Budget Stretchers: Use it Or Lose it 2012 - Join the fun!

[Roxanne]

I used my canned crab for crab cakes, they turned out great! Since the recipe used both cans it can be scratched off my list

[Kchurchill5]

They look delish, way to scratch one more off.

I have a can too and I'm thinking ravioli in wontons. I have some left of both. Would be an easy way.

[HeatherFeather]

1) Rice a Roni mixes - USED half
2) Pecans - USED some
3) Black walnuts -USED some
4) White miso paste - GONE
5) Cranberry flavor Stove Top Stuffing mixes - USED 1
6) Canned grapefruit -
7) Beef Tenderloin tips -USED some
8) instant pudding mixes - USED some
9) a bottle of Taco Bell creamy jalapeno sauce - USED some
10) Oatmeal - USED some
11) bottled marinades -
12) 1/2 a bottle of Maker's Mark bourbon - USED some
13) a box of fish fry mix -
14) apples - USED
15) canned peas -USED 1

Getting close to the end of the month - I still have a few items I haven't used at all yet. My daughter has been eating through almost all of the apples that I had left, so those are almost gone now. I still want to get through more nuts. I had planned to use marinades and the grapefruit already, but then didn't get the recipes I had planned made. It does feels good knowing I used a lot of those items though - many of them had been just sitting there untouched for so long.

Grats on finally getting that crab used up! I love crabcakes!

Wonton crab ravioli sounds pretty good too.

[Kchurchill5]

Congrats to you for using a little of everything. That is what I did. I still have a mix of this and that, but ... a lot is gone.

Nuts make a great crust for chicken, fish, shrimp, pork, even veggies.

My goals next month is to use my oldest items in my fridge / freezer / pantry. Not the most, but the oldest so I don't have to get rid of them

[Roxanne]

Thanks Kc and Heather! You are doing way better than I am though Heather . That said, with this being the last week to use those things at least once before Feb. hits I do have plans for some of the items on my list. Kc, those raviolis sound like they'd be great! Heather, here is a recipe for cookies using black walnuts I saw a while back.

My wonton skins are going to a dessert application - nutella wontons (giada recipe). For the quinoa flour I will be making waffles from it (hard to find recipes that use quinoa flour) Couscous side with baked fish still on my menu, red onions and canadian bacon - pizza topping, cinnamon rolls for a monkey bread breakfast one morning, quinoa - I haven't settled on a recipe yet.

Dunno what I am making/doing with the following items so far - orzo, cream cheese, cinnabon cereal, protein powder.

My goal next month is also like yours Kc, just use up what I see has an expiry date coming soon or things I feel that have been sitting there too long. Next month I'm not aiming for 15 items cause I really didn't have that many things I wanted to use up, I just wanted to follow the rules . Anything I use up otherwise will be a bonus.

[crazyndncook]

I will start using more too. I did put more of a dent in my frozen veggies and fruits this month. I emptied 3 containers. I am all out of strawberries and trying to resist the temptation to buy more. I do have plans on donating some of the apples, pears and apricots I have in the freezer to the school I work for. That will give me a bunch of room, and the kids will love having mixed fruit crisp, and it will be made with 100% whole wheat flour and less sugar than called for, so it will be healthier too.

[Kchurchill5]

Rox, an easy but unique orzo recipe is: This can be served warm or chilled

10 oz orzo
1 can (15 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, diced (drain, but reserve the liquid)
1 shallot, fine minced (or onion)
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted and rough chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh parsley, fine chopped (you can you dried if that is all you have)
salt and pepper to taste
shaved parmesan cheese

Drain the artichokes (but reserve the liquid). Dice the artichokes into bit size pieces or a bit smaller, and add to a small bowl. Add the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the reserved liquid from the artichokes, parsley and shallot; mix well.

Toast the pine nuts and rough chop

Cook the pasta, drain and toss with the artichokes, pine nuts, season with salt and pepper and top with shaved parmesan

Note: If you don't have marinated artichokes, but just plain in water ones. Add a basic Italian vinaigrette to the orzo.
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Crazy, donating to the school is a great idea. What a great healthy way for the kids to learn to try new things and eat good.

[HeatherFeather]

Thanks Kc and Heather! You are doing way better than I am though Heather . That said, with this being the last week to use those things at least once before Feb. hits I do have plans for some of the items on my list. Kc, those raviolis sound like they'd be great! Heather, here is a recipe for cookies using black walnuts I saw a while back.

My wonton skins are going to a dessert application - nutella wontons (giada recipe). For the quinoa flour I will be making waffles from it (hard to find recipes that use quinoa flour) Couscous side with baked fish still on my menu, red onions and canadian bacon - pizza topping, cinnamon rolls for a monkey bread breakfast one morning, quinoa - I haven't settled on a recipe yet.

Dunno what I am making/doing with the following items so far - orzo, cream cheese, cinnabon cereal, protein powder.

My goal next month is also like yours Kc, just use up what I see has an expiry date coming soon or things I feel that have been sitting there too long. Next month I'm not aiming for 15 items cause I really didn't have that many things I wanted to use up, I just wanted to follow the rules . Anything I use up otherwise will be a bonus.

Those walnut cookies sound wonderful! I saved the recipe to try.

[HeatherFeather]

Next time we do this, maybe it should only be a 10 item list. I have another great idea for another event coming soon though that will be similar but also very different. Keep checking!

Even if we don't use all 15 items, I know that we all saved some money by not wasting food and by using up food already lying around that might have just sat there unused indefinitely. I can tell you that huge canister of oatmeal must have sat there in my pantry the better part of a year - I noticed it every time I opened that cupboard, but would always forget to use it. Now that canister is almost empty in just a short month's time. I still have more oatmeal to use, but I knocked out 1 whole container (nearly), which is great.

I took a closer look at the package of "fish fry mix" - turns out that I only thought it was fish fry mix, since that brand is one known for fish fry coating (House of Autry). Well, when I took it out today to see if there were any suggestions on the box, I realized it is actually their chicken coating - and it has a recipe right on the box on how to use it as a no-fry oven baked chicken dish. I am very happy about that!

[Roxanne]

crazy, love the idea of donating to the school.

Kc, thanks for the recipe suggestion. Unfortunately artichokes are something I've never seen here. Can it be subbed.?

Hope you enjoy the cookies Heather and looking forward to your other idea too. I got to say, if anything, this event has opened my eyes to why I have trouble using up certain items. It's because my usual diet does not revolve around those items and a couple items I bought just to try a recipe (couscous and orzo). Some items I bought on a whim, others because it was on sale. The quinoa and flour though, I was gifted by my mum after we chatted about it so it is something I never ate or used before and I think that's why I am hesitating to try it . The protein powder I bought when I was lifting weights (back in Nov.) and although it has no flavour it added a weird texture to drinks which is why it is still there. But I haven't been lifting for a while and want to restart for Feb. so I will definitely be focusing on using the protein powder and another drink mix I bought and didn't like the taste too much of it. Those will be my 2 main things to use. I will make it my business to find ways to mask the texture or flavour and use it cause they were both expensive items.

Anyway, I strayed off my point a bit there, my point is, once I use up certain items I will think back to this event and how often I use certain items regularly so I won't repeat the mistake of buying something just for 1 recipe and if I do happen to buy a certain item for a recipe, make it my business to use it up before buying another item. That and don't get caught up by sales (this does include buying on a whim cause those sales can suck you in sometimes!) But the exception would be if it's an item I use often ;) lol.