tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9964782368054927942024-03-14T08:30:24.326-07:00Eat What You HaveAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-48310519977322958602016-07-12T08:39:00.000-07:002016-07-12T08:39:25.259-07:00Cooking AheadI have twice taken a day to cook, presumably "once a month" cooking, although I love cooking too much to relegate it to a monthly chore. However, when I am working full-time, I often don't enjoy cooking. I'm too tired, too distracted, have no margin for feeding people (and yet, they are not successfully weaned from food yet...).<br />
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The idea behind once a month cooking is to do all the chopping, all the browning of meat, all the washing up at once, which is more efficient. This is true. However, if you are like me, you can fall into the trap of Big or Nothing: if I am not functioning at the greatest efficiency, I shouldn't even try.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK12nmJrlD2HjcsW3gEXiV42-riJzAODM1XFU-cRkCiAjOtmkSkwm_p2RZfDOeXqXErhe94SFQigQERM081njRn8vUbg29xtjI_LRS1QV__x23Jq0ArM1S2wVTETKGidjVwTyehV3Mm7U/s1600/20160712_100911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK12nmJrlD2HjcsW3gEXiV42-riJzAODM1XFU-cRkCiAjOtmkSkwm_p2RZfDOeXqXErhe94SFQigQERM081njRn8vUbg29xtjI_LRS1QV__x23Jq0ArM1S2wVTETKGidjVwTyehV3Mm7U/s320/20160712_100911.jpg" width="320" height="240" /></a></div><br />
Last August (or maybe the year before), I took half a day to put away six meals, with the help of my friend Julie Duncan, who sells Pampered Chef. It was such a joy to have those meals available during the semester, and they blessed me when I prepared them for my family. Please note: if you put meals in the freezer, you must take them out and cook them for your family to eat. Do not waste your time and money. Eat what you have!<br />
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That said, Saturday night I was at loose ends. Sometimes, I will bake cookies or something when I am in this mood, but my waistline was not in favor of sweets, and I wasn't in the mood to bake muffins (which I also eat during the school year--hooray for "eat what you have" habits!). <br />
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So, at the odd time of 7:20pm, I went to Walmart and bought ingredients for three dinners. I came home, had enough energy to put two into my freezer, and today, I made the third. I used the time I had to do what I could, and sometime in the next three months, Future Me will smile at how Summer Me spent an evening cooking instead of playing Candy Crush.<br />
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I must admit, today, when I made the third freezer meal, I decided to go ahead and cook it, instead of freezing it. <a href="http://newleafwellness.biz/2015/08/27/crockpot-sweet-and-sour-bbq-meatballs/">Sweet and sour meatballs</a> for dinner, which used up an onion and two peppers I had bought for a black-eyed pea salad that I was avoiding making. Eat what you have. <br />
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New Leaf Wellness has some of my favorite freezer meals. The other two meals I put away were <a href="http://newleafwellness.biz/2014/10/06/crockpot-mexican-chili-cornbread-topping/">Mexican Chili with Cornbread Topping</a> and <a href="http://newleafwellness.biz/2015/08/04/5-healthy-crockpot-freezer-meals-made-with-fresh-tomatoes-in-75-min/">Beef Enchilada Stack</a> (because, of course, I was using up tomatoes I had on hand).<br />
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If you have time this summer, I hope you will clean out a shelf or two of your freezer. Future You will thank you.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-50793802684477048032015-06-22T11:09:00.000-07:002015-06-28T06:28:02.462-07:00Buy what you eatThis is not a new concept, but it is worth revisiting. One of the reasons that we have stockpiles of food in our pantry and freezer is because we do not buy what we eat. We buy in response to our fears or our culture: this is on sale, this looks pretty, this is someone else's good idea. <br />
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What could you do with 25% of your budget for food? If we Americans throw away one fifth to one fourth of what we buy, why aren't we more alarmed about reclaiming that cash? We're too busy, and we just don't think about it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpCjQm-YyYpWoiU4bmvqHzr6Iv6T1dJbxgUxKwhfMSuR0cvMl_pB6mTwh-L0BK4o1fRTbBsRtpdZkk63cG0o320CppWLisMS0h0fewJyHxvfRkWWLmfp7kcvPOnCbpKCBw8WYgXpuf2w/s1600/EWYH+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpCjQm-YyYpWoiU4bmvqHzr6Iv6T1dJbxgUxKwhfMSuR0cvMl_pB6mTwh-L0BK4o1fRTbBsRtpdZkk63cG0o320CppWLisMS0h0fewJyHxvfRkWWLmfp7kcvPOnCbpKCBw8WYgXpuf2w/s320/EWYH+photo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I have three items in this picture, representing three bad reasons to buy something--even if said item is on sale. The first is Starbucks Via. This iced coffee is fantastic. Because it so expensive, I don't drink it very often (plus, it really wires me. I think I have to drink hot coffee in the morning, so I only drink it in the afternoon. Lightbulb: I could drink it in the morning. Ah, I love this blog.). <br />
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But when I see it on sale, I think, "Oooh, I should buy that. It's such a treat, I'd love to have more on hand." I currently have 3 boxes, and I drink maybe one serving once a month. That means I currently have almost a year and a half of Via iced coffee. I either need to increase my consumption or <i>stop buying it.</i> Even if it's on sale. Really.<br />
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Even if they repackage it and it looks so adorable.<br />
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Resist.<br />
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The next item is the cocoa. This is a fantastic product from Melaleuca because it is delicious and has 5g of protein per serving (great balance, for diabetics as well as the rest of us). Just a sec: I need to go pour myself some more iced coffee. *hands a bit shaky*<br />
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I bought about 6 packages of the cocoa a while back when they were on sale. My youngest and I were ecstatic. Then, after a few months, we got really tired of cocoa. I still have 2 bags left. Save it till we think it's a good idea again? <br />
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Perhaps, before I buy such a great bargain, I should consider how many servings I'm purchasing. There is an actual financial loss, even if the item is on sale: save $2/package now, throw away two $8 packages later.<br />
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I bought some delicious bbq pork this spring; it comes in rather large packages. I should have repackaged it, but I was teaching and simply didn't have time. We ate so many bbq sandwiches when I thawed out the first package that now I can't stand the idea of eating it ever again. I have <i>four more</i>. I will have to intentionally offer to take it to the next church potluck, or wait for a funeral dinner, or have lots of hungry teens over.<br />
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If you buy some great bargain that you will get tired of, it isn't a great bargain.<br />
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Lastly, the baby carrots. I actually bought these for a potluck, but they represent those foods we purchase because we think we <i>should </i>be eating them. For example, if your family likes Rice-a-roni, but you think they <i>should </i>like a homemade risotto that you make with brown rice--well, it's a recipe you saw, you've never actually made it--so you buy a giant bag of brown rice that now sits accusingly in your pantry...who needs this kind of stress? Buy the Rice-a-roni.<br />
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Buy what you eat. <br />
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Consider your go-to recipes, those meals you make when you are too tired to cook. Mine include spaghetti (with jarred sauce), macaroni and cheese with a vegetable, and hamburgers and fries. Keep the ingredients for these staple items on hand. My daughters like quesadillas and pasta skillets and paninis; I buy ingredients that please them. My husband packs a lunch for work, and I eat alone if I am not working full time, events that can be planned for, allowing usable purchases.<br />
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I hope that you won't go shopping this evening. Go dig through your freezer. You probably even have time to make that complicated risotto recipe. It is possible that trying that recipe will make you appreciate Rice-a-roni all the more.<br />
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<i>Note: I tried to research the price of the cocoa from Melaleuca's site, and I apparently bought it way back. They don't even make it now, which is a shame. I mean, I personally am tired of it, but it is a great concept.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-38783024761105824542014-09-29T19:19:00.000-07:002014-09-29T19:19:39.643-07:00It's time...to get SAUCY!!!Hi, this is Lizzye, proud daughter of Angie. As I guest blog today, I wanna take you on a journey through your fridge. You probably have that fruit thing, a meat section, or a spot dedicated to cheese. But what about your side doors? Yeah, that's right, those aren't just for decoration, and they aren't just for storing all the things you don't use. Is it just me, or is there like 30 sauces and dressings that sit idly in those compartments crying out for the right to be used? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF2HsLAadx9x5Jm7QmA4UL9UWs31MdGKvjFrRBbNnNEJ_61U60T4rwtV73_WRUjuUaIozHqMLj5jcLc0R8Hi5qPTIZ1zRSGr-yf8NbLo9v5i3qlQoLCWAiQX_LYfT7OOvf3F8u5yyaSI/s1600/sauce+bottles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF2HsLAadx9x5Jm7QmA4UL9UWs31MdGKvjFrRBbNnNEJ_61U60T4rwtV73_WRUjuUaIozHqMLj5jcLc0R8Hi5qPTIZ1zRSGr-yf8NbLo9v5i3qlQoLCWAiQX_LYfT7OOvf3F8u5yyaSI/s320/sauce+bottles.jpg" /></a></div><br />
