Instant Pot Cooking

 

I received an Instant Pot Duo for Christmas last year, but hadn't been brave enough (or desperate enough) to try it out until last night and ohmygoodness! What a neat piece of kitchen equipment!!! I cooked partially frozen chicken in no time and it was perfect!

My questions are these...

1) Who here has an Instant Pot? 

2) If you have one, what is your favorite way to use it or favorite thing to cook in it? 

3) What tips and tricks have you learned along the way in the time you've had it?

I can't wait to learn more. I have a feeling that I'm going to be experimenting with and using my Instant Pot Duo a lot!

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

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Don't forget to enter the drawing for the Sue Hooley 2022 Daily Planner giveaway! For more details click HERE.

Recipe: Almond Butter Cookies

Almond Butter Cookies

In cleaning out the fridge today I came across an open jar of almond butter. I didn't want it to go to waste, so I did a Google search on ways to use up almond butter. I got lots of ideas, but settled on cookies. I found a recipe that called for ingredients that I had on-hand, tweaked it a bit, and came up with two-and-a-half dozen of these soft and chewy almond butter cookies. I thought I'd share the recipe with you!

ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup almond butter (I use Maranatha brand)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 egg

1-1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the butter, almond butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in the egg and add the dry ingredients. Combine thoroughly. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheets. Press a whole almond into the center of each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Dollar-S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-Up-The-Food Project Kick-off

Greeting, Dear Friends!

Well...here it is July 1st and we're ready to kick-off our "Dollar-S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-Up-The-Food" project and I'm excited!!!

On Monday (6/26) my husband and I took a complete inventory of food on-hand. In a notebook I wrote three headings: cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer. Then, I listed every single food item that we had on-hand in the appropriate category.  Knowing what we had on-hand would make it easier to plan meals, plus it would help us know we needed to purchase in order to round things out. We concentrated on using up leftovers and odd bits and pieces of partially used packages of food over the last week of June.

I did our usual end-of-the-month shopping on Thursday (6/29). Normally, this is a really big shopping day. It's usually the only time I make it near an Aldi's and I like to stock up. At Aldi's and Walmart combined I typically spend around $200-$250 the last week of the month. Now, that includes food, paper goods, household and cleaning products, pet food, office supplies, and other miscellaneous items here and there as needed, and, even at that, I always end up making at least one extra trip to Walmart during the middle of the month (usually it ends up being more like two or three). 😮 In fact, in going back through recent receipts, I am ashamed of the amount of money that I've been spending at Walmart! No more! I need to get a handle on this and I am thankful for this wake-up call!

On this week's trip (6/29) I only spent $25.92 at Aldi's and $99.94 at Walmart. Most of that was on fresh items (fruit, vegetables, bread, milk, and yogurt), paper goods, and cleaning supplies. The rest of it was on the few items needed to round out items on-hand in order to turn them into complete meals.

Well, that's my kick-off report! My plan is to update our progress on a weekly basis. Pray for me to have wisdom, creativity, fortitude, and self-control in the days ahead. I really, REALLY want (and need) to make this work. Thank you all so much!

Until next time,
~Rebecca

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Please read Rebecca's Hearth and Home Blog online @ http://rebeccashearthandhome-proverbs31heart.blogspot.com/ and, if it has touched or inspired you in some way, please, leave a comment and let me know. I love hearing from my readers! 

Dollar-S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-Up-The-Food Project Plans For July

Due to changes in insurance coverage and extra payments being taken out all at once, July promises to be a few hundred dollars shorter than normal. No biggie! We'd be okay, either way, but, in light of the shortfall, we decided that July would be the perfect to time to institute one of our dollar-s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g, cabinet-clearing, clean-up-the-food project months, so...that's what we're doing!

Our plan is to begin by doing a complete food inventory to see what we have on hand. I will do the end-of-the-month shopping, as usual, toward the end of this week, but, I will not do a full shop. I will only purchase fresh items and items needed to round out what we have on hand. I will post my progress throughout the month and share meal plans and recipes as I can. 

I am excited about this challenge and am excited to share it with you! 

Until next time...
~Rebecca

Sauerkraut - Six Weeks In The Making

Finishing Up The Sauerkraut

Back in March, I shared a post with you about my daughter and I getting together to make sauerkraut. At the end of that post we had just put our freshly jarred kraut under the house to ferment for six weeks. We got together last Tuesday to finish the process.

