The Bluebirds are Nesting...: Pantries and Preparedness. Pantry meals and expectations.

Saturday, 30 May 2020

Pantries and Preparedness. Pantry meals and expectations.

For many reasons, all added together, our meals have become much simpler. They are usually delicious and nutritious but overall I have completely let go of some past expectations. We have all been impacted by so many things in a short time.... not being able to shop, shortages, rations, price rises and more. On days when someone isn't well or in a storm I have always thought a toasted sandwich and soup are a fine achievement. Now I just think this more often!
One of my very favourite You Tube channels is Roots and Refuge Farm. Jess was talking about how if you have a homestead dream you should act like a homesteader right now. She says normal consumers dream up what they feel like eating and plan a menu and go out and buy the stuff to make it. Or they just buy it ready made. A homesteader, gardener, budgeter ... will see what they have and figure out what on earth they can do with it that will feed the family. Big difference. Many of us may have become better at this while the supermarkets haven't had usual choice or while we are staying home and eating what we have. And this is a good thing. This is a skill and a skill worth practicing. Like in some cooking shows they give them a mystery box and they have to use just what they have. Well our pantry, garden, fridge, freezer and what we might have found on a good deal are out mystery box.
When we were kids (and when my parents were kids) no one asked "what do you feel like for dinner?" It just wasn't a thing. Mum or Grandma put a meal on the table using what she had and usually it was something really good. They didn't cook 19 different meals either they made it up and my Nan would set it out on the table in a serve yourself fashion mostly. It was usually a meat dish with a lot of vegetable sides. But on our own (rather than with everyone there) it was very often soup and toast. I loved Nan's soup. And we were happy and grateful for Nan's cooking.

Vicky wrote me on this and here is part of her letter:

Life has certainly been a bit different these days, but once again if we look to our foremothers there is still lessons we can learn from them. And I always look for ways to draw upon their experience and knowledge. I also wonder if some peoples' mindset have changed during this pandemic? Not long ago I was told gardening and canning is for old ladies who don't know how to eat organic! And the statement was made of who wants jars of gross looking food sitting around? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I guess for some seeing what's in a jar is off putting and gross, but the same thing in a can is fine. That really isn't my issue, but the fact that so many overlook the resources right in front of them. We are lucky that we can politely or not snub ingredients, but that wasn't always the case. Again looking back to the Great Depression, WW1, WW11 and even beyond to the Civil War here in the states and the first peoples to settle our countries they couldn't be as choosy and persevered through way more than we can imagine.

A few weeks ago while I was at the post office I overheard a conversation that got me thinking. Well having to stand 6 feet apart it's kind of hard not to hear a conversation haha!

One woman said she didn't have much to make meals and the other said her problem was they had a lot of food, but nothing to eat. What?!

I think now is a good time to take a good look at the versatility of the ingredients we have on hand or are able to get. Not only to prevent waste, but also to realize that if things get harder we may still be able to do more with what we have should our ingredients get on the slim side.

Some of the stories I've read at times the only meat available in some cities were hot dogs, bologna or Spam. And of course we know about sugar and butter shortages among other things that happened back then.

What constitutes a meal? Or a treat? Is it a table full of food or just the blessing to have something to put on a plate or in a bowl? I would have to say right now is the time for us to think on this.

And I am learning. I made a cake that was way too crumbly and impossible to eat since it fell apart so much. Well a little research and a ration recipe came to my rescue. That cake became a whole new cake using those crumbs, a little flour, etc.

Stale cake was steamed a bit and served with a toffee sauce.

Self rising flour and milk, yogurt or sour cream became little drop donuts. Two ingredients became a treat and let me tell you they are good!

Also like Annabel's pizza base plus dinner rolls and so on variety from stemming from one basic ingredient.

Vegetables whipped or pureed can be added to scones or biscuits for a bit of variety in flavor. Pumpkin or squash is especially nice.

Herbs can be used in salads, teas or herbal drinks, freshening the home etc. and have many, many health benefits.

Well I could go on and on, but if things get worse before they get better I want us all to realize that we can do so much even with a limited pantry as most ingredients can be very versatile.

XOXO

As Vicky is saying I have changed a bit on what constitutes a meal. Right now a lot of people are struggling. There are also some pretty significant meat shortages and restrictions in some places.

I thought what Vicky said about all that food and nothing to cook is like when we have a wardrobe full of clothes and nothing to wear! haha! We might need to get better at some more adventurous mixing and matching!