So, now your thinking, I don't use them, but I don't need to. I'll save them for when I'm having fries, or a salad. What you didn't know, is that sauces such as Ketchup, Mustard, BBQ, or even hot sauce can go bad. You can save them for a magical moment, pull them out stir the gross oily mixture up and suffer the smell, or you can start using sauces before they turn into something that resembles a melted McDonald's shake. <br />
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The first problem with sauce is that you assume they have to go ON something, when in fact a lot of sauces can go IN something. The other problem is that each sauce has one item tied to it like life depends on that combination. Ketchup = fries. Salsa = chips, Hot sauce = wings, BBQ = ribs, Dressing = salad, etc. Those are popular because they're yummy, not because they are the only combination possible. <br />
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Do you have that weird friend who puts ranch on fries, or hot sauce on onion rings? Shhh, I don't need to hear their name. I'm actually going to tell you THAT THEY ARE NOT THAT WEIRD, THEY ARE INGENIOUS. Don't be afraid to put a sauce on a food where it "doesn't belong." A sauce is never somewhere it doesn't belong, so stop thinking it is. That kind of thinking will accumulate sauces faster than chocolate accumulates women. <br />
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I personally like Asiago Caesar dressing on tortillas. And onion rings. Now step back to when I said sauces can go IN things not just ON them. That is where the search engine is your friend because there are countless recipes that include significant amounts of a sauce as an ingredient. So plug in a sauce to your search bar, get off this page and go get saucy in your kitchen! Lizzye out, keep up for more great ideas with Angie, a wonderful loving mom.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-52097163883587437942014-09-28T07:27:00.001-07:002014-09-28T07:27:43.338-07:00Building a new habitThis semester has been insanely busy for me: a new job, full (FULL) days teaching at my old job, helping my recent high school grad look for a job, and the baby finally taking her moment in the spotlight of busy. It feels like I never have time to breathe. I am definitely falling behind in laundry and housecleaning.<br />
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However, we're not ordering out. I go to the grocery store about once a week, because I don't have time to think about food. I am using up meats in the freezer, still ordering produce every other week, and cooking freezer meals that I had the foresight to put together before the craziness set in. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPz9a8oEpPpPRY3G7uujwHekTaXmnU8iyEECVB61IQUxORviKOBXUeZL-JaJ04liekSJngufTKNG-bYM13s4ww6rQDFb6gLLeYSwj0Ecv5cfutZO20Gsrx0V4LrtsLr3PGcU4EGnWYw18/s1600/scones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPz9a8oEpPpPRY3G7uujwHekTaXmnU8iyEECVB61IQUxORviKOBXUeZL-JaJ04liekSJngufTKNG-bYM13s4ww6rQDFb6gLLeYSwj0Ecv5cfutZO20Gsrx0V4LrtsLr3PGcU4EGnWYw18/s320/scones.jpg" /></a></div>I have been out of biscuits for the past week. However, I had spent a little time making up vanilla scones from a mix that was shoved in the pantry...and I've just been eating those instead of the beloved biscuits. I know from the summer that I can survive without them. <br />
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I have planned carefully to have leftovers on nights that I am going to be tired, but there have still been times that meals have snuck up on me: "What?? People need to eat? Didn't we just do this??" I have overcome all of my gourmet expectations: we eat what we have. Grilled cheese, an odd mixture of foods that the girls wanted but now won't finish, etc. <br />
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The other day, I put on our "eat up" list some frozen fried ravioli that my middle child used to like. It had been in the freezer for over a month, and I thought, hey, it's not the most healthy, but it could be a side to a soup, and it would no longer take up space on the bread shelf. (You know, pasta is bread. Even when stuffed with beef and fried.) Then one evening I walk into the kitchen to find her (the one that bought it, the one that then turned her nose up at it) finishing off the ravioli with marinara dipping sauce (which was also cleaning out a jar in the fridge). Who knew! Even my picky children are adapting to our new lifestyle.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7DF-xeIakPpNShxj0Q0JVpCMLLi6crFjZlHzGhQvrNr_1QTKvkcjicQvoMW7zCn4yRJb3qRAKtZF5rvZqdxLTzQNpEwOvP9rPu8ivdZQ8LupK58Dh7g0AZmQWQVVmo6EpM9tRhxMyn0/s1600/Bonnie+sunflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7DF-xeIakPpNShxj0Q0JVpCMLLi6crFjZlHzGhQvrNr_1QTKvkcjicQvoMW7zCn4yRJb3qRAKtZF5rvZqdxLTzQNpEwOvP9rPu8ivdZQ8LupK58Dh7g0AZmQWQVVmo6EpM9tRhxMyn0/s320/Bonnie+sunflower.jpg" /></a></div><i>photo courtesy of Bonnie Camp</i><br />
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The time that I took in July contemplating how we eat and seeking something simpler (not only in effort, but in emotion and expectations) has blessed us in both our finances and my stress levels.<br />
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The change was contemplated and implemented during a time of rest. The blessing has come during a time of stress. Note that you could not create the change in a time of stress--you're too stressed! But using wisdom in the quieter seasons pays off when things get crazy. <br />
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I also think it's significant that I only worked on one area this summer. I didn't try to conquer my whole life: just the kitchen. Next summer, I could pick the housework, or fitness.<br />
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I don't know about you, but I'm already looking forward to summertime. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-64450980962412214352014-08-18T08:05:00.001-07:002014-08-18T08:05:27.673-07:00Eat What You've StoredWe've all read the stories from someone at the end of their life who wishes they had used the fine china, worn the pretty negligee, or skipped the occasional day of work.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTL_H2b0d6KpG9lqLiFuprYvrbVImu-kNEJqAAXSrsGa_UzaWQR9KC6j5oaNOIbJX5NTLit1LbXONB8d0i860fqFZHMtAaBaOyFNTefrJwEFrQNVq6O4iSUK-mu3MnjI-Q6_b9yfSi4Ag/s1600/fine+china.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTL_H2b0d6KpG9lqLiFuprYvrbVImu-kNEJqAAXSrsGa_UzaWQR9KC6j5oaNOIbJX5NTLit1LbXONB8d0i860fqFZHMtAaBaOyFNTefrJwEFrQNVq6O4iSUK-mu3MnjI-Q6_b9yfSi4Ag/s320/fine+china.jpg" /></a></div>Here's another thing that might be on your regret list: never eating the food you have stored.<br />
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I have taco soup in the freezer that I cleverly put back for good reason: the recipe made a lot of soup, and instead of getting thoroughly sick of eating it, I could store it so I would be appreciative some busy day in the unknown future.<br />
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It's still there. Have I had busy days since I froze it? Yes. How did I manage to feed the family? Chances are, we ordered pizza or I dashed to the store for something easy. Really?? What is the point of saving for a future that never qualifies as "busy"?<br />
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The other day, I used some red pepper that had only been in the freezer for two weeks. In fact, recently I used some cookies that had only been frozen for three days. Part of me was shocked: why did I save this if I'm only going to USE it?? But what is the crime in using something two days after freezing it instead of two months? <br />
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Using from your storage should be rewarding. This is the very purpose for which you are storing! The next time you are on a baking craze, you will know that future you will be appreciative. Future you will actually use the rolls, not hoard them. What if you made a cake for someone that went bad just because they thought it was too pretty to eat? You start to look like Miss Havisham from Great Expectations.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD04VEtpXGndJJrPUSeXC1zQA1nlog0LxBg0xtqNyf_EP9wPlZl-SwgO9jLwlEqTTBIIOZhr5XGm_Z51Pr7sEu3881bIbpcNCCYMSK7DtxO6sVw8Soo7zETwA__BWuvkybCiPrtQFDcUQ/s1600/havisham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD04VEtpXGndJJrPUSeXC1zQA1nlog0LxBg0xtqNyf_EP9wPlZl-SwgO9jLwlEqTTBIIOZhr5XGm_Z51Pr7sEu3881bIbpcNCCYMSK7DtxO6sVw8Soo7zETwA__BWuvkybCiPrtQFDcUQ/s320/havisham.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Instead of panicking as you eat the food in your freezer (What if I am in greater need sometime in the future and there's no soup in the freezer??), celebrate. You planned; you benefited. Might I suggest you serve it on your best china as well.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-77743843758248770052014-08-12T06:20:00.000-07:002014-08-12T06:20:00.133-07:00Be gourmetI had leftover hotdogs, for which I bought a can of saurkraut. If you had told me when I was a child that hot dogs with saurkraut and grilled onions would be one of my favorite meals, I would have thought you absolutely crazy. Saurkraut was the only item that caused our mom to take pity on us kids. Not only did we not have to "try some, you'll like it"--we got to eat at a small table in my brother's room, over the <i>hardwood floors</i>, just to escape the smell.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kPJYZjYwJjZd2hFb7GYLRVgk6hJU8J782OZtzqjX7Rz2lpb6M4JxtVMnEUgqelCfiRVsq2Pk20LGIEADmU9zKt6pwSUwt1V_MJPU21oDGXeKWfQIuWn3QgBaNRpFHcXlgIolygromf4/s1600/saurkraut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kPJYZjYwJjZd2hFb7GYLRVgk6hJU8J782OZtzqjX7Rz2lpb6M4JxtVMnEUgqelCfiRVsq2Pk20LGIEADmU9zKt6pwSUwt1V_MJPU21oDGXeKWfQIuWn3QgBaNRpFHcXlgIolygromf4/s320/saurkraut.jpg" /></a></div><br />
