g 10%

Greener Cleaners

If I had to choose just one piece of advice to give... just one, it would be to stop buying and using harsh cleaning products to use in your home. Not only are they very harmful to you, your family, pets, and the environment, they are also expensive and totally unncessary!

Some of the most harmeful poisons out there are found in household cleaners!!!

Long term health concerns for the family, and environmental pollution caused by their manufacture and disposal. In the US, for example, 1 in 3 people suffer from allergies, asthma, sinusitis or bronchitis (US National Center for Health Statistics). Treatment for these conditions should include reducing synthetic chemicals in the home environment.




Simple Solutions:

"All Hail Vinegar!!!"

***White distilled vinegar is a popular household cleanser, effective for killing most mold, bacteria, and germs, due to its level of acidity.

Click here for 1001 uses for Vinegar!!

 

Floors:

Wood: 1/4 cup white vinegar1 gallon warm water

Linoleum: 1 cup white vinegar2 gallons warm water

Baking soda: provides grit for scrubbing and reacts with water, vinegar or lemon (excellent by fizzing, which speeds up cleaning times

***Tip: I sprinkle a thick layer of baking soda in my oven and then spray lemon water over it till damp and let sit for at least an hour, re-spray if it dries, then the caked on burnt food ( from when my husband cooks I'm sure... ;-) scrubs right off! No harsh, yucky oven cleaner filling your lungs with toxins!



Distilled white vinegar: disinfects and breaks up dirt; choose white vinegar over apple cider or red vinegars, as these might stain surfaces

Lemon juice is another natural substance that can be used to clean, disinfect and deoderize your home! Lemon juice is a natural antibacterial! You really really don't need chemicals!

Olive oil: picks up dirt and polishes wood; cheaper grades work well

Bleach alternative: 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide

All-Purpose Cleaner: 1/2 cup borax1 gallon hot water

*Again, lablels are very misleading! Don't trust a product because it says "non-toxic" or "biodgradable". These claims are not regulated!

Check out this video on easy Do It Yourself or safer cleaners.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/going-green-environment/green-home-makeover/green-cleaning-gg.html

You might also like:

Remove Toxins From Your Home

Grapefruit Quinoa Salad

I love this recipe! I serve it as a side dish for grilled salmon or chicken. Make extra and have leftovers for a super healthy fresh summer salad! I got this recipe here.






Prep Time: 35 min. Cook Time: 15 min.

Ingredients:


1 medium grapefruit


8 thin slices fresh ginger


1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil


3/4 cup quinoa


1 1/2 cups water


1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning


1 tablespoon white wine vinegar


2 teaspoons honey


1 small serrano or jalapeno chile, minced (with seeds for maximum heat)


2 scallions (both white and green parts), minced


2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Freshly ground black pepper




Directions:



Strip the peel from the grapefruit with a vegetable peeler, taking care not to include the bitter white pith.


 Warm the grapefruit peel, ginger, and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the oil starts to bubble, after about 2 minutes, remove from heat.


Set the oil aside to steep for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve the oil.


Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa in a bowl and drain. Put the quinoa in a small saucepan with the water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes.


Set aside off the heat, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and fluff with a fork. Cool.


Segment the grapefruit over a bowl, reserving the segments and juice separately.


Whisk 3 tablespoons of the grapefruit juice with the vinegar, honey, and salt to taste in a medium bowl.


Gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons of the reserved grapefruit oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a stream to make a slightly thick dressing.


Season with pepper to taste.


Toss quinoa with the dressing, chiles, scallions, and cilantro.


 Season with salt and pepper, to taste.


Preheat a stovetop or outdoor grill to high heat.
Thread the salmon cubes onto the skewers. Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon grapefruit oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill the skewers, turning as each side browns but the salmon is still moist, about 3 minutes.


Toss the grapefruit segment into the salad, divide among 4 plates, and top with the salmon kebobs.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ask the Internet: $25 Grocery List From Scratch?

