tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85575925956628131252024-03-19T09:11:54.027-07:00Exploring The GapEating for a Dollar A Day and Hungering for AwarenessExploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-73075657383717068732011-03-10T21:20:00.000-08:002011-03-10T21:22:13.071-08:00Check it outMy friend, Steve, sent me this link and I thought I'd pass it on!<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://blogs.oxfamamerica.org/index.php/2011/02/25/photos-ending-hunger-starts-with-us/">Oxfam Blog: Ending Hunger Starts With Us</a></div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-85198951640744650222011-02-23T18:23:00.000-08:002011-02-23T18:50:56.855-08:00I'm Back!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtY3hxBWsnTO4kmrq_66_ZyrSSpurqrZreRdETgSSWW4IrEukFKqL9kK7BfNggMFOfi6BjqNYnp-mo_OgzCSlKbRBa7Cd1-jBAfKmhq3nCP-mxERQ_EVAnP9fa21y8CXJT3pQNkRO7Z-U/s1600/CIMG0446-300x224.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtY3hxBWsnTO4kmrq_66_ZyrSSpurqrZreRdETgSSWW4IrEukFKqL9kK7BfNggMFOfi6BjqNYnp-mo_OgzCSlKbRBa7Cd1-jBAfKmhq3nCP-mxERQ_EVAnP9fa21y8CXJT3pQNkRO7Z-U/s320/CIMG0446-300x224.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577080520453876802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.thespps.org">Steam Powered Preservation Society</a> Showcase<br />International Folk Alliance Conference<br />w/ Aaron Youngberg (<a href="http://www.finndersandyoungberg.com">Finders & Youngberg</a>), Slias Lowe (<a href="http://www.myspace.com/fatmanandlittleboytheatomicduo">Atomic Duo</a>)<br />and Dango Rose (<a href="http://www.elephantrevival.com">Elephant Revival</a>)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Wow - it's been a while!<br />I guess if I don't tell myself that I'm going to update EVERY SINGLE DAY I don't update.<br /><br />Life got a little crazy there for a bit right after we started our $2 per day expansion diet. When we first started with the $2 per day, we could not believe the wealth of food that it provided! If we just stick to oats, rice, beans, and sprouts, we don't really need to spend the full $2 each. On the other hand, the minute we added in hearty greens and vegetables, our two dollars went really fast!<br /><br />We mainly have been keeping it to the diet that we were eating on our 30 day project with the occasional treat added in. Our daily totals have been averaging around $2.38.<br /><br />We did make a big exception this past week, though. We were down in Memphis for the International Folk Alliance Conference. Now, I did prepare by taking a rice cooker and lots of dry food to cook in it. We made oats, coffee, rice, and beans in the hotel room. It was a busy conference, though and it wasn't really possible for us to take the time to cook all our meals in the hotel room. We ate out 1 meal a day while we were there. That certainly did not fit into our $2 per day. We took a hiatus from our parameters and indulged a bit - it was really the only way we were going to get food and when you're getting up at 8:00am for workshops and then staying up until 5:00am to see/play music, you definitely need food!!!<br /><br />Since we've been home, we are back to our oats, bananas, rice, beans with the occasional hearty green thrown in. I started a new job this week as Director of <a href="http://www.folk-school.com/">The Folk School of St. Louis</a> and we got a big surprise when one of Ryan's students brought us a huge home cooked meal plus snacks to make my first week of work easier. What an unbelievable treat to have someone cook such goodness for us - Thanks Eileen!<br /><br />My plan is to update a bit more often as we continue to explore the gap.<br />Thanks for reading.<br /><br />Just a little bit of food for thought,<br />KellyExploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-74704579506234285502011-02-08T20:36:00.000-08:002011-02-08T20:53:09.930-08:00First Day To Eat Whatever We Want!Funny, we had looked forward to getting to eat "whatever we wanted," but the first day off the dollar a day diet, we ate pretty much like we've been eating for the last 30 days.<div><br /></div><div>We started the day with steel cut oats and coffee, had beans and rice with a sprout salad for lunch, and rice for dinner.</div><div><br /></div><div>We were at the Atomic Cowboy for open mic and we did decide to use our tab to splurge and have a glass of wine and a small serving of guacamole and chips. The wine was good, but one glass was plenty - I didn't feel the need to have more (those of you who know me know that this is unusual). The guac and chips were also good, but the chips really didn't set that well - they seemed greasy and salty even though I know they aren't overly so. It was nice to celebrate a little. All in all we spent $1.38 for the day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today we went a step further. Every month we meet Ryan's uncle for lunch. We met today at a Thai restaurant - his treat. It felt weird to be in a restaurant. We got basic food. Ryan had steamed veggies over rice and I had steamed veggies over rice noodles. The food would be considered healthy and good, but after our austere eating habits, it seemed like junk food to us. The meal was modest and only cost $30 including tip for the three of us to eat and I was thankful that Ryan's uncle was treating, but I couldn't help thinking the whole time that I could eat for a month on the money he (on our behalf) had just spent. I'm glad I did think that rather than overlooking it. We went to the market today and just couldn't bring ourselves to spend much. We got some onion, garlic, and peppers for seasoning and we got some dark leafy greens. It all seemed exorbitant and expensive and it is compared to the way we've been eating. We did find that we could easily add those things to our diet and eat for $4.00 per day for both of us.</div><div><br /></div><div>The meal we had for lunch also fed us for dinner since there were plenty of leftovers. So today all we had besides the restaurant food was some coffee and some tea. Our daily total came out to $.44!