I did not go through the freezer and pantry like I planned. What I did do was stop off this morning with a somewhat incomplete shopping list at the Bilo nearby and pick up groceries. As soon as I got back to my friends' house, I pulled everything left in the refrigerator by the previous tenants and toss it. I know free food is free food, but some items were expired, and honestly, I have no idea who they were, except that she is vegetarian. I am not vegetarian and I like the real deal when it comes to things like mayonnaise.
I picked up salami and pepperoni for spicy Italian subs for the next few days, and all the fixings for a nice turkey-loaf dinner. When I tossed my freezable lunchbox up in the freezer, I noticed a very happy surprise: a pound of hamburger meat (one of the little chubs) and at least two nicely sized hamburger patties. Score!
I admit, I have little idea how all of the groceries I bought today can be incorporated in the next few weeks, but I'm gonna figure it out. Since I am off tomorrow and Friday, my plan is to cook tomorrow morning while my uniforms are washing, pack it all into containers or sandwich bags, and breathe a sigh of relief that my meals are taken care of for a few more days. I've turned away from sandwiches and whatnot since being on WW, but that is about to change. Spicy Italian subs stuffed with salami, pepperoni, banana peppers, tomatoes, spinach, olive oil mayo, and stone ground mustard? Yes, please!
The tentative plan is to split what is left of the pepperoni and salami into two piles for a salad and a pizza. The jarred banana peppers will keep for the rest of the time I am here. I can add them to soup, salads, and sandwiches. I don't use ketchup often, but I couldn't buy a smaller package of breadcrumbs, so that pound of hamburger's future is to be meatloaf. I also bought some Tabasco green pepper sauce, regular Tabasco, salt-free Cavendar's seasoning (more's the pity, I'll have to add salt), and more flavored tea bags. Certainly, I'll be at the beach more than not, so it is good to have options. I'll also have fun trying to figure out how to use the items I already have for future meals. Two pomegranates made their way into my cart, and I can't wait to dig into those!
The problem with winging things is that it can go disastrously wrong. I hope that won't be the case here. I still have soup in the freezer, which will be perfect if I am stuck once without a go-to meal, or to keep me from having to cook. Using things up creatively is going to be fun!
As for this tired night shift nurse, it is definitely bedtime.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Monday, January 7, 2019
The No-Waste Challenge
This week, before I came home, I mostly cleaned out the old food from my little fridge. Tomorrow night, I am going to finish cleaning it out and make a thorough accounting of what is in the refrigerator. The food the prior tenant left is definitely going out. The non-frozen stuff anyway. There is some frozen broccoli, a frozen onion and pepper mix, and some frozen fruit that I will use. I also have a pound of ground turkey and a few chicken breasts in the freezer. I want to take stock of what is in my little pantry as well, which isn't much at this point. My milk has definitely gone bad, and I have eggs I need to use. I know what I want to make this week: deviled eggs!
I am severely limited on food storage space, and I abhor the waste created by not being able to buy only what I need at the store. I don't need a whole bag of mini cucumbers every time, and I often have cherry tomatoes leftover after making salads. There is an easy fix for that: cucumber and tomato salad. Sometimes I only need half an onion. Sometimes only a half-bag of cheese. Bread is another big one: I doubt I'll go through a whole loaf before it starts to get stale and/or moldy. The biggest waste of all tends to be fruit. I love mandarin oranges and tangerines, as well as apples, but I only eat so much fruit a day, and I don't always want a citrus fruit. I often end up with half a bag of no-good citrus, or an apple that is starting to get pretty mushy. Once in a while a zucchini gets nasty on me. Something has got to give.
I have a brand new challenge for myself: cooking without wasting perishables.
Keeping in mind that I don't want to eat in a completely unhealthy way, nor do I want to eat out all of the time, I am back on the recipe hunt. The criteria for a "winning" recipe is actually pretty easy. I need to be able to use most or all of the ingredients I buy for it, or the ingredients need to go hand in hand with a secondary recipe for meal prepping. Boring is out, flavor is in. Color is a plus. The recipe has to be fairly simple, easy to make, and require little to no specialty kitchen equipment. Also, I would like the ingredients to be fairly seasonal. I love sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and collards, but I would also like to try the squashes before they go out of season!
