Shopping for the Texas Food Stamps Challenge

Tonight, I went shopping for groceries in anticipation of the Texas Food Stamp Challenge. The budget for the week is $20. Tonight's shopping came in at under $10. I held back so I could have extra money to adjust my meals. I bought the following:

• Nescafe Clasico (instant coffee, gotta have coffee)
• Moms Oats (cholesterol thing)
• Parade Hot Sauce (anything that tastes bad can be improved with hot sauce)
• Carrots (for snacking between meals)
• Whitehall Specialties Jalapeno Cheese slices (cholesterol free)
• Chicken bologna
• Riceland Rice
• Bimbo soft wheat bread
• 2 lb bulk pinto beans
• 2 garlic bulbs
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 bunch of cilantro

The plan is:

• Breakfast: Oatmeal and coffee
• Lunch: Sandwich with rice or beans (alternating)
• Dinner: Rice and beans, beans and rice (Dave Ramsey Diet)
• Snacks: Carrot sticks

Tonight, I cooked some rice with cilantro for flavor. This gives me three bowls. It's a bit late for cooking beans, so I'll leave that for tomorrow evening. 

I considered buying potatoes. I could always pop one in the microwave or boil it. I also considered a can of mixed vegetables, milk, and cereal. I'm also thinking cabbage might serve well for soup with the carrots and garlic. Depending on cost, I might buy zucchini, yellow squash, or cucumbers for a nice soup with a bouillon cube. Or, I might throw in a ramen soup. I may need more rice. I really considered a pack of tortillas.