Day 14 Pantry challenge

Day 14, Hubby has the flu ( he had influ B and  I had influ A)for sure,Doc put him on theraflu and he is home from work. I think that maybe in the last 20 yrs he has stayed home from work maybe 3 times due to being sick. Not something that he does, let alone that he usually doesn't get sick. Just brings it home to me instead. SMILE

I had thought of the leftover salad from when we ordered pizza and some soup but realized there was some bell pepper that was going to go bad if we didn't get it used up. So instead I tossed the bell pepper, onion and leftover turkey from deep freezer together in a skillet and then tossed it in flat bread for sandwiches to go with the leftover salad. 

I also printed off a calendar for Feb. and March. As I find meals in the pantry or buried in deep freezer I am writing it on the calendar. I cross it off when we eat it. Being sick has caused a lot of issues with eating from the pantry. I made hamburger casserole the other night and normally there wouldn't have been anything left and we only ate half of it so that is going in the freezer and on the menu. 

I have started a grocery list, almost decided to go Thursday (normal grocery day) because I have a coupon for $5 if I buy $25 only to realize I didn't have $25 worth of groceries listed and caught myself thinking what I could add to it to get the $25. Kind of defeats the purpose of eating from the pantry.

By eating from the pantry I made a basic grocery list of what we eat and what I needed to make sure was stocked. Then when I sat down with the seed catalogs to start planning the garden I used that same list.That kept me focused on what we actually eat, not what looks really interesting in the catalogs. Then since we expanded the square foot gardens last year I decide to put all the gardens on spreadsheets and input where what was going. That also keeps me reined in because I have been know to have to plant pumpkins around the house because I ran out of room in the gardens. SO that also reins in the pantry next fall. 

Flu meds time. Everyone be safe and well

Blessed Be Juls

Day 12 and Day 13 of Pantry Challenge

I am feeling decent but Hubby wasn't yesterday. He decided he wanted a chef salad and pizza from our local pizza shop. Definitely a splurge because I have been making our pizzas at home. I will put part of the pizza in the freezer to have for later. We will end up making about 3-4 meals total off of it. I think it was his way of compromising since he wasn't up to eating the steak and lobster tail I had planned for my bday dinner He didn't even finish his salad and only at a couple slices of pizza...definitely didn't feel like eating much at all. He works all of next weekend which is actually my bday and we don't eat that big of meal right before he goes to work.Oh well, it will stay in the freezer until another time.

 Today we are back to eating from the Pantry. I chose hamburger pie since it would free up my casserole dish and hubby was already able to eat sloppy joe which is the base of the pie.

 I plan to put together baked oatmeal tonight for tomorrow morning. Temps here are suppose to drop from the high 50s of the last couple days to the 20-30s by tomorrow morning with Friday morning to start out at 10 degrees...lovely to be here in Ohio.A hot breakfast before we run our errands will be good.

 I walked the gardens yesterday while it was still warm and the rain hadn't come in to make notes of what needed down before I started planting. Went to the pantry and looked to see what I didn't need to plant this year.Dill pickles no, bread and butter pickles yes.

Straightened up the pantry will looking it over. Now have some empty spots.I also was able to clear off the top of the cabinet in the dining room where I keep food that is in boxes( the pantry in the basement does sometimes gets damp so what I don't transfer to other containers stays in the cabinet in the dining room). So it shows that we are eating from the pantry which helps keeps me on task with it.

Pull out some cookbooks from the Great Depression and some recipes and notes off the internet about food during W.W.1, W.W. 2 and the Great Depression. My grandpa talked to me about how things were during W.W.1 before he died. My parents lived through the other two and always talked about it.Lots of wisdom for making food last during those times.

Have a great day, stay safe and warm. Eat well.

