Day 26, The Diabetic Food Stamp Project

I woke up ravenous.

I have 7.50 today should I choose to use it.

A couple of days where I feared overspending and one sick day gave me extra money/food to deal with.

Instead of my usual coffee and fruit today I had very traditional American Fry up with bacon, eggs, and fried potatoes. I used a cast iron skillet for all of it and fried the potatoes in the bacon fat. I wanted toast and fruit as well, but it had been some time since I had embraced the potato and was worried a large one would throw me over with carbs.

This is the nutrition chart for one potato.

As you can see the potato contains C, fiber, protien...etc. However it is half the carbs I need for the day. Should I embrace the potato again I will have to limit my serving to one half of a large potato.

Eggs (2).42
Bacon (3 slices).51
Potato .39
Coffee Cream .15
Total 64 grams of carb, potential crisis territory.
Total Cost 1.57

I cooked the potatoes in the bacon fat and did not salt them. I used only black pepper and 21 Seasoning. I get why we tend to heavily salt potatoes...they are really sweet. They are the ice cream of the root vegetable world.

It was a long time 'til I ate again and then had a cup of chili. I'd a friend coming over to help me with picture hanging. In the past Eugenia has always done it, but since that is not happening I enlisted someone who knew how to wield a tape measure. If I am going to call the home cooking classes Chef At Home I should make my kitchen and office space resemble a home.

Chili .79
Ice tea .03
Total .82
Carbs 21 grams

I put the remainder of the rice mush on the stove with a mass of water to try congee. I got an e mail asking if it could be made with brown rice so I thought...why not try.

I used the rice and a tomato making my total cost of the pot .45 and I have at least 3 cups. BTW...brown rice works but you will be cooking it for hours before it turns into congee. Triple the cooking time.

When he left I was famished and there was not much in the house so I took some of the congee and added two dumplings and had a second lunch or a first course for dinner.

Congee .15
Dumplings .40
Total .55
Carbs 20 grams

I've dropped about 4 pounds but am holding...I wonder if this is true. It links to an article saying that sometimes you need more calories to lose weight. I don't care to lose more so that would be okay with me.

pasta .12
Red pepper (1/2).32
Can of clams .99
Bok choy (1) .25
Butter (1/2 tablespoon).08
2 oranges .50
Total 2.26
Total Carbs 62 grams...I blew it again.

I know...that is the bowl I would typically fill with pasta and vegetables or rice and vegetables and this portion looks pretty sad at the bottom of the bowl all by itself.


Though it probably helped that the oranges were 2 hours after the pasta.

For the day my carbs were 168 and dinner may or may not have been critical.

My day total was 5.20 and though my carbs were pushed twice when it came to nutrition I did very well.

It is such a balancing act. Imagine living poor and diabetic, whether you get assistance or not every day, add up the pennies, track the food, test your sugar. Put a little love in your heart people, there are so many with huge struggles every day.

I still have 2.30 to carry over to tomorrow. Maybe I can find a deal on the broccoli I have been craving.

My calories were 1,435