Comments on: Food Stamp Challenge: $227 http://nourishedkitchen.com/food-stamp-challenge/ Reviving Traditional Foods Wed, 23 May 2012 01:20:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Julie http://nourishedkitchen.com/food-stamp-challenge/#comment-4265 Julie Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:49:45 +0000 http://nourishedkitchen.com/?p=2392#comment-4265 Hi Jenny - I'm speaking to a group of Teen MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) on Thursday and thought of this post. but, I'm having difficulty finding a link to the subsequent posts (you mention updates in October, and I remember reading them - just can't find them). Could you help me out? Hi Jenny -
I’m speaking to a group of Teen MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) on Thursday and thought of this post. but, I’m having difficulty finding a link to the subsequent posts (you mention updates in October, and I remember reading them – just can’t find them). Could you help me out?

]]> By: Ginger http://nourishedkitchen.com/food-stamp-challenge/#comment-4264 Ginger Wed, 05 Jan 2011 05:42:09 +0000 http://nourishedkitchen.com/?p=2392#comment-4264 I am excited to stumble upon your website. I am single and don't know how I am going to make this work. Due to medical reasons (and not by choice) I have a ton of dietary restrictions. I know you are doing a great service, but I would grealy appreciate your look onto dietary restrictions when possible. I am excited to stumble upon your website. I am single and don’t know how I am going to make this work. Due to medical reasons (and not by choice) I have a ton of dietary restrictions. I know you are doing a great service, but I would grealy appreciate your look onto dietary restrictions when possible.

]]> By: Real Food For Busy Moms: Budget Edition! « The Mommypotamus http://nourishedkitchen.com/food-stamp-challenge/#comment-4263 Real Food For Busy Moms: Budget Edition! « The Mommypotamus Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:07:14 +0000 http://nourishedkitchen.com/?p=2392#comment-4263 [...] has become more of a priority, so beans and lentils it is . . . or so I thought. After reading the Food Stamp Challenge series at Nourished Kitchen, I was inspired. Jenny convinced me that we could save a lot of money [...] [...] has become more of a priority, so beans and lentils it is . . . or so I thought. After reading the Food Stamp Challenge series at Nourished Kitchen, I was inspired. Jenny convinced me that we could save a lot of money [...]

