Kirkland Gallery Blogger Event

A group of Minnesota bloggers was welcomed to a event at the recently opened Kirkland Gallery in downtown Minneapolis, MN.  Liz @ The Kitchen Pantry Scientist did a wonderful job of coordinating food.  We had sushi and spring rolls from Wholefoods as well as wine from Byerly's.  It's worthwhile to note that the Sashimi used in the sushi came from sustainable sources.  Liz talks more about that here on her blog.  I thought the spring rolls were divine, and loved the added touch of mixing in raspberries, which I have yet to see elsewhere - but will have to try myself.  

Not being an astute art critic these days, I was happy to be given a tour (along with everyone else) by James, the gallery owner.

The artist were really diverse and made use of various mediums and styles.

These horses really grabbed your attention... it was neat how they were made too.  A mixture of concrete and steal bits.  They are capable of withstanding the elements when placed outside. 

This piece was made to resemble a Rubik's Cube, which is perfect for the nerdy side of me.  And by side - I mean a large portion of me.   

Lenore @ Mom Culture, also put together a kids art "side show."  What a cute idea!

Overall, this was a super delicious, and fun event.  I feel pretty lucky to have met so many neat people via blogging, and this time was certainly included. Some really good conversations with fellow bloggers and the gallery owner too.   

An Extra Treat

At the end of the event there was plenty of leftover sushi, and no one was claiming it.  

So I took some over to where my Huzbun was hanging out with his friends, and boy was it appreciated.  I might of had a few more too.

Re-Focusing

Since, I don't feel like eating for less than $5/day for the rest of my life, but I do want to blog for almost the rest of my life - I've decided to change the focus of this blog up a bit.

The title of this blog is Foodalyst.  It's what you get when you cross a geek and a foodie, besides the beginning of a cheesy joke.  It will be about all the things I love food-wise (like tomatoes - um do you like my new header?) with hopefully a bit of analytical slant to it.  I am pretty analytical by nature, so this should come rather easily.  More importantly I want to continue to talk about affordability and health aspects or the things that affect "real world day-to-day" meal preparers.  Now, hopefully the words "day-to-day" didn't scare you off to much (I admit - I shuddered a bit), there is nothing to fear -because operating within a budget doesn't have to be boring! Eating healthy doesn't have to be bland! All this can be fun and interesting - and more importantly creative.  In fact - I would say creativity is necessary. 

Also, the tagline of this blog is "analyzing food and life".  Food is a pretty big part of our life, so I think it's all related in that sense.  However, this sort of gives me the leverage to talk about whatever else I fancy on here.  I can't provide a discrete list, but I can guarantee it will include:  blabbing about my new healthy hobby: running, perhaps a couple-non-food DIY projects,  and maybe (but hopefully not too much) talking about my crazy cats.

If this sounds like the kind of thing that interests you.  Stick around, or visit me repeatedly now at www.foodalyst.com - (should still be reachable by fivedollarfoodblog.blogspot.com for the time being).   Also, if you want more, you can follow me on twitter (@rubyleigh).

Day 90 - The End

or is this just the beginning?


So. In Conclusion we made it.  Sort of - we had a few cheats.  However, the good news is that I estimate we spent $468 less than we normally would in the last 90 days.  That figure includes all "allowed" eating out, and the "cheats".  If you go with the fixed $5/day value than the savings sounds much more dramatic - but not a full picture.   

What did we enjoy? or not enjoy. 

We enjoyed eating at home more.  Of course we enjoyed this before as well, but it really wasn't a habit.  I think this challenge converted us.  I think we will still be the types of people that eat out twice a week er so, but that is still and improvement.  

I enjoyed making coffee at home, but I certainly prefer it with "must be bad for you" liquid creamer, and "must be bad for you" liquid creamer was not always an option. However, even with "must be bad for you" liquid creamer... it's still much cheaper than the Caribou Coffee sold at my work for $1.75/cup. 

We missed steak - sorry can't help but say that.  However, we learned how to cook whole chicken and chicken broth.  Two things I would do in the future.

Enjoyed getting more comfortable in the baking arena - with things such as bread, tortillas and pizza dough. 

I enjoyed blogging (and hope to continue).  However, I am happy to longer feel obligated to report nearly everything that goes into my mouth.  That has been tiresome at times.

Will we continue to eat on less than $5/ day?


Short answer - No. However, I think we will be eating for less each day than we were, as we really enjoyed eating many facets of the whole eating on the cheap program.  Our previous cost for food was about $20/day (or $10/person) - This was largely due to eating out frequently, some food waste, and a fair amount of pre-packaged easy to prepare food.  I perceive that our cost will go up the $5/day, as social lifestyle makes it difficult to avoid eating out (and I'm not saying that isn't fun), and few other factors that may make for blog posts of their own. 

