I had a bajillion kids and feeding them is hard!

[martian]

Going by memory, but didn't Michelle once say they went through a period where all three meals a day were rice? Sounds like Survivor but without the food challenge rewards. Josh must have been about 16 by the time of the first special, so he must have felt half-starved all the time. It's little wonder he lost complete control as soon as he left the house.

They tell stories like that like it's a badge of honour, the amount of suffering they've done for their beliefs. They've been tested and found true, I guess. More the kids than the adults doing the suffering, though, I bet. I somehow doubt Jim Bob was left to starve and Michelle was constantly pregnant or nursing - it would have been actually unsafe for her.

[GolightlyGrrl]

I would not be surprise if this lady's tale of woe about feeding her bajillion kids is some kind of call out for people to send her money, gift cards for grocery stores, non-perishable foods, etc. Fundies are the worst grifters out there.

[Arete]

In one of the previous incarnations of the Maxwell blog, there was a food and recipe site. I'm not sure if it is still there. Anyway, Quiverfull and other assorted fundie women would post recipes and food stretching tips on this site, as well as wait for homemaking pearls of wisdom from Teri or Sarah.

The most disturbing entry was a thread started by a woman who was pregnant, already had children at home, and was trying to stretch an absolutely ridiculous food budget. If I remember correctly, it was 60 USD a month back in 2009. She was asking for money saving and food stretching tips. Among the advice she was getting was potato soup, which consisted of potatoes, onion, salt, pepper, and that's all. To feed a pregnant woman, toddlers, and a grown man. There was a reminder that water was of course free. What there wasn't advice to do was go on WIC, go on food stamps, go get the services she needed for a safe pregnancy and to feed those children. It was sickening.

I did not know that there were people of any culture who would not advise parents to do whatever was necessary to assure their children had a quality food supply, up to and including prostitution. That site set me straight. As other people here have pointed out, it's not war, it's not famine. It is religious fanaticism that sends these children to bed hungry.

[djibouti]

I have four kids. One is a newborn and doesn't eat real food yet, so we only have 5 people eating in our house with one income. My husband and I do natural family planning so we aren't sure how many kids we will end up with, but ever since we got married we have been trying to save as much money as possible on food, while still buying organic and non-GMO. (Do I sound like ZsuZsanna? :P ) It can be really hard but it can be done. I also don't homeschool so I have a lot more time on m hands to devout to couponing, searching for good deals, etc.!

[longskirtlotsakids]

Djbouti- NFP is another word for no birth control. The fact that you already have four and have no clue how many more you will end up with is evidence of that.

From personal experience- vasectomies are AWESOME.

[EyeQueue]

In one of the previous incarnations of the Maxwell blog, there was a food and recipe site. I'm not sure if it is still there. Anyway, Quiverfull and other assorted fundie women would post recipes and food stretching tips on this site, as well as wait for homemaking pearls of wisdom from Teri or Sarah.

The most disturbing entry was a thread started by a woman who was pregnant, already had children at home, and was trying to stretch an absolutely ridiculous food budget. If I remember correctly, it was 60 USD a month back in 2009. She was asking for money saving and food stretching tips. Among the advice she was getting was potato soup, which consisted of potatoes, onion, salt, pepper, and that's all. To feed a pregnant woman, toddlers, and a grown man. There was a reminder that water was of course free. What there wasn't advice to do was go on WIC, go on food stamps, go get the services she needed for a safe pregnancy and to feed those children. It was sickening.

I did not know that there were people of any culture who would not advise parents to do whatever was necessary to assure their children had a quality food supply, up to and including prostitution. That site set me straight. As other people here have pointed out, it's not war, it's not famine. It is religious fanaticism that sends these children to bed hungry.

I just got finished reading Primo Levi's Survival in Auschwitz, and this potato soup was the Concentration Camp Special. Oh, wait: sometimes they had cabbage, rutabaga or turnips thrown in for kicks.

Now, I'm not knocking potato soup, but this recipe has really nothing of substantive nutritional value in it. Where's the protein? Where are the more nutritionally-dense veggies? WTF? And this glories their so-called God?

Just as an aside: I'm not getting the oatmeal and rice hate. Sure--white rice isn't great if that's your grain staple, but oatmeal is a solid whole grain, and if eaten with some kind of fruit is a good, low-cost, filling snack.

Edited for grammary things.

[amydamy]

That, and another responder recommended mixing Nesquik with rice as a snack. Yuck and yuck.

Whaaa? I can't even wrap my mind around that.

[Arete]

I just got finished reading Primo Levi's Survival in Auschwitz, and this potato soup was the Concentration Camp Special. Oh, wait: sometimes they had cabbage, rutabaga or turnips thrown in for kicks.

Now, I'm not knocking potato soup, but this recipe has really nothing of substantive nutritional value in it. Where's the protein? Where are the more nutritionally-dense veggies? WTF? And this glories their so-called God?