</div><div><br /></div><div>We are looking forward to our continued exploring of the gap and will continue to share.</div><div>Just a little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-77256111277452332632011-02-06T19:36:00.000-08:002011-02-06T20:02:36.801-08:00Day Thirty!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYR0YW1pLXjsD_wQoBOpM8msGBLsM4_D-lt-3bIpvMgxmEk0ppWCZI0LOnG_kEq7O-4qQuSCf1AotMF4zk_kYBuN95jgcSEXbxTIUEktcBrP657GPpA1Xy-d3RqHLNgspnLVV2KZ6_YBLx/s1600/kelry.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYR0YW1pLXjsD_wQoBOpM8msGBLsM4_D-lt-3bIpvMgxmEk0ppWCZI0LOnG_kEq7O-4qQuSCf1AotMF4zk_kYBuN95jgcSEXbxTIUEktcBrP657GPpA1Xy-d3RqHLNgspnLVV2KZ6_YBLx/s320/kelry.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570793117176768034" /></a>Today is the last day. It feels good to have accomplished our goal of eating on a dollar a day for 30 days. I am thankful for the things we have learned, for the deepening of our awareness. While I'm excited to add more variety to our daily meals, I am very cognizant of the fact that many others in the world don't get to make the food choices that I am privileged to make.<div><br /></div><div>With that in mind, it's hard to imagine going back to our previous food lifestyle. We've decided to extend this project a little. We are going to raise our daily food allowance to $2.00 per day per person. We are also going to allow ourselves to share food with others and accept our tabs at local venues where we are playing. The thought of spending two whole dollars on myself for food each day sounds so exorbitant. I'm going to have to concentrate to actually spend that much. I'm excited to continue a somewhat austere food lifestyle and feel that keeping parameters will help deepen, strengthen, and broaden our thoughts, ideas, and compassion.</div><div><br /></div><div>I plan to continue to update the blog entries from time to time and will definitely update tomorrow! I'm thankful for all the encouragement and support we've received while exploring the gap and hope you will continue to explore with us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Meals ~</div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with coffee</div><div>Lunch ~ lentil, bean, and barley stew</div><div>Dinner ~ sprout salad</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Total ~ $1.38</div><div>Monthly Total ~ $53.63</div><div><br /></div><div>Just a little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-85737013929921960702011-02-05T20:27:00.000-08:002011-02-05T20:39:36.383-08:00Day Twenty-nineOne day left of our 30 day project. Many of you have asked what we are going to do "next" and what we are going to eat on Monday when this project is over. We've been debating that exact question now for about 30 days! We both feel that we've learned and grown during this experiment and in all honesty, it feels a little sad for it to end. We've definitely been in "the zone." Throughout the years, Ryan and I have done many cleanses, detoxes, and special food diets (thanks to all our friends who have cooked accordingly for us for all these years). This one has definitely been different than the previous projects. We were talking about it today and I think that the difference has been that this dollar-a-day diet has had meaning beyond ourselves. We have felt a solidarity with humankind and a desire to gain understanding and awareness. While it hasn't been easy, these things have gotten us through the hungry times and the cravings and allowed us to think outside of our personal desires. I want deeply to keep this awareness present and real in our everyday lives. Tomorrow we will set out the parameters for our next step...<div><br /></div><div>Daily Meals ~</div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with coffee</div><div>Snack ~ popcorn</div><div>Dinner ~ lentil, bean, and barley stew</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Totals ~ $1.65</div><div><br /></div><div>Just a little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-17166423717502896232011-02-04T20:22:00.001-08:002011-02-04T20:26:27.044-08:00Day Twenty-eightA friend shared this on Facebook this morning. I think it's pretty exciting that a St. Louis based organization is making this big of a difference in the world!<div><br /></div><div>Check it out...</div><div><a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/deb-peterson/article_b897f5ae-2ff9-11e0-9ffe-0017a4a78c22.html">Wings of Hope</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Meals ~</div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with coffee</div><div>Lunch ~ rice and white bean "stew"</div><div>Dinner ~ popcorn</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Total ~ $1.30</div><div><br /></div><div>Just a little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-2921225385813100282011-02-03T21:13:00.000-08:002011-02-03T21:22:41.075-08:00Day Twenty-sevenWe've reached day twenty-seven. Hard to believe that our 30 days is almost up! I find myself wishing that the 30 days <i>weren't</i> almost over. This month has been really good in so many ways and I feel like I have so much more to learn! We're not sure exactly what we are doing to do when the 30 days come to an end. I certainly want to remain conscious of the things I've been learning. We've got three days to decide our next move...we'll see!<div><br /></div><div>Daily Meals ~ </div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with coffee</div><div>Lunch ~ lentils</div><div>Dinner ~ rice</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Totals ~ $1.18</div><div><br /></div><div>Just a little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-2389897132490654082011-02-02T19:34:00.000-08:002011-02-02T19:47:18.475-08:00Day Twenty-sixI engaged in a ritual today that I look forward to all year long (no, it did not involve making myself bleed or chanting any spells). I planted the year's first seeds. Every February, I pull out my little seed pots, my soil, my worm castings, and my precious seed packets and get my hands dirty. It always puts me in a joyful and introspective mood when I plant things. Today I kept thinking about how exciting this first planting was and how within a few weeks time, I will be seeing little shoots and sprouts pushing up through the dark soil and reaching for the light. <div><br /></div><div>This 30 day project has made me feel that way personally. I feel like a little seed that's been planted and is struggling and yearning to reach the light. I love the analogy of growing seeds and personal development. I am reaching and reaching for the light and growing steadily and surely towards being the person that I want to be: a person who is compassionate, conscious, and aware.