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Raiding the Pantry

By on August 29, 2010 in Large Family Good Eats

and the freezer and the garden.

There is about a week until payday and our food supplies are getting quite interesting. You know the strange combinations of foods left in the cupboards and the freezer right before it is time to get groceries (help me out folks, please tell me I am not the only one). This week’s menu will revolve around the strange foods that we have left in our house, but I will try to make them as interesting as possible.

Here is the list of foods (this may not be a complete list, but I am going from memory here):

  • canned baked beans (at least 4)
  • canned cranberries (tons)
  • elbow noodles
  • spaghetti noodles
  • pasta sauce (2 cans)
  • tomato sauce (1 can)
  • rice (tons of rice)
  • frozen berries
  • frozen rhubarb
  • frozen fruit lax (don’t ask! and no we didn’t need it, it was given to us)
  • a case of frozen hot dogs (yes, you read that right and no, I didn’t buy it)
  • a case of canned salmon (no, I didn’t buy this either and it makes Jonah sick so we never use it)
  • a big jar of sauerkraut (no idea where this came from)
  • a huge bag of flour
  • a huge bag of oats
  • a huge bag of white sugar
  • frozen bread
  • onions
  • peppers
  • tomato juice (several large cans)
  • canned pineapple (at least 2 cans)
  • pomegranate jam (who thinks of these things?)
  • fresh beans from the garden (just enough for munching)
  • fresh swiss chard (not enough for a whole meal yet)
  • fresh spinach (maybe enough to put on pizza or throw in pasta)
  • popcorn (but no oil)

So, given this odd assortment of food, what would you make? (I’m just curious). Keep in mind that we cannot use eggs, dairy, mushrooms, or nuts in our house.

Here is my list of ideas of what to make for this week (it is fun getting creative!):

  • oatmeal for breakfast everyday (for the next six months, the bag was huge)
  • stir fry (onions, peppers, hot dogs, with noodles on the side)
  • pizza bread (hot dogs, tomato sauce, pineapple, bread)
  • salmon loaf (Jonah will have to sit this meal out)
  • spaghetti (hot dogs, peppers, onions, sauce)
  • salmon on toast (another meal for Jonah to sit out)
  • rice and baked beans (I will sit this one out, I don’t like beans)
  • macaroni and baked beans
  • hot dog pasta bake (hot dogs, pasta, onions, peppers, sauce, baked in the oven)

That should keep me going for the week. I am really curious to see if you can come up with some creative ideas for me.

Oh, and just for the record, if I could buy a limited amount of food right now, it would include these things:

  • a jug of oil
  • margarine
  • more fruit
  • more veggies

I will be linking this post up with Menu Plan Monday.

mealplanmonday v2 Raiding the Pantry

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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

By on August 1, 2010 in Large Family Good Eats, One Room Schoolhouse

If you look closely at this picture (past my son, covered in mud, who is looking for worms) you will see a rhubarb plant in the background. This plant was purchased for $10 from a lady on Used Victoria. It has been going strong for the past four years, but this year has been its best yield ever. This year we have harvested it at least three times and I am assuming there will be at least two more harvests this summer.

IMG 1859 300x225 Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

We have been harvesting the rhubarb (and freezing it) while waiting for a chance to purchase some yummy strawberries. It was time to harvest the rhubarb again and strawberries were all over the grocery stores just waiting for us to purchase them (and at a decent price too). Now, I keep wishing that I lived closer to Dawn from 5 Kids and a Dog because she has an abundance of strawberries. You can read about her Strawberry Harvest and More Strawberries.

We were also given a case of pre-made pie crusts (with no egg or dairy too), so I jumped at the chance to make pies. So far we have made four hamburger pies, one big chicken pot pie, two cherry pies, and two strawberry rhubarb pies. The crust dough came in a box that you store in the fridge, they were all rolled out and you just needed to lay them on the pie plate (how easy is that?).

I took this Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe and whipped up the pie filling to use in our pre-made crusts. This was one of the pies before they were baked. Unfortunately, they were all gone before I could get another picture of them.

IMG 2207 2 300x203 Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

What is your favorite kind of pie? If you don’t like pie, what is your favorite dessert?

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Large Family Good Eats on a Budget

By on June 21, 2010 in Large Family Good Eats

We are a family of 7. We have allergies in our family so we do not eat dairy, eggs, or nuts. I compiled this list of simple and cheap meal ideas a little while back and thought that I would share it with you. I always focus on the protein. I try my hardest to have a variety of foods at each meal. Even if it is just a few slices of carrot sticks and a pickle to add some variety.

Breakfast Ideas

  • Oatmeal or creamy rice with peaches and brown sugar
  • Oatmeal or creamy rice with apples, cinnamon, brown sugar
  • Oatmeal or creamy rice with raisins and brown sugar
  • Oatmeal or creamy rice with coconut milk and peaches
  • Breakfast Skillet – potatoes, onions, veggies, and meat cooked on stove
  • Homemade Pancakes

Main Dish Ideas

  • Stew – meat, veggies, potatoes (make it thinner like soup if you need to stretch it farther – serve with bread or buns)
  • Shepherds Pie – any meat, veggies, and then mashed potatoes on top
  • Soups – meat or beans, veggies, starch (potato, pasta, or rice)
  • Potato Soup with bits of ham (you could take one slice and cut it up really small or grate it to)
  • Potato and Leek Soup – potatoes and leeks
  • Chili (heavy on the beans and veggies)
  • Chiligetti – chili with noodles
  • Spanish Rice – pasta sauce with rice – usually I add veggies and hamburger too
  • Sweet and Sour (pork, chicken, etc) – you can make this with pineapple juice (from a tin of pineapple), vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, cornstarch then serve with rice and veggies
  • Honey Garlic (pork or chicken) – you just need some honey and fresh garlic
  • Beef and Broccoli – stir fry the beef and broccoli and serve over rice
  • Tuna Salad  - tuna, green relish or pickles, mayo, fine chopped celery, raisins, grated carrots… could be served with lettuce or bread
  • Hamburger, kidney beans, corn, and rice
  • Tuna Casserole – tuna, elbow noodles, and peas (canned or frozen)
  • Spaghetti – hamburger, peppers, onion, tomato, sauce, and noodles

Snack Ideas

  • Carrot or other veggie slices
  • Apple or other fruit slices
  • Popcorn – cook the kernels in oil on a pot on the stove
  • Frozen Fruit
  • Fruit Juice Popsicles

Other Fun Ideas

  • Honey Garlic Dip – honey, garlic, and eggless mayo
  • Homemade Ice Tea – 6 tea bags, water, lemon juice, and sugar
  • Lemonade – lemon juice, water, and sugar
  • Quick Pancake Syrup – simmer a few tablespoons of jam with some water in a pot on the stove.

Check out these fun ways to make water more interesting.

What are your simple and cheap ideas for feeding your family?

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