Getting ready for the April Pantry Challenge! - Page 2

[isosmom]

Alright, so I made risotto with the leftover roasted veggies. And in true pantry style too! I didn't have white wine, so I omitted it, I didn't have stock, so I used water and added the pureed soup I made to flavor, added the roasted veggies, didn't have parmesan so I used cheddar and feta. It was good stuff, we all ate it.

[leomom]

Well, I've been doing really well with keeping my grocery list simple and only for planned meals. But, I've also started buying organic, so I'm spending more on food, I think. My goal for this month is to actually add it up. Something I've been avoiding... :

[Amys1st]

Okay its officially now the April challenge- no fooling!

Our grocery bill was a tad bit higher than I wanted in March, but we stocked up big time on a few staple items.
but Sunday starts the Spring Cleanse and Detox so its pantry raiding time.

Does anyone have a recipe for ground turkey and beans chili? I am planning on making my ground turkey balls but chili is always an option.

Also, I looked in the pantry and we have:
canned Clams and pasta
tuna tuna tuna
canned chicken
curry sauce
chick peas
lentil soup (plus my homemade in the freezer)


Tonight its swedish meatballs w mushrooms on a bed on noodles. I made up about 2 dozen meatballs and froze them so I took out a bunch for tonight.

[hlkm2e]

Amy, I have a yummy chicken chili recipe I bet you could tinker with and make it fit what you have.

1lb. poultry (whatever you have)
1.5 tsp white pepper
1 tsp garlic powder ( I like to use minced garlic)
3 tbsp. veg. oil (I use olive oil)
1 small diced onion
2 cans great northern beans, not drained (could do your own beans)
16 oz. chicken broth (I use my own, but make it strong)
2 small cans green chilies (you could chop up your own)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I've used mushroom and celery, too, Needs to be thick and I haven't mastered making it think enough homemade, but I bet you could)
1 tsp salt

garnish
6-8 flour tortillas
1 cup sour cream
1.5 cups grated mozzarella
cilantro

Cut chicken into small pieces and season with white pepper and garlic powder. Saute chicken and oil in a stockpot for 3 minutes. Add remaining soup ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

To serve, cut tortillas into 1/4 inch strips. Place tortillas in individual serving bowls with strips extended around edges. Ladle chili into bowls. Garnish with sour cream, cheese and cilantro


ETA - it freezes very well also

[Eclaire]

The white chili recipie sounds great! My dh is allergic to tomatoes so I am always on the look out for good tomato free ideas. I think I have everything but the chilies and canned beans. All my beans are dry so I will have to soak them for tomorrow.
I like the idea of cooking extra and freezing them. I will definatly do that.

[Amys1st]

Well I'm officaially on the pantry challenge. I am allowing myself some slack to buy fresh veggie. Here in the windy city area, the sun is shinin and its so awesome outside. Its been a long winter so its fun to walk to the grocery or markets for fresh veggies and fruits.

But this week- couscous salad, chick pea salad, and some other fun stuff to use up some nuts and the couscous and chick peas.
We had 2 1/2 dozens eggs so I boiled 6 and made egg salad- great sandwich w organic wheat bread from in the freezer!
Then DH made a frittata w leftover grilled potatoes from last night, some cheese, a bit of yellow peppers and some leftover onion as well and used about 4-5 eggs! So that was our yummy breakfast- even dd ate.

Also a few rotten bannannas will make a fine bread midweek.
Since its so wonderful outside I'm using my clothesline tomorrow- can't wait to smell that fresh smell on our sheets and to start saving on not using the dryer.

[G's mommy]

Well, I went thru the kitchen today- found quite a few "half-meals", so I have a very small list of things to get and will have meals for about 9 suppers!! I am very glad!! I will be moving at the end of the month, so I am kind of cheating!!
Anyone have a simple chicken soup recipe? I have 4 cans of chicken broth. I will use one up making chicken pot pie.
Good luck ladies!

[Hollysmom]

Mind if I join?

This sounds perfect for me.

1) because I am trying to save some money
and 2) because I was looking in my cupboards last night and thinking "why do we have so much stuff in here".

So, I guess it is time to use it all up. I just started planning menus last week so I did a big grocery shop to buy all the stuff I needed. How often do most of you shop for fruits/veggies, dairy and other perishables? My daughter is a yogurt fiend so I feel like we are buying it constantly and the worst part is the organic stuff never goes on sale here.