</div><div><br /></div><div>The growing seeds will be a reminder to me to continue my own personal growth even when that light seems hard to find.</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Meals ~</div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with coffee</div><div>Lunch ~ pinto beans and rice</div><div>Dinner ~ rice</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Totals <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>~ $1.43</div><div><br /></div><div>Just a little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-73649313409874126162011-02-01T18:34:00.001-08:002011-02-01T19:06:39.729-08:00Day Twenty-five<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51kSxwOlVNL._SL500_AA300_.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51kSxwOlVNL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SPsExPSJL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg"></a>Among the goals of this project was the desire to shift our personal consciousness and increase our awareness. Something that goes a long way towards doing that, I think, is compassion.<div>Being compassionate is not always my first response towards others, but that is something I'm working to change. </div><div><br /></div><div>Ryan picked up Karen Armstrong's book,<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Steps-Compassionate-Borzoi-Books/dp/0307595595/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296615291&sr=1-1"> "Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life"</a> at the library recently because he thought it would be a pertinent book to read during this project. He was right. We are both reading it now and it is well-timed.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here is an except from the cover notes of the book: "The twelve steps Armstrong suggests begin with 'Learn About Compassion' and close with 'Love Your Enemies.' In between, she takes up 'compassion for yourself,' mindfulness, suffering, sympathetic joy, the limits of our knowledge of others, and 'concern for everybody.' She suggests concrete ways of enhancing our compassion and putting it into action in our everyday lives, and provides, as well, a reading list to encourage us to 'hear one another's narratives.' Throughout, Armstrong makes clear that a compassionate life is not a matter of only heart or mind but a deliberate and often life-altering commingling of the two."</div><div><br /></div><div>A deliberate commingling of heart and mind. For me, this was a call to action. A call to not only be compassionate emotionally, but also intellectually. A call to not just show compassion to those less fortunate, but also to my peers and colleagues. To cut some slack, to put myself in their shoes, to not be so exacting, to not take it personally, to open up my heart and mind and search for understanding. Henry Ward Beecher said, "Compassion cures more than condemnation." And the Dalai Lama says, "Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival...<span class="Apple-style-span">I<span class="Apple-style-span">f you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Meals ~</div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats and coffee</div><div>Lunch ~ popcorn</div><div>Dinner ~ rice and beans</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Total ~ $1.60</div><div><br /></div><div>Just a little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-63675304972817041032011-01-31T20:19:00.000-08:002011-01-31T20:30:41.559-08:00Day Twenty-four<span class="Apple-style-span">From the St. Louis Consolidated Five Year Plan:</span><div><br /></div><div><p style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: medium; "><b>THE HOMELESS PROBLEM</b></p><p style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: medium; ">"Homelessness is a persistent problem nationally and the situation is little different in St. Louis. Lack of education, lower socio-economic standing in the society, psychological problems caused by trauma, war, rape and a host of other causes, inaccessibility to adequate housing: these are just a few of the problems that face people who are at risk of losing their residences and live in dangerous, uninhabitable conditions, are doubled-up and/or are living on the streets.</p><p style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: medium; ">Calculating a fair estimate of the number of homeless people in the city of St. Louis is difficult; estimates range from a low of 8,000 to 13,000 (see "Needs and Challenges" section). Though definitive numbers are difficult to quantify, the problem of homeless has not improved in recent years, and will in all probability become worse with the continuing implementation of welfare reform. Governments and private agencies often end up providing stopgap measures in the face of complex problems associated with this often-desperate population. Real change in the overall situation is hard to quantify; often, the best that can be hoped for is adequate provision of maintenance services to homeless individuals and families, with the expectation that the families will not fall into even worse situations than they presently find themselves.</p><p style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: medium; ">In the midst of this otherwise bleak picture, many agencies in St. Louis have been providing important services to the homeless. Special populations, such as veterans, the mentally ill, HIV/AIDS clients, adolescents, families with children, pregnant women, and domestic abuse survivors are being attended to with programs that attempt to adequately address their issues. Improvements, often difficult to manifest in this environment, have occurred, such as a centralized intake system that has been created to more efficiently refer homeless persons to programs which can best serve them, and outreach aimed at the hard to reach homeless, plus a modicum of prevention programs."