We started out with 22 beautiful jars of fermented cabbage. When we brought them out from under the house, they were perfect!

We washed the outside of the jars, removed and cleaned the caps, refilled the jars with hot water (some always bubbles out during the fermentation process), recapped them, and processed the jars in a hot water bath.

I was a little disappointed, however, because, during the hot water bath process, we ended up losing four jars of kraut due to breakage. I know what happened to the first two jars (my own negligence), but I really don't know what happened to the second two. I'm wondering if, like everything else, they just don't make canning jars like they used to. Whatever the cause, a total of four jars broke during the hot water bath process and, in the end, we only ended up with 18 jars of finished sauerkraut.

We split the 18 jars between the two of us, giving each household nine jars of kraut to enjoy. Even at that, due to the fact that we don't eat it very often, the kraut will probably last both households for quite some time. I plan on getting some turkey bratwursts to enjoy a jar of ours with soon. Another thing that's good cooked and served with sauerkraut is a nice pork roast. Will have to think about that, too! :)

How do you and your family enjoy sauerkraut? Does anyone else out there make their own? If so, I'd love to hear about your experiences!

Until Next Time...
~Rebecca

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#sauerkraut

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March (FINAL) - Day 20 - 3/20/14

Greetings, Dear Friends!

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING! It's about time...eh? Now if the weather would just get nice and stay that way we'd have it made! :)

Actually, today wasn't bad at all. The sun was shining and temps were in the upper 60's; tomorrow promises to be even warmer. But after that it's supposed to cool down again, so I guess winter and spring will continue to battle it out until winter finally gives up and retreats once and for all (or at least until late fall!). ;)

Day 20 of My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March is over and, to be honest, I think I've about accomplished what I set out to do. While there are a few stragglers here and there, I have managed to use up most of the little odd and end things that have been sitting around needing used and it has been so freeing.

The only food in the fridge now is fresh items that were purchased last week to refill it after spending two full weeks working on cleaning out the refrigerator and refrigerator-freezer one meal at a time. I think the only items left in the refrigerator-freezer now is a half bag of Minnesota wild rice, the pecans my granddaughter helped me pick out of the shells, and enough farina (cream of wheat) for a meal or two. Even the deep freeze has been cleared of older foods and only newer, fresher, recently purchased items remain.

I did go through the pantry and kitchen cupboards today and cleared them of, and tossed, all outdated canned goods (which there were more of than I realized!).  The only items that remained were things that there were so many multiples of that we'd never get them eaten, so I divided them up and passed a few items on to others. Now even the cabinets are down to manageable and mostly fresh items.

Here is what we ate today...

* For breakfast we had scrambled egg whites, sauteed mushrooms, onion, green pepper, and homemade turkey Italian sausage served up in a Joseph's brand pita again. (Yesterday's was so good that we had to repeat it!)

* For lunch it was tuna and Miracle Whip (light) wrapped up in a Joseph's brand flat bread (Love that Joseph's bread! It's so good!) and applesauce.

* For supper we had meatloaf (made with lean ground turkey), mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli and cauliflower.

* For dessert I had a few leftover wonton wrappers in the freezer and a jar of cherry pie filling, so I put the wonton wrappers in the holes of a muffin tin and filled them with the cherry pie filling to create little cherry tarts. Upon serving I topped them each with a swirl of fat-free Redi Whip. 

So...that's it for today. And since the main food clean-up is over and done with (I never dreamed it would only take three weeks!!!), I'm guessing that this will be the last of my daily posts concerning it. BUT...I do have other things going on, so you will be hearing from me again very soon. Please pray for me as I move into the next phase of what I'm doing (does anyone have a clue as to what it might be? I've left a few!) and I will share more when I can.  

God bless all here!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - Days 18 and 19 - 3/18/14-3/19/14

Good Evening, Sweet Friends!

As you can see, I'm running behind again. Yesterday was NOT a good day! It's a long story, but, in a nutshell, my dad had another doctor's appointment (he's been sick for a couple of months with pneumonia and other complications) and, even though we knew he wasn't 100%, we thought he'd get a fairly good report. He didn't. He still has pneumonia and we're not quite back to square one (which was bad enough to be hospitalized for a week), but close enough. The doctor is going to try everything she can to keep him out this time, so, if you think about it, would you mind whispering a little prayer over daddy tonight for health and healing? I'd surely appreciate it!

