With less than a week left in January, this post is a little late, but I’m going to continue the challenge into February. I’ve got a lot more stuff lurking in the pantry and freezer that I’d like to use up. So how have you all been doing?
I haven’t come up with any creative new recipes or anything. But here’s what we’ve been eating…
Vegetables. I’m on a roasting kick, and I’m sticking just about anything in the oven, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper, and other spices depending on the vegetable. Our current favorites are brussels sprouts, or a cauliflower/broccoli mix, and those both taste delicious tossed with cumin. Another favorite is sweet potato, cut into wedges or sticks, and that one tastes good with thyme. Regular potatoes are great tossed with rosemary. And roasting with olive oil is quite healthy as well as being delicious. If you’re the type who mostly steams vegetables or sticks them in the microwave, I encourage you to try this. This morning I woke up to a note from my husband, thanking me for the vegetables. 🙂
Pumpkin pie, for a sweet tooth. I had all the ingredients in the pantry, it took about ten minutes to put together, and it smelled delicious coming out of the oven. Voila! Dessert or a snack for several days. Also relatively healthy compared to some other sweet treats.
Kale chips for a salty snack. I didn’t buy any packaged potato chips, and on top of saving money, these are delicious and much healthier. Just chop up kale leaves after discarding the stem, toss with olive oil and apple cider vinegar, and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes, toss again, and bake another 10 or 12 minutes. They should be browned and crispy. Toss with sea salt. My husband loves these!
Canned meat, including sardines, tuna, and salmon. Mix canned salmon with an egg, bread crumbs, and some garlic or dill, and pan fry for a tasty dinner with vegetables. We’ve also eaten tuna salad sandwiches, and I might still make tuna casserole, a guilty pleasure from childhood.
Curry chicken uses up vegetables, tastes delicious, and just two large chicken breasts gives us 3 meals.
Random items in the freezer like Trader Joe’s potstickers, meatless meatballs for spaghetti, and leftover homemade chili.
One thing I was going to make was Mexican crockpot chicken, but I changed my mind and decided to wing it with ingredients on hand. We’ve got tons of lemons from two different friends, so I’m going to throw in lots of lemons, garlic, and rosemary from our yard into the pot and see how it comes out. I’ll let you know. I love the crockpot! It makes almost everything taste delicious.
If you’re in on the challenge, how is it going? What have you been eating? Have you come up with any new recipes? Please share in the Comments section.
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