]]> By: christy http://nourishedkitchen.com/food-stamp-challenge/#comment-4262 christy Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:30:59 +0000 http://nourishedkitchen.com/?p=2392#comment-4262 I live in Iowa, I'm not sure what the national standing is, but I receive $520 in benefits for a family of 4. I have 2 children, one is 8 and the other 2. I only eat 1 maybe 2 meals a day so my kids can eat. I'm not lazy, I work hard and go to school full-time. I receive TANF as well, but the lousy $426/mo (unemployment gives you $375/week) isn't even enough to pay our rent. To be eligble for TANF I have to go to school full time for a program THEY approve (which is why I am working for 2 degrees at the same time, because my liberal arts won't count and I'm going to be an archeologist) or job search for 30 hours per week. Minimum wage is $7.29 here now. On TANF I make $4.05/hour. I was on WIC, and I hate it as much as I appreciated it. I had friends who were able to get CHOCOLATE milk with their WIC, but I couldn't even get the proper formula for my 4 mo. premature son because the Dr. worded it a little wrong. The doctor lived 1.5 hours away, so I couldn't just run back up and have him change it. He has always had trouble with weight, and was supposed to be on formula for longer: 1. because he was 3 months early, so his "year" of forumla shouldn't have ended with his actual birthdate. Both my doctor and the WIC people agreed, but they wouldn't change it. I tried to buy the formula myself, but then we wouldn't have any food at all after the first week or week and a half of the month. 2. because of his low weight, he was actually supposed to go on the stage 2 formula after we were done with regular. This isn't covered either. 3. I breastfed. Or at least as long as I could, since my breast pump was from WIC, I was only supposed to get the pump OR formula. However, even in the NICU (intensive care unit) I had to mix breastmilk with high-calorie formula so he got enough calories. The doctors called WIC and explained this, but I could not get the formula if I breastfed. period. I had to stop breastfeeding, because I couldn't produce enough milk on my own anyways and when I told them that, they said I was a "horrible mother" and gave me a half-hour lecture about the benefits of breastfeeding! With all of my "new mom" emotions, it made me more depressed than I'd like to recall. There is NO support for breastfeeding supplementation or for any "special needs" cases. I was able to get lactose-free milk after getting a note from my doctor, but I wasn't able to use them because I can only purchase gallons and lactaid-free milk here comes only in half gallons. Formula is about $80/120 a week when I was on it. The only formula you can get is Similac. It used to be Enfamil but they changed it. It can't be any kind of Similac either-only the one written on your check. If they're out or don't have as many as your check states, then you just can't get formula. No substitutions or "rain checks" (going out and buying the rest later). Our food stamps never last the month, and us adults don't really eat so that our kids can. I really look forward to learning some new ways to try and make our budget stretch. Also, thank you for realizing that most of us on FS aren't supplementing unless we take it out of our bills! I live in Iowa, I’m not sure what the national standing is, but I receive $520 in benefits for a family of 4. I have 2 children, one is 8 and the other 2. I only eat 1 maybe 2 meals a day so my kids can eat. I’m not lazy, I work hard and go to school full-time. I receive TANF as well, but the lousy $426/mo (unemployment gives you $375/week) isn’t even enough to pay our rent. To be eligble for TANF I have to go to school full time for a program THEY approve (which is why I am working for 2 degrees at the same time, because my liberal arts won’t count and I’m going to be an archeologist) or job search for 30 hours per week. Minimum wage is $7.29 here now. On TANF I make $4.05/hour.
I was on WIC, and I hate it as much as I appreciated it. I had friends who were able to get CHOCOLATE milk with their WIC, but I couldn’t even get the proper formula for my 4 mo. premature son because the Dr. worded it a little wrong. The doctor lived 1.5 hours away, so I couldn’t just run back up and have him change it. He has always had trouble with weight, and was supposed to be on formula for longer:
1. because he was 3 months early, so his “year” of forumla shouldn’t have ended with his actual birthdate. Both my doctor and the WIC people agreed, but they wouldn’t change it. I tried to buy the formula myself, but then we wouldn’t have any food at all after the first week or week and a half of the month.
2. because of his low weight, he was actually supposed to go on the stage 2 formula after we were done with regular. This isn’t covered either.
3. I breastfed. Or at least as long as I could, since my breast pump was from WIC, I was only supposed to get the pump OR formula. However, even in the NICU (intensive care unit) I had to mix breastmilk with high-calorie formula so he got enough calories. The doctors called WIC and explained this, but I could not get the formula if I breastfed. period. I had to stop breastfeeding, because I couldn’t produce enough milk on my own anyways and when I told them that, they said I was a “horrible mother” and gave me a half-hour lecture about the benefits of breastfeeding! With all of my “new mom” emotions, it made me more depressed than I’d like to recall. There is NO support for breastfeeding supplementation or for any “special needs” cases. I was able to get lactose-free milk after getting a note from my doctor, but I wasn’t able to use them because I can only purchase gallons and lactaid-free milk here comes only in half gallons.

Formula is about $80/120 a week when I was on it. The only formula you can get is Similac. It used to be Enfamil but they changed it. It can’t be any kind of Similac either-only the one written on your check. If they’re out or don’t have as many as your check states, then you just can’t get formula. No substitutions or “rain checks” (going out and buying the rest later).
Our food stamps never last the month, and us adults don’t really eat so that our kids can. I really look forward to learning some new ways to try and make our budget stretch.

Also, thank you for realizing that most of us on FS aren’t supplementing unless we take it out of our bills!

