Although my intention is to blog daily, it just works out some days that the time and/or creative juices aren't there to place pen to paper (or in contemporary terms, fingertips to computer keys) to tell my tale of the day...
So, in real time it's day 18, but I'm relating days 15 and 16 here, what should be the midway point of my 31 day clean-up/clean-out venture. I'm beginning to consider that the 31 day self-challenge may not be enough, and that I must continue until the freezers are bare...or at least devoid of all real food. I cannot include the packages of varied nuts I've stored like a chipmunk (or is it a squirrel), or the unopened bags of chocolate chips (white, semi-sweet, milk), or the butterscotch chips, or toffee chips, or the 3 or is it 4 year old bottle of Limoncello. Since I am also in possession of a variety of flours and a fair amount of sugar, I could prepare a variety of cookies, bars, cakes, muffins, scones, sweet quick breads, etc. but one cannot live by sweets alone and there's no doubt that if I did that and then tested my resulting insulin levels I would immediately be plunged into a diabetic stupor. Having committed this thought to paper, so to speak, I now know....I will continue until the cupboard is, theoretically bare. However long it takes. It may cause the stock value of local grocery stores I frequent to drop, but I must do this.
Decision made.
Day 15 - on a whim, I check the butter compartment in the 2nd refrigerator...whoa! Not only do I find 2 more pounds of butter, but also two 8 oz. packages of cream cheese. And the bulb goes off! For a person who rarely partakes of toast and jelly, I also am the proud owner of a selection of preserves and jams: grape, cherry, fig, raspberry, quince, and a couple of others hidden in the back that I can't recall at the moment. Plus, of course, a jar of imported English orange marmalade. And does anyone know what to do with a jar of something called coffee curd?
But it's breakfast, and what comes to mind but that good ole' standby, cream cheese and jelly. Now I can't recreate my childhood cream cheese and grape jelly sandwich because I no longer have any plain white bread to defrost, but I do have part of a loaf of french bread, so I saw off a chunk, cut it horizontally into thirds since cutting it in half makes the bread portion too thick for my desired sandwich, slather all 3 "slices" with cream cheese and grape jelly, and partake.
Not only did I have leftover polenta and sausage, separately, from last night's meal, but I also have a good sized serving of my all-together Italian treat, so I take the polenta, sauce, sausage combo for lunch.
Dinner is an out-of-home experience, the second one this week, because it's Book Club night and we're having a retro dinner to accompany the discussion of J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye.
(by the way, we all, women 45-65 of varied life experiences, determine that we can still relate to parts of Holden Caulfield's life)
Day 16 - it's the end of my "good cereal", more frozen strawberries, and I've managed to save just enough milk. I realize I've been home 3 full days and haven't been to the store to replenish the dairy, eggs, lettuce, vegetables I'm allowing myself. This is actually a good thing.
Lunch - I choose homemade French onion soup from the freezer. I shave some parmesan and head off for the day. There's still a fair amount remaining when I finish lunch, so I return home with it, thinking I'll incorporate it into something within the next day or so.
And so, dinner. A review of my freezer(s) inspire me to defrost a rice pilaf I've saved. It's a lot, so I only defrost enough for my one meal, leaving at least two more servings in the freezer. Remembering that the rice was a bit dry, I open a can of diced tomatoes, add some to the rice, along with the leftover Italian sausage from the Italian night, and heat it all up. It's missing something though. Cheese is the answer, and realizing that the mozzarella is close to the end of its life, I cube some up and toss it in and wind up with a very flavorful stovetop casserole kind of dish, replete with stringy cheese.
Day 16 is over.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
I CANNOT TELL A LIE- Days 13 and 14
I succumbed to temptation on my trip and made a grocery purchase to bring home - but I ask you, have you ever seen LEFSA in south Florida? Easiest way to describe LEFSA is it looks like an ultra-thin sheet of Lahvash that tastes like a super-soft thick potato chip. According to what I was told by the counter lady at Jacob's in Okasis, Minnesota, a quick sidetrip off Interstate 35 which runs between Minneapolis and Fargo, LEFSA can be used like any sandwich wrap. We'll see what use I can make of it....
