Day 11

I was busy today with many projects, and I was able to grab food here and there along the way. Really good food.
For breakfast, I enjoyed the last of the sandwiches from partner Lee. I had a mid-morning snack of apple pie, cheese and coffee from partner Irene.
During lunch, I ate ground turkey, chicken, mixed salad, cheese, corn chips, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and a diet Coke from partner Jose.
In the afternoon, I had a taste of coffee from partner Maria.
For dinner I had lasagna, summer squash and a diet Coke from partner Jose. Partner Irene gave me a huge pot of coffee for my trip home and beyond.
It would have been pointless to purchase any more food today. I have $2.57 left.

Day 10 - Still on the Road

I am still getting caught up in all areas of my life after returning from the road trip.
In the early part of Day 10, I was busy with everything else, and mostly ate leftovers from my cooler.
For breakfast, I ate the rest of the wheat berry salad with my lettuce. I had some coffee and red berries from partner Irene, and a piece of salmon from partner Jose.
For lunch, I had small cup of bean soup made with with ham from Shary, carrot from partner Colin, and dry beans, celery, leek, garlic, habanero pepper and parsley from my own gardens, and some salt. I also had fresh lettuce, parsley and snow peas, and some hummus from partner Katia.
I had an afternoon snack with partner Katia, who gave me a wonderful navel orange. I also munched on a few crackers from partner Irene and a handful of my home-made granola.
At dinner, I enjoyed some wonderfully crunchy carrot raisin salad and sandwiches from partner Lee. The sandwiches were made with roast beef, turkey, bacon and tomatoes. I also enjoyed lasagna, steamed broccoli, herbed cheese rolls and ice cream with caramel sauce, all from partner Maria. Maria also sent me off with a large mug of decaf coffee.
I didn't buy any food, so I have $1.74 left after day 10.

Day 9 - Road Trip

I started out with a big breakfast: the second half of the banana, lemon balm tea, eggs fried in a little butter, beet greens, and pepper from partner Matthew.
Today was the start of a road trip, with much trading going on the whole way. I needed to take some food, and selections that travel well in the cooler.
My first big stop was the Ventura government center. All the participants in the Eat Local for One Year project got a certificate. Before the meeting, I stopped by the snack room. Scattered about the colored drinks and chips, they did have some healthy fare, like fresh fruit, and fresh vegetable salads. I didn't see anything that looked like it was grown locally. Sure would have been nice to see some farm-fresh strawberries along with the waxed and shellac-ed apples and oranges.
For lunch, I had some leftover veggie soup with turkey from partner Cindy, garden lettuce and beets, berries and coffee from partner Irene.
For an afternoon snack I had coffee, crackers and berries from partner Irene.
For dinner I had wheat berry salad with all the other leftovers: veggie soup with turkey, crackers, and more berries. And more coffee, but the last mug was decaf.

Day 8 - Banana Day

I enjoyed one half of the banana for breakfast. Unfortunately, as it ripened, I noticed a huge bruise on the bottom of the fruit. Not a big deal usually, but I had to cut off about 3 cents worth, and that hurt. I enjoyed the banana with corn flakes from partner Arlene and the leftover almond milk. I finished the squash soup, tea and some rice.
My morning snack was at Whole Foods. I stopped by to check on a book, and discovered that their book offerings had dwindled considerably from the last time I was there, about 10 years ago. They did not have the book I was looking for, but I did find all sorts of nice foods. I had a piece of oat bran bread, a small cup of coffee and a taste of black barley salad. The barley was substantial and chewy, but I have to admit that I like my own wheat berry salad a little better. I picked out a pound of old-fashioned rolled oats, setting me back 63 cents. I tried to find some conventional bulk raisins, but they only had expensive packages.
On the way back from the garden, I stopped by Trader Joe's. Again, they had some really great coffee and a taste of chicken salad. I bought a tub of black cherry yogurt and another banana. The saleslady commented on what a nice lunch I had,
"Great! Lunch for under a dollar!"
Well, yes, that's my plan, except it has to last for the whole day.
I just hope I picked a good banana. When I went back to the display, a young man was pouring older bananas into a cart. I asked if they were going to throw them away and he said that they take them to a county food pantry. I was glad that at least some of them were going to be used. I know that my own local food pantry throws away the ripe bananas.
I had a late lunch of salad greens, wheat berry salad and half a beet.
At dinner, I ate steamed kale, potatoes and tikka masala. The masala tastes much better with potatoes than with the other vegetables I used earlier. I also had some buttered rice and some almond cookies, the container of yogurt and some pomegranate seeds.
This afternoon, I made some granola with the rolled oats I purchased. (The cardamom is from partner Matthew.) I don't like my granola too sweet. Here's the recipe:
1/2 pat butter
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
6-8 almonds, chopped
3/4 cup rolled oats
Put the butter and honey into a non-stick fry pan and heat over low heat. Stir, add the other ingredients and continue to cook until the almonds and oats are toasted. Be careful not to burn the granola. Store in an airtight container.
I spent $1.61 today and have 8 cents left over.

