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Purge the Larder


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I could offer some empathy and big hugs at least OOOXXX (my washer is ready to go and never does one thing go at a time ..holding my breath here because this is not in my budget at all right now :raz: )

Kudos to ALL!!  Quite remarkable feats, both cooking and cleaning.

I'm in a bog, nothing accomplished for DAYS :sad:

Intentions, yes.  Impetus, ditto.  But Inclination---that went the way of the dishwasher arm, which was resting atop the bottom dishes when I opened it one day last week.    I quickly onlined the parts, being promised them "between the 11th and 18th" with an astonishingly-quick delivery of most with a day, but one piece.  Five boxes of parts ranging from flat and impressive to screw-size wee, sitting beneath the china cabinet.

I put the evening teapot into the microwave a day or two later, and upon opening the door, still cool.  I tried again; it counted down exactly three seconds, wheezed to a halt.  Banged on the front with the cushy part of my palms---started right up, made the tea and perhaps one other dish, before dying entirely.  No fear, a fortuitous buy of one last fall leads us to have a spare in the house, just not down HERE, and not in the big microwave case on the wall.  Maybe this weekend.

Then Monday, Caro and I were doing our usual Monday togetherness, cooking a bit, watching a Jane Austen movie, and the sink faucet sprang forth like Niagara.  Chris went to Lowe's, bought a nice new one, and encountered Dante's Ninth Ring beneath the counter---a labyrinth of pipes, even after you got past the water softener, the disposal, and the filter thingie on the side wall that keeps the water for the ice machine clear.

So, Lowe's made us a deal---they'd send someone to install it, for X dollars, flat rate, no matter WHAT was under there.  It just means waiting for whoever they send to arrive. 

I've been doing my forty handwashings per meal in the bathroom, forgetting and turning it on occasionally, so there are big folded towels at each end of the back indentation to catch mishaps, and I heat things ----  Ta DAH!!!  On the STOVE.

But it sure cut into my enthusiasm for all things kitchen for a while, including the pantry.  I feel as if my life's been choreographed by Mr. O. W. Holmes this week:

You see, of course, if you’re not a dunce,

How it went to pieces all at once, —

All at once, and nothing first, —

Just as bubbles do when they burst.

I feel as if I'll be doing cartwheels and could clean the Augean Stables, once I get my kitchen back.

why am I always at the bottom and why is everything so high? 

why must there be so little me and so much sky?

Piglet 

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Oh Rachel! UGH!

:(

Its Pi day today. I have frozen wheatgerm (I think I still have it.... never used it. Might have composted it) that shall finally get used, to make a crumb topping for a dutch apple pie. (If its not rancid when I taste it.)

"You dont know everything in the world! You just know how to read!" -an ah-hah! moment for 6-yr old Miss O.

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Bring on those stables!! I'll clean 'em---anything that needs HOTTTT water and scrubbies and brushes and sponges, I'm your girl. And tomorrow is dishwasher-arm day, with hopes of getting the microwave installed maybe Monday. I don't want Chris to carry that huge thing downstairs by himself, and especially to have to lift it to my eye level height to fit it into the big shelf.

I have, however, done inventory and some tossing in my waterless time. And today after the plumber left, I did all the big pots and pans and trays and other things by hand, using hot straight out of the hottest faucet, and rubber gloves, with antibacterial suds and a little nip of Clorox for good measure. Also did all the stuff that would fit on the bottom DW rack---three loadings worth. I finally feel like I'm earning my keep again.

And Caro just came in with all manner of wonderful four-snap-top containers. I LOVE getting dry stuff all into see-through containers and lined up all pretty. There's hope for me yet. And probably a trip to Good Earth or Wild Oats where all those dispensers and bins of scoopable goodies live.

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I looked on the bottom, and they're called Lock & Lock. I found a picture here:

http://www.amazon.com/Airtight-Food-Storag...r/dp/B0000YZJMU

The little flaps click down over the tabs, and close TIGHT. Some of mine have two-locks-per-side, as well. All sizes, flat, tall, etc. to fit whatever you need. I also saw some in completely clear, which mine are not.

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The move necessitated looking at what I have.

Too many packets for making dashi

Too many herb packets for soup

Too much flour for someone who doesn't bake here

5 different kinds of noodles

3 different types of pasta

We'll see how far I get in three weeks. In a perfect world, I'd only have to take the dashi packets and herb packets back down, but I couldn't eat that much.

May

Totally More-ish: The New and Improved Foodblog

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I looked on the bottom, and they're called Lock & Lock.

These look nice. Right now I have everything in glass jars that I have collected over the years at various garage sales. Very inexpensive that way, and I love seeing the contents of everything, but they don't stack well.

Miladyinsanity, in the immortal words of Bill Clinton, I feel your pain. My upcoming move is looming on the horizon. This coming week I'm going to try to use up some of the pasta.

