Culinary Creativity

So the kids are leaving on Sunday to spend a week at their grandparents...

NOTE: I may not blog next week because I won't have to escape from my life periodically to have "conversations" with grown-ups.

Anyway, so since they are leaving, we decided not to get any more groceries at the beginning of this week, but instead, to make do with what we have already. (And next week, Robb and I will make 2 am runs to Taco Bell and eat otherwise crazy things whenever we feel hungry.)

I have to say, I'm pretty good at this. I'm not bragging, but if Bobby Flay and I had a Throw Down with a nearly bare pantry and a fridge full of leftovers, I would kick his hiney.

Examples? last night, I made chicken gravy and biscuits. My mouth is actually watering at the thought of that gravy...which began with finely chopped onions,carrots and celery, sauteed in butter, and ended with roux thickening.

The night before, I made a bread pudding consisting of three crumbly berry flavored bagels, 2 crusts of bread, 2 packages of hersheys hot chocolate mix, 2 tablespoons of vermouth, 2 eggs, a splash of milk, and two tablespoons of leftover cooked mixed berries.

Wanna know another super cheap meal? A cup of rice, a can of rotel, black beans, and a frozen hamburger...Served with a box of Jiffy cornbread. Throw it in a tortilla the next day for lunch.

So, I am out of sugar now. And all snack foods. And most of the oatmeal. And a lot of other stuff. But I feel confident that with a can of tomato juice and a sprig of parsley, I can whip up something else...at least until the coffee gives out....