A week without shopping!

[The empressof all]

E Gullet forum is doing a week long challenge to cook for a week out of your pantry.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=122070

I could only go two days right now as I'm low on all veggies even the canned green beans :wow: Normally, I could go at least two weeks.

Realistically, how long could you go and still eat well?

[hippywife]

1. I could probably go a week or so.

And I have considered it. If it were just me it wouldn't be a problem, even though I love to grocery shop for yummies. But there's the other half to consider and some things he has to have every single week.

[sazemisery]

2. Quite awhile

I could live for a good 2 or 3 months on what I have in 2 freezers and my pantry. Even when I run out of milk, I have enough powdered milk to last for awhile. Not that I would drink it but I could use it to cook with.

I must clarify that I live in a rural area and when there is inclement weather there are times when it is pretty much impossible (or I don't have the inclination)to get to a store. After 28 years of this situation, I have kept a well stocked pantry.

BUT, also like hippywife, I love to peruse Whole Foods for goodies.

[hippywife]

4. I bought some pink salt today.

I wonder if I bought the right stuff, tho. I didn't buy it in the spice aisle but found some in the bulk bins that was finer. It didn't say "pink" like the coarse stuff in the spice aisle but it had a pink tinge and was labeled Real Salt and I think said something about real Mediterranean sea salt or some such. Should work for the corned beef, no? Well, as long as Wes saves the brisket for me. I think he will. :D

Now that I've put away the groceries, I think I could easily go over two weeks. :hi:

[sazemisery]

15. That is not what you want

This is what you are looking for:


http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=237_12&products_id=56

[hippywife]

16. Then would the "pink salt"

they have at WF in the more coarse form not be it, either?

[sazemisery]

18. No

"Pink salt" is not a natural salt. It has to have a sodium nitrite concentration of 6.25%. It is the ugly pink color so you will not use it in cooking. It is only made for curing.

[hippywife]

19. delete

[Warpy]

3. Oh, a week is easy for me

A month gets to be a little challenging toward the end as I get down to all the healthy stuff I don't like very much and I get really sick of sprout salads and the cabbage is starting to mold.

I was snowed in for a week a couple of winters ago thanks to an 18 inch snowfall in a city with no snowplows. I barely noticed it as far as dining went.

[troubleinwinter]

10. Sprouts?!

I just started sprouting several days ago. I'm not big on lettuce salad, and thought I oughta eat more fresh greenies.

I do love alfalfa sprouts. Well, I've got two different kinds of seed-'salad mixes', plus radish, and mustard and alfalfa. So far it is awfully fun... we'll see if I actually dig eating all these things! If not, there's always the birds.

To feed, not eat!

[Lucinda]

5. We could eat for several days, but it wouldn't be pretty.

We have lots of dried beans, rice and seeds, a hand full of potatoes and a big bowl of onions, plus misc odds and ends. And tea of course... I have a few different kinds of tea, plus sweet tea makings.

We're also pretty veggie poor. The ONLY thing in my freezer is my ice cream maker. :) And I have breakfast food in the fridge, plus some lettuce and olives. And lots of condiments.

We'd eat, but I'd have to get real creative. :)

[The empressof all]

6. I looked through my pantry this morning --Oy Olives

I have more olives than a family could eat in 10 years. I'm not sure what's up with the olives in there. We don't even eat olives that often.

I have a huge jar of great Italian marinated olives that I got in a two pack at Costco. I opened one, it sat mostly still full in the fridge for a month and I gave it to a neighbor cause I knew I had an unopened one still in the pantry.

I have both a can and a jar of Kalamata olives

I have a few cans of generic tastless "Black Pearl" Olives

And a large jar of regular greens with the pimentos.


In the fridge I have garlic stuffed olives, olives stuffed with blue cheese (I do love these) and some Jalapeno stuffed olives. There's probably some pimento ones stuffed way in the back,

[hippywife]

7. LOL!

We could take care of those for you in no time flat. Olives are one of my "stranded on a desert island" foods. Just restocked from the olive bar at WF so I finished off the carton I got last week for a snack this afternoon.

[Lucinda]

8. You are the Queen of Olives! You definitely have me beat.

I do a lot of greek style things with feta and black olive, so I use them a lot.

I use them in pizza toppings, in salads, antipasto platters, etc. I also like chopped black olives sandwiches. You chop and mush them together with a little mayo or olive oil and serve on toasted bread.

Green olives just get used in salads, so they last a while.

I WANT some of the blue cheese stuffed olives. Will have to give that a try!

[troubleinwinter]

11. Five boxes of brown sugar.

Whenever I'm at the store and think I might want to use some brown sugar, I can't remember if I have any (because I nearly never use it), so I pick up a box.

The same for salt. I use a salt cellar by the stove, and it seems to last so long, I never know what's left in the box, so pick one up "in case" I do need it. I have a nearly full box plus two unopened boxes.

