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  • Becki We've been trying hard not to waste food here. I'm so proud of managing to a) finish off a bunch of leftovers and b) satisfy various picky appetites without having to cook three different meals that I had to post.
    Last night we had marinated flank steak. There was some of that left over, but not enough to make an entree. There was also some baby carrots, spinach and mixed greens left from last week's salad ingredients, along with bleu cheese bought for our Valentine's dinner. Last but not least, there was half a bag of corkscrew pasta--again, not enough for an entree for the whole family.
    Here's how the meal shook out:
    South Beach Dieting Mama: Mixed greens salad with sliced flank steak, bleu cheese and balsamic vinaigrette
    Picky Vegetarian-wannabe Girl: Pasta and baby carrots (with some cheese for protein)
    Eat-anything-except-most-vegetables growing boy: Sliced flank steak, pasta, and baby carrots
    Hard-working Dad: Pasta tossed with sauteed spinach, sliced flank steak, and bleu cheese.
    Nobody's dinner is actually all that interesting except for my husband's, but I was still pleased that everyone got a dinner they liked, the fridge got cleaned out, and I didn't have to do any extra work.

    about 1 year ago - Comment

    • Brandie Very, very impressive! I am working on cleaning out all food items from my fridge this week - I hope I can be half as good as you were with this dinner! =)

      about 1 year ago

  • YvonneMoss



    http://yvonnemoss.blogspot.com/2010/01/cheapest-stain-remover-you-will-ever.html



    It might be in your pantry already.
    Club Soda is great to keep on hand for emergencies.
    Pour some into a clean spray bottle.  It doesn't matter
    that it will go flat.  The beautiful thing about club soda
    is that you can use it on silk and other delicate fabrics that would
    otherwise leave a ring while removing the stain. 

    After Christmas,  my husband and I went to a wonderful wedding. 
    We had a great time but his tie and my dress didn't fair as well.
    Photos show before and after of both.  (I can't seem to figure out
    how to load them in the order I want, sorry).
    You can see in the photo how saturated the silk tie is and it dried
    perfectly clean.  Don't be afraid to really wet it.  Then just use a
    clean cotton cloth to rub and then absorb the wetness. 

    So there you have it.  All clean!
    .

    You can also use this for carpet stains like coffee, juice and wine. 
    The key is to not blot first.  Just ADD your club soda, use your
    fingers or a brush to rub it all around and THEN sop it up.  You are
    then thinning the stain out before soaking it up.  If you blot first,
    the stain actually becomes more concentrated and will be harder to
    remove.  After blotting, leave a towel over the stain to remove all the
    moisture.  Remove the towel when it is wet.  Place down another dry
    towel if the carpet is still wet.
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZFbNAvQC2IY/S0Hv1fdbMuI/AAAAAAAABUk/aE9lpKqeTKI/s1600-h/IMG_0556.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZFbNAvQC2IY/S0HvtUKbcdI/AAAAAAAABUc/_vllgc5AqSM/s1600-h/IMG_0384.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZFbNAvQC2IY/S0Hvn_dz2xI/AAAAAAAABUU/-OR2FdHWe8E/s1600-h/IMG_0557_2.jpg
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZFbNAvQC2IY/S0HwkkD663I/AAAAAAAABVE/-AXmjCHCuVY/s1600-h/IMG_0389.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZFbNAvQC2IY/S0HwZ3jqQbI/AAAAAAAABU8/WzVzk3GisQ8/s1600-h/IMG_0385.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZFbNAvQC2IY/S0HwGzROpcI/AAAAAAAABUs/IF2M2op5mnw/s1600-h/IMG_0393_2.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZFbNAvQC2IY/S0HwQGTkdHI/AAAAAAAABU0/REMYtUfP0Qg/s1600-h/IMG_0391.jpg

    over 2 years ago - Comment

  • Cooper Some fabulous ideas here! Click link above to see the full slide show.

    http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/07/13/health/nutrition/20090713_RFHPANTRY_index.html

    over 2 years ago - Comment

    • Brandie Oh I so need to do this - maybe next week I'll clean it out. I did a lot over the weekend, but didn't make it to the pantry!

      over 2 years ago

  • Becki Grocery shoppers beware: It's likely that a few of the items in your cart should have been removed from the shelves because they were past the expiration date.

    Lab tests reveal some nutritional facts are not always exact. But chances are you won't know that because in most states expiration dates aren't required, and where dating is mandatory it is inconsistent and confusing.

    And that's just for the highly perishable items like poultry and dairy products. You may need a guidebook to decipher the expiration code on a can of beans, but according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, no such book exists.

