Friday, February 8, 2013

Clean Out The Fridge Soup

Before we get to the soup, the ever wonderful cook Cindy sent me a recipe for bread pudding. What a perfect way to use up some of the bread that is getting stale around here. Can't afford any food waste this month. I used an extra hot dog bun we didn't need, a few slices of home made bread we wouldn't be eating and the middle out of that darn boomerang bread.
Instead of using raisins (yuck) I added chocolate chips to the mix. Hubby thought he had died and gone to heaven!!! Thanks so much Cindy  your recipe is a new favorite. Once this food pantry challenge is over I am going to try the recipe with some of the fruit I have put up from last summer.
Last night supper was pork chops, rice and gravy, veggie, home made bread and the leftover pineapples from the cake I made last week. I did a quick pan fry of the pineapples with a tad of butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar, yum. We usually have apple sauce with pork but I can't use any of our canned goods this month :(Another item from the fridge that won't go to waste. BTW I stink at making rice on the stove top :( I figured most ladies on assistance don't have a rice cooker so I did it the old fashion way
I have been saving every single bite of veggies leftover from our dinners last week with a pot of "Clean out the Fridge Soup" on my mind. Along with the carrots and potatoes we have on hand I figured we would have a nice size pot for supper tonight as well as lunch tomorrow. The rest will be headed to the freezer for meals later in the month.
I threw it all together this AM and let it simmer during the day while I chased CRAZY Kara around and kept hubby happy with various snacks and beverages. I used our basic veggie soup recipe but had to omit a few things that I couldn't pull from our dehydrated foods. Still tasted GREAT nobody but I knew what was missing.
Also made a batch of artisan bread for tonight's supper, the extra loaves are headed to the freezer for later.
Last night after dinner I made a double batch of granola with chocolate chips for snacking.Hubby has always been a snacker but now that he is on his back he has taken snacking to a whole new level!! HA

Quick post tonight as I have my heart set on an early bedtime with a book and cup of tea, ya it's been that kinda day!! Ha
Tomorrow will be hubby's first day that he doesn't have to spend all day on his back with his leg up and being iced. He will still have to take it easy but he will at least be able to fetch his own drinks, snacks, remote, phone, I-Pad, Kleenex, dirty dishes, and on and on. I will feel like a free bird!

Here is our menu for next week. I already know I will have to pick up broccoli for the chicken pasta on Tuesday :( This is a pain in the you know what trying to remember each and every thing that goes in a dish. I am SOOOO spoiled with our regular pantry and freezer.

Saturday
Lunch - Leftover veggie soup
Supper - Grilled pork loin, roasted potatoes, veggie

Sunday
Pass, it's family dinner but FYI we will be having a ham with whatever, along with potato soup

Monday
Lunch - Leftover potato soup
Supper - Roast beef, potato's, carrots, veggie

Tuesday
Lunch - Grill cheese
Supper - Bow tie chicken and broccoli pasta

Wednesday
Lunch - Leftover bow tie pasta
Supper - Ham Stk, cream potato's, cabbage, veggie

Thursday
Lunch - SOS (we didn't have last week)
Supper - Chicken & Dumplings

Friday
Lunch - Maybe PBJ
Supper - Minestrone soup

To all of you on the East coast please be safe and stay warm, that is a whopper of a storm you are getting!!!!

12 comments:

  1. YUM!! I'm soo happy that all your photos are finally showing up for me! Everything looks great! As for the rice cooker... mine is a cheaper $8.00 rice cooker from WM, so I bet some would have one for sure!!

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    1. Umm, good point on the rice cooker. I am going to try and figure the price difference in instant rice and regular rice. I know there are always coupons for instant rice!! Ha

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  2. I am glad you enjoyed it, Debby, and yuck here too on the raisins. Ha Boomerang bread. Rice I cannot do with a darn on the stove top, but my dear hubby makes perfect rice that way every time, what's up with that? LOVE the colour of that soup btw. I have your bread recipe sitting on the kitchen counter waiting for me to find a bit of time to do (hoping Sunday), and glad to know it freezes well, thanks.

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    1. Ha on hubbt cooking rice, I am not sure my hubby knows where the stove is unless he smells something cooking he wants a taste of. I warm up the bread in the oven for maybe 20 min wrapped in foil, then open the foil for maybe 5-10 mins to get the top nice and crusty again

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  3. that is some good looking food in your photos!

    Right now, we are dieting a little and have mostly cut back on starches. I guess that is why your white rice and gravy looks especially yummy.

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    1. Ha, I don't know if we could stand giving up rice, potato's or a noodle of any kind!!

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  4. Great way to get rid of boomerang bread! My mom used to make bread pudding when I was growing up as a way to use up stale bread - we loved it. (and raisins:) We make clean-out-the-fridge soup about once a week. I made a batch yesterday as a way to use up some bok choy and leeks - delicious and perfect for a snowed-in day!

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    1. Glad you got a day off to stay in the house and enjoy some down time. I know your work is so stressful!!

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  5. I think I will make a recipe that I clipped for meatball vegetable soup and use some frozen left overs in the freezer...

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  6. Sounds really good! I love having pre made meals in the freezer. They work great on days I don't want to cook or I spend to much time on the sewing machine :)

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  7. What's wrong with raisins?:) Bread pudding sounds delicious! I usually use old bread in meatballs or just to make bread crumbs. Somehow never thought of making bread pudding (that i love)!

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  8. Ha, I like raisins out of the box but hate them in anything baked, odd I know!! Ha. The bread pudding was really good!

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