Lentil Soup Recipe

As promised, here is my version of Mark Bittman’s Lentil Soup:

Lentil Soup with Bacon

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped fine
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large potato, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 cup of red lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 bay leaf
5-6 cups of stock and/or water (I used about 4 cups of vegetable stock and another 1 1/2 cups chicken stock)
1/4 pound bacon, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a big soup pot, fry up the bacon until it’s crispy; add in the chopped onion and carrots and cook just until slightly soft. Add the rest of ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer the whole thing until the lentils, potatoes, and vegetables are tender (about half an hour or so).

Eat on $30: Concluding Remarks

The week is over. I spent much less than I expected, and it was easier than I thought it would be. Why? Because I cheated, sort of. As far as I can tell, the folks in the blogosphere who have done the $30/week challenge have restricted themselves to eating only what they buy within their budget for the week. So, that would mean no lentil soup, fresh bread, or brownies for me, since they all used ingredients I had on hand. But my objective was not just to see if I could do something for a week; I was really trying to see if this way of eating would be feasible for my family for the long term. I now believe it is, and so I have no intention of going back to my old ways of shopping and eating. I have no doubt this will get increasingly difficult as my on-hand supplies dwindle, but I expect my skills in the kitchen and with shopping on such a tight budget will only grow.

I’ve really struggled with my “food identity” throughout my life. I have bounced from extreme restriction to gluttonous indulgence and have dilly-dallied everywhere in between. Right now I’m focused on finding a balance in everything I do, and that includes food and eating. I know that by grocery shopping on only $30 a week I am not going to save the world; I also know that, to some people, restricting our grocery budget while not restricting our dining-out budget may seem hypocritical, but again, what I’m looking for is balance. Not eating out at all would be, for us, not unlike punishment, as there are so many wonderful restaurants in Austin. But I hope that, by cutting back in other areas, we can strike that elusive balance between eating out every night and cooking everything from scratch.

Eat on $30: Day 7

Last night was Erik’s company Christmas party, so we got to dine like quasi-royalty for zero dollars. We left Eliza with our friend Akina for the evening, and they both had a great time. I was worried about leaving Eliza for the first time, but it was really nice to get to act like a grown-up for a while. Of course, after a couple of hours we both missed Eliza something fierce, and couldn’t wait to get her back in our arms. A big THANK YOU to Ms. Adderley for being brave enough to take on a separation-anxious seven-month-old.

Dinner tonight is going to be scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and that last big honkin’ potato. I love having breakfast for dinner; it’s oddly sinful, and feels kind of like you’re violating the space/time continuum.

I’ve yet to use the ground turkey or the chicken thighs I bought, so I’m going to freeze them for future use. So, even though I’ve been using up the cache of odds and ends in my kitchen, I am also adding to the stores. I have no doubt the frozen meats will come in handy some week when our budget is stretched to its limit.

I picked up coffee yesterday, for a grand total of $2.69. So, unless something comes up today that requires another purchase, we’re well under budget for the week. If I decide to continue this experiment for another week (which I probably will), I’ll roll that $5.59 into next week’s budget.

TOTAL
Spent: $24.41
Left: $5.59

Eat on $30: Day 6

Well, I caved into peer pressure last night and ate dinner out. In a restaurant. After the church-stravaganza, it was suggested that a bunch of us go get something to eat. We didn’t go anywhere fancy, but I was definitely aware of how much more it costs for a simple hamburger in a restaurant as opposed to making it yourself.

I’m not going to factor in our dining-out costs with our grocery budget; I never said we were going to avoid dining out entirely. We’ve done a great job at cutting back, though, as that was the first time I’d eaten in a restaurant in weeks. As enamored as I currently am with Not Eating Out in New York, it’s not for me, at least not right now. Too many rules can backfire so very quickly.

I’m not going to let myself feel guilty for eating out last night. Instead I”m going to focus on my successes: I’ve made delicious soup, bread, brownies, and dal from scratch and we are currently under budget for the week. I feel much more confident in my skills as a cook and whereas a week ago the thought of shopping on $30 a week was an entertaining notion in which I didn’t have full confidence, I am now wholly sure it’s not only doable, but a much more healthy way to eat.

