May Pantry Challenge? - Page 2

[mmgarda]

Originally Posted by courtenay_e

Hmmmm...I might try applesauce

That's what I was thinking, but I'm not sure of quantities. Alas, my DS1 (the SOOOOOOOOOOOOOPER picky eater who is finally getting more willing to try new things) has rejected the fruit bars completely. I loved them, but really don't need them in the house and don't want to make them if he's not going to eat them! They were supposed to be a snack for HIM! But he loves zuchinni muffins and, since we've used up the last of our zukes, we're going to make applesauce muffins w/ dried apricots and almonds. Mmmmmm.

However, I roasted a chicken yesterday and we're having chicken sandwiches for dinner tonight. I also baked 3 loaves of bread, so I'm using a bunch of baking stuff up, and I'm going to make a freeze a bunch of chicken gravy.

I did go to the store this week and buy some stuff. I went to a local market aimed at the Hispanic community. I had NO idea what an amazing meat counter they have! I got a boneless beef brisket for $3.99/lb. and fresh ground chicken for $2.39/lb. Shocking! The produce section was really good, too, though not organic as far as I could tell. We shop the local farmers' market every weekend (DH went and stocked us up while I was at the grocery store), but there are things we can't get because they're not locally grown, so I'm always looking for good sources. Money is very tight, so we don't buy organics at the store. I did buy some black beans because I'm totally out of canned beans of any sort and we planned to have burritos this week. I got some really thinly sliced beef steaks, so maybe we'll do beef and bean burritos instead of using chicken. Anyway, including a boatload of jarred baby food and some toilet paper, I spent less than $40 and what I bought, along with the Farmer's Market stuff will probably keep us going for about 2 weeks!

[courtenay_e]

Did I mention that I'm in again?

[Synchro246]

I returned babyfood to the store!

[Synchro246]

I also made chilli (used 4 cans from the pantry)
And egg rolls (2 cans gone)

[mmgarda]

Originally Posted by courtenay_e

Did I mention that I'm in again?

Made gravy today from the chicken I roasted yesterday. Thought of you! WWCD all the way, baby!!

[mmgarda]

Originally Posted by Synchro246

I returned babyfood to the store!

Well, I'm jealous. DS2 (9 1/2 mos) is a weird solid food eater. On the one hand, I can't get him to eat much in the way of baby food from me. Sometimes he'll take bites of soft cooked fruits and veges (avo, banana, mango, carrots, peas, etc.), but mostly he gets grumpy if I try to feed him, especially if it means giving him what I want him to eat as opposed to letting him grab my fork, lick off the peanutbutter and gravy and then stab himself in the eye with it.

On the other hand, he often refuses his 2nd bottle of EBM on the days he's in daycare, but wants the jarred stuff and won't eat anything else. He won't eat home prepared pureed stuff, either, so I give up! At least he's transitioning out of pureed foods pretty fast, so hopefully we'll be able to stop with the jars soon. In the meantime, they make nice little storage containers! Expensive little storage containers, but nice.

[aisraeltax]

Need to do this again. thanks!

[Desdamona]

Originally Posted by Synchro246

I returned babyfood to the store!

I thought I was the only one who did that??

[courtenay_e]

Originally Posted by mmgarda

Made gravy today from the chicken I roasted yesterday. Thought of you! WWCD all the way, baby!!

you're so cute! Could I have the recipe for the applesauce muffins? My dc would love them (I'd have to put something else in in place of the nuts, but they'd still love em! We make killer "Morning Glory" muffins that have coconut, wheat germ, carrots, rasins, and apples in them. YUM, they love those, too. I make them with white whole wheat flour and honey instead of sugar, and then they're even totally healthy (the honey is from a friend who has a local honey farm...). Wanna swap?

[mmgarda]

Well, I blew it. . .

Went to Trader Joe's today and wound up buying pantry items. BUT, they were items that will allow me to better use up stuff in my pantry, so I'm saying it's ok. Nyeh!

Here's the recipe, Courtney

Applesauce Muffins
Jane Brody's Good Food Book

1 1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 lg. egg
2 tbs. oil
1/4 c. honey
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 c. raisins

In large bowl, beat together applesauce, egg, oil and honey. Set aside

In a med bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to applesauce mixture, stirring just to moisten dry ingredients. Stir in raisins and divide among 12 greased muffin cups.

Bake at 375 for 20 min.


I don't think I have enough applesauce, but I found some more zuchinni lurking in the fridge, so I'm planning to do a combo. I also don't have enough raisins, but I do have dried apricots and dates. So I think it will be zuchinni, applesauce date and walnut muffins. Next time we may do carrott apricot almond. Mmmm. Sneaking veges and fruits into muffins is a time-honored tradition in my house!

[Synchro246]

I must be getting close because tonight we had

Ramen noodles (the last of them YAY!)
Canned corn
and
Chicken Patties




I think I'm gonna :Puke

[moondoula]

It's May 11th, how is everyone doing on their pantry challenge?
I'm ok, I bought some pre-made food at the grocery store yesterday because I've been sick and trying to get declutter my house anyway. It was way less expensive than getting chinese takeout. The past week I have:

baked bread
made granola bars, muffins and brownies
used up alot of canned soup
used some beans up

I need to:
Do more baking (I have tons of baking supplies stashed away)
Make tapioca (where did those boxes come from?)
Use up some dried beans
Have tea several times a day!!

[mmgarda]

I'm getting low

Used up the last of the eggs yesterday. All out of white flour (which I don't use a lot of, but which helps with lighter bread products). I made the applesauce muffins above, but didn't have enough applesauce, so added in some zuke and carrot. I don't have enough raisins either, and had planned to do dates, but I totally forgot. The end result was that they're sort of dry and not very sweet. Oops.

In the meantime, I have to soak some black beans and bag up the blackberries I froze.

Still, I'm doing really good shopping at home and have been fixing food according to what we have and shopping only to get what we truly need. I keep trying to behave as if I don't have the luxury of a grocery store 5 min away. It helps.

[mmgarda]

Entry for Most Creative Use of a Pantry Item

So I promised I'd make cookies today. I thought carrot/raisin/oatmeal cookies sounded great and would use only on-hand items, including a few things I really do need to use up. Unfortunately, as I went to add the oatmeal, I discovered that I needed 1 1/4 cups and only had 1/2 cup left (thanks to the challenge!). What to use? What to use?

And the award goes to. . .

1/2 cup of baby rice cereal + 1/4 cup of baby whole grain cereal + a splash of milk.

They're in the oven now. I have no idea what they'll cook up like, but the dough sure tasted good!

[HydeParkB]

My pantry still overfloweth.

However, I made some muffins this weekend - cherries and chocolate chips (both from the freezer) in mini-muffins tins. And banana (freezer) and walnut (pantry) muffins.

I've got a bunch of swiss chard from our CSA - I may make a soup with some white beans and stock from the pantry.

[courtenay_e]

MMMMMmmmmmm. Muffins. Now that sounds good. Maybe instead of cleaning toilets today, I'll make muffins...