Day 1 - $2 A Day

Hannah at the Helm...Again

Heaven on Earth around the Dinner table. 6 of these beautiful people belong to me.  I claim the other two, as well.      

I won't lie. It was bit of a rocky start as we got this budget into place. Hannah and I went shopping last night for several items we would need. The rule is $2 per per person per day, and we are counting 7 people because we frequently have that many, even if our newlyweds don't join us. Tonight there were 9 of us. Still $2x7 = $14. We spent $12.56 at the store, then subbed some of the ingredients out for things we had here.

Another confession. There were a few minutes of heartburn figuring out how much each granola bar costs and if we really had to count them, Or the ice cream one might want in the evening, or any number of miscellaneous food items we might ingest that aren't necessarily meal related. There were several utterances of "I really don't want to do this experiment." But, before dinner was on the table, Hannah had the days budget figured down to the dollar, and when she answered the door for company and said, "I was just working on the day's budget," there was a clear note of pride in her voice. And, when she finished making the meal and crunching the numbers, her sense of accomplishment was evident.

KC keeps us honest. She said, "I think we need to do more of making the meals fit the budget of the day rather than just seeing what happens when we get to the end of the day. It should not be an option to go over."

So, we took that to heart, chose our curry recipe that didn't call for coconut only used one can of garbanzo beans when I thought we needed two, and we came in just under where we needed to be, making room for chocolate milk.

Tonight's dinner was in honor of Malala, the 18-year-old Pakistani girl, who at 15 was shot by the Taliban for daring, as a girl, to go to school. At 17, won the Nobel peace prize. And, just last week, in honor of her birthday, opened a school for Syrian refugees, especially welcoming girls. KC made a cake to celebrate! We are still looking for a cause to support with the funds we save through this experiment. Malala reminds us that by small means, great things can happen. If you are considering a $2 a Day Challenge, here's some food for thought. Also, this is our accountability, all figured by Hannah:

Breakfast - 

Waffle mix - $0.85

Syrup - $0.50

Milk - $0.50

Juice - $0.25

Butter - $0.25

Breakfast total - $2.35

Snack - 

Granola bars - $0.40 

Chips - $0.50

Salsa - $0.50

Snack total - $1.50

Submarine total so far: $3.85

Dinner 

Tikka masala 

Onion - $0.20

2lbs potato - $0.40 

1 can tomatoes - $1

1 can garbanzo beans - $1

Cream - $1.30 

Carrots - $0.40

Yogurt dip - Dip - $1 

Rice - $1 

Naan - $2

Cake - $1.25

Milk - $0.70

Spices and garden veggies don't count on budget!

Dinner total - 9.55

All together for the day - $14

Right on!

                                    

Fralick Family Econ Experiment #9 - $2 A Day

                                  

Several months ago, Hannah and I watched the documentary "Living on One Dollar." Given our families history of economic experiments, this was dangerous fodder for Fralick minds. But Hannah chose it, then she came up with this:

"Mom. I want to do this as our next experiment. For real. I stayed up last night making this simulation, sort of like what those guys did, and I figured out how our family could do it. We would draw from a hat what our pay was that day. Some idays we find good work and get paid well. Other days we getting shorted money. And, some days we have to going without any money at all."

"Wow, thats pretty detailed. And, hard core! So what average are you working with?"

"A dollar a day per person. That's it. And, I want it to include stuff like housing and the internet. They did it in the documentary and we have done enough experiments I really think we can do it too."

"So, how long do you want to carry this on?" I ask, a little fearful. Our last experiment was 40 days of no grocery shopping. It got pretty desperate there at the end as far as fresh food was concerned, and I decided long experiments are not my thing.

"We can do it however long, but i think two weeks would give us a good idea of how hard it would be," she says.

With this, I take a long look at our life of privilege and relatively decent nutrition an begin negotiations. "Okay, how about 10 days. It's summer and I don't know if I can do it much longer that that. The other thing is, $1 a day per person is not sustainable in the United States, even just for food, without running into some serious malnutrition problems. You guys are still growing. I'm not ready to take on that sort of liability."

"But they have a whole program you can duplicate," she argues.

"And, they did it in Guatemala," I retort. How bad is it for me to shoot down her bravery like this?

"I'll tell you what." I say. "Lets start with $2 a day, per person, and if we easily beat it every day, we can reduce it. K?"

"Okay, but can we make it random like, my little simulation?" she asks.

