Let's face it everybody, when the
VA is murdering your life away
with PROCESS and
refusing to pay your disability case,
sandwiches are very much a staple
in your house like every other poverty
case in America. The ingredients to
sandwiches can be bought in bulk
and last you over a weeks time in
meals if you make your selections
right, and the makings of a sandwich
can be mixed and matched to add
variety to what is normally a Ho
Hum idea for filling your empty
stomach. This entry may be more
of an appeal to Men Veterans since
the women are pretty much onto this
information, but it is worth reviewing
for all who need a little inspiration
and affirmation that POVERTY is the
link that binds so many of us who
are inside this VA disability claims
system.

Men, the best prices and selections
for a really good and tasty sandwich
lies in the larger supermarkets and
NOT at the hole-in-the-wall convenient
stores and "deli" places. The large
supermarket is your friend for price
and quality so this entry likes to
steer you to the large supermarket
for your shopping if you can pull it
off going there on a regular basis.
If you are newly widowed or a young
troop just striking it out on your
own for the first time from Mom,
this is a basic guide to get you
to sandwich heaven without using
a credit card to get by until the
VA restores your dignity and pays
your claims.

Different regions have different
assistance programs for the poor.
You may be able to combine Food
Pantry selections in this entry
with good intelligent shopping
with your Food Stamps while you
are waiting for the VA system to
kick in on your disability case.
Yes shame is your doom before
honor when the VA is processing
your case, so please just hold
your nose like the rest of us
and take your Food Stamps and
make some sense out of it all like
the rest of us and move on.

You have endured up until now, so
you can endure for the rest of this
game until national Activists can
successfully install the fixes to
the system. So let's talk about
making a great sandwich that you
can afford in your darkest moment
of financials.


MEATLESS SANDWICHES
___________________



Lettuce

Chosing the right lettuce for your
sandwiches can take you from Ho Hum
to restaurant-quality so it is worth
the time that you spend thinking this
over at the grocery store. Regular
iceberg lettuce in the big round
head is the crunchiest. But leaf
lettuce is greener, more full of flavor
and lies flat on your bread if you
plan on stacking a few things.
Keep the lettuce rinsed with cold
water and wrapped or in a covered
bowl in your refrigerator so it
keeps the crunch and freshness. For
this entry, I recommend the green
leaf lettuce, and it can be the
Finger Lakes Leaf Lettuce which
is now sold in plastic containers
in the produce aisle.

Tomatoes
Men, a good tomato NEVER goes into
the refrigerator before eating.
Buy only what you can eat for the
next 3 days or so and then plan
to return to the store again later
in the week. If the tomato you pick
is not quite ripe yet, leave it on
your kitchen counter until it becomes
a good ripe red color. The tomato
is the high point of your sandwich
so be picky about when you eat
the tomato. Let it get ripe and
be totally ready for that perfect
sandwich. Just about any version of
a tomato works well for this particular
sandwich entry. Leftover tomatoes
after already cut up, can be stored
in the fridge but not for very long
so plan to scoop that up first before
cutting your next tomato.

Cheese
For this entry, I recommend either
American cheese or Swiss. If you
buy "Deli Selects" brand of Kraft,
(which is NOT individually wrapped
in slices) you will get real cheese
and not a phoney substitute and that
does count for flavor and nutrients.
Use cheese in a limited way and
a single slice really does go far
in a good sandwich.

Bread
Whole wheat bread has a longer lasting
enduring quality than white bread after
you eat it. If you are looking for
"hunger reduction" then whole wheat
bread is the way to go. So called
"split top wheat" is NOT the same
thing. It must say 100% Whole Wheat
right on the package. If you are forced
to chose Food Pantry breads, then make
do with what you can get and you can
always TOAST the white bread for a little
something extra special. Take the time
to do this because it chases away
the sadness you might have for
eating sandwiches in the first place.

Bacon Bits
This entry does call for Bacon Bits
which are found in the SALAD DRESSING
aisle of the supermarket. All
Bacon Bits are NOT created equal
so please pay attention carefully.

