On to more pressing things, like my freezer. Every once in a while I like to, either out of financial necessity or an overwhelming feeling of guilt of our First World problems try to make it a week or two living out of just my pantry and freezer with minimum grocery purchases. I know for some of you that is an every day occurance and I truly stand in awe of some of you who can live out of your garden for months at a time. The last several times I have tried to put something in or pull something out of my refrigerator freezer things have fallen out of it. Partly because we're slobs and just throw things in there when we're done with them but mostly because we have TOO much food!
I was making a grocery list today and wanted to make Pasta Primavera (is that supposed to be capitalized?) and wasn't quite sure if I had shrimp on hand. How can you not be sure if you have shrimp? It's not something I stockpile but Meijer will occassionally have it for an insanely cheap price and I often buy a bag when it's cheap. I had to dig (DIG!) for it. And while I was digging I saw the boston butt with the '09 date on it and the meatball mixture I bought in March and the french dips that we only consumed a portion of the package and on and on. I thought, here I am making this elaborate grocery list when I have perfectly good food right here in my house already.
So I erased my whole menu plan and we're winging it next week. Again, I know this is old hat to most of you but I'm a slow learner. Hebrews 5:11 was written with a special dedication to me. Here is my tentative menu:
Thursday: Breakfast Casserole (made with the 1 pound of cooked, crumbled sausage and the last 6 Rhodes rolls I had in the freezer)
Friday: Honestly not sure on this one yet because Mr. Steady works until at least 5:30 and we have church at 7:00, might eat out, we'll have to see.
Saturday: We'll be at a wedding and the boys will be at a friend's house
Sunday: Carry In - taking Chicken Dill Rice and an Old Fashioned Applesauce Spice Cake
Monday: Salmon and Pollock with lemon pepper noodles
Tuesday: Hot Dogs and Sausage with homemade mac and cheese
Wednesday: French Dips with Risotto
Thursday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes
Friday: The guys will probably eat out as I'm leaving for Ladies' Retreat and they think that's a good excuse for White Castle - blech.
Saturday: Ham Loaf, Hashbrown Casserole
Sunday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Breakfasts and lunch will be a mishmash of things, I have several packages of deli meat in the fridge along with chicken nuggets in the freezer. A box of cereal. We are way better at the cereal thing than we used to be. We used to have three or four boxes of open cereal and we hardly ate cereal. Now we have it twice a week and I don't buy a new box until the first one is almost empty. I used the last of the peanut butter today so that is probably out. Mr. Steady will be lunching on a variety of single-serve frozen items that I am evidently saving for the Queen of England. I do have to buy some foods, like bread and buns, 1 lb of meat for the meatloaf, and some fresh fruit and eggs. Other than that I have everything I need.
Isn't it sick that I have meals for nearly 8 days and yet we stand there in the kitchen saying "We have nothing to eat"? We do, it's just not stuff we WANT. Or are in the mood for. I have bags of dried beans that I *want* to use but have no idea how to and forget to find out, boxes of cake mix, tubs of frosting. Not to mention four more meals that I intentionally stuck in the freezer but don't want to use "just in case". It's sick.
This would probably be a very good week to check out Hungry Planet from the library again. There might be some complaining that will need to be squelched. Because we are such a sad little nation full of abundance and discontentment. And my family and this author is no exception! In fact I would love nothing more than a fountain Coke right now. {Sigh}. I am so over myself and my first world problems.
THESE ARE MY EXACT SENTIMENTS...I HAVE TWO FRIDGES AND THREE FREEZERS, CUPBOARDS AND PANTRY FULL OF FOOD THAT A) I DON'T FEEL LIKE MAKING OR DON'T THINK I HAVE TIME TO MAKE OR B) LOOK AT IT AND THINK I DON'T WANT AND THEN GO TO FAST FOOD AND GET SOMETHING THERE......SHAME, SHAME ON ME AND MY ABUSE OF OVER-ABUNDANCE....I DON'T THINK ITS WRONG TO HAVE ABUNDANCE ITS WHAT WE DO WITH IT....
ReplyDeleteThe dried beans thing popped out at me. Have you used them yet? If not, and you like "bean soup", do a search on making them in the crock pot. I tried it for the first time the other day and they were super easy and yummy. Basically you rinse and sort the beans, then put them in the crock pot with water and seasonings (onion, salt, pepper, pork parts, etc) then cook them on low until they are soft. You just have to watch the water level throughout the day.
ReplyDeleteMy challenge is to make actual meals from what I have. I always have part of what I need for one dish, but am missing some other part. I should make a grocery list for the missing parts and use up more of our stuff too. We're not too bad cuz I did a purge when we moved. But it will get there again if I don't stay on top of things!