Lesson 664 – UB SNAP Challenge – Day 6

SNAP Challenge Day Six

A few thoughts as I go forward with this challenge.  I had made a few videos with some reflections on my experiences this week. A movie star I am not, but I did it to help the folks at the University of Bridgeport who are running this effort (Hi Jennifer).

In one of my videos, I’m wearing a green Under Armour jacket.

“It must be fun to pretend to be poor, nice jacket.” Was a comment I received.

I want to make it very clear here (again) that we are not poor. We are not poor in any sense of the word, however, like many others in America, we have been affected by the economy. I used to have a full time job, heck, I used to own an Instructional Design Training Business. When the economy tanked, my business disappeared. I now grab any and all writing gigs I can find. Sometimes they are one time jobs, sometimes I get repeat requests. I do what I can.

We are very fortunate that my husband has kept his job through this meltdown, but you can be sure, we hold our breaths every time they announce a layoff. It takes money to raise 6 kids.

But we are definitely not poor.

However, because our priorities are our kids, money is very, very tight right now. We have 2 kids in college and a 3^rd who will be going off to college next fall.

I would rather starve than have to take them out of school.

We have 4 kids with chronic illness, one with whom we are probably looking at adaptive technology and orthopedic braces at some point. We have insurance but the co-pays are hitting us very hard, over and over.

If it means we can get my son the equipment he needs to live independently, I’m okay telling the kids “The dishwasher is broken? Not a problem, God gave you two good dish washers apiece. ”

We make sure our kids are involved in sports, on teams, and we save so they can go on school trips (the FIRST team is going to compete in D.C. this year.)

I’m okay with wearing a heavy coat and gloves when I drive in the winter because the heater in the car only blows heat on the windshield if it means my kids will learn how to be contributing members.

No, we are not poor.

We don’t go on vacation, we don’t go on shopping sprees, and we watch every penny so that our kids get what they need to succeed. We have made choices and we live to promote those choices. We do what we can with what we have.

In many, many ways, we live very rich lives, no complaints here.

Oh, and that jacket? Glad you like it. I got it for $3.99 at our local SAVERS.

Breakfast –

I have tried very hard to vary this week’s diet so that I wouldn’t get bored, but I have to tell you that I have dreamed about having oatmeal with raisins and butter ever since the first day I had it. I could very easily eat this every day and be a happy person.

•  Oatmeal with raisins
• Tea

Used:

• ½ cup uncooked oatmeal
• 1 box raisins
• 2 pats of butter
• Cinnamon
• Tea bag

Lunch –

I happen to like spinach. The reason I bought a can of it was so that I could have some greens at the end of the week when the escarole would either be gone or too wilted to work with.  Although this dish was fine, I would have liked to sprinkle a little cheese (a teaspoon of feta) on each egg.

• Easy Eggs Florentine

Toast English muffins, take 1/3 can of spinach and drain the excess fluid, heat it in the microwave until warm (about 20 seconds) when hot, divide it onto toasts. Scramble an egg and divide it onto toasts. Add pepper on top.

• Apple slices

Used:

• 1 English muffin toasted
• 1/3 can of spinach
• 1 egg scrambled
• 1/2 Apple

To drink –water.

Afternoon snack

This is a picture I’ve already used, but I just want to remind you that on Day 6 – I’m still eating snacks.

• 11 Vanilla cookies (1 serving)
• Cup of tea

Dinner –

Dinner was the last of my chicken for the week, I decided to g out with a bang. I also roasted extra carrots so that I can use them in a meal tomorrow with the extra potato (I ate half of the potato for this meal.

• Baked Lemon Chicken thigh
• Roasted potatoes and carrots
• Spinach

In a pan, place chicken thigh skin up with two slices of lemon on it. Cut potato into eighths and cut carrots into chunks. Cook at 350 until chicken is done (about 30 minutes)

Used:

• Chicken thigh
• 2 lemon slices
• 1/3 can of Spinach
• Potato (half for tonight, half for tomorrow)
• 3 carrots (half for tonight, half for tomorrow)
• Butter for vegetables

Evening snack

• Slice of toast with butter.