Neighbors who ARE giving....

I do want to add an addendum to my last blog...  There are people giving to their fellow Americans here on our soil.  The problem is that they were going about it in such a discrete way that we were left unaware.  I have been happy to see in the most random of places, people giving out food pantry items...

Craig's List!  

Can you believe it?  Well I was quite surprised too at first.  But then, another day passed and there it was, another post, offering free food from a person's own pantry.  Now granted most of these foods are not lobster tails or free range organic beef.  But people are offering their pantry supplies rather than throwing them out!  YEAH GOOD PEOPLE!  

Now I have to wonder what makes people decide that Craig's List is a better forum to give out their goods rather than the more "traditional" methods provided.  And when I say traditional I mean Red Cross or Local Food Pantries.  Just for the sake of discussion here, we can always get further into the current donation options as well...  Is it the need to put a face to where their things are going?  When you give on CL (Craig's List) some people decide to set up a time and place to meet and yet others do a front/back porch set-up (they set up a time and when they will leave the stuff on the front or back porch for you to pick up).  Well that face to face meeting can't be it then.  Since there is the option to not meet face to face.  CL free section does give the benefit and ability to post many things besides food and maybe that is just the easiness of it all?  We are all so tech savvy that the simplest thing for us to do is to type something with our fingers and let someone else do all of the work.  And you should see some of the ridiculous things posted on there!  

"You can have the bed frame but only after you do 6 trips up and down four flights stairs loading the rest of my super larger furniture into the truck.  And then, NO, I will not help you with the bed frame that you originally came for.  But it is free". 

Free labor is right!  I have to also wonder if it is the difficulty of it all?  I mean I am searching for where to find a food bank, and I am determined to find one.  Good thing too, cause it took me a long while of scrolling and searching to find it.  I am sure if someone was just looking to make a donation, they would have given up much sooner...  And most food banks have such weird hours that are during the "typical" work day that most people would not be able to to make it there to drop off the stuff anyway.  

So back to good old CL...  =)  So I guess it all makes sense.  Most of our generations lately do most of our transactions on CL anyway.  Need a car, job or apartment?  Where would you look?  Furnished most of my apartment that way honestly.  No shame in that!  

In the need for a food donation or want to give to your neighbor in need?  No need to text, just type!  Give away your old blankets and peas please!  

But you know I can't just let a good thing be as is.   I always expect better!  When you type out to your friends and neighbors you know what would make someone just really really happy?  Give them something healthy and fresh.  All food banks give out canned goods.  If you want to really help keep a person healthy and happy, buy them green veggies NOT in a can!  Why not post I have some carrots for anyone who wants them?  Bought extra spinach at Costcos?  Or even take it a step further: Sponsor someone's CSA share if you can afford it.  If not a whole share, give what you can!  Listen every bit helps!  Or you know that shut-in down the street.  Everyone has one...  Surprise them with a home cooked healthy meal once in awhile.  What a difference you can make for a person in the world.  A smile and a healthy meal, a hearty vegetable can be all of the difference!  

Meanwhile, Thank you CL for changing my outlook on my fellow people.  They aren't not giving to their own, they are just doing it in new ways.  Cutting out the middle people.  Which in my mind is not such a bad thing at all!

ps: this was one of the posting I saw while looking in North Jersey's Free Section, They are posting this every month.  Hope it helps!

The ICPC Free Food Pantry will take place again this Saturday, January 30, 2010 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the 

Islamic Center of Passaic County (ICPC) 
152 Derrom Avenue in Paterson, NJ. 
A grocery bag will be made available to all qualifying individuals. Such bags are available for those currently on government relief (food stamps, WIC, SSD, TANF, etc). Free bags are also available for anyone who is facing financial hardship (e.g. unemployed, large families with low income, etc.).   Each bag consists of rice, pasta, cans of beans and vegetables, bread and tuna. No documentation or proof is needed.   Please come visit this Saturday. We look forward to seeing you!   Our organization was formed for the sole purpose of delivering free bags of groceries for families in need in the North Jersey area. We have been operating consistently each month for one year. Our food pantry was featured in both the Herald News and the Bergen Record last year.   If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at tariq08@gmail.com 
Thanks! 

In the Giving Mood

So here is some food for thought, or rather some thoughts about food....

All over the news all we hear about is Haiti. You cannot escape it. It is the biggest news right now. What a horrible thing happing to people who do not deserve it. No one deserves to have to live through such a catastrophic event. How scary and traumatizing it has all been.

I am proud that so many Americans have eagerly been reaching out and giving help to those in need. It lightens my heart to know that there are still good people in this country who want to help.

But why are they so reluctant to help their own country men and women?

How many food banks are struggling to stay open due to the lack of donations? How many of our own country peoples are going to bed hungry every night? How many are losing their homes and jobs, still, every day, right here, on our own soil? How many people still in Louisiana are living in shelters since they are still without homes? Why are we not so rapidly helping ourselves?

I heard on the radio a comparison regarding the amount of money raised for Louisiana verses Haiti in text message donations alone. Thousands verses millions.... Think about it.

Why do our former presidents not go on television and ask our country to get together and save those in need from this disaster of greed and hunger. To feed and protect each ones neighbor. Yes, the neighbor that is not just across the ocean but across the street as well... Instead of bailing out the big honchos at the top, why aren't we starting with the little people at the bottom. To me that makes more sense. When you build a house you always start with a good foundation. When you start a company you first need a good collection of healthy, well educated, happy employes to make it all work right. Oh! That's right! They are all the little people working three jobs to afford their rent. Not able to afford the continually rising prices of food. And walking around with the persistently nagging feeling that tomorrow will be the day that their pink slip is served.

