Free Christmas Food Baskets, Illinois

Requests from low-income residents for a holiday food basket are being accepted by the East Peoria Youth Council.

Request form to send in by Dec, 3rd.

The Youth Council is now in its 27th year of conducting its Christmas Food Basket Program. Approximately 300 baskets were distributed in 2007.

Those eligible for a food basket are low-income families. All recipients must reside in the corporate city limit of East Peoria or in the boundaries of East Peoria Community High School District 309. To keep the program fair, Youth Council members check to make sure those rquesting baskets are from East Peoria or Creve Coeur, and that they are not receiving a basket from other area groups.The baskets contain a gift certificate for meat, canned corn and green beans, pork and beans, macaroni and cheese, brownie mix, gelatin, applesauce, spaghetti and sauce, a loaf of bread, apples, potatoes and other vegetables, soup, peanut butter and corn bread mix.

The request deadline is Dec. 3, and requests must be made on the downloadable form at the top of this page. Forms are also available at EastSide Centre, 1 EastSide Drive, and East Peoria City Hall, 100 S. Main St. Recipients will be notified by mail about basket distribution, set for Dec. 19.
For more information, contact Paula Smart at East Peoria City Hall, 698-4715.

Washington State Food Banks-relief from high cost of food

Need Food in WA? We can help!
Northwest Harvest’s hunger relief network is comprised of nearly 300 independent food banks and meal programs serving individual communities. We believe in serving clients with dignity and respect, turning no one away.

To find food services near you, see our complete list of partner food programs. Search by county, city, zip code, program name or type.

Program hours and areas of service vary. Please contact the programs individually for information. For help finding a location, contact Northwest Harvest at (206) 625-0755, 1(800) 722-6924 or info@northwestharvest.org.

Need other services? Please see our list of community resources.

Food Banks Across America-relief from high food prices

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Food Banks Across America

Food banks supply non-perishable food items such as canned and boxed dry groceries, frozen foods, bakery products, as well as personal hygiene or household products. These items are distributed by non-profit agencies to people in local emergency food programs. These emergency food programs are intended to provide immediate relief to families who can't afford to buy food. They also serve as a backup when the government's Food Stamp Program comes up short.

If you want to learn more about food banks in your state, check out our list below:

• ALABAMA
Montgomery Area Food Bank
521 Trade Center St . Montgomery , Al 36108 Com: (334) 263-3784
Toll Free: 1-800-768-3784
http://www.montgomeryareafoodbank.org/Contact_Us.html

• ALASKA
Fairbanks, Alaska Community Food Bank Service
725 26th Avenue Fairbanks , AK 99701-2377
(907) 45-SHARE (907-457-4273)
www.fairbanksfoodbank.org/

• ARKANSAS
Arkansas Food bank Network
8121 Distribution Drive , Little Rock , AR 72209
(501)565-8121 or (877)565-8124
http://www.arkansasfoodbank.org/

• ARIZONA
Northern Arizona Food Bank (NAFB)
A Division of Feed My Children's Charities, Inc. 3805 East Huntington Drive Flagstaff , AZ 86004
Phone: (928) 526-2211
Fax: (928) 526-9505
Website: www.nafoodbank.org

• CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles Regional Foodbank
1734 E 41st St Los Angeles , California 90058-1502
Phone (323) 234-3030
Fax (323) 234-0943
http://www.lafoodbank.org/

• CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Food Bank
P.O. Box 8686
New Haven , CT 06531
Phone: (203) 469-5000
E-mail: cfb@ctfoodbank.org
http://www.ctfoodbank.org/

• COLORADO
Care and Share Food Bank
2520 Aviation Way, Suite 130 Colorado Springs , CO 80916
Phone: 719-528-1247
info@careandshare.org
http://www.careandshare.org/

• DELAWARE
Food Bank of Delaware
14 Garfield Way Newark , DE 19711
Telephone Numbers and Contact Information
(302) 292-1305
http://www.fbd.org

• FLORIDA
Harry Chapin Food Bank
2126 Alicia Street, Fort Myers , Florida 33901 Tel: 239 334-7007
http://www.harrychapinfoodbank.org