"Again, lets see how it goes for a few days with a set amount and then see if we could stand to have a day without the $2."

"Fine. But that takes a lot of the fun out of it," she says. I laugh because food insecurity isn't fun or funny, but we are making it a game anyway.

If you are confused about the content of this post, what i mean by our family's economic experiments, or how we could do all of our family food on just $2 per person per day, stay tuned and follow along. Tomorrow is Day 1.

Preparing for Something New at the Deep Well of Silence

Photo credit: http://www.chaoswallpapers.com      

Sometimes you miss opening night of the musical theater production your kids have been working on so intensively for the past two-and-a-half weeks, not because you are stocking up for your next experiment, but because you are still in search of that deep Well of Silence you lost track of years ago when you got distracted by a passing squirrel.

"I used to be a master meditator," you tell your oldest son, who has taken up a Silence practice of his own at times, "I sat near that Well every day, even with little kids and babies all around. But the busy and worry of the last few years has wrung that old practice right out of me."

"You'll find it again," he assures you, without qualification.

"Maybe if I had a camel and a compass," you think.

Instead, all you have are your own distracted thoughts. You sit quietly with them over the ten days your kids are otherwise engaged, and wait for a Guide to help you find your way back to that illusive Silent oasis. There are living waters in that place, meant to help you feel and embrace what is coming next. What you get right now is a lot of sand and grit in your face and a sense that the storm on the horizon might bring life giving rain or just strip you bare of so many of the things you thought you knew. Could be both, but the latter image makes you shudder. You shift your gaze. Change the scene. Draw your energy elsewhere.

Off in the distance you see the memory of attending every performance of every show you kids were in. You helped back stage, kept the flow going, helicoptered around herding little actors into place. Hover, hover. Then, last year, at 11-years-old, Hannah wrote, produced, and directed her own play with one of her friends and a cast of 25. You were only there as adult supervision. The experience reminds you how capable your kids are of doing amazing things without any of your hanging about. This show is KC's fist paid gig as stage manager. Caleb plays a supporting role, and sets the tone for the energy of the cast. And, Hannah is a Drama kid/dancer extraordinaire. Every day of rehearsal they took the car, headed to practice, ran errands, enjoyed taco shop treats or stopped for drinks. You watch, grateful, as they dip into the Well of Encouragement and Unity before heading home.

You are very quiet as the scene fades, but still find no sign of the Well of Silence. Maybe, right now, it doesn't matter. Because every day you prayed to find that well, you came across other wells instead. You found the Well of Comfort and Joy, the Well of Humor and Happiness, the Well of Hard Work, the Well of Patience and waiting - whose waters are sometimes more bitter than sweet. And, your kids know all about the Well of Love and Support you and your husband located for your family decades ago. Even in your absence on opening night, they don't have to go hunting for it. They know right where it is and can draw deeply from it any time.

So, tonight you leave the Well of Silence behind you somewhere and go to another oasis. Here you find two great performances, with all the fun, fan-fair, and hooplah attending closing night. Here is an awesome network of wells. You immerse in the waters of Singing, Dancing, Harmony, Comedy, and deepest of all, Gratitude. No camel or compass required.

                           

   

Weeks 5 and 6 Food - KC in the Kitchen

KC is nearly 17 and very capable in the kitchen.  The challenge for her is that the day is long, starts early, often requires things of her after school, and getting dinner on the table and lunches into bags is a tall order to fill.  This is the real world and she is no stranger to managing time and resources.  It isn't impossible, but it is hard to nourish and sustain a family meal after meal, day after day. 

KC had three additional challenges.  First, she had no farmers market or goods from the dairy to supplement with.  Second, she was working in the dark without a plan.  Before this challenge started, the other kids did all of their planning and shopping.  KC was otherwise engaged, so she wasn't part of that process.   She gets the final two weeks without the benefit of prep time. Finally, she had to finish up the No More Grocery Shopping challenge with me out of town.  And, she did it! Though, I did call a few times to remind her that having a meal at dinner time really was an essential part of the day.  KC is like me in that if left on our own we would be happy with popcorn and cold cereal for most meals.  She finished the 40 days of staying out of the store with pasta, curry, mac&cheese, rice&beans.  Pretty modest fair, but done with a little KC flair, no one complained.  

