Day 34, leftovers for breakfast, a first... Plus a funeral service

I've never saved leftover hot mush for anything but putting in my bread.  Yesterday, though, there was so much leftover that I couldn't bear to throw it away, and I couldn't make bread, so I saved the cereal to add to this morning's new batch.  Being on a strict budget does give me new eyes in that way.

Many years ago I read a book called "I Was a Slave in Russia," a story of a young American man who was sent to the gulag after WWII.  I have found myself thinking of him, strangely enough, when I peel my carrots.  Or I think of A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. 

What they would have done with my carrot peels, or my potato peels!  How much they would have treasured the nutrition in our waste products!  With that in mind, I did not peel the carrots which I put into this evening's gravy.  Nobody cared.  Nobody even noticed!  A small victory against waste.  Time, money, and nutrients were saved.

I just realized I've go to run teach my class.  More to come...

I finally decided I had to do something about my chocolate cravings.  Noah helped me make a batch of brownies.  He likes to scrape out the bowl afterwards, especially. 

 Brownies are pretty cheap, and scrumptiously chocolatey.  One batch makes enough for everybody to have 2 brownies. 

The twins' whole class was bussed from school to attend the memorial service for their friend Julia's brother.  He died from complications of muscular distrophy.  What a lovely service.  He spent his last year completely devoting himself to following and pleasing Jesus.   You can read in his own words about his experiences on his website:  www.fromwhereimseated.com/testimony/ 

Julia's family hosted a party at the winery near their home.  Pat had said just before he died that he wanted to have a party there soo...this was that party.  I didn't know Pat, but having heard about him at his funeral, I wish I had had a chance to.

 I wonder what this old building once was, before they transformed it into a winery.

Well, there was some emotion today!  Funerals serve a good purpose to make us reflect and contemplate life, the shortness of life, and what is really of value.  Our food life, everpresent though it is for me, is not where the essence of our existance is. Even so, it is ever present, and important, even for funeral goers.  Julia's family and their church provided a veritable feast for us as we comforted and consoled each other together.

breakfast menu:  hot cereal mix, milk and sugar

Cost:  $1.67

left over hot cereal:  paid for yesterday

farina, 1.5 cups:  .68

crushed graham crackers:  .25

milk, 5 cups, for cereal:  .65

sugar:  .09

lunch menu:  tortilla chips and nacho sauce, carrots, brownies

Cost:  $3.38

nacho sauce, 2 oz each, 26 oz:  1.22

tortilla chips:  24 oz:  .43

carrots, 20 oz:  .34

brownies:  1.39

supper menu:  chicken and dumplings with gravy and cooked carrots

Cost:  $4.72

1 can chicken meat:  1.26

double batch biscuits for dumplings:  1.32

canned broth to boil the dumplings:  .50

11 oz carrots:  .19

1 cup flour, for thickening:  .10

2 oz chicken flavoring:  .35

salt:  .01

half gallon orange juice:  .99