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Coconut Oatmeal for Dinner?

So many of my Facebook friends participated in the "gratitude" challenge. No one tagged me in it, and I was glad for several reasons that aren't relevant to this post. Despite my reluctance to jump in, I thoroughly enjoyed reading what everyone wrote and forced myself to privately count my own blessings each day.

As you all know, some days are easier than others.

I went back to work this week, grateful for the opportunity to have a regular paycheck again. However, I was under the impression that I would get paid Friday. I planned all my summer money around being paid Friday. Friday came and went, and my bank account remained exactly the same. So now I'm scrambling, frantically trying to finish some freelance work and making deals with relatives to borrow just enough to cover the bills that I must absolutely pay before I get my next check.

Fortunately, I'm resourceful, and my God watches over me. I have half a tank of gas, a $25 gift card, and food in my house.

I'm always amazed by people who are picky eaters. Sure, there are foods I don't really care for, but I've never been one to say, "I will starve before I eat that." This morning I cooked a cup of rice and added a jar of mushroom gravy. That became breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack along with a pot of coffee.

One of my friends and I were joking that "mushroom gravy is hitting the bottom," and I proceeded to catalog all the food in my house.

2 New York strip steaks
1 bag of scallops
1 box of quinoa
3 or 4 jars of canned beans
2 jars of canned spinach
1 bottle of V8
2 individual servings of applesauce
protein powder
grated coconut
oatmeal
chicken drumstricks
tomato sauce
garlic
onions
chia seeds
flax seeds
brussel sprouts
1 can coconut milk
olive oil
butter
2 jars Heinz chicken gravy
1 jar Heinz beef gravy

I stopped and thought, "You know, I think I'll be eating better this week than I normally do." I can make pollo guisado, steak and quinoa, oatmeal with applesauce and coconut, chia crackers, and beans with grains. If I find some serious motivation, I may even make my own bread rolls since I have flour and other baking ingredients.

I hope that even after I manage to climb out of the financial hole that plagues teachers at the beginning of each school year I can continue preparing and eating well. I'm also preparing myself to correct my finances so this doesn't happen again. It's time to actually rebuild the $1000 emergency fund that Dave Ramsey recommends we all have on hand.

And that gratitude thing? I'm grateful that I have a grandmother who impressed on me the importance of keeping on hand food at all times. You don't think about it until you need it, but when you need, it feels so good to have it.
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