Last Friday I told you guys that I had joined a pantry challenge.  I managed to only grab a gallon of milk mid-week, but I do have a few things I have to grab before I pick the kiddos up.  Most of them are requests from the kids.

• Orange juice-they were fighting colds for whatever reason last time they were home, and prefer juice to Vitamin C tabs
• Pudding- chocolate, vanilla, and lemon…. we already have vanilla, so I will grab the other two
• Tortillas
• Cheese
• Honey Bunches of Oats (this will only happen if it is on sale, they have raisin bran, and he will make quesadillas which will work out cheaper)
• Veggies
• Vinegar
• Potatoes

I use vinegar as my principle cleaning agent, so this is actually more for laundry and cleaning than cooking. Mash was requested by my girl child, apparently she doesn’t remember having it a couple weeks ago when she requested it last time, so I need potatoes for that.  At the store I am going to they mark down produce on Tuesdays and Fridays, so I will see what I can find to add some fresh veggies to the plan for the week.  Cheese and tortillas are on the list every time.  Mainly because my son is going to turn into a quesadilla any moment.  He will have a couple for breakfast before walking out the door (even though he could have cereal or any number of other things at school), and then turn around and want that for both after school snack and as a bedtime snack if he isn’t digging into the ice cream.

In case you didn’t know, I think pretty much any mother can tell you that you don’t go into a store hungry.  Or with kids if you can help it.  I do break that last one because after a few years of monthly grocery shops without kids I realized my kids hadn’t actually been in a store in over a year. But I still only take them occasionally.  My goal for today is to make it in and out for less than $25.  This is somewhat arbitrary, but in order to not have to play whack-a-mole with my budget, that is the goal.  I also try to see how fast I can get in and out because the longer you are in, generally the more you spend.  So I just fixed myself what I am calling Leftover Saute to get my belly full, and then I will head out.

Leftover Saute

1 leftover turnip (diced, but I also took the little sprouting tops off and added those)

1 leftover chicken thigh (skin removed, cut into pieces- skin saved)

1/2 leftover medium onion- diced

2 spiralized carrots- cores were eaten for breakfast this morning, and sprials saved in a bowl of water

2 small kale leaves- fresh from the garden…  is it leftover considering the kale was leftover from last year?

4ish garlic leaves? stalks?  it was the soft tops, not scapes, and not the cloves….

4 spearmint leaves- also picked from the garden today….  the rest of the bunch will probably be dried and used in my morning smoothies

I cut up the chicken into the skillet, put the skin in the toaster oven for 5ish minutes, and then cut the onion and turnip.  I did add a pinch of Pink Himalayan salt, and chicken fat leftover from cooking chicken thighs…  I honestly don’t know if this is schmaltz….  which I understand to be rendered chicken fat, but that is what I have been calling it for ease of labelling.  I used to use bacon grease in these type applications, but am avoiding pork these days.  Anyway,  once those were all melding well I tossed in the lightly squeezed out carrot spirals, and went to pick the stuff from the garden. It just didn’t have enough color.  I did cut those into strips and tossed them in, and basically just let it get good and wilted.  Top with the chicken skin. Then nom, nom, nom…..  why do I automatically see pacman when I use that term?

~Going Green Mom