3 More Days and Counting……

There’s is a strange funk coming from my pantry. I can’t seem to put my foot on
it. It is a smell that is a cross between the smell of old, wet feet and a dog
who rolled in some dead fish.

I realize some of my potatoes have gone
off. This is devastating news. To realize that another limitation has been
placed on our family is enough to make me cry.

We now have some cheese,
eggs, cereal, bread and spaghetti left along with a bit of salad with no salad
dressing. If I have to eat another egg, I am going to start to cluck.

What began
with an abundance of food has dwindled quickly with very few meal choices left.
We are all starting to get a bit tired of this project. 3 more days to go and
counting…..

Caitlin, Day 4: Did I Choo-Choo-Choose This?

Back when I was in high school, I once helped a homeless man at Lindsay Park (now the Talisman Centre) by buying him a cup of coffee. While he waited outside, I ran inside and bought the coffee from the concession area, and proudly presented it to him – thinking my good deed of the day was done.

“Could you get me some cream and sugar?” he asked.

At the time, I was truly taken aback. Couldn’t this guy just be grateful he had gotten a free coffee, period? Why couldn’t he just appreciate my gift – why did he have to go and be picky about it now?

However, now – living on this emergency food hamper for a week – I totally understand where this man was coming from. Just because you’re poor doesn’t mean that you don’t have taste, and I find myself wishing for certain substitutions – many of which wouldn’t cost any additional money – with my food this week. For example, I pride myself on making healthy choices at the supermarket, such as opting for whole-wheat spaghetti over white, skim instead of 2% milk, getting my fruit servings from fresh produce instead of juice, or choosing cheese without added colouring (I’ve managed to convert my fiancé to white cheddar, too – the orange dye isn’t worth it). Although it’s true that some of my health-conscious choices are more expensive (boneless skinless chicken breasts, pre-packaged egg whites, or imported produce with nutrients I’m not getting elsewhere), some of them are just a matter of choice. If it’s the same cost for the Food Bank to give me light cream cheese instead of full-fat cream cheese, why can’t I get it?

They say beggars can’t be choosers – but I’d argue that beggars still have an opinion, too, it’s just that it’s swallowed out of respect and gratitude for the generosity of others. But if I’d rather have a red Gala apple instead of a green Granny Smith, is that wrong?

I feel spoiled turning my nose up at some of the items in my emergency food hamper. How lucky am I, I think, to not be so hungry that I can actually reflect on what I’d rather eat instead. If I were truly in crisis, if I were famished and starving, I’d probably scarf down any free morsel of food I could get. But I think that the general public needs to remember that a lot of Food Bank clients will have desires and likes and dislikes when it comes to their food. I’ve been guilty of putting my reject, no-name canned goods with questionable contents into drop-off bins, too. But maybe, after this week, I’ll be more conscientious about throwing in items that I’d like to eat, too.

– Caitlin.

Kathryn, Day 3: The Disruption Continues…

As our third day comes to a close I have come to realize just how much our daily routine is based around the food we eat. When that food changes, and it has completely changed this week, my kids routine and my routine has changed as well.

Tonight, I would normally have cooked one meal and we would have sat around the table eating it together. Because our meal choices are becoming more limited as we eat the items from the hamper, we are having to eat different foods. My husband grabbed a bagel and margarine, my kids had spaghetti again and I had a salad with cheese. I was a bit sad each of us was not sharing the same meal, or cooking it together.

In a real crisis where we had needed to receive a food hamper, your stress level would already be so high. To add a total disruption to something so ingrained into your day, like food, would be that much more difficult – despite the fact that you were grateful you had something to feed your children.

I have been feeling pretty sad today in general, I am not sure this is because I am still jonesing for a cup of joe or the fact that the reality of how difficult some mother’s lives are and how some children have to grow up is finally sinking in. Most of all, I am feeling grateful today. Grateful I can afford to feed my family, and grateful that we have a food bank if I hit a tough patch.

So with that, I am off to find an Oreo. We have started to ration them to make it through the week.

Kathryn, Day 2: My Kingdom for a Cup of Coffee

After my initial reactions to this project subsided, I started to fell pretty excited. Yes, these ingredients were new but there was a lot to choose from. I went to bed last night feeling confident that we, as a family, would do really well on this adventure.

