Author Topic: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2  (Read 1183577 times)

Jaayse

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 307
  • Age: 37
  • Location: Somewhere on the Ocean
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1750 on: May 18, 2017, 10:17:40 PM »
I have started on my older items, I have 15 different soups, so far have eaten 2 of them.  I made a pumpkin pie and have set out some spaghetti and sauce to doctor up for later.  After taking inventory, I don't have a ton of extras, but I think there will still be some necessary trashing of items when I move in a few months.  For unknown reasons I have a lot of popcorn...

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1751 on: May 19, 2017, 09:14:26 PM »
If anyone needs to use up beets and/or horseradish, I've become a little obsessed with this recipe.  Sour cream is fine, you don't need creme fraiche.  I used macadamia nuts with it, and will try it with chopped almonds tomorrow.  It seems flexible; the beets and horseradish are the heart of the dish.

I was packing for a work trip Wednesday night and was shocked to find that I was out of canned tuna, and actually canned fish of all kinds.  Will probably re-stock this weekend since I have a longer trip next week and will need portable lunches each day.  Will cook up lots of chickpeas as the base for my lunch salads.  I need to remember that I don't eat my homemade hummus and need to stop buying chickpeas.

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1752 on: May 20, 2017, 01:12:32 AM »
In the fridge I have some cups with two day old foods that need to be eaten today. Two egg yolks, after making a dish with egg white earlier. Some selfpicked, dried mushrooms, rehydrated in water for an experiment of adding mushroom flavored water to home brewn stout beer. Experiment did not give a good result. Some morels I found two days earlier. If I wait any longer it might all get spoiled.

pbkmaine

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8927
  • Age: 67
  • Location: The Villages, Florida
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1753 on: May 20, 2017, 10:36:15 AM »
Mushroom omelet or quiche?

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1754 on: May 20, 2017, 11:44:55 AM »
Homemade mayo with the egg yolks.  I also like to scramble egg into fried rice - I'm sure it would work with the yolk only.

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1755 on: May 21, 2017, 12:14:34 PM »
Mushroom omelet or quiche?

I made a mushroom omelet for lunch from the rehydrated mushrooms.
Dried the morels.

DTaggart

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 264
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1756 on: May 21, 2017, 01:37:28 PM »
A few months ago I got a container of chopped basil leaves and another container of squeezable basil goo for free, of course they languished in my fridge forever. Today I finally combined them and made a large batch of pesto. I refuse to pay a million dollars per ounce for pine nuts, so instead I used the last of a jar of walnuts, most of which was just walnut dust by now so this was the perfect way to use it up. I made a large batch of chicken pesto pasta for the freezer and then froze the other half of the pesto for later.

plainjane

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1645
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1757 on: May 21, 2017, 04:43:53 PM »
A pound of beef short ribs on sale for 50% off at the grocery store.  An old container of tamarind paste.  A can of orange soda that I got from a person giving out samples last summer.  I added a bit of kecap manis, some Lea & Perrins, and a couple of cloves of garlic, and a squeeze of sriracha.  Browned the beef, and then braised in the oven for 3 hours at 300F.

I think that is the last of the cans of alcohol and pop that I picked up from random giveaways last summer. $7 for two meals that would have been ~$22 each in a restaurant.

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1758 on: May 22, 2017, 02:29:10 PM »
DH made a salad for dinner including a tin of sardines and a tin of octopus, bought in Greece or Italy years ago, that has just past their best before date. Tasted fine.
He also found some tins of warm smoked salmon. No idea why we ever bought this in tin. They had their date in march this year. Time to put them on a pizza or so.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2017, 04:52:23 AM by Linda_Norway »

MountainGal

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 756
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1759 on: May 23, 2017, 01:23:22 PM »
We are coming to the end of our hotel stay and are due to close on our new home this Friday.

I brought the condiments from the hotel room fridge to my office fridge and things just barely fit.