• GEORGIA
The Atlanta Community Food Bank
732 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd., NW Atlanta , GA 30318
Phone: (404) 892-9822
http://www.acfb.org/

• HAWAII
Hawaii Food bank
2611 Kilihau St . Honolulu , HI 96819-2021
Ph: 808 836-3600
Fax: 808 836-2272
http://www.hawaiifoodbank.org/

• IDAHO
The Idaho Food bank
3562 So. T.K. Ave. Boise , Idaho 83705
PH: 208-336-9643
Fax: 208-336-9692
http://www.idahofoodbank.org/

• CHICAGO
Chicago Food Bank
4100 W. Ann Lurie Place , Chicago , IL 60632
Phone: 773.247.3663
http://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/

• INDIANA
Food Bank of Northern Indiana
P.O. Box 11365 South Bend , Indiana 46634-0365
Telephone (800) 879-7040
Fax (574) 232-0143
http://www.feedindiana.org/

• IOWA
Northeast Iowa Food Bank
106 E. 11th St . Waterloo , IA 50703
(319) 235-0507
Toll-Free 1-(888)-NEIFB4U (634-3248)
fax (319) 235-1027
http://www.northeastiowafoodbank.org/

• KANSAS
Kansas Food Bank Central Distribution Facility
1919 E. Douglas, Wichita , Kansas 67211
Tel: 316-265-4421
Fax: 316-265-9747
E-mail: foodbankinfo@ksfoodbank.org
http://www.kansasfoodbank.org

• KENTUCKY
America 's Second Harvest of Kentucky 's Heartland
P.O. Box 821 313 Peterson Drive Elizabethtown , KY 42702
270-769-6997
http://www.secondharvestky.com/

• LOUISIANA
Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank
5546 Choctaw Drive . Baton Rouge , LA 70805
(225) 359-9940
http://www.brfoodbank.org/index.shtml

• MAINE
Good Shepherd Food-Bank - Main Warehouse,
Address: PO Box 1807 , Auburn , Maine 04211-1807
Phone: (207) 782-3554
http://www.gsfb.org/

• MARYLAND
Maryland Food Bank
2200 Halethorpe Farms Road Baltimore , MD 21227
Phone: 410-737-8282
Fax: 410-536-0438 or 410-536-0437 ( Network Service Center )
http://www.mdfoodbank.org/site/pp.asp?c=ahKKI2PKIsE&b=218104

• MASSACHUSETTS
The Greater Boston Food Bank
99 Atkinson Street , Boston , MA 02118
Tel: (617) 427-5200
Fax: (617) 427-0146
http://www.gbfb.org/

• MICHIGAN
Food Bank Council of Michigan
501 North Walnut Lansing , MI 48933
Email: fbcm@fbcmich.org
Phone: 517-485-1202 or 800-552-4483
http://www.fbcmich.org/site/PageServer

• MINNESOTA
Loaves and Fishes
1917 Logan Ave S. Minneapolis , MN 55403
612-377-9810
email: loavesandfishes@visi.com
http://www.loavesandfishesmn.org/

• MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Food Network Inc .
PO Box 411 Jackson MS 39205
Tel: 601.353.7286
http://www.msfoodnet.org/

• MISSOURI
Harvesters - The Community Food Network
3801 Topping Ave. Kansas City, MO 64129
Phone: 816.929.3000 Fax: 816.929.3123
http://www.harvesters.org/

• MONTANA
Missoula Food Bank
219 South 3rd St. West Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 549-0543
http://www.missoulafoodbank.org/

• NEBRASKA
Food Bank of Lincoln
4840 Doris Bair Circle Suite A Lincoln, NE 68504-1465
http://www.lincolnfoodbank.org/home.asp

• NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire Food Bank
62 West Brook Street, Manchester, NH 03101
Tel: 603-699-9725 http://www.nhfoodbank.org

• NEW JERSEY
Community Food bank of NJ
31 Evan Terminal, Hillside, NJ
Tel: 908-355-FOOD
http://www.njfoodbank.org/

• NEW MEXICO
Roadrunner Food Bank
2645 Baylor Drive SE Albuquerque, NM 87106
Albuquerque Metro: 505.247.2052
Toll-Free: 866.327.0267
Fax: 505.242.6471
eMail: info@rrfb.org
http://www.rrfb.org/

