Dear Middle-Class America: Guess what? I make my own chicken stock.
I even blogged about it. I buy organic, free-range chicken carcasses to make it with, and that’s pretty well the extent of what I am able to afford from our organic/grass-fed/free-range/humane meat supplier as of late. Yup, we eat a LOT of soup, brown rice, and lentils.
You see, I am a stay-at-home mom. I’m due to give birth to our third beautiful babe any day now, actually. My husband is a new flight instructor and makes approximately minimum wage when his paid vs non-paid hours are all averaged out. We are also slowly paying off significant debt from his flight training costs which finished last summer.
The bottom line? We’re poor.
Honestly, I hate to use that word to describe our situation because it is often used glibly to detract from the harsh realities of third-world poverty, but please know that I mean it only speaking relative to my own culture, and not on a global scale. I am grateful that we are not dying from starvation or lack of shelter, but yes we do have trouble making ends meet every month.
We have been struggling financially ever since two and a half years ago when we quit our (ie. hubby’s) job and moved halfway across the country so that he could pursue his dream career of aviation. It’s been worth it, yes, and it’s been difficult. The last few months have been the roughest so far, and I’ve been desperately avoiding talking about it on my blog because to be perfectly honest – our family and closest friends read my blog, and I know that they will probably either freak out and admonish us for not asking for help, or else just pity us, and I don’t know which is worse. (For the record, living this way is hard, but we are so grateful that God has provided for us and blessed us in so many ways, and don’t regret our choices).
We’ve visited the local food bank twice in the last couple of years (Separate but related rant? The total and complete crap that is handed out at food banks). Once was less than a month ago. I have stood in my kitchen crying into my husband’s shoulder because my stomach was rumbling, grocery money was depleted until the next payday, and I was so damn tired of struggling to figure out something appetizing to make from the random things left in my pantry and fridge. I’ve scrimped and saved and watched sales and planned and packed food for our day trips to the city. I’ve tried dozens of new recipes for beans and lentils. I’ve felt guilty for the cheese I give my kids as an easy snack because $10 for a block of cheese is very expensive when it gets used up in a week. Same with nuts, fruit, and any other nutrient-dense or protein-rich unprocessed snack.
To be totally honest, I’m not completely perfect in my planning and spending habits (who is??), but you can be damned sure that I’m trying my very best to feed my family healthy and nutritious food with as little money as possible.
That is why when I read comments like these ones in response to the question “How do you respond to the idea that organic food is too expensive?”… I get just a *little* fired up. (For starters? For some people it’s not “an idea”, it’s a fact).
The vast majority of the comments left on that status are condescending, sanctimonious, ignorant, and presumptuous, and if I had any stronger words, I’d use them.
Here are some of the comments and my responses to them:
Many, many people snarkily noted that they’d respond by saying that “cancer costs more, duh”, or some variation thereof. Whether you’re talking about actual medical bills (which is not the same for me, living in Canada) or cost of losing your life – the point is the same.
I’d like to address this by saying: of course I know that cancer sucks. Do you think I want cancer? Or any other host of diet-related illnesses? Of course not. Even if I had to pay for medical bills – I can’t very well go cash in on my doctor’s bills from 20 years in the future and use the money instead to buy all-organic food now. Some people literally don’t have the luxury of choosing to pay more now in order to potentially save significantly in the far-off future. Also? Not all cancer is caused by an unhealthy diet. I believe it can definitely play a part, but to say that it’s a direct cause and effect thing is extremely ignorant and, I’m sure, offensive to those who try to eat as healthy as possible and still end up with cancer or other illness.
The trite bit about ‘cancer costs more’ aside – the presumptuousness of the other comments really made me angry. The general consensus was that those who claim that organic food is too expensive are:
– Uneducated and uninformed (I actually consider myself extremely informed when it comes to nutrition, which is why I feel such sorrow at not being able to provide my family with a nutritionally optimal diet that is low in empty carbohydrates and high in protein and healthy fats, all from grass-fed, organic, fresh ingredients. You could say it’s a sore spot… so assuming that I’m just uneducated is extremely insensitive).
– Making poor shopping choices (I agonize over each and every item that goes into my cart at the grocery store. I do the best I can with what I have, and have a very few things that I won’t compromise on, like always buying real butter over margarine, or eating eggs for breakfast instead of cheap cereal. I buy hardly anything processed at all except for some condiments – I make my own salad dressing and sauces – and occasionally some rice crackers for cheap snacks on the road to avoid eating out. I also buy almost nothing that is a convenience food – if I can do it myself, I do. I don’t buy pre-shredded lettuce or cheese, etc).
