I have a sky blue pinstripe blouse that is incredibly flattering, though it's falling apart a bit around the cuffs (that's easy to hide, though). That goes on over a black skirt with just a little swish to it.

For shoes I dig out my one pair of heels, fairly low closed-toe numbers with ankle straps, in soft leather the color of peanut butter. They're beautiful, they're so comfortable I could run in them, and they cost me two dollars. They also perfectly complement the blue of the shirt, and the contrast between the black skirt and my impossibly pale legs makes me look like I really know what I'm doing when it comes to fashion, at least.

Brown Rice

For six months while Aaron was on deployment, I ate brown rice with lima beans almost every night. The secret is to cook it in vegetable broth--it tastes better and it's more filling.

Now I subsist mostly on things other people cook, or things I can microwave, but on days when I don't mind doing a little work for my food I'll still whip up a batch. For Christmas the in-laws sent us six giant canisters of textured vegetable protein, and now one package of rice and one can of lima beans plus half a cup of TVP makes about four bowls. Each batch costs maybe a dollar. Yum.