I think the best part of her two weeks in the kitchen came on day 41 when she could finally go to the grocery store again.  Surprisingly, the thing everyone was most anxious to have was fresh produce.  Though our final foods were nutritious and tasty, we really missed the crunch of fresh veggies when most of the meal came from long-term storage.  But, that is another essay altogether.  Here's what KC did.  

     

Day 29, Monday, November 3

Lunches - for 5

Mashed potatoes - 2lbs potatoes, cream, butter 

Corn bread 

Canned Pears 

Dinner - for 5

Hash-brown Waffle Hack

                      

Day 30, Tuesday, November 4

Dinner - for 5

Cheesy broccoli soup 

cornbread

Day 31, Wednesday, November 5

Lunch - for 6

Cornbread

Hummus 

Crackers

Dinner - for 5

Japanese Curry

Day 32, Thursday, November 6

Lunch - for 6

Pears

Pb&j

Dinner - for 6

Pizza

Day 33, Friday, November 7

Lunch - for 6

Pizza leftovers

Dinner - for 6

Egg on toast

Day 34, Saturday, November 8

Family lunch  Up north

Salads

Lasagna

Family dinner down south

Curry bar

Day 35, Sunday, November 9

Dinner at friends' house

An amazing spread that we contributed to with pasta, Alfredo sauce and homemade bread.

        

Week 6 Food - KC in the Kitchen

Day 36, Monday, November 10

Lunch - for 6

pb&j

Dinner - for 5

Japanese Curry leftovers

Day 37, Tuesday, November 11

All out for dinners

Kids at thanksgiving party

Mom at a wedding

Dad out of town

Day 38, Wednesday, November 12

Dad and Caleb out on a huge adventure

Dinner - for 2

Girls only - Mac and cheese

Day 39, Thursday, November 13

Fend For Yourself - mom and dad out of town

Kids on their own

Day 40, Friday, November 14

Mom out of town

Dinner - for 4

Beans 

Rice

Chips

Sour cream

Salsa

Day 41, Saturday, November 14

Mom still out of town

Grocery shopping again!

Sandwiches

Fruit

Salad

Day 42, Sunday, November 15 

Mom is not back yet!

Veggie burger fest

French Fries

Salad

Week 4 Food - Hannah at the Helm, Again

What we learned this week:  lunches are the hardest thing to get together for 6 hungry hard workers.  Leftovers are the boss!  Especially leftovers that don't need to be re-heated or messed with - just eat and get on with the day whether it is to run off to recess, head up the drama club, get back to work so you can clock out early, or to cleanup from a lunch time run.  No one wants a fussy lunch, but they also prefer not to have pb&j  everyday.  So, lunch is tricky. 

Also, for the ensuing weeks, I am not pricing out every single ingredient.  It is okay to do for a while, but now it is just making me tired.  Go back and look at weeks one thru three.  We eat similar things, just thrown together in different ways.  The point is, we didn't go to the store.  We stayed in budget.

Day 22, Monday, October 27

Lunches

Corn on the cob

Pears

Brownies

Dinner

Pasta

Sautéed Garlic Primavera

        

For a recipe, just look closely at the pick.  Boil a pound of pasta.  In a separate pan sauté a couple of cloves of minced garlic, some zucchini and tomatoes in 1/4 butter.  Pour it over your pasta when the noodles are al dente and drained.  Easy Peasy!

Late night snacks

Pb&j

Mac and cheese

Day 23, Tuesday, October 28

Lunches - for 6

Pb&j

Dinner - for 5

Baked Potatoes

Day 24, Wednesday, October 29

Lunches - for 6

Baked potatoes

                     

Dinner - for 6

Thai Coconut Curry Soup

2 tbsp canola oil - $0.05

2 tbs ginger, grated - $0.10

2 garlic cloves, minced $0.10

1/4 cup cilantro - $0.25

2 cups spinach - $1

2 cans coconut milk - $3

3 cups veggie broth - $1

1 cup cream - $1

2 tbs lime juice -$0.10

2 tbsp yellow curry powder - $0.10

1/2 lb baby carrots - $0.50

2 red or green chili peppers, diced tiny - $0.10

1 avocado, diced - $1

1/2 small red onion, diced - $0.10

3 cups rice - $0.25

Family Dinner Total - $8.65

Per Person Total - $1.44

1. Cook the rice.

2. Sauté ginger and garlic in oil

3. In a food processor or blender, combine cilantro, spinach and one chili pepper with one can of the coconut milk.  Blend it up and add it to the pan with the garlic and ginger.