I have heard people who have been away on a swanky holiday saying they just couldn't wait to get home for some mashed potatoes and home food. haha! I understand this! At the end of the day really I have to admit in the same way I would overall rather stay at home, I would rather lots of vegetables, veggie bakes, a roast, tuna mornay, fried rice, scones, pancakes, soup, a toasted sandwich... stuff like that! If you have visitors I have noticed home style food like a roast, gravy and veggies seems more thrilling to them than something "fancy." To those that never get a home cooked meal this is really actually positively thrilling. You don't need a 95 step recipe... just a few basic ingredients. My go to is if I have a guest the fruit cake comes out, I made scones and put out homemade jam. Everyone loves it and it is actually so cheap it is hardly worth counting. Many soups made from what we have that needs using up are just about free meals too.
Tonight we are having mashed potatoes, carrots and broccoli as they are what I have and sausages I dug out of the freezer. I have some venison so tomorrow I will make a stew using that and every vegetable I can find. It will be beautiful and I am blessed to be given venison!

I have read things on social media that make your eyes water. Like young Mums working out how they can buy enough school snacks for their children. The amount they budget would make several hundred pikelets, cookies and other homemade snacks and they are genuinely struggling but they just don't know snacks do not have to come in a packet! We really need to help and teach each other the simple basics.

The old cookbooks are wonderful. They don't use fancy and expensive ingredients. Whatever you have you can look it up and there will be recipes!
Knowing your substitutions is a help.
Knowing you can halve (or less) your meat and double your veggies and sides is a help.
We have talked about this subject in different ways over time. But now this is an area we really need to be happy to get back to basics.

If you have any family recipes that make something good out of nothing please share them! For Mum's with hungry teenagers, toddlers and babies... if you have tips please share.
For those packing their husbands and or school lunches please share your ideas.
What about those with kids who walk through the door at the end of the day ready to inhale the whole contents of the fridge?
How about recipes that just use pantry ingredients?
I will add some recipes in the comments.
It is ok to be basic and it is ok to be simple. Simple is good. At the end of the day single ingredients are better anyway, we know what is in them!
If you have a question or struggle in this area ask away and let the Bluebirds help you! We love to help! xxx

78 comments:

Cath Armstrong30 May 2020 at 02:03
Vicky's comment from the woman in the queue "her problem was they had a lot of food, but nothing to eat" really resonated with me, and something I tell people all the time - buy ingredients and you have choice, buy convenience and you're limited. When you buy a cake mix you can make a cake or cupcakes or muffins. When you buy flour, sugar, butter, eggs, milk, vanilla, you can make all those things and damper, omelettes, scones, biscuits (cookies), donuts, Impossible Pie, bread, flat breads, pizza bases, meringues, pavlova, yoghurt, egg flips, milk shakes and the list goes on and on and on. You have choice - and a lot more food for just a little more in cost. Fill your trolley with ingredients and you'll save money, time and energy, eat better and save time shopping - win, win!
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Cheryl30 May 2020 at 03:34
Great post Annabel!

Just now for dinner we had the simplest, easiest, cheapest meal I can think of! It is pasta in a pumpkin sauce!

Into a pot, I put some cubes of pumpkin that needed using up (I added a carrot too because it was a small piece of pumpkin) One chicken stock cube and water to not even cover the pumpkin (you want a thick pumpkin soup basically) when cooked whiz it up into a purée, season it and add it to some cooked pasta with grated tasty cheese or Parmesan on top. It’s delicious, and my kids aren’t big fans of pumpkin, but they eat this!
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Su30 May 2020 at 04:01
Annabel, a lovely post, one that resonates so much with me!

I genuinely prefer simpler food, I honestly look at some of those huge towers of artfully arranged food the chefs prepare and two things go through my head 1) someone's hands have been all over that to arrange it like that and 2) how on earth does one eat it?

I read of people who say he (it's usually a he) won't eat the same meal two days running and think 'well if he lived here, he'd have to'.

Living alone I never make a roast dinner, it's simply not worth it for myself, so to get one is an absolute treat for me. I fully understand why others would rave over one.

My meal tonight is going to be a salad (the weather is hot here), using up what's in my fridge and I'm going to toast some pitta bread and use that as croutons.

