"Serene Vannoy" wrote

> I'm embarking on a project to use up stuff in the cupboards before buying
> extra foodstuffs, whenever possible. I'll still buy fresh veggies and
> stuff, of course, unless the money really runs out, but I'm going to try
> to use up the staples.

That is a relative constant for me. Not due to money, but due to military
moves. 26 years Navy and we've moved coast to coast over overseas several
times as you can guess.

Your staples match what I'd have handy except I dont always have bell
peppers (I dry some though so often have those).

To expand on what you have ideas of, consider things like rice dishes that
are sweetened with canned milk to make a sort of dessert with honey or brown
sugar (or molassis etc). I made one a few days ago with dried figs that was
similar to a 'bread pudding' but used rice. I also made a brown rice pie
with 1/2 a largish sweet yam, using rice for the base and some chinese 5
spice. I happened to have heavy whipping cream for it but i think condensed
milk would work too.

Rice balls are fun too. I make up a batch of sticky rice then pull out
varous seasonings I have handy (admittedly, you probably dont stock the same
japanese ones like dried plum etc). If you have any small 'sweet' red bean
cans, they work well. Use the juice in the can as part of the cooking water
for the rice. Make the rice 'sticky' (not separatist where each grain hates
the other and tries hard to stay separate). If you have any short grain or
medium grain, it will do this nicely.

(medium grain, 1 part rice, 2 parts water. Short grain, 1 part rice, 1.75
parts water).

Mix the sticky rice with a little chinese 5 spice (nutmeg, anise, cinnimon
will do in a pinch if you don't have that) and then the beans from a can
which need not even be heated. Roll into balls then sprinkle with whatever
is handy that matches your tastes. Good picks can be grated coconut (I
dislike this but many love it), candy sprinkles such as you may have for
cookies or kids cakes, brown sugar crushed up well to soft. Those are the
sweet types. I tend more to dried crushed shrimp, and dried seaweeds mixed
with dried purple plum. Call it cheap snacks (grin). Unless a diabetic,
suitable for most. Lower calorie and low fat too if dieting.

As another said, save the bacon fat. Now, ya got the makings for 'refritos'
(cooked beans mashed with fat) that can go in many things. Also, a little
can go a long way in a batch of bean soup though I'd add a ham hock of some
smoked pork bone neck bits (often here, less than 1$ a lb for smoked ham
hocks or neck bones). You need about 1 medium hock per 1 lb dry bean
weight. You *can* skip the hock totally and it will come out nicely but
will need to add extra spices for the flavor transport.

Save the fat from the corned beastie. Add that to the crockpot and add dry
beans. Save any bits of the corned beastie as well that may be left over and
add that. Add onions, garlic, black pepper (lots of black pepper. Lots and
lots). Now make pan soda bread with a little (1/4 cup) of that cheese and
come serving time, put a square of it in the bottom of a bowl and ladel the
bean pot over it. Serve with salad as you seem to have lots of lettuce
(which wont keep long).

Once the lettuce is no longer crispy and still usable (peel off any that is
gone 'off' too bad), add it to a pot on the stove with a little fat and make
braised lettuce with slivers of onion. Similar to pan fried cabbage, this
is a more delicate flavor so dont spice too heavily.

Lunches, if you have any tortillas left, take some of that leftover pan
fried lettuce and spread a little at the bottom, then add fresh cut slivers
of onions and some drained beans and rice. 1 slice of bacon along it and ya
got lunch.

You say you have turkey lunch meat? Take a slice and make long thinish
strips of it. Now take a cabbage and chop it fairly fine and mix with a
little minced onion and some mayo. Add a touch of brown mustard (can use
other types, I like chinese ones for example that are hot). If you have a
tortilla, you have the innerds of a wrap. If you dont, you have a salad.

Lots of ideas here. Kinda been there, done that.