It sounds rough. And it also looks like there's an area you can do something about:

>Both recipients are grossly overweight emotional eaters. I realize that's not the government's fault (or is it?) but regardless, those factors make it hard to say, "No, I can't buy the $5 almond butter to 'treat' myself." (which I did anyhow)

Treat yourself to learning how to cook beans from scratch. $5 will give quite a few filling meals with a bag of beans, a few onions and some spices. I wish I could pass on some extra veggies from my garden to help you out and cook up some beans with you.