Hello, "Running of the Bull;" farewell, "My Mother Hubbard Project"

Previously the home of "My Mother Hubbard Project," the premise of this blog was: Realizing one day that my pantry had overflowed into 1/2 of a spare bedroom closet, I decided to embark on the journey of cooking my way through my pantry. No more pantry purchases until the cupboard is bare! This means finally having to use all those miscellaneous things that mysteriously found their way into my grocery cart and then my home. Some are easier to use than others!

I never actually finished that project and hoped it would just fade away, forgotten by the four people who followed it (three of which live in this house).

Inspired now to write about broader life topics, I spent way too much time tonight trying to come up with a name for this new blog. We're talking hours spent trying to create a play-on-words title that would combine my new-found love of running, my begrudgingly-accepted middle-agedness, and even a bit of whimsy. The short list included "Running Amok," "Running My Life," and the inevitable winner, "Running of the Bull."

After painstakingly Googling hundreds of running cliches and quotes, evaluating the various options and finally arriving at a favorite, alas, none of my short list was available. In fact, none of my long list was available either. Even more frustrating, many of these blogs hadn't had new posts in years and some just sat there, empty, blank sheets of electronic paper.

Finally, in frustration, I tried one last-ditch option: "All the Good Names Are Taken." But that one's taken as well...go figure. "All the Good Ones Are Taken" is also unavailable (last post: 10/2003).

Having already lost several hours of my life that I'll never get back, and deference to all those blog squatters who haven't posted in years or (worse!) never posted, I give up! I am going to "re-purpose" the "mymotherhubbardproject" blog.

So, here we are. New year (sort of), new blog (sort of). I hope you join me for the ride.

Day 43 - True Confession

I have a confession. And this, dear readers, is why I haven't updated in a while. I feel I've betrayed you and betrayed the project.

I have changed the terms of this challenge because the original terms were just too hard. There. I said it.

I hang my head in shame.

I have decided that the goal of using every single pantry item is just really not possible. I mean, what AM I going to do when I get down to strawberry jam, coffee and coconut milk? Make a coconut strawberry latte?? (Actually, not a bad thought...!)

I have discovered that one cannot have a pantry void of certain items, even while using others. Just this week, I found myself in the quandry of having almost nothing to make as a side starch for a particular chicken dish. I was out of of fresh potatoes and boxed stuffing mix. The dish didn't "go" with rice, of which I still have a little. I settled on buttered noodles, and I only had those because I had scored a FREE coupon for a bag of No Yolks and decided that I wasn't going to pass up FREE on something I A) use anyway and B) was out of.

So, growth experience because once again I was serving what I had rather than what I necessarily wanted to serve. But what if I didn't have the noodles? MIL doesn't like rice and doesn't eat most vegetables, so her meal would have been, um, chicken. Period. I try to have at least 2 items that everyone at the table will enjoy. I figure that's reasonable, right?

So, here's the deal. I'm still "cooking my way through my pantry." But my goal is now to reduce the size of my pantry by about 60-70 percent. I want all of my pantry items to fit on the two shelves and the 6' tall lazy susan in the kitchen pantry. No more storing food in the otherwise unused bedroom closet. This goal still requires the same drastic shift in thinking from "just in case" to "just in time."

You're familiar with those philosophies, right? I'm trying to adopt this thinking across the board in life - it results in a lot less physical and emotional clutter.

Basically, "just in case" aquisition leads to excess and also waste. If I buy 5 bottles of salad dressing, I can tell myself it's because it was a great deal. But in reality, it's also subscribing to JIC thinking: having it "just in case" in need it.

Subscribing to JIT aquisition, I'll buy just what I really need, knowing that I'll replenish the supply "just in time" before I need it again. And you know what? If I run out, that's okay. I can roll with that.

So, the project still stands, just in a modified form. I've worked through probably half of the bedroom closet pantry and will continue to get creative to plow through the rest. My biggest obstacle at this point is the top shelf in that closet: it's all cake mixes, brownie mixes and a bunch of stuff that our family no longer really eats on a regular basis. Guess I'll just have to whip up a couple batches of something and send them in to work with Craig.

