January Pantry Challenge - come join in! - Page 4

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Yeah, I'm realizing we have this stuff languishing in our pantry because we don't like it all that much. 

We're working through it though.  I'm making a Szechuan chicken dish tomorrow night (kids won't eat that...so I'll have to make something else for them).  We don't eat white pasta anymore...but I can boil up that last box and they'll be happy to get that.  They WISH we still ate white products.

We don't eat white potatoes anymore either, but I've got some to make potato soup so I can make a veggie pot pie.

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom 

My Goal =  Cross Everything off this list. 

Start date  = January 17th, 2013   

Thin Spaghetti  1 2 3

Canned Clams

Boves Sauce

Canned Pumpkin   1 2 3 4 5

Szechuan Sauce

Spicy Bean Sauce

Thai Curry + Coconut Milk  1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Veggie Stock  1 2 3

WW Penne Pasta

Oyster Sauce

Fish Sauce

Fish Sauce

Butternut Squash   1   2

Beef Stew Packet

Sprouting Seeds

Yeast Packets   1  2  3 

Sesame Seeds

Rice Wine

Champagne Vinegar

White Wine Vinegar

Sherry

Fridge & Freezer

Cabbage

Pesto

Lentil Hummus

Pork Loin

Pork cut up for Stir Fry

Pork Chops

Chicken Thighs   1  2  3  4

Turkey Legs in a bag

Turkey Parts in a bag

Ground Turkey   1  2  3  4

Chicken Breasts  1  2  3  4  5 

Ham Bone

Zucchini in a bag

Pie Crusts  1  2 

Salmon

Peppers in a bag

WW Rotini

Refried Beans

Shiitake Mushrooms

[JunebugsMom]

Originally Posted by JunebugsMom 

Jumping in late here because I'd like to make it the rest of the month without going to the grocery store (except for produce and milk, probably).

freezer

stir fry veggies

ham pieces

green peas

kielbasa

corn

turkey bacon

shredded zucchini

cranberries

pantry

hard taco shells

dried garbanzos

quinoa

gf pasta

alfredo sauce

regular spaghetti

GF bisquick

white beans

pinto beans

pizza sauce (2)

crab (2) (1)

salmon (3)

black beans

cranberry sauce

lentils

spanish rice mix

GF pizza crust mix (x2)

refried beans

1 butternut squash

potatoes

dinner ideas for the rest of the month

1. baked chicken breasts, broccoli, rice

2. California rolls

3. pork tacos

4. lentil soup with ham

5. southwestern chicken breasts

6. white chicken chili

7. pasta with alfredo sauce and peas

8. salmon cakes, corn, potatoes

9. honey baked lentils, rice, swiss chard

10. GF pancakes, eggs, turkey bacon

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Please note:  That last statement about not eating white pasta anymore is not a judgemental statement. 

White pasta is okay for some families.

But we've got type 2 diabetes issues in our family and our doctor recommended cutting out the white stuff.  (sugar, bread, pasta...)

I probably should just bag up the stuff we have in our pantry and donate it to the food shelf.

[granolamommie]

Originally Posted by granolamommie 

In my pantry-

spaghetti squash

marinara x 2

coconut milk

pumpkin x2

black beans x4

wild rice

brown rice

sourdough starter

flour

potatoes

lentils x 3 bags

tortillas

chickpeas 1 can 2 bags dry

bread

canned tomatoes

freezer-

frozen broccoli

frozen cauliflower

soy crumbles x3

flounder

fridge-

eggs

cheese

butter

milk

carrots

oranges

apples

mint

My plan

tonight- fried rice

tomorrow- lentil soup and homemade bread

Friday- date night so we are eating out

Saturday- homemade baked pasta

Sunday- african peanut soup

Monday- bean burritos

Tuesday- spaghetti squash and marinara with beef crumbles

Wednesday- pumpkin chili

Thursday- fish tacos

Friday- potato crusted quiche

Saturday-  homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese

Sunday-chickpea noodle soup

pumpkin chili is tomorrow, lentil soup is today, tues will be the same as well as thursday.  Wednesday african peanut soup

[granolamommie]

Or you could keep it for "Just in case" you never know when you may need it.

