Poverty Food

[Sue_CT]

True. I buy butter on sale, it is available as store brands and those go on sale too. You could also omit the butter. But a small piece of parm if you can get a small piece, is all that is needed. I just grated some on my homemade pizza tonight. I weighed it and it was half an ounce and generously covered about a 14" pizza before I added the mozzarella. I wanted to see how much it really took. So yes, it is very expensive by the pound but if they will cut you a small piece, at the deli/cheese counter, it adds a lot of flavor. I might even bring them the smallest piece I could find pre-cut and see if they would cut it down for me. Not an ingredient you can use in unlimited amounts on a very small budget though. I suppose you could just eat plain dry pasta with salt and pepper. Depends on just how impovrished your poverty is, I guess. A jar of marinara is over 6.00 now and I bet you could find a small piece of parm for less than that. Maybe, maybe not. You choose what is available to you, I guess.

[pepperhead212]

I have over 20 lbs of butter in my freezer, in vacuum sealed bags, because I got 12 lbs at lidl for $1.29/lb (I thought sure it was a misprint, online!), and before that, $1.79 at Aldi. Now it's close to $4/lb, at both, and way more in supermarkets. I simply stop buying things when they are outrageous prices - nothing that I need that badly.

[bower]

The worst thing about hand to mouth poverty is that you don't have the cash to stock up on what is bargain priced, because you only have enough (or not even enough) to cover your basic needs for the week. So you end up having to buy things at full price, while wealthier folks are stocking the larder.
But if you have any dirt at all, you can improve your diet greatly by growing some veggies (and maybe fruits).
Even the simplest thing like Egyptian Onions or perennial green onions, which doesn't take any work once they are planted, is a green vegetable that can be added to improve almost any dish, including that pasta. If you only want to plant green onions once, harvest by cutting instead of pulling. You can cut them right at soil level and they quickly regrow. In Texas, they would easily overwinter. One shot planting for perpetual harvest.
Herbs like parsley are so easy to grow, and perennials like thyme and oregano as well. Basil I guess is easy in the south. But any of them add a lot of nutritional value and flavor. There are actually a LOT of nutrients and micronutrients packed into these herbs, which don't take a lot of care once they are planted and established. I grew a 'perennial' arugula type that has continued to seed itself, at least. Just found a few late plants of it recently. The leaves are super tasty so it doesn't take a lot to flavor your dish and greatly improve the nutrition of a simple pasta dish.
I know it can be hard to garden at all if you are disabled or in pain.
But even the children could be asked to help with planting some key perennials that help with the food.
Seeds of course, come from your big online community of friends.

[karstopography]

It’s almost pecan season here. Store bought shelled Pecan halves are pretty pricey, but all over the eastern half of Texas and much of the rest of the south native Pecan trees grow. In the public parks here people forage under the trees starting in October. The native, unimproved pecans are the richest in oil and flavor. I used to forage for native pecans in the Church yard behind my old house, no one ever did and the pecans eventually just rotted on the ground. Pecans store a good amount of time in the shell if kept dry. I’d crack and pick them out while watching fall college football games. Pecans freeze well picked out. Super nutrient dense food, as are many tree nuts. Anyway, one of those “free” foods that can get the whole family involved. Entertaining for kids of all ages and even the old and stiff can use cane like pickers so they don’t have to bend over to get the nuts. Good way to get some fresh air and maybe a little free sunshine made healthly Vitamin D to boot. Everyone I know grew up picking pecans up at some point. I picked them up and sold a few way back when. Made about what a teenager would have made at a regular job and didn’t have anyone bossing me around.

[worth1]

I'm going to harp on fast food again.
I watched a documentary where a family found it easier to get fast food on the way home from work to feed the family.
They were hard workers and found it convenient.
The father was diabetic because of it.
They were living from hand to mouth like many people do.
My wife used to get mad at me for buying bags of potatoes.
She said we wouldn't eat them all before they weren't any good.
I told her that even if they went bad it was less expensive.
She said ir was wasteful.
My reply was buying the select potatoes by the pound was wasting my money.
Microwave popcorn is another huge waste of money and horribly unhealthy.
As well as potato chips and the likes.
Her family literally had money to burn, mine didn't.
Even when I started making much more money than my parents ever dreamed of making I carried the tradition of being careful with my money throughout life.

Then when you get people that get free help from the government all their lives they don't have any concept of working for what they have.
They then start feeling entitled to it and waste or don't care what they spend it on.
It really ticked me off here in Texas when they started allowing people to buy junk food with food stamps or card or whatever the devil they call it these days.
I work my tail off and can't afford to spend my money on that crap so why should I sit back and let others get it for free on my dime.
I am not against government assistance I'm against making a lifestyle out of it passing it on from generation to generation.
Then there are the cheats that burn me up.
Eating fast food every day and drawing government assistance.
I asked one cheat to buy me a hamburger and he said why.
I flat out told him it's because you owe it to me.
How he asked.
I told him it's because you're cheating me and the rest of the people out of money I want my hamburger.
Sorry for the rant and it isn't directed towards Salt.
But I hear so many people at work complain about not being able to afford good tools and they eat out every day.
Your not living in poverty if you're eating out every day.
Or at least not trying to get out of it.
I literally lived on hand gathered pecans, beans and cream of wheat during the fall and winter of 89.
I had to smell the hamburger joint down the street and couldn't afford one.
It was so cold we had every blanket in the house on top of us and the cats slept under the blankets to keep warm.
We couldn't afford to turn the heater on.

