A Great Day

I have had a really great day! Tim, one of Randy's friends sent me a bag full of cucumbers from his garden. There was not enough to make pickles or anything, but more than I could eat. Randy doesn't like cucumbers. So I had been trying to figure out what to do. I was determined not to waste them. I decided to make a vegetable spread that I made all the time when my kids were little. I needed tomatoes and onions, but I needed those anyway so I went to Aldi, and got 4 tomatoes and a small bag of Vidalia onions. I had all the other ingredients, so I made the spread and had a sandwich for lunch. It was so delicious! I didn't realize how much I missed vegetable sandwiches!

I am hoping to go to Beechwood Farms on Wednesday to get tomatoes, corn, beans and peas. That means I will spend Thursday and Friday canning and freezing, but I am looking forward to that. Fresh green beans in the middle of winter are so worth it. I canned for many years and now I am doing it again. I started back 2 years ago just canning green beans and tomatoes, but this year I am branching out again and adding corn and peas.

I want to complain about something too. I don't understand why you can only buy 12 croissants, or 8 kaiser rolls, or 2 baguettes. Why do the stores not sell these in singles? I am frustrated because I love these fresh baked rolls and Randy doesn't, so if I get them, most of the time at least 1 or 2 are wasted. I don't buy croissants most of the time because I know that I can never eat that many before they start to mold.

And finally, Randy challenged me to use everything in my pantry and freezer to make our dinners, with the exception of meat. I do have some frozen chicken and a chuck roast that I am going to use. Other than that, he will get all the meat fresh from the meat market that we love so much. I accepted that challenge, and I am going to see how many meals I can make with just what I have. The only exception to that will be if I need spices, onions, garlic, that kind of stuff.
I might even start a talley of how much money it is, to see what I save. The reason that he did this was because when I inventoried that pantry and freezer, I had to throw out so much food that had expired. Some of it was 2 years past the expiration date. I was so ashamed when I realized that I had done that. I learn from my mistakes though, so that will not happen again.
Starting tonight, the Pantry Challenge is on!

til tomorrow~