[honeybee80]

Originally Posted by treehugz 

Anybody have more ideas for wheat germ?  Or rice flour??

You can sub wheat germ for some of the flour when baking (I usually do 1/4 c wheat germ, 3/4 c flour instead of a whole cup of flour).  You can also add some to oatmeal. Wheat germ is one of those things that sticks around my house FOREVER!  

[treehugz]

Originally Posted by honeybee80 

Wheat germ is one of those things that sticks around my house FOREVER!  

LOL!!  Tell me about it!  I bought a jar for a recipe that called for one tablespoon, then after I made the recipe I discovered another practically full box of it hidden in the back of the fridge!  Who knows how long it had been there... probably from when I made that same recipe last time.  So now I have a box and a jar, minus one tablespoon a piece.  Argh.  Thanks for the suggestions... I'm gonna add it to anything calling for flour and my oatmeal till it's gone.

So far I haven't crossed anything off my list... I just can't seem to finish anything off.  So tomorrow I'm going to make succotash subbing the edamame for limas just so I can mark something off.  All my other ideas require going to the grocery story. 

[Cynthia Mosher]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom 

Please note:  That last statement about not eating white pasta anymore is not a judgemental statement. 

White pasta is okay for some families.

But we've got type 2 diabetes issues in our family and our doctor recommended cutting out the white stuff.  (sugar, bread, pasta...)

I probably should just bag up the stuff we have in our pantry and donate it to the food shelf.

I posted over in in Nutrition about Zero Carb Noodles. Have you tried those?

granolamommie, I love how you listed all of your items and then your meal plans. I should have done it that way. Will try to do it next time. We should do this every month!

[Suryarise]

My husband just made a soup with butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, chard, coconut milk, and lentils.  It was surprisingly delicious - not your ordinary pureed squash soup...  And a great way to clean out the pantry!  I think he steamed the squash, pureed it, and added it to the coconut lentil soup...
 

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Making progress.  Lots of spicy stuff left, and its hard to have that stuff day after day.  So it is taking me a little longer than expected.

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom 

My Goal =  Cross Everything off this list. 

Start date  = January 17th, 2013   

Canned Pumpkin   1 2 3 4 5

Szechuan Sauce

Thai Curry + Coconut Milk  1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Veggie Stock  1 2 3

Oyster Sauce

Fish Sauce

Yeast Packets   1  2  3 

Sesame Seeds

Champagne Vinegar

White Wine Vinegar

Sherry

Fridge & Freezer

Pork Chops

Chicken Thighs   1  2  3  4

Turkey Legs in a bag

Turkey Parts in a bag

Ground Turkey   1  2  3  4

Chicken Breasts  1  2  3  4  5 

Peppers in a bag

WW Rotini

Refried Beans

Shiitake Mushrooms

Thin Spaghetti 1 2 3

Canned Clams

Boves Sauce

Spicy Bean Sauce

Ham Bone

Zucchini in a bag

Pie Crusts 1 2

Salmon

Cabbage

Pesto

Lentil Hummus

Pork Loin

Pork cut up for Stir Fry

Butternut Squash 1 2

Beef Stew Packet

Sprouting Seeds

Rice Wine

WW Penne Pasta

[Cynthia Mosher]

Whittling down my list! 