This week’s question is related to the $25 Food Project, and I’ve thought about quite a lot over the last coupla days.

Q: You have $25 to feed yourself for a full week. You’re starting from scratch, with nothing in your pantry, freezer, or refrigerator. What do you purchase?

A: My answers would have been different last Tuesday. But here goes, based on prices from a popular online grocery site:

• Eggs - $2.19 (1 dozen)
• Frozen string beans - $1.25 (1 lb)
• Frozen broccoli - $1.25 (1 lb)
• Red grapes - $1.98 (2 lbs)
• Peanut Butter - $2 (16 oz)
• Grape jelly – $1.50 (32 oz)
• Whole wheat bread - $1.50 (18 oz)
• Oatmeal - $3.69 (42 oz)
• Thin spaghetti - $0.77 (1 lb)
• Long grain white rice - $1.99 (32 oz)
• Canned Tomatoes - $1.20 (28 oz)
• Dried navy beans - $1.00 (1 lb)
• Salt - $0.59
• Pepper - $1.49
• Vegetable oil - $2.50 (48 oz)
• 1 mini York Peppermint patty - $0.10 at the register

TOTAL: $25

I figure I can deal with a lack of variety the first week, since I wouldn’t have to buy so many staples (oatmeal, oil, rice) the following week. That extra money would probably go towards onions, flour, sugar, and maybe some kind of meat (if there was anything left over).

What about you, readers? Do you agree with the list? What would you add? What would you leave out? If you’re making your own list, there’s no need to list prices – we trust you.

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

The $25 Food Project: Day 6

I’m attempting to feed my 6-foot, 205-pound fiancé for one week for $25. This is our story.

First, hi there, folks from BoingBoing! Welcome to Cheap Healthy Good. Hope you like the food.

Second, it’s the FINAL COUNTDOWN, ladies and gentlemen. Day 6 has come and gone, and we’re in cruise control here at the compound. We even have an extra $0.16 left for tomorrow. To the layman, $0.16 sounds like a piddling. In terms of this experiment, we may as well have been handed a lobster. (Um, not really.)

The Husband-Elect, “feels I’ve eaten a lot in the last week. And if I was to keep up these kinds of meals at regular intervals, I would have to exercise to avoid gaining weight. Also, all this peanut butter makes me feel like Mr. Ed – like a horse being forced to look like he’s talking? You know what I mean? That’s what I’m saying.” Deep.

With that, today’s numbers!

DAY 5 TOTALS: 2620 calories, 85.1 g fat, 38.2 g fiber, $3.54
GRAND PRICE TOTAL (SO FAR): $21.27

BREAKFAST
1 1/2 servings Gingersnap Oatmeal: 395 calories, 4.8 g fat, 6.8 g fiber, $0.63
1 banana: 121 calories, 0.4 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, $0.23
TOTALS: 516 calories, 5.2 g fat, 10.3 g fiber, $0.86
PREP TIME: 10 minutes

LUNCH
1/2 serving Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili: 122 calories, 3.3 g fat, 4.6 g fiber, $0.35
1 cup brown rice: 219 calories, 1.5 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, $0.15
1 orange: 62 calories, 0.1 g fat, 3.1 g fiber, $0.25
3 Snickerdoodles: 450 calories, 20.4 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, $0.30
TOTALS: 853 calories, 25.3 g fat, 12.7 g fiber, $1.05
PREP TIME: Made it while cooking breakfast

DINNER
5-oz chicken breast: 156 calories, 1.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.53
2 servings Traditional Mashed Potatoes (skim milk): 500 calories, 17.9 g fat, 7.4 g fiber, $0.35
5 ounces roasted carrots: 58 calories, 0.3 g fat, 4 g fiber $0.30
1/2 tablespoon olive oil: 60 calories, 6.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.06
1 serving All Recipes Brown Gravy: 90 calories, 8.7 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, $0.06
TOTALS: 864 calories, 35.3 g fat, 11.5 g fiber, $1.30
PREP TIME: 50 minutes - by a long shot, the longest prep period this week