Tonight will be breakfast for supper using a can of corned beef hash leftover from camping last weekend, and some pre-cooked bacon and sausage.  I was going to microwave a potato also leftover from camping, but I'm not sure the hotel microwave can handle it, LOL.

Tomorrow and Thursday we have meetings, so there will be no time to make food at the hotel.  Hence sentence #2 above.  ;)


Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1760 on: May 24, 2017, 04:55:34 AM »
Tonight we will eat for the third time from the same iceberg salad. It is not my favorite salad, but I bought it because it is the cheapest and it lasts forever.
We will also make some homemade pizza and I will add some more boxes of sardines and octopus that we found in a drawer, several years old. I also finished a pot of olives from the fridge that had been there opened for a very long time.

By the way: I have the really bad habit of eating the leftover chunks of cheese as a snack. That means that when I make a pizza, I should have used the left over chunks for making grated cheese for the pizza. Now I have to use the still good chunk of cheese for that. Facepunch me.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2017, 04:57:11 AM by Linda_Norway »

MandalayVA

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1569
  • Location: Orlando FL
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1761 on: May 24, 2017, 06:10:23 AM »
I HAVE OFFICIALLY EMPTIED OUT THE CHEST FREEZER

We'd debated whether or not to bring it with us to Florida, but it turns out where I'd place it doesn't have an outlet, and also the new-to-us fridge has a pretty good-sized freezer.  The guy who's been doing some work on our place is involved with a group at his church that feeds the homeless, and they were in the market for a chest freezer.  The fridge has been cleared of old stuff too and we're working on the canned goods.  Wins all around!


OzStash

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1762 on: May 26, 2017, 06:59:35 PM »
I'm happy to find this thread. Moving in a couple of months, and just started my attempt to eat down the pantry and freezer. I had no idea I had stockpiled so much pasta and tinned fish!

Also I have been able to replenish my work desk-stash of nuts and other snacks that have been languishing hidden in the pantry. Score! 😊

Rural

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5051
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1763 on: May 26, 2017, 07:55:17 PM »
Working on this, in large part because I've lost track of what's in the deep freeze.


Used up all the onions and almost all the potatoes in a groundnut stew yesterday, plus a bunch of last summer's green tomatoes. Today was pantry spaghetti. I also used one of many sale cans of pumpkin purée in the sauce- good thickener and angst-free vegetables for husband - not a trick, he knows.


I'm making good progress on a giant supply of frozen overripe bananas -smoothies and homemade fudgesicles. I've made so much progress it looks like I'll have to buy cocoa!


I'm going to try to use something from that deep freezer in every meal for a while, even if it means I make a cobbler - the first blackberries look like they'll be ready tomorrow, so I need to use what is left from early last summer before the drought hit and killed all the berries. I have a giant supply of stevia I dried last summer to sweeten it.


Going to try to buy only milk, a little bit of fresh produce, cocoa :) and flour through at least the first two weeks of June.

OzStash

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1764 on: May 28, 2017, 03:33:38 AM »
Moved onto the freezer also. Defrosting a massive 'meat and veg' mystery stew that looks like it could feed me all week 😄

OzStash

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1765 on: May 28, 2017, 04:17:53 AM »
A few bananas that had been in the freezer too long, some yoghurt that had to be used up, like TODAY, some cacao nibs from who-knows-what gourmet experiment that's just been lurking in the pantry for who-knows-how-long, a dash of milk, and nom nom nom dessert smoothie! 😊

swick

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2877
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1766 on: May 28, 2017, 11:05:15 AM »
Hubs is going to be digging into my homemade freezer meals as he gears up for a couple of weeks of crazy at work. Going from usual 8 hour days to 12-14 hour days and then swapping to temporary 12-14 hour nightshifts. This requires a lot of planning and food prep since he has to take 2-3 meals into work each shift. 

I'll be making a big batch of granola today using up pantry stuff. I've made a big batch of lemon poppyseed pancakes from my coconut pulp leftover from making coconut milk. Have discovered these are tasty hot and right outta the fridge so that'll be awesome to have on hand.