– Eating processed crap that costs more and doesn’t provide any nutrition (This is just a totally ignorant thing to assume. Just because I say that organic food is too expensive for us does not mean that I am buying all processed junk. The vast majority of our diet consists of homemade bone broth soups, legumes and rice, frozen veggies, local-bought farm eggs that are only slightly more expensive than the grocery store, and the occasional ground beef meal at supper time. We snack on fruit or cheese when we can afford it, boiled eggs, homemade yogurt, raw almonds, and fresh farmer’s market veggies which are a “sometimes” treat in the summer. I simply don’t buy things like kraft dinner and boxed cookies, so please stop assuming that I can just cut those out and buy organic apples instead).
– Choosing to spend money instead on “beer and smart phone bills, going to movies, having cable, concerts, expensive cars, regular starbucks trips, eating out weekly, fast food, bottled water, soda, and processed foods, going to the movies weekly, getting your nails done every month, fancy new clothes, fancy designer coffee and a jumbo bag of cheetos…” (Yes, those were all mentioned specifically. As it happens, not a single one of them applies to us. We have cut our budget down in every way we can think of – we recently sold hubby’s smartphone in order to save $40/monthly, we don’t have a TV, and we live in a cheap rental that is enough but nothing fancy. We drive a used mini-van, wear old clothes with holes in them and haven’t bought new shoes in about five years other than the ones we got at Christmas. My son needs new sneakers and doesn’t have any summer PJ’s that fit, and we’ve carefully saved up $100 for a trip to a local children’s second-hand store in order to get those things. We don’t drink anything but water and home-brewed kombucha at home, and our definition of a splurge is a $1.70 fancy tea when we’re in the city for my midwife appointment, and even then, we share!).
– Simply not planning well enough (If I planned any more carefully for the times we are out and in need of food, my head might just explode. We bring an entire bag of packed snacks/meals when we go to the city for the day, and sometimes it’s still not enough. Sometimes I haven’t had the time or energy to make granola bars from scratch, and the kids have eaten all we brought and are simply still hungry with a few hours to go before we head home. It’s not as simple as you might assume).
– Choosing to not make their health a priority (This one really irks me. I think my points above are all related to this one. Sometimes choice is a luxury that only the middle/upper class can enjoy).
– Not sacrificing enough (I think I’ve adequately covered this one. Let’s just say this is one of the most pompous and self-righteous things I’ve ever heard).
– Not already eating from scratch (As mentioned already – we do more than almost everyone we know in this department, and we’re still struggling).
– Not creative enough (How creative is a meal of brown rice and dried black beans, soaked and cooked with some dented cans of diced tomatoes from the food bank, some spices, cheese, and steamed carrots on the side with homemade honey-sweetened yogurt for dessert? What other creative brilliance am I missing? Please, enlighten me…)
– Unaware of how to cook legumes, rice, and healthy grains (sorry, not true in the slightest…)
– Unaware that the answer lies in simply growing your own food (I agree that gardening is a great idea and can potentially save some people a lot of money… but we’ve moved 3 times in the last two years in a poor-soil area with a cold climate and very short growing season. I’m also 40 weeks pregnant, and it’s June. Suddenly, gardening doesn’t appear to be our perfect solution…)
– Not already saving money in other household areas (Don’t bother with this one – we already make our own cleaners, buy very little cosmetic and body care items, use cloth diapers, don’t buy paper towels ever… I could go on…)
***
To quote several of the particularly condescending commenters: “it can be expensive if you are not willing to put time into cooking from scratch…but if you fail to plan you plan to fail!” … “it’s never too expensive if people care about their health” … “no valid excuse” … “you can’t say it’s too expensive, I really believe anyone can do it you just have to make it a priority.”
***
I want to acknowledge that these comments may indeed be applicable for some people. Some people do have messed up priorities (read: different than yours…), are uneducated about nutrition, and don’t know how or have time to make many things from scratch that would ease the costs… BUT…
Let’s not assume that all folks who say they cannot afford organic food are stupid, lazy, and making bad choices, lest you find yourself one day in the position of having to choose between eating Chef Boyardee and Oreos* from the food bank or going hungry…
Instead, when someone says that they cannot afford to eat organic, I would suggest a healthy dose of compassion and gentle offerings to help, getting to actually know the person and their situation, and perhaps even dropping off a bag of that farmer’s market organic produce that you find so easy to come by.
