Eat ALL the food in your house

[nikki]

I failed to eat some lettuce in time. I picked out the best bits for a very large salad I just finished, separated the slimy bits (I really let it go...), and am left with a decent sized pile of wilted, but not slimy, pieces.

I believe it's red leaf lettuce.

Stir fry?

I'll probably give it a go anyway because I really don't want to waste even more because I'm a doofus.

[Rural]

I failed to eat some lettuce in time. I picked out the best bits for a very large salad I just finished, separated the slimy bits (I really let it go...), and am left with a decent sized pile of wilted, but not slimy, pieces.

I believe it's red leaf lettuce.

Stir fry?

I'll probably give it a go anyway because I really don't want to waste even more because I'm a doofus.

I'd give it the sniff test and toss it in a stirfry at the last minute if it smells normal. Today. :-)

[nikki]

I made egg fried rice with all the lettuce thrown in. It's totally edible, and I feel good about not wasting *as much*.

[ashley]

Good for you, nikki. Many people would have just tossed that.

I haven't been as pantry-focused as I should have been, lately. I have still been keeping my grocery bill really low, but I could be doing better. Time to get serious. Nothing but produce for the rest of the month!

[horsepoor]

I just returned from a week in Florida late last night.  Peeked in the fridge this morning, and ... I don't know what my husband eats when I'm gone.  I think he lived on chips, salad, eggs and tortillas.

I was actually shocked that an almost 2-week old head of lettuce was still fine.  I was also kicking myself for having left without using up the beautiful bunch of organic kale, but it's still in good enough shape to use for a soup or frittatta.  I think I'll still do my planned shop this morning, but keep it pretty bare bones to just take advantage of the sales since I went through the weekly ads while waiting for my plane (20% off boxed wine today!).  Still have tons of beans to feed the chickens, and was surprised that they had a dozen eggs waiting for me when I got home.  I'm off until Tuesday, so I should be able to make some good headway on this.

Well done with the lettuce.  You have more fortitude than me; it would have gone to the chickens or the compost heap for sure. 

[Miamoo]

Oh, I recently killed some girl scout cookies by grinding them up in a food processor and mixing in enough peanut butter to make the crumbs stick together. Rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate. I called them truffles and people went crazy for them.

Love it!  What a clever idea.

When kids were growing up I threw pretty much every leftover into the freezer and usually on a Friday we had "Garbage Night" - using up the leftovers.  Kind of like a mini buffet if you will.   If the only leftovers for the week had been vegetables or noodles or a combination of such . . . some browned ground beef & potatoes were added  -  maybe some tomato paste or pretty much whatever was laying around to stretch & spice it up - to make "Garbage Stew".  Garbage Stew was the favorite and when oldest daughter got married she wanted the recipe.  There is none.

[CommonCents]

Oh, I recently killed some girl scout cookies by grinding them up in a food processor and mixing in enough peanut butter to make the crumbs stick together. Rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate. I called them truffles and people went crazy for them.

Love it!  What a clever idea.

When kids were growing up I threw pretty much every leftover into the freezer and usually on a Friday we had "Garbage Night" - using up the leftovers.  Kind of like a mini buffet if you will.   If the only leftovers for the week had been vegetables or noodles or a combination of such . . . some browned ground beef & potatoes were added  -  maybe some tomato paste or pretty much whatever was laying around to stretch & spice it up - to make "Garbage Stew".  Garbage Stew was the favorite and when oldest daughter got married she wanted the recipe.  There is none.

We did too.  Mom used to call it smorgasbord.  We'd groan - unless a favorite was left over, when we'd clamour and negotiate to get it.  Smart mom would usually figure out how to give us each one favorite item (whether a bit of meat or pasta) with along other less preferred items so we were rarely super unhappy about it.  She threw out a lot less food than I used to...

[Tami1982]

I failed to eat some lettuce in time. I picked out the best bits for a very large salad I just finished, separated the slimy bits (I really let it go...), and am left with a decent sized pile of wilted, but not slimy, pieces.