Day 7 - Superbowl

I did not spend any time cooking today, since I did so much prep work yesterday.
Breakfast was an egg fried in a little butter with cooked beet greens, lime and orange juice from partner Danielle, and some tea from partner Otto.
I took a huge plastic container of salad greens to the Quaker potluck, to be mixed with salad toppings brought by another diner. She usually brings a huge wooden bowl for the salad, but this time she brought two so the salad would be easier to serve. The salad included fresh avocado, garbanzo beans, red pepper, tomato, cheese and vinagrette dressing on the side. I brought the large pot of vegan vegetable soup. We also enjoyed moussaka, lime bars, corn chips, veggie chips, hummus, rice salad and lemonade.
Dinner was light, just some leftover vegetable soup with additional turkey from partner Cindy, steamed peas, broccoli and rice with a dab of butter, and pomegranate seeds from partner Alex.
I had an evening snack of roasted garden squash seeds, dried apple slices from partner Colin, and an almond cookie from partner Lisa.
And the Super Bowl TV commercial winner is: Audi!!!! I just loved and was scared by the green police, especially the helicopter bust of the guy throwing away those orange peels.
I did not purchase any food on Day 7, so I will have $1.69 available for day 8.

Day 6 - Harvard Beets

I "bought" California butter with my extra money today, and now I have 3 cents left. Actually, I bought it the last time I was in the valley, but didn't use it until today. I didn't really need to buy this early, since we drove right past the store on our way into town.
I got to the community garden early today, despite all the rain. I harvested a ton of vegetables and spent over 2 hours in the kitchen, cleaning, prepping, and then making a vegan soup for tomorrow's Quaker potluck. Well, I hope it's vegan. The rain brought out the critters and I found many baby slugs taking refuge in the inner celery leaves.
For breakfast, I munched on snow peas and lettuce.
For a late lunch, I enjoyed a plate of steamed snow peas, broccoli and asparagus from partner Don, topped with a bit of butter. I had a cup of the squash soup, and finished off with a mug of Peet's tea from partner Emily.
The soup for tomorrow's potluck is made from butternut squash, frozen cocozelle summer squash, potatoes, leeks, celery, carrots from partner Gaston, turnips from partner Colin, kale, chard, fennel, dehydrated habanero pepper, marjoram from partner Franklin, rosemary from partner Gert and mixed dehydrated vegetables from partner Harvey.
Over the past couple of years, I have attempted to get seeds from beet plants, with varying success. In 2009, I finally had two types of beets blooming in the backyard at the same time: Chioggia and Detroit dark red. I hand-pollinated and came up with Detroggia, I guess, Chioggia being the mom. The germination was pretty good, but unfortunately, they aren't as nice as either star parent. Despite the parentage, these beets aren't getting into Harvard. They have the conical shape of the Chioggia instead of the nice round shape of the Detroit dark red. They have the more pale red color of the Chioggia without the interesting stripes. I haven't tasted them yet, but harvested several for myself and my trading partners to trial. The greens are of high quality, matching the red of rhubarb chard.
We went out to buffet dinner with friends. I ate everything except the lettuces and celery. It was a treat to have some raisins. I had a bit of difficulty with the vegetables. They just don't taste as nutritious as my home-grown vegetables.

Day 5 - I'm in a Rut, but the Garden Chuggs Away

Today, finally, I could buy myself a bit more variety. I have been getting myself in a rut, with all the grain salads, but there is not much dressing left, and it is mostly just ice-cold and thick olive oil left the jar. All the other ingredients, especially the pungent garlic, have been poured out.
For breakfast, I ate homegrown pumpkin seeds, cooked winter squash with honey, and a glass of lime and grape juice, mixed with water.
I trudged out in the rain to Fresh and Easy, and had the whole place to myself as I enjoyed a cup of coffee, a piece of raspberry danish that didn't taste very fruit-like and bought a carton of eggs for $1.77. That leaves me with 20 cents left over for tomorrow. I'll have a total of $1.03.
For lunch, I enjoyed a large salad, made with romaine and buttercrunch lettuces, mache, purple mustard leaves, radishes, boiled egg, pomegranate seeds, one half of a large beet and the now-famous wheatberry salad, spruced up with extra ground celery and mustard seeds, dehydrated green and red peppers and parsley. I had a cup of the pea soup and a small handful of pumpkin seeds.
For dinner I ate the rest of the wheatberry salad, a bit of potato salad prepared in a similar way, butternut squash soup with a recipe similar to the pumpkin soup I served at the locavore potluck last year. I used almonds from partner Igor instead of the local walnuts. I had a tootsie pop for dessert and dried apples for an evening snack.
I added up the value of my garden produce for January 2010, and the estimate is at $155. February will probably be my lowest month, and not because of the shorter number of days, but because many fall plantings are finishing and the winter-spring plants are slow to produce. It looks like it is pretty much beets, lettuces, celery, greens, peas and onions until the fava beans come on board. I might have a couple of carrots in, we'll see.