I was going to list everything we ate this week, but by Wednesday I realized that all I was doing was cleaning up left overs. It wasn't until yesterday that I actually dug into the freezer and cupboard and put together a meal.
From the freezer I found two poached chicken breasts, a bag of garden tomatoes from last summer and two bags of Italian style shredded cheese. I decided to roast the tomatoes a la Creampuffs in Venice (thanks Ivonne!) to deepen their flavor before adding them to the dish. From the cupboard I used a head of garlic (which I roasted along with the tomatoes) and a box of lasagna noodles that had been in the cupboard forever. The recipe I used called for a can of cream of mushroom soup and a bit of milk. This was a mistake. Even with adding the roasted tomatoes and garlic the dish still tasted like every other chicken/cream of mushroom soup/noodle/cheese recipe out there. Not bad, just bland tasting. This is really too bad because I could just as easily have made an Alfredo sauce to use.
In addition to the chicken lasagna we had a salad made from our garden lettuces and green onions with some cut-up radishes from the 'fridge. Dessert was banana bread made from a bag of cut-up bananas I found in the freezer. I don't remember when I put them there, but the bread tastes pretty good, so I'm pleased.
"Shopping from the freezer" is what someone over at eGullet called it, which describes this process perfectly. It's sort of liberating, knowing that you are using what you have instead of just buying more stuff because you don't know what you have. I know...I know... I need to make and keep a list of everything that goes into the freezer and cupboard. That's definitely on my "to do" list. As a secretary you'd think I'd be more organized in my own home.
And so the challenge continues to use what I have. I think I'm making some progress here.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Hi Sally - great idea this. I am thinking that shopping from the freezer is the really crucial thing - most pantry items keep a long long time anyway, and things seem to get "lost" more easily in the freezer.
Absolutely. I really feel that a well-stocked pantry is a good thing and I really do keep things moving pretty well there. My freezer is my downfall. I absolutely need to get a list made and kept up so I know what I'm dealing with.
My friend Kathy did a neat thing for her mom's freezer. She got those little plastic tubs and used one for each type of item in the freezer - 1 for chicken, 1 for hamburger, 1 for vegetables - that type of thing. That helps her mom know what she has in there, plus they are easier to move around instead of digging through all the stuff looking for something in particular. I need to do something like that.
Thanks for the support O.F.
Post a Comment