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Lock & Lock are so prevalent here in Korea. I have found a lot in the recycle bin that just needed a good washing with soapy water and bleach. Of course I have also purchased a dozen or so of different sizes. I love that way I can organize my freezer and see what's what inside each container. And they are so sturdy and virtually locked tight, s you don't worry when one falls from the counter or from the freezer.

Doddie aka Domestic Goddess

"Nobody loves pork more than a Filipino"

eGFoodblog: Adobo and Fried Chicken in Korea

The dark side... my own blog: A Box of Jalapenos

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Lock and Lock

Love those Lock and Lock containers! When the Lock and Locks in the cupboard are getting low it's time to thaw something. Only thing I found they wouldn't contain was olive oil (son took it on a camping trip) ....that sort of oozed out around the gasket. And if you do drop it out of the freezer it may crack. I use the one with that hole in the corner for rising the no knead bread.....just stuff a piece of plastic wrap in it.

Great thread.....no great one time cleaning out here.....but tonight is chicken noodle soup from freezer, and I ate some old 8 grain bread and homemade applesauce this week, and I now know a lot better what I have in there. No more buying of pork tenderloins for a while.

J

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Tonight's use of pantry/freezer items that I've been wanting to get rid of for quite a while...starting with 2 packages chicken tenderloins.

Sauteed the chicken to get some color, then simmered in a little stock until nice and tender.

One box (aseptic pack) Knorr Mole sauce...heated up and used a couple of generous spoons over half of the chicken, served with oven roasted potatoes and steamed veggies.

Other half of the sauce was incorporated into chicken mole chili. Sauteed an onion which was past it's prime...mixed in a can of tomatoes w/green chiles, added cooked chicken, leftover simmering broth and mole, 2 cans black beans.

So happy, I used up 4 pantry items!

"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" - Oscar Wilde

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I have been in the garden the past week ..enjoying the breaks in the deluges...planting all kinds of thigns...and still need to get back into the kitchen and make order of my herbs and spices... it is pretty bad I have some nice containers and I like the test tubes a lot ....the stuff use by the scoop are all in big jars by the stove...but I have to figure something out for the smaller less used stuff (that is where I love those test tubes!)

after I plant a few more things I am going to come back inside for a while and make order ..

if I were taller all this would be easier ..I have a cabinet for savory herbs and spices for cooking and a cabinet for sweet herbs and spices for baking. but they are both way over my head....and a curry drawer for all my Indian/Caribbean/Fijian curry spices ..Asian curry ingredients are in the fridg

the curry drawer is all in order tand rotates through fast so there is little wasted...he rest is a nightmare..I need a system of some kind so I dont keep buying stuff I can not see because I am too short! (step stool is out I almost broke my ass falling over the last one I had in here there is no floor space)

why am I always at the bottom and why is everything so high? 

why must there be so little me and so much sky?

Piglet 

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Not much delarding for the past week. Too busy. But I'll have more time off for the next 2 weeks, and that's means more time for cooking.

Half of the marinara sauce came out of the freezer, for some easy spaghetti and pizza dinners. My freezer is starting to look <gasp> empty.

The walnuts went into Maple Walnut Ice Cream from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop. The base is chilling in the fridge now.

I made cocoa nib & almond butter cookies with the newly discovered cocoa nibs from last week. The dough is in the fridge, and I will bake the cookies tonight.

Yesterday I moved a casserole dish in a high, hard-to-reach cabinet, and I found a forgotten stash of chocolate behind the dish. Is the chocolate "larder," to be used up soon, or is it treasure (to be kept around a little longer)? The Valrhona portion of the stash won't last long anyway, now that I've remembered it. :raz:

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I think my goal for the next month and a half (before we leave for the summer) is to work through the freezer and refridgerator. Theoretically, a lot of the stuff in there should still be good when we come back in the fall, but since we won't be around, I will have no way of knowing if, for example, the power goes out. Better safe than sorry. As I mentioned before though, I have way too many condiments in there, and frankly, there is no way we will ever finish them all before May. But we can try!

Some of the more recent stuff I've cooked from the larder:

-Chicken braised in tomatoes and olives (whole chicken, anchovies, canned tomatoes, kalamata olives from a huge Costco jar)

-Miso-Sake Marinated Salmon

-Bean Soup with Leeks, Carrots, and Cabbage, which used up a good bit of ham broth base I have in the fridge, as well as the rest of the bean soup mix

-Split Pea Soup, which also used up ham broth base (and split peas, of course). Since we didn't cook our annual Easter ham this year, this had to do. And actually, that ham broth base did a respectable job. I had planned on freezing some, but this turned out to be very popular with both the husband and toddler, so it is all gone.

The beef chuck is defrosting for a Beef Goulash.

I'm really trying to figure out what to do with a bunch of sun-dried tomatoes I have in the fridge. So far, my ideas are all sort of pasta-y, and I'd like to branch out.

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I'm really trying to figure out what to do with a bunch of sun-dried tomatoes I have in the fridge.  So far, my ideas are all sort of pasta-y, and I'd like to branch out.