I used to run into this a lot because I'll periodically buy the big pack of romaine at Costco.  However, I started putting the lettuce (post chop, rinse, spin) in large canning jars and sealing them using my foodsaver to remove the air.  HOLY CRAP do they last forever now.  One time I didn't have a used canning jar lid (i save them to use for this specific purpose. I also seal nuts and things this way) and I used a plastic screw top lid and I couldn't believe the difference.  Two weeks later the sealed lettuce is good to go, and the other stuff was green gunge. (somehow got shoved behind the juice.)  I know not everyone has this option, but if you have a food saver and some canning jars, this is a great option.

[swick]

I failed to eat some lettuce in time. I picked out the best bits for a very large salad I just finished, separated the slimy bits (I really let it go...), and am left with a decent sized pile of wilted, but not slimy, pieces.

I used to run into this a lot because I'll periodically buy the big pack of romaine at Costco.  However, I started putting the lettuce (post chop, rinse, spin) in large canning jars and sealing them using my foodsaver to remove the air.  HOLY CRAP do they last forever now.  One time I didn't have a used canning jar lid (i save them to use for this specific purpose. I also seal nuts and things this way) and I used a plastic screw top lid and I couldn't believe the difference.  Two weeks later the sealed lettuce is good to go, and the other stuff was green gunge. (somehow got shoved behind the juice.)  I know not everyone has this option, but if you have a food saver and some canning jars, this is a great option.

This is amazing! I wonder if it would work for herbs? Would solve the never ending battle I have with quickly dying cilantro. off to try!

[Worsted Skeins]

Well I am going to try to use up some bits and pieces today.  It starts with farro from the pantry, currently soaking.  I will cook it in water and stock (from the freezer), add some beans (from the freezer), roasted pecan bits (pantry), lemon juice and parsley.  Trying to decide if I should add some peas from last summer's CSA that are still in the freezer.

General recipe concept here:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/03/farro-white-bean-and-preserved-lemon-salad.html

I do have some preserved lemon peel but it is sugary, not salty.  I am not familiar with the Moroccan version. Oh no! Another thing for my pantry!

[swick]

Well I am going to try to use up some bits and pieces today.  It starts with farro from the pantry, currently soaking.  I will cook it in water and stock (from the freezer), add some beans (from the freezer), roasted pecan bits (pantry), lemon juice and parsley.  Trying to decide if I should add some peas from last summer's CSA that are still in the freezer.

General recipe concept here:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/03/farro-white-bean-and-preserved-lemon-salad.html

I do have some preserved lemon peel but it is sugary, not salty.  I am not familiar with the Moroccan version. Oh no! Another thing for my pantry!

mmm that sounds really tasty! I have everything but the Farro, so I will sub for one of the 10 other bulk grains I am trying to whittle my way through.

Preserved Lemons are actually one of my pantry ingredients that I am whittling my way through. I made a HUGE batch when I found a deal on organic citrus two years ago. The great thing about them is they do last forever and they give such a unique flavour. But you usually don't use huge quantities in a dish, so they do last and last.

If you have access to cheap organic citrus and salt, you can make your own it is nothing more then that unless you want to add a few whole spices. You do want to use organic because you are using the skins. Takes at least 6 months for them to cure but I saw some for sale in the souks that were 10 + years old.  If I still have a ton left come Christmas time, I am going to repackage into small fancy jars for Christmas presents.

I have spent the last two days consolidating and inventorying all the food and food-like stuff I have in the house. While we have been eating primarily staples, I have realized we still have way too much. Talked with hubby and decided to come up with a "Can only Buy" list for the grocery store. If it is not on the list we don't but it, no exceptions. So far that is fresh fruit and veg, milk and cheese.

Here is some of the bulk stuff we are working through, if you have any favorite recipes or suggestions you would like to share that would be awesome!

 - pot barley
 - quinoa
 - corn meal
 - sprouted bean mix
 - raw cashews
 - Pinto beans
 - shredded coconut
 - frozen rhubarb
 - molasses
 - Spices of every kind under the sun

[Worsted Skeins]

Well I am going to try to use up some bits and pieces today.  It starts with farro from the pantry, currently soaking.  I will cook it in water and stock (from the freezer), add some beans (from the freezer), roasted pecan bits (pantry), lemon juice and parsley.  Trying to decide if I should add some peas from last summer's CSA that are still in the freezer.