]]> By: Kelly E. http://nourishedkitchen.com/food-stamp-challenge/#comment-4261 Kelly E. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:34:47 +0000 http://nourishedkitchen.com/?p=2392#comment-4261 Hi everyone. I just stumbled across this post so I missed the challenge but I think it's a great topic. I wrote a post about nourishing your family on WIC/SNAP benefits. It's geared towards West Michigan which is where I live, but the overall ideas can work for anywhere. My husband is being placed on a heart transplant list after having a reaction to an antibiotic that damaged his heart and sent him into heart failure. Our family has been facing challenges we never thought we would face. It's good for everyone to understand that it can happen to you too. We are trying to make the best of it and keep our children nourished. http://westmicrunchy.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-nourish-your-family-using-wic.html Hi everyone. I just stumbled across this post so I missed the challenge but I think it’s a great topic. I wrote a post about nourishing your family on WIC/SNAP benefits. It’s geared towards West Michigan which is where I live, but the overall ideas can work for anywhere. My husband is being placed on a heart transplant list after having a reaction to an antibiotic that damaged his heart and sent him into heart failure. Our family has been facing challenges we never thought we would face. It’s good for everyone to understand that it can happen to you too. We are trying to make the best of it and keep our children nourished.

http://westmicrunchy.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-nourish-your-family-using-wic.html

]]> By: Put the frozen burrito down and back away « Local Nourishment http://nourishedkitchen.com/food-stamp-challenge/#comment-4260 Put the frozen burrito down and back away « Local Nourishment Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:12:41 +0000 http://nourishedkitchen.com/?p=2392#comment-4260 [...] over at Nourished Kitchen, just finished feeding her family on whole, fresh, nourishing foods for an entire month. She spent [...] [...] over at Nourished Kitchen, just finished feeding her family on whole, fresh, nourishing foods for an entire month. She spent [...]

]]> By: deb b http://nourishedkitchen.com/food-stamp-challenge/#comment-4259 deb b Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:19:02 +0000 http://nourishedkitchen.com/?p=2392#comment-4259 My sister runs a small store with many food stamp recipients. She recently commented on all the soda and junk foods being purchased with money from the program (and also recipients are allowed to purchase lottery tickets and beer from a slightly different pool of funds within food stamps?). This would seem to only exacerbate the obesity/health care problems in this country. Wouldn't it make sense to not allow the purchase of soda and high sugar processed foods? How did this get passed (or has it always been this way)? Would love to be enlightened on this! My sister runs a small store with many food stamp recipients. She recently commented on all the soda and junk foods being purchased with money from the program (and also recipients are allowed to purchase lottery tickets and beer from a slightly different pool of funds within food stamps?). This would seem to only exacerbate the obesity/health care problems in this country. Wouldn’t it make sense to not allow the purchase of soda and high sugar processed foods? How did this get passed (or has it always been this way)? Would love to be enlightened on this!

]]> By: Notes on the Food Stamp Challenge | The Nourished Kitchen http://nourishedkitchen.com/food-stamp-challenge/#comment-4258 Notes on the Food Stamp Challenge | The Nourished Kitchen Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:16:55 +0000 http://nourishedkitchen.com/?p=2392#comment-4258 [...] Foodstamp Challenge: Announcement [...] [...] Foodstamp Challenge: Announcement [...]

]]> By: Jenny http://nourishedkitchen.com/food-stamp-challenge/#comment-4257 Jenny Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:35:00 +0000 http://nourishedkitchen.com/?p=2392#comment-4257 Diana - Absolutely ... I'm glad you stumbled across it! The low-budget food's been healthy, but I'm a snacker and this budget is seriously lacking in dark chocolate and artisan cheese. Glad to see you around! - Jenny Diana -
Absolutely … I’m glad you stumbled across it! The low-budget food’s been healthy, but I’m a snacker and this budget is seriously lacking in dark chocolate and artisan cheese.

Glad to see you around!
- Jenny

]]> By: Diana http://nourishedkitchen.com/food-stamp-challenge/#comment-4256 Diana Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:41:18 +0000 http://nourishedkitchen.com/?p=2392#comment-4256 Jenny, I wish I would have seen this earlier!! Is it too late to start?? Would love to join in, maybe go a week longer? Jenny, I wish I would have seen this earlier!! Is it too late to start?? Would love to join in, maybe go a week longer?

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