Had to stop at the grocery for dd to buy a few things she needed for her dinner last night- she made sauted leeks from the farm served on toasted baguettes, mushroom and cheese quiches, and sugar bread.  I spent $15, also buying Tang and chocolate milk powder to have some hot beverages in the house.  Have $50 left until 10/13. 

Was at Walmart to get a prescription, bought some treats- peanut butter m and m's, granola bars, fruit snacks.  Spent $9, $40 left until 10/13.  The m and m's are gone, almost, and the granola bars are 1/2 gone already!   

Dear Tracy, I pray that you don't have to go too much into your own cash to feed your family until the 13th.  Can you manage on $10/day with all those children?  Love in Him, Deb

Dear All, This morning I went to Whole Foods for yoghurt & to get the ingredients for a superlative veggie puree that I've made before.  I spent $18 exactly, & have $136.28 left until 11/1.

"A delicious puree of mixed vegetables," by Madhur Jaffrey, calls for jalapeno peppers & onions, which I had ready-chopped in the freezer.  It also calls for julienne carrot strips -- I only have coins & grated carrot in the freezer -- I'll put up some julienned, but not now.  Also:  garlic, thawed frozen spinach, 10 green beans, a potato, a large tomato (the recipe calls for 2, but I was splurging already not to open a can), a zucchini, a bunch of dill, & split peas.  When it's cooked, you mash it with a potato masher.  We'll be cooking it on Fri afternoon.

I have TONS of spinach in the freezer, but could not find it in a 10-minutes search (without an aide), & the price at WF was quite fair.

Yours in Him, Deb

Deb, you can never have too much spinach can you?

I am fine for food, we have lots here and  just need milk and eggs.  We went through two dozen eggs since the weekend, with people making french toast, cookies, and toad in a hole- egg fried in a piece of bread.  I have had two extra kids the past few weeks, they are good eaters. We had a picnic inside today, one little girl moved from her plate to finish her friend's untouched sandwich, then tried to push her other friend out of the way to eat off her plate!  I'm feeding them, really.  

I am working on my list and coupons for the 13th.  My amount for food stamps goes down to about $562 or so, I think, as dd worked fulltime in August and dh was working in Iowa, they counted all of his wages, and none of his expenses of $700 rent or about $300 in gas to commute, about half his pay.  Luckily we have a stocked pantry and freezer.  No spinach, though!  Do you ever have have creamed spinach on toast? 

I bought bananas ... 63 cents (39c/lb) at the convenience store ... the cheapest place to buy.

At the grocery store:

• breyers lactose free ice cream (no longer on sale) $3.49
• boneless chicken breasts 3# for $5.99
• 8 frozen containers of cranberry &/or cran/raz @ $1.09ea
• 2 frozen lemonade concentrates 69c/ea
• mock tenderloin $4.21
• 5# of russett potatoes for $1.99
• celery 79c
• 2 bags of salad 2/$3
• honeycrisp apples $3.98 (didn't realize the price! $2.29/lb!) didn't buy many either
  
• 1.55lbs of roma tomatoes for 89c/lb $1.38
• 3# of gala apples for $2.99 (already bagged)
• and 2 cans of tuna (chick of sea) for 67c/ea

Dear Luvd_Lioness, You only have 3 days to go to get your Food Stamps replenished, so I trust that you will make it through. 

Dear All, Remember my $18 shopping trip to Whole Foods on Weds?  It might have seemed that I did not get full value for my money.  WEll, I was so excited about the ingredients for the veggie puree that I forgot to say that I also got 3 Mineola tangelos & 2 large lemons.  This was the 1st time tht lemons wree marked at 79cents in many months.

Dear Tracy, BUMMER that only medical & utility expenses (to the best of myknowledge) are deducted from net income to figure available income.  I'm sorry to hear that your Food Stamps amount will go down so precipitously.

Yours in Him, Deb

I am hoping we'll do fine, I don''t know how they can count his income 100%, as he sent some of it back home, but none of his expenses- they are counting our mortgage already, $1705, and said this was the max for housing, but his income really was $1932 take home pay- $700 rent-$300 gas to and from, I would have said he contributed $932 to the household, if that, as he needed to buy things down there, bought quite a bit of food at work.  I think they are just saying this to simplify their paperwork, they haven't had many cases of a two state household, and the one lady aid there was no way to put in rent on top of a mortgage for housing, they had tried to do two rents for another large family that was in two apts.  

Spent the last of my food stamps on good sales- 99 cents for a lb of real butter and a dozen eggs, I bought four of each.  also yogurt for school and work people, powdered sugar, decorator frosting for cake, nutela for a birthday present for dd, flour on sale for $1.48, sugar on sale for $1.48, gum for the kids for Christmas stockings, margerine.  

Spent money out of pocket for laundry soap, on sale and with a $1 coupon, and plastic wrap, which we've been out of for a month or so.

Total spent on food- $33, total spent of other-$16, total saved with sales and coupons-$14.

Dear Tracy, Will your Food Stamps come in tomorrow the 13th?  I'm sending out a BIG prayer that the amount will approach what you need.

BTW, I LOVE spinach in any form.  BUT I hate the work of fresh spinach, & always use chopped frozen.  Lazy me!  Of course, it would be different if I had a garden!

Love in Him, Deb

My stamps were reupped, for $542 for the month.  This is almost $200 less than last month.  I will shop carefully and use food from my stockpile.  Luckily, I still have farm share produce for a few more weeks, also.  This should be fine.  

I am very glad I did cashout the IRA this summer and qualify.  We have been eating much healthier since we recieved food stamps, and I am very grateful for them, every time I go to the store.