***
Dear Middle Class America: A little less condescension and little more understanding would probably do us all a world of good. Please don’t make me want to throw my homemade yogurt in your face because it’s my kids’ favourite snack and milk costs a lot of money.
Sincerely and with respect,
Beth
* We did in fact receive Chef Boyardee and Oreos in our pre-made boxes of stuff from the food bank (we had almost zero choice about what to take) but passed it on to some young students down the street that willingly took it. We kept things like canned tomatoes and tuna, and the $50 voucher for produce at the grocery store that got us through to the next pay day.
Fiona Houston
Hi, I’ve just read your article & wholeheartedly agree with Everything you’ve said.
I live in the UK & the attitude, & assumptions made are pretty much the same.
I’m lucky with our local food bank (& equally lucky, I’ve only had to use them twice… So far …) – whilst you have to speak to a welfare officer to get referred & then get a couple boxes thrust at you; it’s usually a (I say this loosely) varied selection, with at least half of it being useable, the other stuff you’d never buy or eat.
But it’s more as you say, others attitude “Have you done this, that or the other ???” Well the answer is YES !!!! 10 Million times over – (To the de-tractors) If you want to offer advice, & have already made your assumptions, then Assume they’ve Already tried very thing you can think of & then come back with something Useful !! & GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT !!
& If you still don’t believe what you’ve been told – You try being creative with 2 ingredients for a week or more & see how well you do !!
Michelle
I very much agree with this and now feel more peaceful others agree—Eating everything organic is a very hard thing to do financially. Like you said, eggs are one of those things worth spending more on, along with organic milk (especially if you have kids in my opinion). You have to compromise on things, that is part of life. There are natural vegetable washes you can buy to safely wash non-organic vegetables too. I noticed when washing veggies that appear to have a wax on them, after washing with it the wax comes off and the veggies look great.
Eating healthy to prevent cancer goes way beyond just eating organic, so that one statement about “cancer is more expensive than organic food” was really ignorant. If you’re really into eating healthy to prevent chronic diseases, research healthy ways of eating, not just spending all your money on the most expensive organic foods. Money seriously cannot buy everything. You have to put your thoughts together and learn about healthy ways of eating. In my opinion the ketogenic diet does the best job of this..
Sarah L
I’m another reader weighing in late. I just wanted to chime in that not all food pantries are horrible places. My church food pantry is quite progressive. They do provide fresh produce, including any bumper crops from other gardens. They hand out free recipes, mini cookbooks, and recipe calendars, all published by a major state university. One woman comes in once a month to “demo” the recipes by handing out free samples of them. This way, patrons can glean ideas on what to do with all of those beans, for example, lol! While there are certainly processed foods, fresh and whole foods are readily available and highly encouraged. The staff is heavy on kindness and shies away from the paternalism that you may find in other pantries. By the way, I donate food–often organic!–to this pantry regularly. If I buy myself organic jelly, there’s no reason not to put an extra container of it in the cart for someone who could use it.
Food pantries are usually run by well-intentioned, hard-working staff and volunteers. I just wish that they could all have a tour of ours. 🙂
Beth
I totally agree with your last sentence! Your local food pantry sounds amazing. 🙂
Nicole Abele
You deserve validation. You don’t have it easy, and you’re doing the best that you can. I assume you planned to have 3 children and carefully considered the cost before switching (husband’s career) to the aviation industry. This sounds like a truly very difficult season of life. And you deserve a pat on the back. It is important to take ownership of your choices but it’s also important not to be ashamed of your reality and especially knowing that you’re doing your best. Keep trusting God for your needs and He will always provide. I’m praying that you find some like-minded moms in a faith community where you could possibly go in on bulk purchases together to get more value for your money. God bless your family!
Mot
You’d save more money if you made stock in a pressure cooker, and the stock is of better quality. A lot less time/power is needed with a pressure cooker, and you can pick them up at garage sales, giveaway sites and so forth for cheap.
Ann
I’ve never seen a pressure cooker at a garage sale, and I go to a lot of them. I’ve never won one from a giveaway site either, sadly. Those sites just don’t like me.
People who have serious dietary issues or allergies cannot always buy used cooking products and utensils due to contamination issues. I’d love to be able to buy a nice, cheap pressure cooker at a garage sale but my husband has Celiac Disease so I can’t take the chance of gluten contamination. It’s not saving me money if it makes him sick and we have to buy medicine for his symptoms.