I would like to share 2 recipes, I hope that's ok. The first I have seen listed as both barm brack and bara birth, both Welsh teabreads, however, I am simply going to call it fruit cake since it's not authentic in any way!

1lb dried mixed fruit
6oz soft brown sugar
1/2 pint of hot black tea
1lb self raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 egg, lightly beaten

Pour hot tea over the dried mixed fruit and sugar and leave overnight
Mix in flour and spice, then add the beaten egg and mix well
Pour into a 1.5lb greased loaf tin and bake at 160C/325F/gas mark 3 for 1.5 hours.

I have used white sugar and dark brown sugar (and combinations) and it's always good. I have also used all sorts of dried fruit and again it's good.

My second recipe is my adaptation of slow cooker bread

3 cups lukewarm water
1 tablespoons dried yeast
1 tablespoons salt
3 cups white bread flour
3.5 cups whole meal flour

Throw all of the above into a large container, mix thoroughly and put somewhere warm for about 2 hours. You don't need to be precise about this, but the dough needs to increase in size.
Now, put the dough in the fridge until needed.
About 2 hours before 'baking' pull the container out of the fridge and put it somewhere warm, it's not going to increase in size, this step is just to take the chill off it.
Pour a quantity into a loaf tin lined with grease proof paper, put into a COLD slow cooker and switch onto high. I am not even going to tell you how long to leave it in there for since slow cookers vary so much, but start checking it after an hour or so. I can smell when mine is starting to get near to ready.
The addition of the whole meal flour unexpectedly gives this bread a crust. This makes a nice, dense loaf that keeps for
several days and it's now my standard bread recipe. The original recipe suggested shaping the dough, but that is absolutely impossible, the dough is so wet. You could weigh out your dough, so that you get definitely sized loaves but I don't bother.

I am looking forward to seeing others suggestions and recipes.
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Mel30 May 2020 at 04:46
Annabel this post rings true to us. I found a whole new world this week with a whole stuffed pumpkin. Something I had never heard of. We were gifted a home grown pumpkin and I was looking for a new recipe. There I discovered stuffed pumpkin. Just cut off the “lid” of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Then use either stale cubed bread or cooked rice as a base in a bowl. I used stale cubed bread, added to that three rashes of bacon I found in the freezer and cooked, a few slices of salami left over also fried up with an onion. Then I used up bits left over of three kinds of cheese some herbs and garlic. Stuffed the whole pumpkin with this and poured over the stuffing a little left over cream and put the lid back on the pumpkin. Baked whole for 90 minutes. So good as a side dish or a main. You can add anything you have. Love it.
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Mel30 May 2020 at 04:46
Annabel this post rings true to us. I found a whole new world this week with a whole stuffed pumpkin. Something I had never heard of. We were gifted a home grown pumpkin and I was looking for a new recipe. There I discovered stuffed pumpkin. Just cut off the “lid” of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Then use either stale cubed bread or cooked rice as a base in a bowl. I used stale cubed bread, added to that three rashes of bacon I found in the freezer and cooked, a few slices of salami left over also fried up with an onion. Then I used up bits left over of three kinds of cheese some herbs and garlic. Stuffed the whole pumpkin with this and poured over the stuffing a little left over cream and put the lid back on the pumpkin. Baked whole for 90 minutes. So good as a side dish or a main. You can add anything you have. Love it.
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Elle30 May 2020 at 07:51
Snacks at our house: cheese sticks, hardboiled eggs, carrots/hummus, pita chips/hummus (I do buy these already made), peanut butter (I just spoon it if I don't have celery).

I always have cooked meats in the freezer: taco meat made with a mix of beef/ground turkey, shredded beef, plain ground beef, Italian sausage/ground beef/ground turkey, shredded chicken. With these I can make a quick chef salad adding a bit of protein, pasta w/bolgnese, lasagna (takes me 2h as I like the sauce to simmer and meld the flavors), chili-if I'm thinking ahead and soak the beans.

I keep frozen fish on hand for a quick grill or bake, add sauted veg from the fridge and there's a meal.

I bake our bread. Quick slice of ham/sprinkle of grated cheese and an egg and I'm stuffed!

Egg salad sand, tuna sand, PBJ

I think if someone is struggling, ask each person in the home to write a list of 5 breakfasts and 10 lunch/dinners. Then write a list of ingredients and stock up on those. And then, the person who's meal request it is, gets to help make it. At least one step.

