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Summer Vacation is almost over- Time for a Pantry challenge! - Page 2

post #21 of 54
9/11/05 at 9:04am
Speaking of dried beans...I have some black eyed peas I need to make. Can someone tell me how?
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post #22 of 54
9/11/05 at 10:28am
Thread Starter 
TCHr girl- welcome!

Can anyone post how to cook dried beans in the crock pot? Or just some recipe ideas.

Also, I have a can of beans that I want to refry to make refried beans- keep putting it off. Any ideas on what to do to "spice" it up??
post #23 of 54
9/11/05 at 10:46am
this was my first experiance of beans in a crock pot, but i soaked them overnight, and justput them in the crockpot with some seasonings, water and chicken broth....i should have added more water tho, they got kinda dry, but now i know for next time. they were on low/high at different times for about 11 hours.... i added water once, but i guess i shoulda kept a closer eye on them... oh well, they were still yummy
post #24 of 54
9/11/05 at 2:01pm
Thread Starter 
The yummy factor is a big deal in this household so I would be fine with how they came out!

I guess I will try some beans in the crock.
post #25 of 54
9/13/05 at 12:20am
Speaking of beans, I made some burritos for the freezer.

They are made with shredded leftover chicken, monteray jack cheese that was languishing in the fridge, an onion and 2 peppers cooked with a can of pinto beans from the pantry and a little chili powder. I mushed up the beans before putting them in leftover tortillas.

And I was surprised how good they tasted when I had one for lunch today!

We've got a ton of dried beans too, I need to try cooking those up.
post #26 of 54
9/13/05 at 9:56am
Thread Starter 
I am finding ways to use stuff up in the pantry to tone it down.

Right now this heat is ruining any chance of baking so thats next week.

We had tuna salad for lunch
A nacho dip with a can of chili and some cream cheese also
some tacos to use up the shells and this is also working as lunch this week

Dh breaded pork chops and fried them (bread crumbs) and chopped up a few of our many tomatoes, added olive oil and basil. Then on a plate of wheat speggetti (used that up!) he put the pork chop and the juices and oil form the tomatoes made up a yummy "sauce" He then took the leftovers for lunch.

Now I have to go thru our kitchen cabinets and clean out as well as the fridge too. I also want to clean the fridge inside. We also might be listing our house for sale soon so I need to start thinking of that.
post #27 of 54
9/14/05 at 11:54am
Thread Starter 
We are doing stir fry tonight to use some canned water chestnuts and bamboo shoots as well as this sauce I bought at TJs ( I need to avoid these things) and noodles.
For lunch I found some bagels in the freezer and pizza sauce and some zella.

this is working well.
post #28 of 54
9/18/05 at 3:49pm
Hi everyone, I need to join in. Was a little overzealous feeding my deep freeze and cupboard this summer, but we ate so much fresh that now I am overstuffed. I have a million (not really) chicken breasts and tons of whole and diced canned tomatoes. Our local close out store had Muir Glen organics on sale 4/$1.00 so I have about 15 cans of each. Besides that I have lots of cheese, all different breads (bakery sales), beans, and sausage.

I think I may crockpot some chicken breast, shred it and make chicken tacos, then use the left overs to freeze up some chicken burritos with beans.

Amy, you suggested Chicken Parmesean, how would you make it with the canned tomatoes. I will make the chicken with bread crumbs, I have cheese, but I'm not sure on the sauce. I do have tomato paste to add to it.

I guess I could make Greek chicken and rice,also. That would use up some canned tomatoes and would freeze well, also.

Any other good ideas for all these canned tomatoes?
post #29 of 54
9/18/05 at 6:29pm
I know it's late in the month, but mind if I jump in? We have TONS of tomatoes from our garden that I had planned to can, but I have been able to keep up with them by making big batches of spagetti sauce for our freezer (we eat a lot of pasta once the cool weather comes). Anyway I am hoping to feed my freezer, use up some food in my pantry and at the same time get some use out of my crockpot.
post #30 of 54
9/18/05 at 6:48pm
I'm in on this one! I'm hoping to save at least 100 in groceries....we'll need to buy milk and cheese, but I have plenty of flour to make bread for the rest of the month The only thing going IN the pantry will be crushed tomatoes - I'm freezing them now (blanched and peeled) and then will can them up. I have freezer space but a year without canning? Blah. Today's lunch was fried rice - leftover rice, broccoli from our spring garden, some aging carrots, and some yellow tomatoes from the garden, fried up with an egg from our hens and some sesame garlic sauce. I realized that for us, buying a pre-made sauce once in a while (usually stir fry or curry) is more cost effective then keeping up with all the ingredients I would need for our Indian meals...just watch that sodium content. Dinner will be pasta mixed with tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil and some yum soft cheese - a cheap brie that was on sale (it melts down into a creamy sauce - I bought it especially for some delish tomato dishes)
post #31 of 54
9/20/05 at 7:39pm
Thread Starter 
With canned tomatos- make a quick homemade sauce. In a med sized pot, w olive oil to cover the bottom, brown 1/2 an onion chopped and some squished fresh garlic. After five minutes add tomatos. Salt/pepper to taste add some italian spices to taste and a bit of sugar. Cover on low heat and leave for 20 minutes. Then using a hand blender, grind up contents. Presto- sauce!!