Day 33 - Hummus...finally!

I made hummus!!!!!!!

You don't understand. This isn't just hummus. This is hummus for which I bought the chickpeas, oh, probably 3-4 years ago.

Craig likes chickpeas, and I love hummus. So, several years ago, when we were still living in PA, I decided I was going to make it. I bought the chickpeas, and at one point, I even bough tahini -- both traditional ingredients in hummus. But for some reason, I was intimidated. I really don't know why. I'm a fairly accomplished cook. I've tackled a wide variety of cuisines and complex recipes. I've made osso bucco. I've made yeast bread in the shape of Easter bunnies with veggie dip in their bellies, for goodness sake! It's not like a little chickpeas, tahini & olive oil (the very basic hummus recipe) should intimidate me.

But, here I was with the very same two cans of chickpeas in my pantry, two years after we moved to MD. The tahini had long since gone bad and been thrown out.

On Friday, I decided to consolidate the portion of the pantry that had spilled over to the spare bedroom closet. Good news: about half of the original volume is gone. Bad news: I discovered a half-dozen bottles of unopened, expired salad dressing and a box of pie crust mix that expired in 2002!!!! Two-thousand-TWO! Really??

More bad news: those two cans of chickpeas that I bought in PA? They don't have an expiration date! So, I have no excuse not to use them.

I marched right into the kitchen and decided: the moment is now. I'm making hummus now. I had found a hummus recipe that used plain yogurt instead of tahini (www.recipezaar.com to the rescue again!), so I didn't even have that excuse.

So into the blender it all went: garlic (LOTS of garlic!), lemon juice, plain yogurt, a bunch of spices. And then I could put it off no longer. It was time to add the chickpeas.

I open this can with a faded and worn label. Deep breath as I pull the top off, not sure what I'm going to see inside. Will the chick peas be green and fuzzy? Will they be shrivled and gross?

SURPRISE! They're completely fine.

Into the food processor they go. Whirrrrrrrrrrr! And suddenly, it's hummus!

And, guess what? It's really good!

I made hummus! It really is the little things in life.
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Hummus (2 WW pts/serving)
6 servings

3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (19 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Combine everything food processor and process until smooth.

Next time, I'm going to add some cilantro!

Day 29 - No coincidences

Ever notice how, sometimes in life, things just works out? Even if it's just the little things...

So, after last Friday's spaghetti sauce drama, Craig, Sydney and I decided it was time for our annual apple picking tradition at a local orchard on Saturday. It's a fabulous way to spend an autumn day, and I just LOVE making and sharing the homemade applesauce, as well as other treats, that result.

We picked 40 lbs of apples - everything from big-as-my-head Mutsus to some other more obscure little golden beauties, and even golden delicious.

Then, we realized, this particular orchard also had fields and fields of broccoli and tomatoes for the picking.

Sydney was curious about the broccoli - "What does broccoli look like before it gets to the store?" she wondered. She loved chopping off the ginormous heads with Craig's pocket knife as I tossed them to him and he patiently held the bundles in his arms like bouquets of strange, green flowers.

And then it was time for the tomatoes. TOMATOES!!!!!! Many of my friends have endured my stories of lament regarding home-grown tomatoes and how desperately I miss them since moving to MD two years ago. When we lived in PA, we could pretty much grow a veritable tomato crop from a few carelessly thrown seeds and some wishful thinking. Here in MD, not so much! So, I have not had really good, fruit-of-the-sun, wonder-bread-sandwich type tomatoes in a couple years.

On Saturday, I saw the field of dark green plants ornamented with these beautiful baseball and softball-sized balls of deep-red glory. And the heavens opened up, and the angels sang! Real, fresh, RIPE, deep red tomatoes! I could have kissed these beauties.

Ah, it's the simple things in life!