4. Add remaining coconut milk along with cream, broth, lime juice, curry powder and carrots.  Bring soup to a boil over medium heat.  Cook until carrots are tender.

5. Serve hot over rice.  Top with peppers, avocado, and onion.

                             

Day 25, Thursday, October 30 

Lunch - for 5

Leftover curry soup

Whole grain dipping Crackers - $1.50

Pears - $2.50

Family Lunch Total - $4

Per Person Lunch Total - $0.80

Dinner - for 7

Butternut tikka masala

Seasoned rice

Veggies and babaganouj 

Day 26, Friday, October 31

Halloween Parties all day

Dinner - for 4

Homemade Burritos

Day 27, Saturday, November 1

DIY lunches and dinners from the pantry and freezer

Day 28, Sunday, November 2

Dinner - for 14

Mashed potatoes

Corn bread

Braised carrots and beans

Squash 

Cake

                         

3 in 1 Real Foods Recipes

Butternut Chickpea Tikka Masala

This is really three recipes in one.  Don't be afraid of the ingredients listed or the steps in the process.  Each recipe could be paired with lots of things, and two of the three could be enjoyed totally on their own.  All of them are inspired by fond memories of the wedding we celebrated for our son last year, our No More Grocery Shopping Experiment, and The 52 New Foods Challenge.

First, the wedding!  

A year ago, I'm sitting at the table with Brennan, our oldest child, and Marissa, his fiance.  Their wedding is less than two months away and it is time to get serious about the menu for the festivities. 

"We were thinking curry," she says.  Bren and Marissa are both vegetarian and Indian food is one of their favorite cuisines.

"Yeah, remember when we made a huge pot of Tikka Masala curry for the homeless kids?" Bren asks.  "We could just do something like that.  Right?"  

"Yeah," I laugh.  "Feeding the homeless and feeding a bunch of  wedding guests are pretty much the same thing."  But, I don't laugh too hard, because, with this thrifty pair and their' taste for delicious, inexpensive food, we really don't need to switch our culinary gears to get wedding-worthy results out of  homeless shelter fare.  I'm glad about that, and I know they are, too.

"The thing is, we only made one recipe for the homeless shelter.  What are you hoping to do for your wedding dinner?"

"Well, we have several kinds of curry we love.  I guess it would come down to what is cheapest and easiest to make," my daughter-in-law-to-be says.  She's a keeper.  No trace of BrideZilla here.

"Okay, what would you say are your very favorites?  Let's list them out and go from there."   We make a list of curries and other Indian cuisine.  Tikka Masala is at the top.  After weeks of experimenting we have a bride-and-groom approved recipe.  It was amazing, and many people left saying it was the best wedding food they had ever eaten.  This recipe is just part of what we did, it comes in three parts and it is worth replicating!

        

Garlic Ginger Jumble

20 cloves garlic, peeled

6 inches ginger root, peeled and chopped

3 tbsp coconut oil

Salt and pepper

      

1.  Peel all that garlic.  As an easy tip, break all the cloves away from the bulb and throw into a large bowl that has a tight lid.  Cover the bowl with the lid and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. The skins will slip right off.  It may take a minute or two of additional shaking,  but it's good exercise and way quicker than standing there peeling each clove.

      

2. Peel the ginger root and cut it into one inch pieces.  

3. Add the garlic and the ginger,  along with the oil, into a blender or food processor and grind to a paste or poultice.  

4. Saute up and use in curries, lentils and rice dishes.  Refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Second, The 52 New Foods Challenge

Hannah trying her hand at butternut squash and the 52 New Foods Challenge     

I love this book.  I hope you buy it, read it, practice its precepts and slowly convert your family to a renewed habit of conscious eating. You have 52 weeks to do it in, for crying out loud.  Jennifer Tyler Lee inspires me to look at old favorites in new ways (ever try Brussel Sprout Chips, for instance?) in fact, the garlic ginger jumble above came as a result of asking how other cultures use these familiar additions to their food.  A Pakistani friend you'll meet at the end of this post says that is a regular recipe in his kitchen. Now, it is a staple in mine as well. 