Bobby
You do what you have to do girl and let the haters stew in their own bitterness and bile. Never let the “it is cheaper than cancer” crowd browbeat you into submission. They are 90% wrong. I say 90% instead of 100% only because there is some truth there. But plenty of people eat 100% organic raw vegan (or whatever your form of “live forever” bullshit might be) and die from cancer or cardiovascular disease. Many who eat pretty much traditional American not-so-good-for-you diets live to their 80’s and 90’s. Lots of people all over the planet would live longer, healthier, and happier if they had access to free McDonald’s food. Why? Because even that crappy food is better than slowly starving to death.
Realize that for many people, their diet is their religion. Don’t listen to anything they have to say unless it builds you up.
Haven
I know this is an older post but I just stumbled across it. It was an encouragement to me. Thank you.
My husband was recently laid off from the US Air Force after 14 years, ( he was not allowed to retire, 1 year too early for that and his job was simply overmanned, he did nothing wrong, he served honorably through countless deployments and TDY’s, he was just in the wrong rank and career field when the sequestration hit. ) He was given a severance pay that we have to eventually pay back and we used it to pay off all of our debt and our vehicles , 1 older used van and an even older used truck. We also used some to do work to our tiny house so that we could sell it quickly, which we were blessed to do and we packed up and moved 3 states away because he was blessed to find a job that allowed him to start working while he was still on leave.
One of the benefits that my husband paid for with his military service was “free” healthcare. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in January 2010 when our oldest child was 16 months old. Since then I became very focused on cooking and eating as organically as possible. Eating mostly organic was possible on what he made in the military especially when he was making hazard duty pay and hostile fire pay that he earned when deployed to combat zones. I felt that organic food was necessary for my health. Surgery did not get all of my cancer even though I did I lose my thyroid. I was determined to do what I could to keep it from growing or spreading.
So fast forward 5 years and I still have cancer, they just found a 2nd nodule by ultrasound Thursday, my husband took a 20,000 pay cut by leaving the military at such an advanced stage in his career and essentially starting at the bottom rung in a civilian company. ( he’s an airplane mechanic). We now have the cancer medical bills to pay, 3 kids 1, 3 and 7, we cloth diaper, make everything possible from scratch, homeschool, buy only garage sale clothing, no cable, prepaid non smart phones, everything I can think of..and we can no longer afford organic food, we rent a townhouse and also cannot garden here. no outdoor space. . At first it killed me to pass up the organic apples to pick up a bag of the regular apples. I felt sure they would kill me the instant I took a bite or all the bad stuff would encourage my body to start growing more cancer cells. I had to spend a lot of time in prayer asking God for peace as I did what I had to do to make our budget work by continuing to buy and make whole foods but non organically
So I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you for posting this. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in feeling this way. As silly as it sounds I feel ashamed and like such a fraud when I walk into Trader Joe’s and walk out with only Dr Bronners soap( cheapest place to buy it) while everyone else has loaded down their carts fulls of yummy organic food. I feel guilty for passing up the organic produce in favor of the regular produce. I feel like I deserve to still have cancer after 6 years because I don’t eat an all organic diet.
I hope one day in the future we will be able to eat organically again but as of right now, it’s just not possible. Thank you for letting me know that there are others out there.
Beth
Oh my gosh, my heart is so heavy for you. I pray that you will have peace that you are doing the best that you can, and that’s all that you *can* do, and that’s OKAY. Please try to address those feelings of guilt and shame – they have no place in your heart and soul. I’m saying a prayer for you today! xo
Nicole Abele
Praying for you right now. You do not deserve cancer. Not at all. Absolutely false. God loves you and your children. I will keep on praying for you.