• NEVADA
The Food Bank of Northern Nevada
994 Packer Way Sparks, Nevada 89431
Phone (775) 331-3663
Fax (775) 331-3765
E-mail: staff@fbnn.org
Website: www.fbnn.org

• NORTH DAKOTA
Great Plains Food Bank
1720 3rd Avenue N. Fargo, ND 58102
(701) 232-6219
FAX: (701) 232-3871 http://www.lssnd.org/greatplainsfoodbank/index.html

• OKLAHOMA
Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma
1304 N. Kenosha Avenue Tulsa, OK 74106
Phone: 918-585-2800
Fax: 918-585-2862
http://www.cfbeo.org/

• OREGON
Oregon Food Bank
7900 N.E. 33rd Drive Portland OR Phone
Tel 503-282-0555
Fax 503-282-0922
www.oregonfoodbank.org

• PENNSYLVANIA
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
3908 Corey Road Harrisburg , PA 17109
717-564-1700
717-561-4636 (fax)
http://www.centralpafoodbank.org/

• RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Community Food Bank
200 Niantic Avenue
Providence, RI 02907
Phone: (401) 942-MEAL (6325)
Fax: (401) 942-2EAT (2328).
Email: donations@rifoodbank.org
http://www.rifoodbank.org/matriarch/default.asp

• SOUTH CAROLINA
Lowcountry Food Bank
1635 Cosgrove Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405
tel.(843) 747-8146
fax (843) 747-8147
http://www.lowcountryfoodbank.org/

• SOUTH DAKOTA
Community Food Banks of South Dakota
Sioux Falls Food Pantry 417 N. Phillips Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
(605) 335-6921

Rapid City Food Pantry
814 N. Maple Avenue Rapid City, SD 57701
(605) 348-2689 http://www.sdfoodbanks.org/needfood.htm

• TENNESSEE
Mid-South Food Bank
239 South Dudley Memphis, TN 38104
Phone: (901) 527-0841
Fax: (901) 528-1172
http://www.midsouthfoodbank.org/

• TEXAS
Capital Area Food Bank of Texas
8201 S. Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78745
Phone: 512-282-2111
Fax: 512-282-6606
Toll Free: 800-786-2616
http://www.austinfoodbank.org/

• UTAH
Utah Food Bank Services
1025 South 700 West Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Phone: (801) 978-2452
Fax: (801) 978-9565 http://www.utahfoodbank.org/

• VERMONT
VT Food Bank
Phone: 802-476-3341
Toll free: 800-585-2265
Fax: 802-476-0319
Email: kcrowningshield@secondharvest.org
http://www.vtfoodbank.org/

• VIRGINIA
Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network
P.O. Box 937 
96 Laurel Hill Road
Verona, VA 24482-0937
Phone: 540-248-3663
Fax: 540-248-6410
Darryl Jones at djones@brafb.org
http://www.brafb.org/

• WASHINGTON
Ferdanale Food Bank
1671 Main Street
P.O. Box 1593
Ferndale, Wa 98248
Phone: 360.384.1506
Fax: 360.380.3314
http://www.ferndalefoodbank.com/

• WEST VIRGINIA
Five Loaves and Two Fishes Food Bank
PO Box 297 Roderfield, WV 24881
Phone 304-585-7295
http://www.5loavesand2fishesfoodbank.org/

• WISCONSIN
Hunger Task Force of La Crosse, Inc.
P.O. Box 172
La Crosse, WI
Phone: 608-793-1002
FAX: 793-1003
http://www.lacrossehtf.org/

Please add your food bank in comments!

10 Ways to Beat the High Cost of Food

1. DRIED BEANS


DRIED BEANS-(under $1.) help to reduce cholesterol while
providing excellent nutrition.

