Project: Declutter
At this time of year, I start to take stock - inventory. Where am I? Where was I meant to be? Am I living up to my own expectations and standards?
I start to look around me at the STUFF.
All the stuff which we accumulate, hoard, and then trip over in our daily life. Maybe it's because I have four children, but I feel like we have just SO MUCH STUFF, and it gets in the way of our actual life. Most of my day is dealing with all the stuff. I don't have time for life because I am a stuff wrangler. I want to embark on a process of simplification, which will eventually encompass all areas of my life, but since big goals aren't really my thing, and always lead to failure, I'm starting with one area. Specifically, food.
I want to change the way I shop, the way I cook. I want to use what we already have, and not buy into the notion that I need to cook the cover of the magazine to nourish my family.
In my pantry (which isn't massive, and I'm happy about it) I've done an inventory.
Polenta
1/2 packet of soup noodles
Jasmine rice
Arborio rice
Quinoa
Dried red lentils
olive oil
1 jar of tomato salsa
balsamic vinegar
crispy shallots
rice wine vinegar
sesame oil
V8 spicy vegetable juice
popcorn kernels
dried figs
basmati rice
honey
rolled oats
flour
lasagne sheets
3 tins of chickpeas
2 tins of diced tomatoes
5 snack tins of tuna
tinned soup,
peanut butter
potatoes
This, coupled with the contents of my refrigerator:
spaghetti sauce (open)
apricot jam (open)
lard
tamarind puree
2 snack tubs of hommus
salsa (open)
olives
eggs (we have chickens)
chorizo
tasty cheese (slices, block and grated)
madras curry paste
cream
tomatoes (Roma AND cherry)
mushrooms
leftover quinoa salad
kiwi fruit
cucumber
sausages
baby spinach
apricot, nectarine, peach, mandarin
and the freezer:
Frozen fruit (mostly bananas)
3 fish fillets
beef stir fry strips
lamb belly
2 lamb shanks
baby peas
chicken thigh fillets
provided the bones of 9 meals, plus lunch boxes, and breakfast.
Tonight:
Sausages and Mashed potatoes, Salad
Sunday: Chorizo and Red Lentil Soup, Home Baked Bread
Monday: Chicken, Mushroom, and Pea Pasta Bake
Tuesday: Spaghetti Bolognese
Wednesday: Soup and Fresh Bread
Thursday: Beef Stir-Fry and Rice
Friday: Home made pizza
Saturday: Jambalaya
Sunday: Slow Cooked Chicken and Dumplings
There are plenty of options for healthy lunches and snacks for my family, and with a quick shop to get the rest of the ingredients, we should have full bellies for the rest of the week.
Tomorrow looks like Banana oat smoothies for breakfast, Quinoa Salad for lunch, and the soup for dinner. Snack can be apple/peanut butter, hummus/carrot.
Banana smoothie:
1 frozen banana
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 tbsp. chia seeds
150g greek yogurt
1 handful of baby spinach leaves
1 dash of nutmeg
Quinoa Salad:
Tricolour quinoa, Roasted sweet potato, asparagus, cherry tomato. Salt/pepper, olive oil.
Chorizo and Lentil Stew:
2 chorizo sausages, diced and fried off
1 sweet potato, cut into 2 cm cubes
1 onion, finely chopped, caramelised
1/2 cup dried red lentils
Chicken stock
Cook until sweet potato is tender and flavours have blended.
This isn't really a cooking blog, but I do love to cook and create. If you try any of these, let me know!
Happy Cooking,
Sarah
I start to look around me at the STUFF.
All the stuff which we accumulate, hoard, and then trip over in our daily life. Maybe it's because I have four children, but I feel like we have just SO MUCH STUFF, and it gets in the way of our actual life. Most of my day is dealing with all the stuff. I don't have time for life because I am a stuff wrangler. I want to embark on a process of simplification, which will eventually encompass all areas of my life, but since big goals aren't really my thing, and always lead to failure, I'm starting with one area. Specifically, food.
I want to change the way I shop, the way I cook. I want to use what we already have, and not buy into the notion that I need to cook the cover of the magazine to nourish my family.
In my pantry (which isn't massive, and I'm happy about it) I've done an inventory.
Polenta
1/2 packet of soup noodles
Jasmine rice
Arborio rice
Quinoa
Dried red lentils
olive oil
1 jar of tomato salsa
balsamic vinegar
crispy shallots
rice wine vinegar
sesame oil
V8 spicy vegetable juice
popcorn kernels
dried figs
basmati rice
honey
rolled oats
flour
lasagne sheets
3 tins of chickpeas
2 tins of diced tomatoes
5 snack tins of tuna
tinned soup,
peanut butter
potatoes
This, coupled with the contents of my refrigerator:
spaghetti sauce (open)
apricot jam (open)
lard
tamarind puree
2 snack tubs of hommus
salsa (open)
olives
eggs (we have chickens)
chorizo
tasty cheese (slices, block and grated)
madras curry paste
cream
tomatoes (Roma AND cherry)
mushrooms
leftover quinoa salad
kiwi fruit
cucumber
sausages
baby spinach
apricot, nectarine, peach, mandarin
and the freezer:
Frozen fruit (mostly bananas)
3 fish fillets
beef stir fry strips
lamb belly
2 lamb shanks
baby peas
chicken thigh fillets
provided the bones of 9 meals, plus lunch boxes, and breakfast.
Tonight:
Sausages and Mashed potatoes, Salad
Sunday: Chorizo and Red Lentil Soup, Home Baked Bread
Monday: Chicken, Mushroom, and Pea Pasta Bake
Tuesday: Spaghetti Bolognese
Wednesday: Soup and Fresh Bread
Thursday: Beef Stir-Fry and Rice
Friday: Home made pizza
Saturday: Jambalaya
Sunday: Slow Cooked Chicken and Dumplings
There are plenty of options for healthy lunches and snacks for my family, and with a quick shop to get the rest of the ingredients, we should have full bellies for the rest of the week.
Tomorrow looks like Banana oat smoothies for breakfast, Quinoa Salad for lunch, and the soup for dinner. Snack can be apple/peanut butter, hummus/carrot.
Banana smoothie:
1 frozen banana
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 tbsp. chia seeds
150g greek yogurt
1 handful of baby spinach leaves
1 dash of nutmeg
Quinoa Salad:
Tricolour quinoa, Roasted sweet potato, asparagus, cherry tomato. Salt/pepper, olive oil.
Chorizo and Lentil Stew:
2 chorizo sausages, diced and fried off
1 sweet potato, cut into 2 cm cubes
1 onion, finely chopped, caramelised
1/2 cup dried red lentils
Chicken stock
Cook until sweet potato is tender and flavours have blended.
This isn't really a cooking blog, but I do love to cook and create. If you try any of these, let me know!
Happy Cooking,
Sarah
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