Eat All The Food In Your House - Take 2

[Dutch Comfort]

We had friends over for dinner on Sunday. Made a greek-style dinner and there were enough leftovers for a dinner for 4 on Monday (and the leftover dessert (Greek yoghurt with fresh fruit) made a nice breakfast for me)!
A few odds and ends are now left, but will be mixed into the dinners/lunches this week:
- some salad (probably be mixed in a nice after-work-salad for DD)
- homemade tzatziki (always good to accompany any dinner/lunch)
- olives
- feta cheese (DD loves this, so will be gone soon I think)
- flatbread (as a side dish with DD's salad)
- boiled eggs (will probably make egg-salad with these and eat it with some bread as lunch)

And then the fridge:
- loads of diary products in the fridge. Need to get the teens to eat more flavored yoghurts...... the Greek yoghurt will be used for breakfast options
- fresh produce: 1/2 head of lettuce, 1 cauliflower and 1kg of carrots and then some tomatoes and cucumbers
- cheese: some mozzarella, the feta cheese and the regular Gouda (3 pieces).

Pantry:
- keeping on top of the fruit supply is difficult. Teens are unpredictable.....
- my mother gave me a ton of bread buns which were leftover from Saturday's family gathering. Feeding them to DH and DS.
- Also got a lot of fruit juice from the family gathering. Need to drink this, but I think this brand is too sweet for me, so I'm diluting with water.

Only 1.5 week to go. I'm starting to feel like a feeder to my family......

[Runrooster]

I've been thinking about retiring from this thread.  Not that I'm done but it's gotten hard.  i wanted to use up a can of pumpkin but all the soup recipes use coconut milk, and I'm out.  I got about 3 c of pico de gallo from a work event, and used a huge box of Cheerios to make Indian bhel.  Plus used some Cheerios to dip into sour cream and onion dip.  Still have half the box of Cheerios left.  I'm slowly using the random flours my sister gave me (cassava, green banana, buckwheat) once a month.  I finished some wasa crackers and a bag of chips.  Its so slow.  I brought home work leftovers for 5 days worth, my brother gave me party leftovers for 5 days... 

My intermediate goal is to clean out anything bought more than 2.5 years ago (this job). including 4 boxes of onion soup mix, 3 boxes of couscous, 13 cans of beans, 6 can vegetables, almond butter, peanuts, 12 boxes mac and cheese.  Longer term goal is less than a year.  8 boxes oatmeal.  15 boxes pasta. 5 boxes cereal. 20 packets ramen.  7 packets cookie mixes from Xmas.  1 jar eggplant spread. 3 jars salsa, 3 pounds nuts. 6 boxes popcorn. 3 boxes gnocchi. 

My thought process was not having to move/throw much food if I need to move.  At this point I'm not as worried about that.  Most of this is food my parents dont like/wont eat.  My Dad will eat pasta once every few weeks.  Maybe I just needed some easier foods, I bought soda bread over St Patricks Day, macaroons over Passover, ham for Easter even though I'm not Irish or Jewish or Catholic.  I did buy spaghetti sauce to help use up the pasta.    and 4 bags of chips, 2 cake mixes.  4 cans beans.  10 cans tuna. Nothing is very expensive, what I'm buying or what I have stored.   

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-Used up all of the chicken shawarma, and bonus: got 2 pizzas out of the freezer.
-Picked a ton of mint & dried it.
-Picked an enormous amount of mint & oregano, and gave big bags out to neighbors
-Almost done with the second package of bagged salad, from the Costco double pack
-Made chicken parmesan tonight, and didn't have any bread crumbs. Blitzed up some of the sourdough bread, to make bread crumbs. Related: I didn't have mozzarella, so I subbed in cheddar. It was still delicious, but I'll get mozzarella next time.
-Made DS18 a grilled cheese sandwich today, using the last of two naan bread from the chicken shawarma

We have a bunch of leftovers now:
-Pasta
-Chicken parmesan
-Korean beef
-Rice

It will be useful to have these on hand this week, as we have a lot going on.