If I do get snowed in for an extended period, I can make brown sugar salt cookies.

[The empressof all]

12. Five Bags of Powdered Sugar

I'm the same way....Never know when you're gonna need some frosting. You beat me with the Brown sugar I only have two bags. But I have no white sugar....odd.

[cbayer]

9. I usually stock the boat for a month.

It's a challenge, but lots of fun. I try and make sure things are used before they have to be tossed for the first 2 weeks, then the last two weeks are making things out of what is still left.

I have gotten pretty good at it and LOVE not having to shop at those pricey stores away from the mainland!

:hi:

[tigereye]

26. you live on a boat?

that sounds so cool. There was an interesting program on PBS not so long ago about a family who lived on a boat as a couple and then with their kids... I thought it sounded delightful.

[cbayer]

29. I do.

A 43 foot sailboat for the last 3 years or so. Sadly, we have been in an apartment for the past 3 months after having been severely damaged by an out of control powerboat, but we think it will just be another month before she is back in the water.

It's a great way to live. We carry our own water, make our own electricity, deal with our own waste and move around alot. We come back to the mainland about once a month, and that's when I hit Trader Joe's and Target. We have a huge refrigerator, but basically no freezer space (two ice cube trays about does it), so the provisioning is a fun challenge.

I didn't know about the PBS show. Do you remember the name by any chance? I would love to see it!

:hi:

[Mind_your_head]

13. What's the criteria to satisfy "Eating Well"?

Some ppl would say a "full belly"....no hunger panges means 'eating well'. Others, would consider nutritional content/antioxidant properties in their foods as 'eating well'. Another branch of ppl would consider eating "out of locale" dishes ~ lobster, shark,, clams, VEAL (young calves) to be 'eating well' (b/c the majority of ppl won't/don't pay that for their protein requirements.....

I could cook out of my pantry for six months easily. No one would feel hungry. Most of their nutritional needs would be met, but fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.....there is no replacement ~ ever.

[eridani]

14. No problem. I always make extra and freeze it.

I even have frozen veggies. However, I do like to just go get extra stuff that I need when I feel like it.

[Gormy Cuss]

17. In the winter it's more of a challenge, but we have a chest freezer

and a winter garden. I'm guessing we could go about a month, but we'd be cranky about the lack of variety that last week.

[tigereye]

20. reminds me of when Lynn Kasper from the Splendid Table does those

"what's in your fridge and what could you make" bits...


It might be fun to try that...

[Lucinda]

22. That sounds like a great idea for a new thread!

You should start one with it! :)

[pengillian101]

21. A month easy peasy.

We are just two, and we only grocery shop once every 3-4 weeks when the 5 gallons of milk is running low, it's time to shop.

We don't throw leftover food out. I freeze one dish meals.

I do supplement some - from Schwans.com and OmahaSteaks.com.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

23. Same here

The fridge is stocked with four half-gallons of milk, the most perishable of the items in there. And milk keeps a good long time, I've learned.

Everything in the pantry is dried or canned, and there are some great meals in there. The freezer is always loaded, and, yes, Omaha Steaks has an outlet store not far from here, so I stay stocked with their goods, which are very nice.

Yeah, a month would be easy. Maybe two.

[pengillian101]

24. And milk keeps a good long time, I've learned.

Indeed! An aquaintance was an old-time dairy man. Dairy products last a very long time, as do eggs.

He took the expired items off the shelves at the neighborhood stores, took them home and kept them in the garage refrigerators - and sold them at a huge discount to his neighbors. It wouldn't surprise me if others still do that today.


I just found out we can even freeze MILK! Who'd a thunk it?

:-)

[Tangerine LaBamba]

25. Eggs, yes!!!

The organic eggs we get are still wonderful even after a couple of months in the fridge. That's why I buy four dozen at a time, and then don't have to think about them.

Some people get wigged out about expiration dates. I always watched them carefully, but then learned to trust my taste. The milk was a real surprise. I've never frozen in, though.

I just noticed that I'm down to one pound of butter in the freezer - butter is very popular around here - so that means it's time to pick up another three pounds and stash. The price of butter has so soared in the last year, it's better just to buy it whenever it's on sale, since it's just gonna go up and up and up.

I used to love grocery shopping. I don't love it any more.

[troubleinwinter]

27. Yes, I also keep eggs a long time.

I have frozen milk when I've accidently bought it when I didn't need to.

You are right, buying things on sale is important, like butter & milk and freeze em.

Corned beef will be on sale soon, a "loss leader" for St. Patrick's day. I buy several & toss em in the freezer.

[eleny]

28. I look for marked down Organic Valley brand milk

I pick up the 1/2 gallons even if I have some at home. They sit in a fridge that stays shut most of the week because it's out in a work shed. I've never had milk go bad. At $1.50 for a 1/2 gallon, I'm thrilled when I find the markdowns.