kdh1221's Journal

I wish I could say that my cupboards had as much as yours do (of course, my cupboards are such a mess they may very well have more stuff than I know about)

One of my favorite websites is www.meals.com

You can put your ingredients in and they will give you recipes that have those ingredients. I think Betty Crocker.com has the same thing.

Whatever you do...don't make the pecan pie! (been there, done that - not good!)

Lately I've been attempting to cook more creatively -- which turns out to be a meal made of random crap in my cupboards I hope will go well together.

Buffalo chicken omelette?

Pizzadilla (tortilla and mozz with some kind of meat for topping)? You could also make the fridge dough into pizza dough easily enough. Not the healthiest, but if you skrimp on the cheese it might work.

I do a chicken dish which is cream of chicken soup and water, a cup of rice and a bag of frozen veg but maybe you could cup up your fridge leftover veg?

And just about any kind of beans taste good when made with taco seasoning. Crock pot + taco seasoning + pork and beans? Hmmm...

Okay, I have no idea if any of this will be good, but who cares? Just find some stuff you like in the same taste genre and throw it together. It might be great, it might just be "edible." And if it fails you can fall back on whatever you make your family, but try to make it a little more healthy while cooking?

Sorry, not much help, I know. But I like to play with food now.

I don't usually read journal entries, but I found this one.  Give me a little bit and I'll see what I can come up with.

Heat oven to 350.  Spray cookie sheet with Pam.

Smash one biscuit very flat onto the cookie sheet and let it rest a few minutes.

Put some dried onion into some warm water to reconstitute (I assume you have this in your spice cabinet).  Add Italian herbs, garlic and onion to 1 Tbsp of tomato paste.

Smooth on with back of spoon tomato paste (save the rest for another dish). 

Sprinkle on 1 Tbsp mozzarella cheese.

And....

1 ounce left over cooked chicken (makes 260 calorie dish) or

1 ounce left over cooked hamburger meat (270 calories) or

1 ounce tuna --270

1 ounce colby cheese - 329

another ounce mozzarella - 303

plain mozz pizza no extras 232

3 black olives sliced very thin 247?  not sure about the black olive count.

3 green olives sliced very thin 247

You may have other combos you can do with leftover roast or chicken buffalo lunch meat...etc.

Calories about 313 depending on what you use.  Save your left overs in a zip lock and make this when you have enough.

Chop up your celery and put into big zip lock bag for later.   But you may want to make this before your carrot and tomato go bad, if you don't use them, then substitute something else for those calories.

1 cup chicken broth, 2 ounces cooked chicken, 1/4 cup prepared shell macaroni (from shells and cheese...make the kids the shells and cheese leaving out this portion of macaroni for you.  More cheesy for them), 1 tbsp corn, 1 tbsp garbanzo beans, 1 tbsp northern beans, 1 tbsp soy beans, 1 tbsp carrot, 1 tbsp chopped tomato.  You can add chopped boiled egg for another 90 cal or so if you need it.

So how about a nice slice of garlic bread to go with your soup.  Just watch your portion. 

Brown and drain enough ground beef to give you 3 ounces (or heat up 3 ounces of left over ground beef.  Stir in 4 ounces of tomato sauce.  Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic, onion powder and/or whatever spices seem good..like Italian spices or more chili.

Add 1/4 cup shelly macaroni.  Then you have a choice.  You can stir in cheese to hot mix and let it sit til cheese melts or...

You can add liquid, such as your chicken broth or water to make a soup or stew.

Or you can take the mix.  Put it into a Pam sprayed dish, put it in the oven with cheese on top.

For 368 cal dish...substitute tuna, no tomato sauce, add a bit of 1% milk mixed with 1/2 tbsp flour.  Season with onion and garlic, celery.

Here's how I'd do the tuna dish.  Put some water (or season water with a bit of broth..might inch calories up a tad) in a skillet and cook the celery, add seasoning.  Add milk and flour (PS  I am just guessing at the amount of milk and flour for the calorie's sake...) and let it thicken a bit.  Add the cheese next, then tuna and cooked shells.  Salt and pepper.

I am hoping that would be good, it sounds pretty good.  You know some tahini might taste good in that?

168 calories

Heat 1/4 cup chicken broth in a skillet.  Sprinkle in some of that frozen celery.  Season with pepper, garlic powder, minced dried onion (you have?), parsley...whatever you like..maybe even a pinch of chili powder?

Slice 1 ounce of that London Broil lunch meat into very find strips.

Thicken chicken broth in a skillet on the stove.  I chose 1 tbsp flour for the calorie count, but I'm really not sure of the amount that it will take.  The less the better.  Now  add the meat and just heat thru.

Open up your pita and toast.  Spread the mess on your pita.

Calories 200.

Now I totally made this up...you substitute to your heart's content.

Make one of your pancakes (if you make several freeze the others for later)  I allowed 86 calories for the pancake.

Mix together 1/4 cup corn, 2 tbsp sour cream, 1 tbsp colby cheese.  Put it on the pancake and top with 1 tbsp chopped tomato and toast under the broiler.  Or broil before you put the tomato on...

You can substitute other of your stuff for fun.  I think the sour cream and cheese would go good with anything.  Just check your calories.

Calories about 330.

Ok...you'll have to work this out for yourself, but here's an idea.

Cut your pie crust into 6 pieces.  shape it into a Pam sprayed muffin tin.

Mix together 1 egg, 1 tbsp sour cream,  1 ounce left over pork chop or chicken or tuna, or hamburger, or roast or steak, parsley flakes, and whatever other seasoning you like.  salt and pepper.

Spoon the egg mix into the pie shell and bake at 375 for 20 minutes?  Not sure, the minitart shells say 20 minutes.  You'll have to judge for yourself (or look up a quiche recipe)

Yeah, I made some bean soup today.  I had some bacon in the freezer and some onions.  I needed celery, but found my celery had died in the bottom of the frig.

Use the things that will die soon first, like the celery, tomatoes and carrot.  That 10 pounds of chicken should be a help, but finding enough things to go with it will be touch.  Also, using small amounts..here and there will leave lots of tiny left overs in the freezer of frig.

I know you also have to cook for your family.  I don't know how you'll do it.