So I bought a can of saurkraut for the dogs, but what I did not buy was hot dog buns. I had mental arguments with myself over this fact for two days. I considered cutting the dogs and stirring everything together: a dog/kraut skillet. I only had two hot dogs; if I bought hot dog buns, I'd be freezing five of them. <br />
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In the end, I served the hot dogs on hamburger buns I had in the freezer. I sliced them and then cut them, and arranged the pieces on buns, topped with the kraut and onions.<br />
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It was divine. It was gourmet.<br />
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I think restaurants do that: "Rats, we're out of hot dog buns. Well, let's just serve it on a hamburger bun and act like it's the latest thing, a creative leap forward in culinary art."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Im0ubMiLSmuYeyq4Wo_Q_e540CgmcCl1Gp520rnncMLwKLs2u79Hi6TbrkY3e-XYnhH10ZJUZ76o2fY4CYhnaRj7H0-OoRmQFSpV5ZPVHGBhk7W7c-tptuUGJ06z6av8H_kAAIcFggA/s1600/kale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Im0ubMiLSmuYeyq4Wo_Q_e540CgmcCl1Gp520rnncMLwKLs2u79Hi6TbrkY3e-XYnhH10ZJUZ76o2fY4CYhnaRj7H0-OoRmQFSpV5ZPVHGBhk7W7c-tptuUGJ06z6av8H_kAAIcFggA/s320/kale.jpg" /></a></div>If I only had baby kale to put on them--then they would have been the most fashion-forward imaginable. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-27632591921687503682014-08-09T18:11:00.002-07:002014-08-09T18:11:57.821-07:00Nine days afterI have been very amused this past week. After a month of trying to clean and organize the food supplies at my house, I seemed to end as full as I had been at the beginning. Maybe it took me a month before the progress began showing; maybe writing about it was holding me back. In any case, this past week, the contents of my freezer have dwindled, I guess mainly as I ate the muffins. The refrigerator also grew bare, since it was the second week out from Produce Acquisition. Both the veggie and fruit crispers are cleaned and contents planned for (instead of mysterious buckets of maybe food). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2f-fvaOhSoVURHkF3Tbqpsx5IkrDQA6nwdpwYEP8R2zHlaH_LrHQG6mZTU2JueAHnzs5LV6b8pGiAl7drmJ5i_LfkOGZoDO1sFEqNl7h6VJE98MnFbC38jRp4HOZvC8b0LMWmoGnaCbw/s1600/fridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2f-fvaOhSoVURHkF3Tbqpsx5IkrDQA6nwdpwYEP8R2zHlaH_LrHQG6mZTU2JueAHnzs5LV6b8pGiAl7drmJ5i_LfkOGZoDO1sFEqNl7h6VJE98MnFbC38jRp4HOZvC8b0LMWmoGnaCbw/s320/fridge.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Today I made biscuits, and tomorrow I will enjoy one with honey...first time in a month. My husband and I cooked out for just us two. Well, technically, I wanted to feed the college student one more time before the semester started, but she forgot and drove on without eating. However, I would usually buy something for us to eat and save the "freezer food" for company and some fancy cooking out occasion. But we were eating what we have.<br />
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I have a few other random observations.<br />
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I am learning to escape Food Panic. Have you felt this before? What if you don't buy butter at the store, and you are out at home but forgot to put it on the list? Then you get home and there are three pounds of butter. Or you are sure your family will starve if you don't have ten meals prepared for. I have noticed I make a lot of purchases based on a fear of running out of something. <br />
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This feeling is heightened Christmas Day, the only time in the United States when there is not a 24-hour grocery store waiting with any exotic ingredient you might need. A feeder of Food Panic, those grocery stores. What did we used to do when stores <b>closed</b>? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpfvUK0TijGL28ZlU4ybKZSB5Yk8IL0FpxvEZ8SfUtnUSed_vrp8Loh8PDJQsVzGW6CarID_-lhoBmOBhlx3qQyCyOeGpS9L159iEc8o2Bm-qrdoKkpy7a012CnzDv98siVZCRsNxnWk/s1600/cheeses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpfvUK0TijGL28ZlU4ybKZSB5Yk8IL0FpxvEZ8SfUtnUSed_vrp8Loh8PDJQsVzGW6CarID_-lhoBmOBhlx3qQyCyOeGpS9L159iEc8o2Bm-qrdoKkpy7a012CnzDv98siVZCRsNxnWk/s320/cheeses.jpg" /></a></div>In the last week, I did not have queso fresca for a recipe (I substituted). Another time I ran out of colby (again, substituted), and today I didn't have American cheese for our burgers (I used Swiss). Granted, since all this seems to be a cheese theme, I did buy more cheese for the freezer. But what if we had to do without cheese on our burgers?<br />
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It would not be the end of the world. Really.<br />
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Today I considered the fact that my youngest daughter is starting school on Monday, and I will begin teaching in a couple of weeks. I am interviewing for a second job. Do I want to store up meals again? Am I content planning three days out instead of fourteen? Am I able to live in the busy season without Food Panic?<br />
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I was tired this evening, and my husband suggested we have peanut butter and jelly. I can't remember the last time I fed him pb&j for a meal. We have cherries on hand, so it would even be a healthy meal. I could make salad if I wanted to. <br />
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Maybe eating what we have is teaching me a little more contentment. I'll keep you posted.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-74722345103900156282014-07-31T07:11:00.000-07:002014-07-31T07:11:48.619-07:00Day 31: the conclusionI have been thinking about this last day all week. I am going to miss writing these blogs every day. They mark a season of quiet and reflection for me. A season of noticing how I live and thinking about my choices. BUSY is coming, and I hope to leverage what I have learned to be a little more purposeful, more rightly focused, a little more wise.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-SKp6ht69RKt-hEMJoneUxgetYeyHO1hn-EC1QCbBTRlixXwurFKEV8VokCcgcUrkQbbU1zvAe9x-AgwDLdf7FGZiiARj-NopJ1cwzf65Lum6yY61sC0P-7dwbofAv1rRT7YAdOOHvE/s1600/IMG_4222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-SKp6ht69RKt-hEMJoneUxgetYeyHO1hn-EC1QCbBTRlixXwurFKEV8VokCcgcUrkQbbU1zvAe9x-AgwDLdf7FGZiiARj-NopJ1cwzf65Lum6yY61sC0P-7dwbofAv1rRT7YAdOOHvE/s320/IMG_4222.JPG" /></a></div>I ate the last spelt biscuit this morning, with peach preserves. I will probably buy honey the next time I get groceries, but I'll keep eating muffins for a while for breakfast. Yesterday, I added some roasted peppers to the vegetable shelf in the freezer, and thought of Proverbs 31: "She provides food for her family and portions for her female servants" (v.15). I wish I had female servants. But then again, I would have to provide portions for them. Which would mean eating what we have. Okay, this seems like a great idea.<br />
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I have realized, in the course of writing this blog, that I don't have a plan for the rest of my house. When I was younger, I had a system for all of the housework, but I have let that slide, as if the kitchen were the only room. The internet is a wonderful source for information, but it has allowed me to grow distorted, to overdevelop in one direction. I have an overgrown Kitchen Interest. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJlOz_-Q5uSbjwH5mbdFX7UhtiG1QsvbQcTGt4eIasNQfq7lgfrw2ZSNXZ5AXW7yVawx5f4n2FlpJDQV_e2-2S8MpS9mCAaR5m2I6lGAqUcOXSFAwoy5m6XbvdQPUk8e2NWks2dk3zgs/s1600/IMG_4223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJlOz_-Q5uSbjwH5mbdFX7UhtiG1QsvbQcTGt4eIasNQfq7lgfrw2ZSNXZ5AXW7yVawx5f4n2FlpJDQV_e2-2S8MpS9mCAaR5m2I6lGAqUcOXSFAwoy5m6XbvdQPUk8e2NWks2dk3zgs/s320/IMG_4223.JPG" /></a></div>I want to revisit the passage from Titus: "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to too much wine, but to teach what is good." We older women can get jaded. We can stop be reverent and grateful, seeking only our comfort, offering only criticism. But we need to hold to what is good so that, "Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God" (Titus 2:3-5). <br />
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It's a good list to look at regularly. It's easy to drift one direction or another without the gentle reminder: don't forget self-control! Don't forget kindness! Don't forget your husband! <br />
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So, the official conclusion. I started this project hoping to trim my budget. I haven't really succeeded, although I have strengthened some good habits. I hoped to reduce waste. Again, I have shored up what I already practiced. But I have also learned that I need to be very purposeful when I work in the kitchen. Enjoy it, but don't escape mindlessly into cooking. Aim simple, and even if it's odd, eat what you have. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-28746975650669322722014-07-30T07:03:00.001-07:002014-07-30T07:03:55.759-07:00Day 30: care a little lessI intended to use the leftover spinach in an omelet. I love spinach and eggs, and I love breakfast for dinner. But yesterday, I needed an easy dinner, and I wanted the torn lettuce left from Sunday out of the fridge. <br />