Blessed Be Juls

Day 11 of Pantry Challenge and more flu

Sorry day 10 was scheduled to post last night but some how I messed that up... I woke up with a fever of 99.1... that is a lot lower than it has been but let me know I still was fighting the flu. Hubby came in from work and after one look I knew he now has it. Ten Bucks says he gives it back to me. Still we are eating from the pantry. We had fruit with our coffee this morning before he curled on couch and went to sleep and I went back to bed. When I woke for lunch I had him take the bed because the pup was dropping toys on him trying to get him to wake up and play with him. I had home made beef broth for lunch. Hubby woke up later and we ate an early dinner of home made sloppy joes and the last of the pears.I make my sloppy joes sauce from scratch, we like it better that way. I already put some of it in the casserole dish for hamburger pie (Sheppard's pie or Chinese pie depending on which of my kids you talk to).It's base is sloppy joes topped by veggie (usually corn for us) and then mashed potatoes. Some times I will top it with cheese. I wrote a menu for Jan and Feb from the pantry. Thought it would be a good guideline more than something that was "I must cook this tonight". It also lets me look at it to see if there is something I can fix fast when it's the "I don't want to cook tonight" or the "I forgot to thaw something" night. The bonus is it reminds me to soak my dry beans so I can use them. We eat a lot of different dried beans in a lot of different ways, not just bean soup. But like everything else I have gotten out of the habit with everything that went on last year between surgeries, Mother dying and my Crohn's putting me in the hospital. Not sure what we will be eating tomorrow since we are both sick...that kind of sucks since we were suppose to have porterhouse steak and lobster tails for my bday dinner since hubby works next week during my bday and we don't eat that big of a meal right before he leaves for work. Stay safe, stay well...Blessed Be Juls

Day 10 Pantry Challenge

I woke up feeling okay, fever is gone, in fact my temperature is now below normal. Hubby got in early from work so since I was feeling okay he agreed we could go to the store. I have been tracking what we spend, coupons and sales etc to keep us in budget. After today's buy I am still saving around 25 % (goal is to be over 30% by April) and we are below half the budgeted amount for the month. After I get a cup of hot tea and curl back up on the couch for the day I am going to write out the menu for the rest of the month. Hubby thought that would help him help me with me still recovering from the flu. We did pick up a couple things that we didn't need...steak and wine for this weekend. My bday is next weekend but Hubby has to work all next weekend so we won't be going out or me fixing a big meal when he is working so I decided to do the big meal this weekend instead. Today's meal is chuck roast (from store today but I knew I would be exhausted by dinner and hubby needs a good meal by now and he isn't going to cook it himself, it was good because I saved $2/lb on it AND I can make at least 3 meals from it. The veggies will come from the pantry along with the fruit for dessert. Blessed Be Juls

Day 9 pantry challenge

Hubby had the last of his Hot sausage chili with Fritos. He took the last of the pork chop, beef roast and the navy bean soup to work for lunch. I had a fried egg sandwich. We are out of bread, out of dog food, and out of hamburger for meatloaf etc. Still have the flu but the fever is mostly gone Blessed Be Juls

Day 8 Pantry Challenge

I have influenza A....my immunity system is way down due to a bout of Crohn's so I am glad I got the flu shot so this isn't hitting so hard that I am back in the hospital. I am glad I have a "good to sleep on" couch also. Still , with me being down and Hubby not cooking from the menu we are eating from the pantry. He had leftovers last night and I snacked on odds and ends of crackers, cheese and fruit through the day.Wished I had canned more poultry broth in pints. Tonight I hope to be able to eat a little more. Hubby said he will either eat what is left of the beef roast or the bean soup and that what he doesn't eat for his lunch tonight at work. The grocery stores inserts arrived in the mail yesterday. I tossed them directly into the bin.If I don't look at them I don't think I need to hit the sales. The garden catalogs are coming in pretty think. I made a list of what I do NOT need in the pantry before I started looking at what I did need.I have a lot of dill pickles and hot peppers of assorted kinds but I am out of bread and butter pickles.That tells me I eat pickles and Hubby doesn't. I made note of that also. Going back to the couch....doc said rest rest and sleep along with all the other drink plenty of fluids and take the meds advice. Blessed Be Juls

day 7 of Pantry challengeT

Today was easy, navy bean and ham soup from the deep freezer and white corn bread from the other deep freezer. Sliced up some potatoes to fry to go along with it and it was a done deal. Have a little bit of soup left but I have plans for that in a couple days. Had plenty of corn bread left, plans for that also in a couple days. In the past 9 days we have eaten our meals from the pantry (we started on the 30th)for 8 days. We have done fine.Went to the store and got perishables and part of what was on the list I didn't buy because I thought of other things in the pantry that could be used instead. AND for the first time ever that I can remember....there was nothing...not one thing...in either frig to throw away in the trash tonight( which goes to the road tonight). That is better yet. Check over to goodcheapeats for more information. http://goodcheapeats.com/2013/01/pantry-challenge-link-up-1/ Blessed be Juls