And then morning came, fast. You see it was my daughter’s first school trip away from home, she was going to ride the bus to Butterfield Acres and spend the entire day there. She could hardly contain her excitement. She went to bed last night pumped about her access to Oreo cookies and the fact she would get to ride the bus in the morning. She woke me up at 4:45 am by saying “Mommy, get up, I don’t want to be late for the bus!” and nor would she being up 4 hours earlier than the established arrival time.

After a few minutes of trying to coax her to back to bed, I gave up and headed downstairs for a cup of coffee. I had remembered to put coffee on my grocery list, the only thing was that I didn’t buy groceries this week. By 9 am I had a splitting detox headache and I was cursing this wretched blog and everyone associated with it. I needed a Venti Latte, 2 Advil and piece of chocolate STAT and not one of those items was available to me.

Although I didnt give in, today was really tough. Even the kids started to notice it. I found my daughter trying to steal an old raspberry from the fridge and my son waiting below for a possible random drip that might have come his way.

Good news was that I found a few latte flavoured yogurts and I ate all three, feeling a bit better.

Tomorrow will be better.

Kathryn, Day 1: A Week in Their Kitchen – Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank

A couple of months ago my editor gave me a sheepish look and said “I have signed you up for something. It may be difficult.”

Ok, that sounds interesting..

The project was for me and my family to live off of a Calgary InterFaith Food Bank food hamper for one week to launch Husky’s Help The Hungry week and to open a dialogue about hunger in Calgary. Being the people pleaser I am, and being a long time supporter of The Food Bank, I immediately said yes.

The rules are clear:

1. Participants pick up a hamper just like any person in need would.

2. You can eat only the contents of the hamper with the exception of salt, pepper, flour,sugar and oil.

3.You cannot buy beverages or food nor accept them as offerings.

4. You can use up to three kinds of spices and only what you have on hand.

5. You cannot take any vitamins, Advil or Tylenol as a person in need would normally not have these “extras” on hand.

Sounds simple enough, although I am titch worried about my picky eater kids, my addiction to caffeine and my afternoon pick me up of chocolate.

I picked up my hamper this afternoon just like anyone else would. I lined up, gave my personal information, including my income from the last 30 days, why I needed food support and my families ID.

Being a pretty confident person, I would never have expected to be unnerved by going through this process, but if I am completely honest, I was. I caught myself looking over my shoulder for people I knew, ready to quickly blurt out that I was just working and not really someone needing help. I am not sure which part of that I am more ashamed about.

Because I have a baby, there were special considerations made for my family. We received extra milk, although they had run out of homo milk and had to substitute with a lower caloric version, 6 diapers – yes moms I said 6 diapers, and baby food if we needed it. I collected my hamper and went to wait in line for some fresh produce. I waited in line beside a lady who was 9 months pregnant and needing some extra food to make ends meet this month. As moms, we all get so busy and fly through our days. This moment was one of those moments that put every one of my complaints into perspective.

Going home I kept thinking about how to make 6 diapers work. Normally we would do a bum change about every 1.5 to 2 hours. More often if he had eaten alot of fruit that day. How would only 6 diapers last one week? It obviously couldn’t, but as a mom, it is pretty hard to think about what people have to do to make that situation work.

Getting back to the house, my kids met me at the door screaming with excitement to see all of the new and exciting food I had brought home. I had prepped them earlier that day that we would be eating different food this week. That we would try to see what it was like if we didn’t have the money to buy our normal food. I had prepared them to try foods they thought they might not like, to not see the normal treats they would have at home, and generally to prepare for less. Walking through the door, it felt like Christmas morning to them, they saw that elusive bag of Oreo cookies they would normally never get, cereal with sugar on it, white bread, orange drink, Kraft Dinner, and pudding. They could hardly believe it. They were not missing the whole grains, the lean meats, the fruit or the 100% juices. For a kid, it seemed great, as a Mom I was gratetful that other moms in trouble had the food bank for desperate situations but I knew this would be a very difficult situation to cope with if it was for real.