General recipe concept here:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/03/farro-white-bean-and-preserved-lemon-salad.html

I do have some preserved lemon peel but it is sugary, not salty.  I am not familiar with the Moroccan version. Oh no! Another thing for my pantry!

mmm that sounds really tasty! I have everything but the Farro, so I will sub for one of the 10 other bulk grains I am trying to whittle my way through.

Preserved Lemons are actually one of my pantry ingredients that I am whittling my way through. I made a HUGE batch when I found a deal on organic citrus two years ago. The great thing about them is they do last forever and they give such a unique flavour. But you usually don't use huge quantities in a dish, so they do last and last.

If you have access to cheap organic citrus and salt, you can make your own it is nothing more then that unless you want to add a few whole spices. You do want to use organic because you are using the skins. Takes at least 6 months for them to cure but I saw some for sale in the souks that were 10 + years old.  If I still have a ton left come Christmas time, I am going to repackage into small fancy jars for Christmas presents.

I have spent the last two days consolidating and inventorying all the food and food-like stuff I have in the house. While we have been eating primarily staples, I have realized we still have way too much. Talked with hubby and decided to come up with a "Can only Buy" list for the grocery store. If it is not on the list we don't but it, no exceptions. So far that is fresh fruit and veg, milk and cheese.

Here is some of the bulk stuff we are working through, if you have any favorite recipes or suggestions you would like to share that would be awesome!

 - pot barley
 - quinoa
 - corn meal
 - sprouted bean mix
 - raw cashews
 - Pinto beans
 - shredded coconut
 - frozen rhubarb
 - molasses
 - Spices of every kind under the sun

I made my supply of sweetened lemon peel from some organic lemons that came my way in the fall.  Next time I will try the preserved.  Thanks for the inspiration.

Cashews and coconut in granola?  Your rhubarb could go into a pilaf--maybe with the quinoa?  Molasses and cornmeal for cornbread served with pintos.  I really like the recipe for Drunken Beans from Rancho Gordo.

http://www.ranchogordo.com/html/rg_cook_drunkbeans.htm

[Freckles]

Erica, who posts here sometimes and has an awesome blog called Northwest Edible, recently posted a recipe/directions for preserved Meyer lemons.  I'll find it, hold on.  Here:  http://www.nwedible.com/2014/01/salt-preserved-meyer-lemons.html

She posts great posts, and she's how I learned of MMM.  So yea for Erica!  And preserved lemons!

[ashley]

Raw cashews can be used to make a cream sauce. Google "cashew cream" and you'll find lots of recipes.

This pasta is one of my favorites: http://www.theppk.com/2012/10/roasted-butternut-alfredo/

[swick]

Thanks for the ideas!

The butternut cashew cream pasta sounds awesome! I think I'll leave out the nutritional yeast though. The last time I experimented I made a cashew cream 'cheese" sauce and it was horrible. Neither my husband or myself could choke it down. I was so upset about the wasted ingredients that I kept trying to eat it or save it and it was just not happening...on that note, anyone have ideas on how to use up a package of nutritional yeast?

I have this recipe for Pinto beans in the crockpot (well two crockpots, it is a huge recipe!) selected because it uses a lot of spices I need to use.

http://taylormaderanch.com/blog/myo-ranch-style-beans-zesty/

Yesterday I made Oat farles for breakfast and adapted Worsted Skeins' White bean salad to be made with Quinoa for dinner. Added a few other Turkish Flavours - Sumac, Maras Pepper, Hazelnut oil, Pomegranate molasses, cilantro and a little bit of leftover chopped steak. It was a hit - Hubby ate thirds :)

[Worsted Skeins]

Yesterday I made Oat farles for breakfast and adapted Worsted Skeins' White bean salad to be made with Quinoa for dinner. Added a few other Turkish Flavours - Sumac, Maras Pepper, Hazelnut oil, Pomegranate molasses, cilantro and a little bit of leftover chopped steak. It was a hit - Hubby ate thirds :)

Boy, are we on the same wave length!  I added za-atar--and my husband ate thirds!

