Today is day fifteen of the July Food Stamp Challenge and we are delightfully drama free.
We didn’t need to buy any food yesterday, and I ended up defrosting a container of homemade chicken soup for last night’s dinner. It was just the kids and myself. I also had some corn on the cob that was starting to dry out, so I shucked and boiled those puppies and served them up with butter and salt. (Yum!) I had a craving for pancakes late into the evening, (which have been on my mind ever since they became a topic in the Food Judgement column) and my older son suggested that I make corn meal pancakes, which are so crispy, lacy, delicious. Luckily, I had a small bag of corn meal from Bob’s Red Mill and let me tell ya, they were gobbled up more eagerly than free Botox at a has-been celebrity get together.
After we inhaled the cornmeal pancakes, I started thinking about how if we were not doing the food stamp challenge, I might have walked over to the store to buy something to satisfy my craving. Perhaps a tub of ice cream or something similar. But because we’re watching our pennies, I figured out an inexpensive (and frankly, better!) solution. Certainly more memorable, as the sight of my sons downing still-too-hot pancakes while standing in the kitchen was a sight to behold.
I guess I should have taken a photo or two, but I was too busy licking the sticky bit from my arms.
I really do feel that a choice to live frugally helps to self define a free-er mentality. Being able to find pleasure in the small things in life is a wonderful discovery.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I like pancakes. I like cornmeal. And crispy, too? We will have to try this.
Joy of Cooking. baby.
it never lets me down
Katy
Can you post the recipe you used? Thanks in advance
I’ve only tried one recipe from the Joy of Cooking cookbook, and it wasn’t as good as I was expecting. But now I’m going to search for these pancakes 😉 yum!
Yum, that sounds fantastic!
Need these. Need recipe. PLEASE! 🙂
Culinary moron here, but I have words of wisdom to impart: drop some blueberries into those cornmeal pancakes!
DH buys a blend of Martha White flour/cornmeal flour, and makes pancakes with blueberries, and it just doesn’t get any better. I think the recipe is on the package – I’m not sure, I’m just the appreciative recipient. And I don’t generally even like pancakes!
Thanks for the inspiration–tough peer pressure day here. Everyone else at work ordered lunch out, and friends invited me to dinner. I resisted both, but some bad attitude developed!
Jenny,
That does sound hard. I had a busy day and it would have been soooo easy to order takeout Thai food. Instead I defrosted some salmon and made it stretch even when we suddenly had two extra adults guests for dinner.
Katy
I have a bag of cornmeal in the fridge, ,lots of blueberries on the table, and Joy of Cooking on the shelf, so I’m going to whip some of these up later today. Thanks for the idea!
I love to throw some frozen fruit and oj together in a mixer. It makes for a sweet evening treat without going out for icecream.
Need to try these pancakes too!
Cornmeal pancakes, yum!
In the summer, I crave a frozen ice cream treat and I just found creamy lemon popsicles on Nest that are so easy to make and delicious. Another treat is a cold vanilla soy milk chai drink…just like Bolton Farms. But I admit I really, really want a Magnum bar right now.
Your last sentence says it all.
Ohhhh my, cornmeal pancakes with blueberries — we’re all gonna dream of these until we make them! Busy today, but I think these will be perfect for Sunday breakfast!
I am weaning myself off “shopping” as a hobby, stress reliever, time filler. Even GOODWILL shopping.Yesterday I found myself in the local goodwill, pulling out some pretty black teeshirts and ruffly camisoles, that i ALMOST bought.Then,I remembered my chock full CLOSET which I recently cleaned out!! DOH! I went home, got out another hobby and kept busy. I also ironed and got to remember I already have enough clothes I like a lot.. no need to shop for clothes, ,well, maybe even ever!!
I am regressing, in a GOOD WAY to how I lived when i had to be much more frugal.Sometimss we lose track of the simple ways of life that re the MOST satisfying.. it isn’t about being cheap or the money.It’s about SELF and using one’s own resources in satisfying ways.
Am waxing philosophic here.. but love our column and am changing my life for the better,slowing down,savoring more, and appreciating what i already have, much more!