What were the hardships? 

Aww... not really - as I've already talked about.  However, there was a pretty unique circumstance:

Our roommate was most definitely eating our food.  While the effects on us cost wise during the challenge are hard to quantify.  I am pretty sure my coffee-mate creamer would have lasted longer, along with Huzbun's cereal... and I do wish those skinny cow ice cream treats (purchased pre-90 days) hadn't decided vaporize.  Many other food-related items were taken as well.  Worth mentioning, one batch of chicken broth was sabotaged, a pan was broken (one that was luckily under warranty), and a kitchen scale was melted (yes-melted).  In case you are interested, we no longer live with this person, which is an even longer story that doesn't presently relate to the theme of this blog.

Will I continue to blog?

Yes - I have had so much fun blogging my way through this experience, and have met a bunch of people as result - both virtually and IRL.  Details to follow, but I hope to continue this using this space to talk about economic factors and food, (hopefully) delicious recipes, new challenges,  and maybe boring you with some more running tales!  Most of all I hope to keep learning - as this experience has connected me to so many intriguing places in the blogosphere.

Day 89 - How "Challenging" is this really?

Today (or Day 89) brings us to the almost end of our challenge... and perhaps we are just at the point where $5/day eating has become "natural".  I naturally made my coffee in the morning, as opposed to purchasing it somewhere.  I naturally thawed some meat in the morning... so I wouldn't be panicked when I came home from work and was mad starved as well desperate to resort to restaurants.  The food we ate today wasn't incredibly interesting, but it was good.

My Huzbun had a bowl of cereal, I had a breakfast bar.  I ate Lean Cuisine for lunch... not sure what Huzbun had.  Then we grilled chicken and steamed vegetables for dinner.

I hope to do a longer piece on what we learned, what we liked and what we didn't like in the future... but I will keep myself to one observation for today.  Although we have labeled this a "challenge" and at times it has been challenging, days like today make it feel pretty easy.  It's really not hard for me to make coffee at home, it doesn't take that long, it generally tastes as good and sometimes better as coffee from a shop.  I thought we would have to give-up more meat, and while steak was not really in the budget - we seemed to eat plenty of meat. 

Between all the free BBQ food and food sharing we still ate pretty well.  Not to mention Huzbun's business food, roommate taking us out for dinner food, and people being just generous.  I hope that none of this generosity was brought on by our self-imposed situation (as we can in fact afford food)... and I do hope to pay it forward in the *near* future.

Talking about "paying it forward" brings me to some of the key reasons that I did this "challenge" in the first place.

1) Needs.  American society consumes much more than we need to.  We don't need coffee creamer.  We don't need steak, and dare I say it we don't need Taco Bell.  Eating on $5 / day has caused us to think about our consumption more and what we really need.  Also, not just our consumption of food.   

2) Money.  Probably a fairly obvious one, but to explore it further... money is a very transferable form of value.  For example, if I give you five dollars it will be worth five dollars to you.  However, if I give you a beanie baby (which I paid approx. $5 for) it could be worth any range of values to you.  That means that the $2 I save making coffee at home, the $30 I save by choosing to eat dinner at home... the few hundred dollars I've save the last couple months... as well as countless other examples could  translate directly into the scholarship fund at the college I work at or starving children in Haiti, not to mention many other worthwhile causes.  While I know this is not a perfect explanation, it's nearly impossible for me to escape the reality that money is like a closed loop system in which I am often choosing between Starbucks coffee or the welfare of others (or myself for that matter).  

3) Proving.  I think I wanted to prove that food was enjoyable - even on the cheap.  So many food blogs and cooking shows (all of which I am a major fan) choose to improve food only by upping cost, when much food can be improved by doing the exact opposite.  (Such as homemade bread, and pizza dough)  Perhaps I proved this.  I would also add here that there are ways to dress up food without spending too much extra (albeit more).  A little secret here: I hope to do more of this in the future (challenge or not)
  
Thoughts - what's difficult about eating cheap?  what's easy?  What makes eating affordable a good idea? (or is it?)

Day 88 - Quiet Sunday

Sunday turned out very relaxing after an otherwise crazy weekend.   I did make a version of Lasanga though

 Notice the use of non-Lasagna noodles.  These are Rigatoni, and yes they have a wikipedia page!

And the finished product ... after we took a few bites.