</p><p style="font-family: arial, helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span">I'm feeling very thankful for my warm home tonight and acknowledging how blessed we are. </span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></p><span><span>Daily Meals ~</span></span></div><div><span><span>Breakfast~ steel cut oats and coffee</span></span></div><div><span><span>Lunch ~ black eyed peas and rice</span></span></div><div><span><span>Dinner ~ popcorn</span></span></div><div><span><span><br />Daily Totals ~ $1.19</span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Just a little bit of food for thought...</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span">Kelly</span></p></div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-87092173738366067752011-01-30T19:00:00.000-08:002011-01-30T19:29:28.328-08:00Day Twenty-threeWe've been working hard all weekend to get through the list that we made Friday morning. This list was of the things that HAD to be done before the end of today. I'm proud to say that although we are still working on that list, we are almost through!<div><br /></div><div>"I want a treat because today is Sunday," I said to Ryan this afternoon. He looked quizzically at me and used his standard response that he uses whenever I make random comments (which I do quite often), "Is that because of something in your childhood?" I thought about it...yes, it was from something in my childhood. Every Sunday in my family was (and still is) family day. We went to church (my dad was the preacher) then we came home and had a large Sunday lunch complete with my mom's nice china and stemware and of course, dessert! We would then all move to the den and each would pick their entertainment of choice: books, the Sunday paper, guitar, tv, a craft project. We'd all hang out until late afternoon at which time, we made a snack. We always had something fun for Sunday: chips and dip, popcorn, ice cream, homemade snack mix, etc... (my family is the king of appetizers and snacks). We didn't always eat this way, but we did on Sunday afternoons. I guess that's what was going on with me today. As soon as Ryan pointed it out, it made me very nostalgic about sitting in my parent's house on a Sunday afternoon without a care in the world enjoying life's small pleasures and the comraderie of family.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, we haven't really had any snacks for twenty-three days and I was missing the "crunch". We decided to have a treat today. We walked to the market and bought a bag of popcorn. Let me tell you, the first taste of that popcorn with salt still has my mouth watering! It was wonderful and well within our budget ! So, I got to reminisce and fulfill a tradition that I suspect my five siblings and my parents were probably fulfilling also today in their own way!</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Meals ~</div><div>Breakfast ~ steal cut oats with banana and coffee</div><div>Lunch ~ chickpeas and rice</div><div>Snack ~ home popped popcorn </div><div>Dinner ~ more rice</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Totals ~ $1.90</div><div><br /></div><div>Just a little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-75741274043685811212011-01-29T21:13:00.000-08:002011-01-29T21:26:03.542-08:00Day Twenty-twoAs we've been eating so much less for the last twenty-two days, my mind and heart have constantly been turned toward those who are less fortunate. Most of the time I envision families in developing countries that are overworked, underpaid, and most definitely hungry. Hunger, though, is not something reserved for other countries or even for the homeless population. St. Louis is a very hungry city according to recent studies. Ryan read recently that according to the Food Research and Action Center, St. Louis is the 11th hungriest city in the US. According to this acticle from <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_a3cac3f5-0f11-57e8-b244-4053da7662e6.html">stltoday.com</a>, the state ranks 5th in the nation for hungry children. This is a good reminder that poverty, hunger, and homelessness are right at our doorstep. <div><br /></div><div>Daily Meals ~</div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with banana and coffee</div><div>Lunch ~ rice</div><div>Dinner ~ lentils and rice with sprout salad</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Totals ~ 1.97</div><div><br /></div><div>A little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-35416430498232220252011-01-28T15:06:00.000-08:002011-01-28T15:12:21.830-08:00Day Twenty-OneHere is my friend, Jason's Facebook update from this morning:<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>"The world produces enough food to feed everyone ... enough to provide everyone in the world with at least 2,720 kilocalories (kcal) per person per day (FAO 2002, p.9). The principle problem is that many people in the world do not have sufficient land to grow, or income to purchase, enough food. - worldhunger.org"</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>"</b></span></span>The day that hunger is eradicated from the earth, there will be the greatest spiritual explosion the world has ever known. Humanity cannot imagine the joy that will burst into the world on the day of that great revolution." ~Federico Lorca</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div>Daily Meals ~</div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with banana and coffee</div><div>Lunch ~ pinto beans and rice with sprout salad</div><div>Dinner ~ rice</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Totals ~ $1.87</div><div><br /></div><div>Just a little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-5388955748015957902011-01-27T20:49:00.001-08:002011-01-27T21:05:32.524-08:00Day