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I did something simple and against my mental expectations: we ate the spinach and lettuce together in a salad. Then I had Monterey mashed potatoes and my husband had couscous. I normally get very attached to ideas I dream up; I will want a spinach omelet for a long time now, and I'll just have to watch for an opportunity.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNU9LNg1TADROg-jkgmRZlBrKSPuIBnYjPMiPq7uSLZupMW11XngBxA1jsD0SKoPVbIwCzdrmYnm5jK5opHX9RFUx6AfrrUHu29KrTLT7FbDA-1LLlBwKk2E2dGBecPQyVmAMa8X9bOPw/s1600/spinach+omelet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNU9LNg1TADROg-jkgmRZlBrKSPuIBnYjPMiPq7uSLZupMW11XngBxA1jsD0SKoPVbIwCzdrmYnm5jK5opHX9RFUx6AfrrUHu29KrTLT7FbDA-1LLlBwKk2E2dGBecPQyVmAMa8X9bOPw/s320/spinach+omelet.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Right now, I'm eating what I have, and it's not spinach. <br />
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I need to make some decisions today about what and how I am going to freeze some food. And I need to make a list of food I freeze so I will unfreeze it in the future and actually eat it. Instead of buying spinach and making an omelet.<br />
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See how this works? Discipline. And for me, it means caring a little less about what my meals look like.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-46978162511438364382014-07-29T07:47:00.000-07:002014-07-29T07:47:16.690-07:00Day 29: keeping trackI have enjoyed blogging every day on this journey. It has kept me focused and always thinking about the next step. I've started to wonder what I want to do in August...<br />
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It is wisdom to write things down: goals, things to do, budgets. We hold ourselves accountable in the writing.<br />
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The truth is I will be too busy with school. However, I have discovered that one reason we struggle to eat all we have is that we are watching our calorie intake. I am not the 20-something I used to be, who could eat whatever I want and waltz thinly on. Maybe in August I will keep a simple journal of what I eat each day. Am I getting enough nutrition? Am I indulging somewhere without noticing?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMbFSpz_9BiLNd04nNTm4Rm-eCbNB2HErXMOQVCFSr13KgtZQo1rzKPW5B0vYsfUPQ4sLqfSvVuaqbkMTpSc5kQ2WmLO5aqsvr7KtyaBdKh4ExnrgwpoU3Rvyf5fNZAh-pXVVV523gqs/s1600/writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMbFSpz_9BiLNd04nNTm4Rm-eCbNB2HErXMOQVCFSr13KgtZQo1rzKPW5B0vYsfUPQ4sLqfSvVuaqbkMTpSc5kQ2WmLO5aqsvr7KtyaBdKh4ExnrgwpoU3Rvyf5fNZAh-pXVVV523gqs/s320/writing.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The trick for me is truly to not buy what I don't need. I have kettle corn that is divinely delicious, and I didn't need to buy it. I have leftover pizza because I like to be generous when we entertain, and now all that's left are the toppings that the kids don't like. I am going to let the children finish up the birthday cake because they will enjoy it, and I do not need another ounce sitting on my hips. And I'm telling you, it is very good cake. But I'm not going to eat any more. Really.<br />
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Some of my shelves are neater than they were. Perhaps the influx of food in the fridge is due to Produce Acquisition and birthday celebration. It's just a little overwhelming to be at the end of the month and there is still so much there. I wish Africa were right next door, and that the single mom there had children who liked chips and salsa.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-72571540779264002492014-07-28T09:05:00.000-07:002014-07-28T09:05:02.026-07:00Day 28: still adjusting my timeLast Saturday was exhausting. We had a family event the following day that I was preparing for, in addition to all of my goals with the influx of produce. I thought if I did a lot of cooking, I would save myself time this week.<br />
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I'm not sure if my plan was sound. Some of the things that I prepared ahead I will now have to scramble to use. Some of the things I need to use, I didn't anticipate. For example, there was fresh spinach leftover from a salad on Sunday, which wasn't part of the basket and will now go into an omelet. The spinach is more fragile, and it delays me using the salsas I made in Mexican dishes. Plus we brought home an entire large pizza--more leftovers that cannot be frozen or wait to be eaten up.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1Gq21BKjGKwdMzmMdNNJtO-NlTPm2zy0KZW2YJMO5poP2_dRcmJBoNb2gHmXtmUdzRqLZQc66dW1MPZyfCCFFsRf_FwDQd1OuZ_iz0tBZV9Ypt6qNpY-WlaBwDWxvjONcbpCon8Mvhw/s1600/french+bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1Gq21BKjGKwdMzmMdNNJtO-NlTPm2zy0KZW2YJMO5poP2_dRcmJBoNb2gHmXtmUdzRqLZQc66dW1MPZyfCCFFsRf_FwDQd1OuZ_iz0tBZV9Ypt6qNpY-WlaBwDWxvjONcbpCon8Mvhw/s320/french+bread.jpg" /></a></div><br />
My goal Saturday was to budget my time in the kitchen--which I still need to do. But I think I was already cooking quite a bit those Saturdays when I pick up a produce basket; making the day more ambitious just made me tired. <br />
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I guess the lesson is this: when budgeting (either time or money), don't be afraid to throw out your first or fifteenth plan. Keep at it, keep aiming to simplify and save. Don't be afraid to look honestly at the situation and scrap what isn't working.<br />
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At one point in this adventure, my husband commented, "Your transferring more to a French lifestyle, where you buy what you need the day that you cook." I thought, "Not exactly." But maybe that does work for me: a little puttering every day in my favorite room of the house. I still need a plan; I still need to watch what I have. But cooking ahead has to be very intentional on my part, and I don't see to incorporate it well yet.<br />
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I'm going to make limeade, to get the limes off the cabinet, and enjoy Monterey mashed potatoes and salad for lunch. I'm grateful for every fresh new start.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GNZdNk8Yr0JfsPcmXnVxgeyMTqlyP5aMbYUR3XSMyPp_oWK_0HICP5Fb2gr48cSCUMqOnazfNA_b0fL2RMv05FdzcIt0WBPoh4sRBb4FCOKXPcxcYfm_GTN-kcIUmmNFZQ1DEN_J1ic/s1600/IMG_4217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GNZdNk8Yr0JfsPcmXnVxgeyMTqlyP5aMbYUR3XSMyPp_oWK_0HICP5Fb2gr48cSCUMqOnazfNA_b0fL2RMv05FdzcIt0WBPoh4sRBb4FCOKXPcxcYfm_GTN-kcIUmmNFZQ1DEN_J1ic/s320/IMG_4217.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<i>This photo shows me with my grandma, who celebrated her 99th birthday on Sunday. She told me over and over, "I love you."</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-33229726112396294882014-07-27T04:37:00.001-07:002014-07-27T04:37:37.178-07:00Day 27: a day of restAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-75978905597650539852014-07-26T08:17:00.000-07:002014-07-27T06:18:48.575-07:00Day 26: Produce Acquisition Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjHTRD-uWDXYpyv1Rs7c7i5boWDCVhj0v1twwVHZYibXCC5SS68dQtaqygnbCgrvR5Z6WSxobk6UrWAIaxstzuMzrENvqSi0ozcWAH2JltSChFwv19znmvAUMBkKI3lVqGV3q0jbd1kY/s1600/IMG_4178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjHTRD-uWDXYpyv1Rs7c7i5boWDCVhj0v1twwVHZYibXCC5SS68dQtaqygnbCgrvR5Z6WSxobk6UrWAIaxstzuMzrENvqSi0ozcWAH2JltSChFwv19znmvAUMBkKI3lVqGV3q0jbd1kY/s320/IMG_4178.JPG" /></a></div>Once again, I have brought home a feast of produce. I did break down and buy the Mexican Fiesta Pack, so I have many peppers along with the regular basket. Because I volunteered, I got a few extra goodies (limes, garlic).<br />
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I cleaned out the veggie crisper and placed my new things carefully inside. The lettuce will be used at a family celebration on Sunday. In the winter, the carrots and celery get incorporated easily, but this summer I have thrown away a whole pack of carrots. <br />
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To counter that problem, I'm going to make cream of celery soup. I make it from scratch when I can, and I'll use it in a lovely chicken rotel casserole. I'll also make some <a href="http://recipesfromangie.blogspot.com/2014/07/homemade-rotel.html">homemade rotel</a> with the tomatoes and jalapenos. <br />
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I'm going to make some veggie baggies for my husband's lunch next week, to replace chips and granola bars. At his checkup, he was told he needs to drop five pounds. Five pounds can be a lot of work, so we'll send carrots, celery, and radishes to his aid.<br />