Put the sauce on top of cooked breaded chicken. Add mozzella and parmsn. Bake for 20 minutes and presto chkn parm!! Serve w a side of pasta and some homemade bread.

I canned 15 jars of sauce and tomato today. I may have to do another if this crop attacks me again :LOL

I'm slowly and surely turning over the pantry.
post #32 of 54
9/20/05 at 11:49pm
I'd like to join in. We are so broke this month it's not even funny. Our pantry is not too full as we have a small kitchen and not a lot of storage space. Our freezer (just a little one) is full of individual portions of leftovers frozen so that I can take them to work for lunch (this works really well for us).

I have lots of dry beans. I have had success cooking them in the crockpot - soak over night, drain water, then put in the crockpot and fill crockpot at least 1/2 with water. I like to put in some spices in cheezecloth so I can take them out afterwards. fennel for sure as it makes the beens easier to digest. Now I just have to figure out what to do with the beens. DH doesn't like anthing not meat and potatoes, so it has to be a fairly "normal" kind of dish. Maybe Chilli but I don't have any tomato sauce.

I only have 2 packages of frozen tomato sauce. It is really runny so you need to mix it with canned, and I am right out of canned.

I have lots and lots of brown rice. But I WOH and there's just not time to cook brown rice for 65 minutes when I get home from work.

also random things that I thought would be a good idea when I bought them:
mung beans
seaweed
pumpkin
millet

any ideas??
TIA
post #33 of 54
9/21/05 at 1:03am
You could cook the brown rice when you do have time and then keep it in the fridge for use throughout the week.
You could mix your millet with the brown rice.
post #34 of 54
9/21/05 at 8:25pm
That's exactly what I do end up doing - cooking a big batch of rice on the weekend and eating it all week. What I am looking for is a recipe involving rice and beans - a good combination for protein so I wouldn't have to buy meat. I'm a protein junkie so it's sometimes tough to be frugal with the groceries.

I'm also looking for muffin recipies that are wheat free. I have lots of oats and a little spelt and buckwheat flour. plus a can of pumpkin. there has to be something I can make with that plus an egg or 2. ok, or maybe not muffins, but pudding or baked something??? I dunno.

g.
post #35 of 54
9/21/05 at 8:29pm
This is what I'm having for dinner tonight. I'm cooking brown rice. I've got black beans in the cp that I'm going to mash up and cook with some cumin, coriander, chili powder, and onion powder (I'm out of onions) oh, and some tomato paste, too. Serving that with corn tortillas, chopped tomatoes, and salsa. And a big green salad, too.
post #36 of 54
9/24/05 at 1:18am
mmmmm....isos, sounds good. I am thinking of trying some sort of mashed beans in a burrito with rice - minus the shell for me (no wheat) should make an interesting (but messy) taco salad. Maybe salad wraps with those same ingredients - I always wondered what kind of lettuce people use for those - probably not the brown wilty kind like in my fridge.

Just got 4 dozen organic eggs from "happy chickens" from a friend of ours. Anyone have ideas for crustless quiche - or using potatos or rice or something for crust?? (Or another supper idea involving eggs??)
We took away her old car which we will get $$ for at the scrap metal place and she gave us eggs. Sounds like a deal to me. She was just happy to get rid of the car.

g.
post #37 of 54
9/28/05 at 11:18pm
beans beans the musical ruit....

Can I join? I know I am new here, but I think I understand the challenge. I just need to clear out the pantry cause I am moving.

I have garbanzos soaking or hummis. I have an overabundence of cous cous and black beans... white kidney beans.... grahm crackers..... baby cereal (too much)...pasta, chicken broth.

I am thinking maybe a bean soup to freeze and a cous cous dish or under some chicken I have thawing. Any interesting ideas? What can I do with all this baby cereal the baby doesn't like. We got a bunch free. I heard you can make a teething biscuit. Anyone know how? this is fun.
Sarah
post #38 of 54
9/29/05 at 10:14am
Thread Starter 
Welcome Sarah!

If the cereal is unopened, still with a good date on it- donate to a baby drive!

All that stuff sounds yummy!
post #39 of 54
9/29/05 at 10:45am
I'll join this, but right now I am in the process of building up my pantry.......we just moved across country and have to use up a lot of food. I have some stuff, I do not want to make that many trips to the store, and the ideas from you ladies will be great!
post #40 of 54
9/29/05 at 11:36am
Been doing not too badly. Did one big grocery shop. I think October is definitely the month that we are going to be almost exclusively eating out of the pantry. Gotta use some of this stuff up before the holidays start
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