I'm back from the errands and just chilling out with some ice water and two juicy nectarines. Though I'm attempting to be a good vegan I have to admit that nectarines being a mutant fruit are probably not in accordance with my biblical vegetarian beliefs. I didn't say I was a perfect biblical vegetarian but my flesh and spirit are willing--it is my judgment that is weak. They looked so good and smelled yummy at Redner's. I tried to find the sprouted wheat bread, but they didn't have any. So all I got were the vidalia onions, bananas, nectarines, and plum tomatoes. I diced all six of the fairly large tomatoes into tiny chunks, added four shredded carrots and half of a vidalia onion. Over that I squeezed the juice of two lemons and added a few tablespoons of cold-pressed grapeseed oil and a smidgeon of Celtic sea salt crushed in the mortar. A bowlful of that with crushed walnuts and fresh squeezed lemonade made a dandy meal. I'll have it again twice tomorrow, for lunch and dinner. If I was outdoors I could rinse my knife and cutting board from a jug of water.
On a mobile homeless group I once described my favored diet and was asked how on earth could I manage such a thing. Isn't it expensive to eat fresh food? No, it's not. I spend about $4 a day on food, and $3 of that is on fresh produce. The other $1 is used to buy nuts, grains, beans, and lentils. I buy beans and lentils in bulk because they keep fairly well in a cool, dry place. I keep nuts, grains, and rice in a cooler or fridge. I also keep sesame and grapeseed oils in the fridge so they don't go rancid before I can use them. I also buy about $100 worth of sprouting seeds each year in order to produce my own fresh sprouts on a daily basis. Everything you need is in a blade of grass and in the herb bearing seed thereof, or so I've heard. I heard that someone said "it is good". Wheat, rice, and corn were domesticated from the world's grasses. If you sprout nuts, beans, and grains, that action releases more of their nutritional goodness, and it limits the amounts of protective enzymes and toxins that are nature's way of protecting the seeds. All over the world cultures routinely soak nuts, grains, and beans before preparing them. We have lost sight of that in the West. Living foods, sprouted and fresh is the optimal way to consume nutrients for good health and energy.
A typical day for a health and budget conscious vegan would start with some fruit and perhaps a handful of nuts. Rinsing the sprouts is a daily task, at least twice a day. I usually have three to six jars to rotate. Any that have grown to the right size can go into the fridge to retard their growth--they are still wonderfully alive and full of vitamins and enzymes. For second breakfast a small bowl of a produce salad from the day before would be refreshing, along with a handful of sprouts, with a freshly made lemonade. For lunch, saute a little fresh onion and garlic in olive oil and add carrots and spinach at the last moment. Then stir in some brown basmati rice and walnuts and finish it off. I like to add a little hoisin sauce sometimes, or a little Soy Vey. Second lunch is an early supper. Some rice and beans with chili seasonings in a real corn meal tortilla, with fresh vidalia onion and spinach for a topping. On the side, some leftover tomato salad and an ice cold Heineken (if it is in the budget). The rice and beans are cooked once a week, salad and lemonade are made daily, and the sprouts are rinsed and drained at least twice a day. It isn't hard, clean up is a breeze, and it would be very easy to do the same thing in a situation where one is living out of a vehicle.
In a vehicle, substitute a cooler for a fridge and buy ice every other day. Use a propane or a hobo stove and cook your rice and beans outside once a week. I have worked out my setup from past experience living out of my Ford Expedition while traveling on business once upon a time. A small fold up table makes a great work surface outside for prep work and cooking. Cook at a park, people will think you are having a picnic. Obviously you won't be cooking in a Walmart parking lot, I hope! And shopping with that $3 a day is done in 2-3 visits to the store each week. You look out for the best deals, which could be avocados one day and lemons and carrots the next. Carrots keep easily for a week, as do most root vegetables. I avoid potatoes because cooking them is a pain, unless I'm making soups or stews. I go to a produce co-op to get the best price I can on everything, but will also visit local stores.
So, instead of feeling bad about my circumstances and being anguished over the legal matters surrounding my accident, my purpose is to offer up what little I've learned about being flexible, resilient, and healthy on a limited budget under stressful circumstances. I've been a budget counselor for Army Community Services a long time ago when I was a young wife of a military man. I've been a single mom who learned to squeeze Lincoln until he cried out for mercy. I don't yearn for the expensive things in life, I yearn for simplicity and realism. I know that a homeless person without a vehicle can't follow any of my tips successfully. I know that most vehicularly housed folks won't be able to do it unless they have the resources and the purposefulness required. But, like me, there are people who don't fall into homelessness willy-nilly, but are purposeful. I've spoken to people who have seen it coming and planned for living in their vehicles. If you read the internet blogs and articles you'll soon learn that you would be living a life of stealth and planning. It is not the freedom of the road if you are without resources and remain isolated from the world. I am planning purposefully and judiciously so that I may enjoy a little of the freedom I hope to gain by not being tied to the grid for communication or a roof over my head, or even for a job.
The grid isn't inherently bad, but the false sense of security in the city, the suburbs, and in a job no longer suits me. I'm not going to be forced to live in my car through lack of foresight. I'm planning on living "out of" a van. Yes, I can sleep in a van but I've also slept under the stars on the Appalachian Trail. I can get by with an eight pound base pack weight on an overnight hike, but I'm not opposed to keeping my necessaries stored in a mobile closet. I don't want to wake up after a night in the van to trudge down city streets looking for a cup of tea. I can make that in my vehicle today. So if you are reading this post just keep in mind that purposefulness can help you plan and adapt and cope with just about anything. Alway know why you do what you do.
Here are some pictures of my setup for sprouting. The first picture is the organization of the sprouting seeds I like. You can see by the number of jars that sufficient variety is not a problem. The second picture shows two mason jars that I am using for mung bean sprouts and broccoli sprouts. I just opened a new package of broccoli seeds, enough to last a few years.
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