February Pantry Challenge... - Page 2

[hlkm2e]

Janerose,
You can sub the turkey for hamburger recipes that are seasoned, like chili, spaghette, hamburger stroganoff, tacos, lasagna, anything like that you shouldn't be able to tell the difference.


Aisling, you could use the strawberries to make muffins, like blueberry just put in strawberry. You need to chop them up pretty little and they are a little mushier, but we thought they tasted great. Also, sometimes we make smoothies with just plain yogurt and fruit. You may want to add sugar if you like it sweeter or maybe just some juice. Also, you could use frozen concentrate juice for the ice.

[Mama Rana]

Originally Posted by aisling

A pantry challenge! I like it and I'm in...although I did just go to the store yesterday (becausemy pantry was nearly bare. Maybe I did my own version last month? :LOL) so maybe in my head I'll be doing a two-month challenge.

Now, heres my first challenge...like I said, I went to the store yesterday and when I got home to put things away, my freezer was nearly bursting. In my freezer I have a bag of Frozen strawberries that I have never used. I almost threw them away! : I just don't know what to do with the things! No clue. The only thing that I can think of is a smoothy. But don't I need ice to make a smoothy? Never have it, no room in the freezer.

Anyway, TIA!

I don't use ice to make smoothies if I have frozen fruit. I mix some yogurt, juice, frozen fruit, banana if I have it, and I like to put a bit of oats for fiber and texture.

[Amys1st]

I would use the frozen strawberries to make freezie pops. Combine w yogurt and put in blender. Add orange juice or a bit of sugar for sweetness if needed. Freeze and presto! Also very healthy and more cost effective.

I have made turkey meatballs and they are very good. Give me a few hours and I will post the recipe for you. I usually make them up and then freeze individually to fry up later.

I need to go to the grocery. I waited until it was Febuary to do it so I would stay under budget for Jan. But We are grilling hamburgers tonight and I have a few potoatoes to make up french frys as well so we are set for dinner. I can post the easy french fries if anyone wants them.

I am seeing how long we can make it to the grocery especially since the sales starts again tomorrow on Wed.

I would love to go to a farmers market but not in the dead of winter in Chicago!

For farmers market savings- go at the end of the duration. The dealers are packing up and have to haul everything they did not sell back. Strike a deal. Also ask yourself what would you make with the things you buy or go with a menu in mind. Hope that helps!

[nitareality]

: I was hoping we'd start again! I did have to rebuild my pantry basics when we went big shopping on Sunday, but I still have a store of ethnic and "unique" foods to use up. Also I had never even peeked into my "sauce cabinet" or my baking supplies so I still have a lot of food clutter (yummy clutter at least) to use. Things like walnut oil, all kinds of vinegars and marinades that I always buy with good intentions but wind up sitting around for a year. I could do a month long challenge alone on all the flours I have purchased, determined to make my own tortillas, chapati and pita. I don't even know how to hand make regular bread, LOL, though I dream of learning!

: Am I alone in these culinary dreams, LOL? I have chapati, whole wheat and corn flours. If not flatbreads/breads...what?

Just wanted to add, we're not huge ground turkey fans, but I wanted to second the advice to use it for chili and spaghetti sauce...very yummy, I think because it's spiced and in a liquid (turkey seems dry compared to beef) you truly cannot tell.

[Jennisee]

Anita, I share very similar culinary dreams, and I have the pantry to show for it, too. I love being able to open a cookbook, pick a recipe, and know that I have all the ingredients already. The problem is that some ingredients don't get used often enough, and I later find them buried in the back of the pantry. Hence, my participation in the Pantry Challenge!

Last night was grilled chicken, ramen noodles, sweet corn, and bread. We keep already-grilled chicken in the freezer, and the corn (also out of the freezer) was from my grandparents' garden. I made the bread in the bread machine. I served some olive oil and parmesan cheese on the side for dipping the bread.