In any case, it is going to be interesting to see if I can pull this off... I'll keep you posted!
I am severely limited on food storage space, and I abhor the waste created by not being able to buy only what I need at the store. I don't need a whole bag of mini cucumbers every time, and I often have cherry tomatoes leftover after making salads. There is an easy fix for that: cucumber and tomato salad. Sometimes I only need half an onion. Sometimes only a half-bag of cheese. Bread is another big one: I doubt I'll go through a whole loaf before it starts to get stale and/or moldy. The biggest waste of all tends to be fruit. I love mandarin oranges and tangerines, as well as apples, but I only eat so much fruit a day, and I don't always want a citrus fruit. I often end up with half a bag of no-good citrus, or an apple that is starting to get pretty mushy. Once in a while a zucchini gets nasty on me. Something has got to give.
I have a brand new challenge for myself: cooking without wasting perishables.
Keeping in mind that I don't want to eat in a completely unhealthy way, nor do I want to eat out all of the time, I am back on the recipe hunt. The criteria for a "winning" recipe is actually pretty easy. I need to be able to use most or all of the ingredients I buy for it, or the ingredients need to go hand in hand with a secondary recipe for meal prepping. Boring is out, flavor is in. Color is a plus. The recipe has to be fairly simple, easy to make, and require little to no specialty kitchen equipment. Also, I would like the ingredients to be fairly seasonal. I love sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and collards, but I would also like to try the squashes before they go out of season!
In any case, it is going to be interesting to see if I can pull this off... I'll keep you posted!
Thursday, January 3, 2019
High Highs and Lower Lows
The end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 have been marked by some of the most interesting, fun, memorable, and scary times so far. In December I quit my job as a staff nurse and packed my bags to travel. It was an incredibly hard leap of faith to make, but one I am just as incredibly glad I chose to do. I miss many people from my staff nurse job, but I am starting to enjoy my role as a travel nurse at my first contract quite a lot! Some of the nurses and aids are starting to warm and open up, as usual some of the patients remind me why I chose this path, and overcoming the challenges of being a stranger in a strange land is rewarding all in itself.
I just spent the best couple of days with my husband and daughter ever, but it didn't start out that way. On the morning of December 30th, I came home a little feverish and achy. I started rotating ibuprofen and acetaminophen. By the early morning hours my next shift, I was shivering from a higher fever, but I felt pretty ok when I went to bed the 31st. I had rented a suite at a hotel near my assignment for the New Year, as the folks I stay with don't have much room for me to visit my family without being a bit crunched for space. I woke up at noon with the worst shivers I had ever had, freezing cold, but with a fever topping around 103 or so. I hurt so badly, I almost couldn't get out of the bed for another dose of Motrin. I thought it may be flu. As it turned out, I had developed a raging kidney infection and UTI. Let's hear it for kidney stones too big to pass, am I right?
Despite the fever, and thanks to some very strong antibiotics and more acetaminophen and ibuprofen, I was able to spend New Year's Eve and Day with the fam. Had it been flu, they would have had to do it without me.
I noticed a tiny rash on my left forearm New Year's Day. Above the rash there was an itchy tiny little bump closer to my thumb. Overnight, a red ring spread around both, and both developed little tiny fluid filled blisters. The bigger of the two started ulcerating. Pretty certain they are recluse bites, but at this point a doctor wouldn't be able to do much except monitor. Since I'm already on levofloxacin (Levaquin), I'm not as concerned about cellulitis. Yet. Then I noticed yet a third spot on the base of my thumb. That spider had gone to town on me. I never felt him/her bite, and I have no idea where it happened.
My husband said I've only been gone about three weeks and I am already falling apart. He may well be right, but I am still loving the new career path I have chosen.
