Friday, May 31, 2013

Handy Tip #4



The other day, my husband told me that even when there doesn't seem to be much food in the house, I always seem to make it work.

So, here's my handy house wife Tip #4 for you: Make use of what you have available.

Often times, I'll find myself in a pinch, unable to make it to the grocery store.
When this happens, I go through (mentally and/or physically) the food items we do have, and decide what I can make from them. (Which is also ironically how I end up with a lot of the recipes I post.)

I find the easiest way to figure out what to make from what you have is to think in themes.

If I have a jar of spaghetti sauce, I think: What can I put this with to make an Italian dish?
If I have salsa or taco seasoning, I try to think Mexican. I've also been known to make lo mein or stir-fried rice on occasions when I find I only have a few eggs, some rice or spaghetti noodles, a bag of frozen veggies, and seasonings from my spice cupboard (soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sugar).

(These are all kind of stereotypical, and definitely the "American" versions of each culture. But it helps.)
Thinking in themes gives your brain a framework to put all your random ingredients into.

It's also smart to keep certain staples stocked whenever possible. I don't know what I'd do if I found myself without a bag of brown rice, a jar of spaghetti sauce, eggs, or noodles of some sort. I also like to have soy meat and fish in the house whenever possible (though we go through that stuff pretty quickly, and it's pretty expensive). And spices/sauces can make all the difference in the world!

As long as you have something and you stay creative, you can rest at ease knowing there's something you can whip up for your family for dinner tonight.


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