We love my pancakes and I'll write that recipe for you here (I don't do a ton of recipe cooking but I could write them up if someone wants something I've listed).

Elle's Oatmeal Buckwheat Pancakes

1c buttermilk (I use 1Tbsp lemon juice/1c milk let stand 5min).

Add: 1c regular oats-stir and let stand 10-20 minutes

Mix together:
1/2c Whole Wheat Flour
1/2c Buckwheat Flour
1/2tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1-2 tsp cinnamon-to taste

To milk/oat mixture add:
1/4 c honey
1/3 c oil or applesauce
1 egg

Mix thoroughly. Then mix in dry ingredients.

Makes 12 4" pancakes. Freeze terrific-sometimes I make a double and we use them as toast ;-)
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Lana30 May 2020 at 08:46
For many months we have been able to buy ground pork for 75 cents a pound. We don't like the taste of it plain or substituted for beef. But we found thata tomato sauce to taco meat or extra seasonings to other dishes make it to our taste so we have been using it every place we can in meals. The same store has had rolls of Jimmy Dean sausage for 99 cents a pound so that had been a big part of meals too. We are using what we can find me at great prices from our outlet grocer. We do have a freezer full of meat but feel like it can stay there while we eat these less expensive options for now. Most of the time I reduce the meat to half of what is called for in a recipe and it is plenty.

When our kids were growing up they had a real aversion to leftover waffles. But, if I toasted them and cut them on sticks to dip in syrup they would gobble them up. Our grandchildren will not touch a quesadilla but will happily eat cheese triangles. So, thinking of ways to make things more palatable to children helps.

Our oldest daughter cooks a lot of vegetarian meals and she taught me to start with cooking onions and garlic and peppers and celery and then adding cooked beans to that with seasonings. A little hot sauce does amazingng things for flavors in most dishes. Just add enoughgh to bring out the flavors but not enough to make it spicy. It really brings back the flavor of soups that have been frozen.

We have been using the kitchen scales more because it saves over having a free hand with cheeses and meats. I know our pizzas only need 5 ounces of cheese but if I just sprinkle it on it is easy to use twice as much.
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pamintexas30 May 2020 at 11:29
You and Vickie come up with brilliant ideas! What I love about soup and sandwiches is the versatility that combination gives you. Today I'm making 15-bean soup (a mix I found on sale and needed to use up) and I added some chopped up tomatoes, purslane which grows wild here plus some spinach powder I dry and keep in the pantry. Extra vitamins, free and no one's the wiser. Soup is a great way to hide leftovers, too, in case you have someone who is picky. Our sandwich of the day is a roast beef and cheddar cheese on rye bread (using leftover roast) grilled pannini. Since it's just the two of us when I bake a cake I usually make it in two loaf or bread pans so we can have one and put the other in the freezer for later or in case company shows up. Add a quick glaze or some fruit or ice cream on top and you have a respectable dessert. I have dried fruit that needs using so I'll be trying that fruit cake recipe that was shared. Thanks! Have a great weekend.
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Anonymous30 May 2020 at 16:43
I have such a hard time putting myself in others' shoes on this score...if you and others didn't write about it, Annabel, I would never have a clue that there are folks out there that don't cook from scratch, etc.! I don't say that to be demeaning, but it's just so totally out of my life's experience, that it just doesn't seem real! My mother cooked from scratch and always watched pennies for her food budget, gardened, canned, froze, dehydrated...you name it. And everyone else I knew in our families did, too.

Simple, easy food/snacks: Popcorn. Delicious, cheap, cheap, cheap, filling. Crackers and peanut butter or bread/biscuits and jam. A piece of seasonal fruit. Plain yogurt with a few berries and a dollop of jam stirred in. Veggie sticks. Cookies or a slice of tea loaf (homemade). One of the "weird" snacks my dad used to eat at bedtime and we would clamour to join him, was crackers coarsely crumbled in a glass of milk, eaten with a spoon. Sounds crazy, tastes great. These were either saltines or graham crackers.

Simple dinners: Scrambled eggs, toast, fruit. Or pancakes, eggs, and fruit. (Breakfast for supper!)

Leftover rice sauteed up in oil and leftover cooked veggies, a little onion, soy sauce...at the end add a scrambled egg or two and cook until done...Fried Rice! (We eat this for lunch, often...the kids love it!)

Toasted cheese sandwiches and soup.