Ashley Snow
Have you tried making miripoix and freezing it? It is a great base for so many things, soups, stews, stuffings, savory pies, gumbos, gravies, pretty much anything you need to add quick flavor without having to use up your fresh ingredients on hand. It last fir months in the freezer, and if you freeze it flat you can just break off a chunk as needed. Here is a recipe link: http://www.superexhausted.com/2013/02/frozen-mirepoix/. I use it as follows: add your butter to your pan when making soups, stews, or any thing you can think of, then add the extra step of adding the miripoix. If a recipe I’m using requires any of the things called for in the miripoix, carrots, onions, celery, and parse,y thyme and garlic if you want more flavor, you can substitute the miripoix for the onions in a recipe if you on,y need a tablespoon or so, and the same with the rest. Miripoix makes an amazing base go sourdough stuffing. Another thing I do to save money is buy whole chickens at Costco or cost plus, or whatever you have in Canada, they have amazing prices on whole chicken. They may not be organic but I know here in America they are foster farms, which is a mostly reliable and humane brand. To get the most out of a whole chicken, I make stuffing the first night, sourdough stuffing, and my family eats less chicken meat because the stuffing helps keep them full, I then use the leftovers to make two stews, or a stew and a pot pie, based with miripoix, and then make stock with the carcass. The meat and the meals it makes, from one whole chicken, could feed my family of four for one week. I have more tips, am thinking of starting a blog. Can you recommend a good sight for learning to sew basic clothing for semi beginners(I’m an embroiderer and a crocheter, dabbled in quilting but never have made it past my first ten English paper pieced hexagon flowers.)?
Nichole
I cried when Angel Food Ministry closed. They did such great work…
Pyvsi
My husband felt that one pretty hard, too.
Christina H
Look up One Harvest! Same thing 🙂
MamaK
I know this is an old post, but a good one. I do believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Many many people I know who cry “poor” do go the movies, have a smart phone, eat out a lot, have cable, etc etc. It does get tiring to hear people say that they “can’t afford” to eat healthy. I am someone who (like you) cooks from scratch, packs our own foods, rarely eat out, shop sales, etc etc. We’ve also skip most of the extras… other than internet service. My husband recently got laid off and I am having to compromise on food choices even more lately. I totally understand where you are coming from. It IS more expensive to eat organic, whole foods. Eating protein rich, whole foods on a tight budget is a TON of extra work. And if you have more than one child, the couple extra dollars per lb of organic meat can really add up! I just figure I will do the best I can in this season of life. If we find ourselves in a better situation, I will likely up my standards and do the best I can then too. Hopefully, it will all even out somehow!
Sky
I’ve been trying to cook from scratch. I am going to be honest it tastes horrible lol. We do it anyway… Despite me being a horrible cook. I think I’m gettjnf better but a little guidance would be nice!
Rachel
Wow. I just ran into this the other day. There was a hater on fb who dissed someone for saying she couldn’t afford organic. I responded to the hater and explained that we only b have $40-70 a week for a family of four. When buying organic costs nearly double that of buying regular; I chose to be able to provide well balanced meals and snacks that aren’t organic over a few organic items that eat my budget and leave my family malnourished and hungry.
Rebecca
This this this, a thousand times. My husband and I aren’t struggling in the way that so many people are, and I’m so thankful for that. However, my grocery budget simply cannot include ALL organic produce and meats ALL the time. Sometimes a car repair takes precedence over organic, so we can both get to work to pay for our food. I do the best I can with what I have. If only people were willing to judge less and reach out more.
Beth, thank you for sharing your thoughts and struggles. I, for one, am duly impressed by your resourcefulness, creativity, and determination.
Twylia
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/?s=emergency+menu this site is really helpful overall, but this emergency menu is really helpful when only able to spend $45-$70 a week
Jessica
Keep up the good work!!!
S
I do not live in the US nor is my family struggling to make ends meet but your post rang a bell with how I grew up. Not quite as difficult as your situation, I think (I wasn’t the one making budgets or staying within budget), but I know what you mean about people’s condescension.
CJ
Thank you for this post. It means a lot that you sat down to write this! My husband and I have 3 children and have yet to make more than $20,000/year despite having up to 4 jobs in a year between us (this is not because of a lack of education or job experience, it is more because of where we live). It is so hard to make ends meet! I have picked up the the papers to apply for food assistance 3 times but just can’t get myself to fill them out..
Erin
Your end-note about a voucher for $50 in veggies intrigues me…I never knew such a thing was possible. I would venture to say that most people who ever contribute in any way to a food bank also don’t know this, hence the fact that most of the donations are shelf-stable and less than healthy.
Nic
I really can’t believe the rude comments you received my partner and I are not wealthy we both have jobs but we find buying organic food really expensive thank goodness for the farmers market. Sometimes you just have to get the bog standard stuff from the supermarket. eating fruit and veg from there is better than not eating it because its not organic. Can’t imagine having to go to a food bank that must be really difficult as you really don’t know what you will get. Love how people comment on message boards but would not say that stuff to your face totally judgmental, condescending, sanctimonious. Hope all goes well with the birth of your child x
Bridget J.