Great hearing about all the progress!

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1767 on: May 29, 2017, 02:55:50 AM »
A few bananas that had been in the freezer too long, some yoghurt that had to be used up, like TODAY, some cacao nibs from who-knows-what gourmet experiment that's just been lurking in the pantry for who-knows-how-long, a dash of milk, and nom nom nom dessert smoothie! 😊

Yoghurt can be kept for a long time past the best before date. As long as there ain't other than yoghurt bacteria in there.
We finished 4 packs of home made trip meals from 2016 on a canoeing trip in the past 4 days. Also finished all the old bags of muesli.

OzStash

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1768 on: May 29, 2017, 11:05:21 PM »

Yoghurt can be kept for a long time past the best before date. As long as there ain't other than yoghurt bacteria in there.


Oh yeah, sorry to clarify - I'm big on ignoring use-by dates, I just meant this yogurt really was at the limit of what my tastebuds find acceptable 😄

SAfAmBrit

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 206
  • Age: 52
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1769 on: June 12, 2017, 08:59:52 PM »
I am on a 4 week challenge - my entire family is out of state or out of country for the next 4 weeks and I am attempting to stay under $200 for 4 weeks gas, groceries and any other incidentals ($50 per week). To achieve this I am going to try only have what is in this house (with exception to the meat :-)). Today I had egg noodle (finished), tuna (and with compliments from my garden) tomato, chives and green onion.  I presently have a lot in the grocery cupboard so when I get low I will list to get ideas.

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1770 on: June 12, 2017, 09:13:49 PM »
We've had some cool weather, which means soups, the ideal "use it up" dinner.

Last night:  leg of lamb bone with remaining meat went in the crock pot with lentils, some sad-looking kale, half an onion and a jar of tomatoes for a tasty stew.  Made fresh masa cornbread to go alongside.  Since I didn't have buttermilk, I mixed some yogurt ranch dressing and water for the liquid part.  Worked fine.

Tonight:  unstuffed cabbage stew - used up the remainders of jars of homemade ketchup, BBQ sauce, salsa and pesto, half a can of olives, half a cabbage that's been in the fridge for a few weeks, and a couple jars of home-canned tomatoes. 

SAfAmBrit

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 206
  • Age: 52
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1771 on: June 15, 2017, 10:15:38 PM »
I am on a 4 week challenge - my entire family is out of state or out of country for the next 4 weeks and I am attempting to stay under $200 for 4 weeks gas, groceries and any other incidentals ($50 per week). To achieve this I am going to try only have what is in this house (with exception to the meat :-)). Today I had egg noodle (finished), tuna (and with compliments from my garden) tomato, chives and green onion.  I presently have a lot in the grocery cupboard so when I get low I will list to get ideas.
So discovered about 60 tortilla's. Yesterday was a wrap with scrambled eggs, the garden compliments and cheddar cheese. Today wrap with lettuce and garden compliment and mayo. I have farro (never cooked it), black beans, quinoa. rice, (drowning in tomatoes), frozen veg, pasta. Suggestions please?

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1772 on: June 15, 2017, 10:32:17 PM »
Tonight dinner was red flannel hash with the last package of Christmas ham from the freezer instead of bacon.  It also used up one of the CostCo onions that are starting to turn.  Note to self:  quit buying onions at CostCo, they go bad too quickly.

Tomorrow I'm planning to use the second half of a package of extra-spicy Italian sausage along with spaghetti squash purchased last fall, and home-canned tomatoes in some sort of casserole.  I can probably throw one of the CostCo onions in there as well.

Things are starting to look a little bare around here and I'm trying to decide if a major grocery shop is warranted this weekend.  Perhaps I will double down and do the big package of lamb liver with the remaining onions and some of the Calrose rice I'm trying to make a dent in. 