I used up a big jar by putting some of them in the blender with chick peas for sun-dried tomato hummous. It takes a lot to get a real tomato flavor. I used up the rest by chopping them and mixing them into feta cheese. It's a quick and easy appetizer on toast, and a nice sandwich spread for lunch. My jar was tomatoes in oil - you can do the same with regular dried ones if you rehydrate them.

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ok I pledge if the weather is lousy for sure this week I am going to attack my herbs and spices..enough is enough

if your sun dried tomatoes are dry dry then put them in the food processor and make a powder out of them ..you can sprinkle them anywhere ..soups stews ...on roasts to thicken sauces ..if they are too sticky dont try this it will gum up the blades...I know this from my own test!

why am I always at the bottom and why is everything so high? 

why must there be so little me and so much sky?

Piglet 

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This is my go-to recipe for sun-dried tomatoes (the kind you still have to hydrate). I often bring it to potluck dinners as an appetizer. It's easy and you can make it days ahead of time. Just before serving, I fold little chunks of feta cheese into it. I serve it with country-style bread. People really like it. http://www.callwild.com/recipe_sundried.htm

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Pi Day, made pie - dented ground almond stash.

Took a tart to an Easter party yesterday - using up the canned apricots and more of the jam (as glaze). Turned out very well indeed.

Slowly slowly slowly. I'm still twitching to make that chicken dish!

Was given a jar of lemon curd... a different kind of tart is in the offing, tho I think I will wait til July 4th. I love lemon desserts in summer.

"You dont know everything in the world! You just know how to read!" -an ah-hah! moment for 6-yr old Miss O.

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Lock & Lock are so prevalent here in Korea. I have found a lot in the recycle bin that just needed a good washing with soapy water and bleach. Of course I have also purchased a dozen or so of different sizes. I love that way I can organize my freezer and see what's what inside each container. And they are so sturdy and virtually locked tight, s you don't worry when one falls from the counter or from the freezer.

Interesting you should say this. Our big Asian grocery in Seattle has Korean Week once a year, during which they have specials on all kinds of Korean foods, plus--mysteriously to me--Lock & Locks. They have a big display of them with a sign over the top saying simply "Korean Week." After puzzling over this for a while I concluded that Lock & Locks must be especially great for Korean food since the cuisine features so many, um, pungent foods, and Lock & Locks are airtight so the smells don't get out. Do you think that's it?

Anyway, I'm a total Lock & Lock fanatic. Every time I come home from that store my husband says "More Lock & Locks?"

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  • 1 month later...

Getting the house tented in 11 days. All opened, refrigerated, frozen, and many other categories of food have to be double bagged for the event. My goal is to leave the fridge nearly empty (milk, cheese, eggs) to make the job easier (a perfect excuse for a huge shopping trip after).

I went thru the freezer this weekend and found:

cheeses, ham ---> quiche coming up

beef roast, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms --->potroast

chicken stock and a grand pile of parmesan rinds --> broccoli potato soup.

chicken breasts, corn tortillas --> enchiladas to be

Then it got hot. Everything is nearly 'pop in oven' ready, and I cant bear to turn the oven on! Here's hoping our typical May Grey returns tonight, or I'll be up at midnight to cook.

We ate the first of three meals of the soup and it went down easily. :)

gallery_42210_5882_6209.jpggallery_42210_5882_37911.jpggallery_42210_5882_2555.jpg

Edited by Kouign Aman (log)

"You dont know everything in the world! You just know how to read!" -an ah-hah! moment for 6-yr old Miss O.

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Thanks!

I have a freezer full of mango chunks, and a bag of gingersnaps. I'm thinking some kind of mango pie or crumble with gingersnap crust.

I have no idea how to implement that tho. Any ideas?

"You dont know everything in the world! You just know how to read!" -an ah-hah! moment for 6-yr old Miss O.

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let me say first of all I AM SO SORRY YOU HAVE TO BE TENTED!!!! HUGS!!!!!

second I love mango pie with coconut milk, palm or regular sugar.. lime and cardamom in the filling (just make to your taste ...light on the cardamom ..you can use mace if you dont have the cardamom or even ginger to go with your gingersnaps) ..I just toss it together with a couple of tbl corn starch I usually just put a top crust on but you could make a topping with the gingersnaps ...some coconut ...and butter I think?

then just

bake it like a pie!

sorry I dont have a recipe I just made this filling one time and it was really good

why am I always at the bottom and why is everything so high? 

why must there be so little me and so much sky?

Piglet 

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Thanks for that idea. I'll save it for future reference.

This time, we're looking at mango icecream, by majority rule.

tortillini alfredo with peas on the side took care of two things from the freezer and one from the fridge.

lamb stew yesterday took care of a fair portion of the crisper drawer, and half the lamb. The rest will go bravely to the sour cherry rice adventure.

quiche for breakfast finished off the ham and two packets of cheese (and sadly, the eggs).

We are eating well. I wonder if our clothes will fit much longer?

"You dont know everything in the world! You just know how to read!" -an ah-hah! moment for 6-yr old Miss O.

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