Sunday Taylor was playing in my jewelry drawer. "Can I have this one?" she'd ask, over and over again. Nine times out of ten if I said "Yes," the item was suddenly less desirable. "I like it...but not that much. I think I don't want it." Oh, okay.
Well that's kind of how I get towards the end of the middle of the pay period. We're not going to go hungry but nine times out of ten, I can only seem to focus on what we're out of, or what we've less of. We've plenty of food, and I like it all... but not that much! lol
Planning meals this week was a little bit harder only because I am nearly out of the more desirable fresh produce. I will get a new bag this week. I still have a cucumber and eggplant from last bag to use. Have I planned either into my menu? No. I don't have the foods I would like to have on hand. Never mind. I'm going to use what I have!
Saturday: I was trying to get supper in the crockpot while the boys were here and noted that I had big eyes on nearly all the Yukon gold potatoes...Best use those shortly!
Sunday: Took time today to go through the refrigerator before I planned meals for the week. My green cabbage is looking a little worse for wear. No clue why. I've got wonton wrappers, so I will make up a batch of egg rolls for the freezer. I can use green onions, carrots and both red and green cabbage in that.
I cut up all the Yukon potatoes, far more than we needed for our meal today. I cubed some and cut some into spears or home fries and put all into containers and covered with water. These will keep in the fridge over the next week or even two and be none the worse for wear. I cut big eye sets off 7 and will try to get those planted tomorrow.
Other items in the fridge: leftover 3 bean chili and rice. I think I'll make up some burritos for the freezer and for lunch this week. I also have a jar of Salsa that I need to use and it would be good mixed with the chili/rice.
Beef Broth: from the tiny roast we had yesterday. Good soup base. That and some of the potatoes will make a vegetable soup.
Eggplant: I long to make Rollatini or Ratatouille but I am lacking in some key ingredients with each. I think I shall make a side dish of some sort using the eggplant, onion, garlic, canned tomatoes and possibly potatoes.
I still have that cup of grits. Not at all worried that those have spoiled. It's just grits and water. I'll use those this week for breakfast.
I have two containers with a tiny bit of leftovers in each: Alpine chicken and Corned Beef hash both suitable for a lunch serving for one.
Roasted Beets which would go well on a salad with boiled egg, onion, goat cheese. That will make a good lunch or side salad for one of our meals.
Jumbo Marshmallows abound in my cupboard. I'm going to see what cereal I have on hand and make some cereal bars I think. I know that we'll eat them even if they aren't all Rice Krispies.
Potato Chips: I have Tuna Noodle casserole on my list of things to make this week. I'll use the potato chip crumbs on top of that. But just as a sort of side note, the box of Brownie mix I used today, suggested crushed potato chips as an add-in!
Half Gallon of Sour Milk: Not fully sour but getting there. I can still use it to make biscuits. I've already added some to my current buttermilk jug to extend that. I can make biscuits for the freezer as well as prep some pigs n blankets ahead, etc.
Raw Sausage Patties I want to make this into sausage balls.
Half a loaf of bread...Hmmm...I'm thinking about this one.
Monday: A new day and boy did I have to crack the whip to make myself get busy. Once started though, I felt I did really well. I didn't do all the tasks but I did get a lot done. I'll put an * next to each item used to do these tasks.
I started with that sour milk*. Gracious! I made biscuits last night for supper and used about a cup of it then. I thought then, as I was patting them out, that I really should make up biscuits for the freezer. I don't bake them, just freeze them and then take them out to thaw and come to room temp before I bake. They do tend to stay a little flatter but they taste every bit as good. So today I made 30 biscuits, that's one double batch. That used 2 more cups of the sour milk.
Then I grabbed my old fave cookbook, The Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook, which has a whole section on leftovers and recipes to use them. I found two recipes, one a flapjack recipe that called for 2 cups of sour milk and another called Old Lady Cake, which is a spice cake that used another cup. I mixed up the flapjacks and put the batter in the fridge. I'll cook those for breakfast tomorrow morning. Josh and Isaac will be here too and Josh asked for pancakes on Saturday while he was here so if he asks...I'll have plenty!
The Old Lady Cake baked up beautifully. It stuck just a tiny bit but I was able to loosen it without any breakage and then the tender old thing literally fell into three great chunks onto the cooling rack. I packed it up after it cooled and put in the freezer. I just baked brownies yesterday and we don't need cake too, just now.
All of those recipes used a total of 6 cups of sour milk. The jug still contained 4 more cups. I simply could not go on making things to put in the freezer. I only have so much room! So I put the milk up into recipe portions and froze three cups. I have one in the fridge simply because I haven't got a small enough container at the moment to hold it.
I made Sausage Balls* using the thawed meat I had out. Those went into the freezer. I got about 2 1/2 dozen out of 1/2 pound of meat.