Just as an aside: I'm not getting the oatmeal and rice hate. Sure--white rice isn't great if that's your grain staple, but oatmeal is a solid whole grain, and if eaten with some kind of fruit is a good, low-cost, filling snack.

Edited for grammary things.

Oh my goodness, you brought up a memory to the front line! I have also read Levi's book, and remember the description of the soup. Maybe that was why that particular thread got such a visceral reaction from me. Yeah, this advice is what passes for the glory of God in that world. Not "Go get food stamps.", not "How are you guys planning on plugging the flow of blessings after you give birth?", but "Here, boil a potato and some onion."

Personally, I love me some steel cut oatmeal, and it makes pretty regular appearances around here in the winter months. :mrgreen: I think though, that a lot of people are reacting to trying to fill the kids up, as opposed to really securing a better and more nutitionally dense food supply for them. That and the fact that raising children for them is like raising cattle in a feed lot operation. Do it as cheaply as you can, and the only thing that really counts is the number of carcasses you can sell at market (excuse me, warriors you can make available to do the Lord's work).

[Talitha Cumi]

Fundies like to diss single moms for making poor life choices, but, really, so many of them are even worse. Not every big family is like the Duggars. In fact, probably 99% don't have their money. Common sense says that, if you can't afford these gifts from God, maybe you shouldn't have the "birthday party" that invites the gifts.

And speaking of boys and food...I used to be able to feed the twin boys (little friends of mine) breakfast out for the cost of two donuts. Now, breakfast at Waffle House for them (I just had coffee) was $22. These kids can EAT. And they're only nine. It's going to get so much worse.

:pink-shock: Given that I can eat a full meal at Waffle House for around $4, that blows my ever-lovin mind.

[Talitha Cumi]

When my boys were all home and teenagers, I would spend hundreds of dollars on food per week. The three of them would drink two gallons of milk a day IN ADDITION to all they ate. Dinner was often two chickens plus whatever we had on the side. Even then they would be up in the kitchen poking around for more an hour after dinner.

I think I've shared the story here of the time I made 3 dozen cookies for a bake sale, ran to the store to get something, and when I got home they had eaten them all.

So what I did, crazy as it sounds, is go to work, often more than one job, so that they could eat. Crazy, right?

Clearly you are an unnatural woman and lacking in character. :penguin-no: :penguin-no: :penguin-no:

[Talitha Cumi]

Guess what fundies -- having all these children is expensive. Maybe instead of praying for more, you should focus on praying for loaves and fishes ....... :angry-banghead: Or, better yet -- the adults should get jobs and so should the older kids to help with the income needed to provide basic necessities of life, like sufficient food for all the mouths you brought into the world.

If they receive gifts of money, food, etc. from other people, that's God blessing them for being faithful. If they don't get these gifts, are they just not faithful enough? Not trusting enough? Is there sin in the camp?

[Talitha Cumi]

Food costs are one reason I took a part time job (at home). $400 is about half of what we spend on groceries for the 6 of us. And we're not eating steaks and caviar. :/ Even with meals made from scratch and minimal processed food, it is just plain expensive.

I saw that thread. And I wanted to throttle the guy who said "Coupons! We feed our huge family on just $100/months!" I have not figured out how people do that. At least, how they do it ethically. I tried coupons for a while but had a hard time finding any for things we use, and often would find that people had already stolen the coupons out of the newspapers I was trying to buy. :/

Nah, they were gleaning the coupons. ;)

[August]

I just got finished reading Primo Levi's Survival in Auschwitz, and this potato soup was the Concentration Camp Special. Oh, wait: sometimes they had cabbage, rutabaga or turnips thrown in for kicks.

Now, I'm not knocking potato soup, but this recipe has really nothing of substantive nutritional value in it. Where's the protein? Where are the more nutritionally-dense veggies? WTF? And this glories their so-called God?

Just as an aside: I'm not getting the oatmeal and rice hate. Sure--white rice isn't great if that's your grain staple, but oatmeal is a solid whole grain, and if eaten with some kind of fruit is a good, low-cost, filling snack.

Edited for grammary things.

I don't get the potato soup hate. What's wrong with potato soup? I have some leeks in the freezer waiting for potato soup. I finish mine with a little milk, but other than that it's just leek/onion, potato, stock and seasoning.

[Talitha Cumi]

I don't get the potato soup hate. What's wrong with potato soup? I have some leeks in the freezer waiting for potato soup. I finish mine with a little milk, but other than that it's just leek/onion, potato, stock and seasoning.

Milk and leeks have some nutritional value, as does stock. Potatoes, salt, pepper, and water, not so much. And if that's the kind of soup you're feeding your family regularly, there's definitely a problem.

[Nootbar]

Idiot. Seriously....idiot. If you can support multiple children, GREAT. Not my problem.

My problem is people like this who LOCK up food! Either you have a developmental problem in your child - not understanding things like "don't get into this cupboard" or you are starving them. I just don't get it. Don't you feel bad, esp when you have teenage boys who EVERYONE knows are going to eat more, and you are locking them out of food? I would totally bust my butt and get a job just so that my children would not have food locked away from them. Yikes. But no....please.....just go back into the bedroom and make another baby you can't afford to feed. Cuz that's the Godly option here.

