http://www.corridorkitchen.com Necessity is the mother of invention. Tue, 23 Feb 2021 23:46:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.38 http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2012/10/dinner-guests-during-the-35-challenge/ http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2012/10/dinner-guests-during-the-35-challenge/#comments Mon, 15 Oct 2012 07:06:11 +0000 http://www.corridorkitchen.com/?p=4509 The other night, Elise was coming round to finalise the launch of our The Potluck Club (you can read more about it here) and offered to bring some takeaway, and also her husband, Chris. But the $35 Food Challenge had just begun, so this was out of the question. So I offered for them to have some pizza with us, as last week, we’d bought a ton of toppings for a pizza that never eventuated. They agreed and offered to bring salad, so basically it was a mini potluck. Since I still had the receipt from Aldi I figured I could subtract the pepperoni, olives and cheese from our big shop the next morning. And then I looked in the cupboard. And there was no flour. We’d done the exact opposite of what I always advise people - be prepared and do one big shop. So I popped out to our much-loathed local IGA for some flour, only to find black and gold products have been discontinued. My 1 kilo of plain white flour suddenly jumped in price from $1.59 to $2.39. Shit. My stomach dropped. Oh yes, The $35 Food Challenge really has begun.]]> http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2012/10/dinner-guests-during-the-35-challenge/feed/ 2 http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2012/10/speaking-on-the-35-challenge/ http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2012/10/speaking-on-the-35-challenge/#comments Sat, 13 Oct 2012 08:06:42 +0000 http://www.corridorkitchen.com/?p=4470 This week I had the nerve racking but ultimately rewarding experience of presenting a talk (twice) on The $35 Food Challenge as part of the City of Sydney Library’s ‘Lunches with Bite’. It would be an understatement to say it was a fantastic experience. Once I started talking I found I just couldn’t shut my mouth. And the reason is this.]]> http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2012/10/speaking-on-the-35-challenge/feed/ 4 http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2011/10/porridge-5-pantry-must-haves/ http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2011/10/porridge-5-pantry-must-haves/#comments Sat, 15 Oct 2011 21:26:37 +0000 http://www.corridorkitchen.com/?p=2292 The weekends are usually times we spend doing what we like and eating what we like, telling ourselves it’s a reward for a hard week’s work. Usually Senhor R and I will eat out a few times, grab a few coffees and spend an evening or afternoon in the pub. Harmelss weekend fun. But it’s becoming all too clear to me that food and eating are my main pastimes. There isn’t anything wrong with food as a hobby, but eating? I’m not so sure. I can’t help but think back to times when I was less well off - I ate healthier than I do now, which flies in the face of almost every statistic on poverty and nutrition. And having just spent a week in bed with a head cold and resulting middle ear infection, I can’t help but think Senhor R is right when he points out that my current lifestyle isn’t really the path to a strong immune system. I have been productive though. I’ve scoured the freezer, fridge and pantry and put together a veg-heavy menu for this week. It’s really made me appreciate the stuff we keep on hand. It’s the starting point for any meal. These are my 5 pantry must-haves, a pretty dull, but essential list.]]> http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2011/10/porridge-5-pantry-must-haves/feed/ 1 http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2011/10/the-35-challenge-join-now/ http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2011/10/the-35-challenge-join-now/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:06:58 +0000 http://www.corridorkitchen.com/?p=2263 The Stats If you only have $5 a day to spend on food, all it takes is $3 coffee and suddenly 60% of your daily food budget is spent. The fact is, this is reality for many Australians. In Australia, approximately 2.2 million people live below the poverty line. That's 11.1%. of us without access to basic necessities like healthy food, dental care, transport, affordable housing and education. The $35 Challenge aims to raise awareness of this fact, along with raising money for a worthy charity - OzHarvest. The Challenge The $35 Challenge asks you to experience poverty. During Anti-Poverty Week, from October 16-22, you have $5 a day to spend on food. For 1 week, experience what it feels like to eat below the poverty line. By experiencing poverty for just 7 days, we can come to a better understanding of the reality of living in poverty, and raise awareness of an issue so often swept under the rug. And by donating the remainder of the money we would usually spend on food to OzHarvest, we can make a real difference. Take the pledge! There are 5 main ways to get involved in The $35 Challenge: 1. Participate in The $35 Challenge. 2. Blog your experiences of The $35 Challenge. 3. Promote The $35 Challenge on your blog/twitter feed. 4. Organise a a ‘Shout Lunch, Fight Hunger’ event in your workplace during anti-poverty week. 5. Donate to The $35 Challenge. I hope you will join me in the inaugural $35 food challenge, as we do our bit to raise awareness and funds in the fight against poverty. What to do next: Follow us on twitter! Go to our website. ]]> http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2011/10/the-35-challenge-join-now/feed/ 0 http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2011/10/living-in-poverty-my-story/ http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2011/10/living-in-poverty-my-story/#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2011 01:04:37 +0000 http://www.corridorkitchen.com/?p=2193 For the first few years I lived out of home, I remember quite clearly my grocery budget - $35 a week. That number is burned into my brain. $35 after rent, bills, a weekly train ticket and whatever uni required that week. And that’s if nothing else came up. When you only have $35 to live on, essentials tend to fall by the wayside. In fact, they have to. This was my experience. I’d have a coffee once a week, and my aunt paid. I only went to bulk-billing doctors in my area, all of whom were overworked and uninspired. I barely exercised, except to rush between the places I needed to go. I didn’t buy shoes. I didn’t go to the dentist for 6 years. Eventually I dropped out of uni and went and worked fulltime in a cafe.]]> http://www.corridorkitchen.com/2011/10/living-in-poverty-my-story/feed/ 11