What We Ate for Dinner: Pulled Venison Sandwiches

For the first time in about two months, I had to go to the store in order to make dinner.  Last night I made pulled venison sandwiches with an easy recipe I found here.

Since my roast was frozen I put it in the crock pot at about 8am.  I covered it in water since I hadn't been to the store to get any root beer.  Once home, I drained the water and replaced it with root beer.  At about 3:30, I shredded the meat.  Just so you know, venison is not easy to shred.  But I did it.  I put it back in until about 5pm.  Then I drained it again and put on the BBQ sauce.  I would have liked to have made the sauce from scratch, but I don't have all the ingredients I need.  Some day . . .

I also had to buy the rolls.  I served these with carrot sticks and a side of baked beans.  They tasted really good and a little root beer-y.

What We Ate for Dinner: Drum Sticks

Yes, I have been cheating a lot lately.  I bought some cheap chicken legs at Smith's on Saturday.  When I asked Kimball what he wanted for dinner last night, he said "Chicken."  Not to be one to deny my toddler a simple request, I complied.

For lunch I whipped up my own mayonnaise for grilled tuna since we don't have any cheese.  (I know, I'll buy chicken, but not cheese.  I'm weird.)  Of course, now I am out of butter.

What We Ate for Dinner: Leftovers and Fruit

I went to the store and bought Kimball some fruit.  He ate about a pound of red grapes with his mac and cheese.  Does this mean I have fallen off the bandwagon completely?  Perhaps just these weeks until I get my food back from Mt. P?  Oh well, I have a surprise purchase for Monday.  I had to make a special request from the butcher.  I can't wait to tell you.

What We Ate for Dinner: Au Gratin Potatoes with Ham and Spinach

This is a quick recipe to turn boxed au gratin potatoes into a full meal.  All you need is some defrosted frozen spinach (is that an oxymoron?) and some diced ham, along with two boxes of the potatoes.

Layer the potatoes, the ham and the spinach in a large casserole dish.  Mix the cheese sauce according to the package directions.  Pour over the potatoes, ham and spinach and bake--according to package directions.

It doesn't get much easier that that.  And it's a great way to get a toddler to each spinach.  Well, mostly.  Mine likes to pick out the pieces of ham.

Now if I can just remember to take a picture of my food.

Week 8 Roundup: What we ran out of

So it's Friday.  As of today, I have been doing my no grocery store thing for 8 weeks.  Technically, I should have 4 more weeks to go.  And today I should be giving you a list of the things I have run out of.  But the truth is, I don't even know.  Half my food is in Mt. Pleasant and half here.  I feel a little culinarily schizophrenic.  Here's hoping I get some kitchen therapy soon.

Bad News

Since we moved up here, one of our chickens was murdered by a neighbor's dog.  I don't know how to break it to Kimball.

What We Ate for Dinner: Reruns

We ate Asian meatballs again. I had some left in the freezer.  Only I made them with homemade rice-a-roni.

Week 7 Roundup: What we ran out of

I found this post I started last week.  I would have posted it Friday if I had been in any state to do so.  I am posting it now, nearly a week late.  Hey.  We moved.

• Cheddar cheese.  The last of the shredded cheddar went into a mac and cheese lunch.
• Chicken.  The two chicken breasts I started out with were sacrificed this week to the Chinese chicken salad.
• Rice Sticks.  Also went into the Chinese chicken salad.
• Onion.  My last non-dehydrated onion went into the Elk Lo Mein.
• Turkey.  The boneless roast I bought went into a turkey dinner, tacos, a spaghetti casserole and a pot pie.
• Canned beans.  Can you believe it?  Well, there is one can of butter beans, but those are going into bread.  I think I also have a can or two of green beens.  I also have dried beans, so not to worry too much.  And once we get our stuff out of our storage unit, I will have 50 pounds of pinto beans. 
• Corn.  The last of the frozen corn went into the chili.
• Chili powder.  You can guess where that went.  Yup, chili.

What We Ate for Dinner: Frozen Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken enchiladas are one of my all time favorite freezer meals.  On Tuesday of this week I defrosted some enchiladas and put them in the oven in time for dinner only to find out that the knob on our oven is broken and I hadn't turned it far enough. (I love getting used to new appliances!)  They were still cold when I checked on them some time later.  So, I threw them back in the fridge and we ate out at Quizno's (courtesy of a Groupon from a week or so ago).  I pulled them out again last night and was finally able to get the oven to work right.

Here is my version of creamy chicken enchiladas.  I tried to lighten it up a little by only using one can of soup. It usually makes enough for two casserole dishes--one of the reasons I love to throw one in the freezer.

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
1 can creamed corn (make sure it's the creamed kind)
1 small can diced green chilis (the fire roasted ones taste better)
1 small can red enchilada sauce
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced or shredded (whichever you prefer)
shredded cheese
12 flour tortillas

Mix all the canned ingredients in a large bowl.  Assemble the enchiladas by placing chicken and cheese with a little sauce in each one.  Now that I think of it, sometimes I add in a can of beans (drained) with the chicken.  Fill two casserole dishes with the tortillas.   Split the rest of the sauce between the two dishes and top with cheese.

Cook 350 covered for about 45 minutes until warmed through.  Take off foil for the last few minutes.  If frozen plan on cooking an extra 45 minutes, or defrost first.

I'm Buried in Boxes

Well, we made it to our new place and are now working on unpacking.  We just got internet this afternoon.

I would like to report that I haven't gone to the store for food, but well, I plead guilty.  Moving has made it hard.  We have been eating the freezer meals I brought, but I have had to purchase some basics, like milk, juice, baby food, fruit and cookies.  Bryce views cookies as a basic food.  Oh, and I bought a chicken.  It was on a "manager's special" at Smith's for only $2.80.  I couldn't resist.

I have, however, made the most of what I have had.  For example, Sunday I decided to make bread.  I had enough flour for two loaves.  Half way through I realized I didn't have any salt.  I substituted soy sauce.  Since I used all the flour to make bread, one morning I decided to try to turn the roll mix I had into pancakes.  They were okay.  Kimball ate them.

It will be nice when I can get down to Mount Pleasant and retrieve the rest of my pantry food.  In the mean time, I will be sneaking off to the store every once an a while.