Dry Beans and Peas: Natural Weight-Loss Food

Cooking with Dried Beans, Dried Bean Guide, Soaking Dried Beans

Basic Dried Beans
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2. OATMEAL


Oatmeal - affordable, healthy and filling
Less processed oatmeal is more healthy and cheaper.

click here for oatmeal coupons

Making Your Own Homemade Oatmeal Packets

Oatmeal Recipes:
Banana Bread Oatmeal
Berry Almond Crumble Oatmeal
Banana Bread Oatmeal
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3. RICE


Rice-around $1. per lb

Recipes: (click the name to go to the recipe)

Capsicum Masala Rice

Mexican Vegetable Rice

Spicy Rice with Black-Eyed Peas

Saucy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice

Arroz con pollo means "Rice with Chicken
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4. Canned salmon | $3.29/12-ounce can
Try canned fish. It’s cheaper than fresh and can offer more calcium.
*prevention of heart problems and may help with controlling arthritis.

How to clean a salmon

Recipes:
Smoked Salmon Quesadillas
Simple Baked Salmon
Baked stuffed salmon

Recipe Collections

• Salmon Recipe Net
• Epicurious Recipe File: Salmon
• Salmon Recipes
• More Salmon Recipes
• Salmon main page
• Ed's Kasilof Seafoods

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5. Fat-free milk | $1.69/quart
Cut back on the fat. Whole milk is often more expensive than its lighter-calorie cousins.
Use in place of whole milk in any recipe.

AHA Recommendation

• Choose 2–3 servings of fat-free or low-fat dairy products for adults. Children should have two or more servings, teenagers and older adults should have four.
• For dessert or snacks, choose ice milk, frozen or fruited low-fat or nonfat yogurt, sherbet, sorbet or low-fat puddings.
• ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Chicken thighs | $1.29/pound
Poultry breasts are only one option. Other parts of the bird are cheaper. A whole bird? Even better.

Boneless Thighs

Bone-in chicken thighs are cheaper than boneless ones, and boning is a quick and easy process. Learn how in our Photo Tutorial.

Chicken Cooking Basics

Chicken is a dinnertime favorite: it's highly versatile, family-friendly, and good for you. Learn more in our Advice article.

Leftovers

Don't throw away the bones! Let our Photo Tutorial show you how to use leftovers from your whole chicken to make rich homemade stock.

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7. Cabbage | $.79/pound
Use substitutions. Coleslaw, for example, made with cabbage,
can be less expensive than greens.

Cabbage Cooking Tips

Recipes:

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
1 lb. hamburger
1 lb. pork sausage
1/3 c. uncooked instant rice
1 med. onion, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. garlic salt
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. water
12 cabbage leaves

Cover cabbage rolls with boiling water. Cover and let stand until leaves are limp, about 10 minutes. Remove leaves; drain. Mix hamburger, pork sausage, rice, onion, salt, pepper, garlic salt and 1/2 of tomato sauce. Place hamburger mixture in each cabbage leaf, roll up, tucking all sides under. Place cabbage rolls seam side down in ungreased baking dish. Mix remaining tomato sauce, sugar and lemon juice. Pour over cabbage rolls. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Mix cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in saucepan. Stir in liquid from cabbage rolls. Heat to boiling, boil 1 minute. Serve sauce over cabbage rolls.

Fried Cabbage Recipe
1/2 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled
1 sm. head cabbage, shredded
1 pkg. Lipton creamy garlic pasta,
cooked by pkg. directions

Fry cabbage to desired doneness. Add pasta and bacon. Serve hot.

Marinated Cole Slaw Recipe
1 med. head cabbage, shredded
1 med. onion, sliced thin

Cover this with 1/2 cup sugar.
Bring to boil:
1 c. mild vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tbsp. celery seed
1 tbsp. salt
1 c. salad oil

Pour over cabbage mixture while hot. Seal and refrigerate overnight. Very good.
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8. Frozen vegetables | $1.79/pound
If a vegetable isn’t in season, opt for frozen. (canned is even cheaper)
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9. Ramen Noodles (10/$1.)

1. It's delicious!
Well, ramen taste great, that's a fact!

2. Low cost
One of the most important reason why ramen are so popular: instant noodles are really cheap, really. Even if we all agree that ramen taste great, let's be honest, 85.7 billion ramen meals would not be consumed every year if the product was 4 or 5 times more expensive. But good news, you can get them for as low as 0.10$ a pack in North America (cheapest ones we found right now are at costco) and for a pretty low cost too anywhere around the globe. If you don’t want to buy a 36 packs box, you can go to your local supermarket and get 4-8 for a dollar. To buy authentic ramen noodles, if you do not live in Asia, it should not be a problem in any large city.

