Leftovers On Purpose

Spice Organization

2015-10-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

The dreaded, unorganized spice cabinet:

If only there was a way to organize it better. I gave this lots and lots of thought. I searched for spice bottles and found lots of them. The most readily available ones had a cheap, plastic lid that I know I would have broken very quickly. I then found some plain ones that I really liked, but I could only find three of them.

After literally months of contemplating and researching spice organization, I finally came across mini mason jars used for spices. And when I went to the grocery store and decided to look at their mason jars, I found these Dry Herb Jars:

I bought all they had! I also picked up some plastic lids for the jars I had began to collect from the thrift stores. After cleaning all the jars and lids, I was ready to transfer all my spices to their new containers. I'm very happy with the results!

Notice the little jar of spoons in the bottom left corner of the photo above? I will use those little spoons to spoon out the spices or I will pour a little into my hand before I put them in whatever I am cooking up.

I found some larger jars for baking soda, baking powder, salt and garlic salt:

I don't normally have so much garlic salt, but I bought a large container of it, then mixed in a lot more garlic powder, so I ended up with a lot of it.

Where can you find mini mason jars? I found them at almost every grocery store I went to and at the hardware store (who knew?)! And, of course, the thrift stores have jars of all sizes.

I feel so organized now!

Pamm

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Pumpkin French Toast

2014-12-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

A can of pumpkin had been hanging around my pantry. I love pumpkin and am always looking for new ways to use it. Today's experiment is Pumpkin French Toast.

Pumpkin French Toast

6 eggs

1/4 cup pumpkin

1/4 cup milk

ground ginger

ground nutmeg

ground allspice

ground cinnamon

brown sugar

sliced bread

canola oil

Whisk all ingredients together, except bread and oil. Add the spices and brown sugar to your taste. I probably put about 1 teaspoon of each. Dip bread in egg mixture and fry in pan with a little hot oil. Cook on medium heat until brown, flip and cook until brown again.

It was delicious! French Toast that tasted a little like pumpkin pie! Yum! I don't enjoy syrup, so I just put a little butter on the bread and ate it plain.

I will be making this again.

Oven baked egg salad

2014-12-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite ways to hard boil an egg is to bake it in the oven!

Bake eggs for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.

I like to use my mini-muffin pan to stabilize the eggs.

On this day, I was baking sweet potatoes at the same time, so putting the eggs in saved some energy.

When the eggs were done baking, I gave them a cold-water shower to stop the cooking process.

I find the eggs peel easier when baked vs. boiled.

Egg Salad Ingredients: Eggs, Miracle Whip, honey mustard, salt, pepper, and a dash of paprika.

I find using a pastry blender is the perfect way to dice the boiled eggs.

Add the ingredients and stir. I never measure anything, just add what feels right.

It was gone so fast, I didn't get a finished photo. It was delicious!

Will you try baking your hard-boiled eggs next time? This is a great way to cook many eggs at once, like at Easter time or for a big crowd.

Chicken and Biscuits

2014-11-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

This easy dish reminds me a little of Chicken and Dumplings.

Chicken and Biscuits

2 cans refrigerated biscuits

1/4 cup butter

1 can chicken broth

1-2 cups cooked, chopped chicken

pepper to taste

paprika to taste

Taco Ring

2014-11-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

I make about three versions of this recipe. It's easy and it freezes well.

Taco Ring

2 cans refrigerator crescent rolls

1 pound ground beef or turkey

Minced onion and garlic to taste

1 envelope taco seasoning mix

Shredded cheddar cheese

Back to Weekend Cooking

2014-11-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

I get paid every-other week, therefore I shop every-other week now, instead of weekly. It is sort of nice to shop and cook one weekend, then use the next weekend for other activities. Sometimes, I break up the cooking by cooking some items one weekend and a few other items the next.

Here's my weekend cooking. I made old standbys and a couple of newer dishes:

Meatloaf Muffins

These are great for lunch paired with fruit or a salad.

I freeze them in 1-portion snack baggies.

Back To Cooking Leftovers On Purpose!

2014-10-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

After adventure and life changes, I'm ready to get back to blogging.

In late 2011 I stopped blogging when I made a life change and closed our home child care after 13 years. It was bittersweet as I miss the families I served, but 13 years of changing diapers is enough for anyone!

Weekend Cooking

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

It has been two months of traveling and staying with others. After finally moving into our own apartment, I'm back to cooking ahead. Without cooking for toddlers, I have to remember not to cook so much at once. I feel like I did a mini-session, but actually have several meals.

Easy Peach Cobbler

2011-12-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe! It's so easy!

Got A Lot Of Turkey?

2011-11-29T17:16:00.001-07:00

Hopefully you had a great Thanksgiving with a beautiful bird. Ours was wonderful.

Double Duty

2011-10-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is the top of my mini crock pot.