And here is what it looks like in our dish!  Huzbun and I love to eat food from bowls when we can.  I'm not sure what is so fun about it, but there's a charm to it.

I'm starting something where I look at what I have in the freezer then think of what I can make with the least amount of purchases.  Well I like to do this anyway, but the challenge has brought it to a new level.  So, at any rate, I'm calling this:

Empty the Freezer Lasagna
-1 lb Ground Turkey (browned) - seasoned with basil. 
-1 box Rotini
-1 cup chopped Spinach (frozen)
-1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
-Cottage Cheese
-Shredded Mozzarella

Just layer everything in - the order is not very particular here, but it is best if the noodles are well incubated in sauce otherwise they will remain crunchy.  Also, I prefer the mozzarella on top, but that is strictly preference.  Then cook everything at 350 degrees F in a water-tight pan, when they have reached temperature, drop the heat let them simmer for about 30 mins.  Simple.

UPDATE:  In case you are interested the Lasagna is Cole's... Huzbun's verdict = not as good as homemade. 

Day 87 - an impromptu 5K

or the way a 5K should be - I guess

So if you haven't already gathered I said yes... to an impromptu 5K

Maybe it was peer pressure... or the deluded, fat and alcohol induced mental state, but at 9pm on the eve of the race - I said sure, why not run a 5K.  I really didn't see a good reason not to... but I did make a point to chide people about not telling me in advance.

Maybe one good reason not to is that I was currently located no where close to - my running wear...and umm... Tennis Shoes!  Luckily (or unluckily), I was able to borrow some shoes, a pair of shorts, and a T-shirt.  As it turns out, I had a pair of socks with me.  Thanks to Becca's dad, I was also provided with a band-aid in case of blisters!

Well - as I'm sure you already gathered - I was surrounded by crazy people -

So the video is not the best quality, but I'll recap the important segment.

JACALYN:  We are going to run 9 minute miles!

RUBY LEIGH:  *rolls eyes in background*

So here's the starting line-up.

352 - Becca - Ran a half-marathon 2 months after giving birth to her first child.  - CRAZY!

448 - Jacalyn - Cross-country runner in highschool - PR of 22 minutes!  - CRAZY!

449 - Ruby Leigh - Decides to run second 5K with less than 7 hours of sleep and borrowed tennis shoes. - CRAZY!

Also, 450 and 347 - thanks for letting us know about the race!
(P.S. - I did not get permission to use their info)

Ok - Here we come!

.. wait .... wait

wait some more...

My mom, always conversational, says:  "How are you feeling?  Are you warm?"

Indeed, I was warm.  I blurted out something that sounded like "YEAHGH"

Then my dad, who was a runner for much of his life, starts yelling "Heel Toe, Heel Toe." That made me laugh - my dad is super hard core.     

 
 Well in the end I finished... with my best time!!! 35:41,  Becca came in at 28:12 and Jacalyn at 30:20... Some fast women!

 Oh and my parents plus Huzbun came to watch. 

Also Huzbun and Jacalyn's BF are responsible for all of the great photos. 

Running this 5K was a lot of fun!  So I love coffee after a run, and my friends do too apparently, afterward we treated ourselves to Caribou Coffee... I got my favorite over 500 calorie drink (Berry White Mocha).  It also used up $4.37 of the remaining $5.22.

While I'd consider running an impromptu 5K a win! ... there was much impromptu eating (that was for the record not less than $5) for the rest of this day.  This is why the amount left says $0.

Day 86 - Delicious-ness

My girlfriend from out of town invited us over to her parents house... for a pool party and delious-ness.  Her dad has one of those wonderful outdoor deep-fryer machine... Oh such a joy!  We had deep-fried wings, but the most wonderful part was deep fried fries.

First they sliced potatoes...

Isn't that the coolest kitchen gadgetry thing you've ever thought you needed?

Then they throw them into a vat of oil (a large vat.... and I'm guessing this wasn't olive oil either -not that it even matters at this point).  Also, I was informed here that the temperature matters.  You want to have an oil temp of at least 375 degrees F.

Then you let them sizzle away.


Here they are looking.... gorgeous!

Of course (for added health value), you then sprinkle them with salt... (nom), then you dip them in ketchup (nom)....

So not only did I eat a number of fries, a bunch of chicken wings...

I had some of this

and of course some kahlua brownies...

oh, and an interesting watermelon drink

My friend Jacalyn has the best facial expressions!

At some point in the middle of all this, someone, who will remain nameless... but she has red-hair and her name begins with a B and ends in an -ecca, asked me if I would wanted to run a 5K the next day... 


..... tune in to find out!