Eating Out of my Backyard

One of my neighbors has taken up gardening; she's a retired DPS teacher and lives off of social security. Her husband worked for one of the companies that made parts for Ford and he's now retired with a disability from working. They receive a small amount of SNAP benefits (reduced because of their SSI and SSDI payments). She's begun gardening during the last three years and manages to make a variety of healthy dishes. The couple's five grandchildren live with them full time and a sixth grandchild is staying temporarily while his parents work out of state. They spend about 3 hours a day in their garden and buy $80 of food each month (mostly fish, beans, juice, grains, pasta, and baking items). That's about $10 of food per person per month! During the winter months they live off frozen and canned garden items and she coupons extensively to create a stockpile of food in their basement storage.

I've pasted her month of menus below. You'll notice she makes good use of local products and fruit she grows in her own yard including mulberries, blueberries, and apples.

Her principles of nutritious cooking include:

1) children should always have a hot breakfast
2) children should participate in cooking so they understand where dinner comes from
3) no food should ever be wasted
4) a savory breakfast is better for children than a sweet breakfast
5) cold cereal is a snack, not a meal
6) if you serve children a variety of grains and beans they will grow up strong
7) never serve the same meal twice in one month
8) children should never drink coffee but should have juice each day, preferably at each meal

From looking at her list I would add a ninth principle: always serve desert with dinner.