After reading the book, I should say I made a discovery, and it is this:  there are ways to prepare an old standby so it seems new.  Take butternut squash, for instance. Not usually my favorite of the squashes.  And, my kids don't like it either.  My husband, on the other hand, will eat it any way he can, but he usually falls back on soup or mashed butternut.  YUCK!  No offense butternut soup lovers of the world.  It might as well be pumpkin pie soup If you ask me.  Always too sweet and creamy to believe it should be a main player at the dinner table.  

However, the 52 New Foods Challenge inspired me to try something new with butternut. I wanted it to be so savory it could stand on its own or be a meat substitute in tacos, curries or pastas.  I wanted it to be something easy enough for an 11-year-old to make. I was honestly doubtful every step of the way until they came searing hot out of the sauté pan into the serving dish.  One taste and I knew we had hit on something we were going to look forward to in many meals to come.  Thanks, Jennifer.  Here is the recipe:

     

Curry Peppered Butternut Squash

2 cups butternut squash cooked and cubed

1 tsp chili pepper

1/2 tsp yellow curry 

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1. Cut Squash lengthwise, deseed, lay face down on a cooking sheet.  Cook for 30 minutes at 350*.  When it's finished peel squash, and cut it into one inch cubes.Toss cubed squash in a bag with spices, shake to coat well

2. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil in a medium sauté pan.

3. Sear squash in the pan with oil until all sides are browned

4. Set aside and try not to eat it all before you get the rest of your meal done.  Serve on top of rice, in curry, or on its own.

      

Finally, No More Grocery Shopping.  

We were 25 days in to our 40 day grocery store fast when we have Hedar, a friend of KC's, came over for dinner.  Hedar is a Pakistani exchange student.  Pakistanis love curry.  Hedar, homesick for food from his homeland, especially loves Tikka Masala.  When I realized he was coming on the day of my photo shoot of all these great recipes, I sort of panicked.  What if I didn't have a key ingredient? What if I couldn't get the curry just right with whatever I had on hand?  What if he hated the whole meal?  I confronted the first question with my Trusted Advisors - could I go to the store just to get a few items for this special meal for the photos, and for the Pakistani boy.  "No!" Was pretty much the resounding answer.  "You can barter for your missing ingredients."  I traded a whole meal in exchange for some yellow curry powder, ginger and coconut. The caramels I bought at the gas station for the dessert I made later were declared a cheat by every kid, my husband and my trusted advisers.  I thought the loophole was clear.

When our guest arrived, he could smell all the garlic, ginger and curry in the air.  "What did you make for dinner?" was his first enthusiastic question when he came in the door.

"Well, I made a bunch of stuff.  Syrian rice, Babaganouj, Hummus, and Tikka Masala."

"You made Tikka? I love Tikka!" He said, wonder and homesickness in his voice.  I was immediately intimidated by the prospect of having screwed it up.

"No! Actually, it is just a random curry sauce.  See this one over here?" I ask, lifting the lid of a different pan, trying to divert his attention from what may be a very disappointing version of his beloved dish.  "This is Syrian rice.  Have you ever had this?"

"Yes.  We have this.  But, why do you say this is not Tikka?" he asks, wondering if I know my own mind.

"Well, because, it probably isn't the tikka masala you know.  Maybe it's too American.  I have never fed this curry to a person who would really KNOW.  Here," I say taking the lid off of the curry pot, "see what you think."

Before I even hand him the spoon, he takes a big whiff of the steam coming off the curry.  He smiles broadly.  "THIS IS TIKKA!" he exclaims.  "I know it is!  I can smell this in the air.  I smell the masala spices."

He is so excited.  I hand him the spoon.  He tastes.  "TIKKA!" is all he says.

So, with bartering and bargaining, and no trips to the grocery store, I was able to pull of a very authentic dish.  Yay!

        

Butternut Chickpea Tikka Masala

1 onion, diced

2 tbsp garlic ginger jumble (recipe above)

1 hot chili, minced

2 cups veggie broth

3 potatoes diced

1 lb baby carrots whole

1 tbsp yellow curry

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp red pepper

2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

1  28oz can of petite diced tomatoes

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup cooked chickpeas

1 1/2 c cream

2 cups prepared butternut squash (recipe above) 

        

1.  Sauté onions and garlic ginger jumble and pepper in a large pan over medium-high heat. 

2. In a separate pan, potatoes and carrots in two cups of veggie broth.  When veggies are steamed but still firm, add them, along with the broth to the onions and garlic.  