Tonight is pizza made from Trader Joe's dough and sauce. I've got a bunch of cheese in the fridge and a can of mushrooms in the pantry. I've got a couple of apples that I might bake since I'll already have the oven on.

Tomorrow is boneless country-style pork ribs. I'll probably cook them in the crock pot. Not sure about side dishes yet. I have chili thawing for Thursday. Friday may be "breakfast for supper"--omelets, toast, and mandarin oranges....well, if I'm not overcome by this nagging craving for Chinese food. :

I do need to go to the store, though. The aforementioned apples are the only fresh produce we have in the house, we're out of milk and OJ, and I want yogurt so bad I can't stand it. At least that's all healthy, right?!

[hlkm2e]

Okay, pantry challenge mamas, I posted about this in healthy eating, but I didn't get any takers so I will try you. I found a container of basmati rice in the pantry. I am a white rice kind of girl, but I would like to try basmati. Do you have any great recipes for a newbie to try?

[isosmom]

For basmati rice you just cook it the same as any rice I'm pretty sure. Water to rice ratio is 2:1 and you cook it 30 minutes or so until the water's gone and the rice is tender. HTH
Oh, and for the frozen strawberries I would put them in that banana berry bread recipe from the last thread. I actually bought some frozen berries today just for that reason.
Just got back from the farmer's market and grocery. Did well, just bought the essentials that we were out of.
Bought some beautiful carrots for ds's birthday cake. They still had the tops on and it reminded me of this great soup I made that incorporated the tops into it. If anyone's interested I've got the recipe somewhere around here.
So, speaking of the ethnic kitchen and condiments galore, I've got some sauces in my fridge that I know I've used now and again, but would like to use up.
I've got hoisin sauce
fish sauce
thai chili paste
orange marmalade
ginger wasabi sauce
pumpkin butter
and a ton of dates.
Any ideas?

[Mama Rana]

isosmom, my sister likes to mix hoisin sauce with peanut butter and eat as a sandwich. it's also good mixed again with pb and enough coconut milk to make a saucy consisyency. this can then be used on chicken in a sorta stirfry. yummy

[Amys1st]

For Dates- we make a nice little appetizer. Bacon wrapped dates yummy!

Turkey meatballs from the The Joy of Cooking

This also works as a meatloaf as well

Start w
in a medium skillet over medium heat
1 tablespn of olive oil

add 1/2 chopped onion and a clove of crushed up garlic

cook stirring about 5-7 minutes and onions are tender but not brown.

Add this mixture to a mixing bowl (I use my kitchenaid mixer bowl)
add
1 lb ground turkey or chicken
1 large egg
1/4 c grated cheese
2 tblspns milk
3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1 teaspn dried
1 tablespn fresh parsley or t teaspn dried
1 1/2 teaspn salt
1/2 teaspn ground pepper

throughly combine this mixture and then roll into 1 inch balls and roll in cornmeal.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespn olive oil
brown on all sides.

I substituted the cornmeal for breadcrumbs but it was still a very tasty turkey meatball. We serve it with tomato sauce over wheat pasta.

[leomom]

Originally Posted by janerose

nak

next trip to the store buy some cocoa & other baking staples if you don't already have them on hand. i've started making almost all our sweets from scratch. at least that way you know what's in them (ie: no hydrogenated oils, preservatives, etc).

You are so right! I have tons of baking things that I need to start using. I like homemade sweets better anyway! Thanks for the reminder. That's why I love this thread!

[leomom]

Originally Posted by Amys1st

For farmers market savings- go at the end of the duration. The dealers are packing up and have to haul everything they did not sell back. Strike a deal. Also ask yourself what would you make with the things you buy or go with a menu in mind. Hope that helps!

Thank you. I'm sure that seems obvious to everyone, but not to me! So, how do you know what to offer them, a little below what it costs on sale at the grocery?

Thanks, Amy!