http://mideastfood.about.com/od/middleeasternspicesherbs/r/zaatar.htm

[swick]

Yesterday I made Oat farles for breakfast and adapted Worsted Skeins' White bean salad to be made with Quinoa for dinner. Added a few other Turkish Flavours - Sumac, Maras Pepper, Hazelnut oil, Pomegranate molasses, cilantro and a little bit of leftover chopped steak. It was a hit - Hubby ate thirds :)

Boy, are we on the same wave length!  I added za-atar--and my husband ate thirds!

http://mideastfood.about.com/od/middleeasternspicesherbs/r/zaatar.htm

Za-atar would be a great addition!  I'll keep it in mind, I have some that I was given, but usually just end up making my own.

[nikki]

I was a little too successful at eating all the food in my house.

Now all I have are two apples, half a bag of cookies, three mooncakes, things to make flour tortillas, and condiments and spices.

I'm moving in a week and don't want to buy too much stuff, so this grocery trip will be very interesting...

[dobatseatcats]

Ugh. I had this half full box of falafel mix that my mother gave me (one of those "OMG, this is really awful - here, YOU take it!" things). I tried it out this weekend and it was just SO salty I only made it through about half of the resulting falafel before I had to quit. Yuck.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I tossed it. Maybe I could've salvaged it somehow? Mixed it in with... something? Though, honestly, part of the reason I tossed it is because that much salt can't possibly be good for anyone.

On the plus side, I found some shredded carrots from last year's garden in the freezer and threw them in crockpot chili.

[4alpacas]

Ugh. I had this half full box of falafel mix that my mother gave me (one of those "OMG, this is really awful - here, YOU take it!" things). I tried it out this weekend and it was just SO salty I only made it through about half of the resulting falafel before I had to quit. Yuck.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I tossed it. Maybe I could've salvaged it somehow? Mixed it in with... something? Though, honestly, part of the reason I tossed it is because that much salt can't possibly be good for anyone.

On the plus side, I found some shredded carrots from last year's garden in the freezer and threw them in crockpot chili.

Don't beat yourself up over it!  You tried!

I've been too lazy to grocery shop, so I've been slowly eating from my freezer. Today I'm using a few chicken breasts, black bean, and corn from the freezer to make chicken taco bowl.

[horsepoor]

I really need to get through to the end of the month without buying anything but salad stuff.  I'm seeing lots of dahl and chili in our future.

[Hotstreak]

I was a little too successful at eating all the food in my house.

Now all I have are two apples, half a bag of cookies, three mooncakes, things to make flour tortillas, and condiments and spices.

I'm moving in a week and don't want to buy too much stuff, so this grocery trip will be very interesting...

Wow.  You are the master here!

[happy]

Well done Nikki!
We had rain. Cukes are going crazy again. 11 yesterday and 15 today.  Just when I thought I could concentrate on the pantry...looks like more fridge pickles coming up.

[SweetLife]

Woop woop ... ate all of the meat in the chest freezer :) so cool to see it almost empty!!! The rest is frozen veggies from the garden (mostly small tomatoes) those will go into soup next week so excited!.

Canned foods are coming along too ... mostly soups and beans so easy to eat up.

(Finally) made fresh shrimp spring rolls ... with peanut sauce OMG ... they were terrific and gobbled up in no time flat!!!  I think these will make an appearance at the baby shower since I loved them so much and SO very easy to make!!! Anyone who likes shrimp (or any rolled up meat really...) should try these ....

[Noodle]

I am excited to find this thread! I am engaged in a similar project--I am due to move in less than a year, and I am a bit of an ingredient hoarder. I had to move cross-country on about six weeks notice a few years back, and I was mortified by the amount of food I had to dispose of. (Luckily, I knew a couple of poor college students who were delighted to take home a trunk full of free food!) I have done better with the stockpiling this time, but I have a tendency to scoop up interesting ingredients when I see them, plus I get a fair number of food gifts. I am determined not to move more than I have to (it will be local, so not having to box and ship things, but I would like to save myself the hauling).

I am concentrating on the one-offs rather than pantry staples like flour and butter...those I will eat down as the move gets closer. I made a list using Apple's Reminder software, partly because I like clicking the button to cross things off, plus I have it with me wherever I am thinking about menus.