Pasta with a simple tomato sauce...canned tomatoes pureed, garlic, some basil and some lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Chili. Leftovers can be rolled in tortillas with cheese and baked for burritos, or ladled over baked potatoes or toast.

Throwing a whole chicken into the slow cooker with onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, salt and pepper and filling to the top with water...cook forever and then have some nice, moist chicken meat for dinner the first night (with potatoes or rice and a veggie)...strain the broth and keep for chicken broth, keep the remainder of the chicken meat in a container in the fridge or freezer for any number of meals that call for cooked chicken. And finally, take a small amount of the meat and some of the broth, a few veggies and some noodles, some dried sage and salt and pepper and cook up for chicken noodle soup!

Salsa Chicken: Put some cooked beans in the bottom of a casserole dish (black, kidney, whatever you prefer). Place chicken pieces on top. Pour salsa over the top...about 1 cup for 4 big pieces of chicken. Cover and bake at 350degrees F. for 1 hour. Serve with rice and a veggie.

Meatloaf is good with baked potato and a veggie...leftover meatloaf can be thinly sliced and used as meat for sandwiches.

Tuna melts: Mix tuna with mayo, salt and pepper...spread on toast, place a couple of cheese slices on top, place under broiler until cheese melts. Great with pickles and veggie sticks or alongside soup.

Tuna casserole or mornay. All kinds of bean dishes. (Beans are our friends in tight times, and they taste great!) Mac and cheese.

Have to post the rest separately!

xx Jen in NS
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Anonymous30 May 2020 at 16:43
"Toad in the Hole"...or, as we like to call it, "Hot Dog Puff". Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Put 6-8 hot dog wieners in a well-greased 8" square dish. In a bowl, lightly whisk 2 eggs. Ad 1 c. milk, 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Whisk until fairly smooth. Pour over wieners. Bake about 30 mins. or till puffed and golden brown. We eat this with the normal hot dog toppings. Yum!

Or make pigs in blankets by mixing up a batch of baking powder biscuits. Roll to about 1/4" thick. Cut into twelve 4x3" oblongs (approx.) Wrap each one of 12 hotdogs with dough. Bake 15 mins. at 450 degrees F.

Last one. Porcupine Meatballs. Preheat oven to 350degrees F. or get an electric frying pan out with a lid. Mix: 1-1/2 lb. ground beef, 1 small finely chopped onion, 1 c. uncooked rice, 1/2 c. milk. Form into walnut-sized balls. Brown in 1 T. fat (bacon, oil, whatever). Place in casserole or keep in electric frypan. Season 1 large can tomatoes (28 oz.) with 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Pour over meatballs. Rinse out can/jar of tomatoes with about 1/2 c. water and add that. Either bake or simmer in frypan, covered, for about an hour. Serve over mashed potatoes.

I could go on forever, but I should stop and let someone else comment! I don't get the comment Vicky got about not liking to look at food in jars! A running family joke here is to say, "Doesn't it look beautiful in the jar?", after a great-aunt who used to take great pride in her perfectly packed peaches when she canned. So I always think canned food is beautiful! And gardening is great exercise, meditation time (weeding), etc.

Can't wait to see all the other great ideas and recipes!

Love, Jen in NS
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Elaine30 May 2020 at 17:47
Dear Annabel,
So many good ideas! We are blessed that our grocery stores are getting pretty well stocked again and even putting out some decent sale ads and coupons. My family has been additionally blessed by a neighbor who sometimes gets more perishables from the food pantry distribution than she can used and shares them with us and others. Neither of us wants to see food go to waste, especially in these times. Of course, neither of us knows what is going to be in the boxes. The boxes are just loaded in the neighbor's trunk and seen when they get home. So between eating from our pantries and surprise items that sometimes need to be eaten quickly, it definitely requires some flexible meal planning. I have found searching the internet for recipes with specific ingredients quite helpful. I am keeping a notebook with these recipes in it, too. Have a lovely weekend!
With love from Arizona, USA
Elaine
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Anonymous30 May 2020 at 18:23
This is a Jamie Oliver easy pancake/pikelet mix. One cup of self-raising flour, one egg, one cup of milk. You can use a coffee cup as a measure. As I am gluten free I use gluten free flour, add a small amount of xanthan gum and I am good to go. You can use egg replacer if need be and non dairy milk. It's quick and you can adjust the amount you make according to need.