[isosmom]

Thanks for the tip with the hoisin, pb and hoisin, it's so crazy it just might work!
Who posted the recipe for the light pound cake? I want to use up some frozen cranberry juice concentrate and thought it would be good in that. Would I need to adjust the recipe?
Tonight (actually late lunch, early dinner) we're having canned baked beans, mashed potatoes with gravy and veggie burgers. All which have just been waiting to be eaten since I bought them over six months ago! (except for the taters :LOL)

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by leomom

Thank you. I'm sure that seems obvious to everyone, but not to me! So, how do you know what to offer them, a little below what it costs on sale at the grocery?

Thanks, Amy!

Ok- this is based on how well you are about asking for something. My phlspy is you have nothing to loose. As the market is winding down the dealer will be packing up. Stand at the area of the produce you want. If there is a bunch of people there, forget he will sell it. But if you are alone look at what he has. I usually say oh thats going back? What was the price of that? He will tell me and I say, oh nevermind, its too much. He will either nod and go back to work putting his unsold merchandise away or I will say can you do any better than that? It goes from there. I don't try to nagotiate anymore at the market then once just because its produce not a new car.

If he does come down in price, be sure to be polite about it and thank him for giving you a break. It may start something further down the line or you may find out that dealer is a jerk you never know, every time is different.

[annettemarie]

I'm so proud- we had pantry tacos last night.
I had taco shells, seasonings, black olives, and brown rice in my pantry
I had chicken in my freezer
I had sour cream and cheddar cheese in my fridge.
I did need to get lettuce and tomatoes, but we will use them for other meals!

Did I do it right?
Annette

[janerose]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

I'm so proud- we had pantry tacos last night.
I had taco shells, seasonings, black olives, and brown rice in my pantry
I had chicken in my freezer
I had sour cream and cheddar cheese in my fridge.
I did need to get lettuce and tomatoes, but we will use them for other meals!

Did I do it right?
Annette

:LOL

nak

you did great! i never intended any of us to have guilt over going to the grocery. especially if this is going to become (in amy's words) a "pantry habit".

my goal was to get support & encouragement to actually cook on a regular basis w/ items i actually had hanging around rather than eat out 4 nights a week!

[annettemarie]

My pantry and chest freezer are disgustingly full.

I have two "amish stores" that I shop that have dented goods, almost-expired stuff (I freeze it), discontinued food, etc, and I really need to use some of it!

Annette

[Amys1st]

annette marie!

If you use those groceries for other meals as well- you get the idea! You'll fit in well!

:cop: no grocery policing here! The idea is to use what is in your home first before bringing more stuff in and piling it on top of what is there. So get all that amish stuff out and do some cookin, we also would love to know what your making. There has been more than a dozen or so times when a meal rubbs off on another mamma and she makes it as well or get an idea.

[leomom]

I read that sweet potatoes are one of the power foods you should try to have once a week...can anyone answer these questions:

Can you freeze uncooked s. potato?

Do you bake a sweet potato the way you do a regular one?

What is a good price per pound that I should watch for?

What are some good recipes that don't have all that sugar, butter, and cream?

The only way I know how to prepare them is to boil, mash, and bake with all the aformentioned good stuff. Any other ideas?

Thanks!!

[Mama Rana]

I just wanted to thank whoever it was that had posted the mix n' match skillet idea in Jan. We had it tonight, and it turned out good! I used bulgar wheat, veggie broth and tomato paste, ground beef, and a mix of carrots, celery, grape tomatoes I had leftover from who knows when, and the last of a jar of roasted red peppers. My carrots and celery didn't get as soft as I'd like, but it was good. I flavored it with rosemary and italian herbs, and served it with parmesan cheese, and the rest of the wheat wreath and some olive oil for dipping. We even opened a bottle of wine.

Oh, and for dessert, I tried the halva recipe that someone else posted in Jan. Yummy!!!!

Kim

[hotmamacita]

Okay, I am definately IN.

What can I do with pecans, sugar, and flour? I also have sunflower seeds and some brown sugar .