The article linked in this Jezebel post, in which two food critics at the Post give themselves a challenge to create dinner for under fifty bucks. That's right, fifty American dollars.

Fifty bucks buys me two weeks worth of groceries. Three if I invest in Ramen noodles.

That's not even mentioning that, as the Jezebel post points out, the entire challenge suffers from the same thing a lot of these articles suffer from -- the recipes are always so damn complicated it's hard to find someone who can pull it off.

I'm reminded of the Top Chef episode from this season when the quickfire challenge was basically to make a quick meal in under fifteen minutes (IIRC) from the basic dried and canned goods you'd find in, say, my cupboards. You would think Padma had led all of the contestants' pets out into the kitchen and set them on fire. OH NOES! WE HAVE TO COOK LIKE EVERYDAY PEONS! They moaned, they whined, you expected at any minute that they were about to throw a tantrum.

I adore the uncomplicated cheap recipes in the comments of the Jezebel post. Because when I saw "fifty bucks for one dinner," all I could think was, "A buck for a bag of frozen broccoli, a buck for a bag of frozen cauliflower, a buck for a box of elbow noodles, and a buck for a little tub of butter. And that would feed me for a WEEK, if I were desperate."

-- Cocoa Rum Balls (they're still setting, so I don't get to taste 'em until tomorrow)
-- Junior Mint Cheesecake (the mints melt in the oven and give it this yummy chocomint layer on top)

Stuff wot I still want to make:

-- A bunch of stuff from Top Chef I probably can't handle without an actual chef available

Stuff wot I want to make that's not edible:

-- There's a ton of bags on Etsy like this and this and this and they're all, like, forty bucks and ... for fuck's sake, I just want the damn pattern. Hmph. (Granted, I'm pretty sure I could mock up a copy my own damn self if I think about it enough, but still.)

Note: I don't actually want you to do this. If there's one thing I hate about memes, it's, "Now you do this! And tell all your friends so they'll do it! And make your grandma do it even though she has no computer! Can your cat type? Why doesn't he take this quiz, too?!"

But it's a food list, so that's right up my alley.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

( Cut for length )

My mom's apple pie recipe, for my own reference (and, you know, if anybody else wants it):

2 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup water
3 lbs. apples, peeled and sliced
3 pats of butter
cinnamon to flavor
1/2 cup sugar
milk and sugar for top of pie crust

( Rest of recipe )

I'm pretty sure all of that actually makes two pies -- she always makes two pies at once, so ... *shrugs* -- but I'll have to ask about that when she gets back from her trip, so I'll probably be altering this a bit tomorrow.

All this talk of appetizers and Polish snacky food and Chinese food and chicken wings and ...

*stomach growls*

I am very small, I tell you! Only so much food fits into me!

And before I forget, this is me saving my mom's recipe for pizza dip: A bag of monterey jack cheese, a package of cream cheese, a can of chili without beans. Mix, nuke, eat with nachos. The end. :)

I need to go eat pierogies and kielbasa now. MMMMMM.