3. Add spices and stir well.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add all additional ingredients.  

4. Simmer to a gentle bubble for 15 minutes.  Serve piping hot over rice.

30 Days Down

We've finished 30 days of our 40 day fast from the grocery store.  I have documented the 4th week of meals, Hannah's wrap up of being head chef in the kitchen, but I still have to price it all out, and that is very tedious.  There is no real plan for the next ten days, other than we are not going to the grocery store, or the farmers market, or the dairy.  Eileen was right.  I should have quit at 30. This is no-man's land! And, i am terrified!

      

So, for now, let me tell you where we stand as far as what we have on hand -

Fresh Produce: 

Cucumbers

1.5 lbs Carrots

2 Cabbage

5 Onions

8 Multi-colored peppers

One half of a precious little bunch of cilantro

Dairy:

1 and 1/2 gallon 2% milk

1 qt egg nog

4 lbs butter

10 slices provolone

8 slices Munster

2 cups mozzarella

1 lb fresh feta

1 cup cream

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Misc.:

Juice

Coconut milk

Mustard

Mayo

Salad dressing

Jam

Freezer:

2 loaves bread

Bananas

Spinach

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Green beans

Edamame

Pantry/Storage:

Canned - milk, peaches, pears, tomatoes, black/white/kidney beans

Dry goods - rice, wheat, flour, sugar, legumes, barley

Veggie oil, vinegar, peanut butter

Cake/corn bread mixes

50 lbs of pasta

8 boxes Mac & Cheese

20 packs ramen noodles 

2 bags of tortilla chips

Popcorn

Dried apples and bananas

Some almonds and cashews, maybe 2 lbs total

5 lbs honey

Other Stuff:

Potatoes, herbs and peppers from the garden

1 spaghetti squash, a few butternut squash

Eggs from the henhouse

Fresh Garlic & Ginger

Tons of Spices

Actually, now that I look at the inventory, I am not afraid.  We are going to be just fine.  I think being low on milk and cheese, not really having much in the way of snacky food, and having less fresh produce than we're used to makes me feel insecure.  Salad is usually a staple around here. But, seriously! Look how much food there is to feed our family!

KC, 16, is in charge for this two weeks+.  I am leaving town for one week of her stewardship in the kitchen. She gets no budget and can't go to the store until Saturday, November 15.  She is on deck from Nov 3-18th.  she gets an extra day because i will be gone.  So, she's planning on her wits and creativity alone for the first twelve days of the fifteen days in her meal prepping duties.  

Here's what she has planned for dinners.  I don't have pricing, but you can see it is all pretty cheap stuff.

Whole wheat waffles with sour cream sauce

Brocolli cheese soup 

Veggie Curry and rice x 2

Pasta and veggies x 2

Roasted veggies and bread

Saag Shorba - spinach soup 

Pizza 

Navajo tacos

Rice and bean burritos

Yakisoba and edamame (stir-fried ramen with veggies)

That is her 12 meals of No More Grocery Shopping.  She is not afraid.  this is KC, and this is not her first rodeo!

                      

After our 40 day fast is up, on November 14, she gets to finish her shift with a trip to the store and three days of who-knows-what-treasures procured from our local market (surely milk and salad greens will be on the list.) 

Today, though, and for the next 10 days, we are roughing it,  using only what's currently in the refrigerator and pantry.  Since people joke about eating lots of ramen when they are on a budget,  let me share our favorite ramen recipe with you.

                          

Yakisoba - Stir-Fried Ramen for 6, Under $0.40/serving

8 packs ramen noodles, par boiled - $0.80

1 med onion, diced $0.30

2 cups carrots, diced $0.30

2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced $0.30

2 tbsp canola oil - $0.10

3 tbsp soy sauce - $0.56

Fresh cilantro, sesame oil and siracha sauce as toppings, optional

$2.36

1. Open ramen packages, set flavor packets aside.  Bring large pot of water to a boil. 

2.  When water is boiling, add all the ramen together in the pot.  Par boil noodles until they are just cooked, but still a bit firm.  Drain, drizzle with oil to prevent noodles from clumping together.

3.  In a large frying pan or wok, sauté onions in oil over high heat.  As they are turning clear, add the carrots.  As carrots are beginning to soften, add the red cabbage and soy sauce, cook until all veggies are crisp but tender.  

4. Add noodles to sautéed veggies.  Stir in 5 of the 8 seasoning packets.  Serve hot with chili sauce, sesame oil or freshly sliced peppers and cilantro.