I’m taking the San Francisco Food Bank’s Hunger Challenge for the third year – trying to feed my husband (the Bottomless Pit) and myself for just $4 each per day. But this year, I’ve got a secret weapon! I’m supplementing our menu with the items I could have recieved for free, at one of 200+ food bank grocery pantries.
The beloved Hakuna Firtata! It had to make an appearance sometime during the Hunger Challenge! I saved it for the last day, so the Bottomless Pit and I could both have it for brunch. The BP gave this fritata (a riff on a recipe by Hunger Challenger Vanessa Barrington, who has a new book out, BTW) its name due to the tangle of spachetti inside it that resembles a lion’s mane.
The Hakuna Fritata! This year, tricked out with leftover chunky pasta sauce
Hakuna Fritata 4-5 eggs A handful of cooked spaghetti 1 carrot, small dice 1 green onion, sliced 1 small clove garlic, minced 2 Tbs parmesan cheese (or 1/4 C grated cheddar cheese) Any oher veggies you feel like tossing in Optional: leftover pasta sauce In a non-stick skillet, saute the vegetables until softened and lightly browned. Add the spaghetti and saute until warmed through. In a separate bowl, beat eggs wtih a fork. Add egg mixture to skillet and tilt to distribute evenly. Sprinkle cheese on top. Turn heat down and cover. Cook until just set. Serve with warm pasta sauce. Serves 2. I wasn’t sure if the chunky pasta sauce I’d made a couple of days ago would be good with the Hakuna Fritata – but wow! It was delicious! We ate pretty well today, partially because of my paranoid hoarding on Days 5 and 6. There were strawberries and tomatoes and a pear left. We had the two leftover stuffed acorn squash for dinner. We have leftover bread, milk and pasta. There are a few stalks of celery and two carrots. The BP has an uneaten peach! How could he not eat that peach?! Have I learned anything new from my third Hunger Challenge? —I’ve learned that being on a tight budget doesn’t necessarliy make you more careful and rational. Just the opposite. This year, it tended to make me more paranoid and irrational about how I shopped and ate. –I’ve been reminded that having food constraints makes me cranky, depressed and out of sorts. It’s like food PMS! –I’ve learned that I really can live without coffee or tea – but I don’t like it. –And, as always, I’ve gained renewed respect for all the real food bank clients who face hunger every day of their lives – with no end in sight. GET INVOLVED! ♥ Take the Hunger Challenge yourself. Do it on your own or sign up to take next year’s official challenge. ♥ Read blogs by people taking the Hunger Challenge. There’s a blogroll here. ♥ Follow the Hunger Challengers on Twitter. There’s a listing here. ♥ Learn more about the San Francisco Food Bank – and make a donation. For every $1 donated the food bank can supply hungry people with $6 worth of food! ♥ Follow the San Francisco Food Bank on Twitter to see how they’re fighting hunger every day.
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