Using The Pantry - Get Creative

 Happy Tuesday to you all.  What a wonderful weather week we have had so far.  Yesterday and today 80's!!  Sunshine galore!  Windows have been open and airing the house.  Rain comes in later tonight and then it cools some.  It has been glorious!  I hope you are getting some lovely weather as well.

Today, let us continue along in our pantry series with some ways to use what we have and not waste.  We all need to get creative at times - it makes things fun!  There are many ways to use many ingredients.  When watching your dollars, it is great to have an arsenal of ideas so that you don't waste food nor money. (good for us all).

Last weeks in the comments there were instructions from a couple contributors as to how to make dried beans.  They are so inexpensive and they can be so good.  You don't have to use them just as soup beans - there is beans and rice, refried beans, they can be cooked and frozen for later and used in chili, soups, etc.

Beans are always a wonderful thing to have in your pantry.

NEVER throw away bacon grease.  It is great to have on hand for flavoring and for frying bland items - adds lots of flavor!!!  I keep mine in the frig.  Heck, I remember mom had a small canister that she kept on the stove back in the day.  I feel safer keeping it in the frig.  I have another jar for grease from beef (like hamburger).  I use it sometimes when cooking ground chicken or turkey - to give it a beef flavor!

Any combo of veggies can be considered a salad.  You can blend what you have in a big bowl for several servings or a salad can be just a couple items in a side dish in my opinion.  When I say I have had a salad - it may be carrots and radish cut up, or cukes and tomatoes, or onion and cukes, or olives and radish and cauliflower........  whatever you have fresh can be considered a salad.  Throw in a little dressing and yum!

ALWAYS have some cookbooks on hand with cheap and easy ingredients.  Cookbooks are part of the pantry in my opinion.  You can get so many easy ideas - and you can tweak it to your individual taste.

Yard sales are great places to find books for pennies and you can often find some of the older ones, which are great!!

PASTA - so many uses.  There are lots and lots of variety of pasta available.  Make it plain with a little oil or butter, or add sauces of any sort.  Use in salads - a hearty pasta salad can make a meal with some garlic toast if you want a light and cool dinner.

use in soups and casseroles.  As a side.

Use your ingredients to make pancakes or waffles.  Freeze for later use and a quick breakfast.  Biscuits can be made ahead and frozen.  Make up some breakfast biscuits - with egg, bacon, sausage, cheese...whatever you choose.  Breakfast burritos and wonderful to have on hand.  Tortillas, some scrambled eggs and whatever else you choose to add.  Wrap and freeze.  Keeps you from running out to buy breakfast - grab heat and eat from home!!!!

Baked potatoes can make a meal.  Top with leftovers or whatever you choose and have.  A nice little salad on the side and you can have a full belly!

RICE is another versatile food.  Fried rice, stir fry, Spanish rice, as a side, in soups, casseroles, etc.  It can even be mixed with an egg for the base (crust) of a quiche.  You can add some broken pasta and make your own rice a roni!  There are unlimited use for rice and it can be flavored with anything.

Think about using tortillas as wraps for things other than Mexican food.  I love wraps in the summer hot months.  Add cold cuts or loads of veggies, chickens strips, fish, you name it.  Place your meat and veggies on a flat tortilla, add a little dressing or condiment of choice and roll up and EAT!  Lighter than a sandwich, but still filling.

                                              Turkey, veggies and dressing prior to rolling!

Keep your bones from chicken, turkey or beef or ham to make stock.  You add them to water and 'cook' for a long while.  This gives you a wonderful stock/broth to use for making soups.  You can freeze.  I know this may be beyond "new" pantry stockers and that is OK.  It is something to keep in mind as you keep learning.

Keep things simple.  Spaghetti, hamburger veggie soup, chicken and rice or noodle soup, salads, pasta bakes of any sort, stir fry with all your leftovers - all these are just so easy to make and use up things.

Never forget the good old fashioned tuna casserole!  You can add cream of soup, or cheese or veggies to it and it is so filling.  Tuna can be used instead of salmon for fried patties.  Make the same way.  Tuna salad is always good.

Down to the last bits of jelly in a jar?  Pour some milk in the jar and shake, shake, shake.  You can drink it then, or place in an ice cube tray and freeze for a fun treat!  Don't waste.

THINK TWICE before you throw anything away!!!!  Don't waste and use it all up!

There is almost always another use for things and a new recipe that can be made.

There are just so many, many ideas out there.  I know the gals here will list some other ideas as well.

Please know if you are NEW to this journey, it really can be fun and enjoyable.

There is a lot to learn, and the fact that you are here and wanting to learn speaks volumes!!!!  You have made the first step.  Each new step is one forward in this journey.

You have this and you can do it.

Make it a game of sorts - "how can I use this?"  But have fun and learn a little and save as you eat well.

Have a fantabulous day everyone!!!!!