-Had one piece of chicken parm & a small amount of rice for a late lunch
-3 diners had Korean beef & rice for dinner. There are probably 2 more servings left of that.
-Tonight's dinner will be chicken parm & pasta (both leftover)

@Runrooster - it sounds like you keep a lot on hand. Would it be easier to decrease your stores, giving you a smaller amount of items to focus on using up at any given time?

[Runrooster]

@Runrooster - it sounds like you keep a lot on hand. Would it be easier to decrease your stores, giving you a smaller amount of items to focus on using up at any given time?

?? I think that's the point of this thread, to decrease my stores.

[41_swish]

I am moving this week and will take this thread to the extreme. I will eat every random thing in my fridge regardless of how wacky the meals get

[Weisass]

I have worked out refrigerated stuff down enough to unplug the accessory fridge, an old box freezer we adapted for overflow but that is ancient and not energy efficient. Now I’m turning to the bonus chest freezer, and feeling good about some future meals planned outta there.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

@Runrooster - it sounds like you keep a lot on hand. Would it be easier to decrease your stores, giving you a smaller amount of items to focus on using up at any given time?

?? I think that's the point of this thread, to decrease my stores.

I was suggesting that perhaps you stop replacing the food you have, as you replace it, but perhaps you are not doing that & this food has just been around for a long time? Some people prefer to stockpile & then rotate through while continuing to replenish. Either way, you do you.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-Froze or finished all leftovers. Two dinners of Korean beef into the freezer, as well as a couple of pieces of parmesan chicken.
-We made just the right amount of spaghetti & meatballs for dinner on Friday, and that also used up a piece of bread from the freezer. (We cut baguettes into 1/3 pieces & freeze them, as that's about the right amount to grab for garlic bread.)
-2 bags of salad were used up.
-DH finished the leftover chicken for lunch
-I brought home delicious leftovers from a Mediterranean place, and had the leftovers for lunch yesterday.

All in all, other than a scoop of rice, no food waste & we've been doing really well staying on top of things. I made broccoli beef last night for dinner, which used up the last of the pasta from the spaghetti meal. We have enough leftovers for one additional dinner. DS19 wanted to try his hand at prepping frozen pot stickers (we add a lot of seasoning/sesame oil, sriracha, etc when prepping), so we have a few of those leftover as well. They will go quickly.

As for lunches for the week, I'm not entirely sure what I'll have. I definitely have chicken I can bake as an easy salad topper, but no bagged salad. That will be good for me, as it will force me to use up some of the lettuce in the fridge + garden lettuce, as well as some of the open dressing.

[41_swish]

Not small, but I moved in with a roommate this weekend. It will save me about $600 a month. Definitely respectable especially considering it is a nicer place and all that

[Dutch Comfort]

Just a few days to go. The fridge is starting to look a little empty at the moment, which is a good thing. Still too much diary products, so teens can have more than 1 as a dessert or snack.
All the soft cheeses are gone and most of the delicate veggies are gone as well. Just carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes remaining. I expect some salads in the next couple of days and will give the rest to my mother to finish. Now just to keep on top of the bread and sliced meat supply to avoid having to throw that out.
I already made 2 batches of banana-bread muffins and froze those. I will take a few as a snack in the plane!
 

[Josiecat22222]

@Runrooster - it sounds like you keep a lot on hand. Would it be easier to decrease your stores, giving you a smaller amount of items to focus on using up at any given time?

?? I think that's the point of this thread, to decrease my stores.

I was suggesting that perhaps you stop replacing the food you have, as you replace it, but perhaps you are not doing that & this food has just been around for a long time? Some people prefer to stockpile & then rotate through while continuing to replenish. Either way, you do you.

My "eat all the food in your house" rules stipulate that I can buy an ingredient if needed to use up another one...for example, I would buy a (single) can of coconut milk if it would be consumed to use up the can of pumpkin.  I don't think I can ever get to zero grocery purchase in a single month, but instead I focus on a net decrease of stored or soon to expire items.  That said, your mileage may vary.

Today I am making chili as we have some older ground beef in the fridge and it allows me to continue to work through the dried beans stockpile.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

I organized the deep freezer the other day, it had deteriorated while I was sick and the others were just tossing things in and then making it worse while digging for items.  While we did a great job with pantry foods and the freezer meals I had made myself during our February pantry challenge, there is still plenty of food out there.