[Eclaire]

I went to the grocery store yesterday for yogurt, o.j., and fruit and veg. Both my dh and ds are yogret fiends. With ds I buy the big containers of plain and mix in chocolate spiraten. He loves it. But he could eat one big container in three days or less. But I refuse to buy more than one a week.
I made fritta last night too! today I am draggin since I was up all night with a sick and teething babe Can't seem to defuzz my brain enough to wrap it around what to make for dinner

[isosmom]

Kristine - Glad you joined us! I shop about once a week for perishables, I stick to my list and take advantage of the farmer's market. I usually have one big shop and then the others are for replenishing. I've found it helpful to keep a list of food that we need to have in the house and buy it as we run out but not before I was planning on shopping. So if we run out of yoghurt on Thursday, we'll just have to wait until Monday for more.

So I wanted to keep track of how much I actually spent this month since I use cash from my tips to buy groceries. So far I spent $8 on deli sandwiches, dh spent $5 on cheese, and I just got back from the grocery and spent $123.63. But I bought everything so I won't be spending at the farmer's market tommorow. My total so far for the month is $137 and I'm pretty sure I won't be spending at much for subsequent trips to the market, today was kind of my big shop.

Tonight I'm planning on making use of all the fresh veggies I bought and making some greens with mushrooms and a veggie saute with asparagus, zucchini, and scallions Serving it over some couscous or polenta maybe?

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by isosmom

Kristine - Tonight I'm planning on making use of all the fresh veggies I bought and making some greens with mushrooms and a veggie saute with asparagus, zucchini, and scallions Serving it over some couscous or polenta maybe?

Can I come for dinner?

Last night was Clams over pasta. All came from pantry, took 4 minutes to cook and we finished w lettuce greens.

Yesterday with the wonderful sunny chicago weather we are having, I took dd in the wagon to the grocery. we got some fresh stuff to use over the next few days.

[leomom]

Last night was baked parmesan tilapia...I breaded it with wheat germ instead of cornmeal...it was yummy!

[Hollysmom]

Last night we had leftover spagetti sauce that I made on the weekend. I made a big batch so I think dd and dh will be eating it again tonight while I am out with a friend. I was looking in the cupboards and pantry again last night to find some food to donate to the food bank and I really think if we eat up all the food in there I won't have to buy anything other than perishables for at least a month :

[isosmom]

Tonight for dinner was the potato crock pot soup somebody posted here a few months ago Also had tofu sloppy joes to use up the tofu I've had in the freezer since who knows when...
Cooked up a batch of chickpeas today. I've got some in the fridge and some in the freezer ready to go.
Tommorow I'm making a leftover hash type thingy combining the leftover risotto, leftover veggies from last night, chickpeas, tomatoes, and cheese. We'll see how it turns out.
My freezer is building, does anyone know how long I can keep things in there? It's just a regular old freezer. I've got soup, stock, beans, curry, pound cake, and baked beans.

[Amys1st]

Can you freeze tofu?

Also, I don't feel like making stir fry tofu or pad thai tofu this week. Any other ideas?

We had a chickpea salad tonight. Very filling and enough for DH tomorrow for lunch. He loved it too.

[AuntRayRay]

I'd like to jion this too
I have three kids plus my sister and my nephew have been staying with us for a few months now so...basically family of 6 to feed. DS #2 and my nephew can't have milk products and DS#2 also can't eat gluten either. We're also staying away from artifical stuff..YUK!! Makes them crazy anyway :LOL We buy some organic and some regular but I know I spend way too much. We need to cut down...can't afford the billls. I was thinking about meal planning and a food list to print out. And we're also going to try a garden this year. Anyone have a good waffle/pancake recipe and how about making peanut butter from scratch? (we use alot of that LOL)


RAyRay

[hlkm2e]

Has anyone ever made Fish Taco's. I was thinking I would put a little water into taco seasoning to make a paste, slather it on the fish, bake it, then crumble it into big crumbles. Then just have all the regular taco fixings to go with it. Does that sound like it would work?

[isosmom]

Amy- Yes you can freeze tofu. It totally changes the consistency, making it kind of spongy and crumbly and good for scrambles and sloppy joes.

hlkm2e - Sounds good to me. I think that would definatley work.

So I spent $9.50 on bagels and juice with the family this morning. Brings me to $146 for the month.

[hlkm2e]

The fish tacos turned out fabulous!! We will definitely have those again.

[Amys1st]

There is a good recipe for pancakes on the food networks site by Alton Brown. We use it always.

Tofu sloppy joes- any ideas?

Last night was turkey meatballs on wheat pasta. I used the last of my canned sauce made from last years crop of tomatoes. I also froze a batch of meatballs to make later. Time to feed the freezer again.

: Tonight, dh is working late so DD and I are treating ourselves to a chopped salad take out. She has always loved salads (what 2-3 yr old dosen't right ? :LOL ) so it should be fun. People always ask us how we got her to eat that or veggies. I answer we eat them so why wouldn't she??