I’ve been asked by more than one person, “But what will you do when your cupboards and fridge resources are depleted? How can you stay under budget and still buy all the stuff you need?” Well, that’s the point, isn’t it? The average food benefit that someone on government assistance (SNAP) receives per month is only $101. So, there are a lot of people who have to live on even less than $30 a week. And that’s just in the U.S., one of the richest nations in the world. Besides, these guys have been eating on $30 a week for over a year now and they haven’t died, or exploded, or even just quit. Maybe once my overflowing cupboards have stopped flowing and all those bits and pieces stashed in the freezer are gone I’ll have to rethink things, but in the meantime, ONWARD!

TOTAL
Spent $21.72 (not counting dinner out last night)
Left $8.28

Eat on $30: Day 5

First of all, I made bread yesterday. Sure, it’s a big salty. And yeasty. And dense. But it’s totally edible and I am happy to use it as our bread this week. I’m quite proud of myself.

So dinner last night was, indeed, leftover lentil soup and fresh bread with butter. Mmmmm . . . it made me very happy.

I made waffles and bacon today for lunch for me and Erik. There’s something about a lazy Sunday afternoon that just screams out for the combined blissful smells of waffles fresh off the iron and salty bacon frying in a pan. Add in a fresh pot of coffee and, as they say in football, it’s a slam dunk.

Tonight I’m taking Eliza to see Erik perform in a Christmas concert at the Gateway church in north Austin. Now, we are by no means God-fearing folks, but I see nothing wrong with listening to talented musicians play lovely holiday music and maybe hearing some nice messages of peace, love, and kindness. Even a staunch atheist like myself can see the beauty in such an event.

But I”m not sure what’s going to happen for dinner. Right now I’m so full of waffley goodness that I can’t even comprehend eating again for a while. There’s still lots of soup left over, and of course there’s bread. I’m sure I’ll figure something out.

TOTAL
Spent $21.72
Left $8.28

Eat on $30: Day 4

I have something in common with the fine folks at 30 Bucks a Week (besides, of course, the 30 bucks a week thing): We both LOVE us some Mark Bittman. I picked up a copy of How to Cook Everything a few months ago, and it, combined with the genius that is Cooks Illustrated, are really all you need to cook anything.

Erik was out last night, so I made Bittman’s lentil soup with bacon. I didn’t have celery, but had extra carrots left from an impulse buy at the farmers market a couple of weeks ago. I added in one of the big honkin’ potatoes I bought yesterday, and used up the vegetable and chicken stocks in my fridge. The soup is really quite delicious, and it was a great way for me to use up some more odds and ends in my kitchen. I also made a quick cheese quesadilla to accompany, but the soup was plenty hearty on its own and really didn’t need any accompaniment. The bacon gave the soup a lightly smoky flavor, and the potato and carrot chunks cooked just long enough to be soft but not mushy. The only spices I added were a bay leaf (as per the recipe) and some black pepper. I skipped the salt because of the added saltiness of the bacon, and it was perfect. Seriously, this recipe is a keeper.

I also whipped up a batch of brownies that really hit the spot. I needed some serious food TLC last night, and the meal I made was exactly that. Dinner tonight will be leftover lentil soup and (if it turns out okay) some fresh homemade bread. It may not be as wintry here in Austin as it is in my hometown, but a bowl of hearty soup and warm bread slathered in butter is the perfect dinner on a cold night.

I’ll try to type up and post my version of the recipe later today.

TOTAL
Spent $21.72
Left $8.28

Eat on $30: Day 3

I just returned from my first Eat on $30 shopping trip, and I think I did pretty well. I spent $21.72 on food, leaving $8.28 for anything we might need in the next couple of days. Or, if we decide to continue this project, we can roll the extra over into next week.

I even managed to buy some meats with that $21.72. I bought chicken thighs, which I’ve never cooked in my life, and some ground turkey, which is always good for something. Oh, and bacon. Despite all my vegetarian tendencies, I loves me some bacon. I’m thinking about putting the turkey and chicken in the freezer until it’s time to use them, because I have a nasty habit of not cooking meat before it goes bad. And now that I’m counting every penny, I really don’t want to waste anything.

For breakfast I had yet another almond butter and blackberry jam sandwich. I made one for Erik, too, which used up the last of our bread. Instead of spending at least $3 on bread at the store, I thought I’d try my hand at baking some today. We’ll see how that goes.

For dinner I might try making lentil soup, but it depends on how the day progresses. As per my last post, I’m not going to push myself too hard. Now, I will be making brownies later, so I may end up having bread and brownies for dinner. But that’s okay. Isn’t that what they eat in Europe?