Day 6 pantry challenge

Yesterday I planned to have pork chops...Hubby decided it was time to go out and grab a hamburger at the local restaurant. So tonight we had baked pork chops, scalloped potatoes,corn, green beans, cottage cheese,pickled beets,apple sauce,clafoutis and hot bread. Tummies are full. I checked the food supply and we don't need anything. That's really good. So here it to week 2 of the pantry challenge. Blessed Be Juls

Day 5 Pantry challenge

Last night I did the sliced ham, garlicky mushrooms and kale, creamy cheese polenta and citrus fruit salad. It was an okay meal considering neither hubby or I like kale. Since the kale was slightly sauteed instead of steamed until soggy I am going to say it's the method of cooking instead of the kale. Today is going to be oven baked pork chops, scalloped potatoes, green beans, corn and something to use up the pumpkin pie filling that is sitting in the frig. I have kale to use up and creamy cheese polenta to use up also. So I went looking for ideas for those ingredients. Even though Hubby wonders where my mind some times go I wandered off on the internet (had the ickies anyways) and researched menus and recipes from W.W. 1,W.W. 2 and the Great Depression. (it's a recession when your neighbor loses their job, it's a depression when you lose your own.) ANYWAYS....Dad preaches not throwing food away. Mom didn't throw food away either until it molded and then it went to the field for the critters to eat. (Dad lives in the city, Mom and step dad lived in the country). I have always tried to not throw food away...then Dad suggested instead of tossing food here and there in the trash to put it all on the table and look to see what we are wasting including the skins and peelings of food like potatoes,carrots and such. SO I am back to focusing on not only eating from my pantry but making it last longer that I think it can and not throwing any food in the trash can or the field. I wouldn't throw money there that Hubby has worked hard for to begin with, throwing food there is the same thing. Blessed be Juls

Pantry challenge day 4

I was sick last night so didn't cook. Hubby had a ham sandwich and some raw veggies and I had Ramen noodles (no broth) with butter and garlic powder and went to bed. Still the food was from the pantry and not the local fast food shop which I normally send hubby to when I am sick. So tonight, even if I am not feeling well I am fixing ham slices,garlicky mushrooms and kale, creamy cheese polenta and citrus salad with creamy Italian dressing. I don't like kale, but like my Dad I am going to start eating what is good for me not necessarily what I like.Besides I think the garlic will cover the taste. SMILE. Heading to the couch now with a pot of ginger tea and hopefully feeling better. Blessed be Juls

Day 3 and the grocery store

Day 3 and I went to the grocery store. Started to get perishables and ended up talking myself out of picking up most of it with the thoughts I can use something else out of the pantry.I spent less than 50% of our normal budget and racked up over 21% in savings with mark downs,coupons and sales. Plus we are pretty sure we won't need anything except eggs,milk and bread through the rest of the month. Fingers are crossed Pulled out mystery meat last night out of frig freezer, figured out this morning it was ham. So along with ham slices I am making cheesy polenta(pantry) and garlicky mushrooms and kale and a citrus salad The kale was bought today. I don't have enough green veggies in the pantry and I do try to use a rainbow of colors on our plates for veggies and fruit. I also picked up kiwi,pineapple and pears to add to the apples,oranges,limes and lemons we have. Blessed Be Juls

I cleaned out both frigs last night. A few things got shoved to the back when I shoved all the kids candy in the frig of the mudroom. I have a rule of NO leftovers in the mudroom frig but when all the condiments take over the kitchen frig that's where the leftovers go.Still it wasn't as bad as I feared. We don't plan bfast and lunch. Both of us just grab something leftover or what ever as hubby doesn't work days and the only meal we eat together is dinner. Tonight we will have sausage patties(leftover from the pizza nite) bakes sweet potatoes or I should say nuked sweet potatoes and sauteed broccoli as I still have plenty of fresh broccoli in the frig. Have a Blessed day juls

Eating from the Pantry..Jan 1st

I have to confess...I started on the 30th...after looking at both frigs, their freezers, both deep freezers and my over flowing pantry that takes up  12 x 25 room in the basement. I just couldn't talk myself into ignoring what was there and going to the store to buy what I want.

