Are we up for the March Pantry Challenge? - Page 2

[Nu_Mommy_2003]

Thanks all for the ricotta tips. I did the lasagna roll up and froze them. All so I need a recipe of some sort for the white sauce with ricotta sounds yummy!

I have eggs and milk and cream cheese. Recipe???

Annettemarie - 30 organic fruit leather for $2.69 just unheard of around these parks I might have to beg : you to pick us some.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by Nu_Mommy_2003

Annettemarie - 30 organic fruit leather for $2.69 just unheard of around these parks I might have to beg : you to pick us some.

The thing is, you never know what they will have from one week (or day!) to the next. It's a lot of scratch and dent, things that are a little (or a lot!) past the date- you have to look!- items that have old packaging, etc. I never did figure out what was wrong with the fruit leather. It could just be that the original case was dented, and they had to get rid of the whole thing. It's fun. It makes shopping an adventure.

[Rainbowbird]

Originally Posted by opally

Rainbowbird - you can get bulk yeast at your local HFS - I've found it for about $2.99/lb - or try Costco, where I get mine, a massive amount (like 2-3 lbs in a vacuum-pack brick) for $3.99.

WOW! I am going to check my co-op next time i go. You wouldn't believe what I paid for this little jar. I used to buy the envelopes but that was when I hardly ever baked. The jar was cheaper but still WAY expensive--7 something and it's only 4 oz!

OUCH!

Thanks for the ideas!

[Rainbowbird]

Molasses brownies

Originally Posted by g&a

Ricotta-
anyone have any good ideas for molasses?? I bought it thinking "this stuff is good for you" but don't know what to do with it so it sits and collects dust.
Both me and baby (9 months) could use some more iron in our diets.

thanks.
gisele

I have a jar too. It is the really strong kind (unsulphured?) not sure how they will work in a recipe but I'm going to try anyway. Here is one I found online. Might be a good way to sneak a little more iron into both of us! In a very yummy way. I found tons of other recipes but this one looked easy...

http://judy.langley.home.mindspring....s/recipe14.htm

[mom2wed]

I have been lurking around this (and last months) thread for a few weeks. I love this challenge! We spend so much money at the grocery store - this is just the wake-up call that I needed!

Tonight we are having a frozen black bean and rice casserole that my mom made us as a gift. We haven't had to do a big grocery shop in over two weeks!

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by Nu_Mommy_2003

Thanks all for the ricotta tips. I did the lasagna roll up and froze them. All so I need a recipe of some sort for the white sauce with ricotta sounds yummy!

I have eggs and milk and cream cheese. Recipe???

Annettemarie - 30 organic fruit leather for $2.69 just unheard of around these parks I might have to beg : you to pick us some.

When I make up ricotta for lasagna or mannitcotti or what ever-
For every pound of ricotta:
add 1 large egg
1/8 c milk
salt/pepper to taste
oregano to taste
sometimes garlic salt as well


To stretch this make up a white sauce with melted butter and flour. Get it mixed and add milk to consistency you want. Then add ricotta and mix up.

I'm glad the lasagna roll ups worked.

Tonight its chicken enchialadas and rice. Also beef ones but I froze the beef ones for later and made up some more chicen ones for later.

[janerose]

Gotta jump back in. We've been VERY bad the past couple weeks (hence my not posting.... : )

Any good ideas for what to do with about 1 lb of bulgar? I've never made it before so good directions would be a plus!

TIA!

Holly

[leomom]

Ok, Mamas...what can I do with a half bottle of merlot that is past its drinking prime?? :LOL

[Jennisee]

I had planned to cook something nice tonight, but DD and I ended up napping for 3 hours and woke up as DH was walking in the door from work. :LOL So ramen noodles and microwave baked potatoes for us! Plus, some bread I made in the morning, carrots, and mandarin oranges. Tomorrrow, tomorrow....

I was just coming here to ask about yeast, too! I need to send my mom to Costco!

