Pantry Challenge

      I try writing when I think it helps get my mind elsewhere for a bit. Here's something I've picked at over a few weeks. I even added some bad pictures. It's a bit food diary, recipe linkage, challenge kind of post. Food piled up, despite trying to use up leftovers, sending food home with others, and donating unopened items to the food pantry. As my aim was coming into 2023, I want to both eliminate or at least reduce food waste, limit convenience items, and eat a well balanced healthy diet. It's tough cooking for one without boredom, but I do enjoy cooking, and happy to share meals with others. There was some good suggestions for how others plan their meals solo, and I'll find my way. I just don't want to get in a take out/ frozen meal rut. 

     I was in a particularly deep funk one weekend, procrastinating tasks I should have been doing, and went down rabbit holes of both web searches and YouTube on cooking when it looks like you have nothing in the house, aka, pantry challenges. I probably detest grocery shopping even more now than before. Despite blogging, I'm actually a very private person, so I find myself ducking and weaving to avoid interactions if I'm not feeling strong. Now, I am far from having nothing in the house, but not necessarily neat easy to prepare items. But, I decided to try and be creative, making twists on recipes I found, substituting anything not found with what I thought might be a suitable alternative. Here's a few results.

Chickpea and potato curry soup: This was more inspiration than recipe following. I had to substitute almond milk with a bit of corn starch and lemon juice in place of coconut milk. I also didn't have an onion but used onion powder. It worked. I made basmati rice to pour it over, so it thickened with that change as well. It really was more of a thin  Chala aloo masala. I just made that up, but it did have vegetables, proteins, and spice so better than opening a canned soup. 

No knead bread: I misread for a single loaf on the long rise method and used whole packet of yeast, so divided into two- one plain, one with garlic and Italian seasoning. One loaf was baked in my Dutch oven and the other with a loaf pan, covered with second loaf pan. Both were delicious and were used for toast, grilled cheese, and snacking during that week. I sent some with my daughter and froze in slices to keep until used. Seriously easy, but I know the long oven time might dissuade others from making this. Doing two loaves helped offset energy use. 

     My daughter joined me a few Sunday nights ago. We made an improvised Bolognese with a can of whole tomatoes, lots of spices, and some frozen veggie balls found in the freezer, served over spaghetti. The veggie balls sort of fell apart in the tomatoes, but it worked ok. I gave it a kick with red pepper flakes. I sent pasta with her for lunch and I ate two days for lunch. I froze extra soup for my college kid. 

Bean and ham soup with mozzarella cheese on home-made herb bread from the freezer. I do eat food other than soup, but with perpetual winter, it works. 

     This past Saturday when we woke up to another bad April fools joke of 10 inches of snow, I just didn't want to leave the house. I dug out a frozen bag of prepared pinto beans, some boneless ham ends from Christmas Eve, two stalks of celery, and Better than Bouillon for an easy bean soup. There was still the herb bread in the freezer to eat with it. I just can't cook for one it seems, so once again filled my freezer with two hefty portions, and still ate the soup for lunch an additional two days. No ones going to say I'm going without meals. 

Do you use old plastic to freeze? This sour cream  container holds cooked basmati rice to go with the two pouches of curry soup I froze for my college kid. 

     The girls are with me this weekend, plus it's Easter. We're going to my sister's for brunch Sunday. I'll stop at my mother-in-laws but we're not having her big family meal. I just can't. I mostly need to get stuff done- anything done, to try to move a bit to whatever my life is going to be now. Thanks friends for being here.