I also used the Salsa*, Chili*, Rice* to make burritos. I got a dozen of those total. Four will be four our supper tonight. I know it's not on the menu. Too tired to cook another meal today. I put 8 burritos in the freezer, wrapped individually. I served four of these burritos heated up for our supper and made a salad using the roasted beets*, with white onion bits and goat cheese crumbles. This salad was unbelievably good. Boy, is there a world of difference in fresh roasted beets and canned ones!
Alpine Chicken* and Hash* leftovers were reheated and became today's lunch.
Tuesday: Made Flapjacks for breakfast. I used the last cup of sour milk* in the fridge to make a few extra flapjacks for the freezer.
I made a tuna casserole, using a 1955 magazine recipe. I did top it with crushed potato chips* not on my list this week but in the cupboard. It was the ends of two bags, those fiddly bits that are too much to toss and a pain to try and eat out of hand.
Wednesday: Truly thought I'd have nothing at all to report for today but I do after all.
I went to pull things out to make for supper tonight and found a clove of fresh garlic, which prompted a small brainstorm of creativity. I love when these sorts of moments happen and I must say that Gathering Fragments has given me more ideas than I'd typically have.
I peeled and cut up the eggplant* and I'd had in mind to make a sort of Greek vegetable dish but with the garlic there in front of me, I thought instead of a potato dish I love to make and haven't in a long while. As I was working I kept puzzling over what to do for one of the chicken meals I'd planned. You see, I have no soy sauce. None. And I can't really make a sweet and sour chicken without any soy sauce at all. Hmmm! I had a brilliant idea and I'll tell you all about it tomorrow...
I cut the bad spot off the green cabbage*. And another off the red cabbage. Yes, both had a little mushy sort of spot on the outside in one area. I am not sure just what happened, but there's that half gallon of sour milk and there are two cabbages which generally last forever with mushy places. I had noted one morning that my fridge didn't seem cold as it ought to be and I'd turned up the thermostat a bit to make it colder. I'm wondering if the door was somehow left ever so slightly open at some point? It's a thought.
I made coleslaw using a little of both cabbages which are now well wrapped in cloth napkins and in fresh plastic bags.
Thursday: I have two small pears and a very ripe banana that I need to use in baking. I'm going to try to attend to those two items tomorrow.
Today's dinner was a reheat of something I cooked yesterday while the oven was already on. When I diced up the eggplant, I thought of the Armenian Potatoes that I love so well. I thought, "Why not roast the chicken thighs atop that dish?" Goodness but it tasted good. In the past I've served this dish only with potatoes as the recipe reads but the addition of eggplant did it no harm and I suspect that zucchini also would do well. I've always served the potato dish as a side to beef steak or burgers, and Katie used it to make a Pot Roast which was pretty awesome....But adding chicken was a completely new idea. I seasoned the thighs with salt, paprika, and pepper. This was delicious and something I'd do again in future. And it's a good reminder to me to not be such a stickler for doing things only one way.
No leftover chicken, but about 2 cups of leftover vegetables from the casserole. I'll be using that in a fun way this weekend.
I'm going to end this post here...My fridge is packed. I need to sort it out tomorrow and I'm sure I'll come up with more things that are fragments to be used.
Did you gather any fragments this week? How did you use them? Share with us all and let us know if you had an experiment such as mine and if it will go onto a repeat cycle as a family favorite or a was it a dud.
9 comments:
I totally understand the food conundrum.... lots of food, but nothing to ‘eat’ lol. Like my closet, lots of clothes, but nothing to ‘wear’! So tonight hubby had tuna sandwiches and potato chips, I had bacon and eggs, and my son ate 2 huge bowls of cereal. Talk about scrounging. I had some just starting to turn milk too, bought extra gallon cause I had the grand babies this weekend, but had leftover. Made chocolate pudding (My-T-Fine) , only brand we eat, and super hard to find. Made French toast with the rest. Made a skinny chicken on Sunday that was sent from Jesus himself, that bird fed 7 adults, and 2 children 😂😂. I didn’t expect so many for dinner, so I happened to have instant potato flakes I keep for emergencies, whipped up some biscuits with my box of Bisquick, opened some canned peas, and threw together a quick salad with odds and ends of stuff. All left with a full belly, God only knows how. So that was my week, among other sad/frustrating things, that are literally out of my hands. Ttyl, Liz!
A lot of food n the house, but nothing I want to cook or eat. We haven't had carryout food since last February or very early March. I think about getting some, and then think about who might be touching it, and then I chicken out. When I see the long lines of people waiting for hours for their free box of whatever food is given to them, I feel ashamed of my silly food dilemmas.
I am planning on making chicken salad for today, but when it comes to fixing it, I may change my mind. I have had a couple of days where I just settled for chips and dip for dinner, and my husband had the frozen burritos that he likes. Not healthy for either of us.
I have never had the gene that loves cooking. It was simply one more household chore. I am married to the kindest most loving man, but he truly only eats about 6 or 7 things. When I was cooking for an entire family I made him stretch a little bit, but since we are long retired there is no point in pushing foods on him he doesn't like.