I was starting to worry – I miss my Advil all ready……

Ashley Day 3+4, It’s Official…I am a food snob

Hello again!

I know I said I would blog yesterday but due to working late I decided I would rather watch the food network and sleep. Yes, I have resorted to watching tv about food. I know, it is a bit depressing.

Reading everyone else’s experiences it is comical how we all differ. Everyone seems to be diving into this challenge head first and creating these gourmet meals out of tuna and dill cream cheese. I feel a bit inadequate next to these food bank chefs but then again, the challenge affects everyone differently.

I, for one, have discovered that I am a first class food snob. I have always known I was a picky eater, but never understood how extreme I was until I started this challenge. When I go grocery shopping I buy what I like and I eat it all no problem. I am used to having people cater to me (…i know…) for instance, when I go to my boyfriend’s for dinner, if his mom cooks ribs or lamb she knows to cook me a separate salmon or chicken breast. In my defense I didn’t ask her to do that! (i promise!), but she got the hint when I wouldn’t really eat other things (which is very thoughtful).  Since having that choice taken away from me I am finding it extremely difficult to find things to eat, and the motivation to eat.

Yesterday I ate my LAST apple for breakfast :(, a yogurt and tomatoes for lunch and for supper…..SPAGHETTI! That’s right! I actually cooked something! I couldn’t take pictures because by the time it was all done cooking I had 5 minutes to eat and get to my evening job.

I cooked some spaghetti, then sautéed some onions and mushrooms and added the pasta sauce I was given.

It was not very good. I totally forgot about spices and I was basically eating tomato paste with cold pasta (I cooked the pasta way before I decided to add mushrooms and onions) with veggie chunks. This meal has thoroughly convinced me that I need to take a cooking class. At least it was better than oreos…

This food hamper experience has shown me that I live a very luxurious life. When I was growing up I cannot remember a single time my mother ever said no to me when I asked for something in the grocery store. I live on my own, but my parents do help with food. I know that if I ever run out of money I can always go and raid their well-stocked fridge.

Beggars cannot be choosers, and I am learning that the hard way.

Today, I had yogurt for breakfast  (I ran out of apples yesterday and had no time to cut up melon.) annnnnnd may have forgotten lunch (again, no time). I have been told at work to wake up early and I did set my alarm half an hour earlier than usual…I just didn’t want to listen to it 🙂 So! another day, another grumbling tummy at work. But, since I do not work my evening job tonight, I will have some time to plan out supper (and when I say “plan out” I mean google search a recipe 🙂 )

 

Jeremy, Day 4: Something’s A Little Fishy

In my previous post I mentioned that it was going to be a quick dinner because Cohen had hockey. I decided that we would skip hockey because I had an idea for something to make for dinner and didn’t want to be rushed – I might be taking this a little too seriously. It was a good thing that I made the decision because it took me almost two hours to get home from work. I’m sure some other blogger in Calgary has covered the traffic woes already.

So I decided that I wanted to do something with the tuna. I started thinking and looking around a little for ideas: tuna melt (always a good choice) or tuna cakes. I had most of what we needed to pull this off, except for mayonnaise. I could make some mayonnaise – too much like work though. Then it hit me!!!! We have creamed cheese with dill – how perfect.

On the menu: tuna melts using the very large whole wheat submarine buns, home-made french fries, and salad. Here’s how it came together.

The tuna was pretty simple it had some salt and pepper, minced celery, and some fresh chives from the garden (the second of the spices that we’re using). It’s free and it is there, so what the heck. I heated up some of the cream cheese with dill and mixed it in with the tuna. It was topped off with some mozzarella.

The home-made french fries are pretty self-explanatory: some oil and a little bit of salt. The salad that I made was very simple, but pretty tasty. As my third spice (I know, I know, it isn’t actually a “spice”) we’re using is lemon. I promise that all we are using is lemon, chives, and garlic – plus of course salt and pepper. They are all things that were on hand. So the salad dressing was some oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon. Not bad. 

Also in the hamper was some bbq sauce, that was used for dipping the fries in. Here’s how it looked:

Again, there was enough left for some leftovers today and not all of the buns were used. Overall, it was a pretty good success – mostly, that is. Cohen suddenly decided that he didn’t like celery. It was literally a sudden decision because he ate a piece of it while I was mincing it. Ah, the mind of a 6-year old! We pushed through and it was fine.