Mandy(NZ)
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Jane30 May 2020 at 20:11
When the kids were still at home and at school, we used up a lot of eggs and veg in zucchini slice type foods. These were full of protein for hungry kids and easily grabbed as they went out the door to do afternoon chores. We lived on a property where they were part of the upkeep of it. Home baked goods were also always available in cake tins on the bench. Boiled eggs and basic fruits were in the fruit bowl and in the fridge. Pancakes were another quick and filling food. By mixing in the blender spinach or silverbeet and banana could be added to make delicious and healthy green banana pancakes.
We have a young couple with two little girls as neighbours. They rarely cook a meal. They eat mostly take away because it is so much cheaper than groceries. This is what the Mum told Bluey. Bluey and I jokingly price our meals at night. We can eat evening meals for a week, for the same price they pay for one take away meal with sundaes for the four of them. They just cant see how this is possible.
We try and purchase in bulk when we can. The bulk items are broken down into meal size portions and frozen, canned or vacuum sealed. We save a lot of money and have a lot of food options this way.
I am researching foods that grow well here and can be dietry staples. One such food is cassava which can be made into flour and used in similar ways to wheat flours. I have a black pepper vine on order for my spice additions as well as a Cranberry hibiscus for teas.
It doesnt take a lot of creativity to come up with delicious meals from very little.
Leftovers, if there are any, can be used to make a whole other meal. Our pie maker gets quite a work out this way. Small amounts of leftover meats can enrich a sauce or gravy to be poured over pasta or a large baked potato to become another meal. Vegies can be mixed with eggs to become frittata, or with eggs and flour to become fritters.
Simple foods, cooked well and with love, make wonderful hearty meals for the family

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LeighSabey30 May 2020 at 21:16
Such good ideas! I love recipes that are adaptable and use up odds and ends. Quiche, pot pies, quick breads, enchiladas, pasta casseroles, soups. We've been making German pancakes (oven baked puffy pancakes...they go by different names) every Sunday lately. When I find myself with an extra couple mouths to feed, I can usually stretch a planned meal by adding biscuits or fruit salad or some kind of extra side dish or dessert. My husband says I run our kitchen like a cruise ship because no food goes to waste and I'm always reinventing leftovers!
If you are stuck with hot dogs, search online for hot dog toppings from around the world! In Brazil, they top a hot dog with mashed potatoes, peas, bell peppers, tomatoes, and shoestring potatoes. It's delicious!
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Anonymous30 May 2020 at 21:20
Right here is where the Australian "4 ingredients" cookbook is perfect. I know the ladies have written many more since but I just have the original red one which I had signed by them at the bookstore when I bought it!! A very worthwhile and cheap cookbook, great for right now! Kim from perth
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Anonymous31 May 2020 at 12:40
We make fruit salad a lot using whatever odd pieces of fresh fruit added to a can of fruit cocktail to round out meals when I don't have enough individual pieces of the same fruit for all 6 kids.
Also, we do "salad bar" a lot in the summer. I just get out all the bits and bobs out of the fridge, line it up along the counter and everyone can build their own salad, so one person might have a taco salad using leftover taco meat while the next person in line has chicken breast and salsa.
Stir fry is another way to use up small bits of things when not in the mood for soup. I have a recipe for a sauce that we all like, then add cooked meats and veg leftover in fridge. The only combination we didn't like included sausage and celery which didn't go with the sauce at all haha.
Sarah
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Michele31 May 2020 at 14:29
Simple fare has many advantages- especially as we age. It's not only easier on the pocketbook, but also on the digestion. In addition to most of what has been previously mentioned, we enjoy toasted or open-faced sandwiches(melts), baked beans over toast, a thing we call bits and pieces which is a platter of whatever is available, a chunk of cheese, slices of fruit(fresh, canned, or dried) pickles/olives,leftover meats, sliced veggies, crackers or toast triangles, a sweet something like leftover candies, cookies, or nuts/mints. We usually also have a spread of some kind, like peanut butter or hummus. Arranged attractively on a platter and self-served on small plates with tea/coffee in the winter or sparkling water/iced tea in the summer it's usually welcome. A small cup of broth/ soup is a nice winter addition and lettuce leaves instead of crackers in summer are nice variations.
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Kay31 May 2020 at 17:58
Just a few thoughts: We started a large garden again to feel the two of us and our son's family of 5. We grow our own beef and I have sources for pork (purchased a 1/2 a month ago), chickens (got the first shipment last month) and eggs (every 2 weeks). I also am helping a local friend by purchasing her salad greens and other hoop house produce since the restaurants she was selling to are not buying now.
I've been making a menu every 1-2 weeks, so my grocery list is specific. I am slowly going through the pantry and freezers, also using up what is getting old. Last week I used the last boxed pasta meal and will not be replacing it. Today I baked the last bag of frozen roll dough. These I purchases a while ago to aid in quick meals during harvest.
My grocery shopping is "ingredients" also; and not ready-to-eat "food."
We are hunkering down and preparing for the next thing.
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terricheney31 May 2020 at 18:36
Goodness but my mind is rolling! Like Lana I often cut meat called for in most recipes to half at the least and it works in most all of them. We also use lots of vegetables to stretch things out.