So, I voraciously picked what had to be 40 lbs of tomatoes. And as I did, the irony of the previous day's blog was not lost on me. Just 24 hours ago, I had stood in a grocery store pining for jarred spaghetti sauce. If not for this project, I would have mindlessly bought it and gone on my merry way.

The very next day, I get the surprise opportunity to pick these beautiful tomatoes and ultimately create what has since turned out to be a giant batch of homemade from scratch spaghetti sauce (complete with ground beef and bulgur wheat, of course!). And the difference is that the homemade sauce was slowly infused with love as it simmered away on the stove all day. The jarred sauce would have been meaningless.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am sufficiently self-aware to know that food does not equal love. This is NOT the "Here! I know you're watching your diet but please have more cake!" scenario.

The love is in the creation. Taking the time, energy and care to make something from nothing to nourish those you love. The joy is in the preparation, much like the journey is often as rewarding as the destination.

All of these things: true. And a lesson I would have missed if not for this project.

P.S. I did have to buy 5 cans of tomato paste to make the sauce, a clear violation of the rules of this project. But sometimes in life, one must adapt.

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The best, easiest APPLESAUCE:
Peel, core and roughly chop enough apples to fill your crock pot. Add a little water (1/2 c or less, depending on size of your crock pot). Put the lid on and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you like chunkier applesauce, stir vigorously with wooden spoon and you're done. Otherwise, whir with an the immersion blender for less chunky (or process in regular blender in batches).

OPTIONAL:
-Stir in a little sugar, cinnamon to taste.
-Make peach amaretto applesauce: add lg. handful of frozen peaches and a couple drops of almond extract during last 1/2 hour of cooking. Whir when peaches are thawed.
-Strawberry applesauce: add lg. handful of strawberries and couple drops of strawberry extract during last 1/2 hour of cooking. Whir when strawberries are thawed.

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WW 2 PT BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
10 servings

42 oz. f/f chicken broth
2 lb broccoli (could reduce this - the soup is VERY broccoli-y)
minced garlic to taste
1 medium onion, diced
10 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes
10 oz. Velveeta reduced fat, cubed

-Combine broth, broccoli, garlic, onion in soup pot. Bring to boil and simmer 25 mins until veggies are soft.
-Add tomatoes and whir with immersion blender, leaving chunks of veggies to suit your preference.
-Add cubed Velveeta, stirring to melt.

Yum!

Day 25 - Confessions of a Bargain Shopper

Yesterday was a huge challenge for me: Grocery Day, with some fabulous sales including: Raisin Bran, 2/$3; Spaghetti Sauce, 2/$3...and on and on.

I spent more than I would have liked to yesterday, largely because we had completely exhausted our supplies of things like batteries, frozen vegetables, toiletry products, etc. It all hit at once in some sort of perfect supermarket storm.

I humbly confess that I went to three different stores yesterday, chasing the sales. From fryer chickens for $.57/lb. at Harris Teeter to BOGO "personal size" watermelons at Safeway, and even 10/$10 bags of frozen veggies at Giant, I was quite the bargain shopper. You gotta admit, those are prices worth chasing - but only because I truly use all of these items and was not stocking up on top of an already full supply of chicken, watermelon, frozen veggies, etc.

While picking out my $1.29/lb broccoli crowns at Safeway, I decided to completely avoid the spaghetti sauce aisle where the 2/$3 jars taunted me. I still have 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, I reasoned. And while that would previously be not nearly enough for my comfort zone, I decided that I need to push myself.

What's the worst that could happen, really? I use the last jar and have some sort of spaghetti sauce crisis? The world will not end if I don't have spaghetti sauce in my pantry, I realize. And, more than that, if I do run out and am overtaken by the spirit of Mama Celeste herself, I can either make my own or, gasp, I could even go buy a jar or two if I deem it unavoidable at that time. And if I happen not to get the best bargain and pay a few cents more at the time, is it really that big of a deal? And who knows? Maybe at that time, it will be 99 cents/jar and maybe I'll even have a coupon as well!