Verdure

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 151
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1773 on: June 16, 2017, 11:49:25 AM »
I have farro (never cooked it), black beans, quinoa. rice, (drowning in tomatoes), frozen veg, pasta. Suggestions please?

https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/07/one-pan-farro-with-tomatoes/  This is tasty and easy. Any kind of tomato (including canned) works. I have done it in winter with just dried basil, too. Still good.

I like this, also.  http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/09/one-pan-mexican-quinoa/ It uses quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, and frozen corn.  It's great with the avocado, but still pretty good without.

Edit to add: if you have tons of tomatoes, you could make salsa or pico de gallo, then use grain of choice, beans, possibly frozen veg (spinach or corn could both be good) and tortillas to make burritos.
« Last Edit: June 16, 2017, 11:52:39 AM by Verdure »

SAfAmBrit

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 206
  • Age: 52
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1774 on: June 17, 2017, 05:16:45 PM »
Thank-you for the ideas!

I am doing the Farro and tomato dish tonight. We make the one pan quinoa all the time - we love it. It is actually why we have the tortilla's - guessing my husband never checks - just buys a new pack every time he makes it.

I am making a big batch of Marinara sauce - I am so excited to try it - I make it all the time but not with the tomatoes I have grown. It finished the bay leaves and red wine (will need to replace both if I want to make more I guess). Note to self - see if bay trees will grow in a desert! I am currently drying thyme to refill my herb bottle.

SAfAmBrit

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 206
  • Age: 52
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1775 on: June 18, 2017, 02:45:25 PM »
Thank-you for the ideas!


I am doing the Farro and tomato dish tonight. - This was sooo good - i had it last night for dinner and reheated for lunch - about $1 for 2 very tasty meals. Here is my list or what I have - I would never have found that recipe without the forum, so I hoping for more inspiration.

Grains and beans - Farro, couscous, lentils, black and red beans (dry), chia seeds, rice, quinoa, tinned baked beans x 5, garbanzo beans x 1, 1lb pinto beans x 1, chili hot beans x 1.

Other tinned : sliced mushroom x 1, tomato paste x 1, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth x2 (has to be for DH - i am pescatarian), tomato sauce x 1, vegetable noodle soup x 1 and vegetable soup concentrate x 1, sardines x 1, kippers x 1. mackerel x 1 and tuna x 1.

Pasta : Lasagna x 2 1/2, chow mein noodles x 1, spaghetti x 1/2, macaroni 3/4 box.

Other : veg broth, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, apple cider, chutney x 2, ketchup, maple syrup, Worcestershire, sweet and sour x 1 and 2 1/2 tubs of parm?? idk. Veg oil, olive oil, flour, corn starch and baking powder, oatmeal and instant, thai coconut curry sauce x 1, raisins, 15 packs of mushroom and onion powder mix.

I have spared you the jam debacle and nutella and PB. I also have most spices - I grow as many as I can. I also have a good collection of frozen veg, esp peas.

Ideas and Thank-you!
« Last Edit: June 21, 2017, 09:04:02 AM by SAfAmBrit »

PMG

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1599
  • Location: USA
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1776 on: June 19, 2017, 02:25:05 PM »
Thanks Verdure for the mexican quinoa recipe.  I'm making that one night this week.

I'm living two different places right now, which causes a challenge to keep track of ingredients, especially fresh things, but I've been doing pretty good. Downsizing for lengthy international travel, so will get rid of everything. 

I made a curry this weekend using the last carrots and onions in my city apartment, and a couple red peppers and black beans from the freezer, used a couple packets of gelatin and some cornstarch to thicken it.  Down to 1/4 cup cornstarch and 4 packets of gelatin.

Made two loaves of bread, trying to use up baking ingredients. Brought one to rural apartment to share with roommate here. Used one over the weekend for french toast with boyfriend and then to make sandwiches with pesto and soft mozzarella from the freezer and some roasted red peppers.  so delicious. 

