1-3-11 2:15 pm Food, Clothing, and Shelter

In that order. Like most Americans my family is living, well, carefully. Like most people we own consumer debt, a mortgage, with thin savings. We get by, and are grateful for gainful employment, both of us, but careful planning behooves us, definately.

Sure we'd like a little more. Our livingroom could use a loveseat, and the back yard needs a bit of work. Even more, we'd like to put in a 2nd bathroom, and a 3rd bedroom. Our daughter Anne is reaching the age of infinate space needs, and we'd like to have house-guests more comfortably. Ultimately, though, my dream is to become a benifactor. A scholarship bestower. I've learned I can make my own dreams a reality, and it'd be nice to help others by supporting their education, or even fund research. But first we have to get financially healthy.

In this blog I will report the things we're doing to accumulate resources. Sure we're saving, and paying down debt, both of which will enable us to accumulate money, invest it, and ultimately watch it grow enough to give sums away to worthy causes. But what about consumable resources? Having helped run our household for nearly 20 years, I notice little and big things I do that acutally accumulate resources for us. The more we have in consumables, the less we spend. And that's money in the bank.

Last weekend was an opportunity to get ready for this week, our first week back at school and work after the winter holiday break. Cooking is something I enjoy, when there's energy. After a hard-day's work, we can barely drag ourselves to a restaurant, so cooking is clearly out the question. Good Times, here we come. Money, there it goes.

Clearly there's room for improving this scenario. Ingredients on hand last Saturday were: Sweet potatoes, barley, peanut butter, three frozen chicken breasts, lasagne noodles, eggs, and cottage cheese. Mostly. There was more, but these were the ingredients on which I based my cooking decisions. With a few small purchases (several cans of crushed tomatoes, and lentils, mainly) I created dinners for the entire week.

We have Thai Sweet Potato Soup (sweet potatoes, hot chili paste (thank you bottom back condiment rack in the fridge), chicken stock (thank you ancient bullion cubes), peanut butter, and city water. Boil, boil!)

We also have Chicken and Wildrice Stew (one checken breast, leftover rice (thank you fridge), chicken stock (again, thanks pantry), a handful of wild rice (pantry again), and coconut milk (we're all alergic to milk), and more boiling city water).

Additionally there's Lentil Barley Stew, a family favorite. Crushed tomatoes, shredded carrots (bottom of the crisper drawer), celery (I forgot we still had some of that), 1/2 a stick of butter, an onion, and rosemary.

A few years ago my sister gave us a 3-burner crock-pot megalith, so these pots stewed for several hours while I put together and baked a lasagne, and cleaned the house. When the stews were done, I used the stick blender to thicken them a bit (thank you Harold for this lovely 2010 Christmas gift). Four lovely main meals later, I was ready to freeze half of everything and store the rest in the fridge.

It's three days later, and we're still eating in. How's it working? What have we accumulated?

1. Easier cooking and cleaning conditions. Re-heating takes so many fewer dishes than actual cooking. So many fewer, in fact, that it's reasonable to ask our 11-year-old to do dinner dishes. So who's doing all the work? Well, I may be doing the planning and cooking ahead, but our kiddo is pulling her weight. There's real equity in that, and she's getting critical life skills along the way. I'll add "excellent parenting" to the accumulation list.

2. Time. Since I'm only re-heating, I have the wherewithall to ask my 11-year-old to put together a loaf of Irish Soda Bread, and actually help her when she gets stuck, rather than shoe her away and do it myself. That's a plus on so many levels. "Quality time with daughter in the kitchen at the end of the work day". Beautiful, and I imagine, rare in many households. It was almost non-existent for us before I began this routine.

3. Restaurant-like choice. I'm re-heating What'do'ya want - lasagne, chicken & wild rice, lentil barley, or thai sweet potato? Our menu is shorter, but 4 choices is plenty. When I think about it, at each of our favorite restaurants we always order the same things anway. How much choice do we need at home?

4. Money. More of it, and without spending hundreds on groceries. All for about two hours of work. And it's not left-overs. I mean, restaurants make ahead and freeze - you think that restaurant steak wasn't frozen 15 minutes before ordering? Think again!

5. Health. No saturated fat (ok, just a little with the butter), very low sodium, nothing fried. A healthy salad is an easy addition to any of the main courses on our menu this week. YouDocs would be proud. I am.

I can tell this is a new concept for my family. My husband is slightly suspicious. He's fine with the food, but he's wondering where the mess is? And why four choices each night, not one? And the same choices? He may have to endure that one while I continue with this experiment. So far, so good.