Week 1
Mon	B	Cranapple juice Pumpkin cottage cheese pancakes
	L	Pineapple juice Arugula and Cress Salad Grilled tilapia with rice
	D	Sweet tea Radicchio salad with kidney beans Dandelion greens with dill and black-eyed peas Canned vegetarian chili Apple berry cobbler
Tues	B	Cranberry juice Spinach, Bell pepper, Tomatillo with pinto beans Cucumber
	L	Grape juice Pea sprouts Kale with haricot beans and bulgur
	D	Apple juice Fiddlehead ferns steamed with butter Beet soup Kohlrabi Hamburger steaks Chocolate oatmeal cookies
Wed	B	Ruby red grapefruit juice Swiss chard, Broccoli with Fava beans over scrambled eggs
	L	Cranapple juice Zucchini, beets Mung beans Brown rice with carrots
	D	Pineapple juice Turnip greens with pinto beans and rice Carrot cake
Thurs	B	Orange juice Bell pepper, Tomatillo and lentils scrambled with millet and eggs
	L	Orangeade Arugula with pea sprouts salad Beets Cheese toast
	D	Sweet tea Kale with Azuki beans Baked chicken drumsticks Oatmeal peanut butter cookies
Fri	B	Pineapple juice Spinach, Bell pepper, Tomato, Parsnip with kidney beans
	L	Sweet tea Pea sprouts Cucumber Mung beans over rice
	D	Grape juice Turnip greens Grilled talapia Kohlrabi Zucchini muffins
Sat	B	Cranberry juice Bell pepper, Tomatillo with Fava beans
	L	Sweet tea Beet greens with kale and chickpeas over boiled hard red wheat
	D	Apple juice Arugula salad Stewed mustard greens and bulgur Fried Okra Chocolate carrot cake
Sun	B	Pineapple juice Apple cinnamon pancakes Turkey sausage
	L	Orangeade Arugula cucumber Broccoli Roasted potatoes and carrots
	D	Cranapple juice Kale with haricot beans, minced pork, and rice Beets Rice pudding with raisins
Week 2
Mon	B	Ruby red grapefruit juice Swiss chard, Bell pepper scrambled with eggs and cheese
	L	Lemonade Bok choy and bulgur salad
	D	Sweet tea Turnip greens and Black-eyed peas Pork chops Baked apples
Tues	B	Cranberry juice Spinach, Tomatillo with pinto beans scrambled with eggs and cheese
	L	Sweet tea Arugula, Bell pepper in pasta
	D	Lemonade Kale with carrots Chicken drumsticks Mashed potatoes and parsnips Chicken gravy Fruit salad
Wed	B	Orange juice Swiss chard, Bell pepper, Tomato with Fava beans
	L	Cranapple juice broccoli rabe Grilled talapia
	D	Orangeade Lettuce cucumber Turnip greens with kidney beans and rice Snickerdoodle cookies
Thurs	B	Ruby red grapefruit juice Zucchini bread Yogurt with mulberries
	L	Grape juice Kale and lentils with shallots over boiled hard red wheat Green beans
	D	Apple juice Turnip greens with pinto beans Chocolate peanut butter oat cake
Fri	B	Cranberry juice Spinach scrambled with eggs and cheese
	L	Orangeade Tomatillo and Zucchini Chickpea salad Mung beans with carrots
	D	Lemonade Mustard greens with Azuki beans and bulgur Rice pudding
Sat	B	Cranapple juice Swiss chard tofu scramble
	L	Lemonade Lettuce salad topped with fried chicken fingers
	D	Sweet tea Kale navy bean soup Egg noddle casserole Homemade banana ice cream
Sun	B	Ruby red grapefruit juice Mulberry pancakes
	L	Sweet tea Spaghetti Veggie soup
	D	Lemonade Lettuce salad broccoli rabe Grilled tilapia Baked potatoes Apple cobbler
Week 3
Mon	B	Orange juice Swiss chard, Bell pepper, Tomatillo, Tomato scrambled with eggs and cheese
	L	Pineapple juice Turnip greens Loaded baked sweet potatoes
	D	Sweet tea Roasted Brussels sprouts and Beets Green beans Chicken noodle soup Berry icebox cake
Tues	B	Pineapple juice Spinach and haricot beans scrambled with potatoes and eggs
	L	Apple juice Napa cabbage salad Sweet potatoes fries Tuna salad
	D	Grape juice Kale and Zucchini with kidney beans over brown rice Blueberry coffee cake
Wed	B	Apple juice Swiss chard with Fava beans and bulgur
	L	Sweet tea Lettuce cucumber salad broccoli rabe with shallots grilled chicken breast
	D	Cranapple juice Mustard greens and Black-eyed peas topped with a piece of bacon Cornbread Berries with cool whip
Thurs	B	Ruby red grapefruit juice Broccoli feta quiche
	L	Pineapple juice Sorrel, Tomatillo, Tomato, Zucchini with pinto beans Corn bread
	D	Sweet tea Kale with Azuki beans over white rice Baked apples
Fri	B	Pineapple juice Bell pepper scrambled with millet and eggs Cucumber
	L	Grape juice Purslane, sorrel and kale navy bean soup with alphabet pasta
	D	Cranberry juice Cauliflower Roasted potatoes and carrots Hamburger steaks Mushroom gravy Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Sat	B	Cranapple juice Swiss chard tofu scramble in a tortilla
	L	Sweet tea Cabbage with carrots Tomatillo with haricot beans and bulgur
	D	Lemonade Lettuce Tomato salad broccoli rabe pasta salad Lima beans with shallots Carrot Cake
Sun	B	Ruby red grapefruit juice Zucchini carrot pancakes Cottage cheese with canned peaches
	L	Apple juice Lettuce and sorrel salad Egg noodles with Swiss chard and carrots
	D	Lemonade Napa cabbage salad Turnip greens and Black-eyed peas Fried Okra Roasted potatoes and carrots Ham steaks Apple cobbler
Week 4
Mon	B	Orange juice Spinach with sorrel scrambled with eggs and cheese
	L	Cranapple juice Celery Chickpea salad broccoli rabe with feta calzones
	D	Sweet tea Kale with pinto beans and rice Orange Blueberry Sponge Pudding
Tues	B	Pineapple juice Cucumber, Tomato sliced Zucchini carrot muffins
	L	Grape juice Lettuce and radicchio salad Squash blossoms Green beans with carrots Stewed fish heads over rice
	D	Lemonade Mustard greens and bulgur Lima beans Corn on the cob Peanut Butter Oat Cookies
Wed	B	Cranapple juice Blueberry pancakes
	L	Pineapple juice Lettuce, Tomato, and radicchio Pasta salad with tuna and hard-boiled egg
	D	Sweet tea Kale navy bean soup Grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches Blueberries with cool whip
Thurs	B	Ruby red grapefruit juice Zucchini bread
	L	Cranberry juice Asian chicken salad with napa cabbage
	D	Grape juice Chicory, radicchio and purslane with kidney beans Squash blossoms Stewed chicken feet Mulberry Blueberry Banana Cake
Fri	B	Orange juice Spinach, Tomatillo and lentils scrambled with millet and eggs Cucumber
	L	Lemonade broccoli rabe with haricot beans and beef bones
	D	Cranapple juice Mustard greens with Azuki beans Snap peas Roasted potatoes and carrots Whoopie Pies
Sat	B	Ruby red grapefruit juice Squash blossoms tofu scramble
	L	Sweet tea Lettuce, radicchio, cucumber and spinach salad Green beans with carrots Zucchini navy bean soup
	D	Lemonade Kale Chickpea salad Cucumber Tomato with pinto beans, ham bones, and shallots Gingersnaps
Sun	B	Orange juice Tomatillo, Tomato scrambled with eggs and cheese
	L	Grape juice Collard greens and purslane with haricot beans Corn salad Fried Okra Roasted potatoes and carrots Grilled ham
	D	Apple juice Lettuce and Napa cabbage salad Cucumber Carrot Celery spears with dip broccoli rabe with Azuki beans Snickerdoodle Bars