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I'll make <a href="http://recipesfromangie.blogspot.com/2014/07/ninja-salsa.html">red </a>and <a href="http://recipesfromangie.blogspot.com/2014/07/salsa-verde.html">green </a>salsas today. Cut the cantaloupe for my youngest, probably make limeade. If I have time, I'll make a batch of <a href="http://recipesfromangie.blogspot.com/2014/07/monterey-mashed-potatoes.html">Monterey mashed potatoes</a> that a TPG customer described to me this morning. Another low priority will be my favorite<a href="http://recipesfromangie.blogspot.com/2014/07/poblanos-and-corn.html"> poblanos and corn</a>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxcO69Q9Fc1dsaxWNUeeXuCZOE76a74WTU6qHvYzrchGucaXY5wBN9uzH6tgmFkEaHjxSm6pJlYPCstVDBQTSp2DIrWVF21McRQiMCF3PMi1PvwuyvlL3oc8WxB_F-_DQAEo5pUyC6Cg/s1600/IMG_4179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxcO69Q9Fc1dsaxWNUeeXuCZOE76a74WTU6qHvYzrchGucaXY5wBN9uzH6tgmFkEaHjxSm6pJlYPCstVDBQTSp2DIrWVF21McRQiMCF3PMi1PvwuyvlL3oc8WxB_F-_DQAEo5pUyC6Cg/s320/IMG_4179.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I'm also going to make <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/411868328395365394/">chicken and couscous</a>, to use up a pesky box of couscous that I am tired of storing, and perhaps some scones from a mix I also found hiding in the cabinet.<br />
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It is an ambitious day, but it will make the early part of the week very easy, kitchen-wise. The trick for me will be to plan work outside the kitchen: syllabi for school, vacuuming, mopping, maybe some gardening. This is one of my new habits, leaving the kitchen alone when it is full of options and working elsewhere. <br />
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<i>Contents of today's basket: pineapple, cantaloupe, bananas, mangoes, cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, poblano peppers, garlic, radishes, celery, carrots. The Algebra I book shown in the photo is not included in the standard basket.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-17349184354210352462014-07-25T06:19:00.000-07:002014-07-25T06:19:15.627-07:00Day 25: compulsive busy-ness hangoversYesterday I cleaned out the spice cabinet. I threw away six bottles by combining (yes, there were duplicates)--and actually one of the bottles was simply sitting on the shelf, empty. I threw away the Lowry's seasoned salt because there was so little of it, and it's loaded with MSG. <br />
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And I moved a few things to more logical locations, like putting my husband's morning oatmeal with the cereal instead of the canning jars. Sometimes, things take root in weird places.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5N-6PZRyvTaCWNtUqMO7X3K2sSaHs4cUZCPByXmJmSuGElJRrPpOz3kkQWtazEMv7kk1GEQ2zpLFHi8OVLy51K8wo1K9HksY4XlYF2cLQaSrK5djM1RYNoih9Zgi3uRFjNEN92sUQHo/s1600/kids+in+van.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5N-6PZRyvTaCWNtUqMO7X3K2sSaHs4cUZCPByXmJmSuGElJRrPpOz3kkQWtazEMv7kk1GEQ2zpLFHi8OVLy51K8wo1K9HksY4XlYF2cLQaSrK5djM1RYNoih9Zgi3uRFjNEN92sUQHo/s320/kids+in+van.jpg" /></a></div>When my kids were small, I functioned better if I left the house every day. If I could just load them in the car and see adult faces for a short while, I was more sane. However, I wasn't motivated to leave unless I was "accomplishing something," and the appropriate number of errands for a trip out of the house was THREE. <br />
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Every day, I had a cluster of three things to do. I collected errands like tokens, spending them wisely and carefully, but definitely collecting. As the kids got older, and we began homeschooling, I needed more time at home. Yet I always seemed to have these errands to run.<br />
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These days, with teenagers, I seem to have very few errands. Or they come in spurts--but nothing like three a day, every day. I applaud my younger self for the sanity system, but here's the trick: those habits carried over even when the need for them was extinct. As I began homeschooling, I made it a goal to stay home two days a week, my way of adjusting my system for new needs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvr6NEIpsbaCZA9nXJ-whRVDOpcbzDuhCaNzljI8H6hq-JHVMmjkzilkA-U88vQUbu6MHD1PONbRZPF1fU6a4p1Eg7ywCQ8_FrJlqcuG51un2nEo0EpPukZqFKAusdI5y7pKslZ0f_B0/s1600/busy+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvr6NEIpsbaCZA9nXJ-whRVDOpcbzDuhCaNzljI8H6hq-JHVMmjkzilkA-U88vQUbu6MHD1PONbRZPF1fU6a4p1Eg7ywCQ8_FrJlqcuG51un2nEo0EpPukZqFKAusdI5y7pKslZ0f_B0/s320/busy+kitchen.jpg" /></a></div>Last year I began teaching outside of the home, to help pay for my eldest child's college education. My class schedule will be a little heavier than last year, although I have the benefit of my first year behind me. Now I'm thinking there is a dinosaur in my time planning again.<br />
<br />
I have noticed many things as we have eaten what we have. One: the food budget is not sacred and untouchable just because it is a necessary part of our spending. Two: I really like to cook, and I often do so for my own comfort or escape, rather than purposefully.<br />
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When my husband's grandmother lived with us, between her schedule, my husband going off to work, one daughter in public school, two homeschooled--the kitchen was always busy. There would be maybe an hour in the afternoon when someone wasn't doing something (cooking, cleaning) in that central room of the house. <br />
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It is hands down my favorite room. I remember wanting to make a new recipe for lemon turkey meatballs when my mom came to stay with me after my first child was born. She looked at me like I was crazy: you are trying a new recipe with a two-day old baby? Can't we just cook something simple? <br />
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The bottom line: there are other things that need my attention, outside of the kitchen. If I work all day on Produce Acquisition, and just evenings during the week, I might be able to tame the kitchen monster. I will likely still end up with Zaycon sausages sometimes (See "<a href="http://toeatwhatyouhave.blogspot.com/2014/07/day-16-meat-my-impulses.html">meat my impulses</a>") and make too many zucchini muffins or jam (See "<a href="http://toeatwhatyouhave.blogspot.com/2014/07/day-7-making-it-work.html">oh, honey</a>"), but I can see now that I need to budget my time in the kitchen.<br />
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Next July, I'll probably have a blog on organizing my housework. As if there were other rooms in the house--who knew!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-1382917478485903942014-07-24T06:22:00.000-07:002014-07-25T05:40:43.744-07:00Day 24: food is emotionalCooking is an emotional thing. I probably enjoy it because I often get very good feedback. I made soft tacos for my husband and me for dinner last night. I used up the taco meat, the refried beans, the very good tortillas I had frozen the last time The Produce Gathering offered them. One of my tacos had an odd bit of salad. My husband got the leftover queso fresca and chipoltes, which I am going to start keeping on hand but therefore need to be used regularly.<br />
<br />
My dh praised the dinner...and honestly, it was just leftovers, repackaged. I enjoyed the "eating what I have," and it was quite tasty. [Insert feelings of <i>success </i>here.]<br />
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Not everything lately has been so affirming. I didn't want zucchini for a vegetable the other day. I felt like a pouty two-year-old: "I don't want zucchini [imagine the hanging lip, stamping foot]." I had not purchased broccoli at the store, which is what I <i>really </i>wanted, because I knew I had the zucchini. But I didn't make it as a sidedish.<br />
<br />
Instead, I decided to make chocolate zucchini cake. My youngest loves it, and she's hard to please. However, that recipe takes an hour to bake, and the temperatures were feeling like July in Oklahoma, so I opted for <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/411868328395347349/">chocolate zucchini muffins</a>, a new recipe I found online. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaAKq_5QqzjJt29dRssKz_r75Aez-gbtjA2uhW_s3c6VXrrXZDZZhsqS5WSmD0OxZMKVDo4MZ5HcSW9tbpDFddq_79V-aO7oH_8DPiSd6eXTydp4kBhgAfRMlghEjwf5RJSwRw6mLb7M/s1600/IMG_4174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaAKq_5QqzjJt29dRssKz_r75Aez-gbtjA2uhW_s3c6VXrrXZDZZhsqS5WSmD0OxZMKVDo4MZ5HcSW9tbpDFddq_79V-aO7oH_8DPiSd6eXTydp4kBhgAfRMlghEjwf5RJSwRw6mLb7M/s320/IMG_4174.JPG" /></a></div>They were amazing! The best way to eat them: peel off the muffin liner and enjoy the soft, chocolaty bottom. Then munch into the muffin top. It's a little crunchy, like a sugar cookie...really fantastic! <br />
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The recipe made 24, a huge amount for our zucchini-muffin-eating crowd. And it only used one of my remaining zucchini.<br />
<br />
Never fear! They were very, very good, worth the effort, worth adding to my already full freezer. Until...<br />
<br />
<i>My youngest didn't like them. </i> <br />
<br />
I could have made the stupid cake, and she would have gobbled it up.<br />
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I could have just pan fried the zucchini with parmesan, and everyone would be healthier.<br />
<br />
Now I have two dozen muffins to add to the freezer, to eat slowly in the morning instead of biscuits and honey.<br />
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Think for a minute about which side you fall on with your family: everyone raves about your cooking, or people turn up their noses. Even apathy can work against how much time and thought you spend into feeding your people.<br />
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If you want to talk further about this, please stop by. I have some delicious chocolate zucchini muffins to share with you. If you come, you have to eat one. And probably take two home with you. And tell me how wonderful they are.<br />