I mentioned to Lana we like sloppy joes but ours are more vegetable than meat. This is also good in a biscuit dough crust and baked like a hand pie.

When my children were smaller we often had dessert as part of our meals and people would say "Oh you don't need dessert!" I made things like gelatin or used canned fruit or applesauce and served with a single cookie (like a gingersnap or graham which are usually pretty cheap if you don't have time to do homemade) is a really good dessert and they are getting the added benefit of the fruit. There was no meal that couldn't be stretched just a wee bit further with extra potatoes or pasta or rice or even bread crumbs. My grandmother always mixed up hamburgers or meatballs with a bit of bread crumb and leftover mashed potatoes! But like most here, I am a from scratch cook and here of late it's what I call retro cooking, simple meals with basic pantry ingredients.
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Mimi31 May 2020 at 22:32
Ah-ha...you're singing my song Annabel! All of this is so true! I remember my Nanna used to make the most delicious little cookies out of the top cream of the cows milk after Grandpa had milked the cows and it had settled, a bit of flour and a bit of powdered sugar. I've tried to replicate them unsuccessfully. She just had the knack. I recently tried the 'crazy pizza' on Pinterest. It's a batter that you pour into a shallow baking tray, bake, then top with toppings and bake again. It comes out like a proper thin and crispy pizza and it's delicious and so quick and easy. My sons would never drink powdered milk as teens so our milk bill was horrendous. Until I flavoured it with Milo or chocolate drink mix, and then it was happily consumed. Gluten free bread is very expensive, so we often use thin slices of sweet potato (kumera) or rice cakes instead of bread for snacks. Home grown cucumbers, sliced, can be used instead of crackers, as can radishes, carrots and apples. That's all I can think of right now. Perfect topic! Mimi xxx
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Anonymous1 June 2020 at 03:51
Dear Annabel, what a great post! Thank you Annabel and Vicky. I will need to get my notebook out for all of these wonderful ideas. I really think this Pandemic has helped me to really look at our fridge and cupboard and to use what we have before just running out to buy an ingredient. I am trying to use everything up, for example corned beef with white sauce and veggies one night, was then turned into like a pasta bake (white sauce and have used corned beef). I always need to keep learning, but it is exciting to see progress in this area. Lots of love, B
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Anonymous1 June 2020 at 04:17
Dear Annabel,
When my children were growing up done of the afternoon snacks were celery sticks stuffed with peanut butter and topped with raisens , a half of banana frozen on a popsicle stick, cheese and fruit kebobs. I also made chocolate pudding from scratch using reconstituted dry milk and offer would freeze it in popsicle molds.

This is a recipe my Nana got from one of her n
eighbors that we used to love. There are no exact measurements. I've made it with leftover noodles or spaghetti or from the pantry supplies.
It can be served as a side dish or even dessert. When I'm not ad living the recipe this is how I make it. It freezes very well.

1 pound of egg noodles (we use gluten free) cooked all dente
Large apple or any canned fruit drained
2 to 4 eggs
Sugar and cinnamon to taste
1cup of raisens.
Add the sugar and fruit to the noodles and mix well. Beat the eggs and add to mixture. Pour into. Greased 13x9 inch baking dish
And bake at 350F until lightly brown on top. Allow to cool slight and cut into squares. Good served either hot or cold.

Blessings, Cookie
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Anonymous1 June 2020 at 04:35
I am enjoying cooking meals with what I have!

