Cindy

Hi everyone! Happy Star Wars day! 😀

@Stephie I saw! 😀 Perfect resolution!

Okay, I'm really off. Could talk all night, but if I don't get the bake started it may not happen. Happy New Year!

@Cerberus Not fresh, but here, the pureed tomatoes are like stewed tomatoes without all of the added sugar. Stewed tomatoes are so sweet they make me...... We can get some pretty good, fresh tasting stuff if you get the right thing, but it's not alway easy to find. Thus, the Wegmans passata. Just tomatoes.

@Cerberus Sounds good but, in the US, pureed tomatoes are not something I buy. Too cooked and nasty. Not at all fresh.

@Cerberus That's what we get, but fortunately we have a Wegmans fairly close (20 miles) where I can buy their store brand passata. Only ingredient is organic tomatoes.To die for...

@Stephie Goodnight, sleep tight! I'll be in bed by the time you are! (Or before!)

@Cerberus @Stephie Great to see you both. Hope we can see more of each other in this new year. But I'm off to prepare the kielbasa bake. Best! Hope we can talk more soon!

Sometimes it's not intentional, but it happens. I still try to use the item, but sometimes it is just not going to happen.

@Stephie Get that, I don't either. But he sometimes picks up the wrong thing by mistake or tries to substitute if he can't find the right item. To be honest, I've bought the wrong thing by looking at the item and in it's space was another like item that had somehow infiltrated it's space. i.e. customer picking up a can of flavored tomato sauce, deciding not to buy it, and placing it back on the shelf with the other non-flavored sauce.

@Cerberus The worst is canned veggies that Hubby buys that we don't use, at least normally. Like the other day I found a huge can of French style green beans. Neither of us like the French style beans (canned). Or dried items that he buys in bulk that go stale over time.

@Cerberus Great clip!

@Cerberus Me, too! And the bad thing is that when I let the freezer or pantry go too long, inevetably I will find a couple of things that didn't survive. As it's been somewhere over a year, I haven't found anything in the freezer yet, that's to come, but I have found a few things in the pantry that have seen much better days.

@Cerberus Did I break the internet again? Lol. Jojo used to tease me about that when I said CPG. Consumer Packaged Goods.

@Stephie Are you related to my hubby?

@Cerberus I'm not sure why we don't use what we've put up, but I think it's something to do with depleting the reserves. I've worked in the CPG industry for over 30 years and know full well that rotation is the better option all the way around, but when it comes to home I default to human.

Same here. We put up foods we've prepared or buy extra when it's on sale, but somehow stockpile rather than use it. We generally try to do the clean out once or twice a year, but last year went by and it never happened. So, we are overdue. And, as Stephie pointed out, it saves a lot of money. And a lot of waste.

@Cerberus Hi! Great to see you! Yes, Stephie issued a challenge for us to be creative and eat out of our freezers and pantries rather than buying new groceries. Makes you be very inventive!

@Stephie I tend to forget to take them, but I will try to remember and post some! I'm not great at the food pics, but..... Oh, I forgot to post the peanut sauce recipe, will try to do tomorrow. I'll ping you.

Just happened to think that spaetzle would be great with that! Not mandatory, but would be really tasty!

Last night was spaghetti with arrabbiata sauce and a side of green peas. Meat and peas out of the freezer and pasta from the pantry. Tonight is going to be a kielbasa bake. Kielbasa from the freezer with leftover Brussels sprouts, red onions, and either corn or potatoes. All on hand!

Sounds great! As you noted, this tends to make one creative. I'm committed. Using everything from the freezer, pantry and what's already in the fridge, unless something requires fresh perishable stuff. Thus, the baby spinach that was already in the fridge.

@Stephie Taste is always the be all, end all. But you know the saying, 'We eat with our eyes'. Presentation makes a lot of difference.

@Stephie - Your pics alway make me hungry! Awesome presentations! The carnitas turned out great and we had the rice and baby spinach on the side! How are you doing with the challenge?

@Jolenealaska Lol! I have too many foods that I love to name just one favorite. Many are tied for first place.

Should be plenty of veggies to choose from!

@Stephie Challenge accepted! We try to do this once or twice a year, but 2019 came and went without it getting done. So, we seriously need to dig in and clear out some of the foods that have built up. Found a boneless pork butt roast, so today is going to be pork carnitas. We have a lot of rice on hand, so probably a Mexican rice on the side along with whatever veggies I find in the freezer or pantry.

Can't believe I was actually awake to ring in 2020! Happy New Year!

@Stephie Sorry I didn't see this earlier. Do you still need a recipe? I make a peanut sauce to use with lettuce wraps. Not sure if it will work for your needs, but it's tasty and I'd be glad to share.

Okay. Best wishes. To all, for everything. Too sore and tired to continue. Will explain later"

!

Merry Christmas to al

@Stephie @rumtscho I misread the question about making caramel with evaporated milk and flagged an answer incorrectly. I can't find a way to delete the flag or 'undo' it. Can you guys delete it for me?

Oh well. Guess I missed you. Hope all is well with you and yours.

How goes it?

@ElendilTheTall Hello!

@Stephie What happened there? I was wondering because I noticed that a certain question is no longer there.

Hi @Jolenealaska!

Our kitty doesn't play much anymore. But overall she does very well for her age.

Hi @Stephie!

@rumtscho I like that!

@rumtscho Hi! Doing okay. Glad to see that your new kitty is settling in. Have you named her yet?

So adorable!

@rumtscho Congratulations!

@Stephie @Preston Great seeing you. But, as we left very early this morning, I have quite a few things I need to get done. Catch you later!

Exactly.

@Stephie Absolutely. If you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to help others.

I'm good. Just a little tired.

There will be a few semi-lengthy restrictions, like not lifting his left arm over his head or not lifting more than 10 pounds with that arm for 4 weeks. But otherwise just light duty stuff for 4 - 6 weeks. And he won't have to wear the defibrillator vest!

@Stephie Thanks! Quite a relief to have it over with. He will have to stay overnight for observation though.