But I won't be using it for breakfast because I'm too tired to be creative after a 1AM arrival home from the great white North (well, we DID have snow mixed with rain in Fargo). Eggs are my go-to this morning, mixed with a small scoop of Boursin and scrambled to my version of perfection...soft and slightly runny with threads of the flavorful soft cheese winding through the soft yellow mound.
Truly, I can come up with nothing quick to grab for lunch - and there's no easy leftovers to convert since I've been gone, so I decide today will be my out to lunch day. And dinner is over at a friend's tonight, so I'm skating easy on this Monday back to work.
Tuesday morning, Day 14, and I head for oatmeal. Because I want to take it a step beyond the typical breakfast fare, I decide to stir in a hearty spoonful of cherry preserves which proves to be a great choice. Sweet, tart, cherries swirled through the oatmeal ... yum!
I know I must bring lunch. I grab a container with no label from the freezer, peel back the top and take a look. I'm thinking it's some kind of vegetable soup maybe? Sniffing the contents doesn't help much, but now I'm leaning in the direction of a meat-based stew. What the hey - it's going to be today's mid-day repast whatever it is. Happily, it turns out to be beef stew and its time in the freezer made it none the worse for the wear.
Driving home I'm overcome with the desire for polenta. Rich, creamy polenta, redolent with parmesan cheese (which I know I have several chunks of in the cheese drawer). But do I have the corn meal? I try to envision my pantry and all I can see is that bag of yellow self-rising cornmeal which I know won't work. Before my ETR days I would have made a stop at the store to purchase the correct cornmeal product, and probably added several other items to my cart. But not today. Today, I must forego the stop and learn to live with the possibility that I may not be able to fulfill my polenta desire.
As I walk into the house I'm already thinking, perhaps a skillet of cornbread will do the trick and can be my fallback. And then....eureka! A container of stone-ground yellow corn meal....perfect! Only not so fast. Should I want polenta again some time in the next couple of weeks I'll be completely out of luck. But I also have some white corn meal and, according to one of my Italian cookbooks (I don't think I've mentioned that I have a collection of a hundred plus cookbooks), in the Veneto region of Italy white cornmeal is used for polenta. So, I compromise the northern and southern Italian versions and use half yellow, half white, leaving myself enough for another time around. Since I have a splash of milk that's still OK, I cook the polenta in a combination of milk and water, along with some fresh, well not so fresh anymore, they've kind of dried on the branch, thyme leaves. Adding a chunk of butter and a good handful of threads of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano results in the creamy, flavorful dish I was seeking.
I decide to top the polenta with some pasta sauce I've saved, and saute some frozen Italian sausage I've found to present myself with a full-blown Italian treat. And it is. A tasty Italian treat.
The leftover polenta I level smoothly into a container and that, along with the remaining sausage find happy homes on a refrigerator shelf .
But I won't be using it for breakfast because I'm too tired to be creative after a 1AM arrival home from the great white North (well, we DID have snow mixed with rain in Fargo). Eggs are my go-to this morning, mixed with a small scoop of Boursin and scrambled to my version of perfection...soft and slightly runny with threads of the flavorful soft cheese winding through the soft yellow mound.
Truly, I can come up with nothing quick to grab for lunch - and there's no easy leftovers to convert since I've been gone, so I decide today will be my out to lunch day. And dinner is over at a friend's tonight, so I'm skating easy on this Monday back to work.
Tuesday morning, Day 14, and I head for oatmeal. Because I want to take it a step beyond the typical breakfast fare, I decide to stir in a hearty spoonful of cherry preserves which proves to be a great choice. Sweet, tart, cherries swirled through the oatmeal ... yum!