On Dec 30th I made home made pizza using up a box pizza that I bought out of memories, I used up cheese from the freezer, a couple sausage patties,onion,mushrooms and banana peppers on one and pepperoni,onion, and mushrooms on the other one. The two of us ate both of them before going to bed.

On Dec 31st  I made spinach salad. Soup using the broth I made from the leftover prime rib roast of Christmas eve along with some of the meat from that roast,(rest will show up in noodles later), added some leftover pizza sauce from the night of pizzas and sauteed onions,carrots,celery,mushrooms, and garlic. Added hot bread(from deep freezer) and called it a meal.

Today , Jan 1st we have been snacking on odds and ends in the frigs, which I need to clean out tonight for the trash to go to the road for tomorrow's pick up.

Dinner will be ribs (deep freezer from July 4th) with BBQ sauce, mashed potatoes, kraut and leftover broccoli,cauliflower, carrots from a veggie tray to make California blend veggies along with what is left of the bread from last night.

It was suggested I make a menu of the meals in my freezers and pantry....that would be over 300 and I won't stay with those ideas anyways...the chef in me sees some recipe and pulls the spices and changes what was going on the table about mid morning anyways.

Have a safe and Happy New Year

Blessed Be Juls

http://goodcheapeats.com/2012/12/prepare-to-eat-down-the-pantry-2013-challenge/



Check out this challenge. This is a good way to start the New Year.

My Goals are :

To use up what I have too much of and what I shouldn't have bought to begin with.

Give my pantry and freezers a good clean out, including an easier defrosting in the end.

Use the money I save from not buying groceries for catching up back bills (thanks to medical problems),increase the savings account that has took a huge hit, buy seeds/plants for the garden and buy a new chest deep freezer to replace the upright deep freezer I do not like.

Fresh produce and items like milk,eggs will still be bought but not more than 2 NEW items will be included in any meal.

I will journal what meals we have, make notes of recipes used and whether that should ever show back up on the dining table again.

I will TRY to post every day what we eat and check over at goodcheapeats what others are doing...

care to join me?

Blessed Be Juls

Boxing Day

In the old days this day after Christmas would be called Boxing day. Were the landlord would box up his leftovers and what ever and give it to his workers as a present.

Today even though I am not a land owner I would love to box up the anger and violence in this world and send it to HADES.

I would love to box up the commercialism of Christmas and dump it where it belongs.

I would love to pass out boxes of love, kindness and cheer to each and every one.

But I can only give myself...and pray that it makes a difference to each and everyone whose lives I touch.

Blessed Be

Depression

We have had several deaths and serious illnesses in the family since Oct. I got diagnosed with Crohn's and have to change what and how I eat and how to deal with stress.

Our insurance changed and my treatments for my birth defect are no longer covered. So the choice it go without treatments and be in pain and not able to function in daily life or cut the grocery budget to cover the cost of the treatments.

Grocery budget is getting cut. I do plant a large garden plus 8 4 ft x 4 ft square foot gardens each spring. Right now I have one of those growing lettuces while covered with a tee pee of plastic to make a mini hot house.

So we have made the following choices

#1 we have made is to make sure that we eat daily foods that help lower inflammation and increase our immunity.

#2 that we don't waste food. I have found when I am not able to cook that the veggies in the frig get bad because hubby doesn't do fresh veggies.

#3 that we focus on eating out of the pantry which is huge as I have a year's supply of entrees in it and about 3-4 months of side dishes.

#4 that what foods we do buy are in season for our area.