So as we have gotten older we drifted into more meals out, mostly lunches, as we could get different foods. But Covid put a harsh stop to that and I started cooking again. I have done really, really well with very little food waste and we have saved lots of money, but I am, like probably much of America, blindingly bored by the same meals.
You are so creative and such an inspiration as a cook, but then I remember my sweet husband and go back to his standards. Sigh, some nights I just want a glass of iced tea and maybe half a bagel. But can't let the man starve, can I? :D
We are in the same boat as many of you. Sick and tired of eating in general and wish we could just not eat anything for a few days. I am mean when I get really hungry so that is not a good idea! But, nothing sounds good or tastes good when we get it all made. Best thing I had this week was a warm buttered yeast roll.
Terri, these fragment posts are inspiring and I need to do a fridge check and spend some time using up my fragments in a more timely manner. The garden is definitely producing and I feel a bit overwhelmed at “putting up”! I am going to go out and pick tomatoes and then add them to the counter full I already have and cook down a batch of tomato sauce tonight. I think I may have to can green beans this weekend. I froze some last year, but we didn’t like the texture. I have never seen so many cucumbers come out of the garden! We have tried to make pickles in years past, but never liked the results so we are trying to give them away. The carrots need to be harvested and so do the potatoes, but I am waiting for cooler weather next week. It has been toasty here!
I also have some almost sour milk to do something with. You really baked a lot with yours! I know there are other things in the fridge and will do a check tomorrow. The boys tend to not like leftovers so much, but that’s what we are doing, especially if I can be creative with them as you have shown us. Hugs to you!
Liz, maybe God just needed to remind you that you had an abundance after all...I love that Jesus skinny chicken!
Susie, One thing John said he'd like to do during his retirement was to eat out more. He meant one meal a week which is more than we'd typically eat out together. We even budgeted for it...Then Covid.
We sometimes resort to bagels and cream cheese or chips and dip etc, too. We live so far out of town that we don't see the lines at foodbanks but I am, like you, very aware that we are personally very blessed in the food we have on hand and the way it keeps stretching.
Anne, John has a list, yes a LIST, of his ten ideal foods. It includes, peanut butter, canned peaches, canned pork n beans and I don't know what else but I remember those three, lol. Sometimes, I ignore his tastes and feed my own. I figure I sacrifice plenty for his tastes. It stretches him to be a better man if he has to eat what I like.
I have to share though that if he knows there's something I really like but go without often (strawberry ice cream comes to mind), he will buy it for me while I likely won't.
Lana, I dislike being hungry but not for anything I have on hand, lol.
Karen, Do you blanch your frozen beans? I found that made a world of difference for us...but I confess I LIKE canned green beans and will plant blue lake beans because they can so beautifully.
I think one reason my family has always eaten so well is that I do get creative with leftovers. I recall my grandmother put the same thing on the table until every last teaspoon was gone. She NEVER tried to shine it up in a new way nor added to it, just reheated that teaspoon full of whatever until someone broke down and ate it! I confess to sometimes eating things just because I was so tired of seeing them on the table.
I cleaned out the refrigerator yesterday. It sorely needed it, but we once again know what's in the back and tucked in the drawers.
My aunt is visiting for a few weeks. She lives in Florida and had been in Colorado with her son and family for 3 weeks before coming here. She's a vegetarian, so it's been a learning experience cooking our meals.
We've used up some cream cheese for stuffed mushrooms, half a bag of pasta for tuna pasta salad (she does eat fish), and finished off a bag of small potatoes. She brought some groceries with her, so we're trying to use up her stuff as well. I had stocked up on salad ingredients, then found out she doesn't really eat salads, so it's taking awhile to use that up.
One of Greg's mom's friends has fresh tomatoes in boxes on her front step for people to stop and take for free. I asked Greg to run over there and get 2 for supper. He came home almost 20 minutes later, and with a bag full of tomatoes. They were outside when he got there, and wanted to chat. Small price to pay for free, fresh produce.
Tammy, I follow Nikki Vegan on YouTube and use some of her vegan recipes. She's one of the few who make me hungry for the food she's preparing. You might check it out. Vegetarian has a wee bit more leeway than Vegan so you could possibly substitute a few items but most of what Nikki uses is not so far out there that you couldn't easily find it.
Terri,
Yes, we did blanch the beans to freeze so I don’t know what happened, but I think we will prefer canned for the winter and it’s one less thing to make room for in the freezers as we have 1/4 beef coming this next week. I admit that sometimes I’m just too tired to “shine” things up for the 2nd time around, but I agree it gets things eaten much faster. I find all your suggestion for leftovers so very helpful. My mother wasn’t much of a cook and didn’t teach me at all so I find I am still learning!
Some of you ladies may find Jamie Oliver’s new show, Ultimate Veg, to be interesting. It is on our PBS station and I caught an episode yesterday. He makes meals with the main ingredient being vegetables. It was rather interesting and I think I may make the cauliflower cheese pizza that he made. It was also nice to see him go to other countries that use a lot of vegetables in their cooking to get inspired.
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