I know I must bring lunch. I grab a container with no label from the freezer, peel back the top and take a look. I'm thinking it's some kind of vegetable soup maybe? Sniffing the contents doesn't help much, but now I'm leaning in the direction of a meat-based stew. What the hey - it's going to be today's mid-day repast whatever it is. Happily, it turns out to be beef stew and its time in the freezer made it none the worse for the wear.
Driving home I'm overcome with the desire for polenta. Rich, creamy polenta, redolent with parmesan cheese (which I know I have several chunks of in the cheese drawer). But do I have the corn meal? I try to envision my pantry and all I can see is that bag of yellow self-rising cornmeal which I know won't work. Before my ETR days I would have made a stop at the store to purchase the correct cornmeal product, and probably added several other items to my cart. But not today. Today, I must forego the stop and learn to live with the possibility that I may not be able to fulfill my polenta desire.
As I walk into the house I'm already thinking, perhaps a skillet of cornbread will do the trick and can be my fallback. And then....eureka! A container of stone-ground yellow corn meal....perfect! Only not so fast. Should I want polenta again some time in the next couple of weeks I'll be completely out of luck. But I also have some white corn meal and, according to one of my Italian cookbooks (I don't think I've mentioned that I have a collection of a hundred plus cookbooks), in the Veneto region of Italy white cornmeal is used for polenta. So, I compromise the northern and southern Italian versions and use half yellow, half white, leaving myself enough for another time around. Since I have a splash of milk that's still OK, I cook the polenta in a combination of milk and water, along with some fresh, well not so fresh anymore, they've kind of dried on the branch, thyme leaves. Adding a chunk of butter and a good handful of threads of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano results in the creamy, flavorful dish I was seeking.
I decide to top the polenta with some pasta sauce I've saved, and saute some frozen Italian sausage I've found to present myself with a full-blown Italian treat. And it is. A tasty Italian treat.
The leftover polenta I level smoothly into a container and that, along with the remaining sausage find happy homes on a refrigerator shelf .
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
AND THE ROMAINE....
...when I checked the vegtable bin on my return...edible romaine!! Surprised, but pleased at its longevity, I know it will be part of my first dinner back. But first, breakfast: and my fallback meal is cereal - still some flakes remaining-defrosted strawberries and the milk that has still not reached its expiration.
As my day of errands and laundry progresses, I whip up some scrambled eggs to which I add the leftover anchovy stuffed olives and cubed mozzarella still lurking in a plastic container in the refrigerator. Along with some toast, it makes a surprisingly tasty lunch. Those olives are turning out to be a lot more versatile than I thought - I'm learning to think beyond martinis.
The dinner hour approaches and I paw through the freezer(s) seeking inspiration. A chicken breast calls my name and when I find a frozen rosemary and sea salt dinner roll, I know I've got my meal. I chop that remaining romaine, sprinkle on some chopped toasted walnuts for added crunch, and toss it all with olive oil and pomegranate vinegar. I make a quick pan sauce for my sauteed chicken breast with some water, chicken bouillion (Better than Bouillion is the ONLY way to go when you need some added taste- Beef, Chicken, Ham, Vegetable, Mushroom - they're all terrific!) and fresh, albeit somewhat dried out, thyme. I have to admit that I'm pleased with myself for making use of all these items in a tasty way.
A pre-dawn departure the following morning to Minneapolis for business and Fargo to satisfy my curiousity equates with a respite from leftovers. What will survive my absence? Milk? Some carrots? Yogurt I've been hoarding secretly?
As my day of errands and laundry progresses, I whip up some scrambled eggs to which I add the leftover anchovy stuffed olives and cubed mozzarella still lurking in a plastic container in the refrigerator. Along with some toast, it makes a surprisingly tasty lunch. Those olives are turning out to be a lot more versatile than I thought - I'm learning to think beyond martinis.
