The "Eat What I Have" challenge

[vraiblonde]

I have so much food in my house, and yet still I grocery shop.

So for the month of August I'm going to eat what I have.

Frozen meals
Canned soup
Eggs
Tons of meat in the freezer
Pasta
Frozen veggies
Ramen
Canned tuna
Kefir
Frozen fruit

I'm not even sure where all this comes from except that when I pick up a pack of, say, ramen I don't just pick up *a* pack - I get 4 or 6 of them. I don't just buy a pound of ground beef, I get three pounds and divvy them up in packs. Mahi filets on BOGO - well hell, let's stock up! BOGO kefir just in time for me to get tired of smoothies.

It's a mental illness that stems from something, not sure what because it's not like I'm a Depression baby or anything.

 

[Sneakers]

I had to look up kefir. I wouldn't buy that even if it was free. Yes, you need help....

 

[Kyle]

I have so much food in my house, and yet still I grocery shop.

So for the month of August I'm going to eat what I have.

Frozen meals
Canned soup
Eggs
Tons of meat in the freezer
Pasta
Frozen veggies
Ramen
Canned tuna
Kefir
Frozen fruit

I'm not even sure where all this comes from except that when I pick up a pack of, say, ramen I don't just pick up *a* pack - I get 4 or 6 of them. I don't just buy a pound of ground beef, I get three pounds and divvy them up in packs. Mahi filets on BOGO - well hell, let's stock up! BOGO kefir just in time for me to get tired of smoothies.

It's a mental illness that stems from something, not sure what because it's not like I'm a Depression baby or anything.

Sounds like you need to hit up allrecipes.com this month.

 

[lucky_bee]

Every few months I make a point to do this too, I'm usually mildly successful. I try to create a meal plan based on what I already have in the pantry and freezer but sometimes I get distracted by new recipes I find and new ingredients are needed, and the cycle starts over again

 

[SamSpade]

I have so much food in my house, and yet still I grocery shop.

So for the month of August I'm going to eat what I have.

Frozen meals
Canned soup
Eggs
Tons of meat in the freezer
Pasta
Frozen veggies
Ramen
Canned tuna
Kefir
Frozen fruit

I'm not even sure where all this comes from except that when I pick up a pack of, say, ramen I don't just pick up *a* pack - I get 4 or 6 of them. I don't just buy a pound of ground beef, I get three pounds and divvy them up in packs. Mahi filets on BOGO - well hell, let's stock up! BOGO kefir just in time for me to get tired of smoothies.

It's a mental illness that stems from something, not sure what because it's not like I'm a Depression baby or anything.

My wife says the same of me, and she's right - when I see a bargain on especially MEAT, I have this compulsion to AT LEAST GET ONE - if not all of them.

Case in point - if I get to HT early some days - they'll have a markdown on ground beef for two bucks a pound. Well hell, I am buying all of them. Even though I probably already have 20 lb of gb in the freezer already.

So believe it or not - I am actually doing the same as you. Trying to eat up all we already HAVE. The big problems are all the oversized pork roasts and butts that use up so much room. And I have several rib roasts that while expensive, I got at half-price.

It's when I get down to the stuff ONLY SAM will eat - the lamb, the squid, the salmon - then we'll have a reckoning.

 

[vraiblonde]

I had to look up kefir. I wouldn't buy that even if it was free. Yes, you need help....

When my stomach is upset I drink a glass of it, otherwise I'll make a smoothie with frozen fruit and a packet of Splenda. DEE-licious! It's like liquid yogurt.

 

[vraiblonde]

Case in point - if I get to HT early some days - they'll have a markdown on ground beef for two bucks a pound. Well hell, I am buying all of them. Even though I probably already have 20 lb of gb in the freezer already.

Exactly. I get the FOMO - "Oh no, even though I already have half a ground cow in my freezer I have to buy more at this price!"

But this month I'm going to deplete my stock. (Now watch Publix have one of their famous rib roast sales....)

 

[Sneakers]

(Now watch Publix have one of their famous rib roast sales....)

Well, that's different. Those things are so expensive it makes sense to buy a couple on sale and put it away for the holidays or special event. They're vacuum sealed in that super thick plastic so they last a long time in the freezer.

 

[SamSpade]

Exactly. I get the FOMO - "Oh no, even though I already have half a ground cow in my freezer I have to buy more at this price!"

But this month I'm going to deplete my stock. (Now watch Publix have one of their famous rib roast sales....)

Around St Patties' Day, corned beef often goes for a song - instead of 4.99 a pound, it can go for less than HALF that - but for a limited time. Same thing with turkey, around Thanksgiving - as cheap as 39 cents a pound - usually a LITTLE more - but the price goes way up after that.

Well I did learn my lesson with those. Definitely a waste of freezer space with two EXTRA turkeys - like we ever eat it any other time of year.

Now I love corned beef - but - I have learned my family ISN'T crazy about it - so no more packing twenty corned beefs in the freezer - although I HAVE learned, if you de-salinate the the corned beef and smoke it with a good pepper rub - it's known as PASTRAMI, which I like even more.

 

[SamSpade]

Well, that's different. Those things are so expensive it makes sense to buy a couple on sale and put it away for the holidays or special event. They're vacuum sealed in that super thick plastic so they last a long time in the freezer.

That's something I DID cook this week, and you're right, it might as well be sealed in AMBER. But I had bought too many, and there's just never the right time to eat it - holidays come and - well maybe we JUST do burgers and dogs - or maybe we order a bushel of crabs - and the rib roast just pile up.

I STILL have some left - but - no one else likes it as much as me.

 

[Sneakers]

although I HAVE learned, if you de-salinate the the corned beef and smoke it with a good pepper rub - it's known as PASTRAMI, which I like even more.

I have a few in the freezer for just that purpose. My first experiment making pastrami was ok, but I need to revise the method.

 

[RoseRed]

I was in the process of doing that with the frozen meat, fruits and vegies. It all went in the trash when the freezer/fridge died. So now I get to start over. My crisper is full of fresh fruits and vegies that I need to do something with sooner than later.

 

[Kyle]

It'll be fun looking for recipes when the pantry gets down to a Lamb Chop, Can of Artichoke Hearts, Spaghetti-Os, some capers, black olives and spam.

 

[Sneakers]

It'll be fun looking for recipes when the pantry gets down to a Lamb Chop, Can of Artichoke Hearts, Spaghetti-Os, some capers, black olives and spam.

Sounds like a pizza to me.

 

[vraiblonde]

Sounds like a pizza to me.

Artichoke hearts, capers, black olives, and spam on a crust of crispy fried Spaghetti-Os. If they can do ramen burger how far out could a spaghetti pizza crust be?

 

[PeoplesElbow]

What the hell is kefir?

 

[Ken King]

What the hell is kefir?

Donald Sutherland's son.

 

[vraiblonde]

What the hell is kefir?

The official description makes it sound vile, so let's just say it's thin yogurt that you drink instead of spoon up.

 

[GURPS]

I had to look up kefir. I wouldn't buy that even if it was free. Yes, you need help....

Good stuff ... Madagascar Vanilla is the best, but the most difficult to get

 

[vraiblonde]

Good stuff ... Madagascar Vanilla is the best, but the most difficult to get

Which is weird because you'd think it would be a standard flavor, yet I can never find it. I got coconut kefir the other day at this bougie specialty grocery....but even they didn't have vanilla.