Okay...on with Day's 18 and 19 of my My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March!

Day 18 - Tuesday, March 18, 2014...

* For breakfast it was egg and cheese omelets. I'm almost out of 2% slices and will not be buying anymore. I am making the changeover to Laughing Cow cheese wedges. Have already tried the White Cheddar and Swiss and love them both. 

* On the way home from the doctor's office, Dad and I had to meet the Lincare man in Lamar to grab a six-pack of emergency oxygen tanks. The Lincare man was having lunch at Subway, so that's where we met him and that's what we ate, too. Dad couldn't go in, so I just went inside and ordered, then we ate in van. We split a foot-long roasted chicken with shredded cheese and a LOT of fresh veggies. It was Dad's first experience with Subway and he loved it! (So do I!) :)

* John fixed supper last night. We had chicken tenders (one each) that he had pounded thin and grilled with Italian seasonings. It was very good. We had a spinach salad and steamed broccoli and cauliflower on the side.

* Snacks included a fruit and yogurt parfait and Mini Chocolate Cakes. 


Day 19 - Wednesday, March 19, 2014-

* For breakfast it was scrambled egg whites, sauteed mushrooms, onion, green pepper, and homemade turkey Italian sausage served up in a Joseph's brand pita. DE-LI-CIOUS!!! 

* For lunch we had...um...we had...uh-oh! I don't think we had any lunch!!! John doesn't think so, either. Hmmmm.....okay....

* So...for supper we had broiled salmon, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed zucchini 'noodles', and a spinach and avocado salad.

* Snacks today were leftover Mini Chocolate Cakes and Light Baked Custard. 

And that's it! 

Okay...I've got several things going on at once here, so I'm gonna run! You all take care and, hopefully, I'll be with you again tomorrow! Love to all!

~Rebecca

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - Day 17 - 3/17/14

Greetings, Dear Friends!

As Day 17 of My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March winds down and comes to a close, I come to offer another glimpse into my month-long food clean-up.

* For breakfast this morning it was omelets and tea.

* As soon as breakfast was over...which was later than I wanted it to be...my daughter and granddaughter and I got together to put up sauerkraut. (You can read about that here if you'd like.)

* For lunch we used part of yesterday's leftover chili and made chili cheese dogs on toasted buns and fried cabbage. I used the last of the bananas to make a banana cake for dessert. I took what chili that was left and the last three hot dogs and froze them for another time. I figure if another somewhat chilly day comes along before spring breaks forth in all it's glory we will finish it off then.

* For supper it was part of last week's corned beef and cabbage. That's all. What else does one need on St. Patrick's Day? There is one more meal's worth in the freezer to be served at another time.

* Snacks today included banana cake and thin bagels with WW cream cheese.

That's it for today, my friends! Will see you again tomorrow!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

Putting Up Sauerkraut

Cabbage has been on sale this week as a St. Patty's Day special and, last Friday, my daughter, Amber, and I picked up several heads each. This morning we, along with granddaughter, Audrey, got together and turned our 14 cabbages into 22 quarts of sauerkraut (for a detailed post on how I make my sauerkraut click here).

Before starting the process I read Amber and Audrey a portion of a letter that my great-aunt, Jessie, sent to her sister (my grandmother, Maudie), telling her how she made her sauerkraut (to read Aunt Jessie's letter click here).

Aunt Jessie's Letter To Grandma Maude

Here are few pictures of our sauerkraut-making experience today...

14 heads of cabbage waiting to be cut, shredded, and packed into jars.

I cut, Audrey shredded, and Amber packed the cabbage into jars.

A few jars partway through the initial process.

A single jar of cabbage. Isn't it pretty?

22 jars of cabbage stored under the house to ferment. 

It will be six weeks before we can get together to bring the jars out from under the house and finish the sauerkraut-making process, but it will be worth it! As Aunt Jessie says...

"...this is the finest Kraut I ever did eat...make it this way

and you wont regret it..." ~Jessie McCann Martin

Aunt Jessie must have known what she was talking about because I won't touch sauerkraut from a can. Homemade sauerkraut made from this recipe is the only sauerkraut that I will put in my mouth. And, it's a fact...I've never regretted making it this way. :)

Until next time...
~Rebecca

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - Day 16 - 3/16/14

Good Evening, Dear Friends!