The dinner hour approaches and I paw through the freezer(s) seeking inspiration. A chicken breast calls my name and when I find a frozen rosemary and sea salt dinner roll, I know I've got my meal. I chop that remaining romaine, sprinkle on some chopped toasted walnuts for added crunch, and toss it all with olive oil and pomegranate vinegar. I make a quick pan sauce for my sauteed chicken breast with some water, chicken bouillion (Better than Bouillion is the ONLY way to go when you need some added taste- Beef, Chicken, Ham, Vegetable, Mushroom - they're all terrific!) and fresh, albeit somewhat dried out, thyme. I have to admit that I'm pleased with myself for making use of all these items in a tasty way.
A pre-dawn departure the following morning to Minneapolis for business and Fargo to satisfy my curiousity equates with a respite from leftovers. What will survive my absence? Milk? Some carrots? Yogurt I've been hoarding secretly?
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
BACK TO THE FUTURE- Day 12
That old enemy, time, caught up with me and I had no time for updates prior to leaving on the first leg of my trip: Dallas and Austin. So, to review...day 12, the last day before departure, breakfast was quick scrambled eggs and whole wheat English muffin.
Still facing half of a triple pack of romaine, I searched through the refrigerator shelves and cheese drawer for inspirational salad additions and decided on cubes of mozzarella and anchovy stuffed olives - the BEST for martinis- especially dirty martinis! Olive oil and balsamic vinegar on hand at the office, and I was set.
My new enemy - broccoli - was awaiting me at the dinner hour. No question that ingesting all that was remaining would create a most uncomfortable situation, so I slice and chop a few of the stalks and freeze the rest, not certain how it will fare, but I'm thinking I can always make a broccoli soup. I boil up some linguine, add the broccoli for the last couple of minutes, then toss it all with leftover alfredo sauce, a splash of milk, and some grated parmesan. It was fabulous, reminiscent of one of my favorite meals from the old Pasta Factory. And I was satisfied I would leave in the morning having made good use of my fresh produce. But uh-oh - I still have some romaine lurking in the vegetable drawer. Rather than toss it, I let it sit, hoping that when I return in 5 days, there'll be enough life left in the lettuce for it to be edible.
Still facing half of a triple pack of romaine, I searched through the refrigerator shelves and cheese drawer for inspirational salad additions and decided on cubes of mozzarella and anchovy stuffed olives - the BEST for martinis- especially dirty martinis! Olive oil and balsamic vinegar on hand at the office, and I was set.
My new enemy - broccoli - was awaiting me at the dinner hour. No question that ingesting all that was remaining would create a most uncomfortable situation, so I slice and chop a few of the stalks and freeze the rest, not certain how it will fare, but I'm thinking I can always make a broccoli soup. I boil up some linguine, add the broccoli for the last couple of minutes, then toss it all with leftover alfredo sauce, a splash of milk, and some grated parmesan. It was fabulous, reminiscent of one of my favorite meals from the old Pasta Factory. And I was satisfied I would leave in the morning having made good use of my fresh produce. But uh-oh - I still have some romaine lurking in the vegetable drawer. Rather than toss it, I let it sit, hoping that when I return in 5 days, there'll be enough life left in the lettuce for it to be edible.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
PICTURES? I DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' PICTURES!
But actually I do... a good friend has advised me to add photos to all of this. And she's right - I missed the bet on snapping shots of my refrigerators/freezers/pantry when I started. But images will have to wait until I return from my business/vacation days away and figure out how to add them. For now, words alone will have to paint the picture - sort of like an old radio show.
Back in time 24 hours - yes, a drive through Wendy's burger(sandwich only, no cheese, extra, extra, extra pickles and lettuce) was last night's dinner up in Jupiter. Moving on to this morning...
As I still had leftover pork hash from Sunday's breakfast, I heat that up, sans eggs, and race out the door. A truncated sleep session last night because of the long trip home after the play (which was well worth it, really fine actors and some "new blood" to work with.) Lunch will have to be take-out.
And Pasha's, the Middle Eastern fast food spot near the office, fills the bill - with no leftovers!