My 2 deep freezers (one upright that I have a love hate relationship with) and a small chest type are full. Both refrigerators freezers are full also.

Tomorrow I will go through the 2 refrigerators and check what needs used up or if something needs pitched since trash(refuse/garbage, what every you want to call it) goes to the road Monday night for Tuesday morning pick up.

Prayers for all...
Blessed Be

September

I love this time of year. I remember the smell of burning leaves, cool crisp mornings while walking to school and warm afternoons of carrying the jacket or sweater I had to wear that morning.I love the colors of the turning leaves. I love taking down the summer decorations and lighter weight and color of table linen,curtains, blankets etc. and putting up the ones to celebrate this coming season.

This time of year also is the busiest for me. Harvest coming in,planting some fall cool weather crops, fall cleaning (yes I wash walls and woodwork, one room a week which is one wall a day), starting to put the food together for Thanksgiving and cookie dough for Operation Thank You (sends things to deployed troops) and cookie dough for Christmas in to the deep freezer to keep the work load down to manageable.

I hated seeing summer end when the kids were little, I always enjoyed being with them and the relaxed summer schedule we had BUT I enjoyed the shopping for school clothes and supplies because it meant I got some new things also.

I enjoy the foods of fall more than summer, hearty soups and sandwiches, casseroles and roasts.I even plan to go back to baking my own bread.We don't eat much sliced bread for sandwiches anyways, more of tortilla wraps, sub buns and thin bagels.

So here is to the next season coming in and this one going out.

Blessed Be

Rascal

From this at 5 weeks to this at 5 months.

We picked him up at a shelter, thinking a puppy would be good for our older dog that was starting to get a bit lazy as she hit 7. Figured she could help with the potty training and boundaries. That part has worked great. I didn't remember the amount of time a pup takes as it's been over 12 years since I've had one but it does come back. No chew, no jump, outside toy(weeds,sticks, steer crap) inside toy (stuffed toys),down, sit, stay (HA HA) etc. He has learned to beg pretty but I think that is because Kira our other dog already did it when we got her and she begs pretty.Right now he is about 20 pounds lighter than her but her size. It's amazing to watch him grow and learn and some times hard to remember he is still only a puppy when he is standing side by side to her.

I did not die

but I have been fighting my health.My son in law asked how I was doing, I told him I woke up breathing, he said that was a good thing.I told him it depends on the day. He didn't think I was funny.

I am starting the hoop jumping for what I hope is the final surgery for YEARS. I have issues with my sinus cavities being broken and not healed correctly that I have put off getting fixed for about 30 yrs. I had part of the surgery done when the youngest was one. She bashed my face the day after surgery with her hand when she was trying to crawl up on me while I laid on the couch recovering and it hurt so bad that I didn't go back and have the rest of the surgery. I know that is a really bad excuse but it's the truth. It's okay, go ahead and laugh, I do.Since it now hurts all the time like a really bad toothache, I figure I can deal with it.

In the mist of everything else, I talked hubby into letting me get a puppy with the line our older dog would help potty train it. Rascal was only 6 wks when we got him. His mom was pregnant and abandoned, starving so much she didn't have any milk to feed her 11 babies when they were born. ALL of them are fine now and His Extended Hands Sanctuary in St Paris OH has done a great job.  .Rascal has adjusted better and faster than we thought he would...as long as he sleeps against me. Since he doesn't stay "dry" all night, I have taken to sleeping on the front room floor or couch with him. I wake up faster and get him out side (saying the words repeatedly potty outside, business outside, like he understands that)hopefully in time to not have to clean the carpet. I should have stock in carpet cleaning products and steam cleaners.Our older dog, Kira has done very well with him.She's never had a litter and has spent most of her life in a shelter but has shown motherly actions towards him....until he takes her food or chews on her too much or won't let her sleep ...then she takes a FIRM stand. Oh wait that is also being a mother....SMILE. Her and I cuddle together when he finally passes out for a nap and coo over him like we are new parents. LOL.

Meantime, the garden needs to be put in (repeatedly as Rascal digs up what ever he sees me plant).There is work to do on the house, walls to paint, woodwork to refinish, more weatherization (have caulk gun, will travel) to bring those heat bills down more.