I probably wouldn’t buy a can of coconut milk to use a can of pumpkin, I’d rather make pumpkin muffins with pumpkin pie spice.  I always have everything I need for muffins, and finely ground flaxseed works great as an egg replacer in muffins, since eggs are so expensive.  I keep 1-2 cans of pumpkin on hand for upset dog tummies.  If I really wanted to use the canned pumpkin for soup I would just use whatever I have that might be similar in consistency to coconut milk, such as half and half, homemade cashew cream if I have cashews on hand, or even peanut butter “milk” (peanut butter blended with hot water) which would work well with pumpkin and curry type spices.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

@Josiecat22222 - I have the same approach to food inventory & purchasing.

We've been really on top of the food waste. Having DS19 back home (he's not a picky eater) means a lot more volume of food is consumed.
-Made & finished off broccoli beef noodles
-DH grilled burgers, on Sunday, and they are all gone except for one. I defrosted a few more, so DH can whip that together for dinner tomorrow while I'm teaching a class.
-We did order in Greek takeout (it's DS18's spring break), & that made for quite a bit of leftovers. I mixed together all of the small containers of tzatziki sauce, and am serving that with grilled chicken (freezer) tonight. I also made a couple of boxes of the Trader Joes chicken Tikka samosas, which we love.
-I bought a large bag of salad, which I'm hoping will be my last one before I can pick lettuce from the garden. I'm about 1/2 done with that, and should be able to finish it off by Friday.
-We are cruising through the fruit & veggies with no problems as well.

[Runrooster]

I'll try harder on the  pumpkin can.

The soup recipes I saw used only 1c of coconut milk, leaving the other half.  I use one can when I make Thai curries, though I guess I could use 1.5 cans and add more veg and use a larger pot.
Turning 4c of pumpkin into 48 muffins makes a lot more food, not less.  None of us 3 eat very sugary foods, and I have oatmeal to get through for breakfast.

I am trying not to re-buy anything I finish off, or add more to existing supplies.  I am purchasing seasonal items - the tuna cans were on sale for Lent and I used up my prior fish cans.  Or screaming good deals, or favorites that all 3 of us will eat.  I got through 15 pounds of beans by making sprouts every day for breakfast for 4 months, haven't restocked yet.  I'd finish off my oatmeal in 3 months if I ate it every day, it's not terrible for me, but I think of it as sugary carby like the muffins.  I've been eating yogurt and fruit, which has protein and fiber.

It's just gotten difficult.  I was a little low on lunch today, and thought "oh I should've opened a can of beets, I never think of that" but then 2 coworkers gave me snacks and rice, so now I have lunch for tomorrow too.  I bought the oatmeal when eggs got expensive, for $1/box.  I don't want to stress out about $8 worth of oatmeal. 
 

[K_in_the_kitchen]

I'll try harder on the  pumpkin can.

Turning 4c of pumpkin into 48 muffins makes a lot more food, not less.  None of us 3 eat very sugary foods, and I have oatmeal to get through for breakfast.
 

Yeah, my elite competitive athlete DS can eat lots of added sugars.  When I bake muffins I wrap and freeze them and they last quite awhile, which as you said adds to the food that needs to be eaten.  These days I freeze bananas for smoothies rather than baking muffins with them, and I don’t buy a case of canned pumpkin at a time anymore, so the pumpkin is for the dogs if they get tummy upset.  I have one can of pumpkin left, in the dog travel bag.  If I had two, like you, I would set them aside (in my mind) for baking pumpkin pies at Thanksgiving (our traditional pies which are made with cashews, canned pumpkin, maple syrup or Sucanat, and pumpkin pie spice).

It does get difficult, and the current state of politics is exhausting.  Sometimes I just don’t want to care about food waste.  We can afford the food waste when it happens, and I am under no illusions that my battle against food waste is going to meaningfully impact climate change — it’s not an issue that can be reversed by individual action.  It’s ingrained in me, though.