I think tonight the broccoli will be centre-stage. But who knows, that could change too.

As I’ve commented on already so far this has been a really good experience and my family is being good sports about it. It’s also fun having people around the Food Bank ask me how it’s going and give feedback.

I am often lazy in the morning and won’t pack a lunch, so I need to skip out and buy a quick sandwich. I’ve had to be much more organized (which I should be anyways) and plan what I’m taking. It’s less of an issue, I think, for Cohen because he’s home for lunch with the folks.

It’s still going well so far. We’ll have to wait and see what happens on Saturday and Sunday to see if the ideas are flowing for creative meals.

 

What if we treated the food bank like Starbucks?

Can I have a grande americano, ⅔ decaf?

Can I order a venti, no fat, no whip latte with ½ the vanilla and extra foam?

Oh and can my friend get a vente iced mocha with 1 shot, caramel sauce on top and bottom, no whip, light on the ice and 7 pumps peppermint syrup?

Got that?…..

Imagine one day you found yourself in the midst of crisis; job lay offs and now there’s no longer funds to cover monthly expenses of your nice suburban lifestyle.   Now the reality of not visiting the local Starbucks each morning has hit home.   A government program refers you to the food bank’s emergency hamper program, so you make your way over there for your first visit.

You approach the friendly volunteers noticing that there’s no menu….?   The volunteers start loading your hamper with all the items that have been donated.  “Wait, I can I get glutten free?”  “Umm…. do you have soy milk rather than cow’s milk?”  “Can I get low fat crackers?  I’m on a diet you know….”

The hamper meets you at the end of the conveyer belt and there’s no glutten free, soy, low fat nothing.   Just items that have been lovingly packaged by the volunteers based on what’s been donated by caring businesses and communities.

You get home having no clue what to do with a can of coconut milk and baked beans.   You wonder what you’ll do with that many crackers?   And where’s the chicken breast?

Welcome to the land of no choice.  Its a hard place for someone coming out of a consumer-minded culture.   Instead of custom-made drinks, you are now faced with a new reality: you get what you get and you don’t get upset (a wise 6 year old told me once)

Our “serve me” mentality doesn’t work when crisis hits.

This has been a reality I’ve noticed since spending “a week in their kitchen”.      My casual spending of $5 here and there for novelties like Starbucks is gone.  I can’t meet my friends for coffee.  I can’t take my kids to the local play place with coffee and muffins for the moms to buy.   I bring my lunch to the mall and avoid the luring smell of the food court.  My freedom to choose is put on hold.

But what I can choose is thankfulness.  Whatever happened to that virtue?   What a gift it is for my consumer-heart to be starving.

Brandy, Day 2

Today was our first full day doing this challenge, and I’m super pleased to say so far so good.

We were lucky to receive a lot of breakfast type foods, foods that we would have eaten anyway. Emma had some sort of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal with milk, and Char had reduced fat Apples and Cinnamon oatmeal. I am ashamed to say that I don’t actually often eat breakfast. I usually exist on coffee but since I felt like we have a lot of perishable foods I thought I should do my part to make a dent. I had a strawberry yogurt, coffee (we are allowed coffee if we had it in the house and I will admit to stocking up beforehand) and a cinnamon bun. So of course four-year old Charlotte wanted a bun too, and since they would only go stale soon if she didn’t eat it, I allowed it. My reward? Her adorable smile and just the simple comment: “you’re nice”.

We had the morning off from any activities, so we were able to not worry about planning to-go snacks and I was saved an impassioned plea for a Happy Meal.
Lunch had us eating cheese and pickle sandwiches. Which surprised me with how yummy it actually was. Maybe I could be a vegetarian? I made and packed Emma’s school lunch earlier in the morning. Mr. Noodles mushroom soup, a minigo yogurt and 2 Chunks Ahoy cookies. I felt kind of proud – we’re actually doing ok! I should mention that I talked to Dave – he got up early to have a breakfast of cereal and yogurt (he’s usually a breakfast skipper like myself) and then took yogurt and Craisins for lunch. Turns out he was pretty hungry and will be bringing sandwiches tomorrow, lol.

