PPPR: Pantry & Fridge Contents

So here is my list of current Pantry & Fridge/Freezer ingredients.

• Pantry
• 1 can Premium White Chicken
• 1 can Roast Beef
• 5 cans Spaghettios
• 1 can Split Pea Soup
• 1 can Tomato Soup
• 2 cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 can Peaches
• 2 cans Black Olives
• 1 can Tomato Sauce-Plain
• 1 can Dice Roasted Tomatoes
• 1 jar Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo Sauce
• 1 can Chipotle Peppers
• 1 jar Jet Puff Marshmallows
• 3 pkg Yakisoba Noodle Bowls
• 1 bx Maple & BS Oatmeal
• 3 pkg Microwave Popcorn
• 1 bx Garlic Mashed Potatoes (2 meals worth)
• 1 jar Jif Peanut Butter
• 1 jar Natural Peanut Butter
• 1/4 jar Nutella
• 1/2 jar Dark Chocolate Spread
• 8 oz or so Honey
• 1 pkg Angel Hair Pasta
• 1 pkg Lasagna Noodles
• 1 bx Chicken Stock
• 1 jar BBQ Sauce
• 3 lbs Thanksgiving Farms Coffee
• 1 jar Lingonberry Jam
• 1 bx Lucky Charms
• 1 bx Captain Crunch
• 1/2 loaf White Bread
• 2 cups or so White Sugar
• 4 cups or so Brown Sugar
• 2 cups or so Coconut
• 2 cups or so Jasmine Rice
• 1/2 cup or so Aborio Rice
• Plain Oats
• Maltomeal
• Ovaltine
• Malted Milk
• Plain Oats
• Cornmeal
• AP Flour
• Whole Wheat Flour
• Fridge Contents
• 1 Spagetti Squash
• 1/2 cup or so Sour Cream
• Buttermilk
• Whole Milk
• OJ
• 3 sticks butter
• Margarine
• Cheese a few slices of American, Pepper Jack, Smoked Gouda, Munster
• 8 oz or so Grated Cheese Parmesan Cheese
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 pkg Turkey lunch meat
• Misc. Condiments Mayo Dijon etc..
• Freezer Contents
• 1 bag unopened Edamame
• 1 box unopened Waffles
• 1 bag unopened Sweet Potato Fries
• 1/3 bag Tater Tots
• 4 Hashbrown Squares
• 1 bag unopened Corn
• 1/2 cup or so Peas
• 1 cup or so Mix Veg
• 10 Burritos
• 2 cups or so Green Beans
• 3 bags pre-cooked Chicken about 1 1/2 breast in each
• 1 bag Puff Pastry Scraps
• 1 small cambro of Strawberry BC

Edit:Upon further inspection I found.....

• Naan
• 1 Super ripe Banana
• Leftover pesto
• Leftover Rigattoni Pasta

Looking at it doesn't seem like much but writing it all down... wow! I always say we have so much food in the house, more than some American families probably have in a year. But I will have to get creative and make it work. Some interesting meals on on the horizon.

I've seen a few others that will join in the challenge, I can't wait to see how everyone does!

The Food Challenge

In an attempt to be more frugal, Susan over at She's Becoming DoughMessTic has created The $100 Food Challenge for her family of three to eat for 4 weeks with what is currently in her kitchen and $100 dollars. This is intriguing because we just bought the house and I'm so broke it ain't even funny. Our cost to keep a roof over our heads tripled but my income hasn't so you can imagine.....

We've made changes like not eating out and taking our lunches to work. Doing pretty good on eating out mostly because I love sitting down to a really well made dinner and saying holy shit this only cost us 10 bucks when a really crappy meal out would be right around 25-30 for the two of us. Bringing lunch is much harder. Even though I haven't enjoyed a fast food feast in many years it's easy and I'm lazy so we make a good pair.

My personal challenge will be twofold... eat for 4 weeks on $150 bucks for two, as we have nothing in the freezer (we haven't restocked on food since the move so I'm ascared and had to add a extra fifty) and to not drive home for lunch. Because what's the point of saving the money on your lunch if you easily blow the savings in gas. I have to let my honey in on the idea since he's a sneak eater when he's not with me. He can easily blow 10 bucks by buying 2 dollar items all day and not even notice. And just so ya'll know I don't get paid until tomorrow so I can't sneak out myself and fill up the fridge... I will post the contents tonight. Wish me luck!

TWD:Perfect Party Cake

I think its Tuesday, I've been out of sorts lately....but I'm pretty sure because I see a bunch of beautiful blog posts for the Perfect Party Cake chosen by Carol of mix, mix...stir, stir.

I was so excited about this pick that I almost made it at the beginning of June instead of the end! Well excited or not I'm going to refrain for a few more days so I can actually take this Perfect Party Cake to an actual party this Friday.

Cherub Tomatoes

I'm not a huge tomato fan. When I was a kid you couldn't get me near those mealy lumps of seedy watery flesh... yuck. And of course I would get smartarse comments about my love of all things ketchup as if they are exactly the same thing..... when we all know they are not. As I got older I came to appreciate tomatoes but I am very picky about the type the reason and the season. I will yank bad tomato off my burger so fast it will make your bun spin.

Me and my honey recently discovered Cherub Tomatoes at the grocery store. I may be late to the game about these because we don't usually go to the normal grocery store. (We're Trader Joe junkies because the regular store just holds to much fascination for us and we end up buying things that are not financially sound or particularly good for us.)