I have discovered that I can ‘bake’ in cast iron with a lid, over a gas flame, instead of using a conventional oven! I tend to use a large glass jar, no recipe, and begin with eggs, whisk with water, and add varying quantities of flour, etc according to whether I would like more of a quiche; custard; cake; pancake; or other surprise! I use honey in, or drizzled on, these. I will even make fresh pasta in a sauce of tomato soup just for the fun of topping it with milk powder and salt in the style of fine Parmesan cheese! Haha!! It is a fun learning experience, even if things stick to the pan sometimes!!

I also discovered that sour cream, honey/dates and mixed spice, wrapped up in bread, is pretty special, too. I think of it as a bush substitute for cheesecake!

Vicky, your work is wonderful, and I would have loved your tea party!!

Thank you, Annabel, for the practical topic!!

Rachel
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Anonymous1 June 2020 at 08:26
Thinking on what we have changed or what is helping stretch meals and snacks...my husband has changed to a gluten free diet during the pandemic, so I am serving him rice and polenta every day instead of breads and pastas. The polenta is good also because flour has been difficult at times to come by, and I’ve been able to get plenty of corn meal. So I make a big pot of polenta and use some for friend mush for me and my kids for breakfast the next day instead of pancakes. We are adding ground flax seed and chia seeds to things like oatmeal and smoothies to add healthy fat and protein (those two ingredients have not been hard to come by). I am making pots of popcorn on the stove every day - a serving is 4-5 cups, and it is filling and fun. I am having trouble finding yeast right now, so my thoughts are shifting to how to make bread or biscuits without. Although, store bought bread is back on shelves now, so we could buy premade bread. Meat has become more expensive the past couple weeks, so I am trying to stretch that, and using some meatless meals, such as a bean chili over spaghetti. I have a child with egg and dairy allergies, so he cannot have eggs, which would be an easy and affordable protein source. I’m buying “protein plus” pasta, that has extra protein and fiber, so I feel ok about serving that without a meat sauce. We’ve also enjoyed using a pea protein powder to make morning smoothies, or if my allergic child needs a hearty snack, he has one of those with some sun butter mixed in. Also making pizzas with pepperoni, or bits of leftover meats, such as meatballs. We’ve been buying more frozen fruit, blending it up for smoothies or a frozen dessert. Also a scoop of butter or sun butter with a few chocolate chips on top make a filling treat for dessert.

-Amy
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Anonymous2 June 2020 at 05:15
Hi Annabel

What a wonderful post.

Having a child with many allergies and intolerances, I once felt so overwhelmed until I starting following along with you and Mimi many years ago. This was when I learnt so much about going back to basics and cooking from the pantry staples. Wow did you both have some wonderful information along the way, such an eye opener to the way things are done today. And to you both I am most grateful for the many recipes I have acquired along the way.

I mostly cook from scratch now with almost everything. Over the recent 11 weeks of DD now 10 being home we did lots of cooking and perfecting our techniques. One thing we finally found a recipe for was those fruit straps and it worked first go and as it was mainly fruit with a very small amount of sugar that you could vary to your own taste. This was a winner.

As DD10 is anaphylaxis to nuts even traces we have to be extremely careful and most package food does say "may contain traces of nuts". I read further up someone (sorry unsure who) made reference about school allergies. This can be very difficult to police and I had a phone call from school early in Term 1 from the school saying that DD10 was itchy as someone with cashews sat next to her at lunch and could I please come and take her home. This is despite a no nut policy at the school. She is highly allergic to peanuts, cashews and pistachios. Whilst it is good that the school followed up with the nut allergy awareness many people are unaware that even though the packaged food does not contain nuts they still can contain traces of nuts as they come from factories that make products with nuts in them.

Today DD10 informed me that the same child once again had nuts at school and when DD10 said that she was not supposed to have them (they are friends) she replied with well it is too bad for you. I shall be speaking with the school about this once again but have asked DD10 that she does not sit with this child at break times.

Take Care
Aly xxx
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Glenda3 June 2020 at 06:05
Excellent article, Annabel and Vicky.
Love and hugs,
Glenda
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Stacy18 June 2020 at 17:45
Awesome article! I have hungry teens at home and many times we have the bread with a meal. Bread, rice, and potatoes suppliment our meals so the teens get full! Also important is the occasional treat of something sweet. It goes a long way to make a baked goodie once a week or so! These are homemade and good for us. We're starting to see flour back in the stores here in the US, so that coupled with the know how to substitute means we can bake again!
Many thanks!
Stacy
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