Eating Through the Pantry

January is a time for reflection, setting goals, and starting anew.  I, of course, have made a multitude of New Year's Resolutions, one of which is to eat through the pantry this month.  My plan is to cook and eat my way through all the remaining non-perishables I have in my house before replacing or upgrading them.

These pictures were taken several months ago, so I don't currently have everything pictured (although sadly I still have a lot of it).  In the crazy last few months I've had with getting married and adjusting to a new routine of living with somebody else, there simple has not been as much effort put toward cooking as I would typically exert.

Eating through the pantry serves several purposes.  Not only is it a way to clear out the cupboards and make room for the new, but it is also a way to spur creativity and resourcefulness.  It pushes you to be more creative and mindful of what you have on hand.  It will also (hopefully) help us to save money.  My goal for the next couple months is to make weekly meal plans based on what is in the cupboards.  I will, of course, include fresh ingredients.  My challenge will be to purchase only enough for the meals I plan to make.  I am going to try not to buy new canned goods as much as possible, unless they are called for in a recipe that uses a substantial amount of stuff I already have.

We'll see how it goes!  To read more on eating through the pantry, see this post on The Kitchn (one of my favorite blogs).

Project: Chalkboard Plant Tags

Here's an easy project to get you in the mood for gardening this spring:  chalkboard plant tags!

Work in a well-ventilated area

You will need:
Popsicle sticks (collected or purchased from a craft supply store)
Chalkboard spray paint
A surface on which you can spray paint (newspaper, butcher paper, etc)
A well-ventilated area in which to work

 

Instructions:
Lay all the popsicle sticks out on the paper.  Spray with a light coat of paint.  Let it dry, then coat with another light coat of paint.  2-3 coats should cover.

After the first side is completely dry, turn the sticks over and repeat.

I wrote on my sticks with a white charcoal pencil.  It has poured rain for several consecutive days since I stuck these in the ground, and they are still easy to read!

seedlings

Kale seedlings are coming up.  I think spring is finally on it's way!

Have I introduced the ladies?

These are the four new additions to my urban homestead in-the-making.  Hopefully they will be supplying me with eggs starting in July.  They are now about 5 weeks old, but in this picture they are more like 3 or 3 1/2 weeks old.

I'm excited that spring is almost (almost!) here.  I've got my three raised beds composted and ready for seeds, all my seeds are purchased, a few are started indoors.  I just need the stars to align and give me a weekend day where it's not dumping rain or blowing wind for a few minutes, so I can get my early seeds planted!  I have visions of an idyllic garden, where crops burst with vitality and color from the raised beds, pumpkins sprawl lazily on their vines, and the berry bushes are full of juicy, ripe berries for months on end.

We'll see how it turns out.  I realize that this is quite possibly a daydream.

The chickens should have a coop up in the sideyard in a week or so.  They are getting feathered out and are almost ready to be "hardened off" to the reality of living outside.  Yay!  They were all cute and fluffy in that picture above, here they are now:

Oh, what a difference ten days can make.  They grow up so fast.

Protein-Packed Breakfast Bars

I came across a version of this recipe in the comments section of a post on the kitchn.  I modified it based on what I had, and I think it's a keeper!  There is lots of potential for yummy variations, and best of all, it was fast.

You will need:
1 1/2 C. Oats
1 1/4 C. protein powder (any flavor you like/have)
1 C. peanut butter
1/2 C. honey

Directions:
Melt the peanut butter and honey together over a double boiler or in the microwave, until combined.  Add the protein powder and oats.  The mixture can get a little dry, so you may want to knead it a bit with your hands (be careful if the mixture is still warm).  Press into an ungreased 8x8" pan.  Cover loosely with waxed paper and put in the fridge to cool for at least one hour.  Cut bars for serving. Makes 9 bars.

Easy, tasty, and quick in the morning.  I plan on eating these with some fruit and a mug of black tea.

A sampling of the latest dishes

Stir-fried sirloin with garlic, tomatoes, and broccoli

Baked chicken with lemon, tangerine, and fennel

Mexican hot chocolate made with coconut milk

DIY Laundry Detergent

So, I know this isn't food, but I'd like to branch out to include other crafty home projects.  This is one I started a while ago.  I'd thought about making laundry soap for a while, but never took the steps to do so until one of my friends from work told me how easy it was and how well it worked (thanks, Kerry)!

the ingredients

You will need:
1 bar of Ivory soap, grated (I used the fine grate on my box grater)
1 cup of Borax
1 cup of washing soda (the only place I found washing soda was Fred Meyer, so look there)

this is me stirring fast

Directions:
Grate the bar of soap with your grater.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Put in a container with a lid (a 24 oz container or larger should work best).

the finished product, in its natural environment

And there you have it!  I suppose you could add a few drops of an essential oil if you wanted it to smell scent-y, but I prefer unscented laundry soap.  The soap itself smells like Ivory, but I've found that after washing and drying, the laundry doesn't have much of a smell at all (other than the smell of clean!).  Try it, it's easy and cheap considering how many jars of the stuff you can make after the initial purchase of the ingredients.

Oh, and I almost forgot, you only need to use about a tablespoon of detergent per load.