Twenty<span class="Apple-style-span" >Ryan and I presented at <a href="www.pkstl.com">St. Louis Pecha Kucha</a> night tonight for our <a href="www.greenstrumproject.com">Green Strum Project</a>. What a great gathering of conscious, motivated people doing great things in this city! I was talking to a friend of mine there and she was asking how the diet was going and what was difficult about it. I've been realizing more the last few days what really is difficult, at least for me. The portions we are eating are really quite satisfying and our bodies have adjusted to the amount of food we are eating. We are also getting balanced nutrition, so we don't feel we are lacking in that department. The hard part is knowing that there is nothing else. What I mean by that is, once we eat our portions for each meal, there is no other food to be had. I find myself wandering into the kitchen several times a day and just standing there looking into our bare cabinets and refrigerator shelves. There is no snack food healthy or otherwise. I realize how often I mindlessly do that...wander into the kitchen and consume without really needing to. I do experience some bouts of hunger these days with no way to assuage it, but most of the time when I wander into that kitchen, I'm not really hungry, I'm just looking for something that I can't have. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >This in some very small way must be what it is like for an impoverished person. The knowledge that there is nothing else to be eaten and no way to get more. I've spent a good bit of time lately trying to train my mind not to think about food. I'm doing this, though, knowing that I'll get a decent portion of food each day. I can't really imagine what it must be like to know that there will be no food and to try to overcome that devastating knowledge.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Daily Meals ~</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Breakfast ~ steel cuts oats with banana and green tea (Kelly) and coffee (Ryan)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Lunch ~ lentils with rice</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Dinner ~ rice</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Daily Total ~ $1.80</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Just a little bit of food for thought...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Kelly</span></div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-13587869324913874582011-01-26T21:26:00.000-08:002011-01-26T21:44:50.859-08:00Day Nineteen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/414UgY9NlsL._SL500_AA300_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/414UgY9NlsL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><div>For the last couple of days, every time I get on the bus, I whip out Michael Pollan's "Food Rules". This handy little guidebook gives 64 "rules" to eating. A lot of them are really resonating with me right now. The book encourages people to eat more simply and not be bought by the food and media companies. There are some great rules like "If it came from a plant, eat it. If it's made in a plant, don't!" Or, "The whiter the bread, the sooner you're dead." And, "don't eat anything with ingredients that a third grader can't pronounce."</div><div><br /></div><div>Pollan spends a large part of his introduction talking about how the more "scientific" our eating has become, the more disease we, as Americans, actually have. It's amazing to me that people are undernourished all over the world and yet tens of thousands of new "edible media" products are produced every year in this country. Pollan boils his food philosophy down to seven little words: "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants."</div><div><br /></div><div>These words are exactly what I needed to hear after 19 days of no pre-packaged foods and small portions!</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Meals ~</div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with a banana!!! Coffee (Ryan)</div><div>Lunch ~ Chickpeas and rice</div><div>Dinner ~ Rice</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Totals ~ $1.87</div><div><br /></div><div>Just a little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div><div><br /></div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-8070720481578142412011-01-25T20:28:00.000-08:002011-01-25T20:43:34.927-08:00Day Eighteen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.healthywaysgreendays.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/organic_banana.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 113px; height: 115px;" src="http://www.healthywaysgreendays.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/organic_banana.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I had a small victory today - two in fact. First, was that I was again in the grocery store to pick up some more oats for our breakfast and I easily turned a blind eye to all the brightly packaged foods that for some reason I have been craving lately. Even the potato chips didn't sway me! I've settled into this diet even more the last few days. I also am feeling very thankful for the insights we've gained. I was pleased to see my new thoughts put into practice today in the store!</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">The second victory was that organic bananas were on sale for $.79 per pound! I bought five of them and they came out to be $.30 per banana. I am going to bed tonight eagerly looking forward to having banana in my oats in the morning. One thing this diet has done is make us very, very grateful for the small things!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Daily Meals ~</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Breakfast ~ oats with raisins and green tea</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Lunch ~ chickpeas and rice</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Dinner ~ rice</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Daily Total ~ $1.68</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Just a little bit of food for thought...