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mommy4ever
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| Posted: Jan 30 2012 at 8:38am | IP Logged
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I have decided to make an effort to clear out the freezers and pantry. I have some things I haven't used up and need to do so.
So other than fresh items, milk, eggs, fruit and veggies.
I have a chicken in the fridge thawing, so we're having gingerale chicken. It's actually meant for the bbq, but I like it better in the convection oven.
I make a rub, then put the chicken on a 1/2 can of gingerale, rub it down and bake. It's a favorite here, and minimal hands on time.
DD14 will have to prep that as the 2 younger kids have art class this afternoon, and it needs to go in before we get back.
We'll have a salad and dinner rolls with that.
Left overs get used tomorrow night, the chicken will be picked off tonight, and made into tortellini soup tomorrow.
I may be teaching the girls to make cabbage rolls, I have sour leaves in one of the freezer.... so much to use... I would like to see one emptied so I can do a good cleaning. Which means frozen apples, rhubarb, cherries will need to get used up, but lent is coming so we have use until then, then after....
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: Jan 30 2012 at 12:24pm | IP Logged
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I've been doing this for two weeks now. I want to paint my kitchen/living room, and I need to move my freestanding pantry in order to do that. I'm definitely enjoying not spending time and money driving to town for grocery shopping!
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 Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Jan 30 2012 at 12:34pm | IP Logged
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Too early in the year for me.. we stock up to use the pantry and freezer during this time and it doesn't really get to the point of being able to "clear out" until closer to summer 
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KauaiCatholic
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| Posted: Jan 30 2012 at 4:16pm | IP Logged
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I don't know if this is what you meant, but my parents are visiting and they're helping me work through the "gift" pasta (packages of strange shapes), oatmeal that was here since their last visit and frozen stir-fry veggies from the bottom of the freezer that no one else likes.  your post makes me think I really need to do this more often and not just with extremely gracious house guests ...
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Feb 01 2012 at 9:48pm | IP Logged
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I'm in!
Just today I realized that I have a case of chopped chilies that need to go. So we put 2 cans into a 9X13 baking dish, topped it with spinach, cheese, then covered it with blended eggs, milk, S&P. Convection baked for 20 mins. YUM.
Love,
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Angie Mc
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Donna Marie
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| Posted: Feb 01 2012 at 10:09pm | IP Logged
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My failing fridge pushed me into this last week. 
Frozen meat/bones:
I made a chicken/turkey bone broth and a beef one...and I mean I did this big in my 22qt stockpot  ...now I have frozen quarts of stock to choose from to help along other meals.
I made a turkey and made that into a few meals, including sandwiches and soup from the bits and pieces.
Frozen fruits:
I made a cooked concoction to serve with some of my chicken dishes of cooked rubarb, strawberry and honey. It looked so pretty in the jars after I cooked it up and reduced it a bit on the stove. It tasted great on the turkey sandwiches
We made smoothies with canned coconut milk, frozen bananas and berries.
I also made a cranberry sauce with frozen cranberries and strawberries...it tastes great with pork!
Ok, now I am hungry. We are working on the house hard this week (bathroom remodel) attic overhaul, failed dryer (what is it with appliances lately?!), and I finally dismantled the Christmas tree (oh, hush! It isn't candlemas YET )
I had no idea I would be overcooking in the kitchen this week too! BUT!! Having made some out of the ordinary things already, I feel rather creative and ok with the sore muscles and I feel encouraged to keep going  AND all of this makes doing school like a walk in the park!
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Donna Marie from NJ
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stellamaris
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| Posted: Feb 02 2012 at 12:12pm | IP Logged
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I'm in this process, too! Last night, cleaned out a jar of artichoke hearts, some leftover white wine, a few old mushrooms, and some frozen chicken thighs which I combined for dinner. Delicious!
Today, I'm cooking a pumpkin (the whole pumpkin-from my freezer) and I'll use it for ??? Pumpkin bread? Pumpkin soup? Maybe pumpkin cake?
I'm just trying to go through the freezer and cupboards every day now and use something up.
DonnaMarie wrote:
I made a cooked concoction to serve with some of my chicken dishes of cooked rubarb, strawberry and honey. It looked so pretty in the jars after I cooked it up and reduced it a bit on the stove. It tasted great on the turkey sandwiches |
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Oh, that's sounds so yummy!
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Caroline
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Elena
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| Posted: Feb 02 2012 at 4:21pm | IP Logged
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I did this after Christmas. I found a can of beef broth that had somehow dried up. The can wasn't open or anything but when you shook the can it sounded like a rock was in there! Must have become contaminated somehow - although the can was quite old - maybe 10 years or so? Just forgot about it.