    Community volunteers working with the University of Southern California found that the problem is particularly acute in lower income, inner city areas, where they found at least one expired product on every third visit to the market.



    http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/DyeHard/eat-expired-food/story?id=8765766&cid=yahoo_pitchlist

    over 2 years ago - Comment

    • Heidi Leanne I've eaten tons of expired foods (nothing perishable like dairy or meats) and have never gotten sick. I worked in Alaska fishing for a month and all the food that was cooked was expired (but was all boxed and canned). Probably the worst food I've eaten health wise, but we never got sick. :)

      over 2 years ago

    • Brandie Hmm ... I know we've eaten expired food, but only when it's close to the expiration date and depending on what it is. I have gotten home and realized I've brought home expired items in my bags. I admit, I'm the PITA who returns them to the store. Once we brought something home nad opened it and OMG - nasty inside - like it was all fuzzy and gross. I still can't buy that product. I just can't. Hubz buys it, no problem and offers to share and even though I can visually see what he's eating is fine, I can not will my mouth to eat it LOL!

      over 2 years ago

  • kmb15 My favorite Emergency Meal that uses items from the pantry and/or fridge!!

    http://www.thenaptimechef.com/2009/05/napping-after-road-trip-emergency-meal_28.html

    And Soyaki Chicken Thighs! http://www.thenaptimechef.com/2009/04/napping-in-soyaki-emergency-meal-4.html

    over 2 years ago - Comment

    • Becki I will have to check these out. I'm no longer a naptime chef; I'm a "while the kids are vegging to PBS after school" chef now!

      over 2 years ago

  • http://karenbc Summer time means cooking outdoors! Here is a easy recipe bringing and indoor meal outside ;) Enjoy and Happy Summer!

    http://karenbcookingmadeeasy.blogspot.com

    over 2 years ago - Comment

  • Cooper Ideas http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/cooking-up-the-food-in-the-cupboards/ on cooking up what you have in your pantry and fridge. See recipes http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/cooking-up-the-food-in-the-cupboards/ .

    over 2 years ago - Comment

  • Honey23 If you haven't worn it in a year!!! Get rid of it! If you've had it in your refrigerator for more than 2 weeks, nine times out of 10 you will not ever eat it! get rid of it. Most of the times you'll see some funky plant growing out of it anyways, hey maybe you've just discovered a new scientific cure for some strange disease!!! Take care ladies

    over 2 years ago - Comment

  • Cass by the way I HATE this picture here ;)

    over 2 years ago - Comment

  • Cass Ok, confession time. I ALWAYS wanted a pantry, now I have one but I can't use it because its full of CRAP, granted there are 6 of us in what is technically a 1 bedroom apartment but the Japanese make it work...so I'm hoping you Gals will help me :)

    over 2 years ago - Comment

    • View all 3 comments

    • Cass NOPE, its crap crap, that there isn't room for anywhere else, unfortunately and its gonna be a bear to clean it out. Its not food!!

      over 2 years ago

    • Brandie This is a Peter Walsh idea (whom by the way I LOVE and would LOVE for him to come to my house and declutter it with me LOL). Anyway, put all that stuff in a box (or two or 3 depending on how many you need) and set a time limit (usually 6 months of a year). When you need it, pull it out. At the end of the set time, whatever is still in the box(es) gets donated. If you haven't used it by then, you don't need it. Maybe you could try that and see if it can help you figure out what to get rid of?

      over 2 years ago

  • AmberLynn I meant to get on here a while ago and say this, but I've just been so exhausted. I was SO excited to receive my HUGE basket of goodies the other day. It was just about the best "house warming" gift we received. I've even been able to put a lot of the goodies to use with meals I've made since then- including the dessert I'm making tonight (Peach Upside Down cake using a can of peach slices). Thank you SO much!

    over 2 years ago - Comment

  • Deborah A packaged arrived here today. For me. Big too. I opened it and low and behold a giant basket with canned goods and pantry items. The winnings from the Pantry Challenge. So nice, but the nicest thing was the donation to our local food bank in my name. So AWESOME! Thanks!

    over 2 years ago - Comment

    • View all 5 comments

    • Emily Congratulations, everyone!!!!!! That is sooo cool! The Challenged changed my approach to meal planning and shopping too, and I LOVE that!!! Thank you Becki for dreaming this up!!!!

      over 2 years ago

    • Cooper Way to go ladies!!!!!! That is wonderful. Becki, you made all this happen! Thank you.