DESSERT
2 tablespoons peanut butter: 190 calories, 16 g fat, 2 g fiber, $0.13
1 piece Light Banana Bread: 197 calories, 3.3 g fat, ~1.7 g fiber, $0.20
TOTALS: 387 calories, 19.3 g fat, 3.7 g fiber, $0.33

NOTES

• Today marks the first time I’ve ever made gravy for a non-Thanksgiving occasion. It was way easier than I thought it would be, probably because there wasn’t a 16-pound bird competing for my attention.
• I tried the banana bread/peanut butter combo today. Then I died, went to heaven, found it was lacking banana bread, and came back to Earth.
• Up top is a picture of our Rancor. On Christmas, he wears a hat.

On an Easy White Bean Dip Recipe and Being Late to the Party

Today on Serious Eats, it’s Niçoise Pasta Salad. If you’re craving a little bit of summer, you will love this like a loving lover.

The Onion’s AV Club recently asked its writers about art they discovered too late – stuff that could have been life-changing at 17, but meant zilch at 27. A few contributors mentioned video games and Star Wars. Another, Harry Potter. One woman claimed Bob Dylan did nothing for her, having been subjected to so many bad impressions before hearing the actual thing.

It was kind of a bummer, honestly. (A life without Star Wars is a life without joy.) But it got me thinking about things I waited too long to try, and how that timeframe affected my appreciation for them.

Let’s see. Emo music is definitely one. What I might have found romantic and charmingly melancholy at 20 sounded like self-indulgent whining at 25. Same goes for everything on Cartoon Network. In 2000, it could have been revelatory. In 2010, I just want Tim & Eric to get to the point already.

The big tuna: I read On the Road when I was 27, about ten years after I should have. It came highly recommended, and the prose was all it was cracked up to be – weird and gorgeous, evocative and elusive.

The problem came with the message. Instead of, “Let’s hop in a Chevy, ditch this town, and fill our time with freedom, just like Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarity!” I thought, “What irresponsible jags, leaving their families and responsibilities for such silliness. Those beatniks need some damn jobs.” Harsh, man. Harsh.

The experience made me happy I caught One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest my sophomore year of college, and Catcher in the Rye in 9th grade. They’ll always be two of my favorite novels, probably because all teenagers relate to alienation. Sometimes I wonder if I would find them foolish now, if I had just picked them up for the first time. How sad.

It’s such a relief, then, that the opposite happened with food and cooking. They meant nothing to me as a kid; they were means to an end. The less time they took, the better. But age has made me appreciate vegetables and cast iron pans, spices and the pleasures of a good roast chicken.

There’s no easy way to segue into a White Bean Dip here, so I’ll just awkwardly cut to the chase: this recipe is tasty, fantastically easy, and dang addictive. It’s barely even cooking, actually – more like alchemy. Just a few ingredients thrown together to create manna.

That aside, what about you, readers? What did you discover too late? How do they differ from the things you found later, but appreciated immediately? What do you look forward to getting into? It's all about possibilities, isn't it? And if something doesn't connect, that's okay. But what a thrill when it does.

~~~
If you like this recipe, you might also appreciate:

• Baba Ghanouj
• Lemony Hummus
• Roasted Eggplant Spread

~~~

White Bean Dip
Makes 6 servings of 1/4 cup each.
Adapted from Ellie Krieger.
(This is actually a picture of CHG's hummus, because ... uh, technical malfunction? They look pretty much the same, though.)

1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Puree. Taste and see if you like the results. If not, add more of what’s missing. Serve.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
115 calories, 4.5 g fat, 4 g fiber, $0.28

Calculations
1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained: 440 calories, 0 g fat, 24 g fiber, $0.99
1 clove garlic: 4 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, $0.05
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil: 239 calories, 27 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.23
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice: 8 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, $0.40
Kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.01
TOTAL: 691 calories, 27.1 g fat, 24.2 g fiber, $1.69
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 115 calories, 4.5 g fat, 4 g fiber, $0.28