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<i>Addendum: the next night for dinner, I made <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/411868328395266514/">zucchini fritters</a> with the last zucchini. My youngest came downstairs and asked what I was eating. "Zucchini cakes," I said. "But they're not sweet. Just a vegetable." She tried a bite, and then proceeded to eat the remaining cakes. I felt very victorious. Celebrated with a chocolate zucchini muffin.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-70216451515448941462014-07-23T06:31:00.000-07:002014-07-23T06:31:29.009-07:00Day 23: make a listRemember Day 1, when I enthusiastically said I would inventory everything? The goal was to make a list of meals that I could concoct from what was hiding in the pantry and freezer. The failure of Day 1 has been clearly documented. Instead of "Do it all!", I have opted for baby steps: clean out this shelf, look through this basket in the freezer, etc.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgAoxnuoUeDcOjH5pDsyEkrGxiSn0RhKtxXhudOZOilUd1jATqHSDd4WgAaHYhO6YNYwpOtzvlhi6nxes4_eNVDnEC4PhsPg1kSzBYSUKdoU0AETspqedA85uX-zWHwf-iK2WH56kHCg/s1600/chef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgAoxnuoUeDcOjH5pDsyEkrGxiSn0RhKtxXhudOZOilUd1jATqHSDd4WgAaHYhO6YNYwpOtzvlhi6nxes4_eNVDnEC4PhsPg1kSzBYSUKdoU0AETspqedA85uX-zWHwf-iK2WH56kHCg/s320/chef.jpg" /></a></div><br />
But what about my idea to organize things into meals? On Produce Acquisition days, I make two lists: one that is simply what food there is, and one that is ideas of what to do with it. Sometimes I write days next to the idea list; sometimes I rewrite it as if I know exactly what I'll make Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. I seem to fail consistently after three days. Usually I overestimate what we'll eat, somehow overlooking leftovers in my planning.<br />
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Instead of a list of meals, I made a list of things I could make with food from the freezer/pantry. What's the difference, you ask? Well, "couscous fritters" is on the list. That's not a meal. "Leftover tacos" is on the list. That is a meal. "Queso fresco" is just an ingredient...I'm not sure how that ended up in this column.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxezUy_7jYLab-TciRoEGc7xIolv7DOZF3HEi2MnwEdzF_gg66iTStmYQFESJQUX-JQaUQKpbuxk4bJ1xUHJdgT55Q2GSCH46sS7sS444U5cPLe2o9AuM2amS2wTXZVgqhyphenhyphen-mFHwVjSU/s1600/enchilada.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxezUy_7jYLab-TciRoEGc7xIolv7DOZF3HEi2MnwEdzF_gg66iTStmYQFESJQUX-JQaUQKpbuxk4bJ1xUHJdgT55Q2GSCH46sS7sS444U5cPLe2o9AuM2amS2wTXZVgqhyphenhyphen-mFHwVjSU/s320/enchilada.JPG" /></a></div>The point is: on Sunday, I gave myself about 9 ideas for using up food that I have on hand. I like to cook, so the list isn't dictatorial. I can use my creativity; I can be impulsive. I was going to make kale pesto and serve it with fettuccini, but I opted to make kale & chicken enchiladas. The kale is marked off the list (it's gone!), but the fettccini remains. Since pasta keeps, I can ignore it in favor of something more fragile, like queso fresca. <br />
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I did use most of the queso fresca on the enchiladas, and now there is just a tiny amount left over. I should throw it on a grilled cheese. Or sneak it into a quesadilla for my daughter. And the enchiladas used up tomatoes from the garden. In fact, I might make that enchilada topping out of abundant tomatoes and freeze it. Very good discovery. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-78601989814387809392014-07-22T10:31:00.000-07:002014-07-22T10:31:04.496-07:00Day 22: the secret to happinessOne of the reasons that my kitchen gets out of control is that I'm always seeking happiness through purchasing. I find a recipe online that looks fabulous, buy the ingredients, feed it to my family. I see a product at the store, imagine their joy at me serving it up, buy it and take it home.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaMdPPAUp45YsAXS7Mxa2uQJEyua8sAYlX3sa4WTZNu19eDtvkUPOPH9adNm7rzivRG58UdecwzI7KU_agk3awU8YvPa-UmOo0QdVU7ZjjYR_SDFP-VYowmChf-g7M_4OANDLqDDydyY/s1600/sale+price.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaMdPPAUp45YsAXS7Mxa2uQJEyua8sAYlX3sa4WTZNu19eDtvkUPOPH9adNm7rzivRG58UdecwzI7KU_agk3awU8YvPa-UmOo0QdVU7ZjjYR_SDFP-VYowmChf-g7M_4OANDLqDDydyY/s320/sale+price.jpg" /></a></div>In these instances, my decision-making is coming from outside of myself. My purchases are being suggested to me. I am not looking at my own menu plan, my own routine, and choosing to adjust it, and then seeking out a means for doing so. The American economy thrives on encouraging us to purchase when we wouldn't normally choose to do so: "You deserve a new car!" "Now my family is getting good nutrition and we are enjoying mealtimes again [child enthusiastically hugs mom]." It would be nice if these sayings were simply implied, but these days, they are often stated straight up. The number of times they are <i>implied </i>probably approaches infinity.<br />
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My family has been watching TED talks lately, which are the PBS of the internet. Two of my favorites relate our variety of choices to a decline in happiness (Barry Schwartz, <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice#t-853871">The Paradox of Choice</a>, and Dan Gilbert on <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy#t-769318">synthetic happiness</a>). <br />
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I tried to get my best friend to write this blog entry today, but she rolled her eyes--I shall try to offer you her perspective. Both she and my mom have begun shopping at Aldi. I've been before, but the store makes me cringe: it's crowded, there are so few options, I'm not familiar with it so I don't know what I'm doing, etc. But she loves it because she has one choice for salad dressing. If she needs ranch, there it is: one option. In Schwartz's TED talk, he mentioned that his grocery store carries 175 varieties of salad dressing.<br />
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Limited choices raise our contentment, and in fact, our happiness.<br />
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On the homefront, as we eat what we have, our choices are limited: there's still that package of fettuccini, the leftover tacos, a few ribs, some zucchini. If I were not on this campaign, dinner plans could look like this: what will we eat? Oh, there are five gazillion cool recipes on the internet. What can I buy? What should I do? Where can we go?<br />
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A menu plan always helps limit choices, limit those last minute decisions (which Schwartz says, lead to paralysis...how often have you given up planning dinner and gone out to eat? Nothing will eat up your budget faster than eating out). But when you are making the menu plan, aren't you still starting at the point of limitless possibilities?<br />
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This July, I am closing my eyes even further to what my culture offers me. If what I do at home consumes me less, I can give more to others who need a listening ear, a casserole for dinner, or a little help with their heating bill.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-5297370622932583542014-07-21T07:11:00.000-07:002014-07-21T07:11:16.791-07:00Day 21: random observations* I updated our budget this morning. I was discouraged to find that we have spent about as much as we always do, at this point in the month, on groceries. However, our spending in every other area is way down. I think this must be because my attention is at home, not on what we can acquire to be a happy family. I am so influenced by a consumer culture!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SBfP6WzSRsRO97f2UqduiLa6aZ8ebFsr_mRul9WAyeGNqmGrubPgW5I4DMrNlztSPaKvc8poRGpxsTgycDYgVbuscIAwyWnUOTjRAOaPWL_6RfufXB1a4gOa3lM93Xu9_qeJ5fI20xA/s1600/533114_4052304592573_37661276_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SBfP6WzSRsRO97f2UqduiLa6aZ8ebFsr_mRul9WAyeGNqmGrubPgW5I4DMrNlztSPaKvc8poRGpxsTgycDYgVbuscIAwyWnUOTjRAOaPWL_6RfufXB1a4gOa3lM93Xu9_qeJ5fI20xA/s320/533114_4052304592573_37661276_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
* My eldest asked for ribs yesterday and offered to pick anything up at the grocery store if I needed it. But we simply used what we had: the ribs, a salad (she did complain that the lettuce was "old," but she only threw out three small pieces), corn, pasta salad with homemade dressing, and blueberries and strawberries with cool whip (what I call, "red white & blue salad"--but it was really dessert).<br />
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* I make "oatmeal packets" for my husband, instead of buying a box of flavored instant oatmeal at the store. He sets the container on the cabinet when he's low, and I make more. We have lots of silent communication systems like that. The container was out Saturday morning, and I felt a flurry of panic: do I have the ingredients? The answer was yes, I did have the ingredients. However, I think I often overstock out of this panicky feeling that we will somehow run out of food.<br />