      over 2 years ago

  • Emily By Jane Brody of http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/health/03brod.html?ref=health .Now may be a good time to bring back the basics — the nutritious and affordable foods that have been all but forgotten by many affluent families since http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/g/great_depression_1930s/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier .javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/03/02/health/03brody.ready.html',%20'03brody_ready',%20'width=413,height=600,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes') javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/03/02/health/03brody.ready.html',%20'03brody_ready',%20'width=413,height=600,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes') Yarek WaszulRelatedhttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/health/03brodyrecipes.html?ref=health (March 3, 2009)http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/columns/personalhealth/index.html http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/specialtopic/food-guide-pyramid/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier of stone soup or the cheap fat- and sugar-rich menus of the urban poor. But many people who once gave little thought to dining on steak, http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/lobsters/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier , asparagus, baby spinach or crème brûlée are now having to spend less on just about everything, including food.Those who have lost jobs may be able to turn some of their unwanted spare time toward the grocery and kitchen. Others, like families with two working parents or working single parents, have to carve out time to provide economical, nourishing meals.Not only is it possible, but it can improve the health and reduce the girth of Americans, regardless of socioeconomic status.A Little Effort Goes a Long Way“We need to look at real foods for real people, the foods that got us through the last depression,” said Adam Drewnowski, an epidemiologist at the http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/university_of_washington/index.html?inline=nyt-org ’s Center for Public Health Nutrition. “We must avoid the temptation to turn to cheap, empty http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/nutrition/diet-calories/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier  — the refined grains, added sugars and added fats that give you the most calories you can get for your food dollar.”Instead, Dr. Drewnowski said, “there are many foods that are affordable and nutrient-rich and not loaded with empty calories.”And eating for good health does not have to mean eating less. “If you have equal portions of foods that are nutrient-dense, you will end up eating fewer calories,” he said.  (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/health/03brod.html?ref=health )

    over 2 years ago - Comment

    • View all 3 comments

    • Brandie Great article! And powdered milk in cooking - you can't taste a difference. And if you really need to stretch the milk money, you can actually take a gallon of milk, split it in half and fill the rest of the gallon up with milk made from powdered milk and no one in the family should be able to tell the difference. Dh and I talked about doing that once. And a few weeks later he asked me if we were going to start. Yeah, I already had and he had NO clue. Kind of funny. We haven't used that trick in a while though!

      over 2 years ago

    • taragl Excellent article. After trending toward nutritious, locally-grown food while times were flush, I'm afraid too many people will swing back toward cheap-looking, processed foods as the economy trends down.It amazes me that some people will pay $4 for a box of Oreos, not realizing that a savvy shopper can make an entire dinner for that much money.

      over 2 years ago

  • Brandie Originally Posted by Brandie in Healthy Moms, Healthy FamiliesTonight was a mix and match dinner - I grabbed what I had and put it all together - pasta cooked, then threw in tuna, milk, butter and left-over shredded cheese. I didn't bake it so technically I don't know if it's a casserole, but I cooked the pasta and added the rest as you would for mac n' cheese. Everyone liked it and it was a cheap, quick, easy meal (which was good since I planned dinner a whole 5 minutes before I had to cook! LOL!)

    over 2 years ago - Comment

  • Becki Last night's triumph: I had bought some tofu for a recipe that, on second look, was way too much work. So I found another recipe in the Moosewood cookbook for "Simple Baked Tofu." Basically, you press the tofu for 15 minutes (put it on a plate with another plate on top, weight down the top plate with a heavy book, and drain off the liquid after 15 minutes). Then you cut the tofu into 3/4" cubes and marinate it in 3-4 Tbsp. of soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. oil, and a clove of garlic that's been minced or pressed. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the tofu and marinade in a lightly oiled baking dish and bake it for about a half-hour, tossing occasionally, until lightly chewy. I wilted some spinach that was beginning to wilt on its own and boiled some udon noodles I'd had since forever, and tossed the whole mess together. My husband loved it all, my son loved the tofu and noodles, and Miss Picky didn't get to weigh in because she fell asleep before dinner.

    over 2 years ago - Comment

  • catalystmom so today's creative dish was a green lentil and pasta dish with alfredo.



    * Take 2 cups of cooked spiral, tri-colored pasta (cook per instructions, drain, toss in olive oil)

    * Take 1 cup of green lentils (green daal) that is soaked overnight and cooked till soften and toss it in with the spiral pasta

    * Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup (to taste) of bottled Ragu Alfredo Sauce (or any other brand)

    * Add 1 - 2 tsps of each: dry or fresh basil, parsley, garlic, black pepper and then add a touch of salt if needed for extra flavor boost (salt helps other spices blossom in flavor)



    Heat all the items above in the microwave in a bowl for about 2-3 more minutes so that all the flavors can infuse and blend into the pasta.