Brought along some more frozen black beans and frozen milk from city apartment to rural apartment.  Determined not to throw good food out.

mustachepungoeshere

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2404
  • Location: Sydney, Oz
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1777 on: June 30, 2017, 08:49:02 PM »
I accidentally bought a can of cream of chicken soup last time I was stocking up on tomato soup. (I make all my soups from scratch except this one. Love tinned tomato soup.)

Wanted a quick lunch and figured, hey, how bad could it be?

So. Bad.

It came out of the can in one gelatinous lump. I added water, as instructed. Didn't help.

The list of ingredients said it contained 3 per cent chicken. I assume those were the strange pink (!) lumps floating in the sea of yellow.

Had one bite. Blegh. Down the drain went the soup and my 90 cents.

Heated up leftover enchiladas instead.

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1778 on: July 01, 2017, 02:09:33 AM »
Yesterday we ate tortilla's, but had only two and needed some more. Then we finally found use for some frozen sausage-tortillas (Norwegian fenomina) that have been in the freezer for a very long time.

SAfAmBrit

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 206
  • Age: 52
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1779 on: July 01, 2017, 02:54:03 PM »
So we had a software rollout which has kept me at work for 15 hour days. My industry however feeds us 1 meal a day. I have not eaten out but conversely not cooked much either. Black beans are used - I made a mexican tomato rice and beans : http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/mexican-tomato-rice-beans. I had it on tortilla and it really was good.

Grains and beans - Farro, couscous, lentils, black and red beans (dry), chia seeds, rice, quinoa, tinned baked beans x 5, garbanzo beans x 1, 1lb pinto beans x 1, chili hot beans x 1.

Other tinned : sliced mushroom x 1, tomato paste x 1, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth x2 (has to be for DH - i am pescatarian), tomato sauce x 1, vegetable noodle soup x 1 and vegetable soup concentrate x 1, sardines x 1, kippers x 1. mackerel x 1 and tuna x 1.

Pasta : Lasagna x 2 1/2, chow mein noodles x 1, spaghetti x 1/2, macaroni 3/4 box.

Other : veg broth, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, apple cider, chutney x 2, ketchup, maple syrup, Worcestershire, sweet and sour x 1 and 2 1/2 tubs of parm?? idk. Veg oil, olive oil, flour, corn starch and baking powder, oatmeal and instant, thai coconut curry sauce x 1, raisins, 15 packs of mushroom and onion powder mix.

I have spared you the jam debacle and nutella and PB. I also have most spices - I grow as many as I can. I also have a good collection of frozen veg, esp peas.

More ideas would be gratefully received and Thank-you!

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1780 on: July 02, 2017, 08:59:31 AM »
Yesterday, when barbecueing, DH smeared some wild garlic oil on the slices of sweet potatoe. I had quite forgotten that I made this oil.

I also just ate a slicevof bread with some peanutbutter that bern in the closet for a long time. Earlier tosay also ate some honney that was in the closet for a long time.

SquirrelStache

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 87
  • Age: 45
  • Location: US of A
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1781 on: July 02, 2017, 10:25:13 AM »
I'm cooking up some pig butt in the Instant Pot later, so in an effort to use things up (and make the meat last longer) I'm going to serve it with pasta and some random frozen veggies.

Also just assessed the pantry and discovered we have a TON of oatmeal (which I like eating but always forget about) and cereal (which we go through phases on). I'm trying to decide if I can turn the cereal into some kind of granola bars, as we hardly ever have milk in the house (and when we do, we don't use it and it turns into an alien life form in the fridge).

ETA: Someone further up mentioned a plethora of popcorn lurking about - we also have this problem and I'm not sure why. I suspect a conspiracy.

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1782 on: July 04, 2017, 08:35:30 AM »
Argh.  My husband rarely cooks, and in his defense, I store pretty much everything in unlabeled bottles and canisters, so it's not exactly easy to find ingredients if you aren't an experienced cook.  But I came home the other day and he was making coleslaw for a work potluck, and had purchased small packages of several ingredients (that we already had), which are now clogging up my beautifully organized cupboards.  So, one step back, but I should be able to dump the small packages into my containers and do away with the clutter.