*****

Losses: I had to put 7-8 pounds of potatoes in the city compost bin this week.  I used some as a substitute for cauliflower in a curry a month ago as the cauliflower at the store looked awful, with good intentions to work the rest of the potatoes into the meal plan, but then I got pneumonia and defaulted back to the easy meals that don’t take much prep.  We had a heat wave and the potatoes were a combination of soft/wrinkly, sprouted (not an issue for me if they are firm), and moldy.  New rule is to only buy the exact number or weight of potatoes needed, even if the 5# or 10# bag is less expensive.

We have a whole new set of rules we’ve been creating now that the household dropped from 5 adults to 3 adults and my diet had to change due to IBD, like don’t buy more than 4 bananas at a time unless they are specifically intended for freezing, don’t buy the bag of romaine hearts or other bulk vegetables at Costco (even a 3 pack of peppers at from the grocery store can be too many), don’t buy the large EVOO bottle, don’t buy bulk shredded cheese, etc.  My youngest moved out 6 months ago and in that time I haven’t had to buy sugar or EVOO — we’re still on the same 4# bag of sugar and have used about 1.5 liters of EVOO in that time.  I only just bought butter, which they used to go through super fast, whereas I use 1/4 - 1/2# per month.

[Josiecat22222]

@Runrooster - you could open the can of pumpkin and put a few tablespoons into each serving of oatmeal as you make it.  Mix in some cinnamon, nutmeg etc and top with yogurt and a bit of crushed nuts.  I hope this is helpful!

[Runrooster]

@Runrooster - you could open the can of pumpkin and put a few tablespoons into each serving of oatmeal as you make it.  Mix in some cinnamon, nutmeg etc and top with yogurt and a bit of crushed nuts.  I hope this is helpful!

Haha, it's a 4 cup can of pumpkin (29 oz), so at 2T a day, it would last 16 days.  Even more since this would only work when I'm at home to assemble everything.  You add cold yogurt on top of hot oatmeal?  I'm not eating oatmeal right now anyway.

I think the other stress about the pumpkin soup is whether to make a version I'll like (thai curry, coconut milk, peanut butter), or a version my Mom will eat (no spice, no nuts), even though the chance are high she won't eat more than a cup/ won't like it.  She also doesn't tell me right away that she won't eat it, she just "forgets" to.  Otherwise I could make the toned down version, serve her a cup, doctor it to my liking while it's still on the stove.   Then I'm stuck eating a bland version for days.  She likes fresh pumpkin, less so the pureed version.  I could make both versions, less of hers, or just give up trying to cater to her.  She did this to me with a pot of leek soup I made especially for her birthday; she said it was bland.  All her food is bland!

[MaybeBabyMustache]

We had pot stickers & wings for dinner last night, both of which used things from the freezer. I also used lots of garden lettuce in our salad. It was an easy dinner option, as DS18 was at work, and doesn't like either of those things.

For lunch, I had grilled chicken over the bagged salad I'm almost done with.

Our fridge is in excellent shape, as we head into a new week. I think there are two burger patties, and one piece of chicken lingering around.

[Runrooster]

I had a productive cooking day and used up:

- bag of frozen berries
-jar of vitamin D (bought more)
-box of cereal used as granola on my yogurt
-4 cans of beans, 1 white onion, 2 peppers (hummus, chili), resisted urge to make dried beans, the onion came with some peppers, we buy red onions
-2 cans sardines, 1 lb pasta, jar capers, jar anchovies (pasta puttanesca, a recipe I've had on my list for years)
-also cut up one pineapple, which I didn't know are an Easter special,  of the 3 I bought.
-today I made cornbread, another flour my sister gave me.  My Mom had 2 pieces!

I did think about buying coconut milk, but it was $3 where I usually get it at $1. I have too many other veg anyway so not the week for pumpkin soup.