Char had preschool in the afternoon so she took a package of Craisins and a water bottle. She wasn’t impressed and requested that I never send Craisins again. I finished them for her and found a new favorite snack! After school was a bit tricky – the girls had some friends over and there’s usually left-over lunch swapping that takes place but this time Emma was great and finished her own stuff, and I gave Char some left over Mr. Noodles that I had saved for just such an occasion!

Then it was time for dinner. I spent a lot of time online today trying to figure out what I could do with this cabbage. I don’t eat cabbage, I don’t like cabbage – but we have 4 heads of it and I want to use it. So I decided on Bubbles and Squeak – a British dish of leftovers that gets its name from the sounds it makes while cooking. I used the frozen cubed potatoes, some butter and the cabbage. That was it! I diced the cabbage and fried it first, then defrosted the potatoes and mashed them up with the fried cabbage. I tried to make cakes but nothing would stick together, so I just threw it into the pan and fried away. It got a bit crispy, a bit smoky and a lot smelly. I sent my friend a message proclaiming that I was a terrible mother and wife because I ruined dinner.
But as it turns out – it ACTUALLY TASTED GOOD! Dave had seconds (which I don’t think he’s ever done with my cooking. His mother’s yes, mine, no) and both girls cleaned their plates. What the HECK? We all liked potatoes and fried cabbage? Strange but true! Turns out I was an ok mom after all!

After dinner we went to Emma’s gymnastics class, and I brought a bottle of water and some craisins. The girls had Oreos. Charlotte was offered some orange slices from a friend and we allowed it because although we want everyone to participate – we aren’t doing this to punish the girls. They are both doing a great job living off the food hamper and I want to keep them exciting about what we’re doing.

I’m also excited that Dave’s work is fully supporting him and they are raising donations for the Food Bank. I love Calgarians.

So the day was challenging, but in a fun way. I haven’t really been hungry, but time management and creativity has been key for our success so far. I also had a thought today though when feeding our dog – what happens to pets when there’s a food crisis in a home? I guess the dog would live on people food for awhile? Or maybe even have to find a new home? Such a sad thought, when many animals are part of the family – I know our dog is!

Caitlin, Day 3: How poverty impacts your social life

So, Day 3, and I’m already realizing that this hamper business might be cramping my style. A while back, I read about a challenge in which participants were called upon to live off of an AISH disability “salary” of $1,188 per month. When you’re living below the poverty line – due to disability, unemployment, or under-employment – every aspect of your life is impacted. From the food you eat to the clothes you wear, from transportation to the activities you choose for recreation, everything must change. With “A Week In Their Kitchen”, only my food consumption is being altered; it’s not a true depiction of what life as an average Food Bank client would be, but merely a snapshot of one aspect of their life.

Even though just my food intake is changed for this week, I feel like I’m missing out on some things. Because no one in my social circle is participating in “A Week In Their Kitchen”, they don’t seem to understand why I’m turning down our usual coffee-shop gatherings in favour of (free!) walks along our city’s paths. From a Friday night, girls-in wine night to a weekday tea date, I’ve had to say “no” enough times that I’m realizing Food Bank clients must also feel like their social lives take a hit. The reality is, whether it’s a movie, bowling, pub night, or a potluck, if someone is struggling and in need of accessing the Food Bank, they probably won’t be able to live like the “average” – whatever that is – middle-class citizen.

I have been much more aware this week of the times I pay cash, debit, or whip out my credit card. I am a first-class consumer, for sure. From routine oil changes to beauty products, home repairs to swimming passes, I spend money a lot. I’m gaining a greater appreciation for what are needs and what are luxuries – and apparently, a lot of my life could be down-sized.

It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the week plays out. Even though it’s been a matter of days, I am already feeling like this is tougher than I thought it would be. I’m grateful for the posts of the other bloggers here, because when you’ve got support, I think it’s easier to trouble-shoot, problem-solve and work through challenges together. I wonder if connecting Food Bank clients with each other would be beneficial, even if just to promote conversation about food insecurity and share personal obstacles (and solutions!) with each other. What do you think?

– Caitlin.