Day 10 - The revolts are starting

My daughter, Katy, is protesting saying she didn't sign up for this challenge and my sister is agreeing with her. Think that's because Col wants out of it too. But we are still going strong. Tonight is chicken tandoori with brown basmati rice. May make some frozen string beans - have lots of those. But we are almost totally out of any veggies/fruits - one zucchini that I am going to make into pancakes. Have 1 rotting apple and 1 pear that I most likely will toss out to the deer. And have either 3 or 4 onions left. I had stuffed cabbage for breakfast and it was delicious. Lunch will be tuna again with taboule. The parsley except for the stems is officially gone now. Will use stems to make stock. Cut up whole chicken for tandoori and now boiling it to get the last chicken off the bones for the dogs.

No, Dukey, No

First Jeter with the zucchini bread and now Duke has eaten my battery charger cord, so no new pics today. See if I can find my old camera. Duke has also eaten my dining room chair - almost half the seat is eaten as well as the wood on the chairs/table. Hopefully he will grow out of this habit soon.
Yesterday did make some grapeleaves with the leftover meat from the stuffed cabbage. Had to use lime juice instead of lemon but they were still very good. Also made tuna salad today. Col had a birthday lunch and she said it felt really good to be eating real food and not beans/lentils. My brother Michael came over last night and had the rest of the pea soup - must love him very much to give that one soup to him. Also, gave him some black bean chili, veggie burgers and some lentil soup. Matt didn't like the lentil soup made with sundried tomatoes and potatoes and brought it home from work. I'll try to make the very basic lentil soup he likes but only have 4 baby carrots left. My nephew Brandon wanted chicken parmigiana tonight and Col said we couldn't make because we didn't have the ingredients for sauce. I told her I had a can of tomatoes and she's like - what are you holding out on me!! Katy loves Chicken Parm, so we will be having that again tonight.

No cooking today!!

We have to go through all the stuff I have made so far. There are lots of leftovers and stuffed cabbage for dinner. Just going to make coleslaw with the leftover small cabbage leaves. Have to figure out what soups/chili I can freeze. Col and Matt both liked the greek beef with orzo dinner. Have learned not to toss but to recreate. Sometimes will be more successful than others.

Col figured it out but no verdict yet

Col figured out that I had washed the beef "in purified water I hope". Sure, Col. We'll have for dinner tonight. It's only been one week and I had to use the rest of the sprouting potatoes and made shepherd's pie. I'm going to freeze it. Have a lot of food for us to eat in the fridge already. Had cabbage for at least three weeks so used that today to make stuffed cabbage - didn't get many good leaves but enough for at least three of us. I know Katy won't eat it. Made more lentil soup using sun dried tomatoes and one of the few remaining potatoes. Have four baby carrots left and about 5 onions. Also, have some lemongrass (yes lemongrass), and ginger. May be able to make a lemongrass soup with coconut milk.

Success!! Able to recreate meal from botched stew

That moroccan tagine was a big disappointment and looked much too heavy for Col or my taste. Rinsed off the beef and tossed the potatoes and carrots and searched for a recipe for beef and orzo. Found this great recipe on about.com for moshari yiouvetsi - a Greek beef and pasta casserole. I just cooked it and that extra hour in the oven with the tomatoes/jalapeno can and the liquid transformed the beef from tough to incredibly tender. It also looks much lighter and I can truly say delicious. So don't tell Col and I want to see her respone. Also found that I can freeze the beef stew with the potatoes (didn't think you could freeze potatoes) but they do with french fries, etc. We'll get two good meals out of the stew. I have to use up the cabbage before it goes bad - will make stuffed cabbage.

Beans and more beans

Some pics of the food - Saturday night dessert - last of the apples, thrown in with brown sugar and butter in a peasant pie crust. Black bean/roasted corn veggie burgers and chili. Chicken parmesan for 7 with leftovers. We're not eating bad yet are we!

Day 7 - Beef stew,beans and more beans

Used up some almost rotten potatoes and made potato patties. Cooked about 3 lbs. of black beans, made veggie burgers with roasted corn and a black bean chili. Matt came over for dinner with Margo for chicken parm and eggplant parm, rigatoni (end of marinara sauce) and then Col said remember the loaves and the fishes - well Bran and his friend need dinner too! But we had plenty and still have leftover pasta and parm. Katy had a 3 month old frozen pizza for lunch and we had veggie burgers - pretty good. Just have to get used to the texture. Cooked the others longer so that they will be harder. Think we are going to have to toss the leftover ratatouille out or to the deer - don't know if they are allergic to onions like dogs. Have to make pastry dough for beef stew. Col doesn't really like beef, so this is a problem! But if we don't eat the beef - probably won't make another week. This week it will chicken enchiladas, stuffed cabbage, shepherd's pie, pasta with livornese sauce. Thankfully, it is Col's birthday on Friday and we get to go out - yes this one time. We haven't ordered in or gone out since this challenge started, not even to get a coffee!!