Now, about planning... I was so sick and busy, I never stopped at the grocery store. The food I have where I am staying is limited and mostly canned or frozen as I was pretty frugal. Thankfully, I only work two nights before my next stretch, (I get to go home for a few days!) I thawed a chicken breast, opened a can each of black beans, corn, and Rotel tomatoes with chili and lime, mixed the canned items up, and made a bed on the bottom of a disposable foil pan. I salted and peppered the chicken breast and roasted the whole shebang. I am a little tired of southwest flavors for the moment, but beggars can't be choosers, and the meal is actually really good! Next week, I refuse to eat anything Southwest flavored. This time I am going Italian and Southern.
For New Year's night, we went to Paula Deen's restaurant. I wasn't super hungry, but oh em gee! Next time I will try the fried chicken, but the greens, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and ooey gooey butter cake were all simply to die for! This has inspired me to find her recipe for her greens. Our server told us to cut way back on the salt in the recipe. I'll use ham steak for the ham in the greens, pan fry a few pork loin chops (no breading, olive oil, easy on the seasoning), and also look for one of her mac and cheese recipes. Her Southern dishes in her restaurants are no joke, and quite frankly, I've never had greens that good. The green beans even looked under cooked, but they were cooked to pure perfection without being mushy or crunchy!
One more night, then I am headed home after a few hour of sleep. I am really looking forward to my on bed for a few nights! (Or days, that is...)
I just spent the best couple of days with my husband and daughter ever, but it didn't start out that way. On the morning of December 30th, I came home a little feverish and achy. I started rotating ibuprofen and acetaminophen. By the early morning hours my next shift, I was shivering from a higher fever, but I felt pretty ok when I went to bed the 31st. I had rented a suite at a hotel near my assignment for the New Year, as the folks I stay with don't have much room for me to visit my family without being a bit crunched for space. I woke up at noon with the worst shivers I had ever had, freezing cold, but with a fever topping around 103 or so. I hurt so badly, I almost couldn't get out of the bed for another dose of Motrin. I thought it may be flu. As it turned out, I had developed a raging kidney infection and UTI. Let's hear it for kidney stones too big to pass, am I right?
Despite the fever, and thanks to some very strong antibiotics and more acetaminophen and ibuprofen, I was able to spend New Year's Eve and Day with the fam. Had it been flu, they would have had to do it without me.
I noticed a tiny rash on my left forearm New Year's Day. Above the rash there was an itchy tiny little bump closer to my thumb. Overnight, a red ring spread around both, and both developed little tiny fluid filled blisters. The bigger of the two started ulcerating. Pretty certain they are recluse bites, but at this point a doctor wouldn't be able to do much except monitor. Since I'm already on levofloxacin (Levaquin), I'm not as concerned about cellulitis. Yet. Then I noticed yet a third spot on the base of my thumb. That spider had gone to town on me. I never felt him/her bite, and I have no idea where it happened.
My husband said I've only been gone about three weeks and I am already falling apart. He may well be right, but I am still loving the new career path I have chosen.
Now, about planning... I was so sick and busy, I never stopped at the grocery store. The food I have where I am staying is limited and mostly canned or frozen as I was pretty frugal. Thankfully, I only work two nights before my next stretch, (I get to go home for a few days!) I thawed a chicken breast, opened a can each of black beans, corn, and Rotel tomatoes with chili and lime, mixed the canned items up, and made a bed on the bottom of a disposable foil pan. I salted and peppered the chicken breast and roasted the whole shebang. I am a little tired of southwest flavors for the moment, but beggars can't be choosers, and the meal is actually really good! Next week, I refuse to eat anything Southwest flavored. This time I am going Italian and Southern.
For New Year's night, we went to Paula Deen's restaurant. I wasn't super hungry, but oh em gee! Next time I will try the fried chicken, but the greens, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and ooey gooey butter cake were all simply to die for! This has inspired me to find her recipe for her greens. Our server told us to cut way back on the salt in the recipe. I'll use ham steak for the ham in the greens, pan fry a few pork loin chops (no breading, olive oil, easy on the seasoning), and also look for one of her mac and cheese recipes. Her Southern dishes in her restaurants are no joke, and quite frankly, I've never had greens that good. The green beans even looked under cooked, but they were cooked to pure perfection without being mushy or crunchy!
One more night, then I am headed home after a few hour of sleep. I am really looking forward to my on bed for a few nights! (Or days, that is...)
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