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* I am ordering from <a href="https://producegathering.com/">The Produce Gathering</a> this morning, for pick up on Saturday. The theme is Mexican, and in addition to the regular basket, I can get a Mexican pack, that will have avocados, tomatoes, tomatillos, etc. I have lots of tomatoes from the garden; I don't like guacamole; I'm going to let it pass. I really, really want to buy it. It has poblano peppers! (Deep breaths.)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-1962864301535299672014-07-20T06:54:00.001-07:002014-07-20T06:54:30.369-07:00Day 20: a day of restAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-82170907736899084932014-07-19T10:02:00.000-07:002014-07-19T10:02:48.643-07:00Day 19: in which I whine a littleYesterday, I picked up some necessities at the grocery store. I needed some salad dressing, which is on the same aisle as the honey. In fact, I picked up the honey and put it in my cart. It's only $8. I was buying other basics, like pasta and juice. Things we eat. We eat honey. I could make peanut butter balls for my daughter with the honey. See, it's not entirely for me. It's for my <i>family</i>, such sweet, precious people.<br />
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And I realize: my problem is not eating what I have. My problem is spoiling myself. Poor me has been eating mango preserves every morning this week. I thought it was really fun to make those preserves: I used up some mangoes (last summer); the preserves came out a funky yellow color. I gave some away. People smiled at me.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kw9RJeXDgJ73MwSOaAZBdEZpluI4D5r_oxqFmaO73PX53qn-_Zz3_NGVhPD3bwtMYYz2DhS56grmPmASdNWacnGI4_UEoLaofKoaVq_vxC0GCV_tgXr7VRIMbaHG4ZCUdU4RjeDIbzQ/s1600/mango.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kw9RJeXDgJ73MwSOaAZBdEZpluI4D5r_oxqFmaO73PX53qn-_Zz3_NGVhPD3bwtMYYz2DhS56grmPmASdNWacnGI4_UEoLaofKoaVq_vxC0GCV_tgXr7VRIMbaHG4ZCUdU4RjeDIbzQ/s320/mango.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It's all fun and games until someone has to eat the last jar. Someone who would rather have honey.<br />
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I put the honey back on the store shelf, by the way.<br />
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Stupid honey is turning out to be a mirror to my self-indulgent soul.<br />
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I really love to cook. I spent a little time yesterday rearranging the inside freezer: meat on the top shelf, then breads, then fruits, then veggies. There seems to be a lot of juice concentrate in the door. Why do I have that much? And why are some of them open? I think it was for a recipe sometime. I wonder if I dump them all in a pitcher, add water, if my husband would drink it. Mystery juice. That sounds fun.<br />
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But I digress...the second shelf of the freezer is full of baked goods, because I just wanted to make muffins and scones recently. They were my favorites, not really something that the family liked. And now guess who has to eat them? I am moving farther and farther away from my simple biscuit and honey breakfast.<br />
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The next time I have the urge to cook or bake some delicacy, I am going to have to ask myself: who will be eating this? If I don't have an immediate answer, I better find some other activity to take my time.<br />
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Laundry does not smell as good as hot, fresh scones.<br />
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But this had better be my new reality. I am only packaging my self-indulgence in a productive, enjoyable habit. If I were my child, I would probably be lecturing me.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-68611895716719246122014-07-18T06:21:00.004-07:002014-07-18T06:21:58.978-07:00Day 18: what you look atMany years ago, I realized that I got two kinds of junk mail: catalogs/advertisements to buy things and informational letters/magazines about missions, both local and overseas. I found that I took time to peruse the catalogs and flyers looking for sales, things I might want, and I would ditch the letters.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBWwr09oYs35XL7YeBkVQSO88aFhWqES-i7mlPSio0nIYgSikOTeBrob9HGkZ_rg4eviFD2OElkQGKXHcYknqsnkxZN5SFw4eGMy_97kYs6TzKpZtNbdwPpeETLZ-yPZRv6fEhgeTfcY/s1600/catalogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBWwr09oYs35XL7YeBkVQSO88aFhWqES-i7mlPSio0nIYgSikOTeBrob9HGkZ_rg4eviFD2OElkQGKXHcYknqsnkxZN5SFw4eGMy_97kYs6TzKpZtNbdwPpeETLZ-yPZRv6fEhgeTfcY/s320/catalogs.jpg" /></a></div>At some point, I consciously chose to reverse how I spent my time. It is uplifting for me to see what God and His people are doing in the world--it's like an antidote to the evening news. And the catalogs? Companies were randomly sending me their publications, and I was wandering into their store, giving them my time just because they showed up in my mailbox. <br />
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I shouldn't budget my time based on who rings my doorbell.<br />
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But looking through catalogs (or these days, browsing a website just because JCP sent you a link or Google threw a scheming ad into your browser margin) doesn't just eat up my time: it eats up my heart. Our hearts are designed to want things. When we spend our time showing our heart things to buy, it will want to buy things. When we spend our time showing our hearts what Christians are doing around the world, our hearts will want to join, to help, to give. <br />
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The same is true with my pantry. If I spend time looking through recipes online, browsing cookbooks, shopping at Walmart or Williams Sonoma, I will want to <b>buy </b>things for my kitchen. I will see possibilities out there, with a price tag, to make my family happy and healthy and well fed. <br />
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However, when I keep my gaze at home, looking through cabinets and freezer shelves, I can seek ways to feed and entertain my family without the price tag. The things in my own shelves are already an investment of my money: I should use it well. It is very tempting for me to be always spending money on food because food is essential. How could I be wasting money on something that is <b>essential</b>?<br />
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Commercials and websites will even tell me I am being frugal. I can buy a feeling of frugality! Only in America...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmKQCZ8mbcAopew4t_AFwD9hR_D_Upf6p7STBLSZ5BqvUfomqzHRosVvPR017WNmjaQUj_i7fSxgxnViSOlw1hJbUfqShDGKAwku8gD2DP0jY39Xr1Yz-gOtd-xkRWCTOw_n6SR2jbys/s1600/price+cans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmKQCZ8mbcAopew4t_AFwD9hR_D_Upf6p7STBLSZ5BqvUfomqzHRosVvPR017WNmjaQUj_i7fSxgxnViSOlw1hJbUfqShDGKAwku8gD2DP0jY39Xr1Yz-gOtd-xkRWCTOw_n6SR2jbys/s320/price+cans.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Titus, a short letter in the Bible, tells older women that they should teach younger women. My translation says to "urge" younger women to do a certain list of things, including "be busy at home" (Titus 2:4-5). Women, even in the first century AD, without billions of shekels being spent on advertising, had to be urged to be busy at home.<br />
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It is natural for us to be busy online, or busy at the mall. Today, I am urging myself to be busy at home.<br />
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Which is as easy as shifting your time and your eyesight. Get off the cooking websites and look in the cabinets. Make a list of things to use at home instead of just a list of things to buy. Desire a system for keeping the freezer organized instead of creating a wish list on Amazon.<br />
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What you look at will feed your heart.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-46041654735919634302014-07-17T06:24:00.000-07:002014-07-17T06:24:48.032-07:00Day 17: a small thingI have a lazy susan in one of my corner cabinets, where I store pasta (top) and cereal (bottom). Things collect there, and when that area gets full, they start spilling on to the counter beneath. <br />
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A long time ago (twenty years?), I bought some cereal keepers, the ones that hold the clear bag of cereal so you can throw away the box and see what you have and how much. The kids don't really like them. In fact they've been storing their cereal boxes on the counter for years now. Oftentimes, the bottom tier of the lazy susan holds empty cereal keepers, while boxes of cereal sit on the counter.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOyRXQS6F9E-KwQJEqi0DlChzYgMCqLrIOhLDE90b6EAb_1_rZUaIGQYfYIG_8fpWwMK2Kx7HJs76mXxnozNuFRI6nD_nGW6AaogURSRFIPe861_Eyyb4mq6Qe82fi9SvTU2YJ3vlYe8/s1600/IMG_4168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOyRXQS6F9E-KwQJEqi0DlChzYgMCqLrIOhLDE90b6EAb_1_rZUaIGQYfYIG_8fpWwMK2Kx7HJs76mXxnozNuFRI6nD_nGW6AaogURSRFIPe861_Eyyb4mq6Qe82fi9SvTU2YJ3vlYe8/s320/IMG_4168.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I still have this and that bit of odd pasta to use up, but I think I will put the cereal keepers away for now and fill that second tier with the snacky food that sits on the counter (at our house, cereal is more of a snack than a breakfast food). The family will probably push back: if they can't see the food, how will they ever eat it? But they can get used to opening the cabinet door. They're a talented bunch.<br />
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A few years back, I put a square basket on the counter; we keep all the chips in there. It looks much better than having them pile around. The cereal boxes have always gotten piled next to the basket. If they're gone, I see some tidyness in my kitchen.<br />
