I love to look online for recipes…but I rarely use the many I find because I am always missing 1 – 2 items on their recipe. But when I go home to visit my mom I find that she has everything in most of the recipes I want to cook…..so what am I missing?
QUESTION FOR YOU!!
What is in your pantry?
What is a necessity to have when cooking?
What are your favorite throw-together recipes?
PLEASE I need help.
new favorite..
white chicken chili seasoning from McCormics-prepare as listed
add fresh diced tomatoes
Avocado
diced chicken
cilantro
eat with tortilla chips, Kenny adds cheese and sour cream
totally yummy, easy easy
I am NO help to you cause the same thing always happens to me! I will be looking at your comments for tips as well.
hmmmm…I don’t know, but if I don’t have it, I just use something else. sometimes it tastes like crap and sometimes it is good.
my pantry varies at times but I basically have the food storage basics and stuff I that is canned(flour, sugar, oil, grains, cereal, canned fruit, applesauce, canned veggies, etc.) and then each week when I make my grocery list and review the menu I buy the other stuff I don't have.
One thing I found that works for me (but I don't stick with it 100% of the time) is that I sat down and planned 4 weekly menus. I decided what would be for breakfast, lunch, & dinner for Sun-Thursday. Fridays are leftover days and Saturday I go shopping and we usually have sandwiches, soup, or pizza that day. The menu helped me plan variety (I like to have a mexican night, chicken night, a crockpot night or two, a pasta night, etc.) and also meals that use similar ingredients so that I'm not buying tons of different things.
For example, Sunday might be a whole baked chicken with mashed potatoes. A few days later I might use the leftover chicken bits for chicken tetrazzini and the leftover mashed potatoes a different night for shepherd's pie.
I find that looking through mom's cookbook, stuff on the internet, and cookbooks from the library or ones I own, that I was able to find enough recipes that I was pretty sure the kids would like for 4 different weekly menus. That takes a while. But once they are planned, it's so easy to sit down and make the grocery list (after looking through the fridge and pantry and seeing what we already have for those meals). And then I just stick that printed menu on the fridge which reminds me what to get out to thaw the night before or reminds me in the morning if I need to get the crockpot meal going.
Anyway, hope that helps. Cooking can totally be a pain in the patootie and I'm always looking for ideas to simplify too. I also sometimes do freezer meals ahead of time that are parts of my menus.
We’re working on our 3 month supply- only having to buy what we use that is on sale, having a few extra until next time it’s on sale again.
Cream of Mushroom and chicken broth are some of our main ingredients. We also made a list of 40 (sounds like a lot, but we did it) dishes that we like and all the ingredients- those are the things we watch for on sale or in bulk. Shopping is Hawaii is a pain, not as fun deals as the mainland, but we’ve cut down our grocery costs lots!
My Favorite throw – together!!
Mexicali Rice
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
1/2 cup Celery, diced
1/4 cup Bell Peppe, diced
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 large Tomatoes, coarsley chopped
2 Serrano Chilies, seeds and stems
removed, chopped (TOO HOT Omit)
2 Tbs fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp fresh lime juice or lemon
1/2 tsp Oregano
1 tsp. Real Salt
Put half the oil in a skelletand saute the onion & garlicfor about 5-7 minutes till onion is soft. Then add the rest of the ingredients. (I chop all up in a food processor and steam fry until veggies are still bright and still somewhat crisp. (only a short while). Add 2, 3 or 4 cups cooked rice and the rest of the olive oil. Mix well and serve warm.
P.S. Your family is growing so fast, you might have to double the recipe.