THANK YOU for sharing your opinions & struggles in this blog post. Like you, I am also a SAHM and can very much relate to your story of what it is like to strive to be the best wife and mother you can during a tough time. I respect your efforts to nourish your family with the healthiest food possible on a tight budget. Perhaps it is seen as old fashioned these days, but it seems more than ever there is a lack of appreciation for the wife/mother role. It is difficult to be that person who provides emotional support as the family struggles. At times, it is a challenge to feel valuable in that role. You may be comforted by stories from Great Depression era families. It is amazing what those parents did to keep afloat. Growing up I heard the stories from my great grandmother. When did it become passe to be resourceful and stretch the pennies as far as you can while striving to provide health for your children?? It makes me sad how shallow (most) Americans have become. Keep your chin up and carry on. You are not alone. THANK YOU again for having the courage to share with us readers!!
Cali
I know most of the comments have said the same thing but I want to thank you for this post. I’ve felt and feel your frustrations, sadness, and disappointments when it comes to taking care of our families especially providing wholesome meals. I’m middle class and its unaffordable for me to buy organic produce and grass feed meats. I would love to do so but I can’t make my dollars stretch like that, I’ve given up many things, I don’t go on vacations, I rarely buy new clothes (recently bought a suit so I could go on an interview), don’t go to the movies, make my own personal care items and cook at home and its just too much. Its overwhelming and so many others make you feel like you should be doing more because you’re not buying organic, etc. Thank you, Thank you. God bless
D. Alan
I’m a single male, raised by depression-era parents, and I’ve been going to a food pantry for over a year, pretty consistently. I have been too ashamed to tell my family & friends, and 1/2 my roommates know. I wasn’t ‘raised that way’.. I pay for health insurance through my job, but wages are low and co-pays are some of the highest, that I’ve not been in 3yrs, though making monthly premiums.(no chance to opt out now)
Going to the foodbank allows me to get out-of-pocket alternative treatment for multiple conditions so that I can -stay- employed.. it’s working for now. I’ve not been to a movie theater in 3 years as well, no cellphone, no cable tv, no car, nothing that my peers see as ‘basic’ or common. I’ve shopped thrift for over a decade for clothing and ran out of available cash to do that for a few months at a time.
I am in the process of selling off personal belongings to reduce debt.
While out walking one night 2 months ago, I pulled sealed food out of a box next to a dumpster;(the condo owners leave things out from time to time in my area) it was a week I had to put food ($12) on a credit card to get through the week..(it was good, organic dry goods, nothing wrong w/ it) Yes. I cut corners often and decline invitations often & excuse my way out of social oppty’s. I applaud her for her boldness and honestly and am getting close to doing the same. I’ve felt at times that the ‘expectation’ if I get a(nother) physical condition or significantly sick, would be to just curl up & die, or fall between the cracks. it wears on us.
People talk about re-prioritizing or “just do this”.. >I’ve done that, and “that” and “that”.
Don’t be dismissive of ‘us’ or suggest we’re not trying hard enough if your pat answers only go as far as making -you- feel good while not being a viable long term solution.
If you do go to a food bank: check with others there on the way out: swap w/ them the ‘crap’ for something better.
Alternatives: check out recipies for asian rice porridge; stretches things quite a ways & keeps the stomach full(er); use it as a base and add whatever’s on hand to it..
I hit the ‘expired vegetable’ section & make stews -often- from that, in various ways.. also oven-roasting veggies can make them ‘safer’ from the mold-spots that i hope i cored out..
Keep your dignity, however far you thing you’ve fallen or however marginalized i/we may feel; even if it’s in a ‘free’/ handout line, never let your dignity be taken or diminished, if in the earnest depths, you’ve done every honorable ‘best’.. and surprisingly, we find that in these hard times and lines, there are more -like- us than those we’d expect to have found there.
Sarah E. A. F.
Oh my goodness! I just found this post and it is *so* true. SO, so so so true. God has been gracious to us and we aren’t struggling as much as you and your family at the moment, but we’re definitely not middle class and feeding our family real foods and such is a struggle. It’s a struggle that I try to make it work but the “solutions” that get handed to us by a lot of people advocating healthy eating are equally condescending. You don’t eat all natural all the time? You must be making horrible life choices! You must not truly care about your health! It truly grates on one’s nerves.
Thanks for being brave and posting this. It needs to be said.