So, that took care of the spaghetti sauce, but I still had to contend with the Raisin Bran at Giant. This time, I stood in front of the cereal and debated. Yes, I know. According to the rules of this project, it should really be a non-issue. No pantry items until the cupboard is bare. But, you know, this is me and I can rationalize my way out of (or into!) almost anything.

Bottom line: I did not buy the cereal either. Two boxes of cereal for $3 is a great deal, yes. But not if it defies my true goal which is to strengthen my impulse control, whittle away at the pantry, and be able to come to you with truth (and humor) on this journey.

Having said that, I did cave and buy 2 bottles of Coke Zero. They were also 2/$3, and we were out of soda (although we're trying not to drink too much of it anyway)...but, c'mon, it's COKE ZERO! I gotta have at least one guilty pleasure.

Day 19 - Going to the Dogs: Liver Bread!

I set my sights on using a box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix. And once again, there on www.recipezaar.com, was the perfect recipe: Liver Bread. Quick - 10 mins; Easy - a food processor and an oven; and simple - 3 ingredients (liver, Jiffy mix, 1 T garlic), all of which I had on-hand.

Yes, I had the liver. You see, in addition to my pantry excesses, we also buy beef from an Amish farmer by the 1/2-side. Yes, it's better beef. Yes, it's less expensive than buying individual cuts at the grocery store. But it also means that we ALWAYS have a variety of beef in our freezer.

ANYWAY - So I puree the 1 lb. beef liver, add the 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix and the 1 Tbs of garlic powder. It was, hands-down, the absolute grossest thing that's ever been in my kitchen.

I really am a fairly big fan of liver. In fact, my childhood response to "what's your favorite food?" was always "liver." That answer was based as much in truth as it was in the shock value I could always milk out of it! But this particular puree was - oh, I'll just say it: disgusting.

It's a good thing the liver bread is actually a dog treat because I couldn't even bring myself to taste the finished product!

I spread the pureed schlopp out in a thin layer on a well-sprayed jelly roll pan, baked it at 400* for 10 mins, and viola! Every dog's culinary fantasy!

I cut the 1/4"-thick "bread" up in 1-inch pieces for Storm, our beloved 60 lb pit bull who thinks she's a lap dog. By the look on her face, she clearly would have done any trick in the book to get her vice-grip jaws around the entire batch!

I had her do a few basic commands, gave her two luke-warm pieces and let the rest on the counter to completely cool before putting them away. Storm has never done this before, but she laid down on the kitchen floor, directly in front of the counter where the liver bread was waiting to be put away. She looked up at the counter, over at me....up at the counter, over at me.... As in, "I know what's up there and I'm going to plant myself right here just in case A) any falls to the floor or B) you and your opposable thumbs decide to help me out here!"

The good news is that the recipe made LOTS of little pieces of liver bread. So it's going to be quite a while before I have to deal with the pit bull puppy-dog-eyes when she realizes we've run out and there will be no more Jiffy until the cupboard is bare!

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Friday Grocery Bil Update: maintained the 50% decline and bought NOT A SINGLE pantry item! Woo Hoo!

Day 15 - Dinner: Nothing from the pantry!

My MIL, who is now living with us, was craving a baked potato. So tonight's dinner ended up being completely pantry-free: T-bones on the grill, baked potatoes on the grill (my favorite way to "bake" them!), frozen green beans almondine.

I did, however, make pasta salad using pasta (of course!) and one of those dozens of bottles of salad dressing from the pantry. I had to donate something for a school picnic. Previously, I probably would have carefully selected a recipe, made a list and gone shopping. This time, I volunteered my "kitchen sink" pasta salad because I knew I could use pantry items and improvise the rest. So, it turned out like this because it's what I had on-hand:
1 lb corkscrew pasta, cooked
1 bottle Kraft Light Italian Dressing
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 c sugar peas, julienned
1 shredded carrot
2 c broccoli florets
feta cheese

Mix it all up and Viola! Delicious as usual!