Last week, when the kids were searching the pantry, bread box and the fridge for something to eat, they just stood there, staring. They knew the next day was shopping day – “So . . . Mom, tomorrow is shopping day, right?” Waiting for confirmation, I said, with a straight face, and with conviction, “Well, we’re going to do an Eat Down week. I’ve been spending a lot of money lately, and we still have a lot here that isn’t being eaten.”
“No! There isn’t anything here!” one exclaimed.
“Mom, you’re lying, right?” added another.
“No, I’m not lying. There is a lot of food here.,” I said, pointing things out. “Look we have beans, grains, lettuce, veggies . . . I’ve tomato sauce, butter, nuts, . . . ” I went on and on.
They weren’t amused. An hour later they were still waiting for me to confirm that I would go shopping.
Keeping Them Wondering
The next day arrived – and while they were at school, I took the time to do a bit of grocery shopping. I wasn’t serious about the Eating Down week – although I really feel we need one of those. It has been several years since we had one – and the kids were less combative then, so I could actually get away with it without them really knowing what I was doing. When I picked up the twins from school, it was lunchtime, and they still seemed a bit nervous about the idea of me not shopping for the week. I caved and let them know that I had just finished shopping.
I could feel the relief settling over my girls.
Eating Down the kitchen is a great way to really use up all those ingredients that have been sitting unused. Yes, it may take a bit more planning, but it truly feels good when you use a single chicken breast, the lonely single carrot, or the last few frozen wontons.
It calls on you to be creative. To think beyond your typical recipes, and use your ingenuity to bring flavors together to give life to all that food in the fridge, freezer and pantry, that is just waiting to be eaten.
In the end, your food stock gets culled of all those items you haven’t touched, or need to use but just didn’t have enough to create a full meal. Eating down doesn’t mean that you can’t go to the store for essentials to help in the process, it just gives you the opportunity to get rid of the food in your kitchen that you need to. So, go ahead and grab some more eggs this week – so that you can prepare a frittata with leftover veggies and potatoes.
In the end, you’ll be amazed at how these little bits of ingredients can be transformed into meals throughout the week. And, you’ll also be amazed at how much money you’ll save.
