Living the Pantry Lifestyle - My Five Meals Kinda'

I am slowly recovering with about a week's worth of antibiotics to continue taking.  At least the pain has left but I can tell the infection and the antibiotics are still battling each other.

However, I am off the sofa part of the time and able to do small household jobs and projects.  I went to the grocery store late week and this morning for some fresh veggies and while I was at the two stores, I added to the pantry by buying two cans of whole green beans (they haven't been available for ages), one can of Essenhaus chicken, a couple boxes of tissues, and two whole chickens on sale for 99 cents a pound... one is for the deep freeze.

My cool weather five-ish meals I make most often are homemade chicken soup, oven beef stew, cowboy casserole or goulash, roast chicken with root vegetables, crustless quiche, and chicken pot pie.  I interchange the chicken soup and oven beef stew various weeks, as I do the cowboy casserole and goulash.

I like to have four or five weeks of each available when possible, which means I have chicken in the freezer (a whole chicken or chicken thighs for making soup), chuck roast or beef stew meat in the freezer, organic grass fed ground beef from Aldi in the freezer, pub patties ground beef from Meijer in the freezer (usually purchased when close to their Use By date on sale for those rare times we have hamburgers), bacon and/or sausage in the freezer.

I can make meals by also having pasta, potatoes (fresh preferred but also canned), carrots (ditto), green beans (also fresh preferred but also canned), organic corn (frozen or canned), frozen mixed vegetables, canned tomatoes, and fresh eggs.

Because there is a lot of overlap in recipes, I try to keep a good stock of food like canned tomatoes, veggies, and frozen equivalents because I use them so much.  I keep a lot of pasta because it lasts forever.  I also keep a variety of "cream of" soups because they can work magic to create a meal.

Most of the dishes I make are for more than one meal since there are just two of us. The roast chicken becomes the basis for chicken soup the next day.  One whole chicken is worth protein for at least three meals. If I don't plan on making soup for a meal immediately, I still simmer the carcass with an onion and celery to make stock for the freezer.

One package of beef stew meat or chuck roast will also prepare dishes like oven stew, which will last multiple meals.  Sometimes I will find a great sale on a thick round steak and I will slow cook it with two cans (or one large can) of cream of mushroom soup so it makes its own gravy.  Unless I'm having company, half of it will get frozen for a later meal.

There are few things I make that are only for one meal and even those foods such as cheeseburgers will usually be enough for a dinner and a lunch.  Crustless quiche is good for a dinner and breakfast the next morning. 

I keep canned beans for when I make chili (I freeze half the chili immediately for a later meal), tacos or burritos, etc.  I have dried beans that I use for simple bean soups and I keep ham bones in the freezer from when I have served a ham for that purpose.  These days, I mostly purchase beans in their bag and I can keep a variety of beans and bean mixes in one Rubbermaid style container that way.

Sometimes, but not always, I have smoked sausage in the freezer for when I want to combine it with potatoes and cabbage.  I do keep canned salmon on the shelf for when the mood for my favorite salmon patties hits.  Sometimes it is good to be the cook.

I have jars of things like salsa and pizza sauce that can be combined with other ingredients to make a meal, appetizers, etc.  I combine pizza sauce and a can of chopped tomatoes for a very good spaghetti sauce.  I have cans of mushrooms even though I prefer fresh in case I decide to make my favorite Holiday Spaghetti at the last moment.

Sometimes I have Pillsbury pie crusts in the freezer for their convenience and I think they are good.  I like to keep one or two "cans" of Pillsbury Grand Biscuits on hand for homemade sausage or bacon breakfast biscuits or biscuits and gravy.  

Did you see the episode of The Pioneer Woman where her soon-to-be son-in-law has told her he prefers canned biscuits to homemade?  I agree with him completely!  We both grew up on these biscuits and when I think of biscuits... I think of biscuits in the can you have to womp on the side of the kitchen counter, just like mom used to do...

In the refrigerator, I always have cheese.  Some of it in blocks and a couple kinds that are shredded.  I have other dairy products (although my husband drinks almond milk) and butter (extra butter is frozen).  I have lots of various condiments, fresh veggies and fruit when possible, although sometimes at the end of the month before stock up day the refrigerator looks bare!

In cooler months, I have a basket of small Yukon gold potatoes, a basket of larger yellow potatoes, and a basket of onions.  Sometimes I will buy larger Idaho potatoes for a specific recipe but they are not best for my blood sugar.  In hot weather, I buy potatoes and usually end up having to throw part of them away.  Which is why I do purchase the $1.00 bags of Idahoen instant potatoes, too.

I keep a couple Stouffer's frozen meals to have on hand when I'm not feeling well.  I usually choose their creamy mac and cheese and their meat lovers lasagna on stock up day.  Each of those meals easily make two and sometimes three meals for us.  I also purchase two small frozen organic Kroger brand pizzas on stock up day when possible.  They are good for a small meal when needed.

This is obviously not a set in stone list because I do make other dishes quite often.  These are just the dishes I rotate in and out the most.  I have friends who are great at keeping track of their pantry items on paper but I am not.  However, I've done it long enough that I have a good sense when I need to make purchases (like when the chickens finally went on sale today).

Keeping my pantry simple does help me not to have to write everything down.  Also, I have the boxed and canned items together by type and not by recipe so I can tell what I need to add to my grocery list. 

We also often have meat free meals and if I'm feeling fatigued, my husband has his own mini pantry where he keeps some soups and things like that which he will warm up for his dinner.  I am very happy with my favorite Ritz style crackers (from Aldi), cheese, and perhaps an apple or two clementines for a simple meal.

I realize this is a rather run-on blog post but I am quickly needing to return to the sofa.  Is anyone else affected by antibiotics like this?  I always have been!  They knock me out as much as the original illness.  However, I thank God for antibiotics or I would have been in trouble!  (I thank Him for my wonderful semi-retired African American doctor who made sure I got an appointment within a couple of days, too.)

Note:  This is my salmon patties recipe that turned my husband from a salmon patty hater to now asking for them!  Just click... here.  Read the entire recipe before making them because it ask you to reserve one or two items.