I don't really WANT to get to pantry zero or just-in-time shopping; I stock up on pantry supplies when they go on sale and fill in with fruits veg protein otherwise.  The difference in cost is surprising; my Mom thinks so what, $3 regular price  goes on sale for $2.50; I'm regularly able to stack sale and coupon to get something for 1/4 of the price, like the coconut milk, oatmeal, pasta.  This week I picked up fancy cheese that my Mom liked.  With most of our Indian food staples, the price is pretty set, so it's weird how much it varies in the American stores.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Additional progress over the past few days:
-Defrosted a container of carnitas that had been in the freezer forever. We didn't like it on the first go round, so I'm not sure if I was thinking the freezer might improve the flavor? ;-) I decided yesterday was the day. I added additional seasoning & broiled it to crisp it up. I had mine over salad, and DS19 (my least picky eater) turned his into tacos. That helped use up grated cheese, salsa & some tortillas that also needed to go.
-DH isn't a fan of carnitas, so he had the last of the chicken wings, as well as the last piece of kebab.
-Our fridge is again empty of leftovers, which is a great problem to have. I will sort out dinner for the guys in my crew, and I always eat a light dinner on Thursday night, as I teach an evening class. For me, that's typically: crackers, cheese, an apple & a handful of cashews. For them, I'll likely prep meatballs (freezer) + pasta & garlic bread. DH will warm it up before dinner.

[Josiecat22222]

finally finished off a large packet of cauliflower/quinoa pasta.  It was not a family favorite, hence it took a long time to work through it all.

Also gave myself permission to give away several spice blends that were gifted to me that we just don't care for.

Made homemade pizza with Italian sausage for DS which took another packet out of the freezer and DH finished a packet of Brats from the freezer as well.

Tonight will have leftover eggplant parmesan and homemade pizza which opens up even more freezer space.

[PMG]

I have a question for you all. I didn't think it really needed a new thread, I think that this thread might have good advice.

Veggie scrap broth. I see recommendations all the time to make broth from veggie scraps. Carrot peelings, celery ends, and so forth. But, I am removing those from my veg because they are dirty, or removing them removes the largest area of pesticide contact, so cooking them into broth makes no sense!  I don't want gritty pesticide broth?  What am I missing? I don't usually buy organic, but I do feel like root vegetables especially have less pesticide burden.

Confession: I don't always peel carrots.  I was taught you were supposed to but I really prefer with the skins on. Maybe I can just let that advice go, I feel like root vegetable is one of the safest when cleaned, and the advice on organics is rather dubious.

Any feedback for me or resources to point to? I did a google search of course but didn't turn up much of use.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

@PMG - no great advice. I typically make chicken broth and compost veggie scraps.

Speaking of chicken broth, I made a great recipe this week (Southwest Chicken Skillet from Budget Bytes) & it was super easy. Used a rotisserie chicken, and took the leftover bones to make chicken broth. Used some in the recipe (I made a double batch because we were supposed to have 4 additional teens, and then it ended up just being me & DH, because #teens) & froze the rest. Meanwhile, unexpected teens did show up another night, and we ran out of Philly Cheese steaks, which are also really delicious, but messy to make on the griddle.

-I used strawberries from the garden in a large fruit salad, to add additional options when we had bonus guests
-Used lettuce, peppers & basil (all from garden) in salads
-Used jalapeno & cilantro to make guacamole to go with the Southwest Chicken Skillet (above)
-Used the peppers leftover from Philly Cheese steak night to make fajitas for tonight (Cinco de Mayo). Mostly because a lot of Mexican themed items were on sale at the store
-DS19 forgot to pack a lunch today on his first day of work, so I busted out a few of my emergency snacks that probably need to be used anyway, plus an Uncrustable from the freezer (origins unknown). I'm guessing he will be much more motivated to make himself lunch tomorrow. ;-)

[Runrooster]

I don't want gritty pesticide broth?  What am I missing?

Veggie broth is more hassle than it's worth to me.  You have to clean the onions, carrots, celery, etc.  And they don't have that much flavor.  With meat broths, you're pulling the collagen out of the bone.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

We've been doing a good job of eating all of our food. DS19 had had dinner guests both nights this week, which helped use things up.
1) Made a triple batch of guacamole, which is all gone.
2) About 2/3 done with the Southwest Chicken Skillet, thanks to bonus dinner guests
3) DS19 has been making sandwiches for lunch, using up the two pack of bread DH bought at Costco.
4) We've now used up all three of the origins unknown Uncrustable, given that DS19 took them as extra lunch. I also sent him with random snacks that we've been trying to use up.