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You know, the first day of July, my blog entry was something like, "Inventory everything!" But that hasn't been the key to getting my kitchen in order, some Herculean effort with amazing results. I've just picked away at it, a bit at a time, a little each day.<br />
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And now, instead of a dramatic declaration (I HAVE FIXED EVERYTHING!), I am finding a lifestyle that I want to maintain, even when July is over, a long-term plan for trimming waste from my budget as well as my shelves.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-35955928440180829732014-07-16T07:10:00.000-07:002014-07-16T07:10:41.613-07:00Day 16: meat my impulsesI love to order in bulk, from food co-ops...really, any odd source that isn't the grocery store. It makes me feel more connected to people. Imagine, connecting not just over eating food, but also buying it! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHoC1RWI8K_UWLnZCsahZYABB10Jh_44X28IkBsNsdkmC4HP9jFVtwnN64F8YUYFUuSywEACTL2u6pbnbb6gLcOdiRkU_eKqoaxUROuWuQEFvODJQq6cTqtOv6RJ2QofXjk9tdikPVyw/s1600/sausages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHoC1RWI8K_UWLnZCsahZYABB10Jh_44X28IkBsNsdkmC4HP9jFVtwnN64F8YUYFUuSywEACTL2u6pbnbb6gLcOdiRkU_eKqoaxUROuWuQEFvODJQq6cTqtOv6RJ2QofXjk9tdikPVyw/s320/sausages.jpg" /></a></div>One of the companies I like is Zaycon, which sells meat products in parking lot events all over the United States. I currently have beef, chicken, ribs, and all-beef hot dogs in my outdoor freezer, courtesy of <a href="https://www.zayconfoods.com/refer/zf228947 ">Zaycon</a>. And yesterday, I received information via email about some lovely Italian chicken sausages. I can just imagine using those in skillets, grilling out, slicing them for pizza. I can see the smiles on my family's faces now. "Thanks, Mom," they'll say. "These are amazing."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2El4J8ynTFP1yEcv4bPjF378duqS2tw6Whkp6Vn5qjSzd6yoeWQJlv309eI0wvPkc3tsDGCJ3yJonlXEFjZ34nh_5cLqXLhkhLtSaTHPCSw7Pze3pmDMsl0TqTbfLdWJn9LGjVawflHc/s1600/family+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2El4J8ynTFP1yEcv4bPjF378duqS2tw6Whkp6Vn5qjSzd6yoeWQJlv309eI0wvPkc3tsDGCJ3yJonlXEFjZ34nh_5cLqXLhkhLtSaTHPCSw7Pze3pmDMsl0TqTbfLdWJn9LGjVawflHc/s320/family+table.jpg" /></a></div>After countless hours of American television, my imagination can now produce its own commercials. Yeah, me. <br />
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I was all set to order those sausages, but then I paused: I should eat what I have. (I'm actually writing a blog about this very thing! You can read it <a href="http://toeatwhatyouhave.blogspot.com/">here</a>.) So instead of buying warm smiles of joy for my family--I mean, Zaycon sausages, I inventoried the outside freezer.<br />
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Not too much meat there: 8 racks of ribs, 24 hot dogs, 12 hamburger patties, 7 pounds of beef, 2 pounds of chicken, and 2 pounds of salmon (cough, cough). But here's the thing: I buy food with some idyllic idea of eating it.<br />
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Not actual plans.<br />
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In my defense, I bought the ribs and hot dogs because my daughter was home for the summer, and she likes that sort of food. But my family eats meat very slowly. It is seldom the main feature of a meal. And now, my daughter is going back to college in a couple of weeks. <br />
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I'm having to plan very carefully how to use those ribs. The hot dogs will be gone soon for a cookout. But the ribs I will probably use for some family events, and they may last into the fall. It will be a nice spread for relatives, but without my inventory, I likely would have planned something else. And let the poor ribs keep languishing in the freezer.<br />
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And if I'm now doing ribs for my mother-in-law's birthday, when will I cook the burgers?<br />
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Today, I am considering the fresh fruits and veggies still on hand, which take precedence over freezer food. But I have added a new list to my food-planning notebook that contains the outdoor freezer inventory. I'm having a hard time creating a commercial in my head of smiling daughters eating food from the freezer. But my budget...it is definitely smiling more.<br />
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<i>If you are interested in Zaycon meats, mention "mrsellis" as your referring friend. I will get $1 credit for anyone who signs up using my name. And I will spend it reasonably, I promise. Maybe the <i>next</i> time they sell sausages...</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-83903161467233244822014-07-15T06:18:00.001-07:002014-07-15T06:18:28.900-07:00Day 15: wasting awayIn home living magazines, do you ever see a near-empty bottle of hand soap at the kitchen sink? Never. Why? Because only full bottles are beautiful. This lesson, like full lips and shiny hair, has been subtly communicated to me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGqVmbMcnpSP3KiBsJfV3U1JIt1fiR4UFTb_CqxWQ78-QXTKsyixzE-NJDplvlej26Ul2p6wuKDX-h-4xu5LCB6qtqSBJPO-_EcDFT5Y7YJ8AIbc_WH4oVmJlG15Qri1XGkNZ7FCQ640/s1600/IMG_4167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGqVmbMcnpSP3KiBsJfV3U1JIt1fiR4UFTb_CqxWQ78-QXTKsyixzE-NJDplvlej26Ul2p6wuKDX-h-4xu5LCB6qtqSBJPO-_EcDFT5Y7YJ8AIbc_WH4oVmJlG15Qri1XGkNZ7FCQ640/s320/IMG_4167.JPG" /></a></div>The soap bottle at my sink (middle) has had about an inch or less soap in it for weeks. I have been eagerly waiting for it to die. Every time I have company coming over, I wonder, "Should I switch out that soap bottle? It's almost empty." <br />
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Because people coming to my house would be so impressed if the soap bottle was FULL. Right?<br />
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This impulse to go ahead and ditch it, get a new one--this is where some of that 25% waste comes from. There's not much ketchup in the bottle--just throw it out. The toothpaste is almost empty--toss it. Not much ice cream in the container--go ahead and have a second bowl. (Oh, wait, that's WAIST, not WASTE.)<br />
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My husband and I always take home leftovers from a restaurant. I store my shampoo bottle upside down to let the last bit drip to the bottom. I scrape the last of the honey from the jar with a spoon. Ah, the last of the honey...<br />
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These habits are sometimes a pain, and sometimes they feel cheap. I mean, if I can drink Starbucks coffee at $5/drink, I can throw out the near-empty ketchup bottle. I live in America!<br />
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Let's say my family uses 5 bottles of ketchup in a year, and I throw out the bottle when it is still 20% full. (If I were a manufacturer, I would make that last little bit hard to get out and as invisible as possible.) I am tossing the equivalent of one bottle of ketchup a year. My family really only uses four, but we buy one to throw away. One ketchup bottle is half a Starbucks drink--have priorities, people. <br />
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I was really excited yesterday when I could no longer get any soap out of the dispenser in the kitchen. The thrill of a new, FULL bottle! But I lasted almost a month using up what I had. And I think if I can find a way to balance it upside down, I can get the last capful into my new bottle.<br />
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Cheap? Maybe. But I want habits that help me always use what I have.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996478236805492794.post-63168768852283408452014-07-14T03:00:00.000-07:002014-07-14T03:00:02.952-07:00Day 14: some things belongThe first time I campaigned to eat what we have, my husband got really excited and ate all the chocolate chips. Um, no. The goal is not to eat everything that is there. The goal is to eat the things that we've been ignoring or overlooking. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7dLTyMsas6bkJYqSk8VKkOWjAeJ9fyUlxxri1ak1R1wkTeyL0RvNrWA-iSvCErbpWKgcwSbZEL8qFaZxtrgucMBiE1jd0mECRTJ_SJX574q3GUwXpMA_-c2unxmiwIT5ZTmgBF_X3Wo/s1600/chocolate+chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7dLTyMsas6bkJYqSk8VKkOWjAeJ9fyUlxxri1ak1R1wkTeyL0RvNrWA-iSvCErbpWKgcwSbZEL8qFaZxtrgucMBiE1jd0mECRTJ_SJX574q3GUwXpMA_-c2unxmiwIT5ZTmgBF_X3Wo/s320/chocolate+chips.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Chocolate chips (along with many other things) are staple items. They will always be in my cabinet. The problem comes when I stockpile too much or acquire things that are not in my normal pathways of eating.<br />
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I suppose the corollary of "eat what you have" is "buy what you need." And here's where I run into problems. Over the weekend, when I had a fresh influx of food and many favorite dishes that I could now envision cooking, I forgot the leftovers. The weird mac & cheese and broccoli that someone had to eat. The remaining spaghetti and fresh roma sauce. The mandarin oranges I forgot to put in the everything salad. The black beans leftover from a pasta salad recipe. And those cornmeal pancakes. Oh my!<br />
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So even in the thrill of Produce Acquisition, I remembered to eat what I have, and took inventory accordingly. I am not, however, sorry I bought the salmon. Yum.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0