I am proud that America is known for its humanitarian efforts for other countries in need. I just wish it would do for its own what it did so well for others. America, when will you start really rallying to better feed and shelter your own? When is it our turn? How big of a disaster has to occur before we will make a change? Even though I want to make sure we help all other countries in need, I don't think we should do so until we have first taken care of our own.

Gluten Free Flours!

One Great way to save $$ is by making your own breads.  But before you even get to making your own breads, you can start staving even more money by MAKING YOUR OWN FLOURS!    Some of them can be even easier than you even think!

For example:  Rice Flour is best made with Brown rice.  

Look what a little patience on your side will save you!

I am using regular California Brown Basmati Rice (Long Grain) - Which of course is GLUTEN FREE! 

Pretty simple Process although I cannot stress enough the need for patience...  Simply take your trusty coffee grinder (which sadly in my house, has not seen coffee in a very long time).  

But as you can tell by all of the cracks and chips, have seen lots of bean experiments over the last few months.  Which leads to my next point...  When working with your own coffee grinder, START SMALL!  You can always add larger amounts as you go along.  I know it seems like a long long long process.  But trust me....  You are going to want your machine to last the long haul.  Do not give it an early death....  And ummm  don't tell my Mom what I did to her coffee grinder if you see her.  Okay?  

Alrighty...  In this case I would suggest a small handful or two to start.  (Again trust your instinct when it comes to your machine!)

Put on your lid and press down!  Hold in place till you hear the "crunchy" (no this is not a hippy joke) sound change to a "whirling" sound.  Wait!  Don't let go just yet!  Hold it for just a minute longer!  

The longer you hold it, the finer your flour will be!  And you want your flour to be nice and fine!  hehehe..  Okay.  Was I the only one who giggled there?  Ha!  You should always smile when you cook!   shhhh  it is the secret ingredient!  (don't tell just anyone....)

TELL EVERYONE!!

So for curious minds wondering what the fruit of their labors are producing, let me tell you.  

1/4 cup Rice

equals

1/3 cup flour

Then the last step is to: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat,Repeat,Repeat,
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat,Repeat,Repeat,Repeat,Repeat,Repeat,
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat,Repeat,Repeat,Repeat,Repeat,Repeat,
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat,Repeat,Repeat,Repeat,Repeat,Repeat.....

Well, you get the point! Keep going! Think about all the yummy things you are going to put in your tummy with this good stuff!
Here is a promise then, as a way of encouragement. If you get at least 3/4 cup of rice flour done AND 3/4 cup of white bean flour (same process but with plain old dry white beans) * Next time I will show you one of my favorite breakfast breads!
Till then!

*Dried Beans are MOST DEFINITELY one of those times when less is more in your grinder!!! They will cause cracks in your lids if not careful! Try also covering the top with a towel to absorb some of the pressure from the beans hitting the sides.... =)

First Post and Rant

I would like to counter-rant a number of blog posts that i have read lately. And I feel that it is only appropriate that my first blog post is in response to someone else's. So many times I have read over and over again, how great it is to buy lobster tails on the federal dollar. Why bother look for a job when they are so happy living off of the governments' money. The other half of the blogs talk about how everyone on food stamps are un-educated idiots. Well I hate to disappoint you, but I do have a college degree. And I would much rather be working if I was physically able. But that is just not going to happen right now. In the meanwhile, I am looking to EAT HEALTHY MEALS. Not gourmet, not junk food, just regular meals that will last the entire month! And we all know that if you do not have extra money stashed away, which you are not supposed to if you are receiving food stamps, feeding yourself healthy foods does not come cheap. This has not even started to mention those with certain food restrictions. Public assistance does not give you extra money for that. You have to budget even further to make it all work. 

Don't give up all hope just yet! There are some creative ways that it can be done. Some fancy foot-work, so to speak, and you can make your money stretch just far enough to reach your mouth! 

Some places to start you shopping (AKA places that accept food stamps):
Costcos -Although you need a membership to go in ($50), you can split a membership with a friend and do you shopping on the same days. This actually works out really well, since you can then split the two carton of eggs and 4 gallons of milk that you would otherwise not be able to finish by yourself! Great for those staples that you know you are going to need every month.
Trader Joes-Haven't shopped there myself with the card yet. But know that they have a great selection of organic foods. Especially great for anyone with special dietary needs, but might end up paying the price for them.
Whole Foods- Great variety of foods and lots of items that come in bulk. Some items that can be a bit costly.
Key Foods-Normal food store with typical food products. Suprising how expensive food keeps getting day by day. (I would prefer to get bare necessities and vegetables here everything else I can at Costcos).
CSA- Community Supported Agriculture. There are two in NY that I know of right now that accept food stamps. One is in Harlem and the other is in Astoria. There are many other CSAs throughout the NYC area that offer different payment plans or sliding fee scales even if you don't have food stamps but not rich enough to afford the grocery stores organic food prices. For more information go to: http://www.justfood.org/csa

I especially really enjoy the CSA option! Not only am I eating healthy organic vegetables, but the money goes directly to support local organic farmers! Not middle men involved! Healthy food and supporting the local little man/woman! It gets no better than that! If only the growing season was all year round..... hmmm... I will have to figure that one out for my next post!

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