Here’s the rundown of my shopping trip:

4 bananas .71
1 green bell pepper .84
1 navel orange .71
2 big ol’ baking potatoes 1.79
2 yogurts 2.50
Ground turkey 1.49
Bacon 2.50
1 dozen eggs 2.08
Tortilla chips 2.50
1 pound butter 1.99
Chicken thighs 2.87
Half and half 1.74

TOTAL
Spent $21.72
Left $8.28

I Am Not Superwoman

The past couple of nights have been rough. Eliza has been waking at least every hour wanting to eat or cuddle or play. We’ve been trying to get her on some semblance of a “schedule,” so her bedtime has been moved from whenever we feel like it to between 7:00 and 8:00. She doesn’t like sleeping alone (we usually co-sleep), but Erik and I have been sorely in need of a few Eliza-free hours in the evening.

But Eliza begs to differ, and she has been protesting in the only way she knows how: by torturing me with sleep deprivation. She might also be teething, which just throws another wrench in the clunky machine we’re calling bedtime. Such is life with a babe.

After I had a mini-meltdown the other night, mainly due to being overtired and trying to get a too-complex dinner finished before it was time for an equally overtired Eliza to go to bed, I realized I am suffering from Superwoman Syndrome. That is, I have been trying way too hard to prove to myself that I can do more than is humanly possible. The sad fact is, I am human, and am therefore bound by the restraints of being such.

So, maybe I can’t be a full-time stay-at-home mom, cook a full dinner from scratch every night, keep the house clean, exercise, write a book, be a freelance writer, be a freelance editor, write a blog, and stay involved in social activities, all with a smile on my face. Maybe I need to pick a few of those things and leave it at that. Maybe in a few months, or a few years, I’ll be able to do more, but my guess is, if I keep pushing myself like this, someone’s gonna get hurt.

I LOVE being a stay-at-home mom, so that’s obviously going to stay the same, but I think I need to put the pursuit of a new, flashy freelance writing career on the back burner for now. And the book writing isn’t going they way I want it to (it requires way more concentration than I am capable of mustering right now), so that’s getting put on hold as well. I also love blogging, so I’m definitely going to keep that up, but my dinners (and lunches and breakfasts) are gonna be dialed down. No more three-hour tuna casserole or ten-step chicken enchiladas. If I can start it early in the day, with minimal effort, it’s for me. I never thought I’d be one of those people who tout the life-saving merits of the Crock Pot, but I also never thought I’d enjoy spending so much time with a baby.

Does this sound depressing? I hope not. I’m actually feeling good. I’ve kind of realized my limitations and, with minimal pain and suffering, re-evaluated what is currently important to me. For example, maybe I won’t find fame and fortune as a writer this month, but I am going to make brownies tonight and enjoy every bite. Right now, that’s the level of excitement I can handle, and I am so very fine with that.

Eat on $30: Day 2

It’s definitely time to go shopping. Today I had two almond butter and blackberry jam sandwiches, a grilled cheese sandwich, the leftover coconut rice pudding from yesterday, and some yogurt.

TOTAL
Spent: $0.00
Left $30.00

Eat on $30: Day 1

I started out documenting everything we ate today, but then it occurred to me that maybe that information would be totally uninteresting to a reader. So, in a nutshell, for breakfast I made some coconut rice pudding using leftover rice and a can of coconut milk that’s been in my cupboard since the beginning of time; for lunch I had an almond butter and blackberry jam sandwich; for a snack I made some less-than-stellar rotis out of leftover dal and some whole wheat flour; and dinner was a version of my tuna casserole using only ingredients I had on hand (so no fresh cremini mushrooms or lemon juice). In total, I spent zero dollars because I still haven’t had to go to the store.

You might be saying to yourself, “Hey, they had tuna casserole for dinner and they said they were going vegetarian for the week!” Well, we had a heart-to-heart yesterday, and Erik told me he really doesn’t want to go veg–at least not all at once–so I’m going to try to include some meats in my shopping budget for this week. I really don’t know how plausible it is for two people to eat on $30 a week, including meat, but we’ll see. I made a commitment and I’m sticking to it.

Coconut Rice Pudding

Ingredients

1 1/4 c cooked rice
1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
1/4 c sugar
1 cinnamon stick
5-6 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients except the vanilla in a saucepan; bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Add vanilla extract. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed. Eat hot or chill in the fridge first.

TOTAL
Spent: $0.00
Left: $30.00

So far, so good.