[Tormato]

You know Tormato reminded me, a pound or two of whatever pasta is on sale with marinara, or EVOO with some salt, pepper and parm, a few chopped herbs or a sprinkling of dried italien seasoning if you have them, or even just butter, salt, pepper and parm will taste good and fill you up. Not highly nutritious, but will give you calories you need to prevent yourself from starving that is for sure.

Since I really like it along with its simplicity, I make just pasta (usually angel hair or fettuccini, the two extremes in size), butter and parm (or romano, with a stronger flavor using half the amount of the parm). Perhaps I'll make this 10 times throughout the year, when breakfast or lunch was highly nutritious for that day. Of course, in August there is always yellow summer squash or green zucchini to be added. The cost of the meal is about 25 cents.

[bower]

Pecan pesto... I can just taste it.
If we could pick up nuts here I don't think I'd work another day. Just... go nuts.
Nuts are by far my favorite protein. Must be part squirrel...

[Tormato]

Pecan pesto... I can just taste it.
If we could pick up nuts here I don't think I'd work another day. Just... go nuts.
Nuts are by far my favorite protein. Must be part squirrel...

Someone gave me a couple of pounds of pecans a few years ago. I couldn't think about how to use them (duh, pesto!), so I fed the chipmunks well, in early spring.

I've only made pesto with pistachios (very expensive, even back then), and with gathered wild black walnuts (very inexpensive, but can be extremely messy).

[worth1]

50/50 pecans and Raisin Bran or Grape-nuts sweetened with honey.
I used to eat this all the time.

[bower]

Yeah one can hardly think of pecans without immediately thinking of brown sugar, butter, pie crust, etc. Such amazing desserts.

Back when I was a vegetarian we went upon some travels, landed in the UK and happened into a restaurant where a 'nut cutlet' was served. This gave me another idea of how to use nuts as protein - ground up and mixed with other savory things and an egg, then fried as a burger patty or 'cutlet'.
After many iterations, ended up with a 50-50 blend of ground nuts and chick pea flour as the basis for the home 'cutlet'. I practically lived on these for years on end.
In all the kinds of nuts, though, only almonds keep really really well, and since they're all imported here everything else was a gamble - if you can get a fresh enough nut then by golly fridge space it is. But many times you buy nuts, they're already rancid. That I can't stand.
Pecans are difficult to get in a fresh condition here, but they are really delightful. So soft and buttery. Cashews are soft too, and relatively good keepers or at least we have found a decent source in recent years. They are so nice whole, tossed in a stir fry. Pecans I bet would be great that way too. Whereas almonds are intrinsically a much harder nut, really need cooking to avoid breaking your teeth.

[karstopography]

Pecans certainly get worked into savory dishes here. Pecan based Pesto for sure. I’m going to make sure I make one this fall. I like toasted pecans tossed with skillet green beans. Toast the pecans first in the skillet, set aside, then add the beans and stir to cook until a little tender.

Brussels sprouts and pecans work well together. Dried Cranberry and pecan chicken salad is delicious. Kale and pecans are great partners. Redfish coated in fine chopped pecans cooked in a skillet served with a beurre blanc sauce. Yummy.

[brownrexx]

I have a pecan topping for a sweet potato casserole that I like to make. We hate that typical sweet potato, brown sugar and marshmallow casserole.

A few years ago a friend in Alabama sent us a pound of pecans and they were exceptional. No squirrel would ever get any of those. We just ate them out of the container.

[worth1]

Pecan brittle.
Its so easy the kids can do it.
That is if they are used to cooking and realize how hot this stuff can be.
Cheap too if you have the pecans.

[Sue_CT]

A fun treat for the kids for very little money if you can get the nuts for free.

[worth1]

Not exactly poverty but chocolate covered pecans.
Or chocolate pecan clusters.
Chocolate is easy to work with once you know the rules.
Chocolate pecan muffins.
Pecans on pancakes and waffles.
You can't figure out what to do with your pecans send them to me.

[MissS]

So @AlittleSalt are you okay there buddy? Everyone is talking to you and sharing ideas and we haven't heard too much from you. I am getting a little concerned. Are you recovered yet from Covid and have you tried any of these ideas?

[AlittleSalt]

I recovered from covid. I haven't visited this site in a long while. I don't have a garden or the chance of one. I can't write politically, but my family needs to get used to eating beans. If I could have just died when we had a Bush or Trump was in office_ Maybe my family would have had a chance? Sorry ban me for speaking reality

[PlainJane]

@AlittleSalt, so glad of your recovery. Sorry about all the life struggles and stress.

[AlittleSalt]

Thank you Jane.

[MissS]

Glad to know that you are okay!

Most forums do not allow anyone to talk about politics as it leads to arguing. This upsets members. Once arguing starts it is usually at the expense of the forum as you have seen for yourself a few times. We are a little different. Unlike most forums we do offer you a place where you can talk politics, it's just not on the main board.