    Serve with fresh veggies or other side and you have a protein packed quick lunch or dinner that looks pretty too with the tri-color pasta spirals and on a cold winter day like today the alfredo was the right amount of cheesy richness our family needed after clearing a long drive of snow and playing on the sled. (I took an unexpected Monday mid-day break to enjoy the snow with my toddler and both of us finished this dish quickly at lunch).



    P.S. Any pasta will do and any lentil or canned bean would probably be fine too -- the key is to mix pasta, cheese based sauce, lentils or protein to please the taste buds



    Kaushika

    kaushika@catalysttea.com

    over 2 years ago - Comment

    • View all 3 comments

    • Becki That sounds different and delicious.

      over 2 years ago

    • Brandie that sounds yummy!

      over 2 years ago

  • catalystmom Hi -- I continued the process this week -- it's actually fun working from the pantry -- thoug hI am going to the store tomorrow to replesh fruits, veggies and milk/eggs/juice supplies.

    Some of the quick recipes I tried this week:
    * 9 bean soup from a pre-pack of ready mixed beans
    * mixed veggies/daal/rice as a casserole dish with yogurt curry as a side
    * "rajma" - which is an Indian dish made of kidney beans, spices, tomato, etc.
    * simple desserts - cut up fruits, breads and served with a Catalyst Tea Enhancer infused Hershey's Chocolate Syrup dip
    * Made pancakes twice for breakfast (banana and chocolate chip for variety)
    * Made egg sandwiches from croissants I had frozen and fresh mini omelettes
    * Served as a snack a couple of times, veggies with ranch dip
    * Made a mixture of nuts and roasted them, spiced them up for a snack item
    * Made a plate of lasgna with white beans & spinach and tomato sauce with spices
    * Soaked green lentils - cooked till softened. Served them in mashed potatoes and sprinkled on salads for protein addition to meals

    It was fun to keep the process going -- can't wait to figure out more recipes this week. Thanks for inspiring the idea - it's added variety to our daily meal routine -- though next week when mom and dad come to town I will let my mother take over the kitchen happily and make her yummy indian veggies dishes for all of us.

    kaushika
    kaushika@catalysttea.com

    over 2 years ago - Comment

    • View all 4 comments

    • Emily That's SO EXCITING!!! You'lll have to plan a party here when you're ready!!!

      over 2 years ago

    • Becki I agree with Emily, your recipe combinations are inspired and inspiring!

      over 2 years ago

  • AmberLynn I hear you on continuing the challenge! I still haven't had to go shopping yet.

    Honestly, though, this is kind of a normal thing for me and my family. When you don't have a large budget, you have to find ways to make do- get creative. Anytime we're about to go to the store, the first thing we always do is check out our pantry and then check out our cookbooks to see what we can make using most -if not all- the items. Its one less thing we'll have to purchase and a lot of times it makes our dinners less boring.

    over 2 years ago - Comment

    • Becki It should be a normal kind of thing, for everyone. Unless there's a need to stockpile groceries, going out and buying more when you already have plenty at home is just a recipe for waste.

      over 2 years ago

    • AmberLynn Yeah, it really can be a waste unless there's a major sale on something you can freeze. We've "stock piled" -if you will- before and SO MUCH of it expired before we ever got the chance to use it. It was sad, really. It made me literally sick to throw away everything we had to toss.

      over 2 years ago

  • taragl After using up so many ingredients which have been hanging around for far too long, I'm continuing on with the challenge throughout March. I have some turkeys which I picked up for a steal after Thanksgiving, many cans of corn, and lots of random pantry items, like sugar-free white chocolate mousee mix (?).
     
    The easiest thing to get rid of will be the frozen hot dog rolls that I never used up last summer and couldn't bear to throw out. They're going to feed the chickens today!

    over 2 years ago - Comment

    • Becki Woo hoo! We've started a revolution here. I know I'm planning the coming week's meals around what I still have in my pantry...which is plenty. I am so blessed to have such an amount of food, and now I'm determined NOT to let it go to waste.

      over 2 years ago

    • Cooper Way to go! I was wondering if I should do the same. I too have the remains of very random, but potentially fun options in my bare, bare pantry. BTW, did you see one of our members, Freckles posted a video of her chickens yesterday? I think if you search Freckles you should find her. I'll look for it and message you!

      over 2 years ago

  • catalystmom Some more quick recipe ideas that were inspired by the challenge that we enjoyed during the week:

    1) Peanut Butter -- good quick snack ideas
    * on a celery wedge or slice
    * on crackers
    * in a mini sandwich for a snack
    * on apple slices as a snack