Another late arrival from work tonight, and no previously planned/defrosted meal. I am aware that almost everything I've been consuming is from the freezer and decide I'd better start making use of pantry items. I'm shocked to learn that I have NO beans except something called Southern Style Field Peas and for the life of me cannot imagine why I ever bought them. Had to be a coupon. Or a really good deal of some sort. Those will have to wait for a time when I have working brain cells that can be creative. I also find a can of Baked Beans (another questionable purchase, but hey, doesn't every home need baked beans just in case there's a last minute barbecue?) Well, no barbecue tonight, but an old- fashioned plate of Beanie Weenies - of course I have hot dogs in the freezer, don't you? - along with a wedge of Jalapeno corn bread that's tucked into a freezer drawer and I've come up with another "memory meal." You know, those meals from childhood that we're not allowed to eat any more because of the sodium, preservatives, etc. Top it off with a vanilla cupcake that I've also defrosted and dinner is done.
I'm good, but thinking that tomorrow is my last day before I leave and what will happen to my broccoli and lettuce? It won't survive my absence.
Back in time 24 hours - yes, a drive through Wendy's burger(sandwich only, no cheese, extra, extra, extra pickles and lettuce) was last night's dinner up in Jupiter. Moving on to this morning...
As I still had leftover pork hash from Sunday's breakfast, I heat that up, sans eggs, and race out the door. A truncated sleep session last night because of the long trip home after the play (which was well worth it, really fine actors and some "new blood" to work with.) Lunch will have to be take-out.
And Pasha's, the Middle Eastern fast food spot near the office, fills the bill - with no leftovers!
Another late arrival from work tonight, and no previously planned/defrosted meal. I am aware that almost everything I've been consuming is from the freezer and decide I'd better start making use of pantry items. I'm shocked to learn that I have NO beans except something called Southern Style Field Peas and for the life of me cannot imagine why I ever bought them. Had to be a coupon. Or a really good deal of some sort. Those will have to wait for a time when I have working brain cells that can be creative. I also find a can of Baked Beans (another questionable purchase, but hey, doesn't every home need baked beans just in case there's a last minute barbecue?) Well, no barbecue tonight, but an old- fashioned plate of Beanie Weenies - of course I have hot dogs in the freezer, don't you? - along with a wedge of Jalapeno corn bread that's tucked into a freezer drawer and I've come up with another "memory meal." You know, those meals from childhood that we're not allowed to eat any more because of the sodium, preservatives, etc. Top it off with a vanilla cupcake that I've also defrosted and dinner is done.
I'm good, but thinking that tomorrow is my last day before I leave and what will happen to my broccoli and lettuce? It won't survive my absence.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
I'M NOT THE FIRST
To those of you that have criticized me for claiming this experiment as my own: no, I'm not saying this is an original idea. Egullet has contributors that have done this, I understand it's an exercise for the CSA, and I'm sure many, many others have gone through this experience. And now it's my turn.
So, knowing I'll be gone for 5 days has altered my thinking a bit about what and how I'm eating the remainder of this week. The lettuce and broccoli must be gone by Friday night. Those are perishables that will turn unappetizingly slimy during my absence. But another lunch of lettuce and broccoli is not what I want. I check the freezer. There, behind the 2 (!) containers of mango puree I find what I can only assume is a fistful of macaroni and cheese. A quick hit in the microwave confirms my assumption. Now I'm looking forward to a midday meal of mac'n'cheese with chopped broccoli! I'm hoping the good, cruciferous broccoli will help offset the effects of the creamy mac'n'cheese.
Breakfast? I'm in a rush so I opt once again for cereal and milk, keeping in mind that I should use up that milk before I go as well.
But no dinner to plan as I'm heading to Jupiter tonight for a play. I will have to eat along the road. Will fast food be my only choices? Much will depend on south Florida's erratic traffic patterns and the ultimate length of time the drive takes. The play better be good, but I know many of the actors and have confidence it won't be time wasted.