Cooking white beans today as a side dish to our smoked pork shoulder. I really want to buy some cranberry beans, but can't find them in town and the most reasonable price online is for a 10# bag, so I'm committing to using up the 3# or so of white beans first.

Dry rub for today's pork shoulder used up some juniper berries that have been in the spice cabinet for probably a decade, as well as some bay leaf fragments that weren't eligible for use in soups.

Yesterday I made a big batch of coleslaw with 3/5 of a red cabbage, the last sugar snap peas from the garden, and some sad looking carrots and green onions.  The dressing was based on the end of a tub of yogurt that I suspect might have started molding within the next few days, and I used juice from my home-fermented pickles as the vinegar element.  It was a big hit with DH who had a normal serving with his burger, and then went back and got pretty much a plate full and scarfed it down.

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1783 on: July 05, 2017, 04:48:49 AM »
I actually threw away some food. These we mushroom that I picked last year, but not the most tasteful ones (those have been eaten). I even ruined a frying pan in the preserving process. I had them in a warm pan, waiting for them to release liquid and then boiling it dry. Then I froze them.
The season for fresh mushrooms is almost there. Since I haven't eaten any of those, I don't think they should take up more space in the freezer. This year I will first start eating some of these fresh and get more used to them.
I also have a load of dried mushrooms that are very tasty. And I will eat them, it is just that I often out of habit buy mushrooms in the shop, so there often isn't a need for dried mushrooms. And these particular dried ones fit best in stews. I guess I'd have to make more of those.

SquirrelStache

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 87
  • Age: 45
  • Location: US of A
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1784 on: July 05, 2017, 04:14:50 PM »
I found several cans of tuna in the pantry yesterday (and salmon which I have yet to use, though salmon patties may be in my future...), so I made some tuna salad with various condiments and fridge leftovers.

Dollar Slice

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 9598
  • Age: 46
  • Location: New York City
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1785 on: July 11, 2017, 08:24:54 PM »
Tonight I was combining "trying to use up awkward/aging ingredients in the fridge" with "spending as little time on food prep as possible" because I'm in a lot of pain today and all I want to do is lie down. Result: caprese salad soft tacos! They were pretty good for a 3-minute no-cook dinner. Added a cold chicken leg and it was practically a well-rounded meal.

fuzzy math

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1724
  • Age: 42
  • Location: PNW
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1786 on: July 11, 2017, 08:31:03 PM »
For dinner tonight:

Opened fridge wine
Old fridge hot dog
Spinach salad with old parmesan remnants and blue cheese dressing (my kid's dressing but he's out of town so I'm using it up)

Tres fancy

SimpleCycle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1259
  • Location: Chicago
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1787 on: July 12, 2017, 06:44:45 PM »
For dinner tonight:

Opened fridge wine
Old fridge hot dog
Spinach salad with old parmesan remnants and blue cheese dressing (my kid's dressing but he's out of town so I'm using it up)

Tres fancy

LOL, I love it.

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1788 on: July 13, 2017, 02:34:43 AM »
After my summer vacation I need to find some different ways to use up 2,5 pack of oats. I have started eating them for breakfast, but that is not my favorite breakfast and a lot of work including cooking.

I am thinking of:
- cake bottom -> cheese cake
- oatmeal cookies
- maybe some type of bread
- use in waffles instead of flour

4alpacas

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1825
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1789 on: July 13, 2017, 09:47:52 AM »
After my summer vacation I need to find some different ways to use up 2,5 pack of oats. I have started eating them for breakfast, but that is not my favorite breakfast and a lot of work including cooking.