We will eat the rest of the leftover fajitas tonight, but sadly, no more guacamole.

I do need to start working on the two bagged salads, and find some protein to go with it.

[PMG]

Thanks for the bit of input on vegetable broth!  "more hassle than it's worth" is what I was thinking, too. We eat soup pretty often and if there are odd things hanging around they get tossed in the soup, so in essence I'm making broth there.

I haven't made bone broth in years.  I keep thinking I should now that I have learned my instant pot.

Thanks again

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Thanks for the bit of input on vegetable broth!  "more hassle than it's worth" is what I was thinking, too. We eat soup pretty often and if there are odd things hanging around they get tossed in the soup, so in essence I'm making broth there.

I haven't made bone broth in years.  I keep thinking I should now that I have learned my instant pot.

Thanks again

I also find vegetable broth to be a hassle, with the result typically being a low flavor broth anyway.  When I make soups suitable for those following a plant based diet, I based them on beans or lentils, or I use something like miso.  So a vegan “creamy” potato soup gets lots of flavor from miso and tahini (to make it creamy).  Legumes create a broth with body while cooking the soup.  Like you, I don’t want to be making pesticide broth.

My system went way out of whack due to IBD flares and I was reacting to many foods with allergic symptoms, including chicken.  I’m hoping to give it a try again, as chicken broth is something I really miss.   These days I’m the only one in the house who will eat chicken broth, so when I do make it I start with a whole chicken, Alice Waters style.  After an hour of cooking I take out the chicken and remove the breasts and the easier to remove leg meat, then continue cooking the broth, adding onion at this point.  I’m not a fan of dark meat, but can use it for the dogs, and they shouldn’t have onion.  I save adding garlic for when I’m actually making a soup so it doesn’t get funky in the broth.

I honestly find beef bone broth to be a big hassle to make, and expensive.  I just use chicken broth in beef pot roast, and I save any beef drippings/juices to use in gravy.

[fuzzy math]

I think the other stress about the pumpkin soup is whether to make a version I'll like (thai curry, coconut milk, peanut butter),

Please share your recipe! I have those items in my pantry and am always up for a curry type soup

[Runrooster]

I think the other stress about the pumpkin soup is whether to make a version I'll like (thai curry, coconut milk, peanut butter),

Please share your recipe! I have those items in my pantry and am always up for a curry type soup

https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/10-minute-thai-peanut-butter-pumpkin-soup/

[Dutch Comfort]

Getting back on track here. The fridge is looking good and is in good shape. Not much needing attention. The pantry and freezer on the other side...... WHAAAAA..... these are overflowing. I have to organise these, to get to a decent menu-plan for the next weeks. There are a lot of leftovers, which I need to feed to the teens. Things to incorporate (from what I could see on the surface..... I have not done a deep-dive in the pantry):
- taco shells
- beans/corn cans
- milk (DH uses this to make his morning coffee, I stocked up when they had a good deal)
- snacks
- tea

And the main thing is that I should first check inventory before grocery shopping (insert facepalm).

[Dutch Comfort]

My freezer is now officially overflowing (I had to use the spare freezer, which I'm always trying to avoid). So I really have to start incorporating items into the menu and refuse any new additions. Too many leftovers in there. It's almost lunchtime here, so I will start by digging in and find some lunch for me today.

[Josiecat22222]

Bonus freezer is now down to 30% capacity.  Goal is to zero it out before DS heads to college at the end of summer.  Prioritizing eating the "bulkiest" items (looking at you, chicken wings....) so that we can fully empty it out and unplug it.

Similarly eating down the pantry...this is a harder challenge as pantry items are generally dried beans, grains etc and slower to consume, but slowly making headway there, too. 

Learning how to shop and cook for two is going to be an ongoing challenge.  Teenage boys are garbage disposals.

[Poundwise]

I'm also trying to eat down freezer food so we can defrost our fridge and chest freezer for the first time in years.  I have some frozen bananas and can make banana bread, but what does one do with frozen plantains??