Yesterday was so beautiful...warm, sunny, very springlike; today was the exact opposite...cold, snowy, very wintry. For now the battle rages on, but, eventually, spring will win and everything will spring forth anew. I can't wait! <3

As Day 16 of  My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March comes to a close I am here to share another report.

* For breakfast this morning John and I both had farina (cream of wheat) hot cereal.

* With the cold and snow today I thought it would be a perfect day for chili, so I made a big ol' pot of it for lunch. It was a great to use up a few cans of chili beans and I THINK I used the last jar of home-canned tomatoes...unless there's one hiding under the cabinet that I didn't see. :)

* For supper I had a small bit of steak that was left in the freezer, baked fresh mushrooms, and Baked Eggplant Rounds (another recipe to share in a future post); John had a dish of "the usual" (pasta).

* For a snack this afternoon I had half a can of tuna and little light mayo wrapped up a piece of Joseph's brand flat bread and it was delicious! Joseph's has just earned themselves a regular customer! Yum! This evening it was graham crackers and peanut butter. :)

Well, that's it for today! You all have a great evening and, Lord willing, I'll be with you all again tomorrow evening as the clean-up continues. 

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - Day 15 - 3/15/14

Good Evening, Dear Friends!

Today has been absolutely gorgeous and very spring-like! We had a few sprinkles late this afternoon, but most of the day was sunny and warm. In fact, I washed our bedding this morning and hung it out to dry. The grass is greening up nicely, I've watched several robins hopping around in the front yard, the whole south side of our lawn is purple with lovely, little crocuses, my daffodils are blooming, the tulips are up about five inches tall, and the buds on the flowering quince are just about to burst. I am SO glad that spring is upon us! This has been one of the worst and hardest winter that our family has ever experienced...especially with all the illness. Not everyone is completely well yet, but, those that aren't are making progress and will be soon. Praise God!

Okay...on with today's report!

It's Day 15 of My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March and progress continues!

* For breakfast it was omelets again. We have an abundance of eggs and use them whole or just the whites saving the yolks for noodles. However we have them, omelets are a favorite way to start the day.

* For lunch it was leftover Pizza Casserole and Greek yogurt.

* Supper consisted of broiled salmon, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and a big spinach salad topped with avocado and red wine vinegar.

* Snacks today were graham crackers and peanut butter and "Mini Chocolate Cakes For Purists" (another new recipe to share in a later post).

And that's it for today so I'll say good night for now and be with you again tomorrow! Good night and God bless!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - Day 14 - 3/14/14

Good Evening, Dear Friends!

Day 14 of My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March has been a little bit different, but I'm still moving forward!

* This morning started off with an egg and cheese omelet.

* My oldest daughter, Amber, and I (along with her three children) went on a quest today to purchase cabbages to turn into sauerkraut and do a little product investigation and label-reading of several new-to-us-foods that we are currently reading about, as well as do a little grocery shopping. We're mid-way through the month and it was time for me to refill the fridge with fresh foods again (yogurt, milk, cheese, vegetables, etc.) and I picked up a few item for the refrigerator freezer, as well (frozen broccoli and cauliflower, turkey burger, and bread items). While we were out we had lunch at Subway and a fruit and yogurt parfait at McDonald's.

* For supper I tried a new recipe called Pizza Casserole. It was very delicious and I WILL be sharing that recipe, but not tonight. Soon, though! Very soon! :)

That's all for now. Lord willing I will be with you again tomorrow evening. God bless all here!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - Days 11, 12, and 13 - 3/11/14 Through 3/13/14

Good Evening, Dear Friends!

I've been MIA for a couple of days around here...or so it seems! (Not really.) :)

Our family uses St. Patrick's Day as an excuse to get the whole clan together every year and have fun! We plan it for the Wednesday before St. Patty's Day, when our youngest daughter and her husband from North K.C. can join us, and look forward to it each year with great anticipation. This year was no exception and we had a blast!!! I will share more about that in another post, but, for now, I want to catch you up on My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March. In this post I will be posting about DAYS 11 through 13. Here we go...

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March -
DAY 11 - Tuesday, March 11, 2014...