So far a lot of it has just been eating up freezer leftovers, but I did do a lentil soup recipe that cleared out lentils, chicken sausage, and chicken broth, jam bars to get rid of a huge jar of fig jam, and tossing some roasted cauliflower with the end of a jar of chimichurri sauce instead of making an equivalent sauce from scratch. Oh, and today was a baked tofu recipe that cleared out a block of tofu and the end of a jar of peanut sauce.

[4alpacas]

I have some blueberries and was thinking of making scones. Does anyone have a good recipe?  I don't have any brown sugar.

[Freckles]

If you have molasses and sugar you can make brown sugar.  That said, I don't see that you'd have to have brown sugar to make blueberry scones.

[4alpacas]

If you have molasses and sugar you can make brown sugar.  That said, I don't see that you'd have to have brown sugar to make blueberry scones.

I don't have molasses.  I just found this recipe that calls for cream (don't have it) and brown sugar.  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Blueberry-Scones/?prop31=1

I'm not very experienced in the kitchen, so I was just hoping for a little help.

[swick]

This recipe looks pretty standard and straight forward
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/blueberry-scones

They key with scones is to be really careful about not over mixing the dough and to start with COLD butter - To make it super easy I usually keep a block of butter in the freezer and use a box grater.

[4alpacas]

This recipe looks pretty standard and straight forward
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/blueberry-scones

They key with scones is to be really careful about not over mixing the dough and to start with COLD butter - To make it super easy I usually keep a block of butter in the freezer and use a box grater.

Thanks!

[ashley]

Well, so much for only buying produce for the rest of the month! I wandered into Target with a gift card (so maybe it doesn't really count?!) and bought peanut butter, strawberry jam (on clearance), canned pumpkin (also clearance!), and soy sauce. They were all things I wanted and had run out of, but still.

[happy]

Just finished the jar of quandong sauce someone had given me. Been lurking up the back for a while and I had to figure out what to do with it. Now for verjuice recipes.. for some reason I bought 2 bottles on special quite a while ago. Dumb thing to do.

[nikki]

Just finished the jar of quandong sauce someone had given me. Been lurking up the back for a while and I had to figure out what to do with it. Now for verjuice recipes.. for some reason I bought 2 bottles on special quite a while ago. Dumb thing to do.

Wow... definitely had to Google both of those things. What did you end up making with the quandong sauce?

[Noodle]

Banana cake--wiped out some frozen bananas and the ends of bags of pecans, chocolate chips, and coconut!

[horsepoor]

We had dhal, palak paneer and homemade naan tonight.  Used up a fraction of the red lentil hoard, some random vegetables, the frozen spinach, flour and tamarind paste.  Very tasty and mostly non-perishable ingredients, though a bit time consuming.  Need to do that more often!

[MinimalistMoustache]

Yay, I've found my Tribe!!!!! Only read half-way through this thread so far; It just may keep me from falling back into useless patterns. Living rather simply with the exception of food. (Truth: Also a paper clutterer too, and starting to clear up that small mess).

When I decided to give MMM a closer look, I first tallied expenses. Food costs were the most shocking (and not including "household" purchases, i.e. bath tissue, dish detergent, etc). I enjoy a variety of good quality, mostly organic meals. Yet, costs for many months last year almost equaled another rent payment! What was worse was the need to discard unused food -- particularly no-longer-fresh produce.

In the last few weeks, I've found a good "home" for much of the goodies that filled the pantry and freezer. Knowing it will gladly be consumed is a great feeling. This small action has allowed me to realize this grocery-shopping  habit has been more about filling an emotional void than filling my tummy! There is surely a much better use of my resources than buying too much to eat, no matter how tasty. "Food" for thought, indeed! This was my first week of staying away from the food shops (love them all!) and just eating from the pantry and freezer. It felt wonderful.

A damp and chilly day here.  I'm rounding up all the "must-eat-today" vegetables and brewing up a pot of yummy soup. :-)

[happy]

What did you end up making with the quandong sauce?

It tasted something like tangy plum sauce.

