F$ Report Out aka my month on a food stamp budget

First off, thank you for joining me on my journey. I'm really glad to see that people can certainly live on food stamps, even if they have multiple exceptions to the "typical" American diet. I can only imagine it's difficult because there isn't room for sweets and a lot of pre-mades.

Quick credit where it's due, this is where I found the plan, please go and read it a little, I think it's interesting: http://www.gfcf-diet.talkaboutcuringautism.org/gfcfsf-diet-on-food-stamps.htm

I'm happy to report that I didn't spend a penny over the initial $240 and have lots of leftovers. I barely made a dent in the spices (the $40 portion of that expense) . As for the leftovers in my freezer: 8 servings of chicken, 8 servings of soups and chilies, 2 stuffed bell peppers, mostly full boxes of grits, beans and rice, 1 lb of carrots and celery sticks, loaf of bread and miscellaneous leftover vegetables and fruit.

I don't foresee going to the store for a couple more weeks, at least.

So, what other interesting tidbits do I have to share? Let's start with the maybe, as in I might be persuaded to cook this again:

Meat Stuffed Zucchini

Why? Because it tasted good and would look prettier if I'd have followed the instructions

Why not? Because half of it is on the stove, half in the oven and that's a lot of dishes for me to wash

Then on to the definitelys:

Black Bean Chili

Why? It's always been a fave but the herbs and celery gave it a freshness I luv

Stir fried Rice

Why? because it was fast and tasted so good! Also, because it was better than my 1st and only other attempt

Tacos

Why? Because they were fast and yummy. I'll have to use beef instead of poultry next time

Roast

Why? Do I have to answer that? Easy, healthy, tasty, good way to clean out the crisper...

Cream of Rice Cereal

Why? It grew on me. Truly comforting on a not-so-happy tummy and maple syrup made the difference in taste

Ratatouille

Why? It's fun to say! It's so pretty! It's so fast! Num Num Num!

Breakfast Potatoes

Why? mmm bacon...

Newman's Own Pasta Sauce

Why? Why not?

Then, sadly there are some meals I will have to give a big fat thumbs down.

Shepard's Pie

Why not? Too many dishes to wash and not enough yumminess for the bother

Meatloaf

Why not? Personal preference, even though the rice made it bearable, I'm just not ok with ground meat

Soup

Why not? Sadly, because I found out I'm allergic to chicken, otherwise I luv soup and would eat it every single day

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Why not? Lots of dishes, work, time, effort and in the end, I just don't like bell peppers cooked, I only dig em raw

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

Why not? So sad, the bread made my tummy hurt and I had flashbacks to my childhood filled with PB&J. Not all bad, I thought it was yummy - but I'm not a masochist

And that's my report in a nut shell. Don't forget the menu was filled with breakfasts of scrambled eggs and bacon, Rice Chex, pancakes, French toast and lunches accompanied by cornbread, gf croutons and potato chips. I didn't picture everything here, I mean you know what a hotdog and potato chips looks like, right? If not, leave me a comment and I'll send you a pic ;)

Now, I'm off to watch "Weekend @ Bernie's" with my BFF and have a little dinner. Probably leftover Ratatouille - it's even fun to type!