AND

I have decided I waste too much in the kitchen and the grocery budget was up to over $600 (food,non-food, and eating out) and that to me was unacceptable.

I think $225 should be good, especially with my pantry and the garden.

We will see.

Blessed Be

square foot gardens

 Dark, dreary and cold...the weather suits my mood and attitude to a tea. Even with ordering my garden supplies and planning this spring's planting.

The last year has been a roller coaster and usually that is my favorite ride but for right now I would love the ferris wheel so I can see off into the distance and see what is coming at me.I think the merry go round would remind me too much of my current recovery process.

Hubby's work was down, then up and then back down causing all sorts of financial issues.Lesson learned, saving the kids might mean drowning yourself.

I had my gallbladder removed. I've had digestion issues since birth only to figure out that 90% of them must have been tied to my gallbladder because they went completely AWAY.

My Mom had shingles with a lot of pain.

Then Dad had shingles with a lot of pain.

AND yes I went and got a shingles shot at the advice of my dad.

My step dad's mail order med company that he uses sent the wrong insulin and almost killed him. AND he was driving when the insulin kicked in and he hit several other cars before coming to a stop. Luckily no one else was hurt and his insurance covered it and the mail order company settled out of court.

Then my brother had surgery on his knee and if he doesn't continue the therapy for the rest of his life,he will lose the ability to walk.Having knee issues in your 60s is on the normal side but when you have a 12 yr old daughter, you need to keep things in good condition.

Then my cerebral palsy and fibromyalgia flared up together mimicking the symptoms of  MS and causing me to struggle to walk.So of to physical therapy that wasn't getting correcting the whole issue so I was sent to a surgeon to see if it was my knee ( both my dad and brother have knee issues)...nope, then they x-rayed my lower back, pelvic, hip and entire leg.Vertebra deformed in lumbar and unknown masses in the bladder area so a CT scan was scheduled to see if I had cancer.

I called my dad to tell him I was going for a CT scan to see if I had cancer only for him to tell me he was going in for hernia surgery.SO I kept my mouth shut about my own issues. He has recovered and changed his diet.Considering he has had throat cancer and is a survivor and has been a diabetic for over 20 yrs and has not taken more that 1 pill a day for it and most of that time 1/2 of a pill, walks 5 miles a day (even after knee surgery), rides an indoor bike, lifts weights and eat 3 balanced and healthy meals and over 35 g of fiber into his age of mid 80's...I didn't ask what he changed.He lectures enough on my eating habits and lack of exercise as it is.

I called my mom to tell her I was going in for a CT scan only for her to tell me before I told her my news that she had a mass and was going to have a CT scan to see if it was cancer.So I kept my mouth shut again.

I did tell my kids and asked that they not tell anyone else until we got mom's results and dad got thru surgery.

Yes, my dad, step dad and mom have ripped off my head for keeping my mouth shut when I did tell them.

Mom has multiple melanoma, she went in for radiation but no chemo of her own choice. Two months later she is in remission and not taking radiation. The last CT scan couldn't find any cancer. She will be taking meds for another 3 yrs.

During that time, step dad had to go on meds for his Alzheimer's caused by agent orange from when he was in Nam.

I went in for surgery to remove the masses from my bladder(no cancer) and to sling it. My doctor asked permission to fix anything he found needing repair while there. Works for me...and it really did work for me, first the shock he got was in the 6 weeks from finding the masses by x-ray to the CT scan the masses had went from the size of a pea to the size of a quarter so when surgery was 4 wks after that( I wasn't having surgery during the holidays) he figured it was going to be worse. They were GONE. Though he end up repairing my bowel while in there instead of making me go through another surgery(and more money spent).That surgery turned out a lot better than any of us planned.

Still, with a acknowledgement of the miracles that have came our way (several times a day) I struggle to recover my strength. Struggle to shake the depression and emptiness that is with in me.I read the Serenity Prayer (all verses) several times a day (okay, I taped in on the wall across from the throne) to keep myself focus that the hard times including my health are just part of the path not the whole path.

Prayers for you and yours, prayers for myself and mine.

Blessed Be Juls