Last week it was all about Sunday Meal Prep as I readied to leave for Cleveland. I prepped the meals, snacks and in-betweens for the family, so all they had very little prep, and mostly just heat-and-eat meals while I was away. (you can read my Sunday Meal Prep post here).
This week, it is all about what I call Eating Down – the process of eating what we have in the house, and buying very little so that when we leave for a trip, we don’t have a fridge full of food that will go bad. So, as I readied to leave town with the family, I focused on preparing meals from what I already have on hand. What helps me be successful in this effort is my pantry, which is stocked with a variety of grains, beans and other ingredients that help create meals that are exciting to the family.
Exhausted from my last trip and the busy weekend, I just didn’t find the energy to create a week’s full or recipes. Instead, I took a day or two to take stock of what I had on hand, and eventually came up with how best to use it before we headed out again.
I began my weekly Eating Down menu with a whole chicken, which I bought and roasted, adding veggies and a starch which I had on hand. The chicken kept on giving after the first meal. Greg made broth after dinner, and I added the leftover chicken, along with any wayward veggies I had in the fridge – celery, carrots, and onions. To give it a bit more substance, I added some barley from the pantry. I made Roti Bread Buss up Shut) and we had a tasty and nutritious dinner the following evening, that everyone loved.
With some whole milk in the fridge, I made scones early in the week for breakfast and snacktime. I then used the remaining whole milk, along with the cheddar cheese for homemade mac and cheese for dinner one evening, and the kids finished it off for lunch the next day.
I had a healthy dose of bok choy on hand, so I sautéed it and added it to the leftover soup for lunch the following day.
By the time our lat evening in town arrived, I realized that we did such a good job of Eating Down during the week, that there wasn’t enough food for a full meal, so we opted to order out Chinese.
For breakfast on the day we left, Greg made bacon eggs and toast – using up the last of the homemade bread, most of the eggs, and the bacon.
Road Food
To keep us from spending a fortune to feed six of us in the airport, or on the plane, once again, it was a decision based upon what was in the fridge and pantry.
Since the homemade bread was used up, we turned to the last few tortillas, and made rollup sandwiches, using the last bits of lettuce, lunchmeat and cheese. I packed up leftover take-out from the night before, and cut up apples that didn’t get eaten from someone’s lunch the day before and packed them in our Stasher Bags (our favorite bags for on-the-go).
Any leftover vegetables that I felt might turn bad before our return were promptly placed in our freezer bags to be used for homemade vegetable stock down the road.
By the time we were ready to leave for the airport, our fridge had very little excess in it – a bit of cabbage that would withstand the week away, some eggs to fortify us upon our return . . Nothing else left to wilt, grow mold, or turn sour.
I make this process of Eating Down a habit whenever the family is headed out for vacation. But I also schedule an Eating Down week every couple of weeks, so that I can ensure there will be a lot less food waste. Here are a few ideas on how to make it happen.
Tips for Eating Down
Make soup your friend. A great way to add bits and pieces of leftover vegetables, and then dig in your pantry for grains to add.
Fritattas are a great way to use of the eggs, and those vegetables. Serve with a smattering of potatoes you may have on hand.
Leafy greens – saute bok choy, chards, kale and top with an egg, or add them to ramen for lunchtime.
Smoothies for breakfast or snack is a great way to use up fruit that may be just past its prime and no one will eat it
Muffins or scones – for using last bits of opened milk, apples that may be going soft.