Pumpkin & Oatmeal Pancakes

2011-10-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

Remember my pumpkin pancakes? Well I had to use up the rest of the pumpkin and the rest of the box of pancake mix. When I did that, roughly doubling the recipe, it came out too thin. I had to add something to thicken it up. I just so happened to have about 2 cups of quick oats that needed to be used up. I mixed it in and it was just what it needed to thicken up.

I cooked just like I described in the original recipe. They came out very good with added texture and nutrition. It was a good mistake.

Pamm

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Sweet & Sour Rice

2011-10-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

I had made some basic meatballs for Sweet & Sour Meatballs. They were just sitting in the freezer waiting for something to go with it so I made up some Sweet & Sour Rice.

I didn't measure anything, I didn't even look at a recipe--yikes! I mixed up:

pineapple tidbits and juice (the whole can)

garlic power

onion power

ground ginger

soy sauce

apple cider vinegar

minced garlic

minced ginger

brown sugar

I kept adding things and tasting until it tasted right.

I made several cups of Jasmine rice in my rice cooker. I Put a serving of rice with some sweet and sour sauce, into a container then into the freezer. To heat, I put in some of the meatballs, then a container of rice and sauce into my mini crock pot and heat for 2-3 hours.

I think I need to trust myself more and cook without recipes. Maybe we all need to try it once in a while.

Pamm

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Hot Pastrami

2011-10-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

A very simple sandwich!

I put a little butter in a frying pan and heated the pastrami. I took the meat out of the pan, then put the bread in, topped with the pastrami and some provolone cheese, then topped with bread. I let it brown, then flipped to brown on the other side.

I ate this without any condiments. It was a very nice, simple sandwich.

Pamm

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Meatloaf Muffins

2011-10-21T05:28:00.000-07:00

In using things up from my pantry and freezer I decided to make some Meatloaf Muffins. I didn't have a box of stuffing on hand, so I had to improvise.

2 pounds ground turkey
1 packet onion soup mix
1 sleeve wheat saltines, crushed
1 cup milk
garlic powder to taste
onion powder to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients. Spoon into muffin trays (I use an ice cream scoop). Bake for 30 minutes.

The ones I made were overcooked! I think 20 minutes would have been plenty of time.

The flavors were good, but I like the stuffing mix better. It was nice to have a change and to use up what I had.

Pamm

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Pasta Salad

2011-10-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

I had a head of broccoli, some pasta that needed to be used up and a few bottles of Italian dressing. I had bought Italian dressing, then forgot I bought it, then bought it again, so I needed to use it up.

I cooked the pasta according to package directions and drained.

Meanwhile, I cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces.

I put the pasta, broccoli, and dressing all in a bowl and tossed, then chilled.

I turned out very yummy! I nice change-of-pace salad for my lunches.

Pamm

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Cooking Weekend

2011-10-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

It's time to use up what is in the pantry. I used only the ingredients I had on hand. I find it a fun challenge to make something out of thing I have in the pantry.

Pasta Salad
(recipe coming!)

Dog Food

Sweet & Sour Rice
(recipe coming)

Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes
(recipe coming)

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
(recipe coming)

Pamm

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Pumpkin Pancakes

2011-10-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

I had a can of pumpkin in the cupboard and a box of pancake mix that needed to be used up. Pumpkin Pancakes sounded so good! Now to figure out how to put it together. I search for a recipe, but ended up piecing this one together . . .

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 1/2 cups pancake mix
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 egg
1 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup can pumpkin

Mix all the ingredients together. Cook in heated pan with a little oil. Flip when golden brown and almost cooked through. Cook until the other side is golden brown.

I had these plain with just a pat of butter on them. They were very yummy!

I put the leftovers in a gallon freezer bag. I get a few out and heat them up in the microwave for a quick breakfast.

Pamm

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Rice Cooker Green Beans?

2011-09-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

As you know, I have a home child care in a separate area of my house. I have no access to my kitchen during the day. Most of the time, I use mini crock pots to heat most of the food for me and the toddlers throughout the day and occasionally, I will use the microwave.

I decided to experiment with the rice cooker and a can of green beans.

I drained a little water from the can, then dumped it in and added a pat of butter. I set it to "cook" and put the lid on.

It came to a boil within minutes and I removed the lid. It continued to boil for a few minutes more.

I will definately continue to use my rice cooker to heat vegetables in a hurry!

Pamm

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Teryaki Chicken

2011-09-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

Remember the Easy Teriyaki Marinade? I'm love the recipe! It's delicious.

This is the Teriyaki Chicken I cooked in the crock pot for about 4 hours. I made some Jasmine rice to pour it over. All the flavors work well together. I add a Broccoli-Ramen Salad to round out my dinner. Yummy!

Pamm

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Five Ways To Save On Groceries

2011-08-12T08:31:00.004-07:00

It seems every family is trying to cut corners anywhere they can. Although you cannot cut out your grocery bill completely, you can take a look at how you're spending your grocery dollars. Implementing just one or two saving strategies per week can reap big savings with a little time and effort.

