Pantry Challenge

Just a couple of days into the challenge and I’m already making a mental grocery list. LOL. Actually, I still need to do an inventory of the freezers and pantry, but won’t get to do that until the weekend since the grandboys are here a few days this week. Even though I don’t have the written inventory with which to write out some plans, I’ve still been pulling out the odd things to use up.

We really started this challenge on New Year’s Eve when Greg used some of the leftover Christmas prime rib to make us open-faced prime rib sandwiches for supper. He also took the last few crab legs, picked out all the meat, and made some delicious crab cakes to go along with the sandwiches. He doesn’t have a recipe for me to give you – it was a combination of a few recipes he found online. I like crab, but eating crab legs is a very labor-intensive process for a little meat, and it’s usually cold before you get much of it eaten. These crab cakes were a much more satisfying vehicle for me to enjoy that treat.

Yesterday I pulled this and that from the freezer and frig for lunch for the grandboys, then while Silas napped, Bradley and I made muffins for snack. We used up the last of a bag of frozen blueberries, and there were a few more than the recipe called for, so we got very fruity muffins! The recipe is a basic one from my old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook I got when we were first married (31+ years ago), and is a great way to use up tiny bits of fruit.

Blueberry Muffins

1 egg

½ cup milk

¼ cup oil

2 cups flour (we used half white whole wheat, half all-purpose)

1/3 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup blueberries (or fruit of your choice)

Preheat oven 375°F. Beat the egg, add oil and milk. Stir in dry ingredients all at once, then add blueberries. Bake 20-24 minutes, til golden brown. Makes about a dozen muffins.

Each boy ate two whole muffins for snack and Silas ended up with a purple leg after smearing a blueberry all around.

I guess that’s one way to use them up…