Horrible. Can't imagine locking food away from my teenage son. And yes, he eats all the time. Mostly healthy stuff like apples and fruit in season, but still.

[Arete]

Milk and leeks have some nutritional value, as does stock. Potatoes, salt, pepper, and water, not so much. And if that's the kind of soup you're feeding your family regularly, there's definitely a problem.

^This.

August- Telling somone that a potato, onion, salt and pepper are an adequate meal for the upped nutritional needs of a family that already has several small children is not right. I need to go see if that part of the Titus2 site still exists. It was crazy scary to know that woman had growing children and was pregnant again with a 60 dollar a month food budget, getting advice "Here's a soup of just potato and onion" and "You can really get Raman cheap if you get it on sale".

[Oddeverything]

I don't get the potato soup hate. What's wrong with potato soup? I have some leeks in the freezer waiting for potato soup. I finish mine with a little milk, but other than that it's just leek/onion, potato, stock and seasoning.

The recipe touted to the pregnant woman with hungry children forced to live on $60 a month had no milk and was not offered as meal to be consumed when one has leeks or finds a special on potatoes but as a daily meal, possibly even a twice daily meal. For a pregnant woman to feed herself and her children. No meat, no green vegetables, no fruit, no grains - just potatoes, onions and water. For an extended period of time.

So there is nothing wrong with potato and onion soup occasionally in a varied and healthy diet. The problem comes when one has birthed so many children that their headship cannot feed them all and all one can eat daily is a diet most associate with concentration and labor camps.

[lizziesmom]

Is there some reason that fundies don't have gardens? This would seem to be a logical and low cost way to provide nourishment to your kids that is healthy to boot.

[Arete]

Is there some reason that fundies don't have gardens? This would seem to be a logical and low cost way to provide nourishment to your kids that is healthy to boot.

That would cut into time in the Word or shagging to bring forth the next blessing you can't afford to feed.

[roddma]

Is there some reason that fundies don't have gardens? This would seem to be a logical and low cost way to provide nourishment to your kids that is healthy to boot.

I think the Duggars tried a garden last season and then it disappeared. I do believe some Fundies have gardens.

[roddma]

:clap:

Absolutely!

Ditto. Didn't Michael Jackson sing "If you can't feed your baby, don't have your baby?" But even money isn't an excuse to have so many kids. The money can dispapear one day.

[Mela99]

Learn to totally depend on other people and eat by handouts only. Dumpster dive.

Coupon. Why don't people learn to use a damned coupon?

Or stop having kids you can't feed. Just sayin

[cjsmom]

I think the Duggars tried a garden last season and then it disappeared. I do believe some Fundies have gardens.

You would think they'd be all over having dominion over the earth and stuff. I think that it's too much work for most of them.

If you look at the average fundy- or sister-mom, there's already a pretty big workload (I'm not counting Jslaves, who have largely given up their responsibilities) between edumakayting the littles, bible study, laundry (we all know how fundies love to share how much laundering they do), and waiting for their godly man to come along. They're pretty busy. I'm not sure what fundy boys do, but fundy dads aren't there to mentor them into growing a garden as they're either off on manly romps or strip mall churches or whatever small business opportunity they have managed to get to be Gothard-approved[tm][/tm]. It's just not sustainable for the average urban fundy.

The Duggars garden would have failed because gardens need tending. Howlers aren't going to do it unless they're made to, and with the constant leaving for trips, there's no one around to water/weed/harvest.

[anjulibai]

My grandpa's parents were farmers. They were both literate, having gone to school. They didn't have time to homeschool their own children because they were working - growing their own food.

That's why my grandpa went to school, instead of being taught by his mother. She had things to do - she was growing vegetables and fruits, canning them and making jams, helping bring in the corn harvest, slaughtering chickens and collecting eggs, in addition to the laundry and cooking and cleaning and other farm activities.

Basically, she worked to put food on the table - she had no time to teach her children.

If all of these fundies were serious about providing for themselves they'd follow her example.

[Arete]

My grandpa's parents were farmers. They were both literate, having gone to school. They didn't have time to homeschool their own children because they were working - growing their own food.

That's why my grandpa went to school, instead of being taught by his mother. She had things to do - she was growing vegetables and fruits, canning them and making jams, helping bring in the corn harvest, slaughtering chickens and collecting eggs, in addition to the laundry and cooking and cleaning and other farm activities.

Basically, she worked to put food on the table - she had no time to teach her children.

If all of these fundies were serious about providing for themselves they'd follow her example.

QFT. One of my grandmothers was a cheesemaker and seamstress. In between tending flocks of goats, sheep, and chickens, there was the garden and the trees, not to mention NO running water. She was quite happy to send the blessings to school in order to keep a handle on keeping everyone fed and clothed.