It did 3 recipes which I invented:

Stir fry chicken and veges, used mixed with soy sauce/garlic, a bit like Asian plum sauce type taste
Lamb ribs - just coated the ribs then roasted them in the oven
Chicken pieces just cooked in the oven in a similar marinade to the stir fry, coz we liked it so much.
Chicken was on special. Lamb ribs were in the freezer.

Yum, I want some more now but won't be getting it. It was a gift and the price was left on the bottom. $12.95 for 250mls or $4.30 per meal. MMM did a post somewhere about not buying fancy gourmet sauces and now I can see why. I will let the giftor know we enjoyed it.

One thing I'm enjoying about this challenge is that its making me find recipes and cook things I normally wouldn't.

[nikki]

What did you end up making with the quandong sauce?

It tasted something like tangy plum sauce.

It did 3 recipes which I invented:

Stir fry chicken and veges, used mixed with soy sauce/garlic, a bit like Asian plum sauce type taste
Lamb ribs - just coated the ribs then roasted them in the oven
Chicken pieces just cooked in the oven in a similar marinade to the stir fry, coz we liked it so much.
Chicken was on special. Lamb ribs were in the freezer.

Yum, I want some more now but won't be getting it. It was a gift and the price was left on the bottom. $12.95 for 250mls or $4.30 per meal. MMM did a post somewhere about not buying fancy gourmet sauces and now I can see why. I will let the giftor know we enjoyed it.

One thing I'm enjoying about this challenge is that its making me find recipes and cook things I normally wouldn't.

That's great! I'm so glad it ended up being an awesome mystery sauce and not a blech mystery sauce.

I have a confession to make. Despite eating almost ALL of my own food before my move (IN TWO HOURS!!!), I've acquired SO MUCH MORE from other people moving out of the country. I'm moving to another city, so taking food with me isn't so bad; but leaving the country? It would have gone in the garbage. I don't think I've ever had this many spices in my life. I also have a lot of seasoning packets, packets for instant sauces (blech--but I'll eat it--probably on pizza), curry pastes, tea galore, and so so so much baking stuff. Yesterday I got an oven, which most Korean one-room apartments are not equipped with, so I'm more than excited to jump in the kitchen and get baking/cooking!

Also acquired: immersion blender/food processor and slowcooker.

I might be coming back here for inspiration to tackle the mountain of products I have to work with now. My poor little minimalist-kitchen approach is totally overwhelmed, but grateful!

[happy]

LOL @ Nikki! Isn't there some wise saying about needing to make  space in your life so other things can come in?

[Freckles]

Awesome, Nikki!

I'm wondering how 4alpacas did with the blueberry scones.  I'm sorry I didn't check in for a few days; I would have been happy to give more advice than "make your own brown sugar" if I'd known you needed it.  But Swick gave you excellent advice.  :)

[Pell mell]

Wonderful idea for a thread.

I used kale left in the fridge. I am a little intimidated by it. The first time I bought it last year it taunted me until I threw it out. Yesterday I made a kale & cheese omelette with crushed chilies for the BF. Quite a proud moment. :) Plan to use the rest Monday.

I have a bunch of parsley to use. I think of it as a garnish but I need it use it all up soon or it'll go bad.

I've been using coconut milk every morning in my smoothie and am going to use the rest tonight as a snack. I'll pour it over hot white rice, sprinkle it with chocolate chips, and hope that quenches my cravings for Dessert. :)

[1967mama]

I have just started this challenge today. I used up 4 packages of jello powder, 3 packages of pudding and 2 halves of Christmas cake that were stored in the fridge. I am excited about clearing out my overflowing pantry and 2 deep freezes (10 people in the family). I have lots of perfectly good food buried in there! Hahah!

[MicroRN]

I have a bunch of parsley to use. I think of it as a garnish but I need it use it all up soon or it'll go bad.

You can make pesto with parsley and any random nuts instead of basil and pine nuts.  It's a milder taste and very cheap.  I made a batch with parsley, hazelnuts, and hazelnut oil. 

[horsepoor]

I think my food is multiplying. 

I made copycat Kind bars today, which turned out really good.  Have way too many nuts, seeds and coconut products.  I might break and go buy some vegetables, but I skipped my usual Saturday shop and am seeing if I can make it until the end of the month without grocery shopping.