I am thinking of:
- cake bottom -> cheese cake
- oatmeal cookies
- maybe some type of bread
- use in waffles instead of flour

My favorite type of cookie uses oatmeal, and you don't need to use your oven. 
I'm also a big fan of overnight oats because I'm too lazy to cook oats in the morning.  Or a baked oatmeal. 

We've started to acquire too much stuff in our pantry, but we've managed to keep our freezer clean.

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1790 on: July 14, 2017, 12:44:54 AM »
After my summer vacation I need to find some different ways to use up 2,5 pack of oats. I have started eating them for breakfast, but that is not my favorite breakfast and a lot of work including cooking.

I am thinking of:
- cake bottom -> cheese cake
- oatmeal cookies
- maybe some type of bread
- use in waffles instead of flour

My favorite type of cookie uses oatmeal, and you don't need to use your oven. 
I'm also a big fan of overnight oats because I'm too lazy to cook oats in the morning.  Or a baked oatmeal. 

We've started to acquire too much stuff in our pantry, but we've managed to keep our freezer clean.

Thanks. I have tried overnight oats before, but only with yoghurt. I'll try it with other ingredients now.
I also like the oven baked idea.

Rural

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5051
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1791 on: July 14, 2017, 06:32:13 AM »
After my summer vacation I need to find some different ways to use up 2,5 pack of oats. I have started eating them for breakfast, but that is not my favorite breakfast and a lot of work including cooking.

I am thinking of:
- cake bottom -> cheese cake
- oatmeal cookies
- maybe some type of bread
- use in waffles instead of flour


I substitute 1/2 cup of oats for 1/2 cup flour in baking bread. (1/2 cup is approx. 120 ml)


I also use cooked oats as a binder in bean burgers.


I mix a small amount in with yogurt and fruit instead of granola - this works when you just want a little crunch with you fruit and yogurt, not when you're really seeking granola for itself...

Or just make granola. Base of oats, add a sweetener and spice if you like, plus some nuts. Stir in dried fruit if you like, but only after baking.
« Last Edit: July 14, 2017, 06:34:14 AM by Rural »

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1792 on: July 14, 2017, 09:29:54 PM »
A couple weeks ago I saved the liquid from a couple jars of tomatoes, and was about to throw it out since I hadn't found a use for it (in the winter it would be easy because soup), but it worked great in the lamb and butternut squash curry we had tonight.

I think I'm now down to just one can of coconut milk, so coconut curries about about to be off the menu until I get some other ingredients moved out of here.  I do have coconut flakes still and must puree those into a milk before buying any more of the canned stuff.

The spaghetti squash purchased from a little organic farm last fall is finally used up.  Man, that stuff keeps for ages.

Despite the heat, I ate my canned soups for lunch at work the last two days.

For anyone trying to use up red lentils, a tip I heard the other day, but haven't tried yet, is to saute them in a pan with a little bit of oil prior to cooking.  This will keep them from turning to mush so easily.  I still have lots of red lentils and need to give this a try because the mush factor does stop me from making them.

SAfAmBrit

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 206
  • Age: 52
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1793 on: July 16, 2017, 03:04:02 PM »
Grains and beans - Farro, couscous, lentils, black and red beans (dry), chia seeds, rice, quinoa, tinned baked beans x 5 2, garbanzo beans x 1, 1lb pinto beans x 1, chili hot beans x 1.

Other tinned : sliced mushroom x 1, tomato paste x 1, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth x2 (has to be for DH - i am pescatarian), tomato sauce x 1, vegetable noodle soup x 1 and vegetable soup concentrate x 1, sardines x 1, kippers x 1. mackerel x 1 and tuna x 1.

Pasta : Lasagna x 2 1/2, chow mein noodles x 1spaghetti x 1/, 2, macaroni 3/4 box.

Other : veg broth, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, apple cider, chutney x 2, ketchup, maple syrup, Worcestershire, sweet and sour x 1 and 2 1/2 tubs of parm?? idk. Veg oil, olive oil, flour, corn starch and baking powder, oatmeal and instant, thai coconut curry sauce x 1, raisins, 15 packs of mushroom and onion powder mix.