So, knowing I'll be gone for 5 days has altered my thinking a bit about what and how I'm eating the remainder of this week. The lettuce and broccoli must be gone by Friday night. Those are perishables that will turn unappetizingly slimy during my absence. But another lunch of lettuce and broccoli is not what I want. I check the freezer. There, behind the 2 (!) containers of mango puree I find what I can only assume is a fistful of macaroni and cheese. A quick hit in the microwave confirms my assumption. Now I'm looking forward to a midday meal of mac'n'cheese with chopped broccoli! I'm hoping the good, cruciferous broccoli will help offset the effects of the creamy mac'n'cheese.
Breakfast? I'm in a rush so I opt once again for cereal and milk, keeping in mind that I should use up that milk before I go as well.
But no dinner to plan as I'm heading to Jupiter tonight for a play. I will have to eat along the road. Will fast food be my only choices? Much will depend on south Florida's erratic traffic patterns and the ultimate length of time the drive takes. The play better be good, but I know many of the actors and have confidence it won't be time wasted.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
A DAY LATE, BUT NO FOOD SHORTAGES - DAY 9
If anyone's paying attention, you might remember I have a soup can of noodles and whatever else is there left from draining off the soup concentrate for Saturday night's chicken pan sauce. There's also those 2 small pieces of prosciutto still lurking in the meat drawer. I sense a fabulous breakfast omelette on its way. I break the prosciutto into small strips and heat them in a small frying pan, add the noodles et. al. and heat it all up. I whip a couple of eggs and pour them on top, on my way to an ersatz frittata/omelette. Disappointing would be how I would describe the results, not nearly as flavorful as I had hoped. But Wiley enjoys the leftovers on top of his canned Pedigree Chunky Beef, Bacon, and Cheese. Life is still good (for him anyway).
Lunch doesn't loom so promising either. Yes, fresh romaine again - but with what?? OK, I chop some of the broccoli on top and run out of ideas. The lack of tomatoes is really causing me concern. But wait, I DO have leftover sun-dried tomato pesto dip that will add that tomato flavor - so I mix that with buttermilk (which if you've never tried as a low-cal base for a salad dressing you're really missing a bet) and decide I have a winner. Lunch is done.
Tonight I forego movie night with some friends (senior citizen discout night at Sunset AMC) and attend a business meeting on the plight of the City of Miami's new lack of a film office and/or a knowledgeable film commissioner (sorry, Harry, by your own admission at tonight's meeting, you know nothing). By the time I arrive home I'm ravenous and all I've got ready to go is that one small slice of leftover pizza. Hold it. I do have somewhere in the freezer from a few weeks ago a couple of homemade meatballs in spaghetti sauce. Luckily that container is labeled so I find it fairly quickly, along with a chunk of Fresh Market's roasted garlic bread. So while I'm writing this, I'm heating the pizza slice, defrosting the bread, heating the meatballs in sauce in the microwave. And voila! Dinner's ready, so more tomorrow....
Lunch doesn't loom so promising either. Yes, fresh romaine again - but with what?? OK, I chop some of the broccoli on top and run out of ideas. The lack of tomatoes is really causing me concern. But wait, I DO have leftover sun-dried tomato pesto dip that will add that tomato flavor - so I mix that with buttermilk (which if you've never tried as a low-cal base for a salad dressing you're really missing a bet) and decide I have a winner. Lunch is done.
Tonight I forego movie night with some friends (senior citizen discout night at Sunset AMC) and attend a business meeting on the plight of the City of Miami's new lack of a film office and/or a knowledgeable film commissioner (sorry, Harry, by your own admission at tonight's meeting, you know nothing). By the time I arrive home I'm ravenous and all I've got ready to go is that one small slice of leftover pizza. Hold it. I do have somewhere in the freezer from a few weeks ago a couple of homemade meatballs in spaghetti sauce. Luckily that container is labeled so I find it fairly quickly, along with a chunk of Fresh Market's roasted garlic bread. So while I'm writing this, I'm heating the pizza slice, defrosting the bread, heating the meatballs in sauce in the microwave. And voila! Dinner's ready, so more tomorrow....
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