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Kelly</span></div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-66782759566866629042011-01-24T12:44:00.000-08:002011-01-24T13:12:47.354-08:00Day Seventeen<span class="Apple-style-span">It's hard to believe that we are more than half way through this 30 day project. We have settled into it and the food cravings are slowly easing away. It has helped to have variety. We are relying heavily on the beans we decided to add to the diet. We haven't had a day without them in a while. A huge addition has also been the sprouts we've been eating almost daily. It is refreshing to have live food and I can feel their nutrients being hungrily absorbed by my body.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Several people have asked if we've been able to maintain our weight on this diet. The answer is no. This is one area where the difference between us and a disadvantaged person is glaring. We started this diet with plenty of balanced nutrients, so I don't think we could do much damage to our nutrition in 30 days. Of course, this is a very different scenario than a person who has eaten so little for a long period of time. Ryan and I also both started this diet with some extra "padding", so weight maintenance is not something we are worried about. If a person didn't have any to spare, though, this would be very difficult. I'm a long way from "wasting away to nothing" but for many people, loosing a few pounds could be very dangerous and life threatening. It's hard to imagine how arduous it would be to be undernourished and engaging in hard physical labor as so many in the world do.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">We have not been participating in any extra exercise. We both walk a least a couple of miles a day (usually more) to and from the bus/Metrolink. We decided that this was sufficient and we didn't need to burn more calories by "exercising". I do yoga a few times a week and that is burning some extra calories, but I'm not jogging right now. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Today's Meals ~</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with raisins and green tea</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Lunch ~ pinto beans and rice with a sprout salad</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Snack ~ apple cider vinegar "cocktail"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Dinner ~ rice</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Daily Total ~ $1.85</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Just a little bit of food for thought...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Kelly</span></div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-82606011469835083342011-01-23T20:47:00.000-08:002011-01-23T20:55:39.804-08:00Day SixteenWhew...it's been a full, busy day. It has not been a day of rest! We've been working all day and hardly had time to think about our meals. That <i>is</i> a benefit of being busy - less time to contemplate things you might want to eat! We do always try, though, to slow down and take a break for meals. We try to clear our minds, eat slowly, and experience thankfulness for the food we get to eat. It is surprising how good simple food can taste when you take the time to enjoy it!<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><h1 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); font-size: 12px; ">"He who distinguishes the true savor of his food can never be a glutton; he who does not cannot be otherwise"</h1><div>~ Henry David Thoreau</div><div><br /></div><div>Today's Meals</div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with raisins and green tea</div><div>Lunch ~ pinto beans</div><div>Dinner ~ rice</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Total ~ $1.47</div><div><br /></div><div>Just a little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div></span></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-3095846061839406472011-01-22T21:48:00.000-08:002011-01-22T22:12:41.157-08:00Day FifteenDay fifteen!! We are half way through! <div><br /></div><div>Even though we've been doing this for fifteen days, we are still running into difficult situations. Today for instance, we finished up the class Ryan was teaching at <a href="http://www.folk-school.com">The Folk School</a> and were about to head home when we realized that we needed to do some shopping. We were out of toilet paper, we needed new toothbrushes, and we needed some more beans to supplement our rice/oats diet. We set out for the grocery store and I was already experiencing some trepidation; I wasn't sure going into a grocery store was such a good idea. It had been several hours since we had eaten our oats for breakfast and by the time we did our shopping, took the Metrolink home, and cooked something to eat, we were looking at a minimum of two hours before we could eat and we were already hungry! </div><div><br /></div><div>We could not believe all the cravings we were having when we got in the grocery store! All of the "edible media" looked so very good! I was even trying to convince myself that a bag of potato chips really wasn't that bad. They were organic and only contained potatoes, salt, and oil. They can't be <i>that</i> bad, right? We walked around that store for twenty minutes trying to figure out what we could buy for a snack that fit into our budget and our vegan diet. Well, needless to say, we left that store as hungry as we went in, road the train home, and put a pot of lentils to boil on the stove. </div><div><br /></div><div>While we were waiting to go home on the Metrolink I did have a revelation! "Bananas," I hollered! Bananas would have been a great option. You can get an organic banana for about $.27. They are vegan, healthy, packed with nutrients, and cheap - <i>we</i> could have even "afforded" a couple! Oh, well. At least I'll know what to get next time when the grocery store cravings are getting to me. </div><div><br /></div><div>The hunger pains we were feeling this afternoon is what it's all about. We really didn't "need" to eat right that second. We were perfectly fine waiting for our rice and lentils. I'm thankful for these reminders even though they don't always feel so good while they are happening.