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mommy4ever
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| Posted: Feb 02 2012 at 7:22pm | IP Logged
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Been going well here. Monday we roasted a chicken. In the morning I boiled the bones to get a broth, strained added left over meat, chopped up celery and carrots added some frozen tortellini for soup. Last night I used up the chicken wings.
Today I tidied the pantry. Lots to use up. I made a tuna casserole.
I am going to tidy the freezer tomorrow see what we can put together the rest of the week.
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Angi
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| Posted: Feb 03 2012 at 8:01am | IP Logged
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I will pray for you guys as you do this, but I cannot participate. Since we just moved here in August, and have VERY limited space, I have no pantry, and no extra surplus of food. It can be challening to use up with you have on hand, we did it just before we moved.
Adding these for my Cecilia who is looking over my shoulder ->    (thanks for humoring her)
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Donna Marie
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| Posted: Feb 03 2012 at 11:27am | IP Logged
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Wow...does that fridge and freezer look great now that it has time to defrost (it is a frost-free unit...lol) and I had time to really deep clean it. It makes me feel stronger somehow. The kids are laughing at me. I really feel like reorganizing and deep cleaning because this one BIG thing completed and all pretty-fied gave me the courage to do a whole bunch of little things with much less mental effort!
I am very visual with renewed visual courage!
Yesterday we used up some chicken livers that had to be used...I fried up some onion till sweet, added some good BACON, some herby things and the livers... we had this over rice...it was GREAT. I think if I had to do this again, I would puree it and use it as a pate spread for our homemade bread. mmmm
My next project will be finding the right sized bins (plastic or cardboard) to fit on my freezer shelf to handle packages of frozen LABELED food so that I can keep track of it better. Once it is frozen, it really all looks the same and it would be nice to have similar things grouped together. I am hoping to have a running list...the best laid plans of mice and men...I usually forget where I put it or the kids relocate it for me . I will keep working on it...
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Donna Marie from NJ
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Finding Elegant Simplicity
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stellamaris
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| Posted: Feb 03 2012 at 12:24pm | IP Logged
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Here's a post that describes my efforts! Can you believe I had that huge pumpkin in my freezer????
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Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
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mommy4ever
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| Posted: Feb 09 2012 at 12:40pm | IP Logged
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Freezer Organization
Donna Marie, here is some visual inspiration. I have a frost free freezer too... the frost comes for free :)
Good job Caroline!!
Continuing on using everything up ;) The weekend wasn't good, we had too much going on. But this week I've used up chicken pieces, a whole chicken, pork roast, and right now I have stew in the crockpot. With the meats, I've used up frozen veggies, dried goods and canned goods. And potatoes of course. The stew was a flank steak, chopped up, with frozen baby carrots, garlic, pepper, potatoes. Topped with brown beans and tomatoes. Since dh says he can't have beans, the tomatoes and beans are blended into a gravy. He's had beans oodles of times, he just didn't know it. it's a mental thing for him. Just like he can't have a fish fillet, but can have fish and chips at a restaurant. Textures I think.
I have also used up a mish mash of pastas, rice, canned soups. We are going to be making cereal squares to use up various partial bags of marshmallows before they are too hard to use up.
I need to get out some of the frozen fruit too. I have some frozen cherries, so maybe we'll do tarts(have the tart shells in the freezer too)
I still have $60+ from the $175 grocery cards I purchased from the church 3 Sundays ago.
I'm am trying to stay focused so that the days we have busy afternoons, I'm prepping in the morning using the crock pot so we don't order in. We have done that a few times, so trying to cut that out.
I am also making notes of what we really eat. We'll eat any dinner, but we don't necessarily use up the leftovers. I want to not have stacks of leftovers in the garbage. I want to use it all up. Planned left overs, so they are either used the next day, or frozen for a planned meal later. No more waste.
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mommy4ever
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| Posted: Feb 18 2012 at 3:28pm | IP Logged
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Updating,
We will be continuing this. I cleaned out the freezers to defrost and have a full inventory. I'll be continuing the challenge for another month :) to finish up what is in the freezer before I add anything other than veggies to it.
The inventory was really good for me to see what we have. I didn't inventory the frozen fruit I have. I will over the next few weeks, but with Lent starting we won't be making desserts just yet. I have apples, rhubarb, cherries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. It'll be good to dig in. Planning on only 2 a week though, or we'll all plump up..lol
I will use some of the fruit to add our morning oatmeal though. I just need to remember to do so. Frozen blue berries are a great way to cool it to the needed temp.
I can see a low grocery budget for the next few weeks as we only add fresh fruit, milk, greens and cheese. Kinda like it!
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Pantry challenge, care to join me?