1. Sign up for a store loyalty card
It's simple, just give your name and address and they give you card that will save you money at their store. Most are even in "key tag" form you attach it to your keys so you won't even have to think about remembering to bring it and smartphones have apps where you can input the card information and show it at the check-stand.

Besides the obvious saving money at the register, many store cards have other perks such as online coupons you can attach to your card and/or coupons they mail to your home based on your frequent purchases.

2. Look for the Unit Price, rather than the over-all price.

Comparing unit prices can be eye-opening. If you look at the price per ounce or per unit in a package often differ more than you think. Sometimes packages labeled "Family Size" or "Giant" turn out to be more per unit than if you opted for the regular size.

Example: A box of cereal in two different sizes
24 ounce $2.99 = 12 cents per ounce
36 ounce $3.99 = 11 cents per ounce

Even though you are spending more on the bigger box, you are getting more for your money. Don't be afraid to take a calculator with you to check the unit prices by dividing the cost of the item by the number of units (or ounces).

3. Use coupons

You don't have to go extreme about it, but every little bit helps. Even paying attention to the coupons they have on the shelves at the store can make a little difference. You can find coupons in the Sunday newspaper and even online.

You can make your coupons have a bigger impact by coupling them with a sale on the item. Don't forget to go online to your store's site and look for any coupons you can attach to your store loyalty card or to check if they have any other offers that could save on your groceries.

4. Look for markdowns and buy the store brand

In my favorite grocery store I know just where they put the marked down meat, bakery, and other items. I spend a lot of time in that little corner of the store, saving 25% to 50% and more. I rarely pay full price for a loaf of bread anymore, and I have found great deals on cheese and meat. The only catch is that these items need to be used or frozen within a few days of purchase.

Surprisingly, the store brand is as good or better than the name brand. Many store brands are made along side the name brand (check out this Consumer Reports article).

5. Look for a food box program in your area

Look in your community for a food box program. We have The Treasure Box andAngel Food Ministries are wide spread. These programs offer a box of food worth $65 to $80 for around $30. Buying a box or two each month can stretch your grocery dollars.

~Originally posted to Pamm's House Blog

Pamm

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Easy Teriyaki Marinade

2011-08-10T08:20:00.001-07:00

I have had my eyes open for an easy teriyaki marinade for a long time. I finally came across a great recipe at A Turtle's Life for Me and I put my own spin on it.

1 bottle (15 oz.) lite soy sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups apple juice

2 heaping tablespoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons ground ginger

salt and pepper

I whisked them all together. Use about 1/2 cup for every pound of meat; steak, chicken, pork chops, etc.

I used this for the chicken I got through The Treasure Box.

I put some marinade in a baggie, with the chicken, and put it all in the freezer. On the day I want to have it, I will let it defrost overnight in the fridge, then put it in the crock pot to cook for about 5 or 6 hours.

This would be good for grilling or baking, too!

Pamm

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Weekend Cooking

2011-08-08T08:27:00.001-07:00

Teriyaki Chicken (recipe coming)

Broccoli-Ramen Salad

Macaroni & Cheese

from The Treasure Box

I boiled them according to the package directions,

then put them in containers to freeze. I will defrost and reheat in a mini crock pot on the day I serve macaroni and cheese. They came out very creamy.

Pamm

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Zippy Meatballs

2011-08-04T07:12:00.032-07:00

I haven't made this in ages! I used to make it all the time when the kids were growing up. Our daughter reminded me of this recipe when she said she was making them.

Zippy MeatballsCombine 1 pound hamburger, 2 eggs, 9 drops Tobasco, 1 cup cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons minced onions, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, and a dash of salt and pepper. Shape into meatballs and place on baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Freeze separately.

For the sauce, mix 3/4 cup catsup, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 4 teaspoons Wistershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 6 drops of Tobasco. Freeze separately.

To serve: Thaw meatballs and sauce. Pour sauce over meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Note: I have never used the Tobasco in this recipe and the kids love it! I serve it over rice.

For this time, I made a double batch using one pound ground beef and one pound ground turkey. I cooked the meatballs for a half hour, then poured the sauce over them and cooked for another 20 minutes. This made the sauce thicker.

I packaged them into meal-sized portions and put them into the freezer. On the the day I want to have them, I'll defrost in the fridge, then heat in the microwave or I will put straight from the freezer into my mini crock pot to heat through.

It was a great familiar taste from days gone by.

Pamm

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Tomato Caprese Salad

2011-08-02T06:47:00.001-07:00

I haven't made this in a long time, but when the grape tomatoes went on sale, I thought I would make it again.

Tomato Caprese Salad
2 pints grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon onion flakes
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Balsamic vinegar

Toss and refrigerate.

The classic way to make this salad is with slices of (regular size) tomatoes, slices of red onion, slices of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. I'm not a fan of raw onion and used what was on sale to make my version.

It's a great salad for a change of pace.

Pamm

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