</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Food</div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with raisins and green tea</div><div>Lunch ~ lentils</div><div>Dinner ~ rice</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Total ~ $1.39</div><div><br /></div><div>Just a bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, P.S. Remember that extra $.50 we spent at the coffee shop yesterday? We didn't mean to, but we made up for it today. We've now got $.11 to spare!</div><div><br /></div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-81320040797324278482011-01-21T21:10:00.001-08:002011-01-21T21:33:01.019-08:00Day FourteenToday we were in a situation that took some debate. We had a meeting this morning with a local organization with whom we are collaborating for our <a href="http://www.greenstrumproject.com">Green Strum Project</a>. The meeting was held at a local coffee shop. There was our quandary...what do we do about ordering something. Neither one of us likes the idea of hanging out in a place of business without buying something. We ALWAYS purchase something if we are going to be in a shop for longer than a couple of minutes. Of course, on the dollar a day diet, we have decided to not to accept free things, not to go out to eat or drink, and to only spend one dollar a day each. <div><br /></div><div>We debated what to do. We could have gone and explained to the others in the meeting (whom we'd never met) about our diet project and not have ordered anything. If we had done that, it would probably have seemed odd and possibly made them uncomfortable if they were eating and drinking and we were not. It would definitely have taken away from the focus of the meeting. It would also have been disrespectful to the place of business. </div><div><br /></div><div>We eventually decided that we would each purchase something inexpensive (we got a tea and a coffee) and we would use the money that we've "saved" so far on the diet. We haven't been eating quite two dollars worth of food everyday - we usually have some cents left over. Actually, over the last thirteen days, we've "saved" $3.50. Our tea and coffee cost us $4.00 with tip. So, we have fifty cents to make up. We'll make that up in the next week or so and still be on track with our dollar a day each. </div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Food excluding this morning's purchase:</div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with raisins</div><div>Lunch ~ beans, rice</div><div>Dinner ~ sprout salad, apple cider vinegar</div><div><br /></div><div>Total ~ $1.60</div><div><br /></div><div>A little bit of food for thought...</div><div>Kelly</div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. The meeting was at 9:00am. Ryan is still zinging from his coffee!</div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-51938315314146850002011-01-20T19:28:00.000-08:002011-01-20T19:46:32.520-08:00Day Thirteen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpGgt_g5HdJTQ3HcM7z6RsRcyu1GVCbxANTfmjEcWhZH3Hvt84MImCd1qsxFQQgcqtwyylM4TRuvucoPIIm7LynwsevIOwCcH2g7erlfCZgzdEQHdE9XuiApwKSJcSNqlRzqCzriH4pic/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpGgt_g5HdJTQ3HcM7z6RsRcyu1GVCbxANTfmjEcWhZH3Hvt84MImCd1qsxFQQgcqtwyylM4TRuvucoPIIm7LynwsevIOwCcH2g7erlfCZgzdEQHdE9XuiApwKSJcSNqlRzqCzriH4pic/s320/photo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564476308111707586" /></a><br />Snow Day in St. Louis! It is a rare thing for us not to have anywhere we have to be and we approached the day with excitement! What would we do with all this time. Without even discussing it and without eating breakfast, Ryan headed downstairs to his basement workshop and I headed to the sewing machine. We both worked steadily for hours before reconvening for "breakfast" around one o'clock. We realized how different this day was from previous snow days. Normally, we would have gone to the store yesterday and stocked up...not on necessities, but on "fun" stuff for the snow day. We would have bought snacks, extra food, and alcohol. We would have enjoyed our day at home and we would have "treated" ourselves with all of our food and beverage purchases. <div><br /></div><div>Today was very different. We had no special snacks, I wasn't spending hours in the kitchen preparing a special dinner, and we certainly didn't have any special beverages! The day had a very different focus. Not only did we have a day at home, we had tons more time than usual. It just doesn't take long to throw a few beans in a pot to simmer. Other than that, I was hardly in the kitchen at all. Instead, I made a dress that is a copy of a vintage dress that a friend just bought at a retro store. Ryan made two different bass instruments for our Green Strum Project (<a href="http://www.greenstrumproject.com">www.greenstrumproject.com</a>) and we played music this evening. </div><div><br /></div><div>We made ourselves eat dinner even though we weren't hungry. I think we were enjoying our projects too much. </div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Food:</div><div><br /></div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with a few raisins and some green tea</div><div>Dinner ~ Sweet potato and bean "stew"</div><div>After Dinner ~ apple cider vinegar "cocktail"</div><div><br /></div><div>Daily Total ~ $1.25</div><div><br /></div><div>A little bit of food for thought,</div><div>Kelly</div><div><br /></div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-73441900458772648562011-01-19T12:44:00.000-08:002011-01-19T13:09:04.834-08:00Day TwelveWhen we began this project, our plan was to cut back on our food intake which, of course, has cut into the amount of money we have spent "out". We aren't eating at restaurants, we aren't hanging at coffee shops, we aren't buying drinks at the bar. Needless to say, there has been a huge savings in the eating out/entertainment section of our monthly