[ashley]

I picked up a few odds and ends today and spent $16. I have more than enough to get me through the rest of the month, so it's looking like February's total is $74.66. My budget was $85, so I'll be happy if I come in under. I might decide I "need" something and spend my last $10, but I'm going to try not to.

[swick]

Wonderful idea for a thread.

I have a bunch of parsley to use. I think of it as a garnish but I need it use it all up soon or it'll go bad.

I took someones suggestion on here and stuck my cilantro in a mason jar and vacuum sealed it with the jar attachment. My cilantro has just about lasted two weeks! Usually it goes bad within two days of coming home from the store, if it starts out in decent condition. If you have a vacuum sealer it is the way to go!

[happy]

We had dhal, palak paneer and homemade naan tonight.

Yumm, wish I was at your house for dinner

I have a bunch of parsley to use. I think of it as a garnish but I need it use it all up soon or it'll go bad.

Tabouli? uses a lot of parsley and is yummy.

Sorry I'm no good with scones

@minimalist mustache:
Wise post. I've been stockpiling on specials etc for maybe 2 years. Saving money and using food up, but doing this challenge have realised that some of this stockpiling might be a "front" to save money….Think I might still be way overdoing food in compensation for cutting back elsewhere. 2 out of 3 of us are fat, so we obviously eat too much. Food needs to come under scrutiny in a very critical way in 2014 for us.

PS verjuice recipe  no1 was a fail. yukky. I'm surprised, I'm not used to failing with this sort of recipe. Still, used up a cup of verjus. I originally started using this stuff instead of lemon when lemons were out of season and about a dollar each. But then I kind of went off the taste and its been lurking ever since. When I looked at my 2 bottles I realised I had bought el cheap (yes and it was on special - a bargain)…I wonder if this was the problem all along. i.e. el cheapo= el disgustingo.

[Gray Matter]

Alrighty, then.  I'm here to try again.  January and February were busts, as I'm having too much fun grocery shopping with an eye towards buying things on sale and freezing them in my new freezer.  (Previously I just bought what I wanted, didn't even look at prices!).

But now my freezer is pretty well stocked, as is my pantry, and there's no point in a well-stocked freezer/pantry if those things are just going to blow past their expiration date and get thrown away in three years (also a previous habit of mine).

With DH out of town the entire month of March, I should have complete control over what the family eats, so there are no excuses!

[MinimalistMoustache]

Thanks again for this challenge. I'm still blown away by the savings last week as a result of eating from the pantry and freezer! I didn't set foot in a grocery store for over 10 days ---- amazing! I picked up some produce and cheese at two shops yesterday. It was downright thrilling to leave the stores spending more than half of my "regular" weekly shop. I may be turning a corner in the food spending category. 

Bonus: When I got home and put everything away, I felt rich!!! :-)

[MayDay]

I loved reading this thread!  We are we are really focusing on our grocery spending, and on top of that I try to empty out the freezer and the canning jars as we come into spring.  I canned wayyyyyyy too many pickles and tomato products.  Oops.  This isn't necessarily a bad problem since I won't have to can as much this summer and can focus in other plants in the garden. 

So things I need to use up are:

Tamarind paste:  paid a fortune from amazon as I can't buy it locally.  Made pad Thai and it was such a pain, well worth it to just get the 6$ take-out!  So I can make more pad Thai but is there anything else I can try with the tamarind paste?  Preferably without rice noodle as we have no Asian grocery here and they cost a fortune at the regular grocery. 

Peach chutney.  I use it for curried chickpeas and curried tempeh.  Not sure what else to do with it.  It is two years old now so I really should use it up.

Salsa, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce.  So sick of canned tomatoes, I can't wait for July to eat a fresh one!

What do you use red lentils for?  DH says he hates lentils. But I think he might not notice red lentils. 

Frozen kale.  I froze a ton thinking we would use it all for smoothies.  Oops.  I try to remember to throw it into any kind of soup, stew, bean dish, etc, but I forget.  Is there anything that uses a whole bunch of it?  Kale fritters maybe?