If today was a sign of things to come, I'm going to have to put a lock on the pantry door. My kids, who normally are very picky and selective when it comes to eating, practically wiped me out food wise today.

It all started this morning when Abi (3) and Nate (5) asked me for cinnamon toast after having eaten watermelon and bread and jam (healthy, homemade bread and jam=) for breakfast. Kenny (13 mos) seemed hungry, too (pointing to the kitchen and going "nyum, nyum"), after his morning nursing, so I made him a bowl of oatmeal to eat before his nap. Nate asked for a bowl, too and both boys ate until it was gone.

I started on lunch-- homemade wholewheat tortillas and bean/veggie soup. I wanted to use the tortillas to make baked tortilla chips but the kids were eating them almost as fast as they were coming off the griddle! I managed to save a few and make my chips only to have Abi come and turn the oven light and check on them every 2 minutes and ask imploringly if they were done yet!

By this time, I'm starting to catch on and am just shaking my head in amazement! I've never seen them eat so much before, especially Abi!

I served lunch and the chips disappeared in no time along with their soup. Meanwhile Kenny ate a bowlful of cooked, fresh carrots and potatoes and some bean soup and a tortilla! Gosh! He is feeling better, by the way. I was very happy to see him eating so much after being so sick for over a month. =)

For snack time we made a peanut butter smoothie and Kenny had some kasha with his. He ate a huge bowlful and was looking for more.

For supper I made one batch of pancakes. Should have made 2. Nate ate 3 and a half, Abi and Kenny each ate 2!

All throughout the day today I had to literally keep shooing Nate out of the pantry! All he wanted to do was eat this and that. It was so weird! I told him if he keeps it up I'm going to have to send him to grandma's house because she has a bigger pantry.

What am I going to do? Seriously, I try to keep our food spending to about $185.00 a month. That's pretty much all I have to work with when feeding 3 adults (we have a young Mongolian girl staying with us for a time) and 3 kids. Together with other household expenses, not including bills, it comes out to about $200.00 to $250.00 a month. Minimum wage just went up here and right along with it the prices of groceries and gas. Just about every time I do my monthly shopping, at least 5 or 6 items on my list have gone up in price. I know this because I keep track with a pen and paper.

Here are some things that have gone up over the past 4 months or so:
(Exchange rate: 1 us dollar= 1160 tugrugs)

beans -from 1,500 a kilo to 2000
beef- from 2500 a kilo to 3000
peanuts (kids' favorite!)-1400 a kilo to 2400
apples-from 800 a kilo to 1000
butter- from 1400 a kilo to 2200
bread- from 300 to 350
oil- from 5000 for 5 liters to 6500

And the list goes on and on.

Although the increase in the prices has me a bit worried and kind of mad, I am happy my kids' appetites are picking up and that they enjoy my cooking. And I know God will continue to provide for us as He has always done without fail in the past.

Every time we stock the pantry, we pray a prayer of thanksgiving for God's faithfulness in providing for our family through the help of friends who support us. We know full well that all we have is a gift from Him.

Sigh...

I feel better.