budget. One thing we didn't expect, though, are the changes that are taking place in other sections of our budget. The financial focus of this project was not in any way to save money, but rather to become aware of the money we do spend and where we spend it. <div><br /></div><div> Once we began the dollar a day diet we started noticing a reticence to spend money at all! Naturally, I am paying our bills, but for the last twelve days I think Ryan and I have spent a total of $5.20 outside of our bills and our food. We find ourselves in stores planning to buy something and then we just put it back on the shelf. There's something about spending so little in one area of life that transposes to the other areas. It seems outrageous to think of spending $25 on an item in the store when we realize that we could eat for almost a month on that amount of money! For this, I am thankful because it is yet another reminder of the money we spend mindlessly on things that perhaps we don't really need. It is encouraging me to be more conscious in other areas and reuse, remake, and reprocess things rather then casting them off and buying new. My mama always quoted, "I'm trying to make a dollar out of 57 cents!" This has been running around in my head especially the last few days. In so many instances, you <i>can</i> make a dollar out of 57 cents. I'm encouraged to continue this austere lifestyle and looking forward to each new revelation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today's diet includes:</div><div>Breakfast ~ steel cut oats with a few raisins and green tea</div><div>Lunch ~ sweet potato and bean soup with a sprout salad</div><div>Snack ~ Apple Cider Vinegar "cocktail"</div><div>Dinner ~ Brown Rice with Tamari</div><div><br /></div><div>Totals ~ $1.93</div><div><br /></div><div>Peace,</div><div>Kelly</div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-34011410817369056452011-01-18T20:18:00.000-08:002011-01-18T20:35:30.734-08:00Day ElevenWhen I first had the idea for this dollar a day project, I thought that I was the first one to come up with this brilliant plan, but of course, it had been done before. I've found several blogs of others who have attempted the same thing. They've done it for various reasons, but a constant theme among them all is that their dollar a day experience changed the way they think about food. <div><br /></div><div><div>There are a couple of teachers who did this a couple of years ago and they have just written a book about it. They have a similar outlook as Ryan and I and I have enjoyed perusing their blog. You can check them out at <a href="http://www.dollaradaybook.com/">http://www.dollaradaybook.com/</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are a couple of articles about a North Carolina woman who wanted to prove that you could eat healthily on a dollar a day: <a href="http://www.walletpop.com/2009/02/26/how-to-eat-decently-on-a-dollar-a-day/"><span style="color:blue">http://www.walletpop.com/2009/02/26/how-to-eat-decently-on-a-dollar-a-day/</span></a> and <span style="color:blue"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=7062440&page=1">http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=7062440&page=1</a></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Here's another gentleman who ate for $30 for a month:<span style="color:blue"><a href="http://hungryforamonth.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_hungryforamonth_archive.html">http://hungryforamonth.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_hungryforamonth_archive.html</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><br /></span></p></div><div>Our daily total came to $1.94.</div><div><br /></div><div>We added some steel cut oats with a few raisins for breakfast which was a real treat and we had lentils with our rice for lunch. Dinner was brown rice as usual...it's amazing how good it can taste!</div><div>Cheers,</div><div>Kelly</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-80283364267347659902011-01-17T23:18:00.000-08:002011-01-17T23:21:56.040-08:00Day Ten<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span class="body" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; ">An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.</span><br /><span class="bodybold" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/martinluth400049.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 17, 255); line-height: normal; ">Martin Luther King, Jr.</a> </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span class="bodybold" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><br /></b></span></div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557592595662813125.post-33793980666359731102011-01-16T19:35:00.000-08:002011-01-16T19:51:04.475-08:00Day NineThe sprouts were ready today! I've been sprouting broccoli and alfalfa seeds in a jar in my pantry for the last week or so. I purchased the seeds in bulk from a natural foods store for pennies. Sprouting is a simple way to have live food any time of the year. Any seed, bean, or whole grain can be sprouted. I am also currently sprouting mung beans. I just put a few seeds/beans/grains in the bottom of a jar and then soak them for a few hours. I cover the top with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. Then, I rinse them a couple of times a day until they are ready. Broccoli and alfalfa are fast sprouters and only take three to four days. Beans and grains take a bit longer. <div><br /></div><div>Much research has been conducted about the nutritive value of sprouts. Johns Hopkins University conducted a study that showed that eating 1 ounce of broccoli sprouts was equal in antioxidants to 3 pounds of fully grown broccoli!</div><div><br /></div><div>We've been experiencing hunger, cravings, and detox the last couple of days so the sprouts were a nice change from our rice and bean diet.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today's total - $1.96</div><div><br /></div><div>Kelly</div><div><br /></div>Exploring The Gaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06759525806908338828noreply@blogger.com1