Meal Plan Monday - Make it Work Edition

Due to expenses for my husband's birthday last week and the 8 year old's upcoming birthday in a few weeks in addition to both my husband and me expecting expense checks from our jobs that didn't come through, we got a little behind the 8 ball this week.  Rather than dip into savings or our emergency fund, we decided we'd try to make meal planning work from what I had in my meager stockpile in the pantry and the freezer.

Monday Meal Plan - Food Bloggers Against Hunger Edition

This week's meal plan is a bit different.  You see, in response to the film, A Place at the Table, which documents the lives of three families living with food insecurity, a very real problem in the United States, food bloggers have united to raise awareness the film and issues surrounding hunger in America.  

Did you know that 1 in 5 children in the United States struggle with hunger?  That's 16 million children - in the US.  Not Africa, not a third world country.  A first world country.  Children you pass every day when you take your child to school, when you enjoy the park on a sunny day, when you stock up on food at the grocery store go without food every day.

Momma's Chili

Like my momma's meatloaf, I suspect this was first my grandmother's chili.  Also like my momma's meatloaf, my mother and I don't make this the same way.  The basic "core" recipe is the same, but the combination of spices is slightly different.  And it's generally not made the same way twice.

Fine Mesh Sieve Substitute

I've mentioned before that I am a home cook who doesn't have a lot of the fancy gadgets and toys that a lot of home cooks these days have.  I'm generally okay with making do with what I have.  However occasionally not having a particular tool is frustrating.

Making the Best of Things - Meal Ideas

Cooking frugally sometimes is more of a challenge than one might think and it's easy to get into a rut. Fortunately, there are many websites who feature frugal recipes and meal ideas.

Making the Best of Things - Giving and Receiving Help

If you're struggling, sometimes it's difficult to know where to go to get help.  If you're like Pamela over at Hey, It's Me Again....Pamela, you know you want to help, but you're not sure how to get started.  Below are some resources to get you started.

Many food pantries receive funding or assistance through Feeding America.  These food pantries often are able to offer a wider variety of foods.  To find a food pantry near you, use some of these resources.

Feeding America Food Bank Food Pantry Locator 
I find the locator a little bit frustrating. When you enter your state or zip, you'll have to eventually click on a Google map to find pinned locations. But it's pretty accurate.

FoodPantries.org
Easy to use, but not very comprehensive.

Ample Harvest
It appears this site is primarily to help farmers find food pantries to donate their excess harvest to.

How to Find a Local Food Pantry
This article contains some good advise on looking for food pantries in your area. A word of caution about calling local churches, though. Many do not have food or funds available. This is a misnomer that many people believe. Twenty years ago, churches were much more equipped to provide food or other assistance to people in need, but the economy has hit them hard as well. That being said, it is worth calling churches to see if they can help you find resources. I keep a list of local organizations and food pantries at my desk because we get called frequently.

2-1-1
Another good place to call to help get started on finding resources.  Most 211 programs are run by The United Way.

Making the Best of Things - Food Pantry Distribution
Use this list to help you learn what are the most useful things to donate to a food bank or pantry.

Find the entire Making the Best of Things series here.

Making the Best of Things - Hamburger Macaroni Casserole - Recipe

So you've gotten a food pantry distribution and now you need a good recipe for a full meal with some of the items you've received?  Hamburger macaroni casserole is a great choice.  It's got grains, proteins and vegetables in one dish.  If you top it with a little cheese, you even get some dairy too.  It's also a very versatile dish that can be adapted based on what you have.

I adapted this from a recipe in my favorite cookbook, Mennonite Country Style Recipes by Esther Shank.   My college roommate gave me an autographed copy of this book as a wedding gift because I went to school just a few miles from where the author lives and where many of these recipes originated.  Almost 20 years later when I want to know how to make something or need meal ideas, I frequently turn to this book first.

Making the Best of Things - How to Utilize Your Food

Last week I talked about what foods you might expect to get from a food pantry.  Now I'll go over how to make what you've got work for you.  All of these ideas will utilize items that are common to receive from a food pantry with no or very few outside supplements.

Making the Best of Things - Food Pantry Distribution

We may not have all been there, but I'll bet you know someone who has had to depend on the kindness of others for their next meal.  In November 2009, my husband lost his job.  I wasn't working at the time, so we had no income at all.  At the time, we lived off our savings.  In August 2010, he found a job that lasted only 4 months, and I found a part time job as a local church secretary.  It took my husband almost another full year to replace the job that didn't work out.  During that time, we were fortunate enough to have help from friends, members of our own congregation, family, my bosses, and yes, a food pantry.

Making the Best of Things

Can I get serious for a post?

I am a secretary at a local church.  Of all the things that are difficult about my job, the most difficult is someone calling the church or coming in asking for financial assistance and not being able to help them fully.

The church is right on a major highway, so we frequently have folks come in who are homeless or traveling.  We try to help by providing foods that can be easily microwaved or eaten without needing any prep at all.  We also provide gas station vouchers if we have available funds to purchase them so people in need can buy gas or easy to prepare foods.