I asked about molasses in February's thread. I am drawing a blank, and the only thing I can remember right now is gingerbread cookies. But those baked beans sound great!

I'd have to do a Google search, but isn't ricotta cheese used in tiramisu? Yum!

Leomom, my mom uses wine to marinate beef roast.

[PajamaMama]

I have a recipe for blueberry gingerbread that uses molasses but it's too late now to go looking for it. I will try to post it tomorrow if anyone is interested. It also uses buttermilk. I used to find that I can never use up all of a container of buttermilk, but now I just use whatever is left to make pancakes. They are delicious.

Good night...

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by leomom

Ok, Mamas...what can I do with a half bottle of merlot that is past its drinking prime?? :LOL

Easy! Make a stew. If beef is not your thing, make a reduction and freeze it.

Let me know which recipe or both you want!

Today is bread baking day. Tonight speg and meatballs. Need to get rid of some of that pasta in the pantry!

[leomom]

I don't have any beef and would prefer not to buy any. Any recipe without beef would be great, Amy!

[Amys1st]

Thats why I asked about the beef.


To make a reduction:
Finely chop up 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks, and a medium onion. In a medium pot, put in 2 teasponns of olive or any veggie oil. Add the onion and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add the carrot and celery along with some salt and pepper and cook. Add you merlot and bring to a boil. Then turn down low and reduce reduce reduce. This should take a while. Strain with cheesecloth or a fine strainer.
Freeze for later or use for soups, chicken dishes whatever. I have some in my freezer always.

[leomom]

Thank you!

[g&a]

Wow! sometimes I don't get the notification that something new has been posted. A lot has gone on here since I asked about the molasses.
Rainbow- the bownie recipie sounds great. I'll have to figure out how to adapt it to not use wheat flour. I'm not very adept at that yet, but will give it a try.
The french Canadians have a molasses cookie that is really yummy - wish I had the recipie, though.

gisele

[annettemarie]

Whoo hoo! Went to the Amish store (2 of them actually).
Sepnt about $60 and scored (among other things)
- 2 30 packs of organic fruit leather for $2.79 each
- Amy's Organic pizza for $1.49
- Cascadian Farm organic corn for $0.99
- Cascadian Farm organic cereals for $1.49
- Cascadian Farm organic cereal bars for $0.79 a box
- organic rice crackers for $0.69 a box
- Family pack of Annie's Mac and Chees $0.35
- a box of trail mix granola bars- 30 for $2.79
- Mrs. Field's cookies for $.69 a box

So, this takes care of staples for the month- I will just need to fill in with dairy and fruits and veggies

[Amys1st]

Annettemarie- you and that Amish store. We need the Amish to move in around here. What deals!


Has anyone ever been to Aldi? A friend of mine goes all the time and gets good deals. Any opinions?

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by Amys1st

Has anyone ever been to Aldi? A friend of mine goes all the time and gets good deals. Any opinions?

We don't go to Aldi's because virtually everything they sell is over-processed and has tons of "bad stuff" like preservatives, MSG, and high fructose corn syrup

[annettemarie]

OK, I am googling this as well, but I have some frozen very finely chopped cooked chicken I would like to use tonight- any suggestions?

[annettemarie]

In case you are wondering I think we will go with this
Michelle's Crunchy Chicken Casserole

2 cups COOKED chicken
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup homemade mayo (egg and oil)
1/2 cup shredded provolone, mozzarella or one of the other cheeses
we can have if you can tolerate it
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

Homemade mayo- 1 egg, 3/4 cup canola oil and a little salt. Blend together in a separate bowl. Bread crumbs (croutons)--cut up spelt bread into small squares and dip in melted butter. Lay them out on a cookie sheet and cook at 350 for 20 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix all ingredients together except 1/2 cup bread crumbs and cheese. Spoon into 1 quart casserole dish. Then sprinkle cheese and remaining bread crumbs on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes.