Hungry?

We recently arrived back from two weeks away and were planning on replenishing our fridge as soon as we got back. It has now been 6 days and we've had no time to shop.
It's amazing what we've been finding in our pantry and fridge that we normally don't use because of all the other food we have. The only fruit we have is a bag of apples and let me tell you, we are finding very interesting ways to use apples. Last night our snack was popcorn and Jordan said "Apple cinnamon popcorn!" So apple cinnamon popcorn it was, I have never heard of such a thing but it was so good!
The hardest thing to go without though, is milk. Mainly because of tea, though Jordan does need his cereal. Guess what? We found out we have powdered milk! I was surprised that it tastes relatively the same and when I needed my chai yesterday, powdered milk was excited to step in for the real kind.

If someone were to come to our house and open our fridge they would probably think we were fasting. But the truth is, we haven't gone hungry once. Even though our usual food is missing and we finished our last frozen pizza yesterday, we still have enough to make apple cinnamon popcorn.

The first few months of being a bride were so exciting for me. I finally was able to cook for someone and show my husband how talented I am! So I bought lots of groceries and started trying out all the best recipes. We ate very well but soon found out that I had gone a little over budget. OK, I had managed to go a LOT over budget.
Lately I've been realizing that just because we need to eat well and food is everywhere around us in this country, it doesn't mean we can't be frugal with our meals. I bought a book called "Cut Your grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family" by Steve and Annette Economides. Definitely a recommended read!
I have found some very helpful tips, tips that are incredibly simple and should be used by everyone. They go on a huge grocery shopping trip once a month and the next day cook meals they then freeze and use throughout the month. When they run out of fruit, milk and such they go back to the grocery store.
I am starting slow and going every two weeks because we don't have a deep freezer yet. One tip I have been using is writing down our meal plan each week and schedule so we know when we only have half an hour to cook and eat (this happens often) and when we have a few hours so I can take my time.

I have been thinking about food, and cooking, and meal plans for a while. Especially since our food has been sparse here. At the same time, I have become a "Compassion advocate" an organization I've talked about before in this blog (the month of November), one I have wanted to be involved in since I was a little girl! I am trying to find a home for 6 more children, and only have their packets till January 31st.
We sponsor two children and I know they have a much different view of food planning that I do. Now that they are in Compassions system, they have food to eat, they know that their next meal will be soon, even if it's only rice and beans. But there are millions of women and mothers who can't plan their meals per week, much less per day. They can't show off their talent to their husbands and children because there is no food.

Here I am in Canada with tons of food in my cupboards that I never eat unless we have nothing else to eat, and I think that we hardly have any food. Can you imagine one of those women coming to my house? She would have a feast!
I'm embarrassed of my wealth, though by this country's standards we have none! I'm embarrassed of my complaints and thoughts that we don't have enough.
When I went to the Dominican Republic at 17 years of age and saw first hand how amazing the organization Compassion is, I resolved never to say "I'm starving" again. And I haven't. Because I've seen starving. I saw the kids on the street, their bellies sticking out, their arms and legs nothing but bones. And I saw the joyful faces on the children who were sponsored with Compassion. Even though they have nothing compared to us, they had more than we ever will. They escaped from poverty, from day to day hunger. I want more children to escape, which is why I signed on to be an advocate.

Don't worry, I'm going shopping today and plan to make some amazing meals for my hard working husband. As we sit at the table, we will thank God for the food and both of us will think of all those who can't say that. And then we will eat.