You will find several different
brands, choices, and prices of
Bacon Bits. REAL bacon bits should
be avoided, because while it
sounds good to the ears and looks
good to the eyes, the flavor just
is NOT there and you will be
disappointed for what you paid.

What you want to look for is the
crunchy, large bite sized artificial
Bacon Bits which are nearly a
1/4 inch in diameter. Other brands
including BACO's have granulated
the bits down to almost a fine
powder. This is NOT what you want.
The best choice is the large chunks
sized 1/4 inch bacon bits which
you can actually see right through
the bottle. Bigger is better for
the bacon bits. Store brands are
just fine because what you are looking
for here is a crunch value as well
as good flavor.

Bacon Bits works well on green salads
and on Egg Salad Sandwiches too.
Just make your basic Egg Salad
and sprinkle on the Bacon Bits
on top of your lettuce and it
crunches up the Egg Salad part of
your sandwich.


Spread Mayo (Hellmans) or your
favorite sandwich dressing on
your bread, either wheat bread or
toasted white.
Lay out leaf lettuce or whatever
you have. Sprinkle Bacon Bits on
both the lettuce leaves and the other
slice of bread with mayo on it.
Slice up a ripe tomato and lay it on
the lettuce and Bacon Bits. Add salt
and pepper to taste. Place a single
layer of chees on top of the tomato.
Add a slice of onion and then
separate the rings over the top
of the cheese if this floats your
boat. Put sandwich together and
then slice in half on your plate.

Sides can include pickles of your
choice from the Food Pantry, olives,
fresh cottage cheese, chips, or the
easy Cold Beans listed below.



COLD BEANS
__________

Hey Men Veterans, there is a trick
to making cold beans that really
satisfies you as well as filling up
your hungry bellies. This is an age
old handout at the Food Pantry, but
I'll also list this out as a Food
Stamp item in case ya can't get it
at the Pantry. Knowing what to do
with this is half the battle to
good eating.

Canned Beans are sold in the Canned
Vegetables aisle of the supermarket,
but in some cases, also where the
Ketchup and Mustard etc. is also
sold so DO look around until you find
it.

BUSH's brand is the best choice for
"original Baked Beans" or maple
or brown sugar flavor baked beans.

Campbells has a completely different
recipe and I only recommend the
Baked Beans version of the those
recipes. B & M brand is also not
that good of a choice for this
entry. Just stick with BUSH's original
baked beans or the store brand and
you should be okay for a Baked Beans
selection (or maple and brown
sugar etc.).

For one person, choose a single
16 oz. sized can, or a larger soup
can sized choice if you want to
make 2 servings at one time.

Empty the can of beans in a saucepan
and heat it up until it begins to
simmer on a medium heat. Watch
it so the beans don't burn onto
the pan.

Remove the beans from the heat,
and spoon the beans itself into a
covered bowl leaving behind much
of the sauce. While you want SOME
sauce to be carried over, leave much
of it behind so the beans are not
absolutely SWIMMING in sauce. The
heat from this exercise releases
the baked beans quality of the recipe
and you will be surprised at how
much this improves the beans when
they are served cold. Just refrigerate
the beans until they are cold
and then spoon it out on your
plate with your meatless sandwich
and enjoy as your meals come up.
Convenient and much much tastier.

No Men, this is NOT the same as
emptying the can directly onto
your plate. Heat it up first, and
then drain the sauce off into
a bowl for the refrigerator. It
is easy and you get a much better
result by doing it this way. I
wouldn't say so if it wasn't true.
After you have done this ONCE,
you will become an instant believer
in the fact that the beans really
do come out a whole lot better
by doing it this way.

This is a good side dish for your
sandwich and it makes easy use
of what you can pick up either
at the Food Pantry or using your
Food Stamps.

Enjoy, all of you Vets - until your
disability money arrives from the
VA. At least then you will be able
to afford $6.00 a pound for cold
cuts.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: McClellanVet,