I have spared you the jam debacle and nutella and PB. I also have most spices - I grow as many as I can. I also have a good collection of frozen veg, esp peas.

Ideas and Thank-you!
« Last Edit: July 16, 2017, 03:06:06 PM by SAfAmBrit »

plainjane

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1645
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1794 on: July 17, 2017, 07:37:53 AM »
The last of the rice vermicelli packet is in my lunch today.

Noodle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1316
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1795 on: July 19, 2017, 10:41:52 PM »
I am going on vacation in 2.5 weeks and would like to get the refrigerator and freezer eaten down as far as possible. I am currently eating my way through a couple of big batches of leftovers. Yesterday--finished the ice cream bars :).  Today, stretched a cup of flavored yogurt I didn't like much by mixing it with plain and topping it with granola and dried cherries.

Noodle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1316
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1796 on: July 23, 2017, 09:03:33 AM »
Finished almost all of the leftovers. This week I focused on using up stuff instead of trying new recipes. Out of three attempts, two went well and one was fine: made a new chocolate banana bread recipe to clear out some bananas I had originally bought for a visiting niece. The bread was excellent, but no more so than my other banana bread recipe, which involves one less step and half as many dishes. Topped a frozen cheese pizza (also bought as niece food) with some bits and pieces hanging around the fridge and cleared out some nearly finished jars of jalapenos and roasted peppers. Also improvised a pasta bake with some leftover cheese sauce that turned out a bit on the dry and bland side. It would have been fine if I had just had the pasta and sauce instead of trying to turn it into a casserole. Today's project is a huge salad with lots of bits and pieces.

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1797 on: July 23, 2017, 04:36:05 PM »
I made potato salad used up an elderly jar of Gray Poupon that's been in the fridge for way too long.

Made beans last week using up one of my canisters.  Put another dent in the white beans making a bean salad yesterday.

The last of my 2016 frozen pesto went into a casserole for dinner on Thursday night. 

We also did homemade tortillas last week and nearly finished off the canister of masa harina.

Made apple butter muffins to bring to work last week since I made a bunch of apple butter, but we don't eat toast, so don't get many chances to use it.

MVal

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 844
  • Age: 41
  • Location: Missouri
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1798 on: July 29, 2017, 02:56:09 PM »
I've been going through the pantry weekly or so and finding whatever items I can throw into a rice or pasta dish. This is what I came up with today.

I had a tiny bit of brown rice left and a bunch of white rice, so I made the brown first in the rice cooker and then the white, cooking together with a beef bullion cube and a handful of sun-dried tomatoes that finished off an old bag of those. When the rice was done, I crushed up what was left of an old bag of dried kale chips, shredded some chili-lime beef jerky past its prime and added a few pinches of dried onion flakes. I mixed it with a bottle of German dressing now no longer haunting the fridge and it turned out pretty nicely. It tastes like a good dirty-rice.

****
4:00 pm - So I had too much dressing for what I made but want to finish this bottle off, so I am making an additional cup of rice , plus I chopped up the cucuzza squash from the farmer's market last week to add. This should make plenty to cover dinner or lunch all next week.

It was really nice being able to make all this in the rice cooker and not have to turn on the stove or oven. My small house doesn't have central AC and just has a single window unit, so anything I can do to avoid heating up the kitchen is bonus.
« Last Edit: July 29, 2017, 04:30:22 PM by MVal »

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2
« Reply #1799 on: August 07, 2017, 12:45:58 AM »
Finally we made some longer hiking trips during this summer vacation and we ate most of the home made bags of dried food that had filled up the freezer. One challenge with that is that I dry the ingredients separately and just add them together in a bag with spices. But I cannot taste it before it is rehydrated on a trip. So it is smart to bring a lot of extra spices just in case.
This winter I might make some new batches for the coming summer. Maybe not so many this time. I should also do it when there are cheap veggies available.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!