leftovers

our hibiscus bloomed last week - a nice touch of indoor spring
during a frigid cold snap

Two pans of cinnamon rolls
One pan of cherry coffee cake
Four dozen homemade whole wheat rolls
Four pounds of hamburger/venison sloppy joes
Six pounds of chicken cooked for
Two pans of chicken rigatoni
8 dozen peanut butter cookies
8 dozen chocolate chip/craisin/walnut/oatmeal cookies
1 pan of brownies
1 pan of blonde brownies

While the vast majority of the food was eaten by the snowboarders, there are a few leftovers for us. I really do enjoy leftovers. I'm trying to make sure I manage what was left (putting most of it in the freezer) so we don't waste any food.

I was able to make most of the food for the guys with stuff I already had on hand. I like to operate according to the pantry principle. When something is on sale, I buy as much of it as I can. Over the winter months then, I try to make meals from the pantry. It is important to keep rotating your pantry stock, so nothing gets outdated. But you have a smug feeling of satisfaction knowing that the food you have on hand was bought for the lowest price you could find.

Now my motivation is a bit different. I had shelves of canned goods in the basement. With Pat moving his office down there, I want to use up those items. Make more room for him. Plus with a move in our future (we think?sometime? maybe?) I don't particularly want to pack and take a bunch of canned goods.

I've also discovered that thanks to me being a school teacher and a home schooler and my mother-in-law's vast supply of office materials, I will probably never have to buy a pencil, pen or any paper in my lifetime. Most school teachers have a wee bit of packratitis. You never know when something will come in handy.

Most of my stash of canned goods is pretty well balanced. However, I have a plethora of pinto beans and tomato sauce. We may be eating a lot of interesting meals in the days to come....