It's time to get creative...in the kitchen

I've been motivated recently to cut my expenses (well, more lately than usual). The motivation is a new car, and paying off my credit cards (about one year to go!). I have already canceled cable, a tough decision, but for the best, especially taking physiology this semester. Besides, between Netflix and the internet, my entertainment needs are more than met. I don't spend a lot of money on clothes and eating out and the like, but I know I spend too much on groceries. I don't know what the monthly figure is, but I know I spend way too much for a single gal living on her own. There are certain things I pick up at Trader Joe's every time I go: cannellini beans, artichoke hearts, string cheese, ak-mak crackers just to name a few. Well, things pile up. The cabinets, the fridge, the freezer. Full. My fridge was stinky earlier this week, and I was dismayed to be forced to throw out probably $20 worth of food that had gone off. Sure, it's nice to be stocked up and not have to visit the market every other day. But when the fridge is full, you can't see what all is lurking in the back. When it's a bit emptier, you can see exactly what is in there and not forget about the grapes at the bottom of the drawer, or the tub of sour cream way in the back.
Here is where I got inspired. I thought to myself, "Hey. What if I ate all this food I have before I buy more?" So that's what I'm doing. I bought a few perishables (milk, salad greens, fruit), but other than that, I'm limiting myself to what I have on hand until I can't possibly eke out another meal. I've gotten pretty creative, and you know what? It's FUN!

Night One:
I had just about one bowl of Trader Joe's sweet potato bisque in the fridge and it needed to be consumed in short order. I like to add a bit of sour cream to it (also good in the butternut squash soup) to give it a little richness. I had some bacon in the fridge, and some of the teeny tiny potatoes from Trader Joe's. I cooked two slices of bacon in the oven, and halved about a handful of the little taters and steamed them. When the bacon was done (I like to almost overcook it, but I was hungry, so I didn't let it cook as long), I crumbled it up. I put it all together in a big bowl, and had that with a simple green salad with goat cheese crumbles (my favorite alternative to salad dressing). I'm glad I have another carton of soup in the cupboard, because I'm eating this again soon!

Night Two:
One of my favorite basic and easy meals at the moment is whole wheat penne pasta and sauteed peas, cannellini beans, prosciutto or chicken Iltalian sausage, garlic and olive oil. The sweet chicken Italian sausage from Trader Joe's is delicious, and I use it often. Sometimes I add halved cherry tomatoes and/or quartered artichoke hearts to the mix. Top it with Parmesan, and voila! An entire meal in one bowl.
I was flipping through a magazine - Real Simple, I believe - and came across a similar recipe with yams. I love yams, and I usually just bake them and eat with butter and brown sugar. I never thought to include them in my pasta mix. So here's what I did. I cut up a smallish yam into bite-sized pieces, and steamed until soft, but not mushy. Then I halved about six brussels sprouts and steamed those. Meanwhile, the whole wheat penne is cooking. I put the sprouts and yams into a stir-fry pan, and sauteed with two cloves of minced garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. When all that was done, I combined it all and added a sprinkling of Parmesan. Wow, was this ever good. Again, something I'm glad I have more of because I can't wait to have it again!


Night Three:
I had a spaghetti squash that I was waiting to cook until I had the time to do so. I like to eat it with marinara sauce and Parmesan, just like spaghetti. But I wanted to make it a bit more substantial. So I cooked up some whole wheat spaghetti. In a skillet, I cooked up a chicken Italian sausage with the casing removed, then added marinara sauce. Usually I'd add a minced clove or two of garlic, but I was feeling lazy. Meanwhile, I had halved the squash lengthwise, picked out the seeds (I'll roast those tomorrow for a snack), and placed them cut side down in a 9x13 glass baking dish with just under 1/2" of water. I added some garlic powder to the water to infuse a little bit of flavor into the squash. I baked it at 350 for an hour or so. When it was cool enough to handle, but still warm, I scooped out about 3/4 of one half into the sauce/sausage mixture. After heating that all together, I combined it with the pasta and sprinkled on some Parmesan. It was delish, but a whole lot of food. I always weigh out pasta before I cook it so I don't eat too much, but all this together was too much. Now I have leftovers for dinner this week, and half of a squash to figure out what do to with!