AfricanKelli

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Two weeks ago, I attended a conference in Washington DC for hunger leaders in America. I participated with the Arizona delegation — and by delegation I mean me and one other person. We represented Arizona’s voice for the upcoming funding of the Farm Bill, among other things. We met with our state representatives’ staff members and discussed hunger in our state.
Until one year ago, I rolled my eyes when I’d hear public health workers discuss hunger in America. Hunger? Hunger in a country where 65% of the general population is significantly overweight? “Ha! As if!” I thought, ignorantly.
Research shows poverty leads to obesity in the United States. Go figure. Cheap food is bad food. You can get a Burger King Whopper for $2 in most US cities. A salad at any fast food restaurant will cost you at least $4. Eating healthy isn’t inexpensive — this I know. As a single person, who has recently been eating a vegetarian diet and thereby not purchasing expensive meats — I still spend on average $45 on groceries a week. This does not include my morning $4 habit at the bagel shop, my Friday night happy hour with friends, or any weekend eating, which probably adds at least an additional $50 to my weekly food total.
There are 35 million Americans who are currently hungry — skipping at least one meal a day because they do not have enough resources. Many of these people are children and the elderly. But there is a wide swath of Americans who are living in poverty — working minimum wage jobs and barely getting by — who simply cannot afford to eat healthy foods. In Arizona, if you are a single person making less than $16,000 per year, you qualify for the food stamp program. {This is a misnomer. The stamps have long since been replaced by a debit card that reboots each month.} For a family of 4, the limit to qualify for food stamps is $26,000. You must be a citizen to qualify. There are other limitations. With all this in mind, there are 800,000 Arizonans who are living in “hunger.”
We are a state of just 4 million people and 800,000 are not getting enough to eat! That is shocking to me. We are not a poor state, even though there are certainly pockets. We are a booming state — one whose population is going gangbusters and whose real estate market has helped keep the economy afloat during the last five years. It was absolutely shocking to me there are so many people in my own community who are not getting enough to eat.

In turn, I’m conducting an experiment of sorts. This week, I’m living on a food stamp budget. As a single person, I qualify for about $25 per week in groceries. Food stamps can be used solely for food or garden seeds; no toiletries, or other necessities can be purchased with this card. This all equates to about $1.25 per meal. I have just returned from the grocery and more than ever I understand why the poor are often those who suffer from ill health. This week isn’t going to be pretty, but it certainly is going to be eye opening. And I have a feeling it is going to be a great way to shed any Thanksgiving weight gain.

~K

I whipped this up last night for the first time and it’s a winner — so good in fact, you don’t miss the meat.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
4 zucchini
1 large red tomato
1/4 white onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can of stewed tomatoes
parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 smallish container of ricotta cheese
1 package of lasagna noodles
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Roast butternut squash. (Slice it length wise, remove seeds, place in a baking dish with the cut side down for 45 minutes at 350.) Let the squash cool and then scrape it into a large mixing bowl. Mix with ricotta cheese and spices.

In a frying pan, brown onions, garlic with olive oil for 10 minutes. Then add zucchini and tomatoes for two minutes. Remove from heat.

In your baking dish, place first layer of lasagna noodles. Alternate layering squash/ricotta mix with onion, garlic mix. Top with can of stewed tomatoes and parmesan. Add 1/2 a can of water to dish if you are worried the noodles will be dry. (Your noodles are not pre-cooked.) Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Viola — vegetarian heaven.

Now, to complement all those veggies you just ate, and to remove that smug look of “Wow. I just ate healthy and I’m feeling good,” from your face, cut yourself a large slice of one of these babies.

You don’t like pumpkin? How about some apple pie. Great crust courtesy of Amanda, who sent me very detailed and kind instructions a monkey could have followed to make a great pie. Thankfully, this monkey did follow them and lookie there — a crust that I didn’t hate making! Who knew?

Today, I’m pretty thankful for my running shoes. See above.

~K

I know I’m happy when time is of no importance. I’m not glacing at the clock, wondering what I’ll do next. I’m not wearing a watch. I’m not setting an alarm or rushing to the next event. This week, I’m living in my apron, preparing pies and breads and meals for the people I love. Last night I baked 10 loaves of pumpkin polenta bread and sliced apples for a pie that will go in the oven today. When I looked up after finishing the dishes and rinsing the flour from my hands and arms, hours had flown by. I smiled, stretching my hands above my head and taking in a deep breath of warm air scented with nutmeg, cinnamon and sweetness.
Tonight when my family arrives, we’ll feast on butternut squash lasagna and spinach salad. I’ve got a pot of lentils stewing on the stove for Thanksgiving and a picnic basket full of baked goods to deliver to the bagel shop and office. I am thankful I am not hungry. There are many people in this world who are.

~K

Things I’m thankful for today:

1. Great weekends when I have time to both knit,

2. And bake.

This is 14 karat cake with cream cheese frosting for a friend’s birthday yesterday. I added extra pineapple because I could.

3. Rex.

JT took this photo for me on Saturday before the run and it makes me smile.

4. Real Simple, December 2006, page 54. My entry for “what is the best gift you’ve ever received” was selected. Sweet. There is such a selfish joy in seeing your name in print.

5. Thanksgiving week, my favorite week of the year!

~K

I woke up this morning and I swear my sight is going. I don’t know what the problem is, but my vision is considerably less accurate today than it was yesterday. I really need to get my eyes checked and my glasses fixed. Mental note: add $300 to already strapped December budget. Joy. Good thing I’m on my way out the door for a long swim, which requires little grace or 20/20 vision. Before I strap on my goggles, a few thoughts dancing around this morning:

~ Yesterday’s run was wonderful. The race redefined community participation. In contrast to some of the gazillion dollar races I’ve run in (namely the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon, which includes a full day trade show the day before with every athletic technology known to man), yesterday was 40 people on a dusty canal with nothing more than a stop watch and a mission. Rex stood at the start line (which doubled as the finish line) with a huge smile and I could tell he was embarrassed, but happy about our “I’m running for Rex” t-shirts. Everyone applauded him beforehand and gave him a high five when we finished. Several friends made it out for the run and it was a great time. Thank you all for your support! On a health update, Rex has one more round of chemo next week; I’ve got my fingers crossed he is creeping toward remission.
Prayers are answered.

~ I am so pleased to have signed up for Shelley’s City Swap. Shell is one of my closest friends from college. I could write novels about how incredible I think she is, but in a nutshell: when NAU stopped carrying Italian courses, she petitioned the university until they provided her with the education she wanted. Even if they may have rolled their eyes at the one girl on campus who wanted to learn Italian, they eventually caved. Shelley didn’t waste the knowledge; today she runs her own bed and breakfast in Rome with her Italian fiance Alessandro. Oh, and she speaks Italian fluently, of course. Finny chronicles Shell’s amazing life much better.
For the City Swap, I’ve been matched with Molly in Alaska. She seems more than somewhat refined and makes me once again wish I had this outdoorsy life I don’t have in Phoenix. I am looking forward to creatively coming up with $20 worth of Phoenix to send to arctic. (Close enough.)

~Turkey week is upon us and I’ve got my elastic pants ready. My parents arrive Tuesday and you can’t hear me, but I’m jumping for joy and doing my best Homer J. Simpson “WOO HOO!!”

~Kelli