“Mom! I’m hungry!” At our house, this is usually a whine from a teeanager standing in front of a fairly well-stocked refrigerator. Okay, so we may be out of milk, the juice bottle has less than 1/2 inch covering the bottom, and the apples are beginning to wrinkle. But there is food there and anyone, teens excepted, could probably ease hunger pains without too much trouble. My boys are always amazed at how I can put together a snack or a whole meal from an “empty fridge.” But I’ve had years of practice and could always manage a trip to the store in times of crisis.
But what do moms do when their bank account is nearly empty and pay day is still 3 days away? I asked some of the moms who had come to River City Food Bank this week, how they eke by in times of need. Every mom I asked wanted to talk about it, and every mom I asked had a “trick” or two. Here are a few I loved:
- Use powdered milk, but mix it up and add it to a half empty milk carton so the kids don’t know.
- Just say “no” to chips, cookies, and expensive snacks. buy apples and bananas instead.
- Use those Food Bank recipes! Browned ground turkey, tomato soup and canned green beans topped with mashed potatoes is filling, healthy and good.
The women I talked to all have the same obsessions I have. We have to feed our kids no matter what obstacles are in front of us. We get creative and we get good! My shout out this Mothers’ Day is to all moms who work hard to feed and keep their children healthy.