* For breakfast on Tuesday, we finished off the last of the fat-free turkey by making turkey, egg, and cheese sandwiches.

* For lunch it was the last of Monday's chicken and noodles.

* During the afternoon I made a quadruple batch of Emerald Isle Cake in preparation for Wednesday's St. Patrick's Day extravaganza.

* For supper it was turkey burgers and oven fries.

* Before going to bed late Tuesday night I put corned beef on to cook overnight in the crockpot, also in preparation for Wednesday's festivities.


My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March -
DAY 12 - Wednesday, March 12, 2014...

* After staying up late visiting with our daughter and son-in-law the night before, by the time I got up Wednesday morning, it was time to set to work on the rest of the holiday fare. There was no time for breakfast, nor even tea (gasp!)...I know! Right? (For anyone who knows me...huh-uh...this NEVER happens!) :)

* NOTE: All of the foods prepared and consumed for St. Patty's Day, short of the ingredients for the Emerald Isle Cake, were purchased specifically for the holiday, so on this date there was very little food 'clean-up' going on, but, oh my! What an enjoyable day we had!

* Now, since some of the clan can make it for lunch and others can't, we, traditionally, serve two identical, St. Patrick's Day meals...one at noon; the other at 5:00. Those that can make the early shift come for lunch; the ones that can't come for lunch come for supper. Some are lucky enough to get in on both meals and get to double dip on the corned beef and cabbage! Twenty-five of the thirty-three people that showed up ate with us.

* This year's St. Patrick's Day feast consisted of a total of 4 corned beef briskets, 8 heads of cabbage, 2 10-pound bags of potatoes (oven baked), 3 tubs of light sour cream, 1 1/2 pounds of butter, and 2 double (the equivalent of 4)  Emerald Isle Cakes.


My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March -
DAY 13 - Thursday, March 13, 2014...

* With company here (and after not serving them any breakfast at all the morning before), I decided to make Amanda and Phillip a special breakfast this morning. I made homemade, turkey, breakfast, sausages, eggs, and toast, and had flat bagels and cream cheese for those who wanted them.

* Since Amanda and Phillip were planning on leaving this afternoon (and since we were all exhausted from Wednesday's activity and another late night), we decided to take it easy and let someone else do the cooking. We went to Amanda's favorite restaurant when she's visiting back home...El Charro's in Lamar. (Again...this did nothing for food 'clean-up', but, John and I split an order of fajitas. and, boy, were they good! Mmmmmmm!)

* For supper John's making himself a dish of "the regular" (pasta and sauce) and I'm having a can of tuna and a leftover baked potato.

* If any snacking takes place this evening it will be cold cereal or graham crackers and peanut butter. :)

Well, I think that catches us up for now, so I'm going to go ahead and post this, so I can work on my St. Patty's Day post. Talk to you soon!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - Day 10 - 3/10/14

Good Evening, Dear Friends!

Well, Day 10 of My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March is over and the progress continues.

* It was another one of those hit-the-floor-with-your-feet-running kind of mornings. By the time we thought of breakfast, it was time for lunch. For John it was left over vegetable soup; for me it was the last of yesterday's pizza.

* For supper I turned a package of chicken leg quarters and an abundance of leftover egg yolks into chicken and noodles. We were expecting company this afternoon, so I made a double batch, but, as it turned out, our company was unable to come after all. There were enough chicken and noodles that I was able to share half of them with another family. Our youngest son joined us for supper and I gave some to my dad, too. There are still enough chicken and noodles leftover for John and I for lunch tomorrow.

* Snacks today included the last of the crustless pumpkin pie and graham crackers with peanut butter.

That's all for today. I know these post sound extremely boring, but I am determined to finish what I have begun. As of today I am a third of the way there!

Have a blessed evening, dear friends, and I will be with you again tomorrow.

All My Love,
~Rebecca

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - Day 9 - 3/9/14

Greetings, Dear Friends!

It's been a wonderfully busy day that has been full of family and friends, and the week ahead promises more of the same! But more about that later in the week! :)

Day 9 of My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March has been a tad bit different that all the other days.

* For breakfast it was a slice of crustless pumpkin pie and tea. That's it.

* After church this morning we headed to Pittsburg (Kansas) to meet our daughter and son-in-law and grands for lunch and to shop for our annual St. Patrick's Day celebration.

