Food Budget, Day 6 and SPAM on the brain

Just as I was sitting down to write this post, a segment came on the news about SPAM. No not the stuff that clogs your inbox every day, but that mystery canned meat that has become legend in Pop Culture. Apparently, as the recession is really hitting home for many, sales of SPAM have skyrocketed. I looked up what was really in this stuff and was appalled, but not surprised. It consists of chopped pork shoulder meat with ham meat added, salt, water, sugar and sodium nitrite. MMMMM..... There are 170 calories per serving with 140 calories coming from FAT! There are no measurable vitamins or minerals on the label. This is NOT FOOD, yet it is being served across the world as a meat substitute. No wonder peoples waistlines expand in times of recession.

I have completely regressed. On to what I actually made for dinner, and no, SPAM is not part of it. I had to go to Costco today, so I picked up a few things, keeping my budget in mind. I spent $22.27 on food - this itself is an amazing feat. I felt like such the minority in line, with only a few items, but each of my items was REAL FOOD. This puts me maxed out on my budget. No more shopping until next week, which should be easy, because I have plans for everything I purchased and it should get my well into next week before I need some fresh produce.



For dinner I made fish tacos. I had some Mahi Mahi in the freezer that needed to be used up. I just cut it into small cubes, tossed it in some grapeseed oil and taco seasoning. Nothing was measured. Any firm fish would work for this, even shrimp and scallops - really, you are only limited by your imagination. While the fish cooked on the stove, I sliced up some cabbage and green onions and added shredded carrot. For a sauce, I only had a little bit of sour cream, so I mixed it with some mayo and salsa - this made a delicious sauce. Some cilantro would have been yummy in this, but I did not have any. I put the veggies on a warm tortilla, added some cheese, the fish and topped it with the sauce. DELICIOUS! The girls commented on how good it was. I loved how easy it was, plus very budget friendly. Had I thought more ahead I would have paired it with some black beans and corn cake, but I chose to take a nap instead.

I also baked a loaf of whole wheat bread and a loaf of Banana Bread today. This should get us through the weekend. For those of you who think baking bread is difficult, you need to get the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. You can truly make bread with 5 minutes of effort. I will post more about my bread making efforts next week. As for me, I am off to spend the evening with some girlfriends, hence, why I needed the nap earlier.