For example, eating is extremely unexciting to many of you who learned from the young age of 18 how to feed yourselves when Mommy isn't around. I, too, experienced this as I went off to college. I used my unmatched skills of bargain shopping to select the highest quality macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and meals-in-a-can (ideally spaghetti-ohs and ravioli).
I have found that New Zealand is not quiet as forgiving as the United States in the affordability of these fine food choices. I spent a little bit of time talking about the shocking prices of food (and everything else) here, but I think it is worth repeating. Food is expensive. Even my favorite instant food is above my budget. But not all is lost.
Every Sunday, the harbor becomes full of people in the same boat as I myself. All of these people are there for one reason: The Vegetable Market.
An entire area equivalent to a city block transforms from an ordinary parking lot to a complete farmer's market, complete with every fruit and vegetable you can think of. All, of course, freshly picked a few days before. Here I have been able to find enough fruits and veggies to last me at least a week (although the carrots and onions I bought almost four weeks ago are still doing well (I think)). Best of all, I can get it all for under $8.
During my first week in Wellington, I was determined to see just how little money I could spend. For that week, I became a full-fledged vegetarian and in so doing, became depressed as I underwent withdrawals from my non-existent meat intake. That's not entirely true, but it's true that I had no energy. As my friend (and actual vegetarian), Kat, pointed out, I did not know the secret methods in which vegetarians get sufficient amounts of protein.
I've finally learned how to spend money wisely and still get enough meat, eggs, and cheese into my diet. In fact, I've learned a lot more than that. I've learned how to make stir fry, how to cook steak, chicken, and sausages on a stove top, how not to burn bacon, how to use an oven based on Celsius, how to use real garlic (in almost everything I make), how to steam broccoli without plastic wrap, and how to make two liters of milk last a week.
(Veggie Stir fry: tomatoes, green beans, peppers, carrots, onion, herbs, then soy sauce with rice. Whenever I have steak I toss that in, too.)
(Super salad: lettuce, cilantro, strawberries, pecans, pistachios, dried cranberries, carrots, balsamic dressing.)
(Chicken Alfredo and Garlic Bread: Chicken, Alfredo sauce from a can, spaghetti, buttered toast with cooked bits of garlic.)
(Regular Spaghetti: Cooked sassuage mixed with can-o-pasta sauce, spaghetti, and garlic bread again.)
My current projects are broccoli-cheese rice, mashed potatoes with bacon and cheese, variations to my original stir-fry, the good ol' peanut butter and banana sandwich, scrambled eggs and sausages (or bacon) for breakfast (cereal is too expensive and it takes up all your milk) and tacos. The tacos were my favorite dish so far thus the lack of pictures (I was too hungry to take a picture, but I'll have other chances to do so, I'm sure). I have also paired chicken and sausage with a couple instant pasta recipes that come out of a pouch.
Today's menu: Open-faced tomato, bacon, and cheese sandwiches (thinking of you, Mom!).
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