* Later in the afternoon our youngest son and his wife came over, and our daughter-in-law made, and shared, a special dessert with us. I plan on posting about that later in the week. :)

* And for supper I made a homemade pizza.

And that's it! There wasn't a whole lot of cabinet-clearing or food clean-up going on here today, but it will resume tomorrow. Until then, have a blessed evening and I'll see you again on the morrow!

All My Love,
~Rebecca 

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - Day 8 - 3/8/14

Good Evening, Dear Friends!

So...here we are on Day 8 of My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March and so far, so good! Today's clean-up went like this...

* For breakfast it was omelets with fat-free turkey and 2% cheese.

* For lunch I made Beenie Weenies out of a can of pork and beans and those two leftover hot dogs from earlier in the week, potato pancakes (made with leftover mashed potatoes and corn), and leftover beets.

* For supper it was the last of the roasted vegetables and lentils served with French bread.

* Snacks today included a half of a peanut butter sandwich, crustless pumpkin pie, and Progresso Chicken Pot Pie soup.

That's it for today. Will see you again tomorrow!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - Day 7 - March 7, 2013

Good Evening, Dear Friends,

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March continues and Day 7 is over. I am excited to report that, after a full week, we are finally starting to expand our food choices beyond the refrigerator and refrigerator-freezer and gain some variety to our meals. :)

Here is today's report...

DAY 7 - Friday, March 7, 2014 -

* Unfortunately, today started out busier than usual, and, by the time we were ready to settle down to breakfast it was already nearing lunchtime, so, for lunch, I had a turkey cheeseburger and oven fries (a potato cut, drizzled with olive oil, and baked in a 450 degree oven), and John made himself some pasta topped with leftover roasted vegetables and leftover spaghetti sauce...oops! Make that leftover enchilada sauce! Yuck!!! (LOL! Who could tell the difference? They both look the same in those cute, little, clear, plastic containers with the blue lids!) He ate it, but John said that he really didn't recommend it. ;)

* In the afternoon our son and daughter-in-love dropped by with a pizza. I shouldn't have, but I had a slice or two of it. (Can you blame me? It didn't do a thing toward cleaning up leftovers, but it sure was tasty!) ;)

* For supper I made chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper, dried red pepper flakes, parsley, basil, and garlic, mashed potatoes, corn, home-canned beets, and frozen dinner rolls. (Way too much starch, I know, but I have a plan. There's a bigger plan going on overall. This food clean-up is just the first phase.)

* Snacks today included banana, cheese, and yogurt.

That's it for today, friends! You all get a good night's sleep and I'll see you tomorrow! G'night! <3

All My Love,
~Rebecca

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - Day 6 - 3/6/14

Good Evening, Dear Friends!

Day 6 of My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March is over and as it continues I'm beginning to think that some progress, at least, is being made. 

Here's today's report...

DAY 6 - Thursday, March 6, 2014 -

* The morning started with omelets made with eggs, fat-free turkey, and 2% cheese slices. (John had an all egg white omelet as usual. I think I've got enough yolks right now to make a batch of homemade noodles!) :)

* For lunch it was last of the barbecued turkey, leftover mashed potatoes, and a lovely spinach salad served with red wine vinegar. For dessert we had butterscotch pudding with served with Redi Whip on top. (It was so yummy!)

* In the afternoon one of our daughters-in-law and four of the grands were here and grandson, Jed, brought Grandma's attention to the fact there were still, indeed, more of last year's pecans. They were in a big bowl...cracked, but not yet picked out of their shells...so, while we visited, granddaughter, Lizzie, helped me and we got them picked out, jarred, and put in the freezer. We got almost a full pint AND there is still a bag of whole, uncracked pecans left for me to work on. I am so THANKFUL! Between those, and the fresh, vacuum-sealed pecans that a friend gave us recently, I've got enough nuts to run us til fall.  

* For supper I made Roasted Vegetables With Lentils, sausage, and French bread. I didn't follow the recipe for the roasted vegetables exactly. I just used what vegetables I had on hand...yellow onion, sweet potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. It turned out really nice and so good. This has actually become one our favorite cold weather foods.