dried pinto beans

dried black beans

canned black beans

dried mung beans

barley

quinoa

oats

lentils

brown rice

wild rice

assorted pasta (1 left)

masa harina (still some left)

risotto

pasta sauce (not that great so needs fixin' up)

can of coconut cream

kitchen bouquet

pineapple chunks

currants

almonds

walnuts  (used half)

canned sweet peas

lite fruit cocktail

canned tomatoes

tomato paste (one left)

black olives (half a jar left)

wasabi sauce

lemon grass paste (still some left)

spring roll wrappers

corn meal (lots of it)

canned sweet corn

canned creamed corn

To go with this I have:

mushrooms

bell peppers

carrots

zucchini

broccoli

lettuce

cucumbers

potatoes

onions

small pumpkin

butternut squash

beets

frozen vegetable ravioli

Butternut Squash Risotto with a side of roasted vegetables

Stuffed Peppers in the crockpot -filled with beans and rice in a tomato sauce

Polenta with Mushroom Walnut Gravy 

Pasta with Grilled Zucchini and Carrots and a lemon wasabi sauce

Cream of Broccoli Soup (made with potatoes) and Black Bean Cakes (this recipe, adapted a bit so I don't have to buy any ingredients)

[MamaArmadillo]

I know that we're technically in February, but I'm going to do a pantry challenge (as much as I'm able to) in February! I have had a really hard time building up my pantry/cabinets/freezer, but I also have plenty of item that I don't know what to do with (or don't have enough to make what I consider to be a full meal). We just went grocery shopping on January 31st, so I assume it's a good time to start a challenge!

[Cynthia Mosher]

Definitely a good time! Please go ahead and start the thread. Those of us in this thread who still have a ways to go - do you want to go into the new February Challenge thread or continue here? Either is fine. 

[petersac]

I'd be interested in joining this challenge for February too, but will wait to see where it ends up.  Plus I have to take an inventory and that won't happen until Wednesday when I get back from work travel.

[emilyfaith]

This is such an inspiring thread. Its a good time for me to try the pantry challenge as my husbands job has been so slow lately. Im just worried because im pregnant and focus so much on protein( we have lots of venison in the freezer) and fresh produce. . anyone worried that once the pantry is cleaned out the next grocery bill will be huge? anyway looks like some kind of soup tonight with some no-knead bread. Will try to inventory this week.

[anneca77]

I'm so glad I found this thread as I was thinking of doing something along these lines this week!  It's a good excuse to see exactly what's happening in my pantry/cabinets.  We just moved in early December and I think I just tossed everything kinda haphazardly...there could be some interesting items lurking around.  I'm in charge of paying for groceries in our house and I've got a nice sized cc bill to pay off over the next 3-4 months, so I am very motivated to save as much as possible so I can get out of debt sooner rather than later.

I've seen a few people post about no-knead bread.  I've never made bread before but am so curious.  Is there a particular recipe people like?

A
 

[Wolfcat]

anneca, I have a simple recipe that I use all the time. You make the dough and you can keep it in the fridge. The longer it stays in the fridge, the more sourdough it is. 3 cups warm water, 1 1/2 tbs yeast, 1 1/2 tbs salt, mix. Add 6 1/2 cups flour. Mix until all the flour is moist. Let it set for 5-8 hours or until the dough collapses. Refrigerate until use. Pull apart a fist size piece of dough. Add flour enough to keep it from sticking to your hands. Work it into a ball. Place on a bread peel dusted with corn flour. Heat oven with a pizza stone or stone tiles to 425 deg. Slide dough into oven with a pan of water. Bake for 30. Done.

I've also seen some good recipes for use with a cast iron Dutch oven.
Edited by Wolfcat - 3/3/13 at 10:42am

[anneca77]

What a great bread recipe! I do have a cast iron dutch oven so I will have to look up how to use it for this. Thank you!

[Wolfcat]

BTW, I use the dough for that recipe to make pizza crusts, too. Instead of forming a ball, roll out on a floured surface. Use flour and some cornmeal to dust the top and bottom. Put in the oven as before but I put a cookie sheet on top of it to keep it flat. I bake for 20 minutes and freeze them until use. We make full sized and mini crusts. Then I put a spoonful of pasta sauce on top, spread it around. I like to put on ham, pepperoni, mixed veggies (even corn and green beans) whatever, top with a handful of cheese, bake until cheese is melty and turning golden. A great way to get rid of leftovers veggies and meats that aren't enough for " full servings".

[anneca77]

Great idea, thanks!