Cook and eat what I have before buying more

I have one remaining hunk of pork loin, so that will be the focus of this week’s menu. The prior hunks were extremely dry, regardless of varied marinades and cooking methods – so I will brine this one in apple cider before cooking it.

I have some leftover cornbread muffins; I’m going to crumble them up, add some frozen corn and the last of the shredded cheese, pour on a mixture of milk & egg and bake it for a cornbread casserole to accompany the pork loin.

I bought some roasted vegetables (parsnips, brussel sprouts, carrots, rutabega) this weekend, and that will make a nice side dish too.

2 cans of tuna stirred into homemade macaroni & cheese = fast, easy and only used what I had on hand. The dish used up some of the cheese that was starting to go moldy (had to trim it off), so that’s an extra bonus.

Clearly, it’s not a balanced meal so I will need to cook some vegetables for a side dish.

Overall, this is going reasonably well. October grocery money spent was about half what it was in September. I’d like to see how far into November I can get with the remaining food supplies; only purchasing a few fresh items (onions, cream, butter; etc) to supplement and round out the things I already have.

I have some homemade chicken stock, and some frozen gumbo vegetables (corn, okra, etc.); plenty of canned tomatos and some file powder. I don’t have any more plain white rice, but the gumbo itself should be fine without it.

I’d like to make some biscuits to go with it, but I haven’t any buttermilk nor butter to go on the biscuits if I made them.

Chicken gumbo isn’t my favorite, but it is nutritious, filling and something I can make with what I have on hand – so that’s what’s gonna be the dish for the week.

I’m out of regular rice (still have basmati). I’m down to the last half stick of butter. No eggs. No paper towel. Only 2 rolls of TP left in the house. I still have meat and veggies in the freezer; plenty of canned tomatos; 3 cans of tuna; lots of coconut milk. The pantry is now an interesting mix of luxury items (black truffle sauce, anyone?) with far fewer basic staples.

There’s a pot of what will be chicken stock simmering on the stove, which helped use up the last of the celery. Once it’s finished, I’ll strain it and make chicken & mushroom soup using some of the dried mushrooms I have on had (there’s at least 3 varieties). That should get me through the weekend’s meals. I can add in some orzo for body, which I also have on hand.

Overall, part of me finds this nerve-wracking and part of me likes the challenge.

Frozen ground beef; a can of tomatos; the remainder of some frozen onions & frozen green beans. Fresh garlic; some file powder & tabasco; a few egg noodles.

I think I made enough to get me through supper tonight & tomorrow. No biscuits or bread to go with it, since I am almost out of butter, but I can have Saltines instead.

A friend wanted to go to the International Farmer’s Market – and I do dearly love going there; seeing all the variety of cuisine items from around the world. I bought an acorn squash, 3 bananas, some raw peanuts and a bottle of wine. I don’t think it’s possible for me to go into a truly good food store and not buy anything.

I spent just over $8. Not a huge amount – the things I did buy were on a very good sale – but it’s outside of the goal I’d set to not make any grocery purchases for the rest of the month.

I’m tempted to re-set the goal to say “not spend more than $10 / week until the pantry & freezer are emptier” – but honestly, that would be a cheat and a rationalization. The facts are that while I’ll enjoy what I bought, I did not need to make those purchases.

Let’s see if I can do better through the end of this month.

Can of Minestrone soup
Can of chopped clams
Can of fire roasted tomatos
2 tsp. Old Bay

= Faux Manhattan Clam Chowder for supper. Add in a half dozen buttered saltines and that was the meal.

Today’s payday, and my immediate thought was “Great! Now I can get some groceries!” Talk about preconditioned responses that have no tie to reality…

I’m still eating the coconut curry I made Sunday, as well as the brussel sprouts. I’ll need to fix new food tonight – but there is still no shortage of options in the pantry & freezer, as long as I’m willing to be creative about it.

I wonder how long it will be before the “gotta go to the store” preconditioned response is no longer an automatic?

If I cook several things on Sunday, then I don’t have to scramble for food (which usually leads to going out rather than eating in) during the week, when I’m so busy with work that I don’t realize I’m hungry until I’ve crossed well into the FUNGRY territory.

Yesterday, I made stock out of some smoked pork neckbones. I froze part of the stock and turned the rest into split pea soup.

Today, I’d like to roast some frozen veggies (green beans & brussel sprouts) to use as mid-day snacks Monday through Wednesday. I’d like to make some deviled eggs, too, for the same reason.

Main dish: not sure yet; something that will use up the frozen ground pork but not another soup.

I need to cut my food expenses considerably, and there’s a lot of food in my pantry and freezer. Much of it is random ingredients – but I should be able to create enough meals out of the supplies on hand to get me through the end of this month.

I live by myself; thus, I don’t have to make big meals anymore. There’s also no real reason to keep three months’ worth of supplies on hand, other than the pyschological comfort it gives me.

That comfort is going to have to change if I’m to get my expenses under control. I’d like to substitute a sense of accomplishment for the sense of comfort; working with the stuff I have on hand will be a challenge and thus an accomplishment.