* Snacks today included string cheese and rice...but not together. ;)

Well, that's it for today! We've got company coming next week, so tomorrow I'm hoping to be able to put next week's menus together and solidify our holiday plans. (Holiday as in our annual St. Patrick's Day get-together with family and friends. Technically, St. Patty's Day is a week from Monday on the 17th, but we always get together when our daughter from Kansas City has her days off and can make it down. This year our get-together will be on Wednesday the 12th.) 

So...anyway...well...I guess I say good night for now and I'll see you all tomorrow! Good night! Take care and God bless!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - Day 5 - 3/5/14

Good Evening, Friends!

As Day 5 of My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March continues I am surprised by the number of meals that were hidden in the refrigerator and refrigerator-freezer alone. They're not quite empty yet, but, they're getting there! 

Here is today's progress report...

Day 5 - Wednesday, March 5, 2014 -

* Today was such a busy day and all the busyness started as soon as I rolled out of bed. I'm working on several things at once and will share more about those things in the days ahead, but I got so busy with housework first thing this morning that I forgot to eat breakfast. For some reason John didn't eat breakfast, either, so at mid-morning we both took a break and had a brunch of sorts. We each grabbed our choice of the dwindling leftovers...little bits of this, that, and the other that we found lurking in the fridge...and called it good. I finished up the last of the cheesy spaghetti, but I don't remember for sure what John chose. Whatever it was it was one more thing finished off and gone! :)

* By mid-afternoon John was out and about running errands around town and I had worked up quite an appetite. I decided to go for the last frozen container of any kind in the refrigerator-freezer. I wasn't quite sure what it was, but, fortunately, it turned out to be something quite yummy...leftover barbecued turkey! I heated it up and made a sandwich out of it and had a few tablespoons of Greek vanilla yogurt for dessert.

* For supper this evening I had a real treat! Half of a roast beef sandwich, mashed potatoes, and brown gravy; John had the rest of the barbecued turkey and a deviled egg. 

* For snacks we had cold cereal with bananas, I had the last boiled egg, and a slice of block Colby cheese.

Well, that's it for today. I can't help but think that I must surely be boring everyone to death, but I'm doing this as a challenge to myself more than anything else, but am hoping that I might inspire someone else along the way, so...I will continue with Day 6 tomorrow. Good night everyone! Have a wonderful evening!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March - DAY 4 - 3/4/14

Good Evening, Dear Friends!

Day 4 of My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March is over and, boring as it may be, we're still working on cleaning up those leftovers.

To be honest, even though the last of our six children married and moved out almost a year ago, I'm having a hard time cooking for just two. I still cook like we've still got a houseful of children in the home and am often glad I did because, oftentimes, one of the children and their families will drop by and it's always nice to have something to serve up in a hurry. But, at other times...it's like...the leftovers go on and on without end, but...I promise...end they will and we'll be on to newer, more exciting progress reports as the month goes on. For now, here's today's report on the clearing out and cleaning up progress of Day 4...

DAY 4 - Tuesday, March 4, 2014 -

* For breakfast John and I had farina (cream of wheat) hot cereal again with raw sugar and milk. (It's so good! When I was growing up that was one of my favorite breakfasts!)

* We had to go to Nevada today (the Missouri city of...not the state of) and pick up a few things for my dad. Instead of eating out like we normally do, we decided to save the money and pack a lunch. We took our little, insulated, cooler bag along and I packed it with two egg salad sandwiches, a few green olives, a few Greek olives, a couple of handfuls of Chester's, a can of Diet Cherry Pepsi (for me...John doesn't drink soda pop), insulated travel glasses with water, and two cloth napkins. We had done most of our errands before stopping in Walmart's parking lot to eat lunch, so I added two packages of Welch's Fruit Snacks that I picked up at the bread store for a quarter each. They were yummy! Berries and Cherries. :)

* For supper tonight I finished up the last of the stuffed pepper casserole and unstuffed cabbage soup; John had a dish of what he lovingly refers to as 'the regular'. (That is nothing more than pasta with marinara sauce. Being half-Sicilian on his mother's side, it's John's lifeblood. Seriously, he can...and usually does...eat 'the regular' two to three times a day!) :) 

* For snacks we had leftover crustless pumpkin pie with Redi Whip on top and cinnamon graham crackers with peanut butter.

That's it for today, folks! Will see you again tomorrow! God bless all here!

All My Love,
~Rebecca