3. Ready in five minutes
Like you can see in our “How to cook” section, instant noodles are ready in 5 minutes, on the oven, in the microwave or even with the coffee maker!

4. Healthy meal
As we all know, fruits and vegetables taste great! But, we’ll eat some tommorow, just not today. Well with ramen, as with any kind of pasta, you can add some healthy food with a great sauce to have a good and tasty meal!

5. Easy to cook
Basicly, if you know how to heat up water, you know how to cook instant noodles. As long as you don’t overcook, it should always be a great meal.
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10. Eat leftovers (pre cooked food)

Beat the High Cost of Food: Eat the Leftovers!
Want Another Way to Save on High Grocery Prices?
Approach Leftover Food Creatively and
You'll Save Money and Keep the Pickiest Eaters Happy, Too.

The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

Fresh Ideas for Leftover Turkey
Turn Thanksgiving turkey into a second (or even third) supper with delicious meals ranging from hearty casseroles to savory soups.
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How I am currently dealing with the high cost of food:

Find the "Dollar Stores" near you and shop for food there.

Family Dollar Stores
Operates a chain of discount stores across the US. Includes store locations

Dollar Tree Find a Dollar Tree Store Near You

Dollar General | Save Time. Save Money. Every day!

There are times when dining out can be cheaper than eating at home.
Keep your eyes peeled for lunch and early bird specials.

Use 'Buy One Dinner, Get One Free' coupons.

Don't be afraid to take your leftovers home with you!
For many people, dinner portions are more like two meals.
Why not eat them both, separately?

Fast food can be a real deal, but don't make it the mainstay of your diet.

Your health is your wealth.

Use coupons, but use them wisely. Ask yourself these questions:

• If the product is more expensive than your usual brand, will the coupon still save you money?
• If you have to buy several of an item to use the coupon, will you be able to use it all before it goes bad?
• Will you have to drive out of your way to take advantage of the offer?
• If so, will you save more than you spend on gas?
• Do any of the supermarkets near you have a day when coupons are worth even more?

Online coupon sites make finding coupons easier. Some require registration. Read their privacy policies carefully before entering your personal information:

Coupons.com

Cool Savings

Coupon Mom

Smart Source

Your comments are welcome here! Please add any tips you have in comments!

Would You Eat Cloned Food?

Dolly: Next it was pigs and cows

On January 15, 2008, the Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of dairy and meat products made from cloned animals. This decision came after years of debate, and a recent study, in which the agency found that products made from cloned animals were no different than those from the original animals. Therefore, they concluded that consuming meat from cloned animals seems to have no adverse health effects to humans. As expected, the decision is already drawing criticism from some consumer groups and scientists, who feel that more research needs to be done. In other words, the situation is just as confusing as ever. Here's what I can tell you.

Even though cloned meat and dairy products are approved, this doesn't mean that we're going to start eating these products anytime soon. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done, and it will likely be a long time before the agriculture industry sees cloned meat as a viable product. There are now close to 600 cloned animals in the US (most of them cows), but one of the biggest hindrances to producing cloned meat is the huge financial cost. Currently it costs approximately $17,000 to clone a cow, compared to the $1,000 dollars a conventional cow fetches in the market. Because of the major cost difference, most of the cloned cows will probably only be used for breeding purposes.

If cloned beef becomes widely available for sale in the United States, according to the FDA, it will not be marked or labeled any differently. This decision is not the first time the FDA has decided not to label controversial foods; such was the case originally with trans-fats, and currently with genetically modified foods. Most industry experts seem to believe though, that if marked, consumers would be less likely to choose the cloned product on the shelves.

Regardless, consumers are likely going to be very slow to embrace cloning, which will probably further slow any changes in the dairy and meat industry in the US. So, right now, don't worry about whether the hamburger you're buying is from a cloned steer, because it's not. The FDA has said it's OK if it is cloned, but the meatpacking industry is far from delivering cloned meat to supermarkets.

So would I eat cloned food? Would you? Right now it looks like cloned food is not going to be any different, in terms of nutrition, and as long as it tastes the same, why not? The trouble is, this is brand new technology and studies on potential side effects of the cloning process, if any, have not yet out there.