    2) Cream Cheese -
    * on celery or other veggies as a filling / topping (add black pepper or other savory jam to the cream cheese for a burst of flavor before using with veggies)
    * on crackers with jams or olives for sweet and savory quick snacks

    3) Frozen Spinach -
    * Easy way to turn ordinary tomato can soup gourmet -- throw in a 1/2 cup and spice up with a veggie boullion and some croutons
    * Mixed in with lentil dishes to give an earthy new twist to traditional indian curry recipes
    * Mixed with ready made spice mix (for soup) and sour cream for a flavorful veggie dip
    * As a filling for lasagna - we made a huge tray on Th night that we still enjoy this week by freezing half the tray

    * Canned Tomatos -
    * Made homemade pizza sauce for pizza made from frozen pastry rolls - simply flavor a 32 oz can with olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, garlic to taste -- microwave the canned sauce and spices for 2-3 minutes before using in recipes to infuse the tomato sauce with the intended flavors

    * Pasta, Pasta, Pasta -
    * we made cold sesame noodles with peanut butter used as a base for an asian noodle side dish
    * gave our basic spagetti a litle twist by mixing alfredo sauce with tomato sauce for a "rose' style sauce"
    * Made farfalle pasta (that I had forgotten I even had in the pantry) and added frozen peas, butter, spices and the alfredo/tomato sauce mixture above for a fun new pasta main dish

    The Falafels were good and I used them to create surrogate "veggie burgers" by using the falafel patty as the "meat" in a low cal flat pita bread round and added in shredded lettuce, ranch, onions, tomato slices and some hummus for flavor.

    * Chocolate Syrup (Hershey's in our case)
    * makes a great quick fondue dip (especially as I have the added benefit of having my Catalyst Tea Enhancer blends on hand to made gourmet infused flavors for our dips)
    * great on everything from waffles to bananas to make everyday a little fun
    * made hot cocoa with it by heating milk with about a tablespoon of syrup added in
    * ate it straight out of the spoon a couple of times (see what happens when you rediscover some of the secrets of your pantry :) - the hershey syrup was probably best left forgotten my toddler and I had more "dessert" last week than most weeks given my determination to try out new uses for it as I did with many other "ingredients".

    We also cooked things like frozen french fries, frozen cheese sticks and other items as sides to some of the meals - especially for my son who loves anything rich and cheesy like any toddler does -- but he did seem to miss his salads and I was excited to see that this week he gobbled up fresh broccoli, carrots and cucumbers dipped in ranch dressing with as much glee as he ate the starchy meals of last week when we tried to avoid the extra run to the grocery store and by end of week it was definitely a canned and frozen adventure.

    This week - eating lighter but did stay inspired and pulling more canned items and dried beans and lentils from the pantry. Made a healthy 9 bean soup Monday. Cooked up two more curries and dals this week and fresh pot of rice for the week. Created a mixed frozen veggie rice dish and a yellow curry made from yogurt and chick pea flour. But also bought tons of fresh berries, bannanas, strawberries, apples, oranges, veggies and more and enjoying the crunch of fresh items along with the canned.

    Key lessons:
    * You can cook creatively using mostly canned and frozen items -- but it more satisfying when you can balance both fresh and pantry ingredients in creating menus and we definitely are using less oil and fat in our cooking this week with the addition of more fresh ingredients.

    * Working with canned and frozen items does save time -- took me usually less than 30 minutes to make most meals last week whereas this week it's taking a bit longer for some meals but still lots of easy quick fresh snacks and meals too

    * The challenge taught me to appreciate the value of items we already have -- a basic principle that applies well beyond the pantry I think in these times where many families are struggling -- it made me appreciate and want to use what I have and count our blessings as I thought of the canned food drives and organizations that could better use many of the extra items in our cabinets -- so an appointment to the local food bank is in order when I have a moment.

    Anyway -- I hope this is helpful and that some of the recipe ideas help you enjoy some new meal ideas made from your pantry as we did last week.

    Kaushika
    kaushika@catalysttea.com

    over 2 years ago - Comment

    • Emily What a helpful, inspiring summation!!! And I agree with you wholeheartedly that the reminder that we have so much and there are so many people who are in need is so timely. After reading here earlier about today's Oprah segment, I have it on now and Lisa Ling is visiting homeless shelters and tent cities where people who last year were middle class and now are homeless and are living is so devastating. Thanks for this great post and the message underpinning it all!!!

      over 2 years ago

    • Cooper What an AMAZING round-up of recipe "lessons" learned. Thank you so much Kaushika for sharing this with us!!!!!!!!!!!!

      over 2 years ago

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