If you see these little gems in your store pick up a container... trust me if you like tomatoes even a little you will fall in love with these. A perfect blend of sweet tart tomato flavor that goes with everything.

My favorite combo by far is sliced on sourdough with munster cheese a little s&p in a crusty grilled cheese. Oh and their website it adorable so if you have kids you might want to take a peek. The cute games may convince them to try these little guys and not become a tomato hater like I was when I was a kid.

TWD:Ain't got no Peaches Honey

But I do have plums! They weren't on the list of suggested alternatives for this recipe but it's what was in the fridge. Were not peachy people anyway so I subbed in 4 regular size plums added in a bit of cinnamon a little cardamom and a vanilla bean. I used Trader Joe's fat free half & half (also no cream in the fridge) and followed the recipe accordingly.

For once my laziness and lack of planning paid off in something super tasty that I hope I can replicate in the future. I made a little chocolate cookie cakey thing and a little cardamom & honey spiced strawberries on the side. The tart strawberries and chocolate complimented the smooth plum honey ice cream deliciously.

Thanks to Tommi for picking something out of the ordinary for this weeks recipe. You can head over to Tommi's site Brown Interior for the recipe and over to Tuesdays with Dorie to see what the other bakers were freezing up this week.

Greene Grad Cake

Weird thing about Graduation cakes, I never get a good photo. This is only the second one I've made but its also the second time I didn't take the time to get any really good shots.

This was for three graduates from two separate schools, so all around the bottom layer is things like their school names and hobbies etc. Getting this info out of them was like pulling teeth! You'd think a couple of teenagers would have lots of interests but these guys weren't talkin'!

This is the first time I had a bubble blowout on my cake. I've heard of them before but luckily it hasn't happened until now. I think it might have had something to do with there being no supports in the cake, so any air accumulation really had no where to go. Thankfully this was a gift for friends and no one even noticed the big crinkly spot front & center on the cake because they were too busy looking at all the rest of it.

TWD: Parisian Apple Tartlette

Huh that's it? This was an easy recipe... too easy... it barely even felt like baking. I kept glancing back to the recipe book thinking I was missing something. Maybe if I had made puff pastry, like I know so many others had planned on doing (I bought mine at Trader Joe's) it would have felt more like I did something. To jazz things up I made some caramel sauce to go along side the tart with some french vanilla ice cream from TJ's. All in all a pretty nifty dessert for this weeks Tuesday's with Dorie. Thanks to Jessica (not Melissa, what a dope I am!) at My Baking Heart for choosing something simple and delicious.

YWP: Lemon Cooler Pie

Childhood Memory Pie is the theme this month over at You Want Pies with That? Chosen by Ellen from Kittymama in the Kitchen.

So far this has been the easiest idea to date. No hyming and hawing over anything at all. No sign of my typical spastic undecided mind creeping in. Hmmm... strange maybe now that I'm gonna be 35 this is a sign of me being less wishy washy? I won't hold my breath tho.

I don't know why exactly Lemon Coolers popped into my head I can't even remember if I had them more than once to be honest. Just a fleeting memory of melty cool powdered sugar covered cookies, standing with barefeetsies in a dewy deep grass of our lawn. One of those ghosty chalkboard memories where you can't quite grasp your age... or who was with you at the time. I just remember it was good, I was a kid, and I was happy.

Lemon Cooler Pie
Vamped from Lemon Cooler Cookie recipe found on www.recipezaar.com.

Crust
2 oz. Unsalted Butter~ Softened
1/2 c. Powdered Sugar
1 ea. Whole Egg
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Unsweetened Lemonade Mix
Zest of 1/2 Lemon
1 1/2 c. A/P Flour

Cream together sugar & butter. Add in salt, lemonade mix, egg and zest, mix to combine. Mix in flour and press the crumbly mixture into a pie pan. This should cover the sides and bottom in a good even layer. Put it into the fridge to chill and preheat oven to 350. When the oven is ready blind bake your crust until golden brown around the edges. Remove the lining & weights to finish cooking the crust until done. Set aside to cool.

Filling
2 ea. Large Lemons
2 ea. Egg Yolks
2 ea. Whole Eggs
150 g. Sugar
100 g. Butter

Zest & juice the lemons and whisk together in a medium sauce pan with remaining ingredients. Whisk over low heat until thickened and strain through a very fine mesh strainer. Adjust lemony tartness to your liking by adding more lemon or sugar. Reserve 1/2 cup of filling and pour the rest into the pre-baked crust. Chill for about an hour.

Topping
6 oz. Heavy cream
1 oz. Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup reserved filling

Whip together heavy cream and sugar to medium peaks and fold in reserved filling. Spread over bottom layer and chill overnight.

Dusting

1 oz. Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Unsweetened Lemonade Mix

Slice pie and dust right before serving.

YWP: Dont forget to Pie!

I am gonna make a pie...I am gonna make a pie.... I am gonna make a pie......

My determination to enter this months pie-o-thon over at You Want Pies with That is unyielding. For some reason this time the pie idea for this months theme Childhood Memories just popped into my head immediately so I have to do it.

Childhood Memory Pie: Bake a pie or tart that is inspired by a favorite childhood memory. Maybe you spent a summer vacation in Maine so it's a blueberry pie; or your grandmother always baked lemon meringue, or you remember your first taste of apple pie ever. Tell us a little story that will help us walk down memory lane with you and relive some happy childhood memories!

Join in the fun if you got the time!

Oh and if anyone knows where I can get a print of this painting by Wayne Thiebaud please let me know, I'd love to hang it in my kitchen.