Day One: Fiscal Fast

I can happily describe day one of the fiscal fast as a success!  We spent the morning at Story Time at the library with friends.  Everyone socialized and played and it didn't cost a thing!  I love public libraries.

I took the boys home for lunch and nap, and in an effort to conserve gas, we stayed home to play for the rest of the day.  The crisp weather called the boys onto the patio, and I supervised from the kitchen while relishing the challenge of figuring out how to make dinner without seeking additional ingredients at the store.  Admittedly, dinner didn't pose such the great challenge I originally anticipated... You see, when I first suggested the fiscal fast, Hubby and I both felt a little nervous that we would have to survive on rice, beans, and pasta, with a scarce amount of meat and produce UNTIL we reached the deep freezer and inventoried the generous gift of Omaha steaks we received from my sister and her husband for Christmas. We are going to eat so well during this fiscal fast that it almost feels like cheating.

Cooking dinner on day one immediately reminded me of a large source of waste in our home: produce.  We eat well and love fresh produce; however, falling victim to the allure of eating out, we often don't finish what we buy before it starts to spoil.  Last night, I took out some slimy lettuce and instead of chucking the whole thing (like I might ordinarily do), I got my kitchen scissors and starting snipping and peeling back layers.  As it turns out, I had enough to make a sizable salad for two.  I also salvaged a few radishes from a half eaten bag starting to go bad.

The most exciting part of dinner for me was dessert (SHOCKING, I know).  We had a half loaf of French baguette hard enough to break a piñata.  French toast for breakfast?  Meh.  Then I thought back to the short time I lived in New Orleans... BREAD PUDDING!  Yum.  I thought anxiously, "I've never made bread pudding.  Do I have the ingredients?"  Almost.  So I took a chance, imperfectly reducing the ingredients and watched nervously as the bread pudding rose in the oven.  I didn't even know bread pudding rises.  Is it supposed to do that?  I don't know, but it tasted delicious and as it turns out, we even had frozen a tub of Cool Whip in the garage.

What We Ate Day 1:

• Mixed greens salad with radish, carrot, green olive and homemade dressing
• Omaha steaks seasoned with olive oil and coarse salt
• Small peppers baked with the steaks
• New Orleans style bread pudding with Cool Whip

Notes from Fiscal Fast Day 1:

1. Learn what your public library has to offer in addition to the awesome selection of books and media.
2. Thoroughly inspect produce and use any good parts before tossing it.
3. Save money by making your own dressings.
4. Try new recipes in order to eliminate waste.