My "Use it Up" Phase

Well folks, we are getting close to our 2-week vacation to visit family.  This is something we do every couple of years.  So, about a week ago I embarked on the "use up the pantry, fridge, and freezer" phase.  It's always good to do that from time to time.

This means when I grocery shop, I try to keep it at a minimum - snacks for the plane, milk, some fresh fruit and veggies (but I am trying to use up frozen right now).

I've had to be somewhat creative.  A little of this, a little of that.  Look, only a tablespoon of sunflower butter, might as well use that up...look, one can of chickpeas, throw that in there.

I've been using frozen fruits for my afternoon snack (except for the day I found a bee in my raspberries - yuck!)  I'm making a bunch of soups (yes, I know it is almost summer, but it's June gloom in So. Cal. and at least it's cool here most days because of it).

In the last week I've used up some pasta, a can of tomatoes, frozen meatballs, chicken breasts, a tri-tip, some corn dogs.  For Father's Day tomorrow (sorry honey, I'm winging it!) I'll probably be making more carrot-turnip soup and baked salmon and kale chips. 

I really like doing these challenges from time to time because I do get to get my creative juices flowing.  I don't get to do that much anymore with a baby (and older child...and job).

There are several foods that I have that I really need to figure out how to use up:

A pile of frozen bananas (I seem to grow the pile faster than I use them)
Frozen spinach
Frozen roasted red peppers
Frozen baby food pears (hmm...maybe I should just feed them to the baby...)
Plus some other stuff in the pantry, which will probably just have to wait until we get back.

One of my FB friends told me about www.supercook.com, which is a website where you put in what you have and it brings up recipes.  I tested it last night with items like chicken, cauliflower, mushrooms...and I was disappointed with the results.  Then I went to Pinterest and did the same and got MUCH better options (or at least, prettier pictures), and the same with google.  Maybe I'm just not impressed with the websites that supercook pulls from.

So based on pinterest and google, tonight I'm making creamy mushroom and roasted cauliflower soup.  And either chicken in the soup or grilled on the side.  That's TBD.

The weekend AFTER we come back we have friends visiting AND it's our 17th anniversary!!  So I'm pretty sure I'm going to save that 9-lb